Character Index
Zhou Xianchun: The Seventh Prince, he was involved in forcing the Grand Duke to commit suicide.
Liu Boyue: Zhou Xianchun's strategist and right-hand man, the two were childhood friends but their relationship grew uneasy after Liu Boyue was caught acting behind Xianchun's back.
Zhou Kuang: The Third Prince and the primary contender for the throne.
Ma Kaijie: One of the two Vice-Ministers of the Court of Judicial Review, he appears to be neutral but is actually part of the Third Prince's faction, something that Kayla's supporters have not missed.
Wei Guang: The Imperial Edict Bearer and Kayla's godfather, he was the teacher of the previous generation of the Imperial family and staged a palace coup in order to place the current Emperor on the throne.
Feng Yi: A good-natured merchant who was roped into first Liu Boyue's plots, and then Kayla's. He was sent to instigate the regional elites into committing crimes in order to allow the Court of Judicial Review to step in, though Feng Yi himself has yet to realize this.
Li Que: A Senior Imperial Investigator who is loyal to the Emperor and has been supportive and helpful to Kayla in the past. He is the mentor of Chen Jian, and is indirectly involved in Chen Caichun becoming an official.
Tabuyir: A Senior Imperial Investigator from a steppe tribe, he is ranked lower than he should be due to the sensitive geopolitical position of his tribe and clansmen. He has worked with Kayla in the past.
Qu Boyong/Xiang Daozong: The son of General Xiang and the Princess of Chu, he walked a rocky path of revenge for the extermination of his clan that involved going undercover as a guard in the Zhao household and working for Kayla. He was involved in the forced suicide of the Grand Duke.
Tao Qian: One of Kayla's employees, a reliable man who was recommended by Hu Qing.
Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Kayla's retainer and friend, he is the rightful heir to the Liang clan who had his position stolen by his older brother, Minister Liang. He has resolved to take back his birthright after realizing that he wants more in life than to live as a shadow.
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Xianchun paced the inside of his study at a furious pace, Liu Boyue watching him placidly.
“What a fucking mess,” Xianchun snarled, letting out a string of curses beneath his breath. “How could Wenyuan have been arrested?! I thought he had everything planned out properly!”
“There must have been an information leak,” Liu Boyue replied in a quiet voice.
“Damn it! Boyue, what do we do now?” Xianchun asked. “They arrested him right after I left! There’s no way they don’t know about my involvement.”
“Please calm down, my prince. If they haven’t even searched the Zhao household yet, then that simply means that a formal investigation has yet to be launched–”
“Then should I just sit still and wait for them to act first?” Xianchun demanded.
“I’m very sorry to say this, my prince, but there isn’t really anything we can do at this point. The best course of action for us would be to stay still until the situation has become clear. Even if they can place you at the Zhao household, they cannot confirm the extent of your involvement. I’m certain that Zhao Wenyuan’s men will also make haste in destroying evidence before the household is searched. I doubt they will be able to find anything unfavorable towards you,” Liu Boyue assured him.
“Then the evidence from the Grand Duke’s vault, what do we do with that?” Xianchun asked.
“It would be best to act as though you have no knowledge of any of that. You should keep your head down for the moment, at least until the situation becomes clearer,” Liu Boyue said. “The palace may very well be prolonging the start of the formal investigation on purpose–they want to see what happens before the dust clears. Everyone with something to hide is liable to panic and start making moves to cover their own tracks with such an unexpected development, and that just plays right into the palace's hands. If we act, we’ll automatically be under a disadvantage due to the informational imbalance.”
“So staying still like a corpse is my only choice then,” Xianchun muttered in dissatisfaction.
Liu Boyue bowed his head slightly. “I’m afraid that is the case, my prince. Anything you do at the moment might end up incriminating you instead.”
Xianchun heaved a sigh. “This is all because we acted so hastily,” he said in a heavy voice. “Wenyuan’s in prison and I can’t do anything–doesn’t that mean the benefits of the Grand Duke’s death all go to Third Brother? But how the hell could he have predicted all this?”
“Is there any chance…no,” Liu Boyue cut himself off.
“Go on,” Xianchun ordered.
“Is there any chance this was planned by Zhao Wenyuan and the Third Prince? In other words, perhaps this is self-directed and self-acted,” Liu Boyue pointed out. “The one who benefits most would be the Third Prince, and he’s the most likely person to have set us up, but how would he have even known what we were planning? Perhaps I am simply being paranoid, but we can’t ignore the possibility.”
“What, you think Wenyuan plotted to have himself arrested? He doesn’t benefit from this at all, it doesn’t make sense for him to do such a thing,” Xianchun said incredulously.
“That’s what I don’t understand either,” Liu Boyue said. “But did Wenyuan not meet with the Third Prince soon after joining hands with you?”
“He always tries to balance us out to maintain neutrality in the eyes of the court, there’s nothing strange about that,” Xianchun replied. “But you’re right that there is something funny going on. I just don't think it's Wenyuan's doing."
The prince heaved a sigh, looking wearier than Liu Boyue had ever seen him. "I didn’t think things would turn out like this…Boyue, I should have consulted you more on this matter before rushing in.”
Liu Boyue felt a spark of hope in his chest. “Not at all, Your Highness. The matter concerned your mother. As a filial son, how could you have been expected to ignore it? I’m merely worried for how this will affect your position in court.”
“Damn it, isn’t there anything I can do?” Xianchun snarled, knowing full well there wasn’t.
Liu Boyue lowered his head silently as Xianchun groaned in frustration.
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Ma Kaijie bowed his head as the communication device connected, showing the face of the Third Prince.
“Ma Kaijie humbly greets His Highness.”
“No need to be so formal,” Kuang said. “You must be exhausted from making the trip on such short notice.”
“Not at all, my prince. I’ve already settled into the guest lodgings for visiting officials. Even though Jiangxia is such a small place, the guest lodgings are surprisingly well-furnished, to the point that something seems off,” Ma Kaijie reported. “It seems that there will be a lot for me to work on here.”
Kuang nodded approvingly. “Have you met with Wenyuan’s man?”
“I did so the moment I arrived here,” Ma Kaijie replied. “I was worried they would try to silence him, so I sent part of my escort ahead of time. Thankfully, nothing happened. Feng Yi is quite an interesting man. He has a strong sense of justice and seems to be good-natured and loyal, but he’s quite naive for a merchant, not to mention that he doesn’t have much sense for politics–Minister Zhao really found himself a perfect pawn.”
“That cousin of mine is full of surprises,” Kuang said with a small smile. “Speaking of which, you’ll receive the official notification soon. Zhao Wenyuan has been arrested on suspicions of deceiving the Emperor and conspiracy against the court.”
“What?!” Ma Kaijie paled. “Just what on earth–” He stopped himself, realizing that Kuang didn’t seem upset in the slightest.
“My prince,” Ma Kaijie said carefully. “Is this why you had me leave the capital?”
“Indeed,” Kuang replied. “The Grand Duke passed away very suddenly after Zhao Wenyuan suddenly returned to the Zhao household, and there is reason to believe that the Seventh Prince is also involved in this mess.”
“The Grand Duke? So that’s what the Minister was aiming for…was the poisoning also his own doing?” Ma Kaijie said in dawning realization. “But my prince, how did you come to know of all this?”
“I knew of it from the very start,” Kuang said.
"What?! My prince, surely you weren't involved in this mess?" Ma Kaijie asked pleadingly.
Kuang shook his head. "Wenyuan hinted to me that he would make a move soon, but he didn't involve me any further than that."
Ma Kaijie stared blankly at Kuang, unable to hide his expression of shock as the dots connected in his mind.
“M-my prince,” Ma Kaijie stammered. “Am I correct in understanding that you have joined hands with the Imperial Edict Bearer?”
“Indeed,” Kuang said, his voice tinged with amusement. “You’re certainly quick at piecing things together.”
“But my prince, I had thought he was neutral. Can he really be trusted?”
Kuang nodded confidently. “His neutrality is not rooted in political ideals but rather out of pragmatism–his true loyalty is to the dynasty and its prosperity, not to any individual person or faction.”
“That means he could just as easily change his mind, does it not?” Ma Kaijie pointed out. “This won’t necessarily disqualify the Seventh Prince, and there’s no telling if the Empress Dowager will create new competitors if she still feels unsatisfied. After all, the First and Second Princes are still alive, as are their children. Please be careful in your dealings with the Imperial Edict Bearer, Your Highness.”
“I’ll keep your words in mind,” Kuang replied. “But you need not worry too much. Other than Xianchun, no one else can contest me for the throne at the moment. So long as we continue our current path, Wei Guang will serve as sword and shield for us no matter what barriers we face.”
Invigorated by Kuang’s confidence, the tension flowed out of Ma Kaijie’s shoulders.
“Then my prince, what about the Feng Yi case? Since Minister Zhao has been arrested, what do we do with him?”
“There’s no need to worry about that, just go on and treat the case as you normally would,” Kuang said. “This is an excellent opportunity for us, and in any case, I don’t expect Wenyuan to be imprisoned for long. That was never what I was aiming for in the first place.”
Ma Kaijie bowed his head slightly. “I understand, Your Highness.”
“Take good care of Feng Yi and Wenyuan’s men,” Kuang added.
“Of course, my prince. And please allow me to also offer my congratulations,” Ma Kaijie said. “I’m certain that you will be able to make the most out of this opportunity.”
Kuang smiled, a confident glint in his eyes. “Indeed.”
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Almost a full day after the sudden arrest of Zhao Wenyuan, the calm before the storm finally broke, and the capital burst into frenzied chaos.
The Zhao clan elected to announce the death of the Grand Duke less than an hour before the Bureau searched the household. As a result, the search of the Zhao household turned up nothing useful, hindered by the funeral proceedings and the mourners from the Zhao clan. Likewise, the Bureau also found nothing significant in the Wei household, save for some scribbles of strange symbols in the Minister’s handwriting, which Li Que elected to treat as doodles rather than considering it as encoded information.
A thorough search in the Court of Judicial Review also turned out fruitless–other than a few meetings between Zhao Wenyuan and the Seventh Prince, as well as the Grand Duke’s unexpected passing, they had nothing to go off of. The Seventh Prince couldn’t be implicated without affecting his chances for the throne, and the Bureau certainly wasn’t about to move forward with that without the palace’s explicit backing.
While the investigation was unfolding, the court was scrambling to make the most of the Grand Duke’s death. Boxes of documents were carted out of the Central Secretariat’s office as the Department of State Affair fell in abrupt chaos, and accusations against various members of the Grand Duke’s faction for corruption, dereliction of duty, and deceiving the Emperor exploded in number practically overnight.
The neutral faction, which should have stepped in to calm the chaos, stood by and did very little of note. No one was particularly surprised–they were a hastily cobbled together group to begin with, it was a wonder the neutral faction didn't fall apart completely after Wenyuan’s arrest. What was surprising to much of the court was that Seventh Prince’s faction did little other than to join in on filing accusations, but little attention was paid to their inaction. Instead, all eyes were on the Third Prince as he stepped forth to take the helm.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Throughout the capital, soft whispers began to blend together, forming a hushed murmur at the edges of every person's mind.
A new Crown Prince is about to be named.
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Kayla stared blankly at the ceiling. After thinking through countless scenarios, her thoughts slowed to a stop. It had been over three days since her arrest. The jail cell was not the most comfortable place to be, but it was honestly not that much worse than some of the places she had lived in as a broke minimum wage worker bogged down with student debt.
Perhaps it was because of how quiet the prison was, time seemed to pass slowly and sluggishly. For the first time in a very long time, Kayla did not feel sleep deprived. There wasn’t really much she could do in a cell other than worry and sleep, and the latter was much more appealing.
Kayla was about to nod off into a light nap when footsteps approached her cell. She quickly straightened up, tidying her robes a little when she saw that it was Li Que.
“Investigator Li,” Kayla greeted him.
“Minister,” Li Que said politely. “May I enter?”
“Please go ahead,” Kayla replied. It almost felt laughable to be asked such a thing.
Li Que entered the cell and bowed his head in greeting. He sat down in the chair Kayla waved to, giving a nod of thanks.
He’s still being so polite; you would think this was my house.
“Minister, I came here to deliver some bad news to you,” Li Que said solemnly.
Oh shit.
“Go on,” Kayla urged him.
“I’m sorry to inform you that the Grand Duke passed away soon after your arrest,” Li Que said. “The funeral proceedings are in their third day now.”
“What? Good heavens!” Kayla said, pretending to be shocked. “The healer did say to be prepared, but I had thought he could still hold on a while longer!”
“My condolences,” Li Que said sympathetically, going along with her act.
“It can’t be helped, the heavens have their own plans for the fate of men,” Kayla said. “I regret not being at his side for his last moments, but perhaps that’s what he would have preferred.”
“Please restrain your grief, Your Grace. The funeral proceedings will be handled by your kinsmen, so please do not worry about it,” Li Que said.
“Thank you for your kind words, Investigator,” Kayla replied.
I’m pretending to be a filial grandson and he’s pretending to go along with it…that’s a good sign. If he were seriously investigating, he would have started wheedling answers out of me already.
“I must offer my sincere apologies for searching your household during a time of mourning, but unfortunately, that is what duty demands,” Li Que said.
“Not at all, it is only right that you do what you must,” Kayla said. “I hope that my kinsmen were not too rude to you.”
“Of course not, they were very understanding even in their grief,” Li Que replied. “Please be assured that while we opened the coffin, we did not disturb the corpse or create trouble for the funeral proceedings.”
“Your kind-hearted and honorable nature is truly unparalleled, Investigator Li,” Kayla said gratefully, hiding her excitement.
In other words, no autopsy, no results. They didn’t find anything! Hu Qing, my dude, my guy, you’re the one true MVP of this world!
“I understand that this must be a great blow to you, Your Grace, but please take good care of your health,” Li Que said meaningfully. “The Court of Judicial Review is still looking to you, especially with the court being in such turmoil.”
Kayla felt relief blossom in her stomach. For the first time in a long while, Kayla felt secure. Li Que's words all but confirmed what she had already predicted. The Third Prince would certainly be the one taking the helm amidst this storm, and unless the palace was fine with making him the Crown Prince right now, before they had culled the clans using the succession battle as an excuse, then they needed Kayla.
“I will, thank you,” Kayla replied.
But still, I can’t just sit still and accept the disadvantage Wei Guang has given me. I need to increase my leverage as much as possible. Who knows how much longer I’ll be in here? By the time I leave, the situation may very well have changed to be unfavorable again.
“Then I’ll take my leave now, Your Grace. Please take care, and don’t hesitate to let the guards know if you need anything,” Li Que said.
“Actually, Investigator Li, I have something I wanted to tell you,” Kayla said hesitantly. Sensing that Kayla was up to something, Li Que stepped closer.
“I wash my ears and listen attentively,” Li Que replied.
“I recently learned of something very important and swore to keep it secret until the time was right, but it concerns the safety of someone who I cannot protect right now,” Kayla said, gesturing at the bars of her cell. “Can I trust you?”
“I swear on my ancestors that you can,” Li Que replied.
“Have you heard of the man Qu Boyong?” Kayla asked.
“I have some recollection of him, yes. Was he not the guard who left your service after an indiscretion?”
“Yes, indeed. But…well, the truth is, Qu Boyong is not his real name. His true identity is Xiang Daozong–the son of General Xiang and the Princess of Chu, in other words, he is my cousin,” Kayla said.
“What?! But Xiang Daozong has been missing for years, we presumed him dead!” Li Que said in genuine astonishment. Kayla could tell that his surprise was directed toward Kayla as much as it was toward the reveal.
Don't worry, I'm not just busting out his true identity on a whim, Kayla gave Li Que a reassuring look.
“Yes. And I have reason to believe that my grandfather–that is, the late Grand Duke, I should say, may have framed the Xiang clan for his own political gain,” Kayla said seriously. “I had been looking into this after learning of Daozong’s identity, and even managed to find some evidence to support my suspicions–unfortunately, I was unable to obtain key evidence until very recently.”
“You mean to say that you obtained it at the Zhao household?” Li Que asked.
“That is correct. You may not know this, but my relationship with my grandfather had deteriorated significantly due to our political differences, to the point where he has made multiple attempts on my life, so it was difficult for me to make any progress. I only went back to the household, and under heavy guard at that, because I heard my grandfather was on his deathbed,” Kayla said. “But between his passing and the accusations against me, I can’t fulfill my quest for justice. So I wish to hand this to you.”
Li Que breathed in deeply, taking in the multiple bombshells that Kayla had dropped on him.
“Your Grace, this is truly shocking to hear of,” Li Que said. At this point, he surely understood Kayla’s intent to reveal all this to the Emperor, using Li Que as a mouthpiece. “If things are as you say, then this case has serious implications for the entire court. But we need the evidence to move forward.”
“I left the evidence with my bodyguard Tao Qian,” Kayla said. She had left the scrolls with her employees with the intent of entrusting it to Hu Qing while she dealt with Xianchun, but right now, she couldn’t risk Hu Qing getting taken in for questioning.
Sorry, Tao Qian, I’ll be sure to give you a nice bonus.
“I understand, Your Grace. I will definitely retrieve it and deliver the evidence safely into the hands of the Emperor,” Li Que said.
“Then I entrust it to you, Investigator. A great injustice has been done to Daozong, and I wanted to help him reinstate his position and clear the charges against his family, but I feared that he would come to harm if I moved too overtly. Without a better option, I had no choice but to investigate in secret,” Kayla said.
“I understand, Your Grace.”
“I wanted to wait until I could personally ensure his safety, but plans can’t keep up with changes. Should I be charged or stripped of my position, I do not wish for Daozong’s chances to be crushed as well. And also…” Kayla trailed off.
“What is it, Your Grace?”
“The political marriage with the Khaganate,” Kayla said. “The peace and prosperity of the dynasty and the lives of our soldiers hang in the balance. I cannot risk weakening what was once a two-way deal by leaving our end unattended. While it may be unsuitable for the Princess to marry a prince, Xiang Daozong has Imperial blood and is from a formerly prominent clan. He would be well-suited for the task if I end up unable to fulfill my duty.”
“Your Grace,” Li Que said in astonishment. “You would recommend him to marry your bride?”
“This is not just a marriage, but an alliance. We should not take any unnecessary risks, much less call off the wedding. Once Daozong is reinstated, he would certainly be eligible. I admit that it would not be without discomfort on my part, since the Princess was originally to be my wife, but this is much more important. Would you not agree?”
“Your Grace, if all goes well, the investigation will end soon. Why go through the trouble of doing such a thing?” Li Que asked pointedly.
Why risk losing the support of the steppe tribes, including that of Tabuyir and potentially the Sixth Princess, you mean? As if I would really risk that. I’m only saying this because I know Qu Boyong can’t replace me. The Khagan originally wanted his daughter to marry a prince, he only settled for me because the political situation on our side couldn’t be helped, and even then it was only because of how much the Emperor favors Wenyuan–otherwise, he would lose face for welcoming a princess from the Wu Dynasty with full honors but having his own daughter enter a shabby marriage.
“I fear that the jealous and the greedy will take advantage of this chance to ruin me through any means necessary,” Kayla gave a heavy sigh. “There is discord and plotting everywhere around me, and I am currently helpless against them. Should the worst happen, I wish to at least hand off my responsibilities properly instead of shirking responsibility.”
And there it is, pass that on to the Emperor for me.
There was only so much she could do from within a cell, but Kayla intended to strengthen the Emperor's conception that anything unfavorable towards her case was most likely an act of sabotage. Qu Boyong couldn’t be switched in for the position of the groom so easily, not when all the documents had already been sent out and stamped on both ends, but Kayla could sway the Emperor’s opinion in her favor.
Li Que nodded in satisfaction, signaling that he understood her intentions.
“Your Grace is truly a loyal subject, to be considering the dynasty’s needs even at such a time. I will ensure that your words are conveyed to His Majesty the Emperor,” Li Que said.
“I am relying on you, Investigator Li,” Kayla replied. “Thank you.”
After Li Que took his leave, Kayla reached out to catch the weak rays of sunlight in her hand. As clouds sluggishly moved across the sky, the light from the small window flickered over her fingers.
Helping Qu Boyong hadn’t been part of her original plans, but who was to say she couldn’t improvise? Even if Kuang’s coronation was her ultimate goal, Kayla had no intention of being crushed in the process.
This will make things more complicated, sure, but it’ll get me out of jail. More importantly, it’ll show Kuang that I have no intention of going along with him if I end up suffering for it. I’m sure Kuang won’t blame me too much. I actually wouldn’t even be surprised if he was hitting two birds with one stone and taking this opportunity to test me.
Pushing Qu Boyong into the spotlight right now created a new point of contention in a situation that was already convoluted enough. But even though she was pulling in someone who appeared to be a potential replacement for her as the only other maternal nephew of the Emperor, Kayla was the one who benefited from this the most.
Xianchun was unable to make a move at the moment, his position made precarious by Kayla’s arrest. With him out of the playing field for now, Qu Boyong’s reinstatement would cause him to be aligned with the Third Prince in the eyes of the court, regardless of whether or not they wanted to team up.
Simply by pushing Qu Boyong to the forefront, Kayla could drive a wedge between him and Xianchun, while her own role in this further placed Qu Boyong in debt to her, effectively serving as a wedge between him and Kuang. That wasn’t something the palace could easily overlook.
So long as you place me out there, I can use Qu Boyong to keep the balance against Kuang. Otherwise, get ready to declare a new Crown Prince.
Kayla was sure that the Empress Dowager would get the message.
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Cultural Notes
静观其变/Silently observe [the] changes: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to quietly observe and allow things to develop by its own accord rather than trying to force a result through.
自导自演/Self-directed self-acted: A Chinese phrase meaning to secretly stage a scenario for your own benefit. An example would be a guy who saves a girl's bag from a robber on their first date, winning his girlfriend's admiration, when in truth the robber is a friend of his that he hired to act out the scene.
江夏/Jiangxia Commandery: A local administrative region in the Tang Dynasty.
驿站/Rest Stop/Post: In Ancient China, there were official rest stops that were owned and ran by the government for the use of officials, messengers, and so on so forth. One of their main function was to maintain the communication network so that messengers could switch off, change horses, etc., and get important messages where they need to go as soon as possible. It was also used as lodgings for traveling officials, as well as where local officials hosted important guests. For the most part, rest stops were comfortable but far from luxurious, so if a locality's rest stop was very nice, then that was usually because the locals paid special care to make it nice for guests. So if a rest stop is fixed up to be way nicer than the local budget should be able to afford, it's usually a sign that something bigger is going on.
苦肉计/Bitter Flesh Strategy: The Ancient Chinese equivalent of the Wounded Gazelle Gambit, in which you deliberately injure yourself or allow yourself to come to harm in order to distract someone, gain their sympathy, or achieve a goal.
节哀顺变/Restrain your grief [and adjust yourself to go along] with the changes: An Ancient Chinese proverb that stems from the pre-Qin classic "The Book of Rites", it's often used as words of condolence and consolation for someone who has lost a loved one.
宅心仁厚/Having a humane and broad heart: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning that someone is kind and generous/honorable.
黎民百姓/Peasantry and population: An Ancient Chinese phrase referring to the entirety of the civilian population. Originally, 黎民/Peasantry referred to lower-status peasants in the pre-Qin era, as in very very far back in history, referring to members of a tribe that lost the war to the Yellow Emperor, a leader of the tribe that was believed to establish one of the earliest Chinese civilizations. As time went on, there was no longer any difference between the losers and the victors, and 黎民/Lower-status peasantry came to have the same meaning as 百姓/Hundred surnames (aka the population).
护国佑民/Defend the country and protect the people: An Ancient Chinese proverb that originates from a play from the late Yuan/early Ming time period.
觊觎之心/Heart that covets: This Ancient Chinese proverb means to covet that which is not yours, whether it be power, riches, or anything else that you should not covet. It has been in use from as early as the pre-Qin era.
贪婪无厌/Greed that does not know satisfaction: A pre-Qin era proverb deriding someone as being extremely greedy, to the point of inciting disgust.
明争暗斗/Fighting in the light and struggling in the shadows: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to a contentious situation in which tensions are high, aggression is abound, and people are continuously trying to gain the upper hand through both legal and extralegal/illegal/immoral means.
一家有女百家求/One family has a daughter a hundred families seek her hand: A Chinese saying that means that the hand of a young woman can be sought and is highly-sought after, and it is also used to refer to the common situation in which the husband's family is expected to be of equal if not higher status to the woman's, aligning with the patriarchal hierarchies within the household. You can see this even today in China where women who pursue PhDs are often warned that they will not be able to find a husband, because a lot of men want wives that are of lower education than them. A lot of this is due to pressure from the older generation as well, especially in places where chauvinism is more persistent. On the other hand, marrying a princess usually means that the husband has a lower social, legal, and political status than his wife. The princess' title does not change. As such, it's a notable inverse of the usual power dynamics, though this is not to say that princesses would necessarily have the final say. There have been countless husbands of princesses/Prince Consorts who took concubines even when the princess was reluctant; there have also been princesses who suffered abuse to the point of death. However, Kayla is marrying a princess from the Khaganate, meaning their marriage is more a political arrangement than a traditional union, so their relationship would require the same caution as dealing with court affairs.
一石二鸟/One stone [kills] two birds: A Chinese proverb that's translated from the English proverb "Kill two birds with one stone". The Ancient Chinese equivalent would have been 一举两得/One move results in two gains, but Kayla's incorporating idioms that exist in Modern China, so people probably think she's just creative with metaphors.