Character Index
Zhou Xianchun: The Seventh Prince, seeking revenge for the murder of his mother.
Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Kayla's retainer and right-hand man.
Housekeeper Wang: Loyal servant of the Grand Duke.
Li You: One of Kayla's employees, often works as her bodyguard.
Qu Boyong/Xiang Daozong: Son of General Xiang and the Princess of Chu, maternal cousin of Xianchun and Wenyuan. Seeking revenge against the Grand Duke.
Tao Qian: Kayla's employee and bodyguard, recommended by Hu Qing.
Sun Zhong'e: A woman who uses unorthodox healing methods, Kayla's employee.
Zhao Yihui: One of Wenyuan's uncles, a low-ranking official who reluctantly switched allegiances to side with Wenyuan against the Grand Duke at Zhao Wei's behest. Officially promised Kayla his support (see Chapter 88).
Zhao Wei: One of Wenyuan's uncles and the former Minister of War, he was removed from his position on charges of corruption uncovered in an investigation in Dengzhou, where many Archdukes reside. Though Kayla was the cause of his downfall, he realized that there was no future for the Zhao clan under the leadership of the Grand Duke.
Zhao Ke: One of Wenyuan's uncles, a low-ranking official who followed Zhao Wei's lead to change allegiances to side with Kayla (back in Chapter 88).
Zhao Yuanji: One of Wenyuan's uncles, a mid-ranking official who followed Zhao Wei's lead to change allegiances to side with Kayla (same as above).
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Kayla walked through the Zhao household, flanked by her guards. Xianchun’s men had arrived and were primarily taking up guard positions, while Hu Qing and the others were focusing on the takeover. The household was unusually quiet despite the coup going on, and Kayla could clearly hear the sound of their footsteps on the paved ground.
She should have felt exhilaration or apprehension, or perhaps both, but it was instead a sense of nostalgia that overwhelmed her.
These must be from Wenyuan’s memories, Kayla distantly thought to herself.
The Zhao household had been a site of suffering, but it hadn’t only been that. It had also been the only place Wenyuan could call home and the place where his loved ones were. Now, not a single person was left, not even Wenyuan.
The places remain but the people are gone. What a pity that Wenyuan couldn’t see this. Though perhaps that was for the best, the gentle-hearted Wenyuan probably would never be able to stomach it. All things considered, the coup was going really well. Almost too well, to the point where Kayla couldn't help but wonder when things would start falling apart. But Hu Qing had been the one to set everything up. That alone was enough to quiet some of her more paranoid concerns.
“My lord!” Hu Qing practically skipped over, looking very pleased for someone with blood on his clothes.
“Well, you certainly look like you’re having fun,” Kayla said, not surprised in the slightest.
“Perk of the job,” Hu Qing replied. “We’ve found the housekeeper, but what do you want to do with him?”
“The housekeeper?” Kayla repeated. “Let me take a look.”
Hu Qing led her to a storage closet. At Kayla’s questioning look, he shrugged.
“He ran into there himself, so we decided to just lock him in there,” Hu Qing said. Though he left it unsaid, Kayla could sense that the last part of the sentence was because it was funny.
The man standing before the door evidently thought so as well. Kayla shook her head slightly in exasperation and gestured for him to open the door. The employee bowed and opened the door, stepping aside to let Kayla and Hu Qing through.
“Housekeeper Wang,” Hu Qing greeted him. The room was dark, and Housekeeper Wang had yet to catch sight of Kayla standing behind Hu Qing.
“You bastards! Do you really think you can get away with this?!” Housekeeper Wang screeched. His eyes narrowed as he saw Hu Qing. “You, you’re the young lord’s retainer! Are you here to take revenge for your master? I’m telling you, it’s useless!”
“No, I’m not here for revenge or anything,” Hu Qing said, a wide grin on his face. He stepped aside so Housekeeper Wang could see Kayla. “That’s up to the young lord.”
Kayla stared down at him impassively.
“What?! The young lord?! B-but you were poisoned!” Housekeeper Wang stammered.
“Oh? Is that what they’re saying?” Kayla asked.
“You shouldn’t even be able to move right now!”
Yeah, you shouldn’t have used the same trick twice. I had immunity to that poison, you fucking idiot. Kayla kept her retorts to herself.
“Well, here I am,” Kayla said.
“So all of it was an act?! You even fooled the palace!”
“What of it?”
Housekeeper Wang paled even further and made to run. Hu Qing shoved him back easily, with the curious playfulness of a child poking at a beetle.
I’m glad someone’s enjoying this, Kayla thought dryly. She certainly wasn't.
“Young lord, how can you do this?!” Housekeeper Wang cried in outrage. “Who do you think has kept you alive this long?! You wouldn’t have lasted a day in court if not for the Grand Duke! Don’t do this, you can still–”
We’ve gotten to this point and he’s still sticking to that ridiculous argument? I’m almost impressed.
Kayla nodded at Hu Qing. She watched impassively as Hu Qing struck Housekeeper Wang’s pressure point, paralyzing the man. Housekeeper Wang made a small choking sound, frozen halfway through his sentence. His eyes darted about in increasing horror as Hu Qing hoisted him up and onto the noose one of the men had set up while they were talking. Kayla averted her eyes.
Housekeeper Wang had been a source of suffering for Wenyuan, but Wenyuan hadn’t wanted revenge, and Kayla didn’t need it. Even if his death was well-deserved, it didn’t interest her. She turned away and silently walked down the corridor.
“Minister, the Seventh Prince has arrived,” Li You said as he jogged over.
“Have you shown him in?”
“Yes, Minister. This way,” Li You said. Kayla followed him over, bowing her head slightly as she approached Xianchun.
“My prince, it’s good to see you here,” Kayla said.
“Oh, here you are,” Xianchun greeted her. “Are you alright? I heard you were poisoned.”
“I'm fine, my prince. Thank you for your concern.”
“That’s good to hear.” Xianchun’s tone was strikingly casual, but Kayla knew better than to assume everything was going smoothly. Xianchun’s eruptions were much more dangerous when they came out of nowhere rather than when he built up to them.
“Your men said they’ve secured the Grand Duke already. They certainly move quickly.”
“Indeed. Shall we head over then, my prince?” Kayla asked.
“Let’s wait for Daozong–oh, here he comes,” Xianchun said.
Qu Boyong approached them, glancing around with some unease.
“Xiang Daozong humbly greets His Highness,” Qu Boyong bowed towards Xianchun and then nodded at Kayla reluctantly. “Minister.”
“Daozong, you’re finally here,” Xianchun greeted him, “We were just wondering when you’d arrive.”
“It’s good to have you here,” Kayla added diplomatically. Qu Boyong nodded tersely.
“Minister, if I may ask, since when did you have so many employees?” Qu Boyong asked.
“Over half of them are the prince’s men,” Kayla explained. “Many of mine are temporary hires brought on by Hu Qing, but they’re professionals who are bound by confidentiality contracts. There’s nothing to worry about in terms of security, Hu Qing and Tao Qian have vetted all of them.”
A good number of the employees actually weren’t present at the moment, having gone off to herd over the members of the Zhao clan who had sworn allegiance to Kayla. After all, the Grand Duke’s humiliation required an audience and needed one that had to stay silent. She had left the communication to Sun Zhong’e after giving the woman a few basic messages to work off of.
“There’s no need to worry, Wenyuan’s more than capable enough of making the appropriate arrangements,” Xianchun said, his patience visibly eroding by the minute. “Are we ready to go now?”
“Yes, my prince,” Kayla bowed her head slightly. “This way, please.”
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Zhao Yihui had been woken up in the middle of the night by the communication talisman from Wenyuan. Blinking blearily, he picked it up to squint at the message.
“Come to the Zhao household right now.” The message cleared all drowsiness from his mind. Zhao Yihui balked at the order. He half-considered pretending not to have seen it. It was late enough at night to get away with it. The second message immediately put an end to that thought.
“Don’t put the communication talisman back into your desk. Get dressed and come over here.”
Zhao Yihui broke out into a cold sweat, glancing around at his closed curtains and the empty room. He was definitely alone.
Surveillance magic?! But when?!
Hands shaking, he hastily sent back a reply.
“I’m afraid it’s very inconvenient to make the trip this late at night, I’ll pay my respects tomorrow morning.”
The third message arrived within seconds.
“Who was it that said he would follow my arrangements again? Those who understand the times become heroes, those who do not are like fish under the filleting knife. Please think thrice before you choose. The carriage is waiting outside your side gate.”
Zhao Yihui sank into a squat, burying his face into his forearms with a groan.
Damn it! Damn you, you little shit!
If the surveillance magic could tell exactly what he was doing, it had to be a high-level spell.
Such a thing can’t be put up so quickly…just how long has that been there?! Zhao Yihui doubted that Zhao Wenyuan would come here to drag him out if he refused, but there would be consequences. Zhao Wenyuan was personally raised by the Grand Duke–the last thing Zhao Yihui wanted was to find out for himself just how much the pupil took after the master.
If Zhao Wei’s right, then it’s not just a matter of being on par with the Grand Duke, but rather that green comes from blue but surpasses blue. But what if Zhao Wei was wrong and Wenyuan can’t win over the Grand Duke? He couldn’t take the chance of complying, nor could he take the chance of failing to do so.
He wavered a while longer before gritting his teeth and going through with it. No matter what, it was Zhao Wenyuan who currently held the upper hand and it was Zhao Wenyuan who was watching his every move–he didn’t have any other choice.
Zhao Yihui threw on his robes and headed out, avoiding the night-shift servants as he did so. He finally poked his head outside the side gate, looking about nervously. A small, unremarkable carriage without any decorations of note stood a few feet away. He hesitated for a moment longer before approaching the carriage and getting on. The horseman had his face completely covered in black cloth, only adding to the ominous atmosphere.
Zhao Yihui gnawed at the inside of his cheek, fuming silently as the small, nondescript carriage headed towards the Zhao household. It was the last place he wanted to be right now. Even at the best of times, Zhao Yihui avoided going to the main household when it was unnecessary, knowing all too well the sting of the Grand Duke’s unpredictable temper. And now, the household had become the most dangerous arena in the capital city thanks to his nephew.
Wenyuan must be insane–no, not just him, why the hell did Zhao Wei insist that we go along with that brat?! Damn it! Look at the mess he's gotten us into! Zhao Wei, the lucky bastard, was too far from the capital to be involved.
The carriage stopped and the door opened. Zhao Yihui got off, shooting the horseman a hostile look. They were at the side gates of the Zhao household. Rather than the usual guards, unfamiliar men in all black were manning the gates. Zhao Yihui’s feelings of apprehension grew, and he reeled back, considering the idea of turning on his heel and leaving.
“Sir, please come this way,” one of the men said politely, an unsheathed sword in hand. Zhao Yihui thought better of his idea and followed the man inside.
“Where are we going? Where is the young lord?” Zhao Yihui demanded.
“This way please,” the man said, avoiding a clear response. Zhao Yihui scowled and followed the man into the main courtyard of the Inner Quarters. Everywhere around him, there were no servants to be seen, and it was ridiculously quiet even though there were unfamiliar men milling about. There were none of the blood-splattered walls and blazing torches he had expected. In fact, it was all so orderly that it made him increasingly unsettled as they walked further in. By now, he could almost be certain that Zhao Wenyuan had seized control.
Then what does he need me for?
Zhao Yihui’s footsteps faltered as they entered the main hall, which had been redecorated for a funeral. An empty casket lay open, and an altar had been prepared with wreaths of white flowers and dark incense burners before it.
“Whose funeral is it?” Zhao Yihui asked in alarm, already knowing there could only be one answer.
He died?! How? When? Was it Zhao Wenyuan? Or–
“You’re the first person here, sir. The young lord is this way,” the man said, interrupting Zhao Yihui’s thoughts. He lead Zhao Yihui to the door that led to the Grand Duke’s quarters and bowed, stepping away. Gulping nervously, Zhao Yihui knocked on the door.
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“As you can see, my prince, he’s currently confined to this room,” Kayla said, showing Xianchun and Qu Boyong the image from the projection magic device. It was a side room of the Grand Duke’s quarters and currently had both its door to the corridor and its door to the main hall sealed off. Within the small, dark room, the Grand Duke’s increasingly frantic expression looked almost pitiful. The old man had been in bed when everything had happened and was still in his thin sleeping robes when he had been dumped into his chair and locked into the side room.
“He’s really in a wheelchair,” Xianchun said, his voice dangerously low.
“Yes,” Kayla agreed. She glanced at Xianchun subtly, trying to see how close he was to eruption.
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“With your permission, I would like to face him first,” Kayla said. “I’ll have him understand the situation clearly before Your Highness meets with him.”
The projection device she had chosen to use only showed sight but not sound. The last thing she needed was for Qu Boyong to secretly record a sensitive conversation and use it against her later. Xianchun accepted without further question.
“Go ahead.”
“Thank you, my prince. My uncles should soon be arriving as well, we’ll quash out any remaining hopes the Grand Duke is clinging to.”
Kayla entered the room, greeting the Grand Duke with a cold smile.
“Grandfather,” she called. The Grand Duke jolted slightly, turning towards her in disbelief.
“Wenyuan! You bastard, just what the hell are you doing?!” The Grand Duke demanded.
“I came here for your funeral, grandfather. A sad event indeed. Your coffin’s quite nice though, I bought one of the more expensive options available. Aren’t I a filial grandson?”
The Grand Duke would have leaped up and throttled her if he could. His glare alone was almost enough to bore a hole through her head. Before he could say anything in response, there was a knock on the door that connected to the main hall.
That must be one of the uncles, Kayla thought.
“Excuse me, it’s Yihui.”
“Please come in, Uncle,” Kayla called. Zhao Yihui came in, paling as he saw Kayla and the Grand Duke.
“Yihui, you bastard! You’re in cahoots with him? Have you forgotten all that I’ve done for you?!” The Grand Duke shouted.
“Uncle, it is my deepest sorrow to announce that grandfather has passed away during the night,” Kayla said, speaking over the Grand Duke. “As my elder, I hope you will assist me with the funeral rituals.”
Zhao Yihui paled even further. “No, I don’t have the ability to do so,” he hastily replied.
“There’s no need to worry, uncle. I wouldn’t make you do all the work alone. My other uncles are coming too,” Kayla said. “Uncle Ke, Uncle Yuanji, and all the others too.”
“All the others? Who are you talking about?! Those ungrateful bastards–I was the one who fed and clothed you! Do you think you could've become an official without my help?!” The Grand Duke shouted, his face reddening in fury.
“Ah, you're curious about who the others are? Why, grandfather, you have a list, don’t you? You even threw it at my head before,” Kayla replied. The Grand Duke paled just as quickly as he had reddened, realizing that he had failed to seize control of the Zhao clan back from Kayla.
“You bastard! I should’ve strangled you as a babe!” The Grand Duke shouted.
Kayla ignored him. “Uncle, we’ve already prepared the mourning clothes for you. If you would kindly get changed, I believe it is time to begin the mourning rites.”
“Young lord, this is going too far, I couldn’t possibly–” Zhao Yihui said in a small voice.
“Didn’t you say you were willing to put your life on the line, uncle?” Kayla asked coldly. “When Uncle Wei promised me that, the rest of you did as well. I didn't take you for a man who would go against his word. I’ve already done all the work, but you want to back out now?”
“Promised? As expected, you’re a bunch of white-eyed wolves! How dare you bite the hand that feeds you?!” The Grand Duke roared.
Zhao Yihui winced slightly.
“I’ll take all responsibility, so just do your part,” Kayla said. “You all want to live, don’t you? Do you think the Grand Duke will still take you back?”
Zhao Yihui hesitated a moment longer, but Kayla could see that his resistance had faded away. It wasn’t as though he actually had a choice.
“Don’t you dare!” The Grand Duke shouted.
“Uncle, please go and help with setting up the altar,” Kayla said pleasantly, speaking over the Grand Duke. Zhao Yihui hesitated, glancing uncertainly between Kayla and the Grand Duke. She smiled serenely, the sight of it sending chills down Zhao Yihui’s spine. He gulped, bowing his head before he left the room with quick steps, ignoring the Grand Duke’s shouts for him to come back. The door closed, leaving the two alone. But rather than Kayla being left alone with the Grand Duke, it was now the other way around.
“Bastard! I see what you’re trying to do now–you think you’ll get away with murdering me?!”
“I will do no such thing, grandfather. You’ll kill yourself,” Kayla replied confidently.
“Ha! You must have hit your head too hard to think of such fantasies! You’re no Emperor Wen of Han, and I’m certainly no Bo Zhao! You’d better think again if you think I’ll play along with your childish games!” The Grand Duke snarled.
“Of course, grandfather, you’re right.” She leaned closer, her smile widening. “But why do you think Duke Bao killed himself? Was it because he couldn’t bear the humiliation? No, it was because he had no other choice. A dead man does not need to eat or drink, nor does he need to be cleaned, or treated for disease and injury, or served in any kind of way. After all, ghosts have no such needs, do they?”
“You–!” The Grand Duke’s snarl was cut off as Kayla clamped a hand down on his bad shoulder, squeezing with force. She felt a small surge of satisfaction as the Grand Duke grunted in pain.
“Grandfather, you best think about what you should do right now–without food and water, you’ll only last three days, perhaps less with your current state of health. All the rooms will have been sealed off to you except for the funeral hall. Without help, you can only seep in your own filth, growing wretched and weak before your kinsmen and servants until you finally die the miserable death that you deserve. Any last bit of dignity and reputation will be stripped away from you until all anyone remembers of you is the pathetic image of your dying visage. But I’m not so cruel as that, am I? I’ve left you an option, a way out. It’s all in your hands, grandfather. No matter how much you suffer, it’ll be the consequence of your own decision,” Kayla said.
“Three days? What on earth makes you think you’ll have that long?! Forget three days, the palace will have noticed by morning! Dogs that run off their leash are exactly what the palace hates most, do you think they’ll overlook this and forgive you?” The Grand Duke asked mockingly.
“They still need me,” Kayla replied.
“And for how much longer will that last once I’m gone?” The Grand Duke taunted her. “You’re digging your own grave, you fool!”
“It’s not as though I haven’t considered that. If there isn’t a reason for them to need one, isn’t it fine if I just create one on my own? I’ve already sowed the seeds of chaos in the provinces. They’ll still need me for quite a while yet,” Kayla said. “And I’m confident that I can outlive the ones who want me gone the most, for that matter.”
The Grand Duke scoffed, shaking his head. “You’re still much too soft-skinned to go against the palace, you yellow-haired brat. What makes you think you can trust Wei Guang?”
“Stirring up conflict between us won’t help you now, grandfather. I know your methods of manipulations all too well by now,” Kayla said patiently, as though she was speaking to a child. “But you’d best extinguish whatever foolish hopes you’re clinging to, the palace won’t interfere even if they realize what’s happening, not when they see I’ve already made a move, and certainly not when your little stunt in the Empress Dowager’s palace has given them an excuse to overlook this. This is the result they’ve wanted all along, I’m just pushing the boat along the current, why on earth would they step in?”
“Ha! You really are much too young,” the Grand Duke laughed triumphantly. “If they don’t step in, then that means they’re already set on getting rid of you, don’t you understand that?! No one can prove that I was behind the poisoning, do you really think they won’t pull this out for reinvestigation the second they need to get rid of you? All those years of studying and yet you can’t tell that they’re already preparing to crush you! Tell me this, throughout all of history, which official favored by the Emperor to this extent has met a good end?”
Kayla didn’t respond to his question. Even with several more dynasties’ worth of history to go, very few officials who received the Emperor’s favor and indulgence were able to die of natural causes.
“That’s for me to worry about,” Kayla said with finality. “You should be getting on your way.”
The Grand Duke’s glare took on a mocking glint. The door swung open forcefully and Xianchun stepped into the doorway. Impatience was written all over his face, and his dissatisfaction only grew when he saw the Grand Duke still squabbling with Kayla.
“What’s taking so long?” Xianchun demanded. Kayla took a step to the side to avoid blocking Xianchun’s view of the Grand Duke, who was now looking at her with a mix of astonishment.
“No wonder you were so confident, you’ve roped a prince into this boiling pot!” The Grand Duke exclaimed, giving a startled laugh as he glanced between Kayla and Xianchun. “Who would’ve thought that you would take after me to this extent?”
“Silence! You impertinent bastard, it’s your own actions that have brought you to your current state! Do you not remember what you did to my mother?!” Xianchun demanded.
The Grand Duke glanced at Kayla in disbelief. Before he could react, Xianchun hit him in the face with an open-handed slap, following it up with a backhand. Kayla hastily took a step back to let him have at the Grand Duke.
“You’ve got some guts, haven’t you? Well?” Xianchun snarled, slapping the Grand Duke repeatedly on the same side of the face as he asked each question. “Don't you hear me? Why don’t you say something, you old bastard?!”
The damage it inflicted was relatively minimal, but the humiliation was several times more than being struck with a fist. The Grand Duke’s hair had come undone, and he was shocked into silence at the sudden onslaught. It had been decades since he’d last been on the receiving end of such treatment. Xianchun paused as someone knocked on the door.
“My prince,” Qu Boyong poked his head in. “May this Daozong enter?”
“Come in, cousin,” Xianchun ordered. The Grand Duke’s eyes widened and then narrowed as he put together the pieces.
“So this is what you’ve been working on,” the Grand Duke said flatly, not looking at Kayla. His voice was significantly hoarser.
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid?” Kayla taunted him.
He scoffed, shaking his head. “What a filial grandson I’ve raised,” he spat out the words resentfully.
“If the heavens bring misfortune, you can still find a way to live on. If you make your own misfortune, there will be no way to survive,” Kayla shot back.
“Doing such a thing, you’ll be punished by the heavens,” the Grand Duke replied.
“Who are you to say such things?! You thief of the nation! Do you still remember my father?” Qu Boyong strode forward, eyes flashing with rage.
“General Xiang’s son, was it?” The Grand Duke said with a low chuckle. “Who would’ve thought you were right under my nose this whole time? But I suppose one rat‘s scent is covered by another.”
Kayla ignored the jab. Qu Boyong, unlike Xianchun, seemed to prioritize damage over humiliation. If she let him have the Grand Duke, it was likely to end up as a bloody mess.
“My prince, cousin, I believe the Grand Duke understands his predicament, but he doesn’t seem very convinced yet. If it would please you, shall we head to the funeral hall so he can clear up his doubts?”
“Wenyuan, just what the hell do you think you’re doing?!” The Grand Duke demanded. There was a small note of panic in his voice that wasn’t there before.
Xianchun and Qu Boyong were both glaring at the Grand Duke as though they wanted to flay him to the bone.
“A man of great pride wouldn’t break under torments of the flesh, especially when his body has already deteriorated to the extent that simple blows are enough to send him to the next life before he’s paid his dues,” Kayla said mildly. “On the other hand, tearing down the purpose of his very existence and making him watch is perfect, isn’t it?”
“The vault,” Xianchun said between gritted teeth.
“Ah yes, the one under his study,” Kayla replied. The Grand Duke stiffened in his chair. “Would you like to access that now or later? I’ll nullify the wards for you.”
“Damn you! You think you’ll emerge unscathed if you go this far?! You’ll destroy yourself and the Zhao clan!” The Grand Duke hissed.
“I’ll destroy what needs to be destroyed for the sake of the dynasty,” Kayla shot back. “I’m no coward.”
“No, you’re a fool!”
“Enough from you, old man!” Qu Boyong snarled. “I should cut you open right here and now, I didn’t wait ten years for this day to hear you blather on!”
“It seems he won’t shed tears until he’s seen the coffin. If that’s the case, go ahead and show it to him,” Xianchun ordered.
“Understood, my prince. Please use the disguisement spells before we enter the hall,” Kayla replied. The two men complied.
This is going better than I expected, Xianchun and Qu Boyong are being quite cooperative, and the Grand Duke’s already cornered to this extent…it should be able to wrap up smoothly.
“This way please,” Kayla said.
“Wenyuan!” The Grand Duke grabbed onto Kayla’s sleeve with his good hands, eyes wild as he searched her face for relentment. He found none.
Murder doesn’t sit well with me either, old man. It was your own actions that forced my hand. Don't make things harder now.
“What’s the matter, grandfather? Your funeral’s already started, why are you still sitting around like this?” Kayla asked.
The Grand Duke’s expression distorted with rage, shock, and then a cold realization.
“You little bastard…” To her relief, he didn't beg, but rather faced her with the same hatred and rage as he always had.
Kayla smiled at him pleasantly, grabbing the handles of his wheelchair. “Come on now, grandfather. You should get going.”
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Cultural Notes
物是人非/Objects remain but people do not: An Ancient Chinese proverb lamenting the fleeting nature of human life, often in remembrance of what used to be, especially when revisiting a place after circumstances have changed. Often used when returning to a place where you used to live, but the people who lived there with you are no longer there (either because of changing life situations or because they've passed away).
识时务者为俊杰，不识时务者任人鱼肉/Those who understand the times can become heroes, those who do not are like a fish under the filleting knife: The first part of the sentence is one of the most famous quotes from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in which the main character Liu Bei gives his inspirational recruiting speech to his sworn-brothers-to-be. The second part is derived from the Ancient Chinese proverb "人为刀俎我为鱼肉/They are the filleting knife, I am the fish", which is used to describe a position of helplessness and vulnerability.
三思而后行/Think thrice before you act: An Ancient Chinese proverb that stems from a conversation between Confucius and his student, it means to think carefully before you act. However, this is often taken out of context. The original quote is "Ji Wenzi (a student of Confucius) always thinks thrice before he acts. Confucius said to him, '[Thinking] twice is enough.'" Scholars have repeatedly debated whether Confucius meant the response as a general teaching or simply as a pointer for this specific student who is already overly cautious and thoughtful. As such, think thrice before you act is often used as a standalone proverb instead of "Think twice before you act", which doesn't actually have a proverb for it. It's common to see officials plead for the Emperor to "三思/Think thrice" as a replacement for the full proverb.
青出于蓝而胜于蓝/Green emerges from blue but surpasses blue: Another Ancient Chinese proverb from the pre-Qin era. It comes from the pre-Qin classic "Recommending Learning", by Xun Zi, one of the many pre-Qin thinkers. It often is used to refer to surpassing your predecessors or surpassing your surroundings/background via talent or effort.
言而无信/Speak but have no faith: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to speak without following through, to go back on your words, to be an unreliable person.
白眼狼/White-eyed wolf: A Chinese term for someone who is ungrateful/backstabs their benefactor. Another example of "Ancient people thought it was common sense so didn't write down an explanation and now we don't know the exact reason why it's this specific phrasing", we don't know exactly why it's a white-eyed wolf specifically.
薄昭/Bo Zhao: Maternal uncle of Emperor Wen of Han, who was a benevolent ruler who had some serious political skill. Even though he was ruthless in crushing his opponents, he often did so with methods that didn't land him with the blame, and since it benefitted the dynasty as a whole, he was praised for it. Bo Zhao began to interfere with politics and became a threat to the Emperor's authority, so Emperor Wen forced him to commit suicide by first sending officials to convince him. When that failed, Emperor Wen sent the court to cry and wail (traditional mourning rites) in mourning clothes at Bo Zhao's house as though he were dead. Bo Zhao was then forced to kill himself in humiliation. Kayla's just speculating when she says Bo Zhao was denied food and water, there are no historical records of this, but Kayla's making use of that to threaten the Grand Duke. Again, Kayla's description is not historically accurate, saying this again for emphasis so my roommate doesn't get mad at me for embellishing history.
不堪其辱/Not withstanding the humiliation: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to someone who committed suicide to avoid humiliation/after being humiliated. It's been a while since I've brought this up, but the educated class placed a lot of emphasis on their reputation and pride, including how they would be recorded in history, so there's also that to take into account.
太嫩了/Too tender: A colloquial Chinese phrase used to refer to a brat who's much too green to go head-on with the old-timers.
黄毛小儿/Yellow-haired youngster: An Ancient Chinese proverb used to refer to a youngster (in relative terms, given how early people married, someone in their late thirties could say this to someone in their twenties on account of being in their parent's generation). It derived from the term "黄口小儿/Yellow-mouthed youngster", which compares a youngster to a baby bird with yellow beaks (not sure exactly what species is being referred to here). It later evolved into the term yellow-haired, likely due to the trend of infants and toddlers having paler hair due to nutritional or mineral deficiencies.
离间计/Divide and conquer gambit: Refers to a specific category of strategies used in Ancient China to drive wedges between your enemies' faction to make them easier to take on. What Kayla did to Xianchun and Liu Boyue counts among this category.
顺水推舟/Push a boat along the water: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to go with the flow, often used in reference to doing someone a favor along the way.
宠臣多死于非命/Favored officials tend to die of unnatural causes: Favored officials, more directly translated as "spoiled officials", refers to someone who the Emperor dotes on and indulges beyond the treatment given to normal officials. These tend to fall into two main categories (with exceptions and less notable subdivisions): 1. Genuinely favored by the Emperor for various reasons, they tend to incur the jealousy of their fellow officials and are targeted in various schemes, eventually either leading to their downfall during the Emperor's reign or their downfall once the next Emperor comes into power. If they're lucky enough to not outlive their Emperor and to receive protection for the duration of their life, their family can generally avoid downfall. However, that takes a lot of luck and skill, unless you have some serious backing/bloodlines to shield you. 2. Favored by the Emperor as a means to the end, the Emperor recklessly indulges them and allows them to get away with anything because they're currently useful. However, the Emperor will generally get rid of them sooner or later, either because they've outlived their purpose, or because they've grown arrogant with the treatment they've received.
搅入沸锅/Stir into a boiling pot: Meaning to drag someone into a mess from which they cannot possibly emerge unscathed. Not actually an Ancient Chinese proverb, but it was often used in the 秘史/Secret Histories series (a series of Qing Dynasty period dramas that included 孝庄秘史/Secret History of Empress Dowager Xiao Zhuang, 皇太子秘史/Secret History of the Crown Prince, and 太祖秘史/Secret History of Emperor Taizu, from 2002 to the late 2000s), so I'm just including this for childhood nostalgia.
伤害不大侮辱性极强/Not a lot of damage but a lot of humiliation: A modern Chinese saying originating from a meme of third wheels taking emotional damage as their friends engage in various PDAs, but later evolved to refer to any situation that fits the term.
天作孽犹可活自作孽不可存/If the heavens bring misfortune, you can still find a way to live on. If you make your own misfortune, there will be no way to survive: An Ancient Chinese proverb, it essentially means that natural disasters and bad luck can still be overcome, but screwing yourself over is a hole you can't dig your way out of.
遭天谴/[Will be] punished by the heavens: A Chinese saying meaning that you will receive karmic punishments even if you get away with a crime.
国贼/Thief of the nation: A Chinese insult referring to corrupt officials. Variations of this include 老贼/Old thief (same meaning, but specifically for someone who's old, often also used for an old lecher), 逆贼/Rebel thief (someone who outright grabs power/rebels), 奸贼/Traitorous thief (self-explanatory), or [Insert surname]贼/thief (a famous example is 曹贼/Cao thief, in reference to Cao Cao from the Three Kingdoms who took power from the Emperor in all but name).
不见棺材不落泪/Not shedding tears until you see the coffin: A Chinese saying referring to not repenting until you see the consequences upfront. In this case, it takes on a more literal meaning.