Character Index
Lin Yaoguang: The Grand Duke's money launderer, came to Kayla with an offer.
Zhao Chao: Kayla's retainer and guard.
Tao Qian: Kayla's retainer and guard.
Sun Ruhui: Right Secretariat of Justice, Kayla's supporter.
Zhang Dingyong: Minister of Justice, Kuang's supporter.
Zhou Kuang: The Third Prince.
General Yan: A general stationed in Xiazhou, he was selected to lead reinforcements for the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.
Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Lord of the Liang clan and Vice-Censor, Kayla's friend.
Chujiao/Jing Shuyou: Cousin of Qu Boyong/Xiang Daozong, Wenyuan's childhood friend and sweetheart, also his serving maid. Has always been caught in circumstances outside of her control until now.
Zhou Xianchun: The Seventh Prince.
Li Que: A Senior Investigator of the Investigation Bureau, a reliable man who was first assigned to Kayla by the Emperor when investigating corruption within the Ministry of Justice. Mentor of Chen Jian.
Tabuyir: A Senior Investigator of the Investigation Bureau, of Khitan origins. He sent his nephew Yilie to Kayla as a hostage to prove his loyalty and secure his career (and thereby the future of his clan).
Guo Qian: An old archivist in the Imperial Investigation Bureau. Being investigated on suspicion of having been complicit in Lin Jie's death. He attempted to clearly express his stance by accusing Huai Yan as a show of cooperation, but this backfired when it aroused Kayla's suspicions.
Huai Yan: A young archivist in the Imperial Investigation Bureau. Being investigated on suspicion of having been complicit in Lin Jie's death after being accused by Guo Qian.
Lin Jie: Formerly an Attendant Censor with a brilliant mind and a bad arm, he was murdered after investigating a potential conspiracy for Kayla.
Zhang Wuxian: An Attendant Censor, Lin Jie's friend.
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Lin Yaoguang returned the next day with a contract and a mage.
“My lord, Lin Yaoguang is heading towards the household now,” Zhao Chao said over the communication device.
“Good work, keep an eye for if he makes any calls,” Kayla replied. “Do we know anything about the magic-user he’s bringing?”
“It seems to be someone he brought into the capital ahead of time, the mage was already waiting at his inn when we started tailing him,” Zhao Chao said. “But we’ll find something soon enough. Magic-users who are equipped to make magical oaths are rare to find, hence their prices. Even if this man belongs to Lin Yaoguang’s personal household, there would still be something to find.”
“Find the melon by feeling along the vine,” Kayla murmured. “Well, that suits me just fine. Keep up the good work.”
“Certainly, my lord.”
Kayla ended the call. Sure enough, Housekeeper Li arrived to announce Lin Yaoguang shortly after.
“Show him in,” Kayla ordered.
“My lord,” Lin Yaoguang greeted her as he stepped into the room. Slightly behind him, a woman in plain robes bowed her head. Kayla took in the sight of Lin Yaoguang’s mage with interest. The woman had an entirely unremarkable appearance, of average height and weight, and probably in her mid-thirties. Pale and thin, the mage had probably spent most her life indoors. It wasn’t difficult to guess why. The mage was blind.
Cataracts at her age? Kayla looked into the dull, milky eyes of the mage. Well, in this day and age, I suppose it’s not surprising. But she’s a high-level magic-user, why didn’t she heal herself or hire a healer? A botched removal...or was she blinded on purpose?
“So this is the mage you spoke of?” Kayla asked, continuing without waiting for a response. “Greetings, miss.”
“I humbly greet the Duke,” the woman said, her face expressionless as she bowed.
“No need for formalities, let’s get on with this,” Kayla said.
“Of course, my lord. Here is the contract the oath will honor,” Lin Yaoguang said, pushing a scroll across the desk.
Kayla flippantly scanned the page, keeping her face impassive.
“This is very thorough,” she remarked. “Consider me impressed.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“Certainly, I can agree not to harm you or yours, but I cannot agree to the legal amnesty clause. Whatever crimes you’ve committed in the past, I don’t know and don’t care to know so long as they don’t affect me. But you’re asking me to allow you to commit crimes and cover up for you? That’s impossible,” Kayla said.
“I’m sure you can find a way to make it happen, my lord. I only say this because I cannot possible acquire the funds and information for you through legal means,” Lin Yaoguang said. “And unlike your situation, there is no way around it for me.”
“Even if I’m the head of the Bureau, I can’t make your crimes go away. Just be careful and cover your own tracks properly,” Kayla said, a little amazed by the shamelessness. “There’s still the Ministry of Justice, you know?”
“Which is all but under your control,” Lin Yaoguang replied.
Kayla scoffed derisively. “My man is only the Right Secretariat. If you mess up badly enough that it reaches the upper echelons, there’s no way I can force the Minister’s hand.”
“But the Minister is the Third Prince’s man, isn’t he? Everyone can tell that you’re growing closer to the Third Prince by the day,” Lin Yaoguang said innocently.
Kayla’s heart thudded nervously. “Really? I hadn’t heard,” she spoke in as nonchalant a tone as she could manage.
As expected, General Yan’s nomination was too much, wasn’t it? I thought I’d been careful to make it seem like Kuang was just good at guessing what the Emperor wanted rather than that I was siding with him! Damn it.
“Well, with how good the Third Prince is at jumping on chances, he’s managed to be among the first batch of supporters for anything you do in the Emperor’s name. It can’t be helped that people would come to associate your name with his,” Lin Yaoguang replied.
I can’t tell if he’s being sarcastic or not.
But once Hu Qing married Chujiao, it would be all but blatant. Even if people considered it as a move to strengthen the neutral faction, it didn’t look good that it was Xianchun she was moving on.
There was a reason why Xianchun never attacked her image of neutrality despite his animosity. Kayla’s perceived neutrality left a good chunk of power at the Imperial core safely nestled away for anyone who could potentially sway her to their side. It made Xianchun look like he had much more of a fighting chance than he really did, and it was why, even now, there were still people who flocked to him.
“You’re worth quite a lot to me, Lin Yaoguang, but you’re not worth a debt to the Third Prince. I’d recommend you think carefully about your next steps,” Kayla said levelly.
Lin Yaoguang shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t concede on this point, my lord. If it is truly your intention to protect me, you’re more than capable of doing so. There won’t be a debt if there’s no favor to ask for.”
Kayla laughed in disbelief. “Unbelievable–are you really telling me to cover your tracks?”
“Perhaps I should,” Lin Yaoguang replied.
Well, it’s not like it matters. Once I have what I need, this oath couldn’t bind me any more than a thread of wool could bind a tiger.
“You’re truly shameless, Lin Yaoguang. I’ll accept in consideration of your talents, but if you cause me any trouble, I’ll find other ways to make you pay for it.”
“Of course, my lord,” Lin Yaoguang said, a confident glint in his eyes. “Then the oath?”
“Very well,” Kayla replied. The mage stepped forward, her face as blank as it had been throughout the conversation.
A blinded female mage capable of casting high-tier spells…that should narrow down the investigation, Kayla noted.
“Please agree when I give the signal,” the woman said.
“Understood.”
A golden light flowed out from the woman’s fingertips and covered the room in a web of brightness. The web flowed off of the walls and began to contract, curling closer and closer to Kayla. She held still and let it land on her robes. Kayla could feel the magic seeping through the robes and then her skin, a strange sensation that was neither painful nor uncomfortable. The web continued to condense inside her flesh, finally wrapping itself firmly over Kayla’s heart.
This is so weird, Kayla thought with a little bit of awe. I can actually feel it there, but it doesn’t seem to be obstructing anything.
“Do you swear upon your life to uphold this contract?” The mage asked.
“I do,” Kayla replied. The magic inside her chest seemed to grow warmer, increasing in temperature but stopping just before it became uncomfortably hot. Then the intensity began to fade, cooling and falling away until it was unnoticeable.
It’s melded onto my heart, Kayla noted. A current of unease filled her. Could I actually nullify this safely? No, of course I can. It works on everything, especially when I’m in the capital. I could nullify every spell in the city if I wanted to. This is nothing.
“Thank you, my lord. I’ll get to work on collecting the Grand Duke’s funds,” Lin Yaoguang said.
“And the information?” Kayla asked.
Lin Yaoguang smiled. “Of course, I wouldn’t dare to cheat you of a lead. Trying to find the assassin at this point is like scooping a needle out of an ocean. But have you considered that his master would surely have planted men in the capital to observe the fallout? There are plenty of criminal dens in the capital, but you surely wouldn’t find an observer in any of those. Rather…you should check the hostels provided to market vendors who come into the capital for only a day or two a week to hawk wares. Most significantly, the ones that aren’t licensed. You can find them near the outskirts of the capital, along the path used for oxcarts that connects to the Eastern Market.”
I hadn’t thought of that…but that’s way too little, isn’t it?
Kayla gave him a deadpan stare. “Do you think I don’t know where those hostels are located? You might as well give me nothing if that’s all you’re going to tell me.”
“Unfortunately, that’s all I have right now. If you can get something useful, I’ll help you pursue the lead through my connections. But you have to find something for me to work with here,” Lin Yaoguang said apologetically.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Do you have any clues as to where the person might be from?” Kayla asked suspiciously.
Lin Yaoguang gave a soft laugh. “I know where I stand with you, my lord. I have no wish to offend you more so than necessary. Anything that I have, I would tell you.”
“Alright then,” Kayla conceded. “And the money?”
“I will give you reports every week, and strive to have it all in your hands within two months,” Lin Yaoguang promised.
“I want the books,” Kayla said. “I know you’ve taken accounts, so hand them over.”
Lin Yaoguang’s face fell. “I’m afraid that’s not possible, my lord.”
“Then you don’t get your commission. I won’t ask for the money back. But I have full powers of auditing and monitoring over every single market I wish to inquire into as a Minister and the Director of the Bureau. And now with the communication infrastructure in place? Sure, you’ll keep the full amount of the Grand Duke’s money. But I’ve got my claws in you now. You’ll never be able to spend a cent of it,” Kayla snapped.
Lin Yaoguang’s face had gone flat, only barely managing to hide his annoyance.
“But please, feel free. Guard the golden mountain and beg for scraps,” Kayla said.
She waited a beat until resignation shone in his eyes.
“Bring the books, and let’s see what you’ve got. Oh, and one thing before you go. I want you to take a magical oath for the money and the reliability of your information. That mage of yours, you’d lend her to me for a moment, wouldn’t you?” Kayla asked.
“My lord!” Lin Yaoguang protested.
“What?” Kayla snapped. “You’re the only one who needs assurances? Just showing your face doesn’t prove your sincerity. I want an oath from you, and if I don’t get one, you’re not walking out that door.”
“Surely I don’t need to remind you of what you just swore,” Lin Yaoguang said, a dangerous note in his voice.
“I don’t need to harm you,” Kayla said in amusement. “My retainers are skilled enough to restrain you without leaving a single mark. I would just keep you here, fed and watered, and never allowed to take a step outside of your room for the rest of your sorry little life. As for your mage…it’s a pity, but our contract doesn’t extend to protect her safety.”
The woman’s face remained completely stoic.
“My contacts will send out the evidence of the Grand Duke’s–”
“Let them,” Kayla said. “I am a petty man, Lin Yaoguang. I can deal with the fallout, but can you? Oh, I can’t hurt you, don’t worry about that. But you will see that the quality of your food keeps getting worse. And if your health fails because of that…well, I didn’t harm you, did I? Nowhere in the contract did it specify that I’m obligated to provide you with luxurious accommodations.”
It was a bluff, and Lin Yaoguang probably suspected it as well, but he didn’t want to take that risk.
“I’ll take the oath,” Lin Yaoguang said through gritted teeth.
“Wonderful! I knew you were someone who could be reasoned with!” Kayla beamed at him. “Miss, if you would?”
The mage nodded. “What are the contents of the oath?” She asked.
“That you, Lin Yaoguang, will fully disclose to me the state and history of the Grand Duke’s accounts. Furthermore, you will take no more than the twenty percent you are promised, and ensure that the money is provided to me without legal, physical, or societal sabotage. That includes spreading rumors, blackmailing servants, leaking information, or any kind of plot in the process that would cause damage to the Zhao household, the country, my person, and my people. The last clause includes everyone who can claim themselves to be my supporters. Sabotage will also include creating incidents or misunderstandings that would incite conflict between myself and anyone else,” Kayla said. As the words streamed out, she began regretting not writing it down instead.
“You will provide me with information truthfully, and fully disclose what you know each time I am asked. This clause means that you cannot purposefully mislead or deceive me, nor twist the information you present to repay private grudges or greed with public resources. Also, you cannot delay your responses to me save for life-or-death emergencies. If I ask you to investigate information, you will prioritize it in a timely manner and provide daily reports,” Kayla rattled on, letting out a soft sigh as she finished.
“You’ve certainly thought this through,” Lin Yaoguang said.
“Shall we then?” Kayla asked.
“Very well,” Lin Yaoguang said, a grudging reflection of Kayla from moments before.
The mage repeated the oath process with a blank face.
“Do you accept the conditions imposed by the Duke?” She asked.
“I do,” Lin Yaoguang said. The golden web of light disappeared into Lin Yaoguang’s body. Kayla could sense the spell in effect as it melded into Lin Yaoguang's heart.
She actually did it properly, I would've thought she would at least try to fool me. Or did she know I was going to use that as an excuse to detain her? Kayla certainly had no excuse now.
The mage nodded in Kayla’s direction. “It is done.”
“Thank you. Lin Yaoguang, do you confirm that the information you presented to me earlier is truthful and reliable?” Kayla asked.
“Yes,” Lin Yaoguang said, looking vaguely murderous.
“Good. The two of you may take your leave,” Kayla said.
“And I assume we will be followed?” Lin Yaoguang asked, a note of bitterness in his voice.
Kayla gave him an incredulous look. “Do you really need to ask the obvious?”
To her surprise, Lin Yaoguang laughed in amusement.
“Please excuse us then,” he said. He bowed, and quickly left, taking the mage with him.
Kayla waited for a moment before raising her voice slightly.
“Tao Qian, have them prepare my carriage, I’m going to the Bureau,” Kayla ordered.
“Yes, my lord,” Tao Qian replied through the door.
Within an hour, Kayla was seated in a small meeting-room with Li Que, Tabuyir, and Hu Qing before her. Each wore a mildly perturbed expression as they listened to her heavily simplified explanation of the situation.
“What does everyone think?” Kayla asked. “I can vouch that the man in question truly believes that his lead is solid, but not much else.”
“If we can catch the culprit’s spies, we would have something concrete to work with. I certainly expected such a thing as well, but without any leads, it was impossible to even consider pursuing the option. Even now that we have an approximate location, catching the men in question wouldn’t be easy. Given the population of the city and the foot traffic alone, it would be difficult to pluck out the right spy,” Li Que offered.
“I could discern a trained man if I interrogated one, but if he’s not combat-trained, then it’d be hard to pick out the right man,” Hu Qing added.
“We also have plenty of experts in the Bureau, but it truly is like scooping out a needle from an ocean,” Li Que said regretfully.
Kayla nodded silently.
“Infiltration is impractical, and so is purposefully beating the bush to startle the snake in order to net them in,” Tabuyir added. “Those hostels are overcrowded and poorly managed. You wouldn’t find anything from the records either, even if you audited them.”
“Then what should we do?” Kayla asked.
Tabuyir exchanged a glance with Li Que.
“Another alternative would be raiding the hostels and conducting mass arrests. We have the manpower and the budget to do so,” Tabuyir said.
“The implications for that will be damaging though…both to the market and to public opinion,” Kayla murmured.
“It can’t be helped, my lord. We need results, don’t we? This isn’t like dealing with cases where a noble is the prime culprit, we can only spread the net widely and hope that it turns up a catch,” Tabuyir replied.
These things get messy as hell…I’d really like to avoid it if possible, but we’re running low on options here. The Bureau is well-trained enough that there shouldn’t be any civilian deaths in the process, but I don’t think I could say the same about the Court of Judicial Review. If it’s a solo effort…why is there always so much to worry about?
“I hate to trouble civilians who have nothing to do with this, but if we are to make a move, we need to do so soon. I can’t let this chance slip. Monitor every single hostel in the area and prepare for raids. When we move, I want us to do this properly. The raids should be simultaneous, or at least close enough that we avoid any chance of beating the bushes and startling the snakes. The surrounding roads and rooftops also need to be shut down,” Kayla said. “Make sure that we’re duly staffed. I don’t want any preventable casualties to occur.”
“Understood,” Li Que and Tabuyir said in unison.
“Furthermore, I will oversee the operation personally. Of course, the details should be left to the experts, but I intend to be there,” Kayla said.
“My lord, perhaps you should sit this one out. If anything goes wrong, you’ll be forced to take full responsibility,” Tabuyir said worriedly.
“That’s the point,” Kayla replied. “This is only the first step in a series of risky moves. I have to show everyone that I am willing to bear that responsibility if I want them to tread into dangerous territory for me. If they can’t trust me to take responsibility for arresting some merchants, how will they trust me to take responsibility for moving against someone powerful enough to retaliate?”
An uneasy silence fell over the room as the implications sunk in.
“By the way, we should increase surveillance over the Archdukes,” Hu Qing added very tactfully. Kayla gave him a look of mild exasperation.
“That too," she said reluctantly.
“I would also advise the Duke against taking unnecessary risks in normal circumstances, both out of consideration for yourself and also for the men. But given the current situation, the benefits outweigh the risks,” Li Que said. “With your permission, I will present this to the men as a result of your filial piety and loyalty towards His Majesty as your liege and your uncle, and emphasize your determination to bear personal responsibility for anything that goes wrong under that same light. Having both a motivation they could sympathize with and a promise they can rely on would be good for the operation.”
“You know best about these matters. I’ll gratefully take your advice,” Kayla said.
“Thank you, my lord.” Li Que bowed his head slightly.
“What about Lin Jie and the internal investigation?” Kayla asked.
“We’ve cleared everyone except for the two archivists, but neither of them seem to have anything useful,” Tabuyir replied.
“Keep at it. One of them has to know something,” Kayla said.
“Zhang Wuxian’s doing his best right now to decipher Lin Jie’s findings,” Hu Qing said. “We believe he may have destroyed something crucial for some reason. There doesn’t seem to be any hint of foul play. Now whether he was going to extort us or if he was hoping to protect people from accidentally stumbling upon a dangerous truth, we can no longer say for certain. But I believe it’s the latter.”
Kayla nodded thoughtfully. “In any case, keep an eye on their progress.”
Hu Qing gave an exaggerated gesture of agreement, earning disapproving looks from the two middle-aged men. Kayla quickly ended the meeting before one of them could start lecturing Hu Qing. As the men bid their goodbyes, she met Li Que’s eyes and gave him a small nod.
Li Que held back at the door after the other two had left. Checking that the corridor was clear, he shut the door soundlessly.
“My lord, how may I be of service?”
“I have something for you here,” Kayla said, handing him a scroll. Li Que took it with both hands and unfurled it, scanning the paper.
A frown slowly knitted his brows.
“My lord, what is this?” Li Que asked.
“A list given to me by the Emperor,” she replied. “I want you to watch them carefully. Unofficially, of course.”
“May I ask what this is about?” Li Que asked.
“I’m sure you both understand that our position is precarious. Everything depends on our ability to turn out results, and people are constantly watching us for even the smallest mistake,” Kayla said wearily. She let out a small sigh and gestured at the scroll. “These are the people who are most likely to pounce the second they get a chance. I know this because they were the ones who submitted impeachments against me “
Li Que’s eyes narrowed. “I understand, my lord.”
“I’m sure you do. I will repay them for what they’ve done, but we’ve got to do this the proper way, you see. Once they make a mistake, I want to be the first to know. No one can accuse me of unfairness then,” Kayla explained.
“I doubt we’ll need to wait. If we dig deep enough, no one’s completely faultless,” Li Que pointed out.
Kayla shook her head. “That’s a waste of time and resources that we don’t have. Plus, we’ve got to leave them some breathing room, no? Today’s enemy could be tomorrow’s ally. But for the prideful nobles and officials, you need to let them think it was their own idea to bow their heads. So slowly does it.”
“Indeed,” Li Que replied.
“The court itself is a place where everything is ephemeral. I can’t blame people for jumping onto a chance that could change the lives of them and their descendants. If I did, I would have to blame myself as well. We’re all opportunists here, the tigers among us are no more bloodthirsty than the sparrows,” Kayla murmured, a strange feeling in her chest.
She breathed in sharply, suppressing it. “Well then, I’ll leave it to you,” she said.
“I will not disappoint you, my lord,” Li Que replied, bowing his head. Once he had left, Kayla pinched at the bridge of her nose.
One headache after another, Kayla silently griped, thinking of the Third Prince’s request.
Mediating between him and Xianchun over the funerary rites? It was a request that was as strange as it was difficult to fulfill. But Kayla hadn’t refused. A strange sense of foreboding told her that she had to accept.
If I fail to reconcile them on this matter, things will definitely spiral out of control.
She was certain of it.
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Cultural Notes
顺藤摸瓜/Find the melon by feeling along the vine: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to find something/someone by following a lead.
守着金山要饭吃/Guarding the golden mountain and begging for food: A Chinese saying that means having great stuff but making do with the most pathetic scraps. This is usually used in a different context than what Kayla did, but is often applied to badly written C-dramas as in "you literally have a treasure trove of source material, good actors, and a huge budget for this [insert drama/topic] why are you using only the (subjectively) worst you have to offer?"
公报私仇/Using public resources for private vengeance: An Ancient Chinese proverb.
大海捞针/Scooping out a needle in an ocean: The Ancient Chinese equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack.
打草惊蛇/Beating the bushes and startling the snakes: An Ancient Chinese proverb that means preliminarily scaring off the enemy before you are able to capture them.
广撒网/Broadly cast the net: An Ancient Chinese saying that means to widely pursue leads (incorporating diverse perspectives, basically).