Character Index
Tao Qian: Kayla's new bodyguard, a reliable young man who was recommended by Hu Qing.
Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Kayla's right-hand man, he is the younger brother of Minister Liang and the rightful heir to the Liang clan.
Chen Jian: Chen Caichun's older brother, a young Imperial Investigator who is expected to become a Senior Investigator among the core staff.
Li You: One of the men on Kayla's payroll, brought in by Hu Qing.
Zhao Chao: One of the men on Kayla's payroll, brought in by Hu Qing.
Ke Yongqiang: One of the men on Kayla's payroll, brought in by Hu Qing.
Shu Ling: One of the women on Kayla's payroll, brought in by Hu Qing.
Sun Zhong'e: One of the women on Kayla's payroll, brought in by Hu Qing. Has healing magic but uses it in highly unorthodox ways.
Wei Guang: Kayla's godfather and the Imperial Edict Bearer, he was also the teacher of the Imperial Princess and the previous generation of princes.
Qu Boyong/Xiang Daozong: The son of Princess Chu and General Xiang, seeking revenge against the Grand Duke for the extermination of his clan.
An Haoyang: A former Imperial investigator, he is Qu Boyong's retainer and is helping him take revenge.
Ji Fangluo: Daughter of Ji Yantao, who was a retainer of the Xiang clan. She is helping Qu Boyong with his revenge by filing a case on behalf of her father, which has been designed to draw out the Grand Duke's framing of the Xiang clan. Her case is progressing slowly thanks to Qu Boyong's blackmailing of the Third and Seventh Prince's factions backfiring on him, with Sun Ruhui's appointment to the Ministry of Justice making it impossible to proceed without Kayla's knowledge.
Zhou Xianchun: The Seventh Prince and former main character, responsible for Wenyuan's death in the original novel.
Liu Boyue: Xianchun's right-hand man and best friend, he had been acting behind Xianchun's back to further the Seventh Prince's goals while cementing his own position. Through Kayla's maneuvering, she successfully drove a wedge between him and Xianchun.
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Kayla stared at the Grand Duke blankly.
Become like him? Me? It turned her stomach to even think about it, but what really frightened her was the Grand Duke's suspicions.
He knows I want to kill him. I mean, of course he does, but does he have any evidence? Does he know my plans? Kayla tried to calm herself. No, he doesn’t, he’s projecting, he doesn’t know shit!
Somehow, she had a feeling that things weren't going to be so simple.
“What on earth are you saying?” Kayla shot back. “My mother didn’t raise me to be such a person, you’re deluding yourself with ridiculous fantasies!”
“Your mother barely raised you, I was the one who oversaw your education,” the Grand Duke replied coldly. “I know all too well what kind of monster I’ve created.”
Kayla gave him a disbelieving look. “You really don’t.”
For one, I’m not even Wenyuan.
The Grand Duke scoffed. “Come on now, did you think the letter of repentance wouldn’t give you away? It must be that upright and noble Wei Guang who’s helping you, isn’t it? Anyone with sufficient experience would recognize the signs of premeditated murder!”
“Sufficient experience in what?! Politics? Because that's what I ask my godfather's advice for! While you’re here fantasizing about however many criminal acts you’ve committed in the past, I’m trying to dig out a path to survival for our clan!” Kayla snapped, drawing together an offended air of self-righteousness despite her pounding heart.
Shit, I can’t believe I didn’t think of this! He fucking loves assassinating people! Even if he has no evidence, he’d suspect it anyways!
The scroll of names lying abandoned in a corner didn’t exactly help her case.
The Grand Duke laughed, shaking his head with a look of amusement. “You’re much too inexperienced to be taking me on, you yellow-haired brat. I can see right through your excuses. You would have become just like me–no, you might’ve even surpassed me if only you hadn’t been so foolish as to come back on your own two feet.”
Fuck. Kayla took a step back involuntarily, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as the air became permeated with killing intent.
“You’re being ridiculous, grandfather,” Kayla replied. “How can you pin your imaginations on me as proof for nonexistent crimes? I’m done here!”
“Not so fast!” The Grand Duke barked. Kayla whirled around only to see the silhouettes of armored guards through the wooden carvings of the door.
“What are you doing?!” Kayla shouted in alarm.
“In terms of ruthlessness and ambition, you take after me. But in terms of foolishness, you really are like your father,” the Grand Duke said. “Since you’ve returned, there’s no need for you to leave again.”
“I have work tomorrow,” Kayla shot back. “We both do!”
“No, I do not. I will be grieving the loss of my heir from a sudden bout of illness,” the Grand Duke replied coldly.
Jesus Christ! What the fuck?! Shit, where the fuck is Tao Qian?!
“The plaque from the palace–” Kayla began.
“Did you think I wouldn’t think of that? The household’s under wards to prevent any communication in or out,” the Grand Duke replied. His anger had faded, leaving a candidness that neither Kayla nor Wenyuan had ever seen before.
“Don’t do this, grandfather!” Kayla cried out, desperately trying to buy time while scrambling for an escape plan. The Grand Duke was far more prepared than Kayla, who only had a small stack of talismans in her robes and the more-or-less poison needle from Hu Qing in a small pincushion inside her sleeve.
Fucking communication blocking wards?! Damn it, think, think!
“There’s no need to involve outsiders this time,” the Grand Duke said, pushing forward the cup on his desk. Kayla stared at it in incomprehension.
“Drink it,” the Grand Duke ordered.
“Isn’t that your tea?” Kayla said, not caring that her voice was shaking. “Let me pour out another cup, it’d be rude for me to drink yours.”
The Grand Duke watched her coldly. “If you don’t drink it, I’ll force it down your throat. No matter what, you’re dying tonight. At least go with some dignity. Don’t you have any shame?”
“No, I don’t! Why are you doing this?! Do you really need to kill me? The palace won’t let you go for this! Can’t we make a deal?” Kayla pleaded.
The Grand Duke shook his head. “It seems my education was lacking after all. Why would I make a deal with someone weaker than me?”
“Grandfather…” Kayla said in a small voice, backing away from him. Panic was beginning to set in. The Grand Duke wasn't a man who could be convinced, and she wasn't a person who could fight her way out. Kayla had walked straight into a trap.
Fuck! Oh my god, seriously?! I can’t fucking believe this!
Kayla!
She jolted in shock at the familiar voice that had been silent for days.
Wenyuan?!
What are you doing?! Use your nullification magic! This isn’t the time to worry about the consequences!
You’re right, how the fuck did I not think of that?!
Forcing herself to calm down, Kayla took a deep breath, squeezing her eyes closed. The faint presence of magic was ever-present, and she could sense the various spells dotted throughout the rooms of the household, as well as the magic sewn into the Grand Duke’s robes. Further outwards, a faint thrumming spoke to the presence of the wards that wrapped around the household like a thin membrane. Filaments of magical energy curled through the air.
“I’m not a patient man,” the Grand Duke warned. “Drink it on your own accord or–”
Kayla nullified all of it. The wards disappeared without a trace along with all the other spells in the household. The lights went out and several decorations crashed to the ground as the spells attaching them to the wall disappeared. The Grand Duke whirled around in alarm, and Kayla took that chance to activate the communication device.
“Hu Qing, help me!” Kayla shouted at the device before shoving it back into her robes.
“You—what on earth did you–” The Grand Duke shouted as he turned back towards her, eyes wide with shock.
Kayla lunged forward, flinging herself across the desk to splash the cup’s contents into the Grand Duke’s face. He twisted his face away, blocking the poisonous liquid with his sleeve. Kayla grabbed onto the Grand Duke’s raised arm, yanking out the needle and stabbing it into his forearm. Between the layers of thick fabric and Kayla’s shaky hands, the needle caught at a bad angle, barely pricking into his skin before falling aside.
The Grand Duke roared in anger, knocking Kayla off the desk with a backhand. She landed on her back, rolling to her feet and grabbing the poison needle off the floor as she retreated.
“My lord! Are you alright?!” The door flew open as the guards charged in, alarmed by the crashes and shouting. They stopped, shocked at the mess and the Grand Duke’s disheveled appearance. Kayla grabbed her chance and dashed past them into the corridor.
It was lined with guards.
Fuck! Isn’t this fucking overkill?!!
Kayla ignored them. She flipped over the low railing of the corridor into the courtyard, the guards belatedly reacting to come after her.
“Hu Qing!” Kayla shouted, her voice cracking. “Hu Qing!!!”
She fled across the courtyard, skittering to a stop as guards filled the opposite corridor as well. Trapped on either side, Kayla glanced around with wild eyes, increasingly desperate as the guards charged forward.
A dark blur moved through the air and launched itself into the courtyard, landing with a heavy thud behind her.
“Minister! Hu Qing’s on his way!” Tao Qian shouted as he drew his blade. The guards shouted in alarm, tightening their grip on their weapons.
“Tao Qian! Thank the heavens!” Kayla said in relief.
“Hold on, Minister!” Tao Qian grabbed Kayla by the collar, tossing her over his shoulder as though she was a sack of mung beans.
Kayla felt a rush of vertigo as Tao Qian launched himself back onto the roof, the ground growing farther away while the roof tiles grew closer. He landed heavily, bending his knees to absorb the shock. Kayla paled, her face only a foot away from the tiles they had broken.
“Oh my god,” she wheezed, the words coming out garbled.
“Sorry, I’m wearing armor under my robes so I can’t move too quietly,” Tao Qian explained, straightening up.
No wonder her abdomen hurt where she had landed on Tao Qian’s shoulder.
“Where are we going?” Kayla asked as Tao Qian jumped over the rooftops.
“Out of the household,” he replied. “Whatever consequences there are, we can deal with them after your survival is ensured.”
“Bastard! Get down here!” The head of the Grand Duke’s guards shouted at them from below.
“Please hold still, Minister!” Tao Qian shouted, tightening his grip on Kayla. He dove down as an arrow whizzed over their heads.
“What–” Kayla let out a squeak as Tao Qian launched himself off the rooftop, his blade moving faster than she could keep track of with her eyes. Several arrows fell aside, Tao Qian dodging several more as they moved into what she could only assume was a blind spot. He set down Kayla, pulling out a short sword with his newly freed hand.
“Damn it! Apologies, Minister, this place is surrounded,” Tao Qian said grimly.
It was obvious Kayla was the one dragging him down. Tao Qian had gotten in just fine, but he had the element of surprise. It wouldn’t be so easy to get out with dead weight dragging him down and the guards on high alert.
Should I use the golden plaque? Kayla tried to calm herself and think properly. Or the talisman to summon the Investigators? No, neither of those will arrive in time. The Grand Duke’s definitely taken care of the Imperial Investigators watching the household already, he was fully prepared! And last time, the Imperial Guards arrived so late that my corpse would’ve cooled down if Hu Qing hadn’t been there! Then what?
Then contact Chen Jian or something! Anyone would do!
He won’t make it in time!
“Tao Qian! Hurry up and get moving!”
Kayla had never been so happy to hear Hu Qing’s voice.
Tao Qian charged right out of the blind spot, blocking arrows as he went. With a light thud, Hu Qing landed next to Kayla.
“My lord,” Hu Qing greeted her, his voice uncharacteristically tense.
“Hu Qing, you’re here!”
“Let’s get going, Tao Qian will cover for us,” Hu Qing replied, continuing to speak without so much as a grunt of effort as he hoisted Kayla over his shoulder and began dashing across the rooftop in the opposite direction as Tao Qian. “The others are on their way as well, it should become a standoff and then quiet down soon enough.”
“Aruih hurgh,” Kayla replied, the jostling preventing her from saying anything remotely coherent. She braced herself as Hu Qing launched right off the Outer Wall to land on the bough of a large tree. The branch swayed dangerously, and Kayla had to fight down her nausea to prevent herself from retching over Hu Qing’s back.
Oh my god oh my god oh my god-
“Hold on, Minister,” Hu Qing warned her before launching off the branch to move through the trees at lightning speed before the archers could catch on and change direction. Kayla squeezed her eyes shut, unable to handle the vertigo as the world rose and fell around her. She let out a squawk as she was flung onto the wooden floor of a carriage. The door slammed shut.
“Move! Move! Get moving!” Hu Qing shouted. Kayla didn’t have a chance to reorient herself as the carriage took off, jostling furiously as the horses went at breakneck speed, forced on by the continuous cracking of the whip.
In the darkness, Kayla could only rely on the dim light that flashed through the closed curtains from the hazy moon that periodically shone through the clouds. Kayla remained curled up on the carriage floor between the seats, where she was far less likely to receive an arrow through the head. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, the sound of rushing blood deafening all other noise. The carriage jolted to a stop just as suddenly as it had started.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“My lord, come on!” Hu Qing threw the carriage door open and pulled Kayla out. Before she could reorient herself, she was all but dragged into a building she vaguely recognized as the safe house. All the windows and curtains were tightly shut, the only light being the flame of a few candles here and there.
Kayla stumbled to a stop, glancing around in bewilderment. Five people were already there, three men and two women.
“Hurry up and greet the Minister,” Hu Qing ordered. All five of them bowed deeply, saying their greetings.
“Li You, Zhang Chao, Ke Yongqiang, Sun Zhong’e, and Shu Ling,” Hu Qing introduced them. Kayla nodded at them, recognizing the names from the weekly payrolls and Hu Qing’s daily reports.
“They’ll ensure your safety until we work out the next steps,” Hu Qing assured her.
“Will Tao Qian be alright?” Kayla asked.
“He’ll be fine,” Hu Qing assured her. “Here, sit down, you look terrible. Sun Zhong'e, do something about his face.”
The older of the two women came forward to heal Kayla’s face with a mixture of different talismans that would’ve left Kayla taken aback in any other circumstances, the other four moving away to continue standing guard.
“Don’t worry, Minister, I’ve been at this for decades. I’ll make sure it heals properly,” Sun Zhong'e assured Kayla. She tried to nod in response, but her head was firmly held in place by Sun Zhong'e’s hand.
“I’ve sent out a message to your godfather, but I recommend you to stay here for now,” Hu Qing reported. “We have no idea what the fallout from this will be yet. I told him not to call the guards or the Bureau, or things will get even more complicated.”
Sun Zhong'e finished healing Kayla’s face, quietly returning to her post. Kayla gave her a grateful nod before turning back to Hu Qing.
“I underestimated the Grand Duke,” Kayla said blankly. “I thought he would act within the restraints of rational choice, but he’s completely insane. He’s not thinking about the consequences at all!”
“When he was the one in control, it just seemed as though he just had a bad temper, but once things fall apart, you see how impulsive and ridiculous he really is. It's a common pattern,” Hu Qing replied. “But that doesn't matter right now. What happened?”
“He knows about the Zhao clan members siding with me. He guessed that I planned on killing him and decided to act first,” Kayla said tersely. “I nullified all the magic in the house and got him in the arm with the poison needle, but it was barely a prick, I doubt it’ll kill him. Now he knows about the nullification magic, and he knows what I’m trying to do!”
Hu Qing frowned. “That pretty much takes assassination off the table, but you’re not at quite that much of a disadvantage, my lord. First of all, that poison was pretty potent. Even if it doesn’t off him, he’ll be too ill to do much right away. Also, he can’t expose your nullification magic without exposing himself for attempted murder. It’s not him that you should be worrying about right now.”
Kayla sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. Rather than the Grand Duke, it was the people who would swarm in to take advantage of the situation that she needed to worry about. The Zhao clan members’ support was unreliable at best even before this happened, and Xianchun’s hatred for the Grand Duke probably meant that he would prioritize grabbing this chance over his internal affairs. The palace would likely learn of the standoff even if they didn’t know of the details, and it had yet to be told what they would do.
Worse comes to worst, they’ll do a full search of the household, and there’s enough evidence in the Grand Duke’s study to exterminate the clan several times over!
“I can’t let them get ahold of it,” Kayla hissed through gritted teeth.
“Ahold of what?”
“The evidence in the Grand Duke’s study! Damn it all!” Kayla groaned, pressing her face into her hands.
“I can do that,” Hu Qing replied without hesitation. “They’ll have to de-escalate and act as though nothing happened after tonight’s events if they don’t want to give the Bureau or the Imperial Guards an excuse to charge in. If you want me to steal something, then that’s pretty much impossible. But if you want me to destroy something, I can do it.”
“Won’t it be too dangerous?” Kayla asked in concern.
Hu Qing shook his head. “Not at all. I made it in and out just fine even when the household was in combat mode, how difficult can it be to start a fire?”
“When do you think we should move? I want to do it as soon as possible, but–”
“Tomorrow or the night after,” Hu Qing said firmly. “It’s just as you said, this needs to be done as soon as possible. The longer you leave it, the more possibilities you create for things to go wrong.”
Kayla nodded slowly. “Let me confirm it with my godfather, he’ll have a better idea of how to deal with the aftermath.”
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A man in the rough linen robes of a poor traveler stood around a crackling bonfire with several others, leaning or squatting against the narrow walls of the alleyway.
“It was so warm during the day, why is it still so cold at night?” One of them complained. He was rather young and looked to barely be of age, with thin and gangly limbs.
“You’ll get used to it soon enough,” his companion assured him. “Once it actually gets to summer, you’ll be wishing for this kind of weather! It gets so hot that you can barely fall asleep at night.”
“I can’t wait,” the young man said bitterly.
“Obviously the cold is better, you can always add on more layers, but what are you going to do in the heat? Peel off your skin?” An older man clapped the younger man on the shoulder, giving a good-natured laugh. A man who had been standing at the entrance of the alleyway came scampering over.
“It’s the city guard!” He hissed.
“Shit! It’s the city guard! Put out the fire!” There was a flurry of blowing and stamping, the last embers of the flame vanishing amid plumes of smoke. The men abandoned the spot, fleeing further into the alleyways, only stopping when they were a good distance away. It was illegal to start fires outside in a city full of densely concentrated wooden structures, where a small flame could lead to great disaster, but those who couldn’t afford to rent lodgings or find someone generous enough to host them often ignored those rules.
“Damn it, why the hell are there city guards in a ghost area like this?!”
“Ghost area?!” The young man squeaked nervously.
“Didn’t you know? This is where the Xiang clan used to live before they were completely exterminated, why else would there be so few people around?” His companion told him.
The young man looked ready to cry. “I came to the capital to make money, but here I am, homeless and sleeping in a haunted place!”
The other men patted him comfortingly, offering vague reassurances that things would get better for him. Only the man in linen remained quiet.
“My friend, you’re also quite young, aren’t you? How long have you been in the capital?” An old man with greying hair turned to where the man in linen robes had been standing a moment ago, trying to draw him into the conversation. He froze in shock.
“Where did that man go?”
“What man?”
“The good-looking one in the nice robes!”
“What? Wasn’t he here a moment ago?”
They all looked around uncertainly, falling silent when they realized that the man was indeed gone.
“Did he get lost on the way here?” The youngest man asked uneasily.
“No, I could’ve sworn he was still here a moment ago!”
The air seemed to grow colder.
“Was that man…a ghost?” The youngest man asked in a small voice.
“Don’t say that!”
They huddled closer to each other with frightened eyes.
Qu Boyong had quietly flipped onto the rooftop and left, unaware of the group’s newfound belief that they had met a ghost. The last few days hadn’t been easy. Leaving the capital was rather straightforward, but sneaking back in was much more difficult. In the end, Qu Boyong and An Haoyang had to disguise themselves as homeless wanderers who had tried and failed to find their fortunes in the capital.
To Qu Boyong’s surprise, Zhao Wenyuan was not in the Zhao household. The Zhao heir had managed to gain a godfather while Qu Boyong was busy trying to survive, and two Ministries had changed owners in the meantime. Ji Fangluo’s case hadn’t made much progress, and the Zhao household had significantly increased its security for some reason.
In other words, Qu Boyong was at a dead end.
That changed tonight.
He crouched on a rooftop, hidden behind a chimney. He watched from afar as the City Guard argued with the Grand Duke’s head of security. From his position, Qu Boyong could see several archers hastily descend the rooftops and disappear into the buildings. A number of Imperial Investigators were also approaching the household. They didn’t enter but didn’t bother to hide their presence either, openly standing on the outer walls of the Zhao household and looking in.
Something’s happened, Qu Boyong realized with a thrill of excitement. Something big.
He continued to watch, but neither the City Guards nor the Imperial Investigators made any further moves. Instead, several people left the household on foot without anyone trying to stop them, and the Zhao household was visibly pulling back their security.
After a while, the City Guard left, along with several of the Imperial Investigators. The few that remained went back to their covert posts among the trees.
This is the perfect chance. Both the Grand Duke and the Bureau would have to tone things down if they wanted to de-escalate after a confrontation like that. Since neither side would dare to make a move in the aftermath, security would actually be laxer than normal. And on the off-chance that they didn’t plan on de-escalating but rather intended to tear each other apart, that suited Qu Boyong just fine as well.
I can’t let go of this opportunity, I need to get evidence! Ji Fangluo’s case alone will never be enough, and who knows when the Grand Duke might drop dead? That bastard can’t be allowed to die until I’ve taken my revenge.
Qu Boyong slipped off the roof, activating his communication talisman to call An Haoyang to their rendezvous point. It was time for them to act.
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The atmosphere inside the Seventh Prince’s household had been unbearably tense, to the point that the staff felt like they were suffocating. The reason was clear enough–the prince and Sir Liu had fallen out with each other.
Xianchun went about with a much colder countenance than before and always seemed to be in deep thought when someone tried to speak with him. Liu Boyue, on the other hand, had simply vanished. Some of the servants had whispered among themselves that Sir Liu had left out of shame, but Xianchun punished anyone he heard badmouthing Liu Boyue, and those rumors were quickly quashed.
Whatever had happened, it wasn’t enough to completely destroy the prince’s attachment to his strategist. However, Liu Boyue’s silent absence was deafening. Xianchun’s mood worsened as a result, and the entire household was on a knife’s edge.
It was why the steward had dropped an entire tray of expensive teacups to the ground, eyes wide as he stared at Liu Boyue.
“Those are the ones the prince uses most often,” Liu Boyue chided him.
“Sir, you’re back!” The steward gasped, caught between relief and trepidation.
“Where is His Highness right now?” Liu Boyue asked. The steward gulped. He didn’t know whether it would be better or worse to let the two of them meet right now, but it wasn’t his decision to make.
“The prince is in his study,” the steward replied.
Liu Boyue nodded at him and left. The strategist stopped at the study’s door, hesitating for a long moment before knocking.
“Excuse me, my prince,” Liu Boyue said. There was no response for a moment before the door flew open. Xianchun pulled Liu Boyue into the study, a mixture of fury and relief on his face.
“Liu Boyue, you bastard–”
Liu Boyue knelt, bowing his head. “I apologize, my prince. This one deserves punishment for overstepping my bounds! How dare I, a mere servant, act in such an arrogant manner? Please deal with me as you see fit!”
Xianchun went still, staring at Liu Boyue with a torn expression.
“What are you saying? Get up and stop saying foolish things!” He ordered.
“I dare not, my prince. I allowed myself to become spoiled after receiving your favor and forgot my place, I can’t let this transgression go unpunished,” Liu Boyue said heavily.
“Get up!” Xianchun grabbed Boyue by the arm and yanked him to his feet. The prince glared at Liu Boyue. “When the hell have I ever treated you as someone of a lower status? Have I not treated you as my friend and most trusted advisor? How can you say such things?!”
Liu Boyue’s gaze clouded with guilt. Xianchun was a man who valued his friends, and Boyue had no choice but to take advantage of that to stay at the prince’s side.
“It is as you say, my prince. You’ve always treated me as a friend rather than a servant. I still remember when we were children, you would always share your food and books with me, and I would go with you wherever you snuck into. When we actually got into trouble, you would always stand in front of me and say it was your idea. Your Highness’ kindness is infinite. But that is because of your benevolence, not because I was deserving of it. I allowed myself to forget that.” Liu Boyue lowered his head despondently.
Xianchun’s expression softened. “Don’t say such things. You’re not my servant, but my closest friend. I wasn’t angry because I thought you had overstepped, but because you had gone behind my back.”
Seeing that Xianchun’s anger had mostly dissipated upon Boyue's mention of their shared childhood, a wave of relief surged up in his chest.
“My prince, my crimes are unforgivable, even death would not be punishment enough! But I swear that I only had your best interests in mind. Your Highness is a man of virtue, there are things that you won’t, and shouldn’t, take part in, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need to be done! Our enemies won’t hold back, our rivals won’t either, and even our allies have their own plans! Should nothing be done, it would be the end of us. How could I just stand by and let that happen? If someone must dip their hands in the muddied waters, it should be like me rather than you,” Boyue spoke the words passionately even though they were only partially true.
While it was the case that Xianchun often chose not to do things that were beneficial or delayed them until a chance was lost, the necessity of those actions, as well as the benefits Liu Boyue gained from taking charge of them, were things that didn’t need to be brought up.
“I understand that you have your difficulties,” Xianchun agreed. “Boyue, I know how clever you are, and I have always welcomed your advice. But you should never have gone behind my back. Didn’t you see how panicked Fifth Brother was when his cousin stirred up such a mess without his knowledge? Wenyuan had asked me to let him off the hook in case I had to deal with something similar in the future, but I didn’t think it was possible. I thought I had better control, better management, that no matter how out of line my supporters became in the future, I could work together with you to rein them in. But now, it turns out that you’re the one who has been playing me for the fool! Boyue, just what am I to do with you?!”
Even though he had accepted Boyue back, there was now a distance between them, evident from the colder tone Xianchun took with him.
Boyue bowed his head. “I’m truly sorry, my prince. I know that what I’ve done can never be forgiven, but please give me a chance to make up for my crimes with merit! I swear that I will atone for this by dedicating my life to you!”
Xianchun’s hand landed on Boyue’s shoulder, the prince looking significantly calmer.
“It is also my fault for throwing too much work upon you and interfering too little,” Xianchun said. “I’m happy to give you another chance, Boyue. I don’t want to lose a man as capable as you. But you need to tell me everything. If you leave out even a single detail, I will find out eventually.”
And you won’t be let off so easily next time. Xianchun didn’t voice the threat, but Liu Boyue didn’t need him to. A cold knot in his chest, Boyue bowed.
“I understand, my prince.”
“I’ll be dividing some of your duties,” Xianchun continued. “From now on, I’ll expect you to request before you act, and report afterward. Do you have any issue with that?”
“Not at all, my prince.”
“That’s good to hear,” Xianchun said. “Come and sit down, let’s have a talk.”
Liu Boyue remained where he was. “My prince, I swear that I will tell you everything I know. But right now, there is something much more important at hand. An opportunity has arisen, and I humbly ask for you to command me to act!”
“What do you speak of?”
“Zhao Wenyuan returned to the Zhao household earlier tonight, but left quite suddenly, and shortly afterward, there was a confrontation between the Grand Duke’s guards and the City Guards, along with the Imperial Investigators. Both sides backed down, but something serious must have happened,” Liu Boyue explained. “This is an excellent opportunity for us, my prince! Please send me to infiltrate the Zhao household, and I swear that I will bring you the evidence that you seek.”
“Can it really be done? The Zhao household as well as the City Guard and the Bureau will all be on edge, even if their hands are tied for the moment, there’s no telling what will happen,” Xianchun pointed out.
Liu Boyue knelt, bowing his head. “My prince, my life is yours. I will see this done no matter what. And if I cannot bring you the evidence, I will at least escalate the conflict so that the Grand Duke will be brought to his knees!”
Xianchun stepped forward, pulling Liu Boyue up for the second time.
“Are you sure?” Xianchun asked.
Liu Boyue nodded, eyes alight with determination. “Absolutely, my prince. With your permission, I’ll make my move tomorrow night.”
After a moment of consideration, Xianchun nodded.
“Alright then. I grant you my permission.”
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Cultural Notes
The corridor: I realize now that I never described what a corridor in a large household would look like, but it does not refer to an indoor corridor. For households that consisted of multiple building compounds, there were often outdoor corridors facing the courtyard that connected the buildings. They would be covered with roofs, but usually weren't walled in, and often had low railings (between knee and waist height). Here's a picture for reference:
[https://img1.baidu.com/it/u=1238202172,1753858671&fm=253&fmt=auto&app=138&f=JPEG?w=500&h=333]
Doors: Again, this is something I've never properly described, but the wooden doors in the Grand Duke's study would look something similar to the image below, but rather than glass, it would be paper in the window portion, so you couldn't immediately see outside, but would be able to see shapes. In winter, you would hang a heavy curtain inside the door to block out the cold.
[https://img1.baidu.com/it/u=175179306,1473188126&fm=253&fmt=auto&app=138&f=JPEG?w=600&h=450]
黄毛小儿/Yellow-haired brat: An Ancient Chinese proverb usually used to describe a young person, as in "you young person (derogatory)". Also, remember that people married pretty early back then, so if you were twenty years younger than someone, they would have an excuse to look down on you as a "brat", even if you're a full-grown man in your thirties, hence why it's often used in Ancient Chinese literature in reference to people who wouldn't really count as "brats" if you go by age. The original was actually 黄口小儿/Yellow-mouthed brat, in reference to the yellow beaks of young birds, but it eventually became 黄毛小儿 in later dynasties. Yellow-haired refers to a common situation in poorer families where malnutrition during pregnancy was common, and children often had pale brown hair in their early childhood until eventually growing black hair.
持宠而娇/Receiving favor and becoming spoiled: An Ancient Chinese proverb typically applied to wives/concubines of a husband, and to subjects of a ruler. It's actually used in the latter context far more than the former one, since the power dynamic of ruler-subject parallels that of husband-wife.
罪不可赦/Crime that cannot be pardoned: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to crimes that cannot go unpunished.
罪该万死/Crime worthy of ten-thousand deaths: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to a severe crime or transgression.
宅心仁厚/A generous and humane heart: An Ancient Chinese proverb praising someone for being virtuous, humane, generous, and forgiving.
各怀鬼胎/Each has [their own] calculations: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to a situation where each person is plotting and has their own calculations, often at the cost of or to the detriment of their peers.
蹚浑水/To go through muddy waters: An Ancient Chinese phrase that is often used as a verb, meaning to get your hands dirty.
De-escalating as a matter of giving each other face: Because the Zhao household is home to one of the most powerful officials in the country (the position of Central Secretariat is so powerful that it is often left empty or occupied by the Crown Prince), and they're in-laws of the palace. In other words, the Bureau and Imperial Guards have to give them face. The Zhao household also has to give them face in turn, since the Bureau is very much looking for a chance to do a full-scale search, but needs a proper excuse to do the equivalent of raiding the Prime Minister's home.