Night had fallen upon the capital when An Haoyang was finally released from the Bureau. Thankfully, Qu Boyong’s constant reminders to be careful, careful, and even more careful had paid off, and An Haoyang was cleared of suspicion.
An Haoyang let out a deep sigh. The days he had spent under internal investigation were crucial to the timing of the young lord’s plot. If anything was to go wrong, it would be at this point. He made his way across the rooftops, heading to the rendezvous point. Qu Boyong’s new base of operations was further from the Bureau and went through routes that An Haoyang usually never took.
There was a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye, and An Haoyang instinctively threw a knife in its direction, whirling around with his sword drawn. A masked man blocked the knife with an expensive sword, stumbling a little as he caught his balance.
“Hey, what the hell? I’m not doing anything!” Hu Qing protested, his irritation radiating through his facial coverings. An Haoyang frowned, glancing the stranger over. Not recognizing him and unwilling to dally further, An Haoyang gave a cold dismissal before moving to take his knife back and leave.
To his surprise, the masked man didn’t leave even after running into an Imperial Investigator while committing what was clearly a speed limit violation for rooftop travel but rather moved to block his path.
“What do you want?” An Haoyang demanded.
Hu Qing snorted. “You were the one who threw a knife at me! What the hell do you want?”
“You surprised me, what else did you expect me to do?” An Haoyang asked irritably, side-stepping Hu Qing.
“Alright, fine, but hold on a minute, would you?” Hu Qing protested. An Haoyang ignored him and went to grab the knife. Hu Qing hastily stepped before him.
“Something about you seems a little familiar,” Hu Qing said, insistently blocking An Haoyang’s way.
An Haoyang threw him a stony glare. “We’ve never met, I’m certain of it.”
“Oh, that’s for sure,” Hu Qing agreed. An Haoyang gave him a look of disbelief.
“Then what the hell is your problem?”
Hu Qing smiled. “Something about you reminds me of another person, a rat I’ve been wanting to hunt for a while now. I wonder if it’s just a coincidence?”
“It must be, now leave me alone. I have places to be,” An Haoyang snapped, making to leave. Hu Qing blocked his way yet again, raising a hand to stop him.
“Don’t be like that, won’t you entertain me for just a second now? You’re an off-duty Investigator, aren’t you?” Hu Qing asked.
“If you know that, then you should know better than to be blocking my way like this! You’re lucky I don’t arrest you right here and now!” An Haoyang shoved away Hu Qing’s arm.
The other man laughed, a crisp sound of genuine amusement that made An Haoyang turn back to give him a wary look. Hu Qing met his eyes, smiling uncannily.
“Hey, since you’re an investigator, then do you know who Qu Boyong is?” Hu Qing asked.
An Haoyang’s blood ran cold.
Who the hell is this man?
“I’ve not heard of that name,” An Haoyang said with a frown. Hu Qing tilted his head.
“You haven’t?” Hu Qing chuckled, rankling An Haoyang’s nerves. “But you don’t strike me as a servant of the state, you seem to have a different master.”
“A baseless accusation! You speak to offend, one more word and I’ll arrest you,” An Haoyang grit out.
“You could’ve done so a while ago. The only reason you haven’t is that you’re in a rush to get somewhere, aren’t you?” Hu Qing asked, stepping closer. “To your master, perhaps?”
Just who the fuck is this annoying bastard?!
An Haoyang drew his sword, its sharp sound echoing in the night air as the blade scraped out against the scabbard. “You piece of shit, I’ve had enough of you!”
Hu Qing wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. “Oh no, are you going to fight me? I’m so scared!” He playfully raised his hands in mock surrender.
An Haoyang swung his blade, anger bubbling up unbidden. Hu Qing jumped back, pulling out his own sword with a grin as An Haoyang launched a second attack. Hu Qing barely attacked, completely on the defensive as he blocked and evaded An Haoyang. They crossed several rooftops as Hu Qing continued to be driven back, until he was finally forced to land heavily on a newly-tiled roof, breaking one of its tiles.
The two glanced at the broken tile and then at each other before launching into a high-speed chase. A sound that loud would have been noticed, and their only way of continuing the fight would be to make distance from the disturbance as fast as possible, trying to gain an upper hand against their opponent as they did so.
An Haoyang pursued confidently, never ceasing his attacks even as they dashed across the rooftops. His opponent wasn’t a match for him, and it was only a matter of time before An Haoyang could defeat him.
Hu Qing made a sound of distress as he dodged a blow by a hair’s width, eyes wide with the blank horror of facing an untimely death. But the next second, the look was replaced with a feral grin. Hu Qing’s sword came up, knocking away An Haoyang’s sword and nearly slicing off his arm.
Startled, An Haoyang leaped back. His mask fell, having been knocked loose by Hu Qing’s sword. An Haoyang glared with disbelief at Hu Qing’s smirk.
“You bastard,” An Haoyang hissed. “You were just messing around?!”
This man’s seen my face, there’s no way I can let him leave alive anymore, An Haoyang thought grimly to himself. The problem was whether he would be able to kill his opponent without incurring serious damage himself.
Hu Qing straightened, rolling his shoulders with an air of self-assurance.
“Interesting fighting style, at least I know who your sparring partner is now,” Hu Qing said with a look of unbearable smugness.
“What?”
“That Qu Boyong isn’t as strong as you, but he certainly has better techniques,” Hu Qing said. “Hey, are you guys related or something?”
An Haoyang moved so fast his motions were a blur, his sword slashing at Hu Qing’s neck. The blow never landed, Hu Qing leaped back lightly with a confident grin.
“How much money does it take to buy an Imperial Investigator? Seriously, tell me how much they’re paying you so I can squeeze more out of my master as well,” Hu Qing said with mock curiosity.
“Piece of shit!” An Haoyang succumbed to rage, moving to attack again.
“Seriously, who is it? The Grand Duke? The Third Prince? Fifth Prince? Seventh Prince?” Hu Qing asked, his voice unaffected even as he fled. The two came to a full stop as Hu Qing suddenly whirled back and blocked An Haoyang’s blow with a forceful strike, facing each other across a roof.
“You fool, you don’t know what’s good for you! Daring to attack an Investigator, you must have eaten a bear’s heart or a leopard’s gall!” An Haoyang snarled at him, his heels digging into the rooftop.
Hu Qing tilted his head curiously. “No way…is your master Qu Boyong?”
“Don’t talk nonsense, I’ve never heard of that man!” An Haoyang snapped. “I’ve had enough of you, die!”
He knows of the young lord…could he be the one who the young lord met last time? The man from the Liang clan?
If this was Zhao Wenyuan’s personal retainer, then it was even more reason why he couldn’t be allowed to leave alive.
Across the roof, Hu Qing regarded him with amusement.
“No way, it’s actually Qu Boyong? That guy?” Hu Qing asked, barely suppressing his laughter.
An Haoyang bristled at his tone. It was enough confirmation.
Hu Qing raised an eyebrow slightly, just enough to convey his amused disdain.
“Oh, so that’s the lord you’re sworn to?” Hu Qing asked, mockingly entertained. He bit back a chuckle. “Alright. Well, that’s certainly quite a choice.” Hu Qing failed to restrain his second burst of laughter.
An Haoyang bristled in rage.
“You bastard, I’ll seriously kill you!”
“As if you could!” Hu Qing crowed, thoroughly enjoying himself.
The two clashed again with a flurry of blows, their blades flashing with moonlight as they furiously aimed for each other’s vitals. Slowly but surely, Hu Qing was gaining the upper hand. He wasn’t dodging any of the non-vital blows, allowing them to land without flinching to avoid slowing down his attacks.
An Haoyang leaped back from a swing of the sword that nearly lodged into his upper arm, only to immediately take a dagger hilt-deep in the shoulder as Hu Qing pulled out a second weapon seemingly from nowhere.
He let out a grunt of pain, stumbling over his steps. An Haoyang only barely blocked Hu Qing’s stab at his neck. Panic was beginning to set in. Hu Qing had numerous injuries, but they were all minor ones, while An Haoyang was off his balance and had lost momentum. Between the two of them, it was beginning to seem that Hu Qing would be the one to leave on his feet.
It was obvious that Hu Qing knew this as well, but there was no glint of triumph or smugness that An Haoyang could take advantage of, only steely eyes that flashed cold with killing intent.
“Shit!” An Haoyang lost even more ground, and Hu Qing continued to attack without pause. He stumbled again and crashed onto the roof with a heavy thud, several roof tiles crunching beneath him. It was only by instinct and sheer force of will that An Haoyang managed to throw himself into a shoulder roll and dodge Hu Qing’s sword as it swung down on him.
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An Haoyang braced himself for another attack, but both of them came to a stop at a familiar sound in the distance that sounded like a bird call. Hu Qing glared down at An Haoyang, knowing that it was over. He wouldn’t have the time needed to completely wear down An Haoyang’s defenses, not without getting caught by the soon-to-be incoming Investigators.
Hu Qing threw his hands up in exasperation before swiftly yanking out the dagger in An Haoyang’s shoulder to tuck back into his own belt, eliciting a pained yelp from his opponent.
“You little-”
“Oh, look, it’s the Bureau’s Night Watch,” Hu Qing said, sarcastically acting surprised as he gestured dramatically into the distance. “Guess they noticed because you’re too fucking loud!”
“As if you’re any better! You were clomping all over the rooftops!” An Haoyang hissed.
“Yeah, whatever man. Fuck you.” Hu Qing’s adrenaline-fueled rage was dissipating already, leaving An Haoyang stewing alone in his anger. They both stepped back, increasing the distance between them while keeping a watchful eye on the horizon for the Bureau, which would inevitably start giving chase if they stuck around any longer. Each activated a talisman to clean up the scene as they moved backward.
An Haoyang grit his teeth, pressing onto the bleeding wound on his shoulder.
Hu Qing kept his sword trained on An Haoyang with none of the usual amusement he held in store for bantering with his opponents.
“If we meet again, I’ll kill you for sure,” Hu Qing said. An Haoyang glared back.
“Bastard, the same goes for you!” An Haoyang snapped. The two watched each other in tense silence for another moment before they simultaneously took off in opposite directions, An Haoyang grabbing his discarded throwing knife as he left.
By the time the Imperial Investigator got to the scene, there was nothing but a few freshly-repaired tiles on the roof.
----------------------------------------
The night was deep and the building quiet, but Kayla was still in her office. She had been scheduled to meet with the Emperor that noon, only to be told after getting there that the Emperor was no longer available. The head eunuch had been awfully apologetic, and from his slightly harried expression and meaningful glance, Kayla guessed that something had probably gone down in the Inner Palace.
I just hope it wasn’t related to Consort Zhao. Kayla gave a silent prayer of gratitude that she hadn’t transmigrated into a concubine or consort, where she would have been doomed to deal with harem politics even more convoluted and deadly than the court.
Respect to the ladies, but I would not want to be you.
Between heading over to the palace and making her way back, Kayla had taken quite a while in the middle of the workday, so she had no choice but to do overtime.
I’m doing extra hours even more than I did back in my world, Kayla complained to herself as she tried to focus bleary eyes on a scroll she had to stamp and approve. A knock on her door provided a welcome distraction. At this point, only a few stragglers were left, including Chen Caichun.
“Apologies for the disturbance, Minister,” Chen Caichun’s voice called.
“Come on in,” Kayla said. The door swung open, and Caichun stepped through.
“Minister,” she greeted him politely.
“Chamberlain Chen, what’s the matter? You should really head home, it’s too late for a young girl to be walking through the streets alone,” Kayla said.
“Thank you for your concern, Minister. My brother’s getting off his shift soon, so he’s picking me up,” Caichun replied. “There’s a guest hoping to see you.”
Kayla frowned. “What, at this hour?”
Caichun bowed her head slightly. “It is Left Secretariat Sun, it seems he forgot to fill out a few forms before he left and needs your stamp on them.”
Kayla immediately realized it was an excuse.
Sun Ruhui is a careful man, but he’s coming straight to my office? It must be important.
“Understood, please let him in,” Kayla said. Caichun bowed her head and left, returning soon after with Sun Ruhui in tow.
“This one humbly greets the Minister,” Sun Ruhui said politely, bowing his head. Caichun quietly took her leave, closing the door behind her.
“No need for formalities, how can I help you?” Kayla asked as she got up from the desk to slap a variety of privacy talismans everywhere. Most of the talismans were primarily used by young women or bathhouses, having been supplied by Caichun. Sun Ruhui quickly moved to help. Once they were satisfied with the protective measures, Kayla nodded for Sun Ruhui to speak.
“My lord, I fear that I come bearing bad news,” Sun Ruhui said gravely.
Kayla sucked in a deep breath. “Go on.”
“There is currently an ongoing case at the Ministry of Justice involving a pregnant woman by the name of Ji Fangluo, who is petitioning for the wrongful seizure of her father’s property by members of the City Guard,” Sun Ruhui said.
Kayla gave him a curious look. “Is there something strange about it?”
Sun Ruhui nodded somberly. “The strange thing is that Minister Liang and Right Secretariat Zhang are working together on this case, very closely, without any sign of discord. And more importantly, I have been excluded completely from anything regarding this case.”
“The Left Secretariat has clearance for anything in the archives or current dockets,” Kayla said. “Why are they keeping this case from you? Is it related to the Zhao clan?”
Sun Ruhui shook his head. “No. I managed to piece together the basic gist of the case, and none of it seems to be related to the Zhao clan, at least not yet. From what I’ve observed of their countenance while whispering about this case, I would say that both of them are under pressure to investigate thoroughly, but none of them know what they’re going to find.”
“Both of them are under pressure? Could it be the palace?” Kayla asked.
“If it were truly from the palace, they would be fighting openly or secretly even more than usual. How could they allow their faction’s merit to be divided with their opponents?” Sun Ruhui pointed out.
“I trust your observation skills, but what does this mean?” Kayla began pacing the room as she spoke, unable to stay still.
Sun Ruhui bowed his head. “I did some of my own digging, my lord. And Ji Fangluo’s father is Ji Yantao. Do you recognize that name?”
“I’ve never heard of him.”
“Ji Yantao was an accountant for the Xiang clan,” Sun Ruhui replied. Kayla froze mid-step, whirling to face him.
“Qu Boyong,” she hissed. “Damn it! So this was what he was aiming for, everything else was only a smokescreen!”
Kayla had expected some sort of plot to reveal the Grand Duke’s crimes, but hadn’t realized Qu Boyong would go through the Ministry of Justice. It was possible for her to foil a plot, but there was only so much she could do to intervene in an investigation, especially when Sun Ruhui was being locked out of it.
“What do you think we should do? It’s clear he has some sort of hold over both Minister Liang and Right Secretariat Zhang, but surely both of them would have sought their faction’s help?” Kayla asked.
“We suspected Qu Boyong of having help from the Imperial Investigator’s Bureau, did we not? Perhaps his hold is over the princes and not their men.”
“Then there’s nothing we can do?” Kayla asked.
“That is not the case. First, rooting out Qu Boyong’s man in the Imperial Investigation Bureau and publicly tying Ji Fangluo would force the case to be re-evaluated, and the Court of Judicial Review would also have an excuse to step in. Second, the princes may still be convinced if they believe that you would cover for them. However, if it is not that they were threatened but rather promised something, then this will not be possible. The final option is the most important one, and one that I would recommend to you regardless of whether Qu Boyong was present or not,” Sun Ruhui said.
He sighed, steeling himself. “The Xiang clan’s case has forced me to bring it up to you earlier than I originally wished to, but I hope that you can hear me out and know that I mean no offense.”
Kayla looked him over with an evaluating glance, frowning at his words.
“Please go ahead,” Kayla replied after a moment of thoughtful silence.
“You have done what you can with the brush, now it is time to raise the sword,” Sun Ruhui said.
“I can’t kill Qu Boyong,” Kayla protested.
“I didn’t ask you to kill him. Rather, you ought to turn the sword against your true enemy,” Sun Ruhui replied. Kayla felt her stomach twist as she realized what he really meant.
“Are there any other options?” Kayla asked. “I have his cousin as a hostage, will he really ignore that?”
Sun Ruhui bowed his head. “As I mentioned, this is an option I would have recommended regardless of whether Qu Boyong had acted or not. It is the only path that leads to the survival of the Zhao clan.”
“You mean to say I have no way out of this without bloodshed?!” Kayla demanded.
“It is not that you have missed a chance or made a wrong decision, but that this situation could never have been resolved without bloodshed from the start,” Sun Ruhui patiently explained. “The only question is whose blood should paint the path to your future.”
“Say no more,” Kayla said, her voice coming out sharper than she had intended as she cut Sun Ruhui off before he could get to his point. “I understand your meaning very clearly.”
“My lord,” Sun Ruhi began to say, falling silent as Kayla held out a hand to stop him.
“The Grand Duke must die, that is what you wish to say, correct? It is not as though I have not thought of it myself, but you must understand that this is not an easy choice to make,” Kayla said, her voice deceptively calm.
“I understand, my lord,” Sun Ruhui replied. “I know that my words upset you, especially since you were raised under his roof, and bear the greatest risks of this act. To kill one’s family is not a task that should be asked of any man, but what other choice do you have? Do not blame me for my forwardness, as Confucius said, ‘If you love someone, how can you not labor for their sake? If you are loyal to someone, how can you not advise them against mistakes?’ Even if it distresses you, I must still say my part.”
Kayla’s expression softened. Sun Ruhui was one of the few people who was genuinely invested in not screwing her over.
“It is not that I disagree, Left Secretariat. I know you’re saying this for my sake. Thanks to my ineptitude, the situation has progressed to the point where I must choose between morality and the survival of the Zhao clan. At least within this Emperor’s reign, my own survival is already spoken for, but once there is a change on the throne, then the Grand Duke’s crimes can sign my death warrant,” Kayla said. “Truth to be told, I have been turning this issue over in my head for some time.”
“And what do you think, my lord? This is a decision that only you can make–and that only you should make. Something of this level must not be handed off to a subordinate, no matter how tempting it is to do so,” Sun Ruhui cautioned her. “Once you do it once, there will never be an end to it. Even as I myself may stand to benefit from your trust, this is something I must warn you about. If you give someone the right to make a major decision without your input even a single time, they will feel qualified to continue doing so, and resentful if you retract that right. Just as it is between Emperor and subject, so it is for masters and their retainers, more so since you do not have the layers of rites and the mandate of heaven to protect you from the consequences.”
“I know, he must die, and I must be the one to order it,” Kayla sighed. “But it goes against every code of morality to murder one’s kin! I will be condemned for it!”
“To refuse to kill a single man only to take the life of hundreds cannot be said to be a wise decision,” Sun Ruhui warned her. “If he does not die, the entirety of the Zhao clan must. And do you think that those seeking power and profit would not take advantage of the chaos to drag their rivals under by claiming they had connections with the Zhao? Once the bloodhound is unleashed, you cannot quench its lust for death. It will be completely outside of your control by then. You may emerge unscathed, but at what cost? This can be done quietly, just as Hu Qing’s rightful position was taken from him without so much as a ripple. If there is enough benefit to be gained, the court will not say a thing.”
Kayla stilled, pausing her pacing as she looked at Sun Ruhui with an evaluating glance. “So you think I should do it.”
Sun Ruhui nodded. “I believe that is the right decision. A man of your ability should not limit himself to small rules and in doing so fail to accomplish greater achievements for all under heaven. But what is your stance on this?”
Kayla took a deep breath. “It’s the only option I have. Assassination is not the way to go, that’s for sure. It needs to be a way that gives everyone enough face so they’re willing to leave things be. That is, he must die by his own hand.”
Sun Ruhui nodded. “That is what I think as well.”
“The problem is that he will not kill himself, he has no shame. He would rather destroy the entire clan than let himself suffer even the slightest disgrace,” Kayla said in exasperation. “He only lives for himself, he will not die for anyone’s sake.”
Sun Ruhui shook his head with a wry smile. “How many concubines willingly follow their husbands in death? How many consorts drink poison of their own volition after angering the Emperor? So long as you have enough control over the circumstances, then it is suicide.”
Kayla raised her eyebrows, giving Sun Ruhui an impressed look. “Sun Ruhui, I’m glad you’re on my side.”
Sun Ruhui bowed his head with perfect propriety.
“When should I act and how should I do it?” Kayla asked. “I cannot involve any outsiders in this, there are only so many resources available to me, and so much available to the Grand Duke.”
“The chance will come, my lord,” Sun Ruhui assured her. “In the meantime, you must turn the rest of the clan against him and the others who bear guilt.”
Kayla silently accepted her fate and sat down, gesturing for Sun Ruhui to sit next to her.
“Alright then. Tell me more.”