Kuang frowned, one leg folded over the other as he sat in a mahogany chair. It was deep into the night, but the Third Prince had no time for rest. A mysterious person had gotten into contact with Zhang Dingyong, threatening the man to cooperate with Minister Liang and offering the Third Prince's faction dirt on Xianchun, sending Zhang Dingyong into a panic.

Rather than let his retainer rip his own hair out, Kuang had called a meeting with Yunqi and Zhang Dingyong, summoning both of them to his household. Looking at the desperate expression on Zhang Dingyong's face, Kuang let out a soft sigh.

“Calm yourself, Zhang Dingyong. I had pinned you for a more steadfast man. This is nothing we can’t handle,” Kuang said levelly. Zhang Dingyong looked at the prince with wide, frightened eyes from where he knelt on the floor.

“My prince, my sincere apologies, I have no idea how this could have happened, I was much too careless!” Zhang Dingyong said, a desperate note in his voice. “This-this-my family certainly would not have said anything, and my godparents are also sworn to silence!”

“There is no wall that does not leak wind,” Kuang said. “It is not as though we never considered this possibility.”

“Your highness, you are much too kind, I am undeserving of your graciousness,” Zhang Dingyong said, his voice thick with regret. “You treated me with such kindness even though I was born from the union of a criminal and prostitute, and yet my birth has now become a weapon against you!”

“There is no need to flagellate yourself, Right Secretariat. Since ancient times, heroes are not asked about their origins. Third Brother never held your family history against you before, and he would not start now,” Yunqi chimed in from where he sat next to Kuang, perfectly poised as always.

Zhang Dingyong, not trusting his voice to speak any further, bowed his head to the floor and kept it there.

“Enough of this now, lift your head. No trouble will come, whether to you or your adoptive father. I have measures in place to deal with this, it was an investment I had made when I decided to use you as one of my men,” Kuang assured him. “The contingency measures were prepared by Yunqi himself, surely you know better than to doubt my younger brother’s attention to detail.”

“I would not dare,” Zhang Dingyong said, quickly wiping his face dry before lifting his head. “But my prince, that stranger’s offer…”

“We will accept for the time being, though I do not wish to. If he claims to have information to destroy the Seventh Prince’s faction, then I have no doubt that he made a similar offer to Xianchun’s man as well. After all, Minister Liang is the head of the Ministry, there’s nothing that can go through if he is directly opposed to it,” Kuang sighed. "I am curious, however, just what kind of case necessitates going to such lengths? Is he not afraid of the consequences of blackmailing a prince?"

“We have no choice, for if we do not accept, Xianchun might gain an advantage over us. I doubt that the stranger truly has what he offers, or that he would give it to us if he does, but we cannot take the chance of being one-sidedly crushed. If we refuse, he will expose what he has and we will be at a disadvantage. In any case, we will also root out this person during the investigation, and destroy them thoroughly,” Yunqi pointed out.

“Now the question remains if Wenyuan has also received a proposition,” Kuang said thoughtfully. “What do you think, Yunqi?”

“This is not his doing, that is for sure,” Yunqi said. “If he had this kind of information, he would simply use it to keep us from going too far against Xianchun. Not to mention that as the head of the Court of Judicial Review, he could simply intercede and push forward a case rather than going through all this trouble. The most reasonable assumption is either that the one who contacted Right Secretariat Zhang was telling the truth and this is a personal vendetta, or there are other forces at play.”

“My prince, could the recent rumors have to do with this?” Zhang Dingyong asked tentatively. “If Minister Zhao does not benefit from this case, then it’s possible that it would be damaging to him in some way. It seems to me that this stranger wishes for the investigation to remain within the Ministry of Justice, so it stands that there must be a reason for that. Perhaps the case is targeting Minister Zhao?”

“That, or it's something that can completely crush the Zhao clan,” Kuang agreed. “Either they also have something on him, or they wish to keep him out of the way by making sure he doesn't have any attention to spare for a case in the Ministry of Justice.”

“If that is what that man was aiming for, then it seems he’s behind on the uptake. Minister Liang seems to be confident in consolidating the Seventh Prince’s hold over the Ministry of Justice, but the Imperial Investigator Bureau has grown quite close with Minister Zhao over the last few months, the only piece that the neutral faction is missing now is the Ministry of Justice, and they’ll have control over the entire criminal justice system. Even if a chance has appeared, the Seventh Prince wouldn’t be first in line for it,” Zhang Dingyong pointed out, having more or less calmed down. “From my understanding of Minister Zhao, he isn’t someone who would let go of any chance, I am almost certain that he would at least grab hold of the Left Secretariat position. And then what good will threatening us do?”

“How will he spare the effort to mind these matters when he’s already so preoccupied? Unless the palace intercedes on his behalf, it’s unlikely for him to find the time to jostle with the Ministry of Personnel,” Yunqi pointed out.

“I wouldn’t put it past grandmother to do such a thing,” Kuang said, rubbing his chin. “Well, no matter. We never aimed for the Ministry of Justice, to begin with. Rather, this is a chance for us to wrap up loose ends and consolidate our own holdings. The current situation is too delicate for us to think of expansion.”

“Indeed, it would be better to follow our cousin’s advice and gain ground by retreating for the time being,” Yunqi said.

Zhang Dingyong stiffened slightly, understanding that the Third Prince’s faction was going to make a move.

Kuang nodded at him with a reassuring smile. “Zhang Dingyong, you have a good head on your shoulders. Do not worry and keep your eyes sharp. More likely than not, this case will create a huge uproar in the capital, we’ll need to plan accordingly.”

Zhang Dingyong bowed his head. “Understood, your highness. I will do as you command.”

---

Without any servants to come and rouse her, save for Matron Li who was often too busy to make the trip, Kayla was extremely grateful for Wenyuan’s almost inhuman ability to wake up at the crack of dawn without even an alarm.

It was the morning of the convening of the court, and Kayla was anxious. Not of facing her fellow officials, who would have a lot to say about both the rumors and her visit to the brothel, but because the Ministry of Personnel would be announcing the new personnel for the Ministry of Justice. The officials who had been implicated in the Imperial Investigation Bureau’s findings had been quietly stripped of their ranks and heavily fined or imprisoned, depending on the severity of their crimes. But the quiet manner in which all this was done would have no effect on averting the hungry gaze of the court.

The question was whether the Ministry of Personnel would lower its heads and accept the Imperial Investigation Bureau’s recommendations, or if it would refuse it head-on. She had a small inkling of doubt on the matter. The core members of Xianchun’s faction were just as headstrong as the prince himself, and she wasn’t completely certain that Minister Jun wouldn’t simply grit his teeth, stomp his foot, and send the Bureau’s recommendations right back.

Kayla pushed the thoughts out of her mind and prepared herself before heading out to her carriage. She wasn’t at all surprised that Hu Qing wasn’t there. Unlike Qu Boyong, Hu Qing tended to do what he wanted rather than going through all the proper motions simply to please his employer. More likely than not, he would appear randomly when he felt like it or when he was needed. Her security detail outside of the Zhao household, ironically, was much better than within.

The carriage pulled to a stop outside the palace gates, and Kayla joined the ranks of officials who were filing into the meeting hall. Officials whispered with one another without bothering to be discreet as they openly stared at Kayla. She had no idea whether it was the result of the rumors Qu Boyong had spread or the ones that would have spread from her visit last night, but Hu Weizhi didn’t look too pleased to see her.

“Minister Zhao,” The Secretariat Director approached, a smirk on his face. Kayla pushed down a wave of disdain as she saw him, still holding a grudge from the accusations he had sanctioned during the Li Sanjin case.

“Secretariat Director,” Kayla greeted him politely.

“I’m surprised you were able to make it to such an early court session, Minister Zhao. I had heard you were busy until late last night,” the Secretariat Director said. Some of the bolder officials chuckled in response.

“How could I not present myself for a session of the court? It is my duty and honor to do so,” Kayla replied.

“Is that so? In my many years of experience as an official of the court, rarely have I met a Minister who would ally in a brothel until the early hours of the morning on the night before a court session,” the Secretariat Director said.

What, like it’s better to have five concubines instead? And it's not like you haven't done it before.

“The Secretariat Director’s admonishment is duly noted,” Kayla said.

“Lust and wine will cloud the eyes and ambitions of a young man. Minister, you already over-indulge in alcohol, and now women as well? You must mind yourself before making short work of your career,” the Secretariat Director chided in the voice of a concerned elder, even as his eyes glinted with cruel pleasure.

As a member of the Grand Duke’s faction, of course the Secretariat Director also knew about Wenyuan’s use of alcohol as a coping method. Kayla pushed down her annoyance and made to reply. Before she had a chance to, an unfamiliar voice cut in.

“A man who has fled fifty steps would laugh at a man who has fled a hundred steps? Hypocrisy is unbecoming for you, Secretariat Director.”

The Secretariat Director fell silent, as did the officials who had been chuckling or whispering under their breaths only a minute ago. They shuffled out of the way, edging back to make way as a man approached. Kayla did not immediately recognize him. He looked to be at least in his late fifties and had a solemn air to him that better suited a priest, but his purple clothes labeled him clearly as a high-ranking official.

With some desperate mental clambering, Kayla managed to match the face to a name.

Wei Guang, the head of the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial Edict Bearer.

The man had been gone from the court for three years due to the death of his mother, but his seat had been retained for him due to the Emperor’s strong trust in him.

I didn’t think this guy would appear, Kayla thought in wonder. Wei Guang had never had a chance to appear in the original novel, his name hadn’t even been mentioned except for in passing, when Minister Liang had pointed out that Wei Guang had chosen to retire in a timely manner, secluding himself away from the succession battle in the capital.

From Wenyuan’s memories, Wei Guang was a highly respected man in who the Emperor placed immense faith. Even if he was only a third-rank official, he could stand on equal footing with the heads of the Three Departments due to the Emperor’s trust in him. As the Imperial Edict Bearer, Wei Guang was able to meet the Emperor one-on-one much more easily than anyone else in the entire court, even more so than Wenyuan and the Emperor’s own sons.

Even if Kayla didn’t know what Wei Guang was aiming for, it was clear that his re-emergence would have a significant impact on whatever came next. It also meant that if he were to become her enemy, Kayla’s position would become much more difficult than before.

But that doesn’t seem to be the case, at least not yet. Didn’t he just step in on our behalf? Wenyuan pointed out, sounding a little in awe of Wei Guang.

It could be an act, Kayla retorted. We’ll have to quietly watch for any changes.

“Edict Bearer Wei,” The Secretariat Director said politely. Kayla bowed her head in respect, giving her greetings quietly. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Hu Weizhi and his gaggle of traditionalists watching them intently.

“Secretariat Director, Minister Zhao, it seems that this one has interrupted your conversation,” Wei Guang said pleasantly.

“Not at all,” The Secretariat Director said coolly. “I was merely exchanging a few words with Minister Zhao on his personal conduct, fearing it would reflect badly on the court.” He determinedly pretended not to have heard Wei Guang’s earlier comment.

“Ah, yes, that part I heard,” Wei Guang chuckled. “Minister Zhao certainly is full of youthful vigor, is he not? In my youth, I never would have managed on so little rest.”

Kayla lowered her head, a little embarrassed.

“I am ashamed for my indiscretion,” Kayla said, making sure to look suitably chastened.

Wei Guang clapped a hand on Kayla’s shoulder, giving it a friendly pat. “All things in moderation, young friend. Show the same energy for your work and you are certain to go far.”

”This junior will be certain to do so,” Kayla replied quickly. She could sense that Wei Guang had taken her side, even if she didn’t know what to make of it yet.

“As for the extraneous noise, do not be distracted by it. Hear my advice, young man, there is no need to mind the whispers of the rabble. Did Confucius not say not to fear that you are not understood but that you do not understand others? If you understand your colleagues, you would know better than to heed their judgment of you,” Wei Guang said.

Unspoken was the quote, “Great men seek from within, while small-minded men seek from their surroundings,” encouraging Kayla while criticizing her peers, a flawless two-in-one that you could not take offense to without seeming petty.

Since when does this guy have such a good opinion of me? Wenyuan never even spoke with him except for in greeting!

Kayla bowed her head further.

“I humbly receive your advice, Edict Bearer. My gratitude for your words of wisdom,” Kayla replied.

He nodded at the Secretariat Director and moved on in the same slow and deliberate pace as before, moving into the spot that had always been vacant before the higher-ranking members of the Hanlin Academy, where he immediately took on a statuesque air of solemn stillness. His presence alone caused the remaining conversations to fizzle out altogether. The other officials all shuffled into their positions in silence.

The Third and Seventh Princes arrived soon after, each heading over to greet Wei Guang as soon as they caught sight of him. Yunqi was still taking a leave of absence, hoping to alleviate the pressure on the Shu family. A while later, the Grand Duke arrived as well, stiffly exchanging a few words with Wei Guang before turning away again. As usual, the Grand Duke didn’t so much as glance at Kayla. The Emperor also arrived within a few more minutes, and the court session commenced.

The Emperor took several minutes to express his joy for Wei Guang’s return, practically radiating with happiness. Wei Guang, in turn, was suitably touched, thanking the Emperor for his kindness. After that, the session progressed normally, with a few minor issues being briefly debated before a conclusion was reached on the spot. Near the latter part of the session, the issue of the Ministry of Justice’s replacement personnel finally came up.

Almost as soon as the appointments were announced, a wave of angry murmurs spread through the court. The Secretariat Director was the first to step up.

“Your Majesty, I must object! Sun Ruhui is only a fifth-rank Chamberlain, and he was promoted to this position from a mere ninth-rank County Magistrate less than two months ago! How can he be made a Left Secretariat when he has yet to prove himself in his current post?” The Secretariat Director argued.

“I concur! Your Majesty, there are plenty of officials who have more experience and more talent, and are better suited for the position of Left Secretariat, why should it be a man fresh from the provinces, who has no notable achievements or virtues to speak of?” The Chancellery Director chimed in.

The Emperor looked at them, still smiling placidly. “Two of the three heads of the Three Departments have spoken, will you not give your opinion as well, Central Secretariat?”

The room filled with a tense silence as all eyes turned towards the Grand Duke. It was hardly an unusual act for the Emperor, but given the current political situation, every single move was treated with caution and scrutiny. Kayla could almost feel the air heating up as all the officials’ brains simultaneously began working in overdrive.

“This subject is getting on in his years, and my mind is no longer as sharp as before,” the Grand Duke said, entirely insincere. “More so than his experience and achievements, what is important is that he is able to demonstrate his competence as Left Secretariat. I must admit to having questions about this. Minister Liang, what do you think of this choice of personnel? As the head of the Ministry of Justice, your opinion should not be discounted.”

Kayla watched as Minister Liang hesitated. It was obvious that he wanted to take the post for the Seventh Prince’s faction, but now that he was put on the spot, he could no longer make any overt moves.

“From the look on your face, I daresay that you’ve never even met the man before,” the Grand Duke said. Without giving Minister Liang a chance to reply, he pressed on. “Then I must ask Minister Jun instead. As the head of the Ministry of Justice, surely something this important would have had your input. Why was Sun Ruhui chosen over the other candidates?”

Kayla could sense that the Grand Duke was trying to imply that the Seventh Prince faction was trying to curry favor with the neutral faction, but the entire affair had gone through the Imperial Investigation Bureau as its middleman, and the Emperor knew every single step of it. Many of the more astute officials could guess the approximate process as well.

No, the Grand Duke would also know that, so what is he aiming for here?

“In response to the Central Secretariat’s question, I will humbly offer my reasoning. I know little of Sun Ruhui, who has not been known to be particularly talented or virtuous. However, I do know that as a County Magistrate, he was able to completely eradicate crime within his county, and was beloved by his fellow officials and the people alike,” Minister Jun said stiffly, the final justification sounding as though it had been forced out of him.

Kayla felt her heart drop as she saw where this was going. She had irked Minister Jun Shao last time with her insistence on the composition of the core staff, and now that she had directly forced his hand on a staff that did not belong to her, he was holding it against her. The fact that the palace wanted this was clear to him, but it was hardly as though he could direct his anger against the Emperor or the Imperial Investigator’s Bureau, so the brunt of it was now aimed at Kayla.

Damn it, the Grand Duke is trying to provoke a fight between us! I had assumed Minister Jun would at least go through with it properly to avoid creating overt discord between Xianchun’s faction and the neutral faction, but it seems I’ve overestimated him. Or rather, I’ve underestimated his pride.

“What a ridiculous reason, how can a small county, where crime is rare and the people sparse, possibly be compared to the magnitude of the country itself? The seat of Left Secretariat works in conjunction with the Minister of Justice and the Right Secretariat of Justice in order to manage the criminal justice system of the entire country, can a man who has only proven himself in such a small capacity be approved for such a position?” The Grand Duke asked mockingly.

Minister Jun Shao looked visibly agitated, but couldn’t openly point out that it was Kayla’s fault, not in front of the Emperor, who was still wearing that same placid smile. At this point though, anyone could see that he was against it. Kayla could see that Xianchun’s face was also looking strained now.

“Perhaps we should ask those who have held the position before of their thoughts,” the Grand Duke said.

Oh shit. Wenyuan was the only person present who had served as Left Secretariat of Justice in the past, and he had been there as the Grand Duke’s puppet. Everyone knew that he hadn’t exactly been a competent Left Secretariat.

The Grand Duke looked at Kayla expectantly. “Well, Minister Zhao? Perhaps you could share your thoughts, as the one who served in this position until only three months ago.”

And now it was a pointed jab at the fact she had been promoted to the head of the Court of Judicial Review despite not having accomplished anything, a promotion that had passed over many officials who were superior to Wenyuan in everything but lineage.

Kayla cleared her throat, buying herself a precious few seconds to find the suitable words.

“In response to the Central Secretariat, this one shall strive to provide a suitable evaluation. I believe that Sun Ruhui will be a suitable choice, precisely due to his lack of experience. A spring fountain is able to maintain the clearness of its water because there is constantly fresh water flowing into it. Similarly, for institutions that have a long history, that legacy can in fact become a burden without the timely addition of fresh faces and ideas,” Kayla replied.

Minister Jun did not hesitate to jump in, a mocking smile on his face. “What an interesting notion, Minister Zhao. If I recall correctly, you also took on the seat of Left Secretariat without any experience or achievements to your name and remained in that position for several years. And what do you think, Minister, was the addition of your fresh ideas beneficial to the Ministry?”

He obviously knew that it had not been. In fact, the corruption of the Ministry of Justice had only gotten worse after Wenyuan became its Left Secretariat, the Grand Duke’s faction growing more insolent now that they had a puppet to cover up their guilt.

Both Kuang and Xianchun wisely stayed out of it. If Xianchun rebuked Minister Jun, he could insult his own man, and there was always the danger of being seen as having too much influence over the members of his faction. If Kuang stepped in, it would be seen as an act of attacking Xianchun’s faction while buying the favor of the neutral faction.

Kayla took a deep breath.

Man, I really can’t catch a break. Minister Jun had forced her into a tough spot. Wenyuan’s appointment as Left Secretariat had been the result of the Grand Duke’s efforts and given the old man much more leverage to do as he wished, but the fact remained that it had also been approved of by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. Kayla couldn’t admit to Wenyuan’s incompetence without also criticizing the Emperor and risking her current credibility to boot, but if she denied Wenyuan’s unsuitability for the position, she would be effectively siding with the Grand Duke.

She scrambled for a reply, racking her brain for a suitable response.

Fuck it, time to be shameless.

“The ancient greats said that all things depend on three factors, the timeliness of the heavens, the suitability of the earth, and the harmony of the people. This one was originally but an ignorant youth, and only gained the seat of Left Secretariat through the grace and benevolence of the Emperor, and so already had the timeliness of the heavens from the onset. It was due to my own inability that I was not able to make good use of my surroundings in a suitable fashion, and that I could not better promote harmony within the core staff of the Ministry of Justice,” Kayla said, tinging her voice with regret. It was a none-too-subtle reminder that the former Minister and Right Secretariat of Justice were actual criminals who actively abused their power for their own gain, compared to Wenyuan who at worst was just aiding and abetting while getting shoved along without actually knowing what he was doing.

“I am deeply ashamed, that in my fervor to become more competent in my own duties and to shake off the childish ignorance of my youth, I failed to assuage the actions of my former colleagues or persuade them to return towards a righteous path,” Kayla continued. In other words, she couldn’t have really known without an investigation, just as the rest of the court hadn’t been able to latch onto any of their faults. If Wenyuan was incompetent, then at least he had youthful inexperience as an excuse. What excuse did the others have? The Emperor was exempt from this criticism, of course, as a ruler who had to deal with ten thousand issues a day, but not the rest of the court.

Now, it was no longer just Xianchun’s faction that was looking unhappy, but the Grand Duke’s faction as well. Kayla kept her cool, looking at the Emperor with an apologetic expression as she mentally assessed who would still be available to step in and issue a challenge.

“Minister Zhao is correct in mentioning the three factors necessary for success,” an unexpected voice joined the fray. Wei Guang smiled as he jumped in. A single sentence from him was enough to change the animosity in the room into a unified air of apprehension as everyone warily awaited his next words.

“Edict Bearer Wei, I am curious to hear your thoughts,” the Emperor prompted him.

“In response to Your Majesty, all things have a natural rhythm that cannot be forcibly changed. As the ancient greats say, the heavens have a pattern of their own, they will not extend themselves for Emperor Yao, nor self-destruct for Emperor Jie. Minister Zhao is still young and has not seen enough cycles of rise and fall within the court to understand the process that he has been a part of,” Wei Guang said.

Kayla looked on in confusion. Is he criticizing me or praising me?

“It is difficult for individuals to understand their role in the greater scheme of things, and this does not exclude more experienced officials as well. Minister Zhao may not have been able to make use of the favorable conditions he’d been given, but his presence was conducive to creating the current circumstances, where the disharmony within the Ministry of Justice has finally been eradicated. Now, all three conditions have been fulfilled, and the Ministry of Justice, just as Minister Zhao suggested, is poised for making great progress through the inclusion of fresh talent. At a time like this, a man in his strongest years who has both the experience needed to understand cases and the fresh mind of one who has never resided within the capital is indeed the perfect candidate,” Wei Guang finished.

Kayla would never have been shameless enough to say anything like this herself, even having thicker skin than most of the officials present, it would’ve been too much of a hurdle.

Holy shit, he’s going all in, Kayla thought in amazement. She managed to keep herself from showing open delight, showing a suitable look of modesty as the subject of praise.

The Emperor, however, did not withhold his reaction in the slightest. He threw his head back and laughed, his clear laughter echoing throughout the hall.

“Edict Bearer Wei, three years of absence has only made your mind sharper than before! As expected from the most learned scholar of my court, your observations are on a whole other level. I am lucky to have a subject like you!” The Emperor said in a booming voice, his eyes sparkling with delight.

Even without directly stating his opinion on Wenyuan and Sun Ruhui, the praise for Wei Guang was enough to get the point across.

“You are much too kind, Your Highness, I dare not accept praise I do not deserve,” Wei Guang said humbly, bowing his head.

The Emperor waved off his protest, and the matter was decided. The officials who had been preparing to argue against Sun Ruhui’s appointment quietly gave up, and no more was said in objection. The rest of the appointments were also passed without further debate, and the court session soon wound to a close.

After the Emperor left the hall, Kayla quietly approached Wei Guang and bowed her head.

“Edict Bearer Wei, thank you for lending your voice today. This junior is humbled by your kind words,” Kayla said politely.

“No need for such modesty, Minister Zhao. They say that the later waves of the Yangtze push forward the earlier ones, I am relieved to see how much you’ve grown during my absence,” Wei Guang said.

I thought you didn’t know him well before, Kayla thought, slightly puzzled at Wei Guang’s fond tone.

I didn’t?! He’s too scary, even when I had a chance to speak with him up close I wouldn’t take it!

Then why the hell is he talking like a family friend who watched you grow up?

I don’t know!

Kayla lowered her head in a show of bashful modesty. “I am undeserving of your benevolence,” she said humbly.

Wei Guang laughed softly. “There’s no need for excessive humbleness, Minister. It seems that those who come after can be trusted with the court’s affairs, as a man who is drooping into old age, there is nothing that is as reassuring as that.”

Wei Guang’s hand landed on Kayla’s shoulder, the man smiling benignly at her. Unprompted, a chill ran down Kayla’s back and a cold feeling scraped through her veins. Kayla gulped, and the feeling disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.

What was that? Kayla thought nervously.

She pushed it aside and respectfully bid goodbye to Wei Guang as he left before approaching Minister Liang to appease him a little. She had a polite conversation with Minister Liang, cut short by the stilted replies from Minister Liang. Kayla felt slightly discouraged but took heart in seeing that Minister Liang looked less affronted at the end of their interaction. Kayla didn’t even bother chasing down Minister Jun, who had left with Xianchun while she was talking with Wei Guang. She could find an excuse to send him a gift within the next few days and hope that he would be less affronted.

As for Xianchun, Kayla had no idea what she would do about him. Almost seeming to sense that this was the least opportune moment, Kuang approached her with Zhang Dingyong in tow.

Damn it, don’t come over here at a time like this! It’ll make things harder to deal with on Xianchun’s end! Of course, Kayla would hardly put it past Kuang to mess with Xianchun’s relationship with the neutral faction to gain an advantage, but it was just as likely that he was showing goodwill to signal that he hadn’t been behind the rumors targeting Wenyuan.

“This one humbly greets Your Highness,” Kayla said politely before greeting Zhang Dingyong.

“Minister Zhao, congratulations! It’s rare for someone to invoke such praise from the Imperial Edict Bearer,” Kuang said, beaming at her.

Kayla bowed her head slightly. “The Imperial Edict Bearer is a generous man who shows kindness to his juniors, but I am unworthy of such praise,” Kayla replied politely.

“Generous? It’s true you didn’t see much of him before he went into mourning, but the Imperial Edict Bearer has a sharper tongue than anyone else in court,” Kuang said. He gave her a look of amusement. “He must have really taken a liking to you if he gave such praise. If you ask me, I would say that your path will become a lot smoother from here on.”

Kayla bowed her head slightly. “The Third Prince is too kind, may all progress in line with your fortuitous words,” she replied. “I have not seen His Highness the Fifth Prince in public recently, may I ask if he is well?”

“Yunqi will be happy to hear that you asked of him, he’s doing well, but he’s rather busy with his familial affairs. His cousin Shu Zhengyan was ill-suited to the capital’s climate and suffered from poor health, Yunqi spent a lot of effort arranging for Zhengyan’s return to his family home,” Kuang said. “Now, Zhengyan’s youngest brother Zhengyu is coming to the capital to continue his studies. Zhengyu’s only sixteen, and it’ll be his first time spending so long away from home, so Yunqi’s been paying extra attention to that child.”

“The Fifth Prince truly is a kind-hearted person,” Kayla said. “I’m sure that someone under the Fifth Prince’s tutelage will surely become an exceptional talent.” The conversation ended soon after, leaving Kayla to head back to the Court of Judicial Affairs to announce Sun Ruhui’s promotion.

Sixteen was far too young to do much of consequence, which pacified the Emperor but angered the Shu clan. More likely than not, Yunqi had spent quite a bit of effort convincing his maternal relatives to accept the arrangement. Kayla felt a twinge of sympathy for the beleaguered Fifth Prince, quickening her footsteps as she approached the carriage.

---

Cultural Notes

贱籍/Lowly citizen: A legal classification of citizens in Ancient China that socially and legally designated them as second-class citizens. Criminals who were assigned to penal labor and prostitutes all count within this category and this classification is inherited by one's children. However, it was possible for their children to escape this category by being "adopted out" into a family considered "良民"/good citizens. Zhang Dingyong is one who has escaped his parents' class by being adopted by the Zhang family. It was not uncommon for families who could not have children or did not have any sons (or at least no talented ones) to adopt a child of lower origins, with the expectation of being repaid in full when the child grows up and gains achievements. 

没有不漏风的墙/No wall that does not leak wind: An Ancient Chinese proverb from a novel written during the Qing Dynasty, meaning that no secret can be kept for long.

英雄不问出处/Heroes are not asked about their origins: An Ancient Chinese proverb from a Ming Dynasty poem inspired by one of the Four Classic Novels, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

人为刀俎我为鱼肉/[Other] people are the knife, I am the fish meat: An Ancient Chinese proverb from the Han Dynasty record of Xiang Yu's life. The proverb means that your life and death is in another man's hands. Readers who have been keeping track might notice that quite a few proverbs come from Xiang Yu, a lot of proverbs actually came from the transition between the Qin and Han Dynasties.

以退为进/[Using] retreat to gain ground: An Ancient Chinese proverb from the Han Dynasty referring to the tactic of retreating/showing temporary weakness to either directly gain benefit, or trick your enemy into letting down their guard. More often than not, it refers to gaining leeway with someone who has more power than you by backing down.

一咬牙一跺脚/Grit teeth and stomp foot: A Chinese colloquialism referring to going "fuck it, we ball" when faced with a disadvantageous/coercive situation instead of going along. The actions described are used to represent the mulishness of the person in question.

五十步笑百步/Fifty steps laughing at a hundred steps: An Ancient Chinese proverb from Mencius, stemming from an exchange between Mencius and King Hui of the Liang Kingdom. Mencius criticizes the king for mocking someone for committing the same error as him, albeit to a more serious degree, asking the king that for a man to run away on the battlefield, would it make sense for a man who ran away fifty steps before stopping to laugh at a man who ran away a hundred steps? The king agreed that it was unreasonable and admitted his error.

翰林学士承旨/Imperial Edict Bearer of the Hanlin Academy: The head of the Hanlin Academy, a third-rank official who has direct access to the Emperor's confidence with the potential to grow extremely powerful.

翰林院/Hanlin Academy: The Emperor's think tank, also were also elite scholars who worked on academic pursuits and the contents of the Imperial Examination.

Mourning Period in Ancient China: Following the Confucian tradition, people were expected to have a mourning period of three years for their parents. During this time, officials would have to take a leave of absence from their posts.

子曰：“不患人之不己知，患不知人也。”/Confucius said: Do not be afraid that others do not understand you, but that you do not understand others: A quote from The Analects.

君子求诸己，小人求诸人/Great men seek from within, while small-minded men seek from their surroundings: A quote by Confucius from The Analects.

静观其变/Silently observe the changes: An Ancient Chinese proverb.

无才无德/Untalented and unvirtuous: An Ancient Chinese proverb commonly used as an insult.

问渠那得清如许，为有源头活水来/A spring fountain is able to maintain the clearness of its water because there is constantly fresh water flowing into it: An Ancient Chinese proverb from a poem written in the Song Dynasty.

天时地利人和/Heavenly timing, geographic conditions, and harmony of the people: An Ancient Chinese concept from the pre-Qin era, basically meaning that you need the larger environment, the specific context, and the people involved to all be suitable if you want to get something done. Heavenly timing can be taken to mean the bigger picture, but also luck. For example, starting an expensive construction project in a swamp during a famine and assigning managers who hate each other is definitely doomed for failure.

日理万机//Handle ten thousand issues a day: An Ancient Chinese proverb used to describe being extremely busy every day. Ten thousand was often used to mean a lot, rather than a precise number.

天行有常 不为尧存 不为桀亡/The heavens have a pattern of their own, they will not extend themselves for Emperor Yao, nor self-destruct for Emperor Jie: An Ancient Chinese quote by the pre-Qin philosopher/politician/scholar Xunzi, meaning that everything has its natural pattern, or that nature is the one true law of the world. The Emperor Yao mentioned here is one of the three earliest emperors of Ancient China who was known for being a great ruler, while Emperor Jie was known to be a tyrant who enjoyed bloodshed and was famous for atrocities. He was eventually deposed of.

后继有人/There are people to succeed [after me]: An Ancient Chinese proverb often used to express relief and satisfaction that the younger generation has talented individuals among them.

垂垂老矣/Drooping with old age: An Ancient Chinese proverb used to describe someone who is aging and can no longer carry out their heart's intentions due to lack of sufficient strength.

借您吉言/By your lucky words: A Chinese saying that combines "thanks for the well-wishes" with "if you said it, it'll definitely happen", and "even if it doesn't work, the responsibility can't be entirely mine, haha." The last one is only sometimes applied, the saying is usually just used as polite gratitude.