Kayla sprawled on her bed, ignoring the whispers outside of Wenyuan’s room. As soon as she’d returned, the Housekeeper had immediately escorted her to Wenyuan’s quarters and put her under heavy guard, supposedly under the Grand Duke’s orders.

I guess we’re under house arrest now? Rather than being annoyed, Kayla couldn’t help but feel a little relieved. Given how angry Xianchun was today, this might actually be for the best.

I don’t know what grandfather wants to do, this has never happened before! Wenyuan was far more anxious, but Kayla was too tired to emphasize.

You’ve never been grounded before?

He’s never placed guards before!

Kayla sighed deeply. The Grand Duke had trusted Wenyuan to be too weak-willed to leave his quarters when ordered not to, but evidently, that trust had faded with his grandson’s increasingly unpredictable behavior.

At least Xianchun won’t be able to make a move within this household for quite a while, she comforted Wenyuan. Like this, we’ve bought ourselves more time.

That’s true, Wenyuan admitted. Grandfather must be angrier at Xianchun than us at this point.

Even the Empress Dowager hesitated to directly criticize the Grand Duke, and here was Xianchun openly snatching the Zhao heir away in broad daylight. Kayla frowned slightly as she mulled it over.

Xianchun’s got a temper but he’s not stupid. He probably had a purpose in mind when doing that, especially at a time like this. He could’ve just waited.

But what is he trying to do?

I have no idea. Kayla let out another sigh. It wasn’t as though she could figure it out. Her thoughts slowed and blurred together, and the heavy weight of exhaustion soon pulled her into a dreamless sleep. 

She was unceremoniously awakened by the Grand Duke kicking the door open. Kayla shot up, blinking blearily as light spilled into the room from the hallway. She rubbed her eyes as she got up from the bed. 

“Zhao Wenyuan,” the Grand Duke said, a murderous tone in his voice.

“Grandfather,” Kayla bobbed her head in greeting. She squinted at him, any hint of sleepiness falling away at the angry look on his face. Kayla cleared her throat slightly and lowered her head. To her immense relief, the Grand Duke didn’t move any closer to her.

“Straighten your attire and follow me to the Outer Quarters,” the Grand Duke ordered. “There’s an Imperial Decree.”

Kayla froze. She gave the Grand Duke a look of befuddlement, but the man was already leaving the room, gesturing for the serving-girls to enter. Kayla held still as the girls straightened her robes and rearranged her mussed-up hair. Once they were done, Kayla anxiously stepped out into the hallway. She paused slightly upon seeing Matron Li. The older woman bowed slightly before leading Kayla to the Outer Quarters. They entered the most well-decorated courtyard, where several higher-ranking servants were anxiously watching from the shadows. 

Kayla frowned slightly upon seeing several eunuchs from the Inner Palace speaking politely with the Grand Duke but quickly hid her reaction as she got closer. She nodded to them politely and stepped into her place slightly to the left and behind the Grand Duke.

Among the eunuchs, the one with the highest rank and the fanciest uniform stepped forward, holding a scroll with both hands. Kayla glanced between the eunuch and the Grand Duke nervously. Due to Wenyuan’s close relationship with the Emperor, he never so much as received an Imperial Decree before. Most things had been handled in private meetings, and even his position of Left Secretariat had been directly given to him in private by the Emperor.

Just what the hell is going on?

There was a wave of wariness from Wenyuan. Uncle’s going to stir up a big storm this time. He must be issuing an official decree to bind grandfather’s hands.

Kayla gulped. Thoughts raced through her mind like a flock of frightened geese, and she lowered her head slightly to avoid the eunuchs’ piercing stares.

This must have had to do with Xianchun’s actions earlier as well. I knew that guy was aiming for something!

“Grand Duke, Left Secretariat,” the eunuch said politely, “I come bearing the Emperor’s Imperial decree.”

“We humbly receive the decree,” the Grand Duke said. He knelt down, Kayla swiftly following suit. The eunuch cleared his throat slightly, unrolling the scroll and switching to an authoritative tone.

“Left Secretariat of Justice, Zhao Wenyuan is noble in character and righteous in bearing, His Majesty’s heart is much relieved by his boundless loyalty. By Imperial decree of his Majesty the Emperor, Left Secretariat of Justice, Zhao Wenyuan will henceforth be raised to a third rank official. The Left Secretariat will retain his current duties and be rewarded with two thousand silver. In light of his abilities, the Left Secretariat of Justice from here on forth will be made responsible for the re-investigation of the Yue Wuxuan treason case. Thus is decreed,” the eunuch read in a loud voice.

Kayla blinked at the eunuch in shock for a second before hastily reacting as the Grand Duke shot her a glare from the corner of his eye.

“This subject humbly receives the decree and gives thanks for His Majesty’s boundless benevolence,” Kayla replied, bowing her head to the ground. She lifted her head, glancing at the eunuch. The eunuch rolled up the scroll, bowing his head politely to Kayla as she followed the Grand Duke’s lead and stood up again.

“Congratulations, Left Secretariat,” he said cheerfully. “You have a bright future ahead of you, to become a third rank official at such a young age!”

Kayla shook her head and smiled politely. “Thank you, but I dare not lay claim to such merit, it’s all thanks to the Emperor’s boundless graciousness.”

“Grand Duke, your lordship certainly has a great hand at education to raise such an accomplished grandson,” the eunuch said, bowing his head slightly at the Grand Duke.

“Not at all, Sir Zheng. It’s all thanks to the Emperor’s kindness towards the Zhao clan,” the Grand Duke replied smoothly. Kayla carefully hid her surprise at the name.

Wasn’t Sir Zheng the eunuch that helped Xianchun after he became Crown Prince?

By the looks of it, he’s not someone who directly serves Uncle, but I think I’ve seen him once or twice before in the Inner Palace, Wenyuan added. Kayla quietly took another glance at the eunuch. He must have been in his fifties, but had the characteristic beardless face of a eunuch. She quickly smoothed over her expression as Zheng turned back towards Kayla, gesturing at his subordinates. Four of the eunuchs came forward, bearing two large chests between them. A fifth eunuch walked over while carefully holding a smaller box.

“Left Secretariat, these are the two thousand silver awarded to you by His Majesty,” Zheng said with a smile. “And these are your new official robes.”

Zheng opened the smaller box, revealing a set of deep purple robes. He leaned in closer, taking up a caricature of a conspiratorial tone, pretending to cover his mouth but speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. “Though it’s not my place to say, it’s not just a normal set of robes, my lord. Her Highness the Empress Dowager commissioned these robes herself!” Kayla nodded politely.

“Please convey my deepest gratitude to Her Highness,” Kayla replied earnestly. 

“Of course, my lord. By orders of the Emperor, the investigation will be conducted jointly by the Imperial Investigators and the Ministry of Justice. With this plaque, you will have free command over any officials involved in the investigation,” Zheng said, retrieving a golden plaque from the box and presenting it to Kayla. 

She took it with both hands, complicated emotions welling up in her chest.

“I understand,” Kayla said. “I will make sure not to disappoint His Majesty’s expectations for me.”

“With your talent, it surely will not be a problem, my lord,” Zheng replied. The Grand Duke stepped forward to exchange a few more pleasantries and “thank” the eunuch for his trouble with a hefty gift of gold, before sending off the entourage. Kayla was left alone in the courtyard as the reward and robes were quickly moved away by the servants.

She stared blankly into the distance, holding the golden plaque close to her chest.

Wenyuan, this is a good sign, isn’t it?

I’m sure that it is. We’ve been struggling all this time, now we finally got this chance!

I’m grateful for that, this is the best protection against any of my enemies right now. Whether it’s Xianchun, the Third Prince, or the Grand Duke, no one can make a move at this point while there are so many eyes on me. But I can’t help but worry.

About what? Even if we fail, Uncle wouldn’t be too harsh.

Not about failing, but about succeeding. If I succeed, will I be able to leave the capital anymore?

Maybe we shouldn’t be aiming for that in the first place. The most dangerous place is often the safest place as well, so long as we hold our ground we’ll be able to stay in the eye of the storm.

Kayla let out a soft sigh, looking at the plaque again. I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.

She was startled out of her thoughts by the Grand Duke’s footsteps. 

“Grandfather,” Kayla said warily. The Grand Duke gave her a venomous look.

“You unfilial little brat, do you know what this means for the Zhao clan?” He hissed at her.

“I know that those who can accurately understand the times will become great men,” Kayla replied. “This is for the future of the Zhao clan as well, grandfather. You can’t place all your eggs in one basket.”

The Grand Duke practically lunged forward, stopping barely a centimeter away from Kayla. She froze, forcing herself to breathe in and out slowly. 

“You fool! You understand nothing! This isn’t placing your egg in a different basket, this is using the Zhao clan to destroy itself!” The Grand Duke snarled into Kayla’s face.

“You’re the one who doesn’t understand, grandfather,” Kayla said shakily. “If I were you, I’d take a good look at the current situation and take the appropriate measures so that you can still save some face rather than being disgraced in old age. If you refuse to see reason, you’ll get all of us killed!”

The Grand Duke lifted his hand, and Kayla subconsciously clutched the golden plaque closer. Seeing the glint of gold, the Grand Duke stopped and slowly lowered his hand, scoffing with disdain.

“You’re protected by that tiny piece of gold for now, Wenyuan. But don’t be mistaken and think you can be at ease. You’ll soon come to see how useless that plaque is,” the Grand Duke said threateningly. Kayla’s breath hitched and she quickly took a step away from the Grand Duke. He scoffed again before angrily walking away from her. 

Kayla glanced around as the servants and serving-girls quickly scuttled away, avoiding her glances. Her heart fell a little as she glanced back down at the plaque.

I’ve fully gained the Emperor’s support, but now I’ve completely become isolated in this household. The only one I can rely on is the Emperor. The Grand Duke was the highest power in the Zhao household, and Kayla wouldn’t be surprised if Boyong also began keeping his distance.

This must be the Empress Dowager’s intention at work. If I can only rely on Imperial favor from now on, then I must remain neutral.

Would grandmother really do that to me? Wenyuan asked with a pang of hesitation and alarm.

It’s for our good in the long run. The more estranged I am from the Grand Duke, the smaller the hit I’ll take when he comes to ruin. Kayla let out a sigh and glanced up at the moon for a moment before walking back to Wenyuan’s quarters.

I can only hope that this is for the best.

//////////////////

Yunqi calmly sipped his tea, ignoring the panicked expression on his subordinate’s face. The man knelt before Yunqi's seat, anxiously waiting for a response.

“My prince!” The man finally lost his patience and shuffled forward on his knees to grab at Yunqi’s robes. “What on earth do we do?!”

“Calm yourself, Jinwei,” Yunqi replied in a steady tone. “We do nothing. Even if he flips the sky over, there’s nothing that directly implicates the Third Prince or me.”

“But your highness, your faction will take a huge blow,” Jinwei said insistently. Yunqi gave him a sharp glance.

“So it will.” Yunqi leaned down, setting down his teacup as he tilted his head at Jinwei. “Why are you so worried? Didn’t I explicitly warn you not to get involved with the dealings in Anling?”

“I wouldn’t dare disobey you, my prince! I’m really not involved, there’s nothing there to implicate me! What I’m worried about is your position in court, my prince,” Jinwei protested. 

Yunqi sighed, refilling his teacup. “There’s no use even if we worry. This isn’t just Father’s will at hand, but Grandmother’s as well. If those two are in agreement on this, we can’t openly defy them.” He gestured lightly at the documents on his table. “Look at how many letters I’ve received. These men’s petty hopes will pull me into the dirt if I’m too softhearted towards them. Whoever makes a move at this point in time will be the first to come to ruin.”

“Then we’re really going to do nothing?” Jinwei asked doubtfully.

“This is also the Third Brother’s intention. Does that satisfy you?” Yunqi asked.

“That’s not it, your highness. I wouldn’t dare doubt your orders. It’s just that the whole thing feels strange,” Jinwei quickly replied. Yunqi gave him a questioning look.

“What do you mean by that?” Yunqi asked.

“It feels as though beneath the storm, there’s something more sinister in the undercurrents. I have a feeling that this is only the start, my prince. Will we really be able to weather the storm? Or will we become the only ones that are battered while someone else gains benefit?” Jinwei asked. The man’s eyes became distant as he spoke. Yunqi waited patiently as Jinwei remained kneeling wordlessly. His subordinate was incredibly clever despite having had little education, and Yunqi was willing to put up with any number of Jinwei’s oddities for the sake of the man’s talent.

Jinwei finally nodded after a long moment, his eyes coming into focus again. 

“You’re right, my prince. We can’t openly defy this investigation, or we’ll be crushed completely. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything,” Jinwei said meaningfully. Yunqi smiled and waved for Jinwei to sit next to him.

“That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear you say,” Yunqi said. “Now, tell me your plan.”

////////////////////

Liu Boyue finished his report, looking towards Xianchun with a smile.

“Congratulations, my prince. It is just as you wished,” Liu Boyue said pleasantly. Boyue’s smile faded at the frown creasing Xianchun’s brow.

“What’s the matter, my prince? Is this not what you had hoped for?” Boyue asked uneasily.

Xianchun sighed. “It is, but…I must admit that the events unfolding do not align with my wishes.”

He stood up and began slowly pacing the room.

“I would have been delighted with this result only a few weeks ago, but now I feel dissatisfied. Perhaps I’m the one who’s grown greedy,” Xianchun said heavily. Somewhere along the line, his disdain and distrust of the Zhao scion had transformed into something else entirely. The useless puppet of the Grand Duke had morphed into a promising talent right before Xianchun's eyes but remained beyond his grasp.

Boyue looked at him thoughtfully. “My prince, we can still gain other supporters of high birth. There’s no need to be too disappointed.”

Xianchun nodded. “I understand that much. I can also guess that Father’s move is to keep Wenyuan safely neutral so that he can remain a high-ranking official no matter who becomes the successor. But-” Xianchun let out a heavy sigh.

“The fact that my mother was of low birth has always been my greatest weak point. Even with Lord Liang’s backing now, few of the noble clans are willing to show me any respect, much less offer me their support. I hadn’t so much as considered the possibility before, but with the way Wenyuan had been acting, I had hoped-” Xianchun shook his head, comforting himself. “There’s no use if he himself is so resistant to it. Not to mention, I don’t think our ideas are compatible.”

Boyue gave Xianchun a sympathetic look. “My prince, not having the support of Imperial blood may be a loss of symbolic power, but at the very least the Third Prince will not gain that advantage over you.”

Xianchun nodded, his frown fading away. “That much is true. In either case, this investigation will surely be to our benefit. I’ll have to make sure that guy turns up as many leads as he can.”

“Understood, my prince,” Boyue bowed his head with a smile. “I’ll do everything within my power to push along the investigation.”

---

Cultural Notes

Imperial Decrees: The range to which these can be applied is very, very broad, from national policies to even matchmaking for officials' kids. There is a lot of historical debate on whether these were presented by eunuchs who served closest to the Emperor, and there is reason to believe that Imperial Decrees were not, in fact, presented by eunuchs as seen in popular culture. Since the debate is still ongoing, I'm sticking with the traditional image of eunuchs presenting the decree.

Imperial Decree vs. Spoken Orders: There is a difference between 圣旨(Imperial Decree) and 口谕(Spoken orders), with spoken orders usually being less formal but still having the weight and authority of an order by the Emperor. Due to Wenyuan's closeness with his uncle, the Emperor never bothered using the more formal Imperial Decree and relied on spoken orders instead.

Eunuchs: Eunuchs were often referred to with the honorific of 公公, which I translate as "Sir". This was a masculine honorific but was only ever used for castrated men.

Etiquette for receiving Imperial Decree: The Imperial Decree was the same as directly hearing orders from the Emperor, and the level of formality necessitated kneeling and bowing to accept the decree.

Official Ranks: In most Chinese dynasties, officials were split in 9 ranks, with 1st rank being the highest and 9th rank the lowest, in a pyramid structure. As a Left Secretariat of a Ministry, Wenyuan was a 4th rank official, but now he is officially a 3rd rank official despite retaining his current duties. Since usually, that doesn't happen, it is expected that he will officially receive a higher position beyond Left Secretariat and join the smaller number of 3rd rank officials in court after completing his current tasks.

Official Uniforms: This varied by dynasty, but in the Tang Dynasty, only the Emperor could wear yellow robes. Officials' uniforms varied in color, with 1st to 3rd rank officials wearing purple robes, 4th to 5th rank wearing red robes, and 6th rank and below wearing green robes. Since Wenyuan moved up 1 rank, he now qualifies for purple robes.

识时务者为俊杰/Those who recognize the times will become great men: A Chinese proverb from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, famously spoken by Liu Bei, who was the King of Shu and generally recognized as a protagonist, likely because he is the only King who didn't slaughter civilians (or at least doesn't have any historical records of slaughtering civilians).

晚节不保/Losing virtue in old age: A Chinese proverb meaning to be dishonored/disgraced in old age.

闹翻了天/Flips over the sky: A Chinese colloquial phrase meaning to stir up a huge fuss. 

嫡庶/Dishu system of inheritance: A legal and moral system in Ancient China (and also Korea and Japan) to manage the children birthed under a polyamorous system, which was meant to ensure having enough heirs due to high infant/childhood mortality rates (no guarantee your formal wife's son will make it to adulthood). As men tended to have many wives, only the sons birthed of the formal wife (妻) would be considered completely legitimate heirs, or di (嫡), while sons birthed of the concubines (妾) were considered shu (庶). This becomes more complicated in the Inner Palace, especially if the Empress does not have a son, then your mother's birth family status comes to matter more. Xianchun's mother was originally a maid, so it stands that he is considered shu and not a legitimate heir. However, this does not mean that he legally cannot inherit, just that he is less qualified. Given how complicated the system is, we'll come back to this when it becomes relevant again.