Kayla had only just arrived back in Wenyuan’s quarters when there was a knock on the door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s your servant Li.”
“Matron Li? Come on in,” Kayla called towards the door. The door opened, and Matron Li entered with an apprehensive expression.
“Welcome back, young lord. I came to help you change,” Matron Li said. Kayla nodded gratefully, knowing the older woman was probably here to check on her.
“Just in time, Matron Li,” Kayla replied. Matron Li closed the door behind her and approached to help Kayla undo the outer layers of the official robes.
“My lord, may I ask if everything’s alright?” Matron Li asked tentatively.
“I actually do have some news, though whether it’s good or bad is hard to tell,” Kayla replied. “In either case, please feel free to adjust your schedule accordingly after you hear it. The Emperor has decided to reinstate the Court of Judicial Review, and make me its Minister.”
Matron Li froze in place for a moment before continuing her work, but her actions were noticeably more rigid than before. The older woman had watched Wenyuan grow up and continued serving him despite his current ostracization within the household out of fondness and loyalty. Knowing this, Kayla also wouldn't have suggested for Matron Li to stop unless the situation was really serious.
“I see, my lord. Congratulations on your new post,” Matron Li said, a slight tremor in her voice.
“Grandfather’s not going to be pleased with this, is he? Given that he dismantled it before,” Kayla prodded.
“I…young master, I don’t dare to guess at the Grand Duke’s thoughts,” Matron Li replied haltingly, hurriedly moving behind Kayla to help her out of the outer robes.
“You dared to guess at the Fifth Prince’s thoughts, I was able to safely get through a crisis with your help,” Kayla insisted. She turned around to face the older woman.
“Matron Li, I’m at a loss. You’ve always been someone I’ve relied on, won’t you please spare a word of advice?” Kayla asked earnestly. Matron Li wavered and quickly broke off eye contact. She stepped back and bowed her head.
“Young lord, the late Princess had a reason for keeping certain things from you,” Matron Li said cautiously. “It doesn’t do anyone good to have some things said out loud. But I fear that continuing down this path will certainly bring you to harm.”
Kayla gave her a long look. “Grandfather’s actions must have had something to do with the Imperial family, or there would at least be records of his involvement in the Ministry of Justice.”
“Young lord, I beg you not to speak further of this,” Matron Li hastily hushed her.
“Then what should I do? I can’t refuse the Emperor, can I?”
“His Majesty’s benevolence protects all within this realm, but does his protection extend within these walls? Young lord, as long as the green mountain remains, there will be no lack of firewood. Please believe this humble servant when I say that this position will do you no good,” Matron Li said. Kayla felt a surge of panic in her chest.
It’s that bad? But Wenyuan’s the only heir, he wouldn’t go as far as to kill his own grandson, would he?
“If you believe grandfather would go that far, then you must know something,” Kayla pressed. Matron Li avoided Kayla’s eyes nervously.
"My lord, it's...more complicated than you think. The late princess also had a reason to keep many things from you," Matron Li emphasized with an uneasy note in her voice. "Whether it's the Zhao clan or the Imperial family, there are things that it's best not to know about, and even if you somehow came to know, you should pretend not to."
Kayla's heart sank at Matron Li's heavy tone. She sighed deeply, sensing that the older woman wouldn’t elaborate on the topic.
“I understand. Very well, I won’t make things difficult for you. Thank you for your advice, you can go now. I have a lot to think about,” Kayla said.
“Young lord, you haven’t finished changing yet,” Matron Li protested.
“I’ll do it myself, thank you. I want to be alone right now.”
Matron Li bowed and left the room, gently closing the door behind her. Kayla sighed deeply, pulling out the jade pin that kept her hair in its bun.
Matron Li wants us to side with grandfather then?
I guess so.
Is that a viable option?
Kayla reeled back, feeling inexplicably shocked at the question. Was it? From the very start she had viewed the Grand Duke as her enemy, given the way he had treated her and the crimes he'd committed, but given how things were going, the only person she could trust to help her to hide the truth of Consort Chen’s death was the Grand Duke himself. Even if not with the Grand Duke, then perhaps at least the Third Prince’s faction would be more willing to extend protection. She jolted herself away from the dangerous train of thought.
No. Absolutely not. Putting aside how much I detest the Grand Duke personally, we are certain to lose if we side with him. There's only so much he can do anyways. With the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, we at least have a chance of success.
But if Matron Li is that worried, our chances of survival must be pretty low.
He can’t kill you, his pride won’t allow him to adopt from a side branch and he’s too old to produce an heir. No matter what, siding with him signs our execution order. The Emperor, the Third Prince, and Xianchun all want him dead regardless of whether or not we uncover Consort Chen, siding with such a man is the worst option possible.
Do you not understand how dangerous grandfather is, even after all this?
I’m scared of him too. But I’m more afraid of what happens if we side with him. If the Emperor is reinstating the Court of Judicial Review even though the Grand Duke dismantled it, then there’s something going on beyond just the investigations.
Xianchun had wasted no time in disgracing the Grand Duke in the novel, but even with all the dirt he’d uncovered, the prince never so much as mentioned the Court of Judicial Review. There was only one possible explanation that Kayla could think of, that it threatened the prince’s own legitimacy. The Zhao clan had always been famous as scholars, but they’d only truly gained influence after the Grand Duke’s sister was raised from a concubine to the formal wife of the then-Crown Prince, Emperor Gaozong. As the adopted son of the previous head of the Zhao clan, the Grand Duke had benefited as well.
The inexplicable increase in the Zhao consort's status coincided with the deposal of the previous Crown Prince, allowing for Gaozong to become the heir. If both Wenyuan and Kayla had never so much as run into records of a Court of Judicial Review in the Wu Dynasty, the only reason would be that someone had ordered the records to be completely wiped.
The only person who would have the power to do that is an Emperor. It would have to be either Gaozong or his son, but definitely way before your uncle’s time. I’ll have to look into it.
That reeks of danger, Wenyuan warned.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Kayla sighed. I need to figure out what I’m dealing with.
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“The Emperor called Zhao Wenyuan to the palace last night,” Liu Boyue said urgently as he burst into Xianchun’s study, hastily dropping to one knee and bowing his head. The prince was jolted out of his contemplation and looked up in surprise at Liu Boyue's uncharacteristic breach of etiquette.
“Last night? You mean he was called back after the banquet?” Xianchun asked in confusion as he waved for Boyue to get up.
“Yes, my prince. He brought Wenyuan to meet the Empress Dowager, they must have come to a decision,” Boyue said.
“Any idea what it might be?” Xianchun asked sharply.
“I have some ideas, my prince. There haven’t been any whispers about the investigations since the last one ended, they must be putting him into a position to restart the investigations,” Boyue replied.
“The Minister of Justice is already filled,” Xianchun said thoughtfully. “A position in the Imperial Investigation Bureau? Perhaps one of the Vice-Director seats is to be his.”
“I’ll confirm it as soon as I can, my prince. But we must take more precautions. Most of the eyes we had in the Zhao household are useless against Wenyuan now, no one dares to serve him except for Matron Li, and she barely sees him either. We need to get someone to watch his every move. The more powerful he becomes, the more difficult he’ll be to deal with,” Boyue warned him.
“Deal with? You spoke of recruiting him before,” Xianchun protested immediately. Boyue hesitated slightly at the prince’s reaction.
“My prince, that was before he was declared neutral, and before the Third Prince’s return. Things are different now, with his actions we could stand to suffer great losses or make great gains, especially if he is to gain actual power. We need to gain the advantage of knowing his moves.”
Xianchun shook his head. “The Imperial Investigators cannot be bought.”
“But perhaps his servant could. Qu Boyong, his former guard. It seems he resigned from his post in the Zhao household to follow Wenyuan instead,” Boyue prompted.
Xianchun mulled it over. “I believe I’ve seen that young man before, he was quite talented. Doesn’t seem like the type who could be swayed though.”
“Perhaps not with money,” Boyue conceded.
After a long moment of consideration, Xianchun shook his head. “No, don’t bother. Wenyuan can be pretty vindictive when he feels insulted, or did you forget about what happened with Bianfu? If something goes wrong, things will only become more complicated.”
“My prince,” Boyue protested. Xianchun held up a hand.
“Take it easy, Boyue. I don’t mean to take my hands off completely, but there are plenty of other ways to do it.”
“I don’t believe we have that many options, my prince. Wenyuan’s case is rather peculiar, and only seems to become more so as time progresses.”
Xianchun sighed. “I know, if he remained in the Ministry of Justice, we at least have eyes on him. If he’s transferred to the Imperial Investigation Bureau, things become a lot more complicated. But I don’t want to burn any bridges at this point in time. That’s his only personal servant at the moment, if I try to recruit him and Wenyuan finds out, it will be as though I’m threatening what little control he has. It’s different than bribing his grandfather’s men. Not to mention that if I make a move and Third Brother doesn’t, then who will Wenyuan lean towards?”
Boyue hesitated at the rhetorical question but opened his mouth to protest again. Xianchun quickly hushed him.
“That’s final, Boyue. Find some other way.”
Boyue deflated slightly, letting out a sigh. “As you wish, my prince.”
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Qu Boyong bowed his head as Wenyuan approached the carriage, stepping forward to help him on. The guards from the Imperial Investigation Bureau ignored him as Wenyuan waved for Boyong to get into the carriage as well, already used to the Zhao scion’s oddities. They had questions about why a noble would ride in a carriage with his servant but had professionally kept their conjectures about their relationship to themselves.
“You look tired, my lord,” Boyong commented. Wenyuan looked at him with bleary eyes, with none of the excitement one would expect from a man who had just been promoted.
“I didn’t get much sleep last night,” Wenyuan replied.
“I’ll go and fetch some tea for you, there’s a vendor who sells rather potent stuff, if a bit crude for your tastes,” Boyong offered.
“Forget it, I have something more important,” Wenyuan said. “I need you to run an errand for me. You can stop if it becomes difficult, just let me know right away. The important thing is that you act discreetly.”
Boyong nodded dutifully. “Anything you ask of me, my lord.”
“It’s well-known that my grandfather rose to power by rooting out the corruption within the eunuchs and the court, but less is known about his investigation of the Court of Judicial Review. I’ve heard bits and pieces about it from my parents, but I want to know more now that I’m taking on the seat of Minister. I need you to find out what you can about the last Court of Judicial Affairs and what went wrong with it for me,” Wenyuan said, glancing out the window as though it was a casual errand. Boyong didn’t mind, his new master’s interest aligned perfectly with his own.
“I will do my best,” Boyong promised, bowing his head. He straightened as Wenyuan extended his hand to drop a purse in Boyong’s hand.
“My lord,” Boyong said in surprise. The purse was heavy with silver.
“Do what you can and don’t overreach. Remember that discretion is of the first priority, use the money however you see fit, I know I’m not giving you an easy task.”
Boyong bit down the words on his tongue and settled for a polite expression of gratitude. “But my lord, it might take some time. I surely wouldn’t be able to finish before the edict is announced.”
“I know. You don’t need to guard me for the time being, just take care of this matter first.”
“Forgive me, but I can’t agree to that, my lord,” Boyong protested. “Your safety is my first priority, and I had sworn it to you as well. Right now, more people will target you than ever.”
“Yes, and my uncle’s men know it as well. So many eyes are on me at the moment that no one would dare to make a move. It’s when the attention fades somewhat that I’ll truly require your services as a guard. For now, I need information.”
Boyong once again noted Wenyuan’s strange sense of casualness with his servants. There was something about the interactions that he couldn’t put his finger on, that went beyond the simple lenience or carelessness displayed by some nobles.
“I apologize, I didn’t think that far,” Boyong said, lowering his head.
“No, I appreciate it,” Wenyuan said, waving away Boyong’s apology. The carriage pulled to a stop, and Boyong quickly pulled the curtain open and got out, holding out a hand to help Wenyuan down as well. Wenyuan glanced up at the Ministry of Personnel’s building, letting out a soft huff before nodding to the guards and then Boyong. They bowed slightly as the soon-to-be Minister turned and entered the building, his purple robes garnering attention from the lower-ranking officials heading in for work.
“Good work, gentlemen,” Boyong said in a friendly voice to the guards. They exchanged a few words of small talk before heading off again, Boyong peeling off into the side alleys as he meandered away from the palace. Taking twists and turns, he arrived by a crumbling wall. It was close to the Imperial Investigator’s Bureau, separated by several quiet streets.
The safest place was often the closest to where the danger lies. Boyong pulled out a communication talisman and activated it. The talisman became warm to the touch, and Boyong sat down to wait patiently. Within moments, a familiar figure appeared.
“Haoyang, you didn’t need to come in such a hurry for a non-emergency signal,” Boyong chided him, noting the sweat on the young man’s forehead. “People will wonder where you were.”
“I just got off a night shift anyway,” Haoyang replied. “Sir, what has happened?”
Boyong retrieved the purse of money from his robes, tossing it between his hands.
“Zhao Wenyuan wants me to find out information about the previous Court of Judicial Review, I will need your help.”
“The Court of- why?” Haoyang gave him a look of confusion.
“The Emperor’s reinstating it with him as Minister.”
“The Emperor’s doing what?!” Haoyang squeaked in a high voice. “But that-”
Boyong cut him off impatiently. “Haoyang, the goal is within sight. Our ancestors are protecting us yet, with every move the Zhao heir brings us closer to victory. I have to take this chance, nothing can go wrong with him before we’ve succeeded.”
Haoyang deflated at Boyong’s tone of certainty. “What do you need me to do?”
“I have to give him enough, but not too much. It may as well be a trap,” Boyong admitted.
“You think he’s that cunning?”
“I find him increasingly difficult to read the more I spend time with him. I acted too hastily last night and nearly incurred his suspicion,” Boyong said.
“Is he still suspicious?” Haoyang asked with alarm in his voice. “Sir, if needed, I’ll do anything to ensure your safety.”
“There’s no need, I dealt with it. I want him to remain safe and sound until all this is over. In any case, it’s not like I want him dead, he's decent enough. But we need to be extremely careful, there's only so much I can do right now, and my cousin isn’t in a position to act either. I begin to feel that she wouldn’t act even if I called upon her to,” Boyong said the last part in a mutter, shaking his head sharply.
“I’ll find out everything I can,” Haoyang promised. Boyong nodded.
“Thank you. Be careful as you proceed, no need to risk your position in the Investigation Bureau. I need to earn his trust if we are to proceed, and this seems the best way to do it.”
Haoyang bowed his head slightly and vaulted back over the wall, lightly jumping over the wall and disappearing into a tree. Boyong slowly made his way back towards the busy streets. He’d made it half a mile away from the meeting spot when he suddenly sensed someone start to follow him.
Boyong’s eyes narrowed, and he reached for the knife concealed in his robes, maintaining a casual pace as he headed into more desolate alleys.