Kayla shifted uncomfortably in her spot. She stood in the same place as usual in the convening of the court, but the spots belonging to Liu Hongyu, Minister Xie, and Ge Renqian were conspicuously empty. It was her first time attending in quite a while, and even if people were at least trying to be subtle, Kayla could sense officials glancing between herself and the Grand Duke, who stood in his spot at the front.

This is so uncomfortable. Kayla was almost anticipating Xianchun’s arrival at this point since the Emperor still had a while before arriving. To her relief, the Seventh Prince arrived soon after the thought crossed her mind. Xianchun gave her a friendly glance from across the hall as he headed to his spot, seeming to have sensed Kayla’s hopefulness at his appearance.

Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives.

Kayla’s relief turned into dismay as the glances simply incorporated Xianchun to glance between the three of them in a lopsided triangle. She gave up and chose to endure the uncomfortable atmosphere until the Emperor finally arrived.

“Announcing the arrival of the Emperor!”

Kayla knelt and lowered her head, genuinely grateful at his arrival. “We humbly greet His Majesty, may the Emperor live ten thousand years,” she said in unison with the other officials.

“You may rise,” the Emperor said. Kayla got up, once again meeting eyes with Xianchun as he glanced in her direction. He turned back towards the throne, pulling his gaze away after a slight pause.

Does he know what the decision is?

The court proceeded normally, but anticipation hung thick in the air. Even as officials deliberately avoided both Liu Hongyu and Kayla’s recently finished investigation, the empty spots drew the discreet glances of officials in the dozens.

“Your Majesty, due to their crimes, both Xie Yunan and Ge Renqian have been removed from their posts. The Ministry of Justice now has two empty seats in its upper ranks, I’m concerned that it will affect the operation of the Ministry,” Minister Hu said. The seat of Secretariat Director and Grand Chancellor had each been filled by the second-highest ranking officials in each department, and while Kayla sensed it was temporary, it had been enough to silence the court. The question was if the Ministry of Justice would follow a similar procedure, which would make Kayla the next Minister. Even though there were procedures in place, the nature of the investigation placed the decision squarely in the Emperor’s hands.

Kayla nervously shifted, discreetly trying to wipe her sweaty palms.

“Minister Hu’s concerns are correct, I have also been thinking of what would be the best arrangement,” the Emperor said. “After careful deliberation, I have come to a decision.”

Kayla froze in place, her heartbeat quickening.

“I have decided to move Lord Liang from the Hanlin Academy to the position of Minister of Justice,” the Emperor announced. Kayla’s heart skipped a beat in surprise, followed by a brief wave of relief and anxiety. Lord Liang was Xianchun’s man, so he likely wouldn’t be trying to corner Kayla right away, but should Xianchun ever change his mind about her, Lord Liang would be in an excellent position to make a move.

“As for the Right Secretariat, Zhang Dingyong would be suitable,” the Emperor continued. Kayla slowly took a deep breath. Zhang Dingyong was in the Third Prince’s faction and a relative of the Fifth Prince. It seemed that the Emperor was really trying to balance the stakes. The Ministry’s top three officials now had one in Xianchun’s faction, one in the Third Prince’s, and one neutral. Even if it didn’t appear so at first, Kayla understood that it was the neutral official who was in the stickiest spot.

She could sense the barely restrained glances between the officials throughout the court, as well as Director Ke and Director Jiang’s triumphant smirks in her direction. Kayla glanced at Xianchun to see him exchanging reassuring smiles with Lord Liang, but the prince’s smile froze and fell away as he caught sight of Kayla. Kayla stood still for the rest of the court session, relieved that she could keep her silence.

Almost the second the court was dismissed, the officials broke out in hushed murmurs. Kayla made her way over to Lord Liang with a smile.

“Congratulations, Minister Liang,” Kayla said, bowing her head slightly. Lord Liang hurriedly grabbed her hands.

“Left Secretariat Zhao, I must admit that this has come as a surprise. I am unfamiliar with the Ministry’s affairs, I’ll be relying on you to guide me through this,” Lord Liang replied. Kayla gave him a polite smile. Like hell you are, you’re supposed to be one of the most capable characters.

“Of course, Minister. It is my duty to do so,” Kayla said. She stepped aside as the other officials came forward to give their congratulations, making her way over to Zhang Dingyong.

“Right Secretariat Zhang, congratulations and welcome to the Ministry of Justice,” Kayla said, offering him a smile. Zhang Dingyong returned the smile.

“Thank you, Left Secretariat. I look forward to working with you from now on, may I ask for your advice? Unfortunately, I’m not very familiar with the Ministry and will be in need of your advice,” Zhang Dingyong said. Kayla nodded. Here he goes, he’s been lying in wait for a while, but he’s also one of the most capable characters on Kuang’s side. The last person he needs advice from is me.

“Of course, Right Secretariat. Please feel free to ask me anything,” Kayla replied. She moved aside for the other well-wishers and stepped back to wait for her new colleagues. Even if they wouldn’t be going to the Ministry right away, it would be rude to leave before them.

“So it wasn’t the Left Secretariat…”

“Of course not, he's a treacherous person who screwed over his own superior and colleague, the Emperor wouldn’t place a Ministry into the hands of such a person.”

“He’s working against his own grandfather too, why use someone unfilial when there are other choices?”

“Serves him right, this will be fun to watch.”

Kayla ignored the not-so-quiet whispers behind her. Given how many people there were, she wouldn’t be able to pick out the gossipers, but people were looking forward to a show from her. She patiently waited for the crowd of congratulators to thin, but Xianchun made his way over before that could happen. The whispers quickly died down as he approached.

“My prince,” Kayla greeted him.

“Wenyuan, you wrapped up the cases nicely,” Xianchun said. Kayla blinked at the compliment. Is he trying to comfort me?

“Thank you, my prince. I’m glad that the Ministry is also arranged for now,” Kayla replied cheerfully, trying to signal that she didn’t mind.

“I also expected it to be you until I got the news,” Xianchun said softly enough that others wouldn’t be able to hear clearly. Kayla nodded slowly.

“This is for the best, the Ministry is in good hands with Lord Liang and Right Secretariat Zhang,” Kayla said. “I would never be able to handle it even if I were appointed.”

“Stop trying to act humble,” Xianchun replied. “Lord Liang won’t give you a hard time.”

Kayla hesitated at the guarantee. “I’m glad to hear that he’s a kindhearted person, my prince.” Even if they kept the volume down, they were still in public. It wouldn’t do for someone meant to be neutral to be acknowledging the princes’ factions. She could only hope Xianchun understood her meaning instead of thinking her ungrateful.

“He is,” Xianchun replied reassuringly. Kayla felt a rush of relief. Xianchun stepped away again as the crowd thinned, swiftly leaving the hall.

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

Back inside Wenyuan’s quarters, Kayla sprawled on the bed while mulling over the events.

Would the officials then think the Emperor was dissatisfied with the investigation? That might be good for getting their guards down.

In either case, Kayla didn’t doubt that 25 was a bit too young to be managing a Ministry full of old snakes. It also changed the mood inside the Grand Duke’s household to a more gloating one rather than the stony anger before. Kayla wouldn’t argue that it was an improvement given how much the Grand Duke had been gloating, but at least it wasn’t a downgrade.

“Young lord, I’ve brought your dinner,” a voice said at the door. Kayla sat up to reply but hesitated. After she had received the Imperial Decree the only person who would bring her meals was Matron Li, but the voice belonged to someone else.

It’s Chujiao, Wenyuan instinctively identified. Hurry up and let her in before someone sees her!

“Come in,” Kayla hastily called. The door swung open, and Chujiao entered with a tray of food and a worried expression.

“Chujiao, what are you doing here?” Kayla asked gently, walking over to close the door behind her. Chujiao set it down and turned to Kayla with a look of genuine concern.

“Young lord, I couldn’t help but come here. I was so worried when I heard about the court session,” Chujiao said softly. Kayla frowned slightly.

“What did you hear?”

“About the new Minister of Justice, my lord.”

“News sure spreads quickly,” Kayla sighed.

“It’s known throughout the city by now, all the officials’ servants are gossiping about it,” Chujiao said in a small voice. She took a step forward to grab onto Kayla’s sleeve. “Young lord, will you be alright?”

“I’ll be fine, you don’t need to worry. Rather than myself, you should worry about your own situation,” Kayla reassured her. “Will you be alright? You were my personal servant for so long, is anyone giving you trouble?” In hindsight, sending Chujiao away regardless of the young woman's protests would probably have been a good idea even if Chujiao wasn’t potentially a spy, given how much shit Kayla was stirring up.

“No, my lord. The old man in charge of my division is a very kind person,” Chujiao replied.

Kayla sighed. Even if her superior was a good person and Matron Li had her back, Chujiao was still likely to become isolated.

“I’m sorry about this, Chujiao. Listen, how about I find a job for you in another place?” Kayla offered. If Kayla asked Xianchun for this favor, she doubted he wouldn’t agree. As much as she didn’t want to be indebted to any of the princes, it would at least help balance out Yunqi’s current misunderstanding about Consort Zhao's actions while keeping Chujiao safe. If nothing else, Xianchun wasn’t too bad of a master to his servants.

“Please don’t, my lord! I wish to remain here,” Chujiao hastily replied. Seeing the resolute look in Chujiao’s eyes, Kayla decided to drop it for now.

“Alright then, but let me or Matron Li know if you ever want to change your mind,” Kayla said. She gestured at the tray. “Do you need to get back now?”

“No, my lord. Matron Li ordered me to do this,” Chujiao said happily. Kayla shook her head slightly, knowing that Chujiao had definitely begged the older woman again. There was an overwhelming rush of gratitude and affection in her chest, and Kayla couldn’t tell how much of it was Wenyuan’s emotions and how much of it was her own.

“Then sit down and eat with me,” Kayla offered. “There’s no one else here anyway.”

Chujiao hesitated, but Kayla gently tugged on her sleeve. “There’s enough food,” Kayla coaxed her. Chujiao smiled and gave a nod.

“As you wish, young master.”

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

Kayla nodded to Tabuyir from where she stood slightly behind Lord Liang as the Investigator finished for the day. Lord Liang took to the Ministry like a fish to water, and already had a practiced air by his third day, and Right Secretariat Zhang wasn’t much behind him. Kayla had to admit she was impressed with the average intelligence level of the men in each faction, though it left her walking on eggshells.

“Left Secretariat, you were formerly acquainted with the Inspector, weren’t you?” Right Secretariat Zhang asked as the Inspector left.

“I met him through my investigation at the Bureau,” Kayla replied. It was technically the truth.

“I believe we should also call it a day, gentlemen,” Lord Liang cut in before the Right Secretariat could inquire further. Kayla bowed her head and took her leave, heading out without stopping to chat with anyone. The Ministry of Justice had settled down into an orderly routine again, with Lord Liang smoothly proceeding with the Bureau’s investigation now that Kayla had already accepted it. The animosity of the Ministry's officials was largely directed towards her rather than the two newcomers, though it might have to do with the fact that she had threatened the Ministry’s officials with an inventory list.

Kayla squinted as she approached her carriage. The guards seemed to be arguing with someone, their faces twisted in annoyance. Kayla quickened her footsteps to get a better look. She came to a full stop before them.

“Good evening,” Kayla said, cutting into the ongoing argument. The guards quickly turned towards her and bowed their heads in greeting.

“Left Secretariat, I apologize for the disturbance,” one of the guards said. “This man insisted on speaking to you and wouldn’t leave, we’ll get rid of him right away.”

Kayla did a double-take as she finally got a good look at the person in question.

“Qu Boyong?” Kayla said in surprise. The young man was dressed in normal clothes rather than his guard uniform and she barely recognized him without a helmet.

“Young lord!” Qu Boyong hastily bowed.

“It’s alright, I know this man,” Kayla told the guards.

“I apologize, Left Secretariat, I thought-”

“It’s alright, I appreciate it,” Kayla assured the guard. “This isn’t a great place to speak, I’d like to talk with him on the carriage.”

“As you wish, Left Secretariat. Please let us know if you need anything,” the guard replied politely. Kayla nodded and turned back to Boyong.

“Let’s speak in the carriage, I can let you off before we get back,” Kayla said. Boyong nodded, holding out a hand to help her onto the carriage and climbing in after her. He sat down across from her a little stiffly.

“Was there something you wanted to speak to me about?” Kayla asked.

“I apologize for the trouble, young lord. It’s just that I can’t ever get a chance to speak with you these days,” Boyong said apologetically. Kayla gave him a thoughtful look. She found Boyong reliable, but she doubted that he would have come if there wasn’t something he wanted.

“Boyong, please go ahead and speak plainly. I don’t wish to go in circles,” Kayla said.

“Then I will do so. Young lord, I wish to offer my services to you,” Boyong said.

Kayla blinked. He what?

“You what?” Kayla asked, unable to think of something more intelligent. Her first instinct was to reject him, but some part of her felt elated. Boyong was capable enough to warrant Xianchun’s praise, and Kayla rather liked how efficient he had been as her guard.

“Young lord, with your permission, I would renounce my position in the Grand Duke’s household and serve you as my master,” Boyong said eagerly.

“I understood as much, but why would you do that? Even if the work isn’t the easiest, the position is prestigious. You get the status of being one of the Grand Duke’s men, without having to get your hands dirty in the court. I, on the other hand, can’t offer you anything but a salary,” Kayla explained. “Not to mention that you would have a hard time changing jobs in the future now if you get mixed into this mess. A smart man like you should have a good grasp on the current situation, so why are you doing this?”

Boyong hesitated for a moment at Kayla’s suspicions.

“Young lord, I would be honest if you would be gracious enough to withhold your disdain,” Boyong said. Kayla nodded for him to go ahead.

“There’s a limit to how far I can go in the Grand Duke’s household. No matter how hard I work, all the promotions will go to those with connections or the relatives of the Grand Duke’s allies. The prestige doesn’t matter as much to me as pursuing my own achievements, and there’s not much I can achieve in this household. On the other hand, the young lord’s path is only just beginning. If I work for you, I’m sure that I will find more opportunities,” Boyong admitted. “Perhaps it is crass and opportunistic of me to disregard the loyalty I should hold for my master, but that’s the truth of it.”

Kayla nodded slowly, watching Boyong carefully as he spoke. He seems to be telling the truth, but not the full truth. It’s just like last time when he talked about learning surprising things about his identity.

It’s not safe to put a guy like him by your side, is it?

Yes, the investigators can’t act against me because they’re kept in check by the Emperor. But for him? What could keep him in check?

Kayla felt a pang of regret at having to reject him. She had reached out to him before to increase her chances, but now she genuinely needed a capable person to help her get things done when she couldn't do it herself.

“I appreciate your honesty,” Kayla said. “But I can’t accept that offer.”

Boyong lowered his head with a look of disappointment. After a moment, in which Kayla began feeling a little sorry at the kicked puppy look on his face, Boyong lifted his head.

“Young lord, I’ll come clean to you. My father was once implicated in a crime he had nothing to do with, but he was scapegoated by the politicians in court. Our family has lived in shame with our heads down this whole time, and I had to be adopted by my distant relative in order to make a living in the capital. I just want to regain our family honor through my accomplishments,” Boyong said pleadingly. “Please give me a chance, I’m willing to take a magic oath if needed!”

Kayla balked a little. Magic oaths were pretty serious business, and she wanted no part in binding contracts that were only marginally ethical at the best of times.

That seemed to be the truth.

Agreed. What should I do? It’s true I need someone to help me, there’s only so much I can do alone and a lot of things I can’t ask the Emperor’s men for help with. I’ve sent away Chujiao, and now I’m no longer in the Bureau. Both at work and at home, there’s no one I can turn to.

Kayla heaved a sigh and gave Boyong another long and careful look. At least I'll know what to watch out for with this guy.

“I’m glad you told me that,” Kayla finally said. “If that’s the case, then I’ll agree to it. However, if you stir up anything, it has nothing to do with me. And I would watch myself if I were you, the Bureau will still be responsible for my safety for quite a while.”

Boyong nodded at the warning.

“I understand, my lord. I will definitely not let you down!”

“Also, please don’t expect this employment to be permanent. If it is through no fault of yours, I will definitely find another post for you though,” Kayla added, thinking of Xianchun.

You’ve been thinking of shoving a lot of people to Xianchun lately, Wenyuan noted.

I can’t help it, he’s a good place to put them when he’s not trying to murder me.

“Thank you, my lord!” Boyong bowed, looking as though he was about to kneel on the floor of the carriage.

“I doubt you’ll be able to continue your work at the Grand Duke’s household. Do you have a residence outside or do you live in the guards’ quarters?“ Kayla asked.

“I live in my own residence, I didn’t want colleagues to pry into my family background too much,” Boyong replied. “I will hand in my resignation right away and escort you tomorrow morning.”

Kayla nodded. “Alright, I’ll continue your current salary and give you a sign-on bonus. If you last over three months, I’ll give you a raise then, but there’ll be severance pay even if I terminate your employment.”

“That’s incredibly generous, my lord. Thank you very much!”

“Let me know if you run into any issues,” Kayla said. “Is there a way for me to contact you?”

“I’ll procure communication talismans,” Boyong replied. Kayla gave a smile of satisfaction. Boyong was good at things like that, so she decided to just leave it to him.

“Alright then, Boyong. I look forward to your cooperation.”

---

Cultural Notes

说曹操曹操就到/Speak of Cao Cao and he arrives: A colloquial phrase from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms used to refer to someone arriving just as you think of them/speak of them/are badmouthing them.

Greeting to the Emperor: Callback to earlier chapters, the court of many dynasties greeted the Emperor by kneeling, bowing their heads to the floor, and wishing the Emperor a very long life (tradition demands it be ten thousand years).

Appointment of Court Officials: For many higher-ranking positions or individuals the Emperor thought of as talented, the Emperor was the one who directly appointed officials, though other positions may be filled without the Emperor's input.

翰林院/Hanlin Academy: This was a think tank/university/administrative institution founded in the Tang Dynasty composed of elite scholars who performed secretarial and literary tasks for the Emperor and court, and also played a great part in Imperial Examinations, which civilians had to pass in order to become government officials.

Loyalty/忠: This was one of the core virtues of Ancient China, and the officials disparage Kayla as 奸佞之徒/a disloyal and treacherous person because she sold out her own superior. This is arguably a misinterpretation of loyalty since as officials their primary loyalty is to the Emperor and not their direct superiors, but reflects the strong division of cliques in the court resulting in the shifting of power and therefore loyalty away from the Emperor.

失宠/To lose favor: This can apply to either wives/concubines, or officials/subjects serving the Emperor. Even as a third-rank official, Kayla doesn't have a faction or any actual political support outside of the Emperor. Since she wasn't promoted, other officials are calculating whether she has lost favor, which would make her a viable target for revenge. Given that she wasn't promoted when there was an open position that almost seemed granted to be hers, the signs would suggest that her over-eager investigation had caused the Emperor a headache and cost her the Emperor's favor.

Filial Piety, "父为子隐，子为父隐/The father covers for the son, the son covers for the father" vs. 大义灭亲/ Exterminating one's own family for the greater good: Historically, there are two major ways in which exposing the crimes of a family member, especially one's father or grandfather tends, tends to be interpreted. In some cases, it is criticized for violating filial piety, referring to the quote by Confucius, "父为子隐，子为父隐，直在其中矣", which means that it is understandable and morally acceptable for a father to cover the crimes of his son and a son for his father since they are bound by familial ties. On the other hand, there is the narrative of "大义灭亲”,  which refers to a pre-Qin historical incident that I won't delve into here, but it is also seen as morally correct to punish one's own family if they've done wrong, prioritizing morality over familial bonds. In Kayla's case, people are pushing for the filial piety narrative, but historically speaking, whichever narrative was more politically beneficial would be the one that is used.

Factions and Cliques: Callback to about ten chapters back that forming cliques and factions is a punishable offense, even the Grand Duke's men wouldn't go around saying "I'm in the Grand Duke's faction" while in court. In most dynasties, the factions of the potential successors being outright and forthcoming about it was also a pretty bad sign of how things were holding up in terms of political stability.