Character Index
Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Kayla's retainer and the half-brother of Minister Liang, he is not registered on the Liang family tree despite being the rightful heir.
Zhou Xianchun: The Seventh Prince, he bears hatred for the Grand Duke.
Liu Boyue: Xianchun's strategist and right-hand man, a rift has developed between him and his prince due to Kayla's interference.
Qu Boyong/Xiang Daozong: Son of General Xiang and the Princess of Chu, seeking revenge for the framing of his family by the Grand Duke.
Zhou Kuang: The Third Prince.
Chen Caichun: A Chamberlain at the Court of Judicial Review, an ambitious young woman and one of Kayla's supporters. Younger sister of Chen Jian.
Wei Guang: The Imperial Edict Bearer who helped the current Emperor ascend to the throne and mediate between the previous generation of princes, he is also Kayla's godfather.
Tao Qian: One of the men on Kayla's payroll, recommended by Hu Qing to serve as Kayla's bodyguard, he was recently sent to keep an eye on Ji Yantao.
Ji Yantao: A former accountant of the Xiang household, he was summoned to the capital by Qu Boyong for his revenge plot, but has been replaced by his daughter due to his ill health. Kayla fed information on him to the Grand Duke in order to gain leverage over Qu Boyong by rescuing Ji Yantao.
Li You: One of the men on Kayla's payroll, hired by Hu Qing. He was present in the safehouse after the Grand Duke attempted to kill Kayla.
Zhao Chao: One of the men on Kayla's payroll, hired by Hu Qing. He was present in the safehouse after the Grand Duke attempted to kill Kayla.
Zhou Yunqi: The Fifth Prince, Kuang's supporter.
Cao Shuyi: Wife of the Third Prince, comes from a family of scholars and healers.
Feng Yi: A merchant who got entangled with Liu Boyue, and then Kayla's plots.
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It had been over two hours since Zhao Wenyuan entered the Seventh Prince’s household, and Hu Qing was growing worried. The Zhao heir was sure of himself, but Hu Qing knew better than to assume that confidence guaranteed success. If anything, given Wenyuan’s recent illness and emotional instability, it might result in the opposite. Hu Qing didn’t like that Wenyuan was going into this so quickly, but the politicians around him seemed to be fine with it.
Is it even safe for him to be meeting with the Seventh Prince?
Almost as though to answer the question, Zhao Wenyuan exited right on beat. He looked exhausted and haggard, but not much worse for the wear save for a red mark on his face. The carriage pulled over, and Zhao Wenyuan got in. To his credit, he only stilled for a moment when he saw Hu Qing curled up under a seat instead of jolting backward or leaving the carriage altogether. Wenyuan closed the door, maintaining a calm demeanor for a short moment until the carriage pulled off.
“How’d it go, my lord?” Hu Qing asked cheerfully as he contorted himself to get out of his hiding spot. Wenyuan shuffled aside to avoid Hu Qing’s stretching limbs, shooting him an exasperated glare.
“I got startled half to death by some guy hiding under my seat,” Wenyuan shot back. But at Hu Qing’s open look of curiosity, he relented.
“It worked,” Wenyuan said. His face was grim, but there was a thin thread of relief in his expression.
“The Seventh Prince must’ve been quite startled to have someone pull off a stunt like this in his house,” Hu Qing remarked. He handed over a healing talisman for Wenyuan’s face, looking at the vaguely hand-shaped mark with curiosity.
“Yes, he was rather irked that I was trying to kill myself under his roof,” Wenyuan said with a calculative smirk that quickly faded away. “But in any case, it’s worked. He’s offered to help me take revenge on the Grand Duke and even told me that Qu Boyong offered him an alliance. He wants to bring Qu Boyong in as well and offered to mediate between us.”
The red mark faded from Wenyuan’s face, and Hu Qing took the discarded talisman.
“He wants to mediate between you two?” Hu Qing couldn’t help but snort at the thought. From what he’d seen, the Seventh Prince had the hottest temper out of the three.
“Why not? Let him feel that he’s in control. Let Qu Boyong feel that he’s in control. We’re the ones who’ll benefit in the end,” Wenyuan replied. He paused, some of his certainty fading away. “At least that’s what godfather seems to think, but who knows how things will go from here? Acting once is easy, but keeping up the act consistently and realistically is another story.”
“Just take the victories you can,” Hu Qing said sympathetically.
“In any case, I don’t have a better option,” Wenyuan lamented. “I want to go to the safe house before we head back, is it safe to go there right now?”
Does he want to offer incense for the plaque? Hu Qing couldn’t think of any other reason Wenyuan would be heading there.
“We’ll have to switch carriages, but it should be fine. It’ll just take a while.”
By the time they arrived at the safe house, it was close to midnight.
“The plaque is over here,” Hu Qing gestured towards the newly set-up altar in a corner of the safe house.
“Thank you,” Wenyuan said. He peered at the plaque and nodded with satisfaction before lighting a stick of incense.
Hu Qing watched as Wenyuan bowed to the plaque before placing the incense on the burner. He kept his head lowered, his palms pressed together as he stood before the plaque. Several moments later, Wenyuan let out a soft sigh and stepped back, leaving the altar behind.
“Shall I have someone buy fruits to make an offering tomorrow?” Hu Qing offered.
“That would be nice,” Wenyuan agreed.
Hu Qing glanced at the altar again, unable to hold back his curiosity.
“My lord, is that plaque for the man you told me about? The one who quarreled with his mother?” Hu Qing asked. He held his breath, watching Wenyuan’s reaction. As permissive and indulgent as Wenyuan usually was, Hu Qing could sense that this matter was completely different.
To his relief, Wenyuan didn’t show any anger.
“It is,” Wenyuan replied. “Thank you for setting up the plaque, it makes me feel much more at ease to be able to do this.”
“Not at all,” Hu Qing said.
The Zhao heir stepped away from the altar with his usual soft steps, leaving Hu Qing to linger there with a strange sharpness inside his chest.
Hu Qing took a step forward, peering at the plaque. The letters had been painstakingly carved, despite being in a strange script no one recognized. The wood was also of the highest quality. Zhao Wenyuan’s friend may have been unlucky in life, but was certainly not neglected in his death.
There was a bitter taste in Hu Qing’s mouth when he finally turned away.
“Hu Qing, starting tomorrow, I’ll be needing you to do something for me,” Wenyuan called from across the room. Hu Qing went over, looking at Wenyuan curiously.
“What is it?” Hu Qing asked.
Wenyuan pulled out a thick scroll from his robes, spreading it out across the table.
“This is a roster of all the members of the Zhao clan, along with all of the staff members. It doesn’t include the ones being paid off the book, like the ones who killed Lady Lin. I need you to fill in the blanks and keep an eye on all of these people. I need to know where they are, who they’re contacting, and what they’re doing at all times,” Wenyuan said with a serious look on his face. “Can it be done?”
Hu Qing nodded. “It’ll take some effort, but I can set it up.”
Wenyuan smiled in relief. “Good. I plan to overtake the Grand Duke and take the reins of the Zhao clan before I kill him. Before, we could only do it secretly via an assassination, but now things are different. I need to make a show out of the Grand Duke’s death. A private one, but one that’s enough of a spectacle to satisfy Xianchun and Qu Boyong.”
Hu Qing raised his eyebrows, taking in the implications of Wenyuan’s words.
“You can’t control everyone,” Hu Qing warned him.
“If I can’t control them, I’ll contain them. And if I can’t contain them…” Wenyuan let out a soft sigh. “Then I suppose that we’ll just have to kill them.”
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Xianchun ran his finger down the length of his sword, contemplatively frowning at the sharp edge of the blade. Thankfully, Wenyuan was not skilled in martial arts, or Xianchun wouldn't have managed to stop him in time. Next to him, Liu Boyue was practically trembling with frustration.
“Your Highness, why on earth did you tell him about Qu Boyong?” Liu Boyue asked, looking aghast. Xianchun glanced at him before turning away uncomfortably.
“We share the same goals, do we not? You were the one who told me that politics was about increasing the number of allies and decreasing the number of enemies,” Xianchun replied.
In truth, it had been an emotional decision that Xianchun had voiced before having a chance to think it over properly. But once he had said it, Wenyuan’s expression of relief made it impossible to take the words back. Xianchun had originally intended to ask Liu Boyue how to best handle the effects of his impulsive decision, but the strategist’s immediate pushback was giving him second thoughts.
What right does he have to question me after going behind my back so many times? Xianchun forcibly quashed that thought before it could go any further.
“My prince, bringing over Zhao Wenyuan in this manner was not what I had in mind when I said that,” Liu Boyue said, a note of exasperation leaking into his voice. “He is the head of the neutral faction, everything he has relies on his neutrality. Would he really be so quick to toss all that aside? Don’t you feel that his support has come too easily?”
Xianchun shook his head. “Your concerns are understandable but unnecessary. As shocking as his revelations were, it was not exactly unexpected. We’ve long known what kind of person the Grand Duke is, and yet few have believed me as to the extent of his crimes. Wenyuan’s discovery is exactly what we need to strike the death blow against the Grand Duke’s faction.”
“I don’t believe he’s telling the truth,” Liu Boyue said insistently. “The palace would not have stood by and done nothing–your father would not have left the Zhao clan alone if his precious younger sister had been killed. Zhao Wenyuan is not someone who can be trusted!”
Xianchun shook his head, a grave look of determination on his face.
“He wouldn’t lie about something like this.”
“My prince, you forget that he’s someone who would use himself as bait. What makes you think he wouldn’t use his parents to manipulate you?” Liu Boyue pointed out.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“You think he would risk his own life? And for what purpose? I’m already set on the Grand Duke’s destruction,” Xianchun asked in bafflement.
Liu Boyue took in a deep breath. “My prince, if he truly wanted to kill himself, would he wait until he’s under your roof to do so? Does this Zhao Wenyuan strike you as a man to act so emotionally? To cry and carry on like that?”
Xianchun’s face stilled at Liu Boyue’s words, his words taking on a distant tone. “It must seem that way to you, Boyue. You wouldn’t be able to understand.”
Liu Boyue jolted back, looking at Xianchun with confusion and disbelief. To his horror, Xianchun’s eyes were filled with sympathy.
“Losing a loved one is an incredibly painful process for everyone, but especially for those who lose their parents to the malice of another and are unable to prove it,” Xianchun said firmly. “And the viler the perpetrator, the more they tend to remain elusive, or just out of your grasp. It is truly enough to drive one to madness. I fully understand his feelings, but I don’t expect you to.”
Liu Boyue clenched his fists tighter, ignoring the sharp jabs of pain from where his fingernails crushed through the skin of his palm.
“Contact Qu Boyong for me and arrange a meeting time. Don’t tell him about Wenyuan,” Xianchun ordered.
Liu Boyue bowed his head, unclenching his jaw to reply.
“As you wish, my prince.”
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After giving the best performance of her non-existent acting career, Kayla had managed to enjoy a night of deep, dreamless sleep that left her feeling refreshed rather than like a wrung-out washing rag. Despite the dramatics in Xianchun’s household, the next day went without any stutter or upset, as though nothing had happened in the first place. Even Chen Caichun, who knew of Kayla’s plans, professionally kept her silence on the matter.
Kayla herself was doing her best to act as though nothing had happened, hiding her nervousness about her upcoming meeting with the Third Prince. Wei Guang’s ominous statement that they “needed to talk” wasn’t comforting either, and the fact that Hu Qing would probably be out of reach for the next few days further exacerbated her unease.
I’m essentially plotting a coup against the Grand Duke, but I can only toss everything to Hu Qing. I need to give that man a raise.
Thankfully, Kayla had Wenyuan’s inheritance from his parents, both of which were separate from the Zhao clan’s coffers and from Wenyuan’s personal salary. As generous as the pay of a third-rank official was, it took a lot of money to make things run, and even more money to make things run smoothly.
Paying people off the table was beginning to eat into Wenyuan’s savings. As the favored grandchild of the Empress Dowager and only nephew of the Emperor, Wenyuan had received plenty of gifts from the palace, but rarely were the gifts cash or brocade, and it was hardly appropriate, or even permissible, to sell the items he'd received. There was still more than enough money to keep Kayla from worrying, but seeing the numbers go down sparked a reflexive dread inside her, reminding her of how her bank account had slowly drained itself empty in the past.
When the workday finally drew to a close, Kayla prepared to head to the Third Prince’s household. On her way out, she exchanged a glance with Caichun, who gave a meaningful nod of encouragement.
With Hu Qing laying the groundwork and Tao Qian keeping an eye on Ji Yantao, Kayla had increased her usual number of guards to include a few of Hu Qing’s hires, including Zhao Chao and Li You.
“Then we’ll be heading off,” Zhao Chao politely informed her through the carriage window. Kayla nodded back, and the carriage pulled off.
Kayla settled back into her thoughts, running and re-running through what she would say to the Third Prince. She was halfway through her third mental rehearsal when the carriage screeched to a stop, shouts of alarm ringing out from around it.
Instinctively, she ducked to the floor of the carriage. The sound of blades clashing and clanging sounded out, followed by the solid thunk of an arrow lodging into the right side of the carriage. The second one hit the closed window, making Kayla curl herself closer to the floor.
“Stop that man!” Li You’s voice rang out. Kayla scrambled off the carriage floor and as far away from the door as she could manage to get, just in time to dive backward as it flew open. A sword blindly stabbed forward, missing Kayla by at least half a foot before the offending hand was lopped straight off, falling onto the edge of the carriage floor before dropping out of sight. The blade dropped to the ground with a clang.
Jesus fucking Christ! Kayla hastily reached out with her foot and pulled the sword closer with her heel, watching with wide eyes as Zhao Chao slammed the door shut again. Kayla pressed her back against the wall of the carriage, her heart thumping loudly in her chest.
A garbled screech rang out, much too close for comfort, and Kayla flinched as it came to a gurgling stop, the sound of metal screeching against the side of the carriage scraping across her eardrums. To her relief, that seemed to have been the last of it. As if to prove her wrong with one less surprise, the door was yanked open violently, nearly bouncing back to hit Zhao Chao.
“Apologies, Minister! The attack has been taken care of!” Zhao Chao declared, smudges of blood on his face and robes.
Are you trying to scare me to death?! Kayla kept her silent screeching silent.
“Excellent,” Kayla said in as calm a voice as she could manage. “You’ve done wonderfully.”
After taking a shaky breath, she collected herself and moved forward. Zhao Chao hastily picked up the sword and cleaned the blood on the carriage floor before Kayla’s robes could be dirtied, bowing while politely blocking Kayla inside the carriage.
“Please stay inside, Minister. The area hasn’t been secured yet,” Zhao Chao said.
“Are any of them still alive?” Kayla asked.
“Yes, my lord. Except for one of them, the rest are still alive,” Zhao Chao replied. A scream rang out from just out of sight, and he glanced over sharply at where Li You hastily began to sheath his sword with a sheepish expression. “Well…most of them.”
“Good, call over some men to clean up, and have Li You take the survivors to the Court of Judicial Review to file their arrests,” Kayla said. “Have the rest of the men clean up a bit, and we’ll continue on to the Third Prince’s household.”
Li You gave her a look of shock as he approached the carriage. “Minister, that’s much too dangerous! Not many people knew where you were heading tonight, and yet we were attacked…if you head over, wouldn’t you be walking into a trap?”
Kayla stilled for a moment.
“There’s no need to worry. It definitely has nothing to do with the Third Prince. Would he be so foolish as to kill an official of the court, especially when that official is heading towards his house?” Kayla said. “If any of those bastards try to implicate the Third Prince…” She hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“If they do so, then kill them for trying to escape,” she ordered.
Li You bowed his head. “Understood, my lord!”
Kayla nodded and sent him off. She could only hope that her actions were enough of an assurance to Kuang and Yunqi. The last thing she needed was for them to get cornered into seeing her as an enemy simply because the situation escalated out of everyone’s control.
“Is it safe to move?” Kayla asked Zhao Chao. The guards and escorts glanced at each other in surprise for a moment. Seeing that she was serious about continuing on, the escorts scrabbled into action. After a while longer, the backup arrived, and the carriage was once more rolling towards the Third Prince’s household.
Kayla didn’t have enough time to completely soothe her nerves before arriving, upon which she was ushered into the Third Prince’s study without a moment to catch her breath.
“Wenyuan humbly greets the Third Prince,” Kayla bowed deeply. There were no servants in the room, and Yunqi wasn’t there either, leaving only Kayla and Kuang.
“No need for formalities between cousins,” Kuang greeted her warmly. “Come and sit down, you shouldn’t wear yourself out so soon after an illness.”
“Thank you for your concern, Third Cousin,” Kayla replied.
Kuang pushed a cup of tea toward her. “Here, try this. It’s medicinal tea my wife made. If it’s to your liking, I’ll have her pack some for you to take home. They say that the onset of an illness is like a mountain falling, but recovering from an illness is like pulling out threads one by one. You ought to take better care of yourself.”
“I’m truly grateful!” Kayla bowed her head slightly before downing the tea. It was pleasantly fresh and didn’t have the cloying bitterness of most medicinal concoctions.
“I received your message about the Grand Duke,” Kuang said, sitting down next to her. “It must’ve been difficult for you to deal with, how is the situation now?”
“I was rather shocked that he would go so far as to threaten me so openly, and even reveal his plans to blackmail members of the court, but things are under control now,” Kayla replied. “I acted a bit too rashly by trying to burn his study and ended up beating the bushes and startling the snake. In the end, I grew fearful and hid away like a frightened child, I truly am ashamed.”
“Familial confrontations are always ugly and difficult to navigate,” Kuang comforted her. “It’s good that things have settled down a bit, hopefully, that’ll give you some breathing room.”
“I sincerely hope so,” Kayla said. “Thanks to Your Highness' understanding, I was able to find some modicum of relief within this turmoil. But I don't have much grasp for the future."
"Nonsense, you must have some faith in yourself," Kuang replied. "If you need anything from us, you only need ask."
Kayla shuffled forward in her seat, looking at him earnestly. "In truth, I came to you today to ask for help.”
“Go ahead and voice your request. If it’s within my power, I will gladly help you,” Kuang replied.
Showtime.
Kayla got up and dropped to her knees without warning. Kuang jolted with surprise, but hastily regained his composure, stepping over to pull her up.
“What are you doing, cousin? There’s no need to act like this between family,” Kuang said patiently. “Did I not say that I would gladly help where I can? Or do my words fail to assure you?”
Kayla stubbornly remained on the ground.
“My prince, I came here today to notify you of three things,” Kayla said determinedly. Sensing that the situation held more weight than he’d expected, Kuang nodded and released his grip on her arm. He stepped back and squatted down to meet her at eye level, a curious look on his face.
“And what would those be?” Kuang asked.
Kayla bowed her head deeply before straightening and meeting his eyes.
“The first is that the Grand Duke killed my parents. I only learned of this recently, and do not intend to publicize it yet. However, I do intend to take revenge.”
Kuang’s eyes flashed with a sharp glint, the smile fading away. She could see the questions burning through his mind, but he only nodded slowly, gesturing for her to go on. She took a deep breath.
“The second is that the Grand Duke is expected to kill himself shortly,” Kayla said boldly.
Kuang’s expression flickered with a hint of surprise, but he still said nothing, only nodding quietly.
“The third is that I have sent Feng Yi, a man who previously spied on me for Seventh Cousin’s household, to sell communication devices to the populace in the provinces,” Kayla said. "He will be doing so at an affordable price, and on a large scale."
Kuang took a deep breath before letting it out in a long sigh. For a man of his ability, the implications and consequences were instantly clear to him.
“You really are full of surprises, cousin,” he said. “You met with Grandmother and Father the day before last, and with Xianchun yesterday. How much of this do they know, or can you not say?”
“Grandmother and Uncle do not know any of this, and Xianchun only knows of the first two,” Kayla replied without hesitation. Kuang raised his eyebrows in surprise, contemplating the information for a moment before he chuckled, shaking his head.
“Wenyuan, you’ve grown quite ambitious, haven’t you?” Kuang asked in amusement.
Kayla sensed the prodding for what it was and bowed her head.
“My prince, I would say that I am merely developing a sense of duty as both a son and as an official. I do not care for the whims and wishes of the court and nobility. I only know that this country needs change, and a successor to the throne who can implement it. That is what the neutral faction wishes for, and what the people of this country wish for. That is all there is to it.”
Kuang stared at her in surprise before tilting his head back and laughing. Kayla remained still, kneeling respectfully as though what she had told him wasn’t borderline treasonous.
After a moment, in which Kuang’s laughter reverberated around the room, the prince collected himself and stood up, reaching out to Kayla with an outstretched hand.
“Your words are more pleasing than any auspicious news, Wenyuan. Be assured that I will support whatever case you raise in the provinces. I will also attend the Grand Duke’s funeral regardless of the circumstances,” he said meaningfully.
Kayla felt a rush of relief as she processed his words.
“Thank you, my prince.” She reached up and took his hand. Kuang pulled Kayla to her feet and patted her on the shoulder with a pleased smile.
“I look forward to your next steps, Wenyuan.”
Kayla bowed her head slightly. “Then, my prince, I will be sure not to disappoint you.”
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Cultural Notes
上供/Making offerings: It's customary to make offerings to the deceased/ancestors/deities/Buddhas you're praying to in China, even today. Usually, this may include incense, rice, various vegetable and meat dishes (vegetarian only for Buddhist altars), fruits, flowers, and pastries (especially in regions where there is less rice and more wheat available). The offerings you make to the dead cannot be eaten if it's being offered on a grave, but depending on the region, can be eaten after the offering has been left there for an ample amount of time if it's on an altar.
性情中人/Man of emotion: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to someone who acts emotionally, it can be taken positively to mean that this is a straightforward person who is honest and does not hide any of his thoughts, or negatively to suggest someone is too impulsive.
死于非命/Died outside of one's fate: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to die of unnatural causes/to die before one's time.
御赐/Imperial Bequeathal: This refers to gifts, money, titles, praise, or even marriages bestowed upon you by the Emperor/members of the Imperial family.
病来如山倒病去如抽丝/Disease arrives like a mountain avalanche but leaves like pulling out threads: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning that the onset of illness tends to be a sudden blow to one's health, but recovering is a slow and painstaking process.
Traditional Chinese Medicine: Consists of various forms of external treatments (including acupuncture and massage, and even surgery), and internal treatments (various herbal concoctions). It differs greatly from Western medicine in that it tends to provide holistic treatments rather than targeted ones, and also emphasizes internal balance within the body. So long as the doctor is properly trained, it tends to be rather safe and effective.
打草惊蛇/Beat the grass and startle the snakes: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to preemptively tip off your enemy before you can enact your plan.
语出惊人/[Speaking] Words that startle [you]: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to say something surprising, either because you don't expect to hear something like that from the person who said it, or the content itself is shocking.