Character Index
Ashina: Princess of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.
Derin: Lady-in-waiting and chief attendant of Ashina.
Meral: A young attendant who is also a spy/agent of the Khagan.
Kulun: A tarkhan of the Khagan.
Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Lord of the Liang clan, a Martial Provision captain (ceremonial post) and formerly Kayla's retainer.
Liang Shen: Minister of Justice, Hu Qing's older half-brother with who he shares a complicated relationship. Liang Shen practically raised Hu Qing, but had also stolen his inheritance and denied him a proper education/chance at a career.
Consort Liang: A niece of Liang Shen, one of the concubines of the Emperor.
Liu Boyue: Xianchun's strategist and right-hand man. Formerly the prince's best friend.
Zhou Xianchun: The Seventh Prince.
Zhang Dingyong: Right Secretariat of Justice, in Kuang's faction. His birth parents were a convicted murderer and a prostitute respectively, which should have disqualified him from civil service, but he was adopted by an affluent man who had no sons.
Sun Ruhui: Left Secretariat of Justice, Kayla's supporter and advisor.
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The princess had been in low spirits since arriving in the capital, and it was difficult for her retainers and attendants to determine whether it was because of homesickness or the sudden cold shoulder from her betrothed. Almost as if to cast frost upon the snow, the Empress Dowager’s palace suddenly started sending people to check in on them several times a day. There was only so much they could do to keep the Princess’ moodiness under wraps.
The atmosphere became filled with unease and tension. From an outsider’s point of view, the delegation looked more like they were preparing for a battle than for a wedding.
Inside the princess’s bedchamber, from where she had barely left once in the last few days, Derin hovered over Ashina as she curled up on the sofa broodingly.
Ashina’s head snapped up as Meral entered the room.
“Apologies for disturbing your rest, my princess,” Meral said demurely.
“What do you want?” Ashina asked.
Derin rose from her seat by Ashina’s side, instinctively taking a half-step before the princess as if to shield her from harm.
“Duke Zhao is here to see you, my princess,” Meral reported. “He wishes to speak with you alone.”
She emphasized the last words, looking at Ashina meaningfully. The action made Ashina’s already tumultuous temper flare in response.
So now he wants to see me?!
“I don’t wish to see him!” Ashina cried.
“But Your Highness-” Meral began. She fell silent as Derin shot her a sharp look. The woman hadn’t been told of what had happened between the two teenagers, but she was astute enough to piece it together regardless. Derin waved her hand in dismissal, and Meral reluctantly left.
Derin turned towards her princess, worry furrowing her brow.
Ashina was icily staring at a vase in the corner of the room with great determination, as though she could will it out of existence.
“My princess, perhaps he is yet deserving of your anger, but one would not know for sure until you have heard him out,” Derin said gently. “When you’re under another man’s roof, you can only lower your head.”
“But–!” Ashina whirled towards Derin, tears shining in her eyes. Derin reached out to stroke Ashina’s cheek.
“Don’t worry, my princess. No matter what, you’re still royalty and he is only a Duke. If he truly is rude beyond toleration, you can take your grievances to the Emperor. Even if he dotes on his nephew, he’d at least make the Duke rein in his behavior,” Derin assured her.
Ashina threw her arms around the woman’s waist, burying her head in Derin’s stomach like she often did as a child.
“I hate this–I hate him! I never should’ve agreed to this!”
Derin gently patted the back of Ashina’s head, a sympathetic shine in her eye.
“It’ll be alright, my princess. Don’t judge him just yet–Duke Zhao has many enemies who would gladly benefit at your expense over this,” Derin urged her. “Even if he has committed an offense against you, that can be weaponized against him should he ever cross the line. Why torment yourself thus?”
Ashina let out a sharp sigh and let go of Derin. She was silent for a long moment, her attendant watching her patiently.
“Fine.”
Derin smiled in relief. “Excellent. Then I will go call him in.”
Ashina straightened her robes and gathered herself before a knock sounded at the door.
“Your Highness, Duke Zhao is here,” Derin called.
“Send him in,” Ashina ordered.
Derin led Zhao Wenyuan into the room and glanced at Ashina for further instructions. At Ashina’s nod, she bowed slightly and left them alone.
“Zhao Wenyuan humbly greets Her Royal Highness,” the Duke said, giving her a full bow.
“Duke Zhao, what a surprise to see you here,” Ashina said, an icy sharpness undercutting her polite tone. “I was rather taken aback to hear you were visiting only when you’d already arrived.”
“Apologies for my lack of foresight,” Zhao Wenyuan apologized. “I ought to have sent word ahead of time.”
“Indeed.”
Zhao Wenyuan smiled, not at all deterred by the blunt response.
“I have been occupied with work since returning to the capital, and have neglected to care for your needs,” he said gently. “Have you been well?”
“My needs are perfectly taken care of,” Ashina replied. The man across from her didn’t even falter.
“I’m very glad to hear that.”
He waited patiently, a small smile on his face. Ashina caved in and waved for him to sit down. Almost immediately, she began to regret it.
“Speaking of, I ran into one of your men the other day,” Wenyuan said. “Was he able to relay my message to you properly?”
Here we go, he’s starting now. White-hot anger rushed through Ashina’s veins.
“Must you insist on humiliating me like this?” Ashina hissed, cutting him off.
Wenyuan went still for a moment before showing an apologetic expression.
“That was never my intention, princess.”
Ashina saw red. “Don’t play the fool with me!”
“I don’t understand, my princess. I asked your man to travel with me to prove my intentions were not impure, but he refused,” Wenyuan said, a quizzical look on his face. “Of course, I owe you an apology for not explaining things properly myself, but I had not the time with everything going on at court.”
Rage reddened her vision. Ashina shot up from her seat, not sure whether she was about to strike him or sink her teeth into his neck. Wenyuan rose as well, extending his palms in a placating gesture. She glared up at his face, cursing his handsome visage in her mind.
“I…see now that I have badly upset you with my actions, though that was never my intention. But I speak the truth. I never wished to humiliate you, though I will admit to seeking to distract your companions,” Wenyuan said gravely. Catching Ashina’s befuddlement, he continued in a softer voice. “I do not trust Kulun-tarkhan, my princess, and indeed I cannot. He allowed his men to humiliate and torture me while I was proceeding to the border with the most earnest of intentions–if you would accuse me of holding spitefulness for him, I would not deny it. But not towards you.”
Her anger changed into confusion and instinctive defensiveness.
“What are you talking about?” Ashina said in bewilderment. “Humiliate and torture? Impossible!”
Wenyuan regarded her with serene eyes.
“Let’s not go in circles, my princess. I’m sure that you have been informed–and if you have not, then let me open the door to the mountain and tell you directly. While I was passing through Daizhou, men who purported to serve your father kidnapped me from my guards and threatened me into signing an agreement that would force me to report state secrets to your father to ‘secure’ your wellbeing,” Wenyuan said bluntly.
The calmness in his eyes intensified into something colder and sharper. “They even went so far as to cut my back open with a blade–it was only thanks to my capable subordinates that I was saved. Now, I sincerely hope you had no part in planning this, but I won’t ask you to tell me either way.”
Huh? Ashina instinctively took a half-step back. Wait, is he suspecting me now?!
“But know that I have every reason not to trust your father’s tarkhan,” Wenyuan finished.
His face was grave, and there was now a glint of vengeance in his eyes that frightened her. Despite the politeness of his tone, something about him made Ashina feel like a cornered animal.
Shit, he’s furious, she realized in horror. He hid it well, but he’s been furious at me this whole time–probably since before I’d even arrived in the Wu. How did I not notice until now?
“That’s not what I was told,” Ashina said, managing to keep her voice steady.
“I’m not surprised, my princess. They messed up, plain and simple, and paid the price for it. Of course they wouldn’t admit to it–I wouldn’t be surprised if they cast me as the antagonist in all this,” Wenyuan replied.
“And how do I know you’re not lying?” Ashina shot back. “They’ve at least served me faithfully, and you? You broke off contact the moment we got to the capital and even went off to meet a mistress!”
“There is no mistress. You’ve seen me not blink an eye at a brothel where beauties were dancing about us in revealing outfits. What makes you think I’d be swayed by temptations of the flesh?” Wenyuan pointed out, his voice gentler this time. “The person I met with was my serving girl throughout my childhood, I regard her as a little sister and nothing more. I won’t be able to meet with her again after my wedding, seeing as she’s still unmarried, but I wanted to make sure she was taken care of before that. Sentimental of me, perhaps, but I’m not ashamed of it.”
Ashina faltered a little. The admission annoyed her as much as it relieved her.
Not tempted? That didn’t stop him from tipping them either! Even she had to admit that didn’t say much. Damn it, that’s not what’s important right now!
“Then what about the agents? You killed all of them–there’s no one left to corroborate or deny your statements!”
Wenyuan let out a soft sigh, lowering his eyes in resignation. “I have proof.”
“What?”
Wenyuan met her eyes again. “I have proof, though I’m afraid it might disturb you.” He began undoing the clasp on his outer robe.
What the hell? Is he going to take off his clothes or something? Ashina leaned away from him uneasily. Wenyuan began loosening the collar of his outer robe.
????!!!!!!! This bastard–?!!!
“Wait–just say what you need to say, don’t–!”
Wenyuan reached into his robes and took out a small bundle. Ashina relaxed minutely.
The Duke deftly undid the bindings to reveal a tightly rolled up bunch of fabric with rusty brown stains on it.
Blood. Ashina glanced at him in alarm. Wenyuan shook out the cloth, showing it to be a blood-stained undershirt that looked about his size.
“Wh-what is this?” Ashina asked.
“The shirt I was wearing that night,” Wenyuan replied. He lowered it to show her the torn fabric over the shoulder area, where the cloth was coated with dried blood. “And this is where one of the men stabbed me in the shoulder.”
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Ashina stared at it in horror, blurting out the first thing that came to mind.
“Why on earth would they do that?!”
“Because I wouldn’t agree to your father’s demands,” Wenyuan said calmly. “One of the men sliced open my shoulder blade and dug his knife around in the wound while the other held me down. I thought I would die for sure.”
A growing pit of horror opened up in Ashina’s stomach.
Kulun never said a word about this–but this is-I mean it could be fake, but– Wenyuan didn’t seem to be lying, or perhaps she just couldn’t tell. She didn’t know what to think anymore.
“I had no idea,” she finally managed, trying to keep her voice from shaking.
I’m done for. I am so done for. She carefully clamped down on the burning sensation in her eyes, a tremor grabbing hold of her hands. It didn’t matter whether he was lying or not–he had a justification to lord over her, and all the means to create evidence to support it. And Ashina? Ashina had nothing once Kulun went back.
“I hope this explains why I cannot trust your men. But please understand that I have never, and will never wish any harm upon you. This incident is too big to cover up forever, it would’ve floated to the surface sooner or later. If I wished to, I could have presented this to the court as the doing of your father, and you would have become a foreign enemy overnight–I purposefully avoided that and twisted the truth to other ends instead,” Wenyuan said. “It’s not just for the sake of the peace between our countries, but also because of you.”
Ashina opened and closed her mouth, too overwhelmed to figure out the right words to say.
Taking pity on her, Wenyuan rolled the shirt up and packed it back into the bundle, tucking it out of sight again.
“My princess, I know that my actions have been unfairly injurious to you, and for that I am truly sorry. But I hope that you now understand my reasoning,” Wenyuan said quietly.
Ashina didn’t trust herself to speak–she wasn’t sure what was the right response anyways.
After a long moment of taut silence, Wenyuan sighed.
“It’s not like I don’t understand,” Wenyuan said quietly. “Your father…he faces a great deal of challenges, and has to marry off his precious daughter on top of all that, to a man whose reputation is…questionable.”
Ashina avoided Wenyuan’s sincere gaze, refusing to let herself be swept into his rhythm. Guilt and sympathy, and even a smidgen of misdirected gratitude were worming their way up her chest regardless.
“My father is not the only one who faces challenges,” she said bitterly.
“I know, this must be very hard on you as well,” Wenyuan said. “Alone in a foreign world, surrounded by potential enemies, it’s not an easy position for anyone, much less a young woman like you. It’s your first time away from home for so long, isn’t it?”
Ashina wanted to sink into the soft sympathy in Wenyuan’s voice as much as she wanted to scream in his face.
“I assure you that I am more than capable of adjusting to this place,” Ashina said. The words came out more coldly than she had planned for.
Her mind screeched loudly beneath her icy surface. Stop antagonizing him! I’m already in bad enough a position as it is!
“I would never doubt it,” Wenyuan replied.
Ashina shot him a glare. “Don’t mock me, Duke Zhao,” she said between gritted teeth.
He met her gaze with sincere eyes. “I wouldn’t dare, Your Highness. I would compliment you, if you would allow it.”
Confused but relieved, Ashina relaxed slightly. Wenyuan went on, his voice steady and gentle.
“What I mean to say is…I only wish to be of help to you. We are to become family, and I intend to fulfill my duties of being a husband you can rely on. That is also why I do not take issue with your father’s actions, since he is to be my father as well.”
Ashina searched his face for duplicity, but found none.
Wenyuan smiled. “I cannot comply with his wishes–I owe the Emperor too much to bow my head to the orders of a foreign ruler, but that does not mean our interests cannot align.”
This was what he came here for, Ashina suddenly realized. Wenyuan’s manner hadn’t even shifted, but she was getting better at figuring him out now. The shutters came back down as she leaned away from him.
“What do you mean?” Ashina asked frostily.
“We both wish for the safety of our loved ones and our people, and for both of us, that includes you,” Wenyuan replied. “Though I may have irritated him through my refusal, I think we would all stand to gain from cooperating with each other.”
“My father is not receptive to empty words,” Ashina said.
Wenyuan’s smile widened. “I would not dare present them to him. But know this–if your father is receptive to negotiating with me, he will not stand to regret it.”
Ashina gave him an incredulous look, unsure of whether to be astonished at his audacity or angry at it. There was a look of certainty in Wenyuan’s eyes that did not come from delusions of grandeur or empty ambition, all of which Ashina had seen plenty of before–no, this was more like her own father’s eyes when he had already made a decision and was just waiting to see how it would play out.
“If he would permit it, I will do him a great service in the near future, one that is weighty beyond comparison,” Wenyuan said with unflappable confidence.
Weighty beyond–what is he on about?
Ashina tried to decide whether to laugh at him or demand an explanation, and ended up staying silent.
“Then I will let you get some rest,” Wenyuan said after a long moment
“Until next time then,” Ashina said reflexively. Wenyuan stood up and bowed his head slightly before leaving the room. Ashina sank deep into thought, remaining quiet throughout the rest of the evening despite Derin’s soft inquiries and Meral’s searching gaze.
When Derin finally stopped fussing over her and left Ashina to get some sleep, the princess found herself unable to fall asleep at all.
The conversation kept flashing back in her mind, all of Zhao Wenyuan’s words and expressions replaying incessantly. Ashina began to feel queasy with stress, and tried to clear the meeting from her mind. Resentment briefly flared in her mind at Derin for talking her into it, but Ashina knew in the depths of her heart that she really had no better option. If she hadn’t met with him, he would’ve walked straight out the front door and let rumors fly. He certainly didn’t care what people would say about them. There was a strange brazenness to the man that she couldn’t quite place, but she knew it didn’t bode well for her marriage.
Under another man’s roof, you can only lower your head…Ashina stared up at the canopy of her bed. Derin’s words had come from the heart. With a sudden twinge, she realized that Derin must have learned that lesson through personal experience. It couldn’t have been easy for the attendants either, first under my father and now in the Wu…Her mind flashed to the slew of guards and attendants she had always taken for granted.
A mixture of fear and guilt twisted through her stomach. She flipped over and buried her face in the blankets, unwilling to think on the topic further.
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Night had fallen upon the Liang household when an eunuch arrived with an Imperial Guard as escort, bearing an Imperial Edict for the clan’s new lord. It didn’t take long for Hu Qing to come greet him–the messenger had been expected for a while now.
The family members gathered in the Outer Courtyard, the servants waiting out of sight and sound. Hu Qing stood in front of the rest of the household, his face calm and unreadable.
“Lord Liang Hongfei, Martial Provision Captain of the Imperial Court, you are hereby to receive this Imperial Edict,” the eunuch announced.
Hu Qing knelt, the rest of the family following suit behind him. “I humbly receive the decree.”
“By the will of the Emperor of the Wu Dynasty, the following appointment is to be made effective immediately. In light of his loyalty and courage, Liang Hongfei, Martial Provision Captain of the Imperial Court, Lord of the Liang clan, and grandson of the Great General of the West, is hereby named the Right Vice-Censor of the Office of Censure as a fourth-rank official. Thus is decreed,” the eunuch announced.
“This subject humbly receives the decree and gives thanks for His Majesty’s boundless benevolence,” Hu Qing said, bowing his head to the ground. The rest of the family lowered their heads to the ground as well.
After a brief pause, he got up and straightened his robes.
“Congratulations, Vice-Censor,” the eunuch said. “These are your new official robes–you may adjust them for fitting as needed.”
“Thank you, I am grateful beyond words,” Hu Qing said earnestly. He accepted the robes with both hands and passed it over to Minister Liang. He reached to take the eunuch’s hand, tucking a small pouch of coins into the man’s sleeve.
“Goodness, there’s no need,” the eunuch replied insincerely.
“Please, I insist,” Hu Qing said.
“You’re too kind,” the eunuch said. “Again, please accept my heartfelt congratulations, my lord. I’ll take my leave of you then.”
“Thank you,” Hu Qing said, gesturing for the steward to step forth. “I’ll have my steward walk you out.”
Once the eunuch was gone, Hu Qing took the robes back from Liang Shen’s hands. The man’s wife and children shuffled uncomfortably, not meeting his eyes. The three concubines who were the source of so much drama weren’t present, their lower status not permitting it.
“Congratulations, my lord,” Liang Shen said, the others echoing him. Hu Qing accepted their well wishes with a nod.
“Thank you, everyone. Please go ahead and get some rest, the time’s getting late,” he urged. Liang Shen stayed behind, evidently having something to say.
“You handled that very well,” Liang Shen commented.
“I’ve learned a lot from Duke Zhao,” Hu Qing replied. Liang Shen fell into an awkward silence for a moment before clearing his throat.
“Red suits you,” Liang Shen said as the two began slowly heading towards Hu Qing’s study. “Vice-Censor is a fourth rank position, it’s nothing to scoff at. I’m truly glad, Hongfei. Our family has a new pillar to lean on.”
“We also have you,” Hu Qing said as they reached the study. Liang Shen stepped inside and came to a stop, turning towards Hu Qing with a complicated look on his face.
“Not anymore,” he admitted. “I am resigning as Minister.”
“What?” Hu Qing asked in alarm. “Why? Are you not well?”
Liang Shen let out a dry chuckle. “Because I’ve been impeached by multiple officials, and the petitions keep flowing in,” he replied. “Over the matter of your inheritance, for that matter.”
Heat pooled up in Hu Qing’s ribcage, pumping the premonition of irritation through his veins.
Hu Qing gave Liang Shen a sympathetic look. “If it were any other matter, I would defend you,” he said seriously.
Surprise, disbelief, and then rueful acceptance flashed over Liang Shen’s face in quick succession.
“Thank you, little brother. But this is the price I should pay,” Liang Shen said heavily. “From now on, the future of our clan relies on you. Consort Liang has yet to produce a child, and my son won’t become anyone of consequence for years to come. You’re the only one we can lean on now.”
“Alright,” Hu Qing said awkwardly.
“Well, if you need any advice…I now have all the time to assist you, should you wish for it,” Liang Shen offered.
“Why isn’t the Seventh Prince defending you?” Hu Qing demanded, cutting off the last notes of Liang Shen’s sentence.
“Pardon?” Liang Shen asked in shock. “What are you saying?”
“He’s dropping dead weight now? He would have no faction if not for you!” Hu Qing let out an angry huff, hastily quelling the surge of irritation.
“It’s not that simple,” Liang Shen replied awkwardly. “Let’s speak no more of this.”
“Very well,” Hu Qing agreed. “And I thank you for the offer.” Which he would not be taking up until he was sure of where Liang Shen stood with Zhao Wenyuan. If the Seventh Prince was letting Liang Shen resign, it was because the conflict between the princes was escalating. Even with his limited political experience, Hu Qing knew better than to carelessly trust someone at such a fraught moment.
Liang Shen seemed to understand the unspoken message, and smiled sadly. He patted Hu Qing on the shoulder.
“Goodnight, my lord,” he said, and left Hu Qing alone in the dark study, the new brocade robes shining a dull red where glints of moonlight spilled over it from the door.
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Liu Boyue rolled up a scroll of names, setting it aside and pushing away from his desk. Minister Liang would resign by the morrow, and not a single thing could go wrong if they wanted the Right Secretariat to take the position of Minister.
Losing out a Minister at a time like this, when they were already losing ground against the Third Prince, was a risky choice but a necessary one. Minister Liang’s position was much too precarious with the charges piling up against him–no matter the faction’s efforts, Liang Shen would not last as Minister of Justice for much longer.
In the following days, the Ministry of Justice would be at the epicenter of the new reporting policies. Liu Boyue could already sense the major clans stirring restlessly, preparing to strike out and crush the reforms before it could fully take shape. Without a doubt, hundreds upon thousands of falsified reports and wrongful accusations would come flooding in and overwhelm the capital. Even with the punishments for malicious reports, the clans could easily buy out desperate men who would gladly go to jail for a year if it meant their families would be fed.
The initial resistance would be the strongest, if history was anything to go by, and once the reporting and investigation systems had been properly established, even the act of buying out false reports would be easily found out. It was really just that early burst of vengeful backlash that they had to watch out for.
No matter who was the Minister of Justice at this point in time, they were done for. The Office of Censure, Imperial Investigation Bureau, and the Court of Judicial Review were all directly tied to the Emperor, and thus less likely to be targeted, but the Ministry of Justice was not. If the Minister was unlucky enough, he might even find himself executed as a scapegoat.
No, better to let the wave crash down on the Third Prince’s man.
Zhang Dingyong was the perfect target–even if he somehow managed to avoid making an error of judgment despite the onslaught, all Liu Boyue had to do was to leak the lowly status of Zhang Dingyong’s birth parents, and there would be plenty of ammunition with which to wear him down. The Seventh Prince’s faction would gain the fisherman’s benefit, but the Third Prince’s faction would be stained by Zhang Dingyong’s failure.
It would be best if we could also drag Sun Ruhui into the fray, but that man manages to evade trouble like oil evades water.
The only sacrifice the Seventh Prince’s faction had to make was having Liang Shen resign–a worthy exchange in Liu Boyue’s eyes, but he’d expected Xianchun to fight against it. To his surprise, Xianchun had agreed without hesitation. Liu Boyue should have rejoiced, but instead, he felt a quiet coldness spreading through his stomach.
The prince had changed–and it was no small transformation at that. Ever since his faction had hit the ground running, the prince had begun morphing into someone entirely unfamiliar.
All within a matter of months. Liu Boyue’s heart grew heavy at the thought. Years of loyally serving and advising the prince hadn’t accomplished half as much in several times longer. He lifted his head towards the window where the moonlight was cut off behind a muddling curtain of clouds, silently praying with a desperate fervor for something he couldn’t quite put into words.
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Cultural Notes
雪上加霜/Add frost atop the snow: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to exacerbate a bad situation.
人在屋檐下不得不低头/When you’re under another man’s roof, you can only lower your head: A Chinese saying that means you have to give in and make concessions to your pride/dignity/honor when you're reliant on another man, especially when you're financially and materially under his obligation.
驸马/Prince Consort: The husband of a princess was usually a consort, unless he was also a royal. This means that his actual legal and social position is lower than that of his wife's, a relatively rare occurrence in the patriarchal society of the day.
冷落了你/Was aloof towards you: A Chinese phrase that means having failed to demonstrate sufficient favor/attention/care towards someone.
浮出水面/Float to the surface of the water: A Chinese saying that means the truth will come to light.
混搅是非/Mix and stir up right and wrong: An Ancient Chinese proverb.
昭武校尉/Martial Provision Captain: A sixth-rank ceremonial martial position in the Tang Dynasty. Hu Qing was previously granted this position to justify his inclusion in the diplomatic delegation.
右御史中丞/Right Vice-Censure: A position in the Office of Censure, similar to second/third in command (shared authority with the Left Vice-Censure). The rank of this position has varied by dynasty, but in this setting, the Right Vice-Censure is a 4th rank position like that of a Left/Right Secretariat in one of the Ministries.
谢主隆恩/Thank the master/ruler for his great benevolence: An Ancient Chinese saying commonly used by officials/subjects who are thanking the Emperor for a promotion, reward, etc.
Robes of Fourth Rank Officials: In the Tang Dynasty, officials Fifth Rank and above wore red robes, and officials Third Rank and above wore purple robes.
顶梁柱/Load-bearing pillar: An Ancient Chinese phrase that can either mean an architecturally important pillar in the building, or as a symbol for the most reliable person in the family.
弹劾/Impeach: In Ancient China, levying charges against an official and seeking to impeach them were common tactics in factional disputes. Getting impeached didn't necessarily mean losing your job in many cases, given how common it was as a political move.
坐享渔翁之利/Sit and gain the benefit of the fisherman: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to benefit as a bystander, usually in the context of letting someone else do the work for you or fight things out for you.