Going behind the Empress Dowager to strike deals with the Third Prince was one thing. Kayla was fine with that. But facing the Empress Dowager right after did require some mental acrobatics, especially when a summons arrived less than two minutes after she had left Kuang’s residence.
Walking into the palace, Kayla looked calm on the surface while her mind was racing at full speed.
The Empress Dowager was worried about her hold over me last time when I requested to replace the Grand Duke’s position, that’s not a good position for me to be in. I have to make her feel as though I’m under her control, even though I only just went over her head to make a deal with Kuang.
As she approached the Empress Dowager's quarters, Kayla decided to proceed with Sun Ruhui’s plan and throw Wei Guang under the bus.
He’s the least likely to take a hit from it, she reasoned to herself.
Kayla greeted the Empress Dowager, who quickly ushered her into a seat. The kindly smile on the old woman’s face didn’t make Kayla feel more at ease in the slightest, and her instincts proved correct once the Empress Dowager opened up the conversation.
“I see that you’ve been to see your cousin,” the Empress Dowager said casually. “I had sent a messenger to the Zhao household, but couldn’t find you there. Imagine my surprise when you were at Kuang’s residence instead.”
Oh boy, here we go.
“I apologize, grandmother. I simply thought it best to offer my support in the wake of such a shocking incident,” Kayla replied.
The Empress Dowager sighed. “Well, that’s certainly an admirable thing to do. It’s good that you care so much for your cousins.”
Kayla bowed her head further.
“It is only what I should do for my family members,” Kayla said. The Empress Dowager nodded slowly.
“And how do you plan to help?” The Empress Dowager asked. Kayla wasn’t fooled for a second by the gentle inquisitiveness in the old woman’s voice. She chose her words carefully, stepping around the deal regarding Qu Boyong.
“Fifth Cousin can’t leave his cousin’s side right now, but such a crime clearly cannot go unpunished. Third Cousin has requested my assistance in searching for the culprit, though I would have gladly done so even without his words. After all, this is also part of my duty as the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review,” Kayla said, bowing her head.
“And is that all?” The Empress Dowager asked pointedly.
“I dare not lie, grandmother. Third Cousin is a man of honor and follows the etiquette of gifts being exchanged rather than unilaterally given. He has agreed not to lay his hands on the Ministry of Revenue,” Kayla replied.
“In exchange for just your help on an investigation?”
Kayla lowered her head further. “I also agreed not to interfere with his affairs in the Ministry of Rites.”
The Empress Dowager nodded thoughtfully. “How unexpected, I had thought he would go for the Ministry of War.”
Time to carry out my end of the deal.
“I am sure that he wants it, just as Seventh Cousin does,” Kayla said carefully. “But Third Cousin’s maternal relatives are a military clan, so it only follows that he, more so than others in the court, would understand the significance of such an institution and why it cannot be vied and jostled for. He is not a man who would jeopardize its security and stability for the sake of personal gain.”
The Empress Dowager gave a noncommittal hum. “It seems our Wenyuan has quite a high opinion of him.”
Kayla gave a sheepish smile. “I am only making an objective observation, grandmother. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, if I do not understand the characters of those in the court, how am I meant to work with them efficiently?”
The Empress Dowager nodded approvingly. “Well done, Wenyuan. But I do wonder, you’re usually a man of caution, yet you rushed straight to the Third Prince’s house as though you were on fire.”
Kayla gulped nervously. Here we go.
“It was almost as though you were trying to speak with him before I could speak with you.”
“Certainly not, grandmother,” Kayla protested.
Of course I would?! We all know you would force the conditions to skew towards the palace’s benefit otherwise, and then where does that leave me?! Who’s to say Kuang won’t shoot the messenger?!
The Empress Dowager smiled benevolently.
“Whose idea was it?” The Empress Dowager asked, the cotton-like softness of her voice hiding the sharp needles beneath.
Kayla gulped. It doesn’t make sense for me to immediately throw Wei Guang at her, I need to act as though I’m covering for him first to make it believable.
“This one is deeply ashamed of his error. It was my idea, grandmother,” Kayla said, bowing her head.
“Oh?” The Empress Dowager asked. “Are you sure?”
Kayla held back a wince, making sure the micro-expression was just noticeable enough.
“Grandmother…” Kayla said hesitantly.
The Empress Dowager leveled Kayla with a stern frown. “I’m asking you one more time, whose idea was it?”
Kayla shifted a stuttering gaze away from the Empress Dowager, shrinking her shoulders in on herself in a show of being backed into a corner.
“Grandmother, I made the decision,” Kayla replied, evading the question.
The Empress Dowager let out an angry huff. “The decision, perhaps. But you didn’t come up with the idea, did you? Was it Wei Guang? Is that what has you so reticent?”
Kayla lowered her head. “Grandmother, I apologize, all the fault lies with me! I only–”
“Enough, it’s hardly your fault. That viper can be very persuasive when he wants to, not to mention that His Majesty wants Wei Guang to support you. You did no wrong by following his advice,” the Empress Dowager replied. There was a note of annoyance in her voice, but it didn’t seem to be directed toward Kayla.
“Thank you for your understanding, grandmother,” Kayla replied, looking suitably contrite.
“Wei Guang’s reputation exceeds his abilities, you would do well to keep that in mind,” the Empress Dowager said, her voice dripping with distaste. It was the most obvious show of dislike Kayla had ever seen from the old woman, even when the subject of conversation was the Grand Duke or Liu Hongyu.
“I will be sure to do that,” Kayla said, doing her best to hide her astonishment. Thankfully, the topic seemed to have completely shifted away from Kayla’s culpability. The Empress Dowager’s eyes softened a little.
“Of course, it is always good to have the support of such a man, and you would certainly benefit from his advice,” the Empress Dowager said, once again calm and infallible. “It is merely in your best interests to avoid allowing him too much influence over your decisions.”
“I understand. Thank you for your concern, grandmother,” Kayla said obediently.
She waited, but the Empress Dowager did not elaborate.
Oh come on, Kayla silently grumbled to herself. Can’t she be a little less stingy with her information? The complete lack of response from Wenyuan left her feeling even more unsettled. The ongoing cold war between them, mostly one-sided from Wenyuan while Kayla continuously tried to appease him, was such a stark contrast from her previous surety of his presence that it left her ill at ease.
“Grandmother, the Imperial Edict Bearer mentioned that he had been my mother’s teacher?” Kayla prompted, cautiously watching the Empress Dowager’s expression.
To her relief, the Empress Dowager only scoffed.
“Indeed, the previous Emperor had a very high opinion of his abilities. But it was not as though he were her only teacher, nor was she his only student, he taught almost all of the Archdukes and Princesses of your mother’s generation in some capacity,” the Empress Dowager said dismissively. “While your mother was rather fond of him, it was mostly out of a misguided sense of obligation towards her teacher.”
“I see, I was just a little surprised that he seemed to know so much about my mother. I barely had any interactions with him before his mourning period began, but it turns out that he even wrote the inscription for my mother’s villa,” Kayla said, carefully intonating it as an off-handed throwaway remark.
The Empress Dowager took the bait, shaking her head disapprovingly as her mask cracked again. “Of course he wouldn’t hesitate to boast about it, and yet my husband and son both see him as a humble man! There’s certainly nothing for him to be proud of regarding that, he shouldn’t have encouraged a married woman to spend so much time outside of her residence, tolling away at magic the way that she did. It didn’t diminish the greater standing of her position, but it certainly wasn’t his place to have fanned the flames.”
It was such a marked departure from the old woman’s usual attitude of cold confidence, being in control of everything that happened next, or at least good at pretending to be, that Kayla had to lower her gaze to avoid raising her eyebrows.
Does she really not know? Deciding to take a bet, Kayla continued.
“Last time I went to the villa, I saw that she had done quite a lot of research,” Kayla cautiously remarked.
“Indeed, she was rather taken with magic after your father died,” the Empress Dowager said, her eyes softening with sympathy. “Becoming a widow at such a young age, it’s no wonder she would need something to devote herself to.”
But the Grand Duke mentioned the palace trying to kill Wenyuan right after she died though. Was it that the Empress Dowager is just an Oscar-worthy actress? Or just that she can’t control everything that is carried out in the name of the palace? Of course, all of it could also just be a lie by the Grand Duke.
Kayla nodded, making a suitable expression of conflicted sadness.
Inside, Kayla’s mind was flipping itself in circles. She…doesn’t know about the investigations? How? Is that even possible? But I’ve brought it up and she hasn’t said a thing, she hasn’t even tried to prod me about it either!
It left only a single reasonable conclusion. Wei Guang knew, and the Empress Dowager didn’t.
Looks like I’m overdue a confrontation.
The conversation turned to more mundane matters, before eventually fizzling to a stop. Kayla was dismissed, and bowed to the Empress Dowager, making to take her leave.
“I know you’ve been very busy, and your uncle’s also insisted on giving you time to focus on your work, but do remember to visit your uncle, won’t you? He rather misses being able to spend time with you,” the Empress Dowager said, stopping Kayla in her tracks. She turned back and bowed.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
“Of course, grandmother. I’d gladly do so,” Kayla replied. “I apologize for having been so negligent.” There must be something he needs to talk to me about.
“No matter, you’ve had your hands full. But your uncle also has some things he wishes to speak with you about regarding your plans for marriage,” the Empress Dowager continued. “Have lunch with him tomorrow.”
I knew it.
“I understand, I’ll be sure to go and pay my respects,” Kayla said. She bowed again, repeating her goodbyes before leaving.
----------------------------------------
Kayla’s request to meet with Wei Guang was approved before she had even gotten halfway back to the Zhao household. The carriage changed routes, once more bringing her to the gates of the Imperial Edict Bearer’s residence.
Hu Qing peeled off to do whatever else, and Kayla entered alone. Wei Guang’s servant guided her in before leaving with a short bow. The Imperial Edict Bearer was in a small, well-kept garden this time, with a sense of design that Kayla immediately recognized as similar to the Imperial Princess.
"Wenyuan greets the Imperial Edict Bearer, apologies for visiting on such short notice," Kayla said politely.
Wei Guang greeted her with a broad smile. “No such thing! I’m glad to have you seek me out, your company is always welcome.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Grace. I only just came from the palace, after having met with my grandmother,” Kayla said conversationally.
“Oh? I hope that Her Highness is in good health?”
“Indeed, she is faring well,” Kayla replied, kicking the ball back into his court.
“Then, for you to come directly here after leaving the palace, I suppose there must be a matter of some importance you wish to discuss,” Wei Guang prompted.
Satisfied that she had been invited to speak rather than immediately forcing the topic onto Wei Guang, Kayla bowed her head slightly.
“If Your Grace wouldn’t mind, I’ll directly open the door to the mountain.”
Wei Guang nodded. “Of course, please go ahead.”
“Imperial Edict Bearer, how much do you know about my mother’s research?” Kayla asked.
Wei Guang looked her over with an evaluating gaze, as though ascertaining what she was asking about. He briefly nodded to himself and met Kayla's eyes without a shred of hesitation. “Everything. Including those investigations that she carried out after the death of your father.”
Kayla jolted, a cold shock running through her body. “You–”
“Why so surprised, Wenyuan? I had thought you simply did not discover it, but it seems that you were merely a man of extreme caution. I’ve hinted at it multiple times, but you’ve refused to rise to the bait. I suppose I’m not very trustworthy in your eyes, am I?” Wei Guang asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.
Kayla reared back, taking in a deep breath to try and calm her scrambling thoughts. It didn’t work.
What the–how the fuck–
“The Empress Dowager doesn’t know?” Kayla demanded.
“She does not.”
“How? Why? Is that even possible?!” Kayla shot the questions in quick succession.
Wei Guang looked at her, completely serene even as Kayla’s composure began to crack into pieces.
“She would not be able to see anything but the magical research written in those books, because she has the magical key to undo the enchantments,” Wei Guang said calmly.
Kayla narrowed her eyes. “I don’t understand.”
“Your mother gave her the key to undo the enchantments,” Wei Guang repeated. “So your grandmother will never be able to see the true information recorded there. Or perhaps, because you were nullifying the spells, you could not sense that there were two layers of enchantments?”
Kayla shot to her feet, her heart pounding loudly in her ears.
“What in the heavens are you talking about?! Please don’t speak nonsense, Imperial Edict Bearer!”
Wei Guang nodded slowly. “You still don’t trust me, that’s alright. We have time enough to help you understand my sincerity.”
He slowly let out a deep breath, looking at her wearily. “Wenyuan, there’s no need to deny it. Your mother and I placed two layers of enchantments on those books. One can be undone with a magical key, to show the second layer of enchantments, which showed the information as your mother’s research on time and soul magic. The second layer of enchantments is undetectable and has no way to be deactivated. The only way to access the hidden information is if the enchantment was nullified.”
Kayla felt the ground wobble and rise up beneath her. She slumped into the chair, grabbing onto the table with shaking hands.
What the fuck? Just what the hell– There was suddenly, once again, the feeling of being a fly in a web, a chess piece on a checkered board. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t escape the eyes that could see her every move or push her in the direction decreed by fate.
“Why?” Kayla managed to grit out the question in a steady voice.
“Because you are a nullification mage. This information was meant for you to begin with, of course you should be the only one to access it,” Wei Guang explained.
“How the hell would you even have–I wasn’t even a nullification mage before!” Kayla stopped, not knowing how to explain anything. Did Wei Guang know who she really was? Was all of this part of some plan?
To her horror, Wei Guang chuckled. She stared at him with blank confusion, cold sweat beading on her neck.
“What are you laughing about?!” Kayla demanded.
“What a silly thought, how can someone suddenly become a nullification mage? You were born one, just like any other magic user,” Wei Guang laughed. “This is a secret, of course. The only ones who know are your parents, me, and now, you.”
What the fuck?!
“Excuse me,” Kayla said, forcing herself into some semblance of calmness. “What are you talking about? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
Calm down, he doesn’t know anything, you’ve faced worse than this before! Stay calm! Kayla repeated the words like a mantra in her head, willing her mental turbulence into a more manageable state.
Wei Guang’s face grew somber. “Indeed, you were not meant to know of it. A child should not be given such a burden. Nullification mages are rare, far too rare. We feared that you would become the weapon of the powerful, whether it be the Grand Duke or the palace, and suffer greatly as a result. To protect you, we sealed your abilities when you were still a swaddled infant, and your parents were meant to tell you the truth when you became twenty-five, upon which you could then decide what choice to make. Your parents have already passed, so it falls upon me to do so. To my surprise, you had already uncovered your own abilities. I do not know what had undone the seal, but it must have been a very powerful magic shock.”
Right, something like time travel and soul magic should’ve done the trick. Kayla felt like she was swimming through a garbled mess of thoughts. She couldn’t tell if Wei Guang was telling the truth, but at this point, it didn’t seem like he had any reason to lie. He had kept this secret for twenty-five years, and the secret of the Imperial Princess’ investigation as well.
“I…I don’t know what to think,” Kayla said, buying herself some more time to think things through.
Wenyuan doesn’t know about this, the Grand Duke and the palace don’t seem to know either, is it true then? Or is it a trap? I can’t verify the truth about the first layer of enchantments, but the Empress Dowager seems to really think that it’s just the Princess’ magical research.
“I can understand your surprise,” Wei Guang said sympathetically. “It is my fault for not having eased you into it, I should have started a long time ago.” His look of pity grated on her nerves.
“Why didn’t you?” Kayla asked, carefully maintaining a neutral tone. “You never approached me after my mother’s death, all the way until you left for your mourning period, you didn’t so much as show any sign of knowing I existed. Was it truly just because you thought me hopeless at politics?”
“That was a mistake on my part,” Wei Guang lamented.
One that lasted for years, evidently, Kayla kept that to herself, silently listening as Wei Guang continued on.
“For one, I didn’t want the palace or the Grand Duke to suspect anything. The less exceptional you were, the more likely you were to survive. That, and there was the problem of your disposition. I had thought that given your personality, you would be better off not knowing anything.”
Kayla said nothing, patiently waiting for him to elaborate. Seeing that she wasn’t about to budge from the topic, Wei Guang sighed.
“There were two major concerns I had for how you would turn out,” Wei Guang said in a heavy voice. “One was that as a member of high nobility, you would grow arrogant and overconfident, and be unable to withstand humiliation. That would make it impossible for you to achieve anything, and further, it would make it difficult for you to survive the fall of the Zhao clan. As for the second concern…”
He trailed off, stroking his beard pensively.
“Please go on, Your Grace. There’s no need to mince words for my sake,” Kayla said politely.
“The second concern, which later grew to be my main worry, was that you would grow into a weak-hearted man who took humiliation as favor. In many ways, that would be even worse than the first option,” Wei Guang said.
Humiliation as favor? Is that what you thought of Wenyuan? Kayla stared at him in disbelief for a moment before hastily collecting her expression.
Kayla stomped down on the ragged edges of rage growing inside her stomach.
“And did Your Grace believe me to have such qualities?” Kayla asked. She kept an expression of thoughtful curiosity, careful not to seem offended.
Wei Guang gave a deep sigh, looking away from her. It was answer enough.
Wow, seriously, you old $%^&*%R! Kayla gave a garbled stream of curses inside her head, letting out a dry laugh.
“What a bunch of bullshit,” Kayla mumbled in English.
“What was that?” Wei Guang asked, creasing his brow.
Kayla looked up at him innocently, giving a small smile. “Oh, it’s nothing. But rather, please allow me to ask you this, Your Grace. What makes you think I’m suitable now? You even gave me access to the fruits of my mother’s arduous labor, and now you’re willingly offering me such important information.”
“As I said before, it was because you gained the ambition and the spine necessary to achieve great things,” Wei Guang replied. He paused, looking at Kayla’s frozen expression of polite friendliness. “It seems that I’ve upset you, I apologize.”
“Not at all, Your Grace. But I have to admit, I find this situation a little laughable.” Kayla said calmly. There was a quiet bubbling inside her chest that she vaguely recognized as protective fury.
Rather than fight it down, Kayla chose to go along with it. Wei Guang was sentimental, that much she was certain of, there was just the issue of how to grab hold of that in order to solidify his support. Kayla needed a powerful backing she could rely on, someone who wasn’t the cunning and ruthless Empress Dowager or the affectionate but unreliable Emperor.
I’m just getting Wenyuan what he already deserved, Kayla assured herself.
“It’s not that I just suddenly gained these qualities that make me worthy of your approval, I was always this kind of person,” she said calmly.
Wenyuan was always good enough, you asshole.
“It was merely that no one ever thought to tell me that it was alright for me to go against the Grand Duke, against the man I’d thought was my grandfather for my entire life. No one taught me that I was allowed to combat evil wherever I found it, even if that was my own household.”
No one ever taught Wenyuan it was alright to fight back, that he was allowed to resent the Grand Duke. Even the palace would look the other way when he was abused, what the fuck does this guy even think Wenyuan could have done?!
“My parents, my teachers, everyone only ever told me to have filial piety, to respect him, to forgive him all his wrongs. Even when he was violent, even when he used me as a tool and a puppet, I always thought that I had to forgive him. I had to be brought to the brink of death before I realized that no one would protect me, that for me to live, he would have to die.”
Wei Guang’s face changed several shades at Kayla’s last sentence, opening his mouth before firmly closing it shut. Kayla ignored him and went on, determined to argue Wenyuan’s case.
“I’ve never taken humiliation for favor. I’ve always known it for what it was, it was everyone around me who kept telling me that it was my due share. I do not mind if you berate me for my current faults, but you should not misunderstand my past mistakes. The Zhao Wenyuan I was back then was a far better person than I am now,” Kayla said.
Wenyuan was the better person, she was the better politician. He had more virtue and she had more vigor. It didn’t exactly speak well of Kayla’s character that she was the one who was more welcome among the vipers of the court, and Kayla had never doubted that.
After a long silence, Wei Guang met her gaze with a look of regret.
“I see. It is as you say, much of this…” Wei Guang sighed again, shaking his head. “I admit that my negligence played a great role in all this. Should you have had my support from the start, who knows how far you would’ve gone by now?”
Kayla carefully watched his reaction, ascertaining that he was genuinely remorseful. She breathed out shakily, giving him a stair to step down on. It was time to start reeling in the line.
“I spoke rudely, Your Grace. I do not mean to blame you, there are many people who could have intervened, and not a single one did so. It is not fair to place the fault at your feet. Rather, unlike those who use me for their own purposes or those who would gladly see me dead, you have approached me with generosity and an open heart. If anything, I am grateful to have your support.”
The palace, for one, should’ve done something a long time ago.
Her words had their intended effect. Wei Guang looked even more guilty than he did before, and his eyes shone as he looked at her.
“You’ve suffered great injustices,” Wei Guang murmured.
Kayla didn’t respond, lowering her head as though to hide an aggrieved expression.
Wei Guang shook his head sadly.
”I've left you to drag yourself down this difficult path alone until now, but you’ll have my full support from here on,” Wei Guang promised. “And whatever answers you seek, I will respond with complete honesty. I swear this on the honor of my ancestors and my entire clan.”
Kayla decided to drive it home. She stared at him with an expression of disbelief and slowly got to her feet as though in a state of shock. After a beat, Kayla acted as though she had only just processed the words being said and dropped to her knees, bowing her head.
“Your Grace, this kindness is far beyond what I deserve. This junior is deeply grateful!”
Wei Guang hastily grabbed Kayla by the arm, pulling her up.
“Don’t say such things! I have no children, but from now on, I will help you as I would my own son. Would you be willing to accept?” Wei Guang asked, his voice taut with emotion.
“Your Grace, I would be eternally grateful to honor you as a teacher and father,” Kayla replied.
Wei Guang looked at her, evidently touched. “From now on, there’s no need to use any titles between us. You can just address me as your godfather when we’re in private.”
Jackpot. Kayla bowed her head.
“Godfather, then this one will be in your care from now on.”