小心翼翼 (xiǎo xīn yì yì) – small heart and wings, i.e. to be overly cautious.

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The day had started filled with happiness and was now ending with tension and anxiety.

Zéyì had given her well wishes to the new parents and child, and returned back to her rooms to prepare for her departure, when urgent news reached her. The doctors had performed a routine check up on Shǔ Kuí, and discovered she was still bleeding.

“I only just left her.” Zéyì frowned. “We were talking less than half a shi ago.”

The young medical disciple who had been dispatched to provide the news trembled. She knew what monarch's tempers could be like. Additionally, her seniors had actually been strangely slow in sending this message. There was a lot of angry whispering and frowning and apparent arguing before they ordered her to depart.

“It's true, Your Majesty. These things can happen suddenly.”

“And the child?”

“The child is in good health.” Still bowed, she glanced anxiously at Zéyì's hands. The Regent was hefting a metal whip in her hands that the disciple recognised as one that the previous regent had sometimes carried. The remembered cruelty of those metal links made her shiver.

“What's your name?” Zéyì asked suddenly.

“J-Jīn Zhēn Zhì, Your Majesty.”

“That's a good name. It suits you.” Zéyì laid the whip down, and Jīn Zhēn Zhì straightened a little with relief. She was quite a tall girl, so remaining bent over was something of a strain. “It seems I won't be able to go for my journey after all. Tell the doctors that I wish to see them when the Hour of the Monkey ends.”

From that moment, the palace was a flurry of nervous activity. Cheng Guk Lung and Yuān Mù disappeared into the throne antechamber. The doctors were summoned to the throne room by Zéyì and grilled about Shǔ Kuí's condition. And in the corridors and small, rarely used rooms, people could be seen whispering.

The night was well advanced when Zéyì came to visit Shǔ Kuí and found Jīn Zhēn Zhì tending to her.

“How is she, Jīn Yi-sheng?”

“Oh, I'm not a full doctor, Your Majesty. I'm still a student.” Jīn Zhēn Zhì added more charcoal to the heating censer under Shǔ Kuí's bed. “She's still cheerful, but very weak. Her bleeding has slowed and her pulse is more stable, so the medicines are taking effect.”

“Good. No, don't wake her. Thank you for your hard work, Disciple Jīn.” Zéyì considered the girl. Not only was she tall, she seemed somewhat stretched, as if her height had rocketed away before the rest of her could catch up.

“You needn't thank me, Your Majesty. This is simply my job.”

Zéyì smiled, smoothed the covers over Shǔ Kuí, and turned to leave.

“Your Majesty...”

“Yes, Disciple Jīn?”

“There's something... There's something I must tell you.”

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“Damn it all,” the Justice Minister growled, slapping the table and accidentally splashing his wine. “This was the perfect opportunity, and that damned woman just had to ruin it.”

“These things can't be helped.” The Grand Mentor frowned at him, blotting the wine as it crawled along the table towards her.

“We'll have another opportunity,” the Household Minister said airily.

Three days after Shǔ Kuí had become ill and Zéyì had delayed her departure, they were once again gathered in the entertainment house, drinking and whispering. The Justice Minister glared at the carefree Yuè Yuè.

“You're too calm about this! What if they found out? There's too many suspicious points about all of this.”

“Like what, Old Áo?”

“Like that woman! Who is she, exactly? Why is Her Majesty so concerned about her? How did she get sick so conveniently?”

“Who knows who she is,” the Grand Mentor retorted heatedly, “but a woman falling ill before, during or after childbirth is no rare thing. You're speaking nonsense.”

Old Áo grumbled but continued, “Well, who is she? And who's that old man that appeared recently in the palace. I can't get any information on him, not even a name!”

“I can help you there,” the Household Minister said with a big grin. “I've heard his surname is Gāo. He seems to be an old friend of our dear Majesty. I'm not so useless after all, hm?”

“What the hell does his family name tell us?” the Justice Minister snapped, but then his expression changed. “Gāo... they're an old family, aren't they? They played a big part in the Chun forces in the Demon War.”

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“Exactly.”

“So she's calling in old friends to try and bolster her position? This is a bit of a nuisance, but nothing terrible for now.”

“He can't be one of the main Elders of the family. We would recognise him.”

“We'll keep digging.”

“Speaking of digging, this Cheng Guk Lung – did you find out any more about him?”

Once again, the Household Minister surprised everyone by answering. “He's actually quite a well known individual. I talked with a few scholars and got plenty of information. He's young, but he's a senior disciple of the Way of the Mountain School of the Mount Hua Sect, well known for his intellect. It unfortunately makes him quite popular with the youngsters.”

“What does it matter?” the Justice Minister snapped irritably. “If he's more popular than Chun Zéyì we can use him. If he causes us problems, we can get rid of him.”

“You make it sound so simple,” Yuè Yuè drawled. “He's also the grand-nephew of the Sage Star, Cheng Baak-hap. Her contributions to the creation of the Xiang language add more difficulties.”

“Complicated your ancestors. Since when do you get so knowledgeable?” The Justice Minister was about to start a serious argument when the Grand Mentor raised her hand. “There's someone outside.”

She had barely finished speaking when a soft knock was heard at the door.

The three conspirators shared looks.

“Come in.”

The girl who entered was gangly and shy, wearing clean and neat robes. She wasn't someone any of them recognised, and was certainly not one of the staff at the entertainment house.

“Who are you?” the Justice Minister snapped. He raised his scrawny arm to throw his wine cup at the girl, but the Household Minister stayed his arm.

“It's Jīn Zhēn Zhì, isn't it?” Yuè Yuè said gently to the cringing girl. “Calm down, Justice Minister, this girl is a medical disciple. She's been looking after our dear Head of Intelligence. What do you have to tell us, little one?”

The Grand Mentor and Justice Minister almost spat blood.

Little one? Have you seen how tall she is?

“Great Masters, my seniors wish to inform you that the lady in the medical wing is recovering well.”

“That's good news,” the Household Minister said cheerfully. “We can all relax now.”

The Justice Minister, however, continued to look anxious. “Anything else?”

“Anything...” Jīn Zhēn Zhì repeated, looking puzzled and nervous. “That's all, Great Minister.”

The Justice Minister huffed. “Well, get going then.”

“Yes, Great Minister.”

“Wait, stay and have a drink,” Yuè Yuè offered with his easy smile.

“Flirt,” the Grand Mentor muttered under her breath.

“Th-thank you, Great Minister,” Jīn Zhēn Zhì stammered, “but I have to deliver this message to Her Majesty as well.”

“Why didn't you tell Her Majesty first?” the Justice Minister demanded suspiciously.

“I tried to, but Her Majesty was busy preparing for an urgent journey. I was told that the message would be passed on to her, but that I should return later to answer her questions.”

“A journey?”

“I assume the journey she was forced to postpone when her friend fell ill, Great Minister,” Jīn Zhēn Zhì said helplessly.

“Thank you, girl,” said the Grand Mentor. “You can leave now.”

Jīn Zhēn Zhì scuttled out, relieved. Yuè Yuè watched her go.

“Not a spy, this time?”

“Oh I know her.”

The two elders glared at him.

“Not like that. Yet.”

“Ugh.”

“Something wrong?”

“Something wrong your father,” Old Áo yelled. “Play around when we've taken control of Chun and not before.”

“Calm yourself,” the Grand Mentor admonished. “We're nearly there. How have you come so far with such a small, fearful heart?”

“Exactly.” The Household Minister leaned back and emptied his wine cup with a grin. “What did I say before? We have another opportunity now. Let's not waste it.”

“We need to confirm that Her Majesty really is leaving. We need to find out which Gao the old man is. And if we can find out who this sick woman is, I'll be even more happy.”

“Are you ever happy?” the Household Minister muttered to himself.

“Old Áo is right. There are a few too many variables for my liking as well.”

“Fine, fine. I'll look into the woman.”

“Of course you will,” the Grand Mentor muttered.

“I'll reach out to the Gāo Family,” the Justice Minister decided.

“Then I will confirm whether our dear Regent has left or not.” The Grand Mentor rose to her feet, her slight frame swaying. “I will leave first.”

As she swept out, Yuè Yuè too rose to his feet, draining the last of the liquor. “See you later, old man.”

He laughed at the Justice Minister's growls and hummed to himself as he left the building.

Old Áo fished a hair out his cup, drained it, and creakily stood.

“Great Minister.”

He almost fell over, but a strong hand caught him. Old Áo looked wildly around and found his gaze caught by a pair of eyes, the irses a swirl of pure white, and pure black.

“Great Minister, I've been wanting to meet you for a long time.”

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The next morning came with a summons. Cheng Guk Lung, Acting Regent, had called for an audience with the Three Lords and Seven Ministers.

The Grand Mentor and Justice Minister threw wordless looks at each other as they met in the hallway. If Cheng Guk Lung was the one who had called the meeting, Her Majesty had likely already left. The Household Minister followed behind the rest of the Ministers and their retinues, yawning hugely.

The officials made their way into the throne room, greeting each other and taking assigned seats along the walls of the room. At last, only one was empty, that of the Minister for the Imperial Clan, which had no occupant.

Still, no one arrived to take the throne.

“Long time no see, Yáng Jìn,” the Household Minister greeted the Grand Protector irreverently. “Where have you been all this time? Any luck finding someone to take the position of Minister of the Imperial Guards yet?”

Yáng Jìn simply shook his head, unusually reticent. Yuè Yuè nudged him.

“What's wrong, my drinking buddy? Did you have too much last night? You should have invited me!”

“Nothing much. I'm just... worried.”

“You? Worried? About what?”

“All this,” Yáng Jìn replied stiffly, barely nodding at the room.

“What do you mean? All these stale ministers? The Acting Regent? The décor?”

Before Yáng Jìn could respond, three people entered the room from a hidden antechamber behind the throne. The Ministers fell silent at the sight.

The first was a figure of indeterminate gender, swathed in a long cloak, only their narrow, dark eyes visible. The second was a familiar sight, the Acting Regent, Cheng Guk Lung, his lanky frame in scholars' robes, hair long and unbound. He looked exhausted, but a small smile twitched his lips.

The third had everyone's attention.

The woman had a open, peaceful face, with fluffy eyebrows and full lips, her hair gathered in the elaborate hairstyle of a royal lady.

And skin covered in tiny silvery scars, and eyes where yin and yang, black and white, swirled in balance together.

Chun Zéyì gracefully took her seat on the throne and smiled at the gathered Ministers. Her taijitu eyes drifted over the Minister for the Household, the Minister for Justice, and finally, the Grand Mentor.

“We have a lot to speak of, my Ministers. Where shall we start?”