Character Index

Ashina: Princess of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

Chuluo: Khagan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

Derin: A lady-in-waiting and Princess Ashina's chief attendant.

An Haoyang: Former Imperial Investigator, retainer of Qu Boyong/Xiang Daozong.

Xiang Daozong/Qu Boyong: Lord of the Xiang clan, previously undercover as a guard in the Zhao household under the alter ego Qu Boyong.

Liang Hongfei/Hu Qing: Lord of the Liang clan and Vice-Censor of the Office of Censure. Kayla's friend and supporter.

Wei Guang: The Imperial Edict Bearer and Minister of the Office of Censure. Kayla's godfather, previously kept Qu Boyong/Xiang Daozong in line for her.

Liang Shen: Former Minister of Justice and Lord of the Liang clan. Hu Qing's older half-brother. Resigned under pressure from accusations raised against him.

Yao Gongzhuo: Minister of War, Kuang's supporter.

Zhang Dingyong: Right Secretariat of Justice, Kuang's supporter. Next-in-line for Minister of Justice.

Liu Boyue: Xianchun's strategist and right-hand man.

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“My father has replied to your insolent message. He is interested in talking terms.”

Princess Ashina’s words seemed to fill the dark room. Kayla stared at her in shock for a brief moment. In contrast to Ashina’s brightly lit surroundings, light from the sole lamp flickered over Kayla’s face, obscuring her expression in a fluid myriad of shadows.

Kayla gave the princess a smile.

“I am truly glad to hear that, and am deeply honored by your esteemed father’s response,” Kayla said respectfully.

A slight scowl marred Ashina’s features. “My father’s interest was merely piqued by your brazenness, there’s no need for you to be too pleased with yourself.” The brief flicker in her eyes showed Kayla that the princess instantly regretted speaking the words.

“Of course, I would never dare to presume otherwise,” Kayla said. “How shall I contact your father?”

“He will contact you through me, after the wedding. Your meeting with him will be completely private, and you will be bound to secrecy,” Ashina replied. Kayla hurriedly held up a hand to cut her off.

“I’m afraid that’s not possible, my princess. Please convey to the honored Khagan that I will gladly oblige him in any matter in which I am capable of doing so, but I will not act in a duplicitous fashion simply to flatter his wishes while going behind His Majesty the Emperor's back,” Kayla said apologetically.

“What? You refuse?” Ashina’s voice was tinged with genuine alarm.

Kayla lowered her eyes sheepishly. “I hold the title of Director of the Imperial Investigation Bureau and am bound by loyalty and filial piety to report to my liege. Everything that I do will be reported to the Emperor in some capacity, but it will reach no further than that. I’m sure that your father, being the liege of many loyal subjects, can understand my difficulties. I would not lie to him and agree when I cannot do so, my princess.”

“This is a private meeting between father-in-law and son-in-law, what need do you have to report it?!” Ashina demanded. “Then is every word spoken within our nuptial chambers also to be reported in the morning?”

“Of course not. If it is merely a familial affair, then I would not dare to trouble the Emperor with it. But if it is of political consequence, then I cannot say the same of that,” Kayla said.

“You really are the epitome of what you Han people call ‘resistant to oil and salt’,” Ashina said coldly. “My father has seen fit to expend his precious time and energy to speak with you, and yet you expect him to accommodate your stubborn requests?”

“I merely do not wish to betray his trust,” Kayla said apologetically. “Or yours, for that matter.”

Ashina paused slightly, looking as though a million curses were running through her mind at the very moment.

“I’m truly sorry, but please convey my words to your father,” Kayla said.

“I will,” Ashina said with gritted teeth. She ended the call before Kayla could say anything more.

He’s taken the bait. It was a bit of a gamble, but once he heard Kayla’s response, she expected him to bite on all the more fiercely. I’m already tied to him through his daughter, but I need to pique his interest properly if I want him to consider me a political actor in my own right.

For that, Ashina’s response was as crucial as Kayla’s own actions. Kayla carefully went over the princess’ reactions in her mind.

She can’t control her reactions well, so she’s using anger as a cover, Kayla concluded. And she is angry at me, of course. But at least part of it is meant to mask her emotions.

One step at a time then. Kayla regarded the closed communication device for a long moment before returning to bed.

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Ashina set down the communication device, dismissing the servants with a graceful wave of her hand. Now that the call was over, she began to fret as to whether her curtness had come off as too rude.

“Don’t go easy on him. You’re my daughter.” Her father had said as much, but Ashina’s confidence came and fled with the fickleness of a bored cat.

Would Wenyuan come to hate her? Ashina tried to convince herself she didn’t care if the man looked at her with disdain, unlike the pleased surprise that had shone through in his eyes earlier, with hair falling into his face–Ashina cut the thought down like a guard did an armed intruder, feeling an intense urge to slap herself in the face.

“Would you like to rest now, my princess?” Derin asked.

“Yes,” Ashina replied absently. She flushed as Wenyuan’s visage popped into her mind again.

What the fuck is wrong with that bastard, exposing his neck like that??!!!

“Is something the matter?” Derin asked, her tone gentler now. The woman was as kind as always, pretending that she didn’t see the reddened tips of Ashina’s ears.

“Why on earth was he wearing so little?!” Ashina said, sounding outraged. Derin bit back a laugh.

“I believe he was sleeping when he received the call,” Derin replied. “From what I know, the Han people don’t sleep in a full set of clothes unless they expect to be on the move during the night.”

And neither do people in the Khaganate–went unsaid.

Ashina flushed in embarrassment. “That’s not—I know that!”

“Of course, my princess, it was a breach of etiquette for him to appear before you in that state,” Derin hastily added. “He should have excused himself to get dressed properly before answering the call. But on the one hand, doesn’t that show his eagerness to receive a call from you?”

“I guess,” Ashina said, somewhat mollified. Derin helped her change into her nightclothes before bidding her goodnight. Left alone, Ashina buried her face in her pillows.

There was too much to think about and too much that she didn’t know.

Father…what are you thinking? And that damn Wenyuan, what the hell is he thinking?!

Once the wedding took place, she would be caught between the two houses for the rest of her life.

Can I really do this?

Ashina curled up with a pillow pressed to her chest. Unbidden, the image of Wenyuan with his hair down flashed into her mind.

???!!!!! Ashina shot up and flung the pillow into the far corner of the room with all her force.

Get it together! This isn’t the time to be thinking about something like that!

She’d seen her fill of warriors sparring half-naked at celebrations and gatherings, and Wenyuan had been wearing far more than most of them did at any given point in time.

So why the hell did it feel like he was wearing even less than them? Ashina flushed bright red. Maybe it was because of his hair. He had rather nice hair, after all. It suited his face, which could go from gentle to coldly furious without ever moving a muscle.

The thought of it made her stomach sink.

Damn it! Who cares??? Ashina violently quashed the image in a flash of icy rage. Don’t be ridiculous, I’m here for my country’s sake and so is he–did you even see the way he looked at you that day? He was furious beyond what I can hope to appease! What’s to say how he’ll act once we’re husband and wife? Do I really have the luxury of thinking about something so frivolous?

Her mood plummeting to a freezing point, Ashina left the discarded pillow in the corner and lay back down, turning to face the wall.

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An Haoyang scowled, without even glancing down, he swatted at the hand of an urchin as it stealthily reached for his pockets. The boy yelped and scrambled away, pausing after he ducked behind a corner to poke his head out and stare at An Haoyang with mild wonder.

Newborn calves are unafraid of the tiger indeed.

Shaking his head slightly in exasperation, An Haoyang pretended not to notice, traversing the slums at the outskirts of the city with a disinterested air. An Haoyang was wearing his plainest outfit, which was still much nicer than what most of the people around him could afford anytime soon. Combined with the precise way he moved, with a steady gravitas that spoke of long-term martial training, only inexperienced children who had never been thrashed by a soldier would dare to pickpocket him.

An Haoyang approached a shabby building, picking out one of the women standing against its wall. The woman was rather plain, and was the oldest of the bunch, but was determinedly emphasizing her voluptuous figure with a low-cut neckline, trying to catch the interest of passing men with a zeal that bordered on desperation. She shifted into a more provocative pose as An Haoyang approached.

An Haoyang spoke with her for a moment before they ducked into an alleyway together. The woman began reaching for his belt, but he stopped her, pressing a coin into her hand.

“I’m not interested in company,” he said flatly. “But there’s something I’d like to know. If you can give me a satisfactory answer, there’s more where that coin came from.”

“Of course,” the woman said, unflappable beneath An Haoyang’s cold stare. “What would you like to know, good sir?”

“There’s a few ways in and out of the city walls around here, aren’t there?” An Haoyang asked.

“No, I don’t suppose so, not unless you can flip over the wall,” the woman replied with a look of puzzlement.

“There’s one fifty paces from here, there’s no way you don’t know of it,” An Haoyang snapped. Sensing that he already knew the answer, the woman’s shoulders slumped.

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“Yes, indeed,” she said resignedly. “We’re not meant to tell anyone though, or the smugglers will come and kick up a ruckus.” She glanced at him with suspicion. “But if you already know of it, what do you need me for?”

“I know all kinds of scum come in and out of these spots, but have you noticed any well-trained ones? Men that don’t fit in these parts?” An Haoyang asked.

The woman hesitated, and he pressed a silver coin in her hand. She accepted it with glittering eyes, tucking it away with great haste.

“Some time back there was a group of men who passed through in the middle of the night,” the woman said. “A good few weeks ago, really, around the time when there was that whole commotion with the new Duke being instated.”

“Duke Zhao?”

“Yes, that’s the one! My friend caught sight of him on the day of, passing by in his carriage, she said he was handsome enough, but a little too frail-looking for her tastes–” she caught An Haoyang’s impatient glower. “A-anyways, I remember the incident quite clearly because the men I saw moved really quickly, but they were so quiet that I didn’t hear their footsteps at all, even quieter than the usual bunch who go through every day! I only caught sight of them because I came out back to catch my breath and saw a swarm of shadows pass by. They moved so smoothly that it felt like a group of fish in a pond.”

An Haoyang nodded, knowing she was probably exaggerating.

“And what did these men look like?”

“Oh, they were wearing cloaks, dark-color ones, though I’m not sure of the color. I couldn’t really tell, but their robes were much too nice. Rough cloth, yes, but good quality–I didn’t see a single fray.”

“Were you close enough to see a fray if there had been one?” An Haoyang asked suspiciously.

The woman flushed slightly and tossed her head back. “Well, not that close, but one can tell!”

“Go on,” An Haoyang said. “Were their faces covered?”

“Yes,” the woman replied. “They wound their cloaks about their faces so that one couldn’t see anything but their eyes, and even those were hard to discern in the dark. They were pretty tall. Actually, all of them were about the same height, save for one man who was taller than the rest, and broader too. But all of them were pretty broad, really. But not fat. Muscular, perhaps? I couldn’t really tell.”

An Haoyang nodded for her to go on. The woman hesitated, evaluating whether she could get another coin out of him, but decided against it after peering at his face.

“There was something weird about the way they moved, they all held their arms a little apart from their chest and almost…uh…swaggered? I suppose?”

“As though they were wearing armor underneath their clothes and needed to keep quiet?” An Haoyang prompted. The woman lit up.

“Yes! Yes, exactly!”

“The tallest one, can you tell me anything about him?”

“Well, not really, save that he was at the very center of the group. But they were so quiet when they moved! And so fast, even when they were ducking to go through the opening, you wouldn’t believe it if you hadn’t seen it!”

An Haoyang quickly cut her off. “Anyone else who might’ve seen it?”

“Not that I know of. I suppose I was the last one to see them in the city,” the woman said, trailing off meaningfully. An Haoyang gave her a distasteful once-over.

“Anything else I should know?”

The woman shook her head.

“Thank you for your time,” he said. An Haoyang gave her another coin, bronze this time. “And keep quiet about this, or you’ll come to regret it.”

The woman shuddered a little at the iciness in his voice and nodded. She watched An Haoyang leave before letting out a sigh of relief. She glanced at the coins and smiled giddily, tucking them deep into her clothes before smoothing her face back down and returning to the front of the brothel.

An Haoyang squatted before the small opening, glancing about to make sure the area was clear. He took a cursory glance, found nothing of worth, and left before anyone could grow suspicious. On his way back, he stopped abruptly and shot a sharp glare over his shoulder. The same pickpocket from earlier shrank back, ducking out of An Haoyang’s sight.

“You, over there, come over,” An Haoyang ordered.

The boy trembled, regretting that he’d let his curiosity get the better of him.

“I said come over! Don’t make me go over there, or you’ll regret it!”

The harsh tone An Haoyang used for interrogating street criminals was more than enough to cow the boy. Head down, the boy walked over with mincing steps.

“Did you see anyone unusual pass through these parts a few weeks ago? Around midnight?” An Haoyang demanded. The boy hesitated and then nodded.

“A group of tall men in cloaks?” An Haoyang pressed on. The boy nodded again. An Haoyang gave him a coin. The boy lit up, staring at the coin in amazement for a moment before hastily tucking it away.

“Yes, yes, I did! Over half a month ago, right? A bunch of really tall guys!”

“Tell me about them,” An Haoyang ordered.

“Um, I only saw them passing by. They went through a small alleyway, all lined up, and they all walked at the exact same pace. They didn’t see me though.”

“Did they say anything?”

The boy frowned, trying to recall. “Oh, yeah, one of them suddenly got angry and said he needed to go back, but the others grabbed onto him and said that he couldn’t.”

“The tallest one?” An Haoyang prompted.

“Yeah, how did you know?”

An Haoyang ignored the question. “Did they speak to him formally?”

The boy blinked fearfully, as though An Haoyang was able to read his mind. “Yes.”

“What did they say?”

The boy shook his head apologetically.

Seeing that the child had nothing else important to say, An Haoyang gave him another coin and sent him off. He wove his way back to the Xiang household, carefully avoiding the gaze of the Imperial Investigators. Easy enough, given his own experience as one.

Not that it’ll serve me much longer now that there’s a new Director in charge. An Haoyang bit back his chagrin and went to seek out his lord.

“My lord,” he greeted as he entered the courtyard.

Xiang Daozong nodded, setting down his sword. Though he had set down the identity of Qu Boyong, he hadn’t set down the martial skills. Of all the Lords in the capital, there probably weren’t any who could run across rooftops save for Xiang Daozong and Liang Hongfei.

“How did it go?” Xiang Daozong asked.

“Well enough, I suppose. I met a prostitute who saw them go through the secret path out of the city, and a little urchin who saw them pass by. They all say the same thing as the ones I’ve spoken to before–a group of tall men in cloaks and decent robes, tall, with their faces covered, and with all kinds of signs pointing to their military status.”

“Then do we have enough for an impeachment, would you say?” Xiang Daozong gave him a sidelong glance.

“We have no hard evidence,” An Haoyang admitted. “But if someone from the Shu clan really did come to the capital, then just the murmur of there being eyewitness reports will be enough to send them into a panic.”

Xiang Daozong nodded slowly. At the behest of the Empress Dowager, he had approached Xianchun. Xiang Daozong hadn’t directly expressed his support, but his suggestive words were clear enough for the prince to understand his intent.

Having Zhao Wenyuan as a backer didn’t mean much, Xiang Daozong had realized that even before the Empress Dowager pointed out to him that Wei Guang was meant to keep him in check rather than mentor him. But he’d already helped in uprooting Minister Liang’s position as the Lord of the Liang clan, and that couldn’t be reversed. If he still wanted to remain on the playing field and join the Seventh Prince’s faction, the only way he could still redeem himself was to even the playing field by dragging down the Third Prince’s faction.

After Liu Boyue passed on the orders to do so, it hadn’t been long before An Haoyang gathered enough rumors for the brilliant young strategist to find a gem glittering amid the coals. Someone had been seen slipping into the Fifth Prince’s household at night, moving in a way that suggested he was trying to avoid being seen from the rooftops. An Haoyang didn’t see it as worth investigating, but Xiang Daozong disagreed. It wasn’t the first time things went wrong in the Fifth Prince’s household, and most likely, like every other time, it had to do with the Shu clan. Why pass up the chance that it could amount to something?

And so, An Haoyang had spent two weeks hammering out the whole picture, finally gathering sufficient information to confirm that someone had arrived at the Fifth Prince’s household and then left the city under armed guard the same night. And that someone was either from the Shu clan, or affiliated close enough that the Fifth Prince took such a risk to have him escorted.

And now, we know exactly how they left the city... Xiang Daozong turned to give An Haoyang a smile.

“This is good enough,” Xiang Daozong said with finality. “It’s time to pay a visit to the Seventh Prince.”

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“Excellent,” Xianchun said, a note of vindictive relish in his voice. “Daozong, your retainer has truly done an excellent job! Leaving a military base and coming to the capital without permission are serious crimes, especially for officers above fourth-rank. Even if the Shu clan’s men are all on probation, there aren’t many of them who are lower than fifth-rank. We’ll be able to make good use of this to exert pressure on the Third Prince, and it’s all thanks to you two.”

An Haoyang dipped his head in thanks.

“We are honored, my prince, but I’m afraid we still lack solid evidence,” Xiang Daozong replied. Xianchun nodded, but didn’t seem displeased. Xiang Daozong’s role in Liang Shen’s downfall mattered less to him now that Liang Shen’s resignation served to push Zhang Dingyong straight into the fire.

“Yes, but gathering solid evidence is not our job,” Xianchun murmured. He glanced at Liu Boyue. “Isn’t that right?”

“Indeed, my prince.” Liu Boyue stepped forward, a thin smile on his face. “All we need to do is press charges–the burden of investigation lies with the judicial branch.”

“Not the Ministry of War? If it was someone from the Shu clan, then they should be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War first and foremost,” Xiang Daozong said in surprise.

“Yao Gongzhuo is the Third Prince’s man, we can’t allow him to handle the investigation. If we accuse him of having a conflict of interest, he’ll either have to publicly break with the Third Prince to investigate or back down and hand it off,” Liu Boyue explained.

“They won’t let us take the case,” Xiang Daozong pointed out.

“And we won’t,” Xianchun said confidently. “Let the Court of Judicial Review handle it. That’s their job, after all.”

“Handing it to Zhao Wenyuan? But…” Xiang Daozong frowned in confusion. “How is that any better?”

“Zhao Wenyuan’s platform is that of neutrality. He’s trying to change it to a loyalist one, but he’s not halfway there yet. Without the guise of neutrality, his power base will crumble. If we publicly ask him to take the case because of his neutrality, he’ll be forced to investigate properly without letting any water leak,” Xianchun said. “People will be scrutinizing his every move now that he’s become involved with the new reforms, and given that someone from the Shu clan probably really did come, it’ll be hard for him to cover up for that without dooming himself.”

“And that means he will damage the Third Prince on our behalf,” Liu Boyue picked up where the prince left off. “Either that, or he’ll have to damage himself.”

“You’re forcing his hand,” Xiang Daozong remarked in amazement. “Your Highness’ plan truly is brilliant to achieve multiple goals with one move!”

“It’s thanks to Boyue,” Xianchun said, a note of affection in his voice. Liu Boyue ducked his head, glowing from the praise.

“Shall we bring charges against the Shu clan after the wedding then?” Xiang Daozong asked.

“No, before,” Xianchun replied. “At the next convening of the court, the last session we have before the wedding takes place.”

“Everyone will be looking for a weak point to attack right now, anything that could detract from the reforms or even have a chance at doing so,” Liu Boyue explained. “And yet, no one dares to directly attack the policy while the Wang clan is being beaten over the head–they’re all biding their time, and no one wants to be the first to step out and incur the Emperor’s anger. Bringing in the Shu clan at this time will create that opening for everyone else to pile on and make of it what they will, and moreover, it is only an extension of what we’ve already been doing. No one will accuse us of going against the Emperor’s wishes when we’re acting so consistently.”

“But why before the wedding?” Xiang Daozong asked, frowning in confusion.

Liu Boyue’s eyes crinkled as he glanced towards Xianchun. The prince gave him a permissive nod.

“Because the Fifth Prince will have to make a public appearance then,” Liu Boyue said. “He’s always hiding away in his own household these days–even the charges against his uncle couldn’t draw him out to a court session. The Fifth Prince is, as you know, the Third Prince’s greatest weakness.”

“You mean to publicly humiliate him,” Xiang Daozong said. The note of scrutiny must have shown through in his voice, for Xianchun let out a low, humorless chuckle.

“Unsuitable for your taste, Lord Xiang?” He asked in a dangerous voice.

Xiang Daozong stopped half-foot forward above the pit and backtracked.

“No, I was merely a little surprised. It’s a good thing we managed to find the information in time,” he replied.

Any further, and the Seventh Prince would have torn him to shreds on the spot, Xiang Daozong was sure of it. After all, the Seventh Prince was hardly unaware of how he’d splashed dirty water on Zhao Wenyuan with rumors far more degrading. Then again, Wenyuan’s complete lack of shame had allowed him to emerge unscathed–the Fifth Prince was a different story.

But Xianchun seemed satisfied to let the matter slide.

“You have done well, Daozong. I hope to count on your help in the future as well,” Xianchun said.

Xiang Daozong bowed his head slightly. “I’m glad to be of service, my prince.”

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Cultural Notes

鱼龙混杂/Confusing fish for dragons: A pre-Qin proverb meaning to be unable to distinguish between true and false, especially politically speaking.

油盐不进/Resistant to salt and oil: A Chinese proverb meaning to be extremely stubborn and unwilling to back down, to refuse to let a point go.

初生牛犊不怕虎/The newborn calf is unafraid of the tiger: An Ancient Chinese saying that means someone without experience also does not know fear/does not know what to fear yet and thus acts without caution.

擅自离营/Leaving your [military] post without permission: A serious crime in Ancient China, especially so if they do so to come to the capital without permission. It was punished harshly due to the safety concerns it posted both for border security and for the safety of the ruler, who may otherwise be subjected to unexpected coups.

一举多得/Achieve many goals with one act: An Ancient Chinese proverb.

太原王氏/Wang clan of Taiyuan: A prominent clan in Tang-era China. The fictionalized version has just been framed for treason.

避嫌/To consciously avoid a conflict of interest: An Ancient Chinese term meaning to step off a case/act/investigation when your own interests are intertwined with it. For example, a judge should not try his own son, for he is likely to be too lenient out of paternal love, or too harsh in order to prove otherwise.

放水/To let water leak: A Chinese term meaning to go easy on someone, to purposefully let things slip for the other side's sake.

泼脏水/Splash dirty water: A Chinese term, the equivalent of mud-slinging in modern-day terms.