Character Index
Feng Yi: A merchant who got dragged into the plots of Liu Boyue, he was subsequently involved in Kayla's plot to expose Liu Boyue for going behind Xianchun's back and later left the capital.
Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Kayla's retainer and the younger half-brother of Minister Liang.
Liu Boyue: Xianchun's strategist and right-hand man.
Wei Guang: The Imperial Edict Bearer and Kayla's godfather.
Zhou Xianchun: The Seventh Prince.
Lady Lin: A blind divinator who worked with Wenyuan's mother.
Qu Boyong/Xiang Daozong: Son of General Xiang and the Princess of Chu, seeking revenge against the Grand Duke. Formerly Kayla's retainer.
Zhou Kangyu: Wenyuan's father, adopted son of the Grand Duke. He was killed by the Grand Duke during a plague.
Imperial Princess: Wenyuan's mother, younger sister of the current Emperor. She died of disease under suspicious circumstances.
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In a small rest stop a few miles outside the capital city, Feng Yi nervously shifted his weight from foot to foot as he waited. It was a small road that was only busy once or twice a year, and was now dusty and deserted, with not a single traveler in sight.
He glanced up as several wagons appeared in the distance, slowly coming into view. Hu Qing was sitting at the very front, waving toward Feng Yi with an amiable grin.
Thanks to Feng Yi’s amiable and forgiving nature, he had long since forgotten that Hu Qing had played the sharp-tongued white face to Zhao Wenyuan’s magnanimous red face when they were convincing him to expose Liu Boyue. He greeted Hu Qing with a wide smile.
“This humble merchant greets Sir Hu! Long time no see, how have you been?”
Hu Qing returned the jovial greeting, giving Feng Yi a friendly clap on the back.
“How is Minister Zhao doing? Is he well?” Feng Yi asked earnestly.
“He’s doing well, he also inquired after you,” Hu Qing said. “He was worried you’d have a hard time settling into Dunhuang.”
“Not at all! Thanks to Minister Zhao’s arrangements, everything was prepared for me along the way, and I’ve been adjusting really well,” Feng Yi assured him.
Hu Qing nodded. “That’s good to hear, but I guess it’s too bad you’ll be traveling around right after you’ve started feeling at home.”
Feng Yi let out a chuckle. “How else can merchants make their way in the world? Since Minister Zhao has been so kind as to offer me an opportunity, how can I possibly refuse? But if I may, just what does he wish for me to sell?”
“You’ve got the right spirit,” Hu Qing said breezily. “And as for what you’re selling, well…”
He gestured dramatically, and his subordinates yanked off the coverings on the wagons in sync, rolling their eyes as they did so.
Feng Yi didn’t note their reactions at all, gaping at the wagons of communication devices before him.
“This much?! Does he want me to sell them to a specific region? Or to a specific clientele?” Feng Yi squeaked nervously. “B-but even then, this is way too much!”
Hu Qing shook his head. “He wants you to sell them for cheap. About the same price as the household talismans you find from street vendors in the capital.”
Feng Yi’s jaw dropped. “That’s way too cheap, we’d be selling at a loss!”
“You’d be selling them at a profit no matter what. These are free,” Hu Qing said.
Feng Yi looked thunderstruck. “Free?!”
“Free,” Hu Qing confirmed.
Feng Yi backed away, shaking his head. “I-I can’t, Sir Hu. I’ve already received so much kindness from the Minister, I can’t possibly accept something of this magnitude! I have no misgivings about my abilities as a merchant, I can handle a small or medium-sized business, but not something to this degree! My bad luck will definitely kick in, and something will go wrong. Especially since I’m selling it for cheap…the Minister won’t make much off this venture.”
Hu Qing gave him a look of fond exasperation, silently keeping it to himself that Wenyuan was banking on Feng Yi running into trouble.
“Feng Yi, what do you think my lord is doing this for? Money? If so, he wouldn’t be selling it for this cheap. Connections? If he wanted to make connections, he would send the third or fourth son of a scholar’s family, not a merchant who has scarcely ever interacted with the upper class,” Hu Qing explained. “He’s not doing it for any of those reasons, but because he wants to benefit the people.”
Feng Yi looked at him in confusion. “Benefit the people?”
“Sell these for cheap, but not to the local elites or officials. Sell them to ordinary families and small businesses, people who need them but who would never be able to afford one under normal circumstances,” Hu Qing urged him. “You’re here to help us take the first step in a long path, Feng Yi. The Minister’s trying to change this dynasty for the better, and he doesn’t need a brilliant merchant, but a trustworthy one.”
“That’s an admirable goal, but I…” Feng Yi trailed off. He couldn’t make out the precise reason it caused him unease. After all, he was a guy who had been conned into acting as a red herring. But Feng Yi’s years in the business world had given him enough experience to sense that this wouldn’t be as straightforward as it sounded.
“We’ll provide you with a security escort,” Hu Qing added. “Your travel expenses will also be paid for, so just focus on selling these.”
“That’s really kind,” Feng Yi said, but his voice was increasingly hesitant. The last time Feng Yi had helped Zhao Wenyuan, he had nearly gotten killed. As the Zhao heir had promised, Feng Yi ended up safe and sound, with a much larger sum of money than he’d seen in a very long time, but it didn’t detract from how harrowing the experience was.
“Sir Hu, how dangerous do you expect this to be?” Feng Yi asked weakly.
Hu Qing chuckled, waving over his subordinates. “Not dangerous at all, not when these guys are with you. It’s the guys who wish you harm that should be worried. But remember, if anything happens, immediately let us know. You still have the communication device the Minister gave you?”
“Yes,” Feng Yi pulled it out to show Hu Qing. “Sir Hu, I’m grateful, of course, but I…I’m a little worried about whether I can meet the Minister’s expectations.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Hu Qing assured him. “I wouldn’t worry about safety either. The Minister’s the type of person who would give severance pay to a servant who betrayed him. And as you know, he’s the type of person who would give money to someone sent to spy on him. You can be assured that he would never wish you harm. No matter what happens, he’ll have your back.”
Hu Qing pulled out a letter from his robes along with a small seal, handing them to Feng Yi. “We’ve prepared all the papers for you already, with the Minister’s personal stamp and signature on every single one of them. And look at what this is.” He pointed out the seal.
Feng Yi took it, peering at it closely. “This is…a personal seal?”
Hu Qing nodded encouragingly as Feng Yi’s expression grew into one of disbelief.
“This is the Minister’s personal seal?!”
“One of them,” Hu Qing agreed. “The Minister isn’t doing this under the table or hiding his connections to you. With these, there’s no need for you to fear being used and discarded anymore, is there?”
“To this extent, just for a merchant–truly, I can never repay this kindness!” Feng Yi lit up at Hu Qing’s reassurances, beginning to glow in excitement.
Hu Qing clapped a hand on his shoulder, an approving glint in his eye. “Good, that’s the right attitude to have. We’ll definitely make you a rich man, so just cut loose and go for it. Be as bold as you like, and we’ll take care of any problems that arise.”
Feng Yi’s expression grew more determined as Hu Qing continued to pile on the assurances.
“I’m truly grateful for this opportunity, I will do my utmost not to let the Minister down!” Feng Yi said.
Hu Qing smiled, patting the man on the shoulder.
“Have a safe trip,” Hu Qing said. He sent off Feng Yi and the escort party, watching the wagons head down the road, his expression slowly settling into one of caustic amusement.
“Poor sucker, the Minister’s really sent him straight into the viper’s nest,” Hu Qing said out loud, chuckling as he headed back to the capital.
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Kayla’s face was pale as she straightened her robes, preparing to head off to the Seventh Prince’s household.
This is make or break, do or die.
Confronting Xianchun’s suspicions by playing the victim and demanding his help–it sounded simple but was far from easy to accomplish. She had to be convincing. It had to be enough.
Telling him Wenyuan’s actual lineage didn’t do shit, if this also fails, then I can’t think of any other options.
Surprisingly, Wei Guang did not seem to have that concern at all, having instead asked Kayla a series of increasingly cryptical questions about her nullification magic before sending her off. Taking a deep breath, Kayla steeled herself and got onto the carriage. Hu Qing wasn’t going with her. She needed him to coordinate the backup plans to get her out if things went south.
Kayla didn’t bring the golden plaque from the palace, and didn’t bring a knife either–she never carried one to begin with, it would be suspicious if she suddenly started now.
As the carriage moved toward Xianchun’s residence, it felt more like it was heading toward the Yellow Springs. Somehow, the imminent threat of death actually made her limbs feel lighter. By the time she reached her destination, her mind was no longer clouded by nervousness.
Fuck pride, fuck propriety. I’ll make it out of this in one piece no matter what.
Kayla followed Xianchun’s servant down the corridors, aware that she looked at least a little bit like a man being led to the execution block. The servant evidently sensed as much, glancing back more than once or twice with a nervous expression on his face. As soon as he had announced Kayla’s arrival, he didn’t even stay long enough to be dismissed before getting out of the range of fire at the speed of an Olympic champion.
“I said, come in,” Xianchun said impatiently. Kayla blinked, realizing that she had missed his words the first time around. She stepped into the room.
“Wenyuan humbly greets His Highness the Seventh Prince,” Kayla greeted him with a bow.
“Drop the pointless formalities. You’ve been gone for days,” Xianchun said. Kayla took an extra moment before lifting her head to face him.
This Xianchun was still the one she was familiar with, sharp-tempered and self-righteous, but a far cry from the bloodthirsty and slightly unstable man she had seen in Lady Lin’s cave. She felt a rush of relief, the last of her nervousness slowly melting away into the low thrum of adrenaline.
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“I apologize for giving you cause for concern,” Kayla said apologetically. She slowly sucked in a deep breath, bracing herself for the barrage of questions sure to come.
“No matter,” Xianchun waved her over to sit down. “You owe me some answers–what happened with the Grand Duke? Why were you trying to burn down his study and what the hell did you run off for?”
Kayla bowed her head slightly and complied. “I had an…altercation with the Grand Duke and had reason to believe it was best for me to leave. As for his study, I tried to burn it down because I believed it was where he was storing his blackmail material. Hu Qing said that two men tried to stop him, and I believe that at least one of them worked for the Grand Duke. I feared retribution, so I decided to keep my head down until the case against the Ministry of Revenue had been launched.”
“At least one of them? Then who did you think the other one was?” Xianchun asked, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
“I believe it might’ve been Qu Boyong,” Kayla admitted. “From what I know so far, he seems to have a grudge against the Zhao household. I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled a stunt like that.”
Xianchun’s eyes narrowed for a moment before he seemed to accept her explanation.
“Then where has the Grand Duke been? He’s been missing for days,” Xianchun asked.
Kayla’s nerves were creeping back, and there was a weight on her chest that made it more difficult to breathe.
“That’s…in fact, that’s what I came here for,” Kayla said in a small voice.
Xianchun shifted in his seat, curiosity written all over him.
This better work. This has to work. I have to make this work, or god help me.
Kayla got up from her seat and slowly made her way into the center of the room. She glanced around until she caught sight of Xianchun’s sword, which was on its customary rack on the wall. Xianchun didn’t think too much about her wandering gaze, much more fixated on the secrets behind her silence.
“Don’t withhold your words now,” Xianchun urged her impatiently.
Kayla took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, shaking her head with a look of despair.
“My prince, I…” She let out a shuddering sigh, falling silent again. Xianchun frowned and stepped forward to peer at her.
“What is it?”
Kayla opened her mouth and closed it again, doing her best to emulate the visage of inner turmoil.
Impatience flashed across Xianchun’s face. “Wenyuan, since when have you been so stingy with your words? Are you emulating a reticent maiden?” Xianchun demanded.
“Please forgive me, my prince…” Kayla trailed off, her voice even smaller than before. Xianchun stood up, looking at her in confusion.
“I don’t know how to face you,” Kayla said in a trembling voice. “I don’t even know how to face myself. How could the heavens have been so heartless as to do this to me?”
Miraculously, the tears began to flow right on time.
Xianchun reeled back, a look of stricken confusion on his face. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?!”
Kayla buried her face in her hands, not sure how much longer she could keep the tears going.
“I can’t bring myself to say it, I’m a failure as a son and as a subject. I have no face to stand before you!”
Xianchun crossed the distance in two steps and grabbed Kayla’s arm, pulling it away from her face. Luckily, she hadn’t quite run out of steam to keep the act up, the tearworks still going strong. Of all the things Xianchun had been expecting, an emotional breakdown evidently wasn’t one of them, judging by his frazzled reaction. She could practically see the "what-the-fuck"s running through his mind.
“Tell me what’s wrong, don’t just stand there and cry! Are you a child or a grown man?" Xianchun demanded. When Kayla gave no immediate response, he let loose a volley of questions. "Is it the Grand Duke? Has he made a move after all? What did he do?”
“My prince, I wish that I could simply disappear from existence so that I would never have to face the light of the sun or my parents in the afterlife,” Kayla said tearfully.
“What on earth are you saying?”
“Whether in loyalty or filial piety, I have failed. My very blood besmirches me!”
At Xianchun’s growing confusion and alarm, Kayla sensed that the timing was about right. Any remaining filaments of fear seemed to melt away, fading into a white rush of noise in the back of her mind.
I can do this! I can definitely do this. I've watched enough dog-blood dramas to pull this off!
Kayla wrenched her arm out of Xianchun’s grip and flung herself towards the sword rack, grabbing the hilt of the blade. She yanked it out of its sheath clumsily and lifted it to her neck, making sure to fumble enough that Xianchun had sufficient time to interfere without making the act too unbelievable.
Xianchun gave a shout of alarm and rushed forward, nearly crushing her fingers as he wrenched the sword out of her grip singlehandedly, shoving Kayla backward with his other hand. The force of the shove sent Kayla crashing to the floor. She didn’t have time to react before Xianchun was grabbing her by the collar.
“You fool! What the hell are you doing?!” Xianchun shouted. Before Kayla could proceed with her preprepared reply, he slapped her in the face.
Ow! Fuck! You didn’t have to hit that hard?! Why did you even have to hit me in the first place?! Tears of pain sprung into her eyes.
Her heart pounding, Kayla flinched as Xianchun yanked her up by the collar.
“M-my prince,” Kayla winced, flinching again as Xianchun tightened his grip. Seeing her reaction, Xianchun only grew more incensed.
“Zhao Wenyuan! Have you gone mad?! Just what do you think you’re doing, devaluing your life so shortsightedly?! And in my house at that?” Xianchun snarled, shaking Kayla furiously.
“The Grand Duke…” Kayla said in a small voice, avoiding Xianchun’s eyes.
“What did he do?” Xianchun demanded.
Kayla lowered her gaze, making a pained expression. Xianchun loosened his grip but didn’t let go.
“What did he do?!” Xianchun asked, more insistently this time.
“He–He’s the one who killed my parents!” Kayla cried. She dropped to her knees before Xianchun could stop her, grabbing the hem of his robes. He was too shocked to move backward and stood there dumbly as Kayla wept onto his boots.
“My prince, you have no idea just how–I’ve lived under his roof all these years, trying so desperately to gain his approval, all while I was standing waist-deep in my parents’ blood!” Kayla carried on crying in the face of Xianchun's silence.
WHY is he not reacting?! Is this not working?! Did he not buy it?! Before Kayla could begin to panic, Xianchun reached down and grabbed her by the arms.
Kayla met his eyes, taking in his look of fury and disbelief.
“What?! What did you just say?! Zhao Wenyuan, say that one more time!” Xianchun tried to tug her to her feet. She stubbornly remained kneeling.
“My prince, please have some mercy and grant me death. I wish I had never been born onto this earth,” Kayla said tearfully. Something seemed to click in Xianchun’s mind, and she knew without a doubt that her ploy had worked. He had bought it.
“Stop it with this foolishness! Zhao Wenyuan, are you sure that it was murder?!” Xianchun forcibly dragged her to her feet, peering intently into her eyes.
“It’s true,” Kayla said in a small voice. “Both my parents died of disease when it shouldn’t have been possible for them to do so, it was his doing all along.”
“Unbelievable! Where the hell did he get the courage to commit such an atrocity?!” Xianchun snarled. He was furious, but Kayla was secure in her position. She wouldn’t be the one to bear the brunt of that rage.
“And evidence? Do you have evidence?!” Xianchun demanded.
“Only for my father’s death,” Kayla replied.
“Not for the Imperial Princess?!”
Kayla shook her head.
Of course not, it’s just my conjecture. How am I supposed to know if she was really killed by the Grand Duke?
“He was too thorough…but he taunted me with it–he didn’t say it outright, but he all but admitted it! One day, he’ll be the death of me as well!” Kayla said. “They say that you cannot live under the same sky as your parents’ murderer, but–the Grand Duke is also my grandparent! I have no face to live on in this world, nor any face to meet my parents in the afterlife.”
“You fool, what good does killing yourself do for anything?” Xianchun lightly shook Kayla by the shoulders. “You should be thinking of revenge, not of suicide!”
It really worked. Kayla managed to keep herself from showing any signs of relief and let out a sigh, shaking her head in distress.
“How can I take revenge?! It would not just damn him, but my other relations as well! He and my father share the same kin, how can I punish him without dishonoring my father? How can I take revenge without degrading my parents?” Kayla asked. “I won’t deny it…I’ve hated the Grand Duke for so long now. You don’t understand how degrading it was to grovel and plead like some worm in the dirt, only to get brutalized over and over in your own home. I thought I could go against him since I was unfilial to begin with, but this…I wasn’t prepared for anything like this!”
“Heavenly fates cannot be defied,” Xianchun said firmly. “You need not berate yourself like this, did the Orphan of Zhao not take revenge upon his adoptive father, despite the years of living as his son? A blood debt must be repaid in blood. What does it matter whether he’s your adoptive grandfather or not?”
Kayla paused for a moment, glancing at Xianchun hesitantly.
“My prince, you really think so?”
“Of course! If I knew that someone had murdered my parents, I would not allow anything to stay my hand!” Xianchun said heatedly.
That’s very self-aware of you, Kayla silently griped to herself.
“But my family…I can’t destroy my own clan like this! The Grand Duke has always…no one has ever survived going against him, not even my mother. I’m only still alive because I made it public and clung to Uncle and Grandmother’s protection so shamelessly,” Kayla said in a small voice.
Xianchun frowned, his brows drawing together. “No one has ever survived going against him?” He echoed. “What are you talking about?”
“My prince, do you know what was the first time I met my cousins? It was when the Grand Duke beat one of my uncles to death before us. He gathered everyone in the younger generation and made us watch–there was no explanation before or after, but we all knew what it meant. I didn’t even dare to tell my mother, I was so terrified that I couldn’t sleep for days,” Kayla said.
It was not true at all. That incident had happened, yes, but only a small number of people were present, and Wenyuan hadn’t been there. He didn’t need a brutal execution to know that the Grand Duke could not be disobeyed, there was no need to terrify him into submission.
But Xianchun bought it.
“Your situation is truly a complicated one,” he admitted. “Murdering a Princess and her Consort is a crime that warrants the extermination of one’s clan. But you…”
Kayla’s eyes watered right on cue. “Maybe that’s what should happen,” she said, sounding as miserable as possible. “Maybe a cursed house is supposed to meet a bloody end. I know that I probably deserve it, but I just feel sorry for my relatives.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! You’re a victim in all this, how can you be punished for his crimes?!” Xianchun snapped.
Oh my god thank you finally–That response would be enough to keep her head firmly attached to her body for a good while. Kayla was sure her eyes were watering even more now, though this time it was out of relief.
“Even if I have to die for it, I’ll kill him!” Kayla said passionately. “Definitely…I’ll definitely make him meet a painful and humiliating end!”
Xianchun looked torn between approval and telling her to calm down. “Don’t be hasty,” he finally managed to say. “We’ll find a way.”
“We…?” Kayla asked, keeping her voice in a delicate balance between shocked and hopeful.
“It’s no secret that I want to take down the Grand Duke,” Xianchun said plainly. “I can’t just hear such a thing and do nothing, can I?”
“My prince, I’m eternally grateful!” Kayla dropped to her knees again, lowering her head to the floor. Xianchun pulled her back up with more force than necessary, but Kayla ignored the painful grip on her arm.
“There’s no need,” Xianchun said, firm and sure. “We share the same goal, so we’ll walk the same path.”
Kayla continued to babble words of gratitude, holding back a twinge of smug victory.
I may owe you now, but soon it’ll be the other way around. Xianchun, you can’t blame me for striking first.
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Cultural Notes
一哭二闹三上吊/First cry, second throw a fit, and third threaten to hang yourself: A reference to the three-step tactics used by someone (usually women or someone in a less powerful position) to protest or get their way when they have no other leverage against a person in a more powerful position.
红脸白脸/Red face white face: A reference to roles associated with the facial paint color of actors in traditional Chinese opera, where someone with red face paint is usually a protagonist, while someone with white face paint is usually a sneaky or immoral person. Similar to the usage of masks in Ancient Greek theater or in kabuki theater. The usage of "red face white face" is approximately parallel to the usage of "good cop bad cop".
敦煌/Dunhuang: A major stop on the Silk Road and an important city during the Tang Dynasty.
黄泉路/Road to the Yellow Springs: The Yellow Springs symbolized the afterlife in Ancient China, and the road to the yellow springs refers to heading toward death.
苍天无情/The heavens are heartless: An Ancient Chinese proverb used to lament a tragic situation/occurrence.
狗血剧/Dog blood drama: A Chinese phrase referring to extremely melodramatic and soapy dramas such as "I'm in love with my father-in-law" or "My father's youngest concubine is in love with me" or "me and my lover are actually siblings because our parents were star-crossed lovers forced to separate by their families which have been rivals for centuries" or "I started cheating on my girlfriend but then she started cheating on me with my mistress and then I got into a car accident and got amnesia and fell in love with a pure-hearted young girl and now I want to reform myself but my wife and mistress want to kill me", and so on so forth.
不忠不孝/Disloyal and unfilial: A derogatory Ancient Chinese proverb, as loyalty and filial piety were among the most important virtues.
自寻短见/Seek [a] short-sighted [end]: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to the act of suicide.
轻生/Make light of your life: An Ancient Chinese phrase referring to suicide.
弑父之仇不可与同戴天/You cannot live under the same sky as your father's killer: A phrase referring to the duty one has to avenge one's parents.
天命不可违/Heavenly fate cannot be defied: An Ancient Chinese proverb.
赵氏孤儿/Orphan of Zhao: Refers to the famous story of a pre-Qin family, the Zhao clan, which was extremely prominent in the Kingdom of Jin. The Zhao family was framed and exterminated, but a single boy infant, the son of Lord Zhao and the Princess of Jin, was spared at the cost of the lives of many loyal retainers. In a dramatic twist, he was raised as the godson of the man who exterminated the Zhao clan. Upon learning of the truth, he took revenge and killed his godfather. This story was popularized in a Yuan dynasty play and is often considered China's Hamlet.
驸马/Princess Consort: Refers to the official title of a man who married a Princess.
志同道合/Same ambition overlapping paths: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to strive towards the same goal.