The officials chatted with each other as they milled out of the bureaucratic buildings, heading back to their respective homes at the end of the day. The degree to which officials made attempts to be discreet reflected the degree to which they respected, or disrespected, a person.
Their voices were loud and clear as they discussed this or that lower-ranking official’s slipups, but the conversations slowly decreased in volume as they moved on to the hottest topic in the capital, Zhao Wenyuan.
“I’d have thought it was almost over for him once he was actually promoted into a position where he had to get things done through his own ability,” an official said softly to his bearded colleague.
“Not very generous of you, was it? I did tell you that he had something up his sleeve. It looks like he’ll be rising even higher now.”
“Indeed, didn’t you hear? In the last session of the court, the Imperial Edict Bearer lauded him with praise, and now Minister Hu and the traditionalists are also siding with him.”
“He’s got a ministry and the Hanlin Academy on his side now, plus the Court of Judicial Review and the Imperial Investigation Bureau, that’s nothing to scoff at,” the official stroked his beard with a frown.
“One and a half ministries, you mean. His former Chamberlain, that Sun– Sun, what was it?”
“Never mind his name, but yes. Now that guy’s the Left Secretariat of Justice, isn’t he? And several of the Directors under the Ministry of Justice were nominated by him as well.”
“What, really? I thought it was just Sun Ruhui!”
“That’s what they want us to think, but just look at Minister Jun and Minister Liang’s reactions and you can tell from the sour looks on their faces.”
“Who would’ve thought? Those officials who have been crawling and rolling around in the court for decades to gain their current power would be played by a youngster.”
“What can you do? He’s a relative of the Imperial Family, and worse, he actually has enough ability to get things done, how can they compete with that given their backgrounds?”
“Minister Liang has a niece in the palace though.”
“Which one of the Ministers does not? And yet none of them have grandchildren in the palace, and that’s what matters. The rumors badmouthing him have also died down, and the Grand Duke and that servant of his are now the ones getting spat upon, really, from the looks of it, Zhao Wenyuan really is going to become a veritable force to reckon with. ”
“You’re saying that like you didn’t believe in the rumors the first time around,” the first official rolled his eyes.
“I didn’t,” the bearded official protested. “But really, who wouldn’t have their doubts? It was reasonable at the time. From the looks of it now, even if it was true, there’s no point in thinking anything of it, not with how much further Zhao Wenyuan is set to rise.”
“I wouldn’t say that too soon,” a third official jumped in, scooting in closer and nearly stepping on the hem of his colleague’s robes. “I doubt the Seventh Prince is happy with him, grabbing up the seats the prince had wanted so badly.”
“And what of it? The Seventh Prince isn’t exactly doing well enough to be a threat,” the bearded official pointed out.
The third official shook his head. “Is that really what you think? No matter what, he is a prince. One of three, I may add, and the Fifth Prince isn’t even in the game. Who’s to say what will happen? Offending someone who may very well end up on the throne is nothing to be happy about.”
The first official scoffed. “You’re talking nonsense!”
“No, he has a point,” the bearded official said. “The Third Prince used to have the support of Liu Hongyu, but now he doesn’t have anyone who heads the Three Departments supporting him. The military loves him, but he doesn’t really have the Ministry of War either. Unlike the Seventh Prince, who at least has the Ministers of Justice and Personnel, the Third Prince doesn’t have any of the Three Departments and Six Ministries solidly in his grasp.”
“He has way more supporters,” the first official protested. “Plus, the Seventh Prince’s grasp on those Ministries is so shaky that he might as well not have anything. In any case, the Seventh Prince's mother was only a maid, how can he become the Crown Prince?”
“You’re an idiot,” the third official said plainly. “Look, do you really think Wei Guang and Hu Weizhi, those prideful guys whose hearts are higher than the sky, would suddenly throw their support behind an inexperienced youngster like Zhao Wenyuan unless they thought they needed him? Don’t try to understand it with your silly little brain, just look at what the smartest people are doing. The major players all know that the Grand Duke is done for and that the princes are about to start fighting, and that’s why they’re acting like this.”
“You’re just spouting conspiracy theories,” the first official shot back. “What do they need Zhao Wenyuan for? They’re just siding with him to maximize their own benefit and siphon off the Emperor’s favor for the Zhao heir.”
The bearded official and the third official exchanged a glance of exasperation.
“There’s no point in trying to explain it to him. My friend, what do you think?” The third official asked.
“I agree with you. We’ll have to keep a careful eye on how things develop,” the bearded official said.
“Hey, now don't just start talking over my head,” the first official made to protest, and the three continued onwards out of the Outer Palace, still squabbling with each other.
Meanwhile, Kayla was still in her office. There was plenty of work now that the Imperial Investigation Bureau was launching an investigation that the Court of Judicial Review had no choice but to get involved in.
The assassination attempt at the Zhao household had turned into an internal investigation at the Imperial Investigation Bureau, which had then turned into an inter-regional case that could potentially implicate several Archdukes. Not wanting to be the only ones responsible, the Imperial Investigation Bureau wasted no time in dragging the Court of Judicial Review in as well.
The death of an Imperial Investigator, one of the five who had been on duty at the Zhao household the night of the assassination, had stirred up quite a few waves, and now all of the nobles and persons of influence in the relatively quiet city of Dengzhou were considered potential suspects.
It wasn’t impossible, or at least Kayla didn’t think it was. In the original novel, several Archdukes had been murdered and their families either exiled or stripped of their noble status in the last phase of the succession crisis, but Kayla had never figured out if Xianchun had done so for legitimate reasons, personal grudges for past slights, or was just cleaning house to ensure his monopoly on political power once he became Crown Prince. The story focused a lot more on the final showdown between Xianchun and Kuang as tensions escalated to the point where only one party could emerge alive.
But why try to kill me?
Kayla couldn’t figure it out, but she also couldn’t find a legitimate reason to refuse the Imperial Investigation Bureau’s attempt to drag her in to share responsibility. They were still a newly established institution, the stronger their bonds with the Bureau, the better.
She looked over the documents, feeling a twinge of unease as her eyes landed on familiar names.
Archduke Qi and Archduke Wei are at the top of the list, she noted uncomfortably.
Of course, Uncle wouldn’t be satisfied unless their residences were turned upside down.
Archduke Wei is about to marry his daughter into the Khaganate and they still won’t give him face?
It’s not like he wants to marry his daughter into a foreign country, only nobles who don’t have enough political power to make other arrangements would be subjected to something like this, Wenyuan pointed out.
And what about Archduke Qi? Last I’d heard, he’d become a complete hermit.
Yes, the rumor is that he's gotten an illness that consumes his heart, he often stares into space for long periods of time without moving or saying anything and has even tried to hurt himself multiple times.
Sounds like dissociation and depression to me, Kayla noted. Would he even have the capability to plan something like this? Why the hell is he on the top of the list?
Uncle still hates him, Wenyuan replied. Why else?
I don’t know how I feel about this, Kayla complained. But I suppose that they would be blamed unless proven innocent, so perhaps it’s better to trouble them a bit than allow the situation to fester into something more dangerous.
Letting out a sigh, Kayla signed the documents and stamped her seal on them.
----------------------------------------
The residence of Archduke Qi was usually extremely quiet. There weren’t many servants, and the Archduke didn’t have any concubines. While he was still residing in the capital, he had two sons who had died in infancy, and a daughter who died before she reached the age of ten. The Fourth Prince had joined them in the Dengzhou residence for an extremely painful two years before passing away, and now, it was only him, his wife, and a small number of household staff.
As such, the household was currently the noisiest it had ever been. Imperial Investigators marched through the corridors and spilled into the rooms, leaving no corner untouched and no drawer unopened as they thoroughly searched the entire residence.
The husband and wife sat on the bed inside their private chambers, Archduke Qi wearing a look of resigned weariness on his face. He was in his late forties, only three years older than the Emperor but looking ten years older. Most of his hair was white, and if not for the gauntness of his face, he would have been rather handsome. The same went for his wife, who looked to be in better health, but no less affected by the years of humiliation that had withered away the jade-like beauty of her youth.
“My lord, look at what a mess they’re making!” Archduchess Qi wept onto her husband’s shoulder. Archduke Qi’s eyes were glazed over and unfocused, and he barely seemed to notice the chaos around him. His hair was still undone, draped over his back and shoulders.
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“My lord! Please focus already, what on earth shall we do?” Archduchess Qi asked, shaking his shoulder.
Archduke Qi seemed to come back to himself but only shook his head.
“Let them do their job,” he replied before falling silent again. The room was filled with his wife’s soft sobs. They were in Archduke Qi’s bedchambers, which had been left alone for the time being out of a pretense of respect.
The sanctuary didn’t last for long, and an Imperial Investigator barely knocked before barging in, eliciting a startled shriek from the Archduchess.
“Stop! You can’t do this!” Archduke Qi’s retainer Tan Hui rushed in from the corridor and moved to block the Investigator’s entry.
“Apologies for the intrusion, Archduke, Archduchess,” the Investigator said curtly before moving forward again. Tan Hui stepped into the man’s path, glaring him down.
"Get out," Tan Hui snarled.
"Are you interfering with the investigation?" The Imperial Investigator shot back, evidently itching to make an arrest.
“That’s enough,” Archduke Qi called out softly.
Tan Hui glanced back at his lord in distress. “But my lord!”
“Let them do their job,” Archduke Qi repeated wearily. Tan Hui deflated, shooting the Investigator another glare as he reluctantly moved out of the way.
The Investigator gave Tan Hui a triumphant smirk before aggressively yanking open the closet and pawing through its contents, ignoring the Archduchess’ indignant screech. Archduke Qi patted his wife’s hand, sighing helplessly as the room continued to be turned upside down. After strewing things all over the floor, the doors and dressers tauntingly left open with items spilling out, the Investigator turned his attention to the bed the Archduke and his wife sat on.
“Get up,” he ordered. He quickly remedied his tone. “Please get up, your grace.”
“You’re going too far!” Tan Hui snapped. Archduke Qi raised a hand to stop him, seeming to have already expected this. It wasn’t his first time going through this, he knew all too well the lengths that subjects would go to humiliate him to curry favor with the Emperor.
“It can’t be helped,” Archduke Qi said, slowly getting to his feet. The Archduchess followed suit, but not without shooting a glare at the Investigator, who only smirked back. The couple stepped into the courtyard at the center of the residence to avoid the Investigators striding purposefully through the corridors, sitting down on the stone chairs under a camelia tree. Tan Hui and the Archduchess’ serving maid joined them with grim expressions.
It was more peaceful in the courtyard compared to elsewhere, but it also provided a perfect view of the chaos being wrought in the corridors on all four sides of the small clearing. They were surrounded by sounds of harshly shouted orders as well as crashing noises from furniture and porcelain decorations being “accidentally” broken. The worse the damage, the better it would look on the Investigators' part. Archduke Qi couldn't even find it in himself to hate them, not when he knew it was really his younger brother's resentment they were channeling.
The scene was painfully familiar, and the Archduchess wept piteously into her husband’s shoulder. Archduke Qi’s eyes grew increasingly unfocused, and he stopped responding altogether. Seeing the familiar symptoms take effect again, his wife wept even more fiercely. Tan Hui also looked away uncomfortably, helpless to do anything against the Imperial Investigators.
“Which bastard is in charge of this?!”
Tan Hui and the Archduchess both jolted in shock, lighting up as they heard a familiar voice angrily shout at the Investigators. The Investigators didn’t come to a stop, but almost instantly gained several degrees of restraint and began to look a little cowed.
“You piece of shit! I gifted that case to Archduke Qi myself, how dare you smash it?! Can you pay it back? I’ll wring it out of your pathetic salary, you little turtle-necked bastard!”
The Investigator that Archduke Wei had whirled upon hastily backed up, bowing his head.
“Brother-in-law!” Archduchess Qi cried out in relief, rising to her feet as Archduke Wei came into sight. Archduke Wei stormed into the courtyard, his robes flapping as he whirled around, glaring down at every Investigator who came into sight. He looked almost identical to Archduke Qi from before the man had fallen from grace, part of it being that he was almost ten years younger, and carried himself with the prideful bearing of a member of the Imperial family, his demeanor bordering on arrogance. Alight in fury, he was quite a sight to behold, and none of the Investigators dared to approach.
“Brother, sister-in-law, what on earth is going on here?!” Archduke Wei asked.
“They just suddenly came in, saying that it was an official investigation, and…” Archduchess Qi’s voice dissolved into sobs, her husband still staring blankly into the distance.
Archduke Wei took note of his brother’s state, and his rage visibly intensified.
“Which bastard is in charge?! Get over here!” He shouted.
The Investigators glanced at them nervously before one of the higher-ranking ones approached.
“This one humbly greets Your Gr-”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Archduke Wei demanded.
“Your Grace, we’re under orders to investigate the residences of the nobles residing within Dengzhou,” the Investigator replied, his voice slightly smaller.
“And you take this as a chance to smash up my brother’s house?! You insolent bastard! Do you think you can get away with treating an Archduke with such disrespect?!” Archduke Wei shouted.
“Apologies, Your Grace, but this is on orders of the Emperor, we had no intention of causing unnecessary trouble to Archduke Qi,” the Imperial Investigator said with a trembling voice, knowing full well that they had intended exactly that. His superior approached, shooing away the younger man.
“Archduke Wei, this one humbly greets Your Excellency,” Investigator Tabuyir said, bowing his head.
Archduke Wei glared at Tabuyir, shifting to block Archduke Qi entirely from his sight.
“And to what do we owe this rude intrusion?!” He demanded.
Investigator Tabuyir hesitated, glancing at Archduke Qi, who stared blankly at the scene before him, unresponsive to the chaos being invoked in his household.
“Your Excellency, perhaps we can speak elsewhere?” Tabuyir suggested.
Archduke Wei’s rage was so palpable that it seemed to raise his hair on end.
“You sly bastard, say what you want to say right here!” Archduke Wei snarled, glaring at Tabuyir as though he wanted to tear the man apart with his teeth. He did, and it wasn't Tabuyir's rank that held him back but the fact that Archduke Wei knew he couldn't win the fight.
Tabuyir lowered his head. “I apologize for any offense I’ve caused you, Your Excellency, but perhaps you should return for now. After all, this is related to Archduke Qi, not yourself. As the father of Princess Chengxia, perhaps you should be…more pragmatic,” he said in almost a whisper.
It took Archduke Wei all his effort to not punch Tabuyir in the face, and the Senior Investigator knew it, from the apologetic look on his face.
“My sincere apologies, Your Excellency, but the wood has already been crafted into a ship. Nothing can be done at this point,” Tabuyir said regretfully.
“I don’t need you to teach me how to act,” Archduke Wei snapped. “Get out of my sight!”
Tabuyir bowed his head apologetically. “I will do as you command, Your Grace. But I’m afraid that–”
“What, that I’m next? I know that! Let me tell you this, if you dare do disturb my wife or intrude on the privacy of my soon-to-be-wed daughter, I’ll skin you all alive!” Archduke Wei shouted.
“Of course,” Tabuyir said diplomatically. “We would not dare disturb the princess.”
He backed away, waving for the Imperial Investigators to leave the Inner Quarters. They left, carrying various documents with them. It was a pitiful amount since Archduke Qi had already had most of his letters and documents either confiscated or burned after his fall from grace. Archduke Wei glared fiercely at each of the Investigators as they left, several of them shying away from his gaze out of either fear or guilt.
Finally, they were left alone again, the Archduchess weeping piteously as her serving maid quietly shed tears while comforting her mistress. Tan Hui stood with his head lowered and his fists clenched tightly at his sides, his knuckles white. Archduke Qi seemed not to notice any of this, sitting still with his shoulders slumped.
“Sister-in-law, wipe away your tears, I’ll call over some servants to help put this back into order,” Archduke Wei comforted her. “I’ll send my wife over to keep you company as well.”
The Archduchess tearfully gave her thanks.
Archduke Wei nodded to the serving maid. “What are you doing? Hurry up and escort your mistress inside to rest,” he said gently. The women left, and Archduke Wei placed a hand on his brother’s back protectively.
“Tan Hui, go gather the servants and get them started, and tell my horseman to call over as many servants as he can to help out,” he urged the man, gently whacking Tan Hui’s sturdy arm. It reached its desired effect, and Tan Hui relaxed slightly, his fists no longer clenched so tightly.
“Understood, Your Grace. My deepest gratitude for your kindness. Then, I’ll leave my lord in your care,” Tan Hui said, bowing his head before leaving as well.
Archduke Wei sighed as they were left alone again, finally turning his attention to his older brother.
“Brother,” Archduke Wei called. Archduke Qi gave no response, and Archduke Wei briefly felt as helpless as a lost child. He lowered himself onto one knee, taking Archduke Qi by the arm.
"Look what a mess they've made, but don't worry, my servants will take care of all of it," Archduke Wei assured him, despite knowing that the man wasn't listening.
"I'll also have them write up a damages report, we'll make the Bureau pull the money out of their pockets. How dare they be so rude? Really, you'd have thought they were trained by bandits rather than the Imperial Palace!" Archduke Wei continued on, patting his brother on the back. He continued talking for a while longer, hoping to get some sort of reaction from the older man. After a while, his voice died down. Seeing that Archduke Qi was still completely unresponsive, Archduke Wei's indignant expression faded into a weary look of melancholy.
“Brother, how did things become like this?” Archduke Wei asked quietly, the question directed as much towards himself as towards his brother. “We were loyal, weren’t we? Why does the capital keep pressing forward for every step we take backward?”
He looked at Archduke Qi expectantly, disappointment slowly clouding his gaze as the silence dragged on. After giving a heavy sigh, Archduke Wei moved to his feet, pulling Archduke Qi up with him and guiding the man into one of the relatively undisturbed rooms. Archduke Qi followed compliantly, allowing himself to be led down the corridor and situated on a chair.
Archduke Wei sat down next to him, watching with concern. After a long moment in which Archduke Qi remained unresponsive, he let out another sigh.
“My residence is next, the wife and kids will definitely throw up a fuss about it. I'd like to see if they dare make such a mess again! At least they’ll take more care with the women’s quarters now that Chengxia is engaged, but what good does that do compared to the damage?” Archduke Wei rambled on, speaking more to himself than to Archduke Qi. “And it doesn’t help that they’re only showing some restraint because Chengxia’s going to the Khaganate in only a few months, I still can’t believe this is happening! Just one order from the Emperor and my poor daughter’s fate is sealed, even I, her father, can’t do anything about it.”
He glanced at Archduke Qi again with hopeful eyes.
“Brother, do you think she’ll be happy there? They’ll treat her well, won’t they?”
Archduke Wei shook his head, answering his own question. “Sure, she’ll have some degree of prestige attached to her, but neither the Khagan nor the Emperor would hold back on hostilities just because she was sent there as a hostage. And then what?! She won’t be able to return, not even if her husband dies! Once she crosses the Jade Door Pass, she’ll never come back. That piece of shit Emperor, I swear I’ll make him pay for this one day!”
That was impossible, given their current political position. Knowing this, Archduke Wei glanced helplessly at his brother. Almost desperately, he tugged on Archduke Qi’s arm.
“Brother, say something!” He pleaded. To his relief, that actually seemed to shake Archduke Qi out of his unresponsive state, and he slowly stirred back into reality.
Blinking tiredly, Archduke Qi glanced around, looking wearier than anything else. He finally took note of Archduke Wei’s hand on his arm and gave it a lethargic pat.
“Weiji, when did you get here?” Archduke Qi asked, his voice hoarse.
Archduke Wei swallowed his emotions and forced a smile. “Just now, brother. How are you feeling?”
“Tired,” Archduke Qi replied. “Really, you shouldn’t have come, why drag yourself into this trouble?”
“I’m glad that Brother is feeling well enough to scold me,” Archduke Wei said flatly before softening his tone. “Don’t worry, it’ll be alright. The servants will be finished cleaning up soon, I sent for some from my residence as well. Once they’re done, you can go ahead and get some rest.”
Archduke Qi gave a minuscule smile, but the sliver of affection was enough to soothe Archduke Wei’s worries.
“Alright then. You’ve always been so considerate,” Archduke Qi praised him before looking around. “Where is your sister-in-law?”
“She went to get some much-needed rest,” Archduke Wei replied. “Shall I walk you over?”
Archduke Qi shook his head. “No need, let her vent in peace for a bit,” he replied, the words tumbling out slower than before. Sensing that his brother’s energy was spent, Archduke Wei fell silent as well.
Outside the room, there was the sound of shuffling as the servants laboriously cleaned up the mess that had only taken a few moments to make.