Character Index
Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Younger brother of Minister Liang and rightful heir to the Liang clan, he was formerly responsible for doing the dirty work for the Liang clan, and later the Seventh Prince's faction under Liu Boyue's orders. He now works for Kayla, mostly for entertainment.
Wei Guang: Imperial Edict Bearer and head of the Hanlin Academy, he served as the "moderator" for the previous generation of princes, ensuring their survival past the succession struggle, currently supporting Kayla/Wenyuan, having claimed them as his godson.
Qu Boyong: Son of the Princess of Chu and General Xiang, he formerly worked as Kayla's servant while undercover in the Zhao household. He has now embarked on his revenge plot against the Grand Duke, pretending to flee the capital in order to confuse his enemies.
An Haoyang: A retainer of the Xiang clan, working undercover as an Imperial Investigator. He has provided information to Qu Boyong over the years, and recently pretended to leave the capital to confuse his enemies.
Zhao Wei: Current Minister of War, and one of Wenyuan's relatives. Generation-wise, he counts among Wenyuan's uncles, though the actual family ties are much more complicated than that.
Zhou Kuang: The Third Prince, one of the primary contenders for the throne. Son of the Noble Consort, who comes from a prominent military clan. Currently seeking out Qu Boyong due to his implication in the poisoning of Yunqi's maternal cousin.
Zhou Yunqi: The Fifth Prince, close with Kuang and one of his primary supporters. Currently withdrawn from court politics to take the heat off his mother the Wise Consort and his maternal relatives the Shu clan, a prominent military clan concentrated in the Northeast. Seeking out Qu Boyong due to his implication in the poisoning of Yunqi's maternal cousin.
Hu Weizhi: Minister of Public Works and a member of the neutral faction, he was the head of the traditionalists and was unwilling to cooperate with Kayla/acknowledge her as the new head of the neutral faction until realizing how deep the waters were, thanks to Wei Guang's "gentle persuasion".
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Kayla frowned thoughtfully as she listened to Hu Qing’s report. She was still in Wei Guang’s household despite it having been two days since she’d whisked away Xianchun’s spies. Wei Guang was more than happy to keep Kayla over on the pretense of familial traditions for the ritual of claiming a godson. Wei Guang’s hometown indeed had a tradition for three days of ritual fasting in which the godson resided in the home of their new godparents after the relationship was established, so the excuse could withstand scrutiny when people inevitably questioned why Kayla was going to Wei Guang’s place after work instead of to the Zhao household.
Kayla had to admit that it was nice to have an environment without the ever-present threat of death or injury from the Grand Duke, especially after having done something that was sure to stir the old man into a rage.
“So the bad news is that the Grand Duke has a complete set of protections against assassinations,” Hu Qing said. “Poison-detecting spells on his tableware, on his outer robes, on his inner robes, I personally think he’s a bit too paranoid, even the Imperial Princes don’t do it to this degree. He’s constantly accompanied by guards, and he has trained professionals from my occupation on hand at a moment’s call, which doesn’t give us too many advantages.”
“So it’s basically impossible to do it subtly. What’s the good news?” Kayla asked.
“I didn’t say there was any,” Hu Qing replied. “In fact, I have more bad news for you. Qu Boyong and an Imperial Investigator, the guy with the Chu Poem name, An Haoyang, were both seen leaving the capital a few days ago and they haven’t shown up since.”
“There’s no way he’d just give up,” Kayla said with a frown.
“That’s why it’s bad news,” Hu Qing agreed.
“Anything else?” Kayla asked.
“Oh yes, of course, there’s more,” Hu Qing went on. “Zhao Wei’s quietly getting ready to resign, along with the rest of the implicated staff members from the Ministry of War. Last night he went to go see the Grand Duke and got smacked in the face in front of several other clan members. He left in a bad mood and called in sick today.”
Kayla scrunched her brow. “That’s not bad news, is it?”
Hu Qing shrugged. “Well, everyone knows the Grand Duke’s furious with you, again, so even if they don’t know what it’s about, they definitely think you’re to blame for any damage they take.”
Kayla shook her head in disbelief. “That’s ridiculous! Are they seriously going to blame me for not being present to serve as a punching bag?”
On second thought, they would.
“That won’t do,” Kayla muttered. “I’ve sent out a few letters, but it seems I’ll need to write one for everyone who was present. Do you have the names?”
“Of course,” Hu Qing handed her a rolled-up piece of paper, a faint look of amusement on his face. “It seems I’ve brought you a piece of good news after all.”
“Convincing the members of the Zhao clan won’t be too difficult, most of them are sure to be terrified now that the Ministry of War’s slipped from the Grand Duke’s control,” Kayla said calmly. “None of them are exactly men of loyalty and integrity whose standing can’t be shaken, or they wouldn’t have relied on the Grand Duke to begin with. What I’m truly worried about is Qu Boyong. Why did he leave?”
“I don’t believe he would really leave. In fact, I don’t believe he even plans on going to Henan,” Hu Qing scoffed. “It’s probably a tactic to confuse our eyes and ears.”
“Does he have any connections left in the Chu region?” Kayla pondered. “More importantly, does he have any support in Dengzhou?”
“You are thinking too highly of him, my lord. If he had that ability, then why did he have to personally infiltrate the Zhao household?” Hu Qing pointed out.
“Then what?” Kayla asked. “Is he skipping town to avoid Kuang and Yunqi’s anger?”
It would make sense, given the situation. Qu Boyong was wanted by three of the four major factions in the capital and didn’t have even a fraction of the resources that his opponents did. The smart thing to do would be to skip town and lie low, rather than go around with a target painted on his back.
“Perhaps he’s still in the city,” Hu Qing replied. “There isn’t any confirmation that they continued towards Henan and Dengzhou after leaving the capital, they very well could’ve returned in disguise so as to confound us.”
Kayla sighed. “That’s also very likely. Let’s proceed with that scenario for now, but also keep an ear out for anything that happens in Dengzhou and Henan.”
Hu Qing nodded. He opened his mouth to say something but fell quiet as someone came down the corridor. A knock sounded on the door.
“Minister, apologies for disturbing you, but the master has requested you to join him at Minister Hu’s household,” a servant said.
“Of course, I’ll get ready right away,” Kayla replied. Wei Guang had left earlier to discuss the Ministry of Revenue with the traditionalists, asking Kayla to stay behind until he had whipped them into line enough to have a proper discussion. Unsurprisingly, that hadn’t taken too long. Hu Qing followed Kayla out of the Inner Quarters and to the gates.
A carriage was ready by the time Kayla had gotten to the main entrance, several of Wei Guang’s household guards waiting around it.
“I think it’s fine for you to go first,” Kayla said quietly to Hu Qing, who nodded and began to move away.
“Minister, your cloak,” a servant called out, scurrying forward with the cloak Wei Guang had gifted her the day before. He was a mousy man Kayla had seen once in the Outer Quarters, likely trying to curry favor with his master’s new godson.
“Oh, thank you,” Kayla said, not paying too much attention as she reached out to take it. The servant hesitated, halfway to putting it on Kayla’s shoulders.
Well, alright then. Kayla stood still and allowed the servant to put the cloak on for her. Just as it was about to land on her shoulders, Hu Qing dashed back with a shout of alarm. Kayla jolted as Hu Qing shoved his way between them, grabbing the servant’s arm. Hu Qing twisted the servant’s arm, forcing the man to his knees.
What the hell?! Kayla hastily backed away, giving Hu Qing a shocked look.
“Bastard! Who sent you?!” Hu Qing demanded. The servant gave an incoherent screech of pain, the cloak dropping to the floor.
“What’s the matter?” Kayla asked in alarm.
“There was a needle in the collar of the robe,” Hu Qing replied tersely. Kayla glanced down at the collar, flinching as she saw the long needle nestled in the hem of the collar.
What the fuck? Kayla leaned down and reached out to take a closer look at it.
“Don’t touch that! It’s probably poisoned,” Hu Qing warned her. Kayla obediently stepped back.
Wei Guang’s guards rushed forward, picking up the cloak and dragging away the servant.
“Take that man to the holding cells of the Court of Judicial Review, make sure he doesn’t kill himself!” Kayla ordered. “Tell the guards there that I’ve ordered to keep him under careful watch until I arrive, no one is allowed to take him from the holding cell without my express permission, no matter who sends them. If I get there to find that he’s missing, dead, or unable to speak, I’ll hold every man on duty tonight accountable.” Waving off their bows and apologies, she turned towards Hu Qing uneasily.
“What do you think?” Kayla asked.
Hu Qing grimaced. “He’s not a professional. Someone’s serious about killing you, and I think we both know who it’s most likely to be. From now on, be careful to shake out your clothes before you put them on, and test your food and drink for poison. Also, don’t get on any carriages until I’ve checked them.”
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“That bad?”
Hu Qing nodded. “This is the Imperial Edict Bearer’s household and they’ve managed to get someone to do this. It’s about time you made your move as well, my lord. Just say the word and I can act.”
Kayla shook her head. “We don’t have an opportunity yet.”
“Don’t be so concerned with the details, anything can be made to go away afterward,” Hu Qing urged her. “You could always just lockdown the entire household and go from there.”
Kayla let out a deep sigh, glancing in the direction the servant had been dragged off towards.
“It seems that we don’t have any other options,” she murmured. “Let’s act as soon as possible.”
“As you wish,” Hu Qing replied. Kayla moved towards the carriage, gesturing for Hu Qing to check it for her. He chuckled in disbelief.
“You’re still going?” Hu Qing asked.
“Why? Should I not? I’ll have to head to the Court of Judicial Review right after this, but there’s no sense in wasting my godfather’s efforts,” Kayla replied. She didn’t want to give someone the satisfaction of having scared her off, nor did she want to stir up a fuss and get the palace involved before Kayla could get some sense of what was going on. There was also the chance that it would frighten the traditionalists into backing down or withdrawing their support, and Kayla wasn’t about to take that risk.
Hu Qing laughed again, shaking his head. “Whatever suits you.” He turned towards the horseman, who was nervously watching them from his place at the head of the carriage. “To Minister Hu’s residence.”
Grabbing one of the guards’ horses, Hu Qing rode next to the carriage, keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings. He went in with Kayla once they arrived at Hu Weizhi’s household, ignoring the odd glances he got from the servants.
“Could you send someone to the Court of Judicial Review ahead of us? I don’t feel secure leaving that servant in the hands of the guards,” Kayla asked him softly as they arrived at the sitting room. "You can also head over first. If I'm with my godfather, they won't make a move."
Who knows how long this would take? Those goddamn traditionalists can keep spewing words for hours.
Hu Qing nodded, quickly activating a communication device and sending out a message. Kayla went in alone, bowing her head politely in greeting.
“Godfather, Minister Hu,” Kayla greeted them before the other traditionalists. Over half of them were people from the Hanlin Academy whom she had only met once or twice before, discounting the times they had been listening in on her negotiations with Hu Weizhi.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Minister Zhao,” Hu Weizhi said, not looking all that pleased.
“Wenyuan, come and sit down,” Wei Guang waved her over. Though it was Hu Weizhi’s house, Wei Guang was in the seat of honor. Kayla sat down at his side.
Wei Guang looked around the room imposingly, a somber look on his face.
“We were speaking of the balance of the Ministries just now, but we’ve had some disagreements. It is my hope that since you’ve now joined us, we will be able to resolve our differences and reach a consensus,” Wei Guang said, sweeping his gaze across the room. The traditionalists avoided eye contact.
How thoughtful of him to leave the final blow to me. It was clear that Wei Guang planned to use this to cement Kayla’s authority as the head of the neutral faction rather than keep the credit for himself.
“Minister Hu, do you object to our plan?” Kayla asked politely.
He sighed. “Minister Zhao, I can understand your enthusiasm. You are young and hot-blooded, and thus have a tendency for bold action, but taking the Ministry of Revenue will not be an easy task. We might very well be gathering water in a bamboo basket to end up with nothing!”
Kayla nodded thoughtfully. “So Minister Hu’s opinion is that we should aim for the more manageable Ministry of Rites instead?”
“Exactly,” Hu Weizhi replied, several of the traditionalists murmuring in agreement.
“What is your position on this, Minister Zhao?” An older traditionalist with a white beard asked.
“If we end up with nothing, then we end up with nothing. The point isn’t to gain the Ministry of Revenue so much as it is to keep either prince from gaining it,” Kayla replied. “Not to mention that we have the judicial system to make use of, even if it’s simply nitpicking the Ministry of Revenue into a shutdown, we have the resources with which to wear them down.”
“Dong Shiqing is not an easy man to deal with,” Hu Weizhi warned her. “He’s like a wall of stone, he doesn’t crack and he doesn’t budge, you’re much more likely to get worn down before he is.”
“There is no wall that does not leak wind,” Kayla said. “And really, what alternative is there? The Third Prince is almost certain to gain the Ministry of War, you would have him gain the Ministry of Revenue in addition to that? Surely not!”
“Of course not,” Hu Weizhi replied.
“Then take the Seventh Prince, do you think he has the ability or resources to take on Dong Shiqing and gain the Ministry of Revenue?” Kayla asked.
“Not unless the heavens help him out,” Hu Weizhi said.
“Exactly. If by some stroke of luck he gains the Ministry of Revenue, then the military and the treasury would be in the hands of two opposing factions. I’m sure I don’t need to explain to you why that’s a terrible idea,” Kayla pointed out. “And if he fails to gain the Ministry of Revenue, then he ends up gaining nothing at all. Who do you think he will be resentful of more? Us, for taking the Ministry of Rites while he’s busy trying to face off Dong Shiqing, or himself, for choosing an opponent he cannot beat? He will think us either power-hungry or biased towards the Third Prince’s faction, and will no longer be open to our mediation or moderation.”
Hu Weizhi frowned. It was clear what he was thinking–if they gained a Ministry, the traditionalists had a chance for promotion and gaining more influence. The traditionalists hadn’t benefited from the takeover of the Ministry of Justice much, having been passed over for important positions in favor of new blood brought in by Kayla.
“As the neutral faction, our honor, fame, and reward are all tied to the Emperor, and what serves his needs best,” Kayla reminded him. “What serves his needs best is of course what serves us best as well.”
The favor of the Emperor was the best reward one could ask for–even if they themselves did not receive promotions, their sons and clansmen would be treated preferentially. Rarely did most people have a chance to curry favor while maintaining their dignity and principles, and gaining the Ministry of Revenue was such an opportunity.
“This is a chance for us to accomplish a feat dreamed of by many, are you really content to let it slide?” Kayla prodded. "Even if we fail, we will still gain glory from having tried.”
From the glint in their eyes, the traditionalists had picked up on her meaning. Even if the neutral faction did not succeed, they would have sufficiently demonstrated the depth of their loyalty. It didn’t take much longer to reach a consensus after that.
“Thank you for having us, Minister Hu,” Kayla said as the meeting wrapped up. After exchanging the necessary pleasantries and smoothing whatever feathers had been ruffled, Kayla left Hu Weizhi’s residence with Wei Guang.
Once they reached the gates, she turned to Wei Guang and gently squeezed his arm. “Godfather, I’m afraid there’s something I need to take care of at the Court of Judicial Review, I’ll be returning home a little later.”
Wei Guang caught onto the hint. “I might as well go with you, I haven’t had a chance to visit the Court of Judicial Review and didn’t want to cause a disturbance during the day when there were so many officials about,” he replied. Kayla helped him onto the carriage first before getting in herself.
“To the Court of Judicial Review,” she said to the horseman through the carriage window. They pulled off in silence, Wei Guang waiting until they were a distance away from Hu Weizhi’s household before speaking.
“Wenyuan, what is this about? Did something happen?” Wei Guang asked.
Kayla nodded. “Godfather, please stay calm and listen to me.”
Wei Guang looked at her warily but nodded.
“One of the servants from your household tried to kill me with a poisoned needle,” she said, straight to the point. “I had him arrested and taken to a holding cell, my retainer’s there right now.”
Wei Guang looked at her in shock. “Are you alright?!"
Kayla nodded. "I'm fine, godfather."
"Thank the heavens! Unbelievable, for something like this to happen within my own household! This is a failure on my part,” he said.
“No such thing, godfather. I’m completely fine, Hu Qing stepped in before anything happened. I’m just glad you’re not upset I arrested one of your servants without permission,” Kayla replied.
Wei Guang heaved a heavy sigh, rubbing at his temples. “It seems I need to straighten up my household affairs,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’ll have quite a few questions for that insolent bastard once I see him!”
“I don’t think I have the luxury of taking my time with the Grand Duke’s matter,” Kayla said in response.
Wei Guang pondered it for a moment before nodding. “Perhaps that’s for the best,” he agreed. “Whether or not it’s him does not matter, but the longer he’s alive, the more danger there will be. We’ll have to prepare for the power vacuum he’ll leave behind.”
Kayla listened attentively, but Wei Guang’s words were cut off as a communication device began to vibrate inside her robes. Frowning, she pulled it out.
“It’s Hu Qing,” Kayla said in surprise, connecting the device. “Hu Qing, what is it?”
“Apologies, my lord. The man just died,” Hu Qing said flatly.
“What?!”
“Yeah, it seems it was a slow-acting poison that was administered to him before he tried to kill you,” Hu Qing explained. “Most likely, he was poisoned while accepting the job. Once the coroners are done, we’ll know an approximate time frame.”
“Did he say anything before he died?” Kayla asked.
“No, I thought he was weirdly quiet and tried prodding at him a bit, but it turned out that he couldn’t speak. His throat was closing up,” Hu Qing replied. “Neither healing magic nor talismans worked on him. It was already too late by the time we realized.”
Kayla exchanged a glance with Wei Guang. “Send him to the coroners as soon as possible and get someone to make sure there’s no tampering.”
“Alright. You should head back to the Imperial Edict Bearer’s household first, I’ll come to join you and see what I can learn,” Hu Qing replied. Wei Guang nodded and Kayla gave her agreement.
She ended the communication and opened the carriage window.
“Change directions, we’re returning to the household,” Kayla said to the horseman, who obediently turned the carriage around without further question.
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Cultural Notes
齋戒/Ritual fasting: A practice in Ancient China to abstain from meat, alcohol, and sexual activity for ritualistic purposes, usually to show respect. This is usually accompanied by a ritualized bath and a change of robes.
楚辭/Chu Poems: A series of poems by the great poet Qu Yuan, who was a noble and official from the pre-Qin Kingdom of Chu. He was ostracized from the Chu court by sycophants of the king for giving straightforward and loyal advice and was eventually forced out. He wrote the series of poems to express his own loyalty to the country and to lament his fate, and later committed suicide by drowning himself in a river after the kingdom of Chu was defeated by the kingdom of Qin, which would later go on to unify China under the Qin dynasty. The names of Boyong, Haoyang, and Shuyou all come from the Chu poems, hence why Hu Qing mocks them for not being subtle about their origins.
-Boyong/伯庸：朕皇考曰伯庸/My father's name is Boyong. [From Qu Yuan's self-introduction at the beginning of the poem Lisao/離騷]
-Haoyang/浩揚：登昆侖兮，心飛揚兮浩蕩/I climb the Kunlun Mountain, my heart soars with might.
-Shuyou/淑尤：绝氛埃而淑尤兮，终不反其故都/Distancing oneself from the dust to achieve utmost beauty and goodness, I will never return to that place of filth [here he refers to the Chu court].
混淆耳目/To confuse one's eyes and ears: Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to throw up smoke screens/red herrings.
年輕氣盛，血氣方剛/Young and robust, hotblooded and vigorous: An Ancient Chinese proverb.
竹籃打水一場空/Gathering water in a bamboo basket to end up with nothing: A Chinese saying meaning to go through a bunch of trouble for nothing. Bamboo baskets tended to be very sturdy and good for carrying heavy objects across long distances, but they are not made to contain liquid, and hence have cracks through which the water would flow.
沒有不透風的墻/No wall that does not leak wind: A Chinese saying that means there is no person without weakness, and there is no secret that can be hidden forever.
夢寐以求/[something that] People wish for even in their dreams: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to something that is deeply sought after, to the point that you even dream of obtaining it.
雖敗猶榮/Though defeated, still gaining glory: An Ancient Chinese saying meaning to have put up an honorable fight worthy of respect/praise.