Character Index
Li Que: A Senior Investigator of the Bureau.
Tabuyir: A Senior Investigator of Khitan descent.
Chen Jian: A young Imperial Investigator, Li Que's protege and Chen Caichun's brother.
Zhang Dingyong: Minister of Justice, Kuang's supporter.
Lin Yaoguang: The Grand Duke's money launderer, associated with the conspirators.
Duan Wuxie: A Senior Investigator of the Bureau.
Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Lord of the Liang clan, a Vice-Censor, and Kayla's friend.
Qu Boyong/Xiang Daozong: Lord of the Xiang clan, holds a honorary position at court.
Chujiao/Jing Shuyou: Cousin of Qu Boyong/Xiang Daozong, previously Wenyuan's childhood friend and sweetheart.
An Haoyang: Xiang Daozong's loyal retainer, a former Imperial Investigator.
Ke Yongqian: Hu Qing's retainer and right-hand man. The two knew each other since way back.
Lin Jie: An Attendant Censor who was investigating a potential conspiracy when he suddenly died in what seemed to be a suicide but was in fact a murder.
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Kayla sat in the meeting room, Li Que and Tabuyir on her left and the Vice-Director on her right. As if to prove their sincerity in avenging the Emperor’s loss, every high-ranking Investigator who had security clearance had dragged themselves to the early morning meeting.
Did we do all this just for show? The same doubts seemed to plague everyone present, even as they kept their faces aligned in looks of polite interest.
The tension inside the room was only alleviated by the one person who seemed oblivious to it–Chen Jian, the man making the final report. He read off a long scroll, blithely rattling on while barely pausing for breath.
“As of sunrise, a total of 12 hostels in Shengwen Road were raided, and 438 men, along with 24 boys were detained onsite for questioning and intake procedures,” Chen Jian reported. “All hostel owners and staff members onsite were also detained and questioned, with 7 owners who were in violation of safety regulations being taken into custody for further investigation. Seven of the hostels were found to be severely and dangerously crowded, and furthermore to have insufficient sanitary facilities. Due to overcrowding in these 7 hostels, there were over 50 minor to moderate injuries in the course of the arrests from falls, collisions with inanimate objects, and trampling. All injuries were fully treated onsite, and as per the Director’s request, 12 men and 5 boys found to be in ill health or with underlying health conditions were referred for further treatment.”
The young Investigator paused to roll down the next section of the scroll.
“See Section Four for questionnaires and intake details,” he read out loud before squinting at it a little. “Oh, that was an annotation. Sorry.”
Li Que cleared his throat impatiently, signaling Chen Jian to get on with it.
“Of those taken into custody, 57 men were present in the city without the proper travel or work papers. And of those 57, four were foreigners without legal entry papers, and 2 men had no papers at all. We were able to match the information to the previously updated residency registries of surrounding villages and towns for most of the men, save for the six who lacked the proper papers and another eight men whose information we couldn’t find in the census,” Chen Jian read. “Those fourteen men have been transported to the Bureau headquarters for further investigation.”
“I find it highly unlikely that it could be a foreigner, and one who lacked the proper papers at that, but it may be best to delay a transfer to the relevant embassies until we’re certain,” Li Que explained.
Kayla nodded at him.
“There were another few that we arrested even though their information matched up with the records, on account of suspicious behavior or if we thought they might be conducting identity theft,” Chen Jian added. “Over a dozen men had appearances that didn’t match with their registered ages, or with their registered trades. There were also a few that we arrested because they seemed to have martial backgrounds they were trying to hide. Of them, one was actually an undercover agent for the Ministry of Justice investigating illegal labor trafficking, so we’ve sent him back to Minister Zhang.”
Oops.
“I’ll have to write them a letter of apology,” Kayla muttered.
“There was also a foreigner from Fulin who was temporarily detained, since it seems he was trying to hide his social position, and also because many of the other men told us about his attempts to convert them to his religion. Though we previously confiscated what appeared to be a religious talisman shaped like a fence post of some sort, he became exceedingly distressed, so we returned it to him,” Chen Jian said. “Additionally, it seems that he’s not really poor enough to warrant staying in one of these places, and his financial records with the marketplace show that he’s actually rather well-off. It seemed suspicious to us.”
Damn, we arrested a missionary? Well, it definitely isn’t him. They wouldn’t send someone so obviously suspicious.
“Defer him to the Ministry of Rites or the Fulin court ambassador,” Kayla ordered. “It’s definitely not him, and if he turns out to be a religious figure, this could get troublesome for us.”
“As you wish,” Li Que said. He waved at an Investigator who quickly peeled out of the room.
“For the remaining men, we were able to process their information within twelve hours thanks to the double-staffing at the Court of Judicial Review, the Bureau, and the Office of Censure. We’ve cleared almost everyone who seems to have legitimate cause and papers to be in the capital, and they’ve been warned not to damage, remove, or obstruct any of the talismans. It was as you predicted, my lord, most of them don’t have anywhere else to stay in the capital save for the hostels they were in, so we had to move some of the men from the overcrowded hostels into neighboring inns we requisitioned. However, given the costs, the Bureau’s accounting department recommends imposing fines on the hostel owners whose businesses failed to meet regulation, and also to release restriction of movement on a rolling basis,” Chen Jian said.
“I’ll cover the fees out of pocket if I have to, we can’t afford to let anyone slip through our fingers,” Kayla said. The Investigators gave her glances of surprise, but quickly schooled their expressions.
She glanced around the room. “I’m serious. I’ll pay to keep them in the city if that’s what it takes. Our Emperor, my Uncle, was forced to suffer such a treasonous act. Even if it takes my entire assets, I’ll find and punish the person responsible.”
“That’s not necessary, Director,” a flustered man from the accounting department said from the corner. “If necessary, we can request funds from the palace for this, it’s just…”
“Just that we might have done all this for nothing, right? I understand and share your concerns. We’ve startled the leader and stirred up the public with the raids, but it’s always possible that we won’t find anything,” Kayla said grimly. “If we are to request funds, I’ll do it personally. If we can’t get the funds, I’ll use my own money. This entire endeavor has been my idea from the very start–it’s only right for me to take full responsibility. The accounting department does not need to feel too much pressure.”
“No, how can we let the Director shoulder this alone?” The man said nervously, sounding even more flustered now.
“It’s alright,” Kayla insisted.
“I disagree, my lord. While we are moved by your sense of responsibility, it is the duty of the Bureau to serve His Majesty. If we are to leave the burden to the Director alone, it would also be a smear on the pride of the Imperial Investigators,” Tabuyir helpfully supplied.
“I will draft a funding request right away!” The man from the accounting department added on.
“Well, if you all insist,” Kayla said. “It is heartening to see the Bureau’s spirit. Be assured that I will not forget this.”
A small wave of relief swept through the room.
Li Que’s advice was right on the mark, Kayla noted to herself. If I phrase it in terms of avenging the wrongs committed against the Emperor and the Imperial Family, I garner goodwill and increase my standing within the Bureau by offering to take personal responsibility without really having to carry through.
It was effectively emotional blackmail–how could the Bureau, whose formation itself was for the purpose of serving and protecting the Emperor, stand back and let their Director shoulder the burden alone? What kind of subordinates would they be in the eyes of the court, and in the eyes of their master the Emperor?
Though it goes the other way too.
If they really did fail, Kayla was obligated to try and take full responsibility regardless of the circumstances, just as the Bureau was obligated to do everything they could to prevent that.
But someone would have to be punished. The Bureau’s under the Emperor’s jurisdiction, it would make him look bad if we failed to find anything. The hammer would have to come down on a scapegoat–would it be me?
Politically speaking, Kayla was the least viable option, but she couldn’t be certain how rationally the Emperor would act while angry.
I mean, last time…and the Emperor hadn’t really recovered from the emotional shock. These days, he varied between pouring his heart out to Kayla and being completely withdrawn from her. Sometimes he was desperate to be comforted, sometimes he rejected any and all attempts at physical contact. He had never been unkind or angry at Kayla again since that fateful night, but the deaths of his sons and his own crushing guilt seemed to weigh heavier on him by the day.
I do feel bad for him, and it’s scary to see how much weight he’s losing, even when we’re coaxing him to eat. But…it’s putting me and everyone else in the palace on edge. Even the Empress Dowager hasn’t made any moves because she knows there’s a volatile bomb just waiting to go off.
At this point, it wasn’t even about containing the explosion anymore, but making sure that it was someone else who got caught in the blast.
The servants and eunuchs look at me as if I can magically calm him down again when that happens just because I’ve done it once before. Like hell I can!
“–there were seven Investigators who received minor scrapes or bruises in the process, mostly from colliding with inanimate objects in overcrowded hostels. One Investigator’s uniform was damaged because someone grabbed onto his pants in fear and wouldn’t let go,” Chen Jian’s voice cut back into her thoughts. “One Investigator received an injury necessitating immediate medical treatment when one of the unregistered men tried to escape through a window but underestimated the height–the Investigator caught him before the man could fall, but stepped on a wooden box that caved in while conducting the arrest and hurt his foot. He was healed onsite.”
“So there were no other runners?” Kayla asked.
“Other than the one who tried to jump out the window, there was another man who was entering through a window when the raid began,” Chen Jian said. “It seems that his brother was the only one who registered, while he would sneak in to avoid having to pay for both of them. But there’s nothing else suspicious about them.”
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
“That’s…well, anyways, of the men we’ve transferred into Bureau custody, are there any suspects that stand out right now?” Kayla asked.
“We can’t say for certain, Director,” Chen Jian said apologetically. “All kinds of shady people stay in these places, so it’s difficult to discern which is the one we’re looking for.”
“I’ll take a look myself,” Kayla said.
I’m going to grill Lin Yaoguang. No, wait, I should just bring him. Is that alright though?
“As you wish, Director.”
I’ll figure it out later. It’s better to take a look by myself first.
“The rest of you may return to your posts, or go get some rest as needed,” Kayla ordered. The men dispersed, leaving only Li Que and Duan Wuxie, as well as a handful of subordinates.
“Director, we’ll go with you,” Li Que said. “I’ve borrowed a few men from Senior Investigator Tabuyir who speak different languages, perhaps they’ll be of use.”
“Thank you.”
She nodded for Chen Jian to lead the way, following the young man down the winding corridors and countless flights of stairs. The lights grew dimmer, the air colder, until they were at the holding cells of the Bureau.
Kayla looked around, keeping her face a blank mask. The men were kept five to a cell, with the foreigners separated from the rest. A few men were in solitary cells, likely the ones with martial backgrounds, given the way they carried themselves.
The men sat or stood sullenly in their cells, some shying away from the bars as the Investigators passed, others rushing forward to plead their innocence. An atmosphere of fear and confusion permeated the air. Several of the men were dressed in prisoner robes, having been arrested whilst only in their underwear.
Two boys sat together on a cot, their arms linked as they watched Kayla with befuddled expressions.
“Who are those two? They’re a bit too young, aren’t they?” Kayla asked Li Que.
“It seems they lied about their ages, likely they bribed their local village administrator to change their ages on the registry,” Li Que replied.
“The foreigners over there are reluctant to disclose their country of origin, they probably fear deportation,” Duan Wuxie said, pointing out a cell.
Inside, a confused man with distinctively Sogdian features grabbed at the coin-shaped talisman around his neck, scanning the faces of the Investigators with plaintive eyes.
“That’s foolish of them. Tell them that they’ll be ejected from the borders no matter what, unless they can get the correct papers within a month,” Li Que said. “The only difference for staying quiet is that their embassies and religious organizations won’t be notified, nor will they have any obligation to help.”
Two of Tabuyir’s subordinates stepped forward to make the translations, staying behind as Kayla’s group moved on.
Glancing around for anything that might be helpful, a quiet dread began stirring in Kayla’s stomach.
Look at these people. I never set out to cause them any harm, but does that even matter when this is the result? It’s not like I didn’t consider the potential impact in the first place…I was even prepared for there to be serious injuries, that’s why I even assigned so many healers in the first place.
She bit back the surge of discomfort that rose into her throat, but the feeling of dread only grew stronger. The eyes of the arrested men seemed to be bore into her, as if resenting her callousness towards their lives.
I know I set aside some funds for compensating their lost wages and for anyone who got injured, but that’s far from enough, isn’t it?
The hallway seemed to grow darker.
Why is this–A memory of walking down this very hall whilst clad in chains enveloped her. Kayla’s pace slowed.
The Investigators glanced at each other, unsure what their boss wanted.
She scanned a cell, nodded thoughtfully, and kept moving.
Fuck, I nearly slipped up. For god’s sake!
This wasn’t even the same place–political prisoners of high status were held in an entirely different floor of the prison.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
The ghost of cold steel crawled beneath her flesh like a trapped scorpion. There was a taste of acid in her throat, and for a moment she was certain that she would feel the metal any moment now.
Focus.
A blade slicing behind her ear.
Focus, Kayla.
A blade slicing into her shoulder blade.
For god's sake! Focus!
A blade slicing into her robes, making firm contact with the Imperial golden plaque.
Damn it, Kayla, what did you even arrest these poor suckers for if you’re not even going to look properly?
Her skin was clamming up, a familiar nausea creeping up her stomach to mingle with the astringent taste in her mouth. Kayla forcibly suppressed it. She wasn’t the one who should be upset right now, surrounded by her subordinates and staring down at the men behind bars.
Almost as if guided by fate, her nerves settled down just as she met eyes with a man lingering at the back of his cell. He was plain and unassuming, with absolutely nothing that stood out about him at all, save for that one knowing gaze.
The man made to lower his eyes, but it was too late. She had seen the recognition flash through his gaze.
Kayla lifted her arm, pointing squarely at the man’s face.
“This man,” Kayla said. “Bring him in for interrogation.”
It’s you. It has to be you.
Without another glance at the protesting man, she turned and walked on.
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Hu Qing stared blankly as Xiang Daozong raged at him.
“I will never agree to this marriage!”
For heaven’s sake, what kind of second-rate melodrama is this?
Xiang Daozong had been ready and waiting for him the moment Hu Qing stepped out of his house. Almost amused at the man’s unhappy expression, Hu Qing had agreed to a private conversation. Now, he regretted it.
“Don’t you even think of sending a proposal!”
Wow, what a temper tantrum. He’s seriously pissed, huh? I’ve never seen him this mad before. What are you, an indignant father-in-law?
Hu Qing pushed back a stray hair, his irritation growing by the minute.
Didn’t I tell Chujiao to put a hold on things? We’re still trying to keep the Seventh Prince and Third Prince in check right now, we can’t afford to shake things up.
Or had Xiang Daozong gotten some idiotic notion into his head to marry Chujiao off to someone else?
Hu Qing couldn’t care less. Xiang Daozong was still angrily ranting at him, the words going in one ear and right out the other.
Hu Qing glanced around impassively, looking almost bored.
I can’t fucking stand this.
“Keep your voice down,” he said flatly.
“What–”
Hu Qing grabbed Xiang Daozong’s collar, glaring into the young noble’s face. A good distance away, An Haoyang stiffened, but remained where he was, kept in check by Ke Yongqian.
“I said keep your voice down, cousin.” He spat out the last word as though it was a curse.
Xiang Daozong knocked aside Hu Qing’s arm with a furious glare.
“Don’t call me that! You don’t have the fucking right–you’re nothing but Wenyuan’s dog!” Xiang Daozong snarled.
“And what are you then?” Hu Qing shot back, stepping closer to loom over Xiang Daozong. “A dog that’s lost its owner? A dog carrying its own leash while pitifully whining for food?”
“Curse you, Hu Qing! I’ll make you regret ever being born!” Xiang Daozong shoved Hu Qing square in the chest.
“Which do you think will happen faster? That you’ll succeed to do so, or that Wenyuan will crush you?” Hu Qing shot back. “You’re at the edge of the abyss here, and you don’t even realize it! Or are you just in denial?”
He stared down Xiang Daozong, taking in the man’s dilated pupils and clammy skin.
The poor little shit, Hu Qing thought to himself, almost amused.
“I’m going to marry Chujiao, but no sooner and no later than when Wenyuan says so,” Hu Qing declared. “You’re going to agree, because you have no other choice. And until then, we can both keep our mouths shut. Understand?”
“Wenyuan might fail to find the culprit, you know,” Xiang Daozong said. “What then? Are you going to keep clinging to the hem of his robes when he comes to ruin? I certainly won’t, and I won’t set my cousin on a ship that might sink at any moment!”
A flash of red crossed Hu Qing’s vision, tinting his expression with bloodlust.
“Even if–” Hu Qing’s hands shot out, encasing Xiang Daozong’s shoulders in a crushing grip. “–-he comes to ruin…I won’t leave you alive to laugh at him.”
“You’re fucking insane!” Xiang Daozong struggled against the iron claws biting into his shoulders, trying and failing to break free. “You’re threatening a member of the Imperial Family! Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you’ve gained that man’s favor—he’ll discard you the second you become more trouble than you’re worth. Look at my cousin, the woman you’re trying to ruin!”
Xiang Daozong wrenched himself free, tugging at the crumpled fabric of his robes.
“My cousin served Wenyuan for over ten years and was the person closest to his heart. He relied on her for all of his emotional needs as if she was both his mother and his wife! But now? That bastard’s trying to marry her to a cut-sleeve, to the son of a prostitute! Her today is your tomorrow, you fool! Even if Wenyuan doesn’t come to ruin, so what? He’ll destroy all of us anyways. That’s just who he is, it’s in his blood!”
“I think he’s shown enough generosity to you and yours,” Hu Qing replied icily. “I couldn’t blame you for needing to take revenge. But you can’t blame him for needing to protect himself either. Didn’t he let you go when you betrayed him, and even give you severance pay? Didn’t he let Chujiao go, even after knowing she was spying on him the entire time? Don’t pretend that you would be half as merciful if faced with the same circumstances.”
Xiang Daozong glared at him.
“My entire clan died. Hundreds of people were executed, and that doesn’t even include the suffering dealt out to our associates and subordinates. It was his clan responsible, and his clan that benefited from it! Can you look me in the eye and say that Wenyuan didn’t benefit from my family’s murder? Can you?! Sure, the Grand Duke’s dead now, and he helped with that. But what about the other culprits? He’s protecting those goddamn scum just because they’re his relatives, and yet he thinks himself virtuous! How can you even compare our circumstances?!”
“Perhaps you have a point,” Hu Qing acceded. “I wouldn’t understand either way.”
“Of course not,” Xiang Daozong said bitterly.
“But it is what it is. You’re at the end of the line, and unless you cooperate, that’s where you’ll remain,” Hu Qing said. “If you don’t want me to marry Chujiao, that’s fine. But we’ll make it so she can’t marry anyone else either. Same goes with you. If you don’t want to ally with us, that’s too bad, really, but we can deal with it. We just won’t let you ally with anyone else either. We’ll block off every goddamn path for you and entomb you alive. Let your poor little Xiang clan fade into obscurity. Is that what you want?”
Xiang Daozong drew back with a look of disgust.
“You and Wenyuan sure make an excellent pair! Between the two of you, there’s not half a conscience to be found!” Xiang Daozong snapped.
Hu Qing ignored the insult.
“Rather than coming here to make a scene, I’d recommend you carefully think over your options instead,” Hu Qing said. “Wenyuan’s good to his own people–”
“Like that Attendant Censor who killed himself?” Xiang Daozong shot back.
“Yeah–well, fuck you, that was a murder. The point is, if you join forces with him, he’ll have a reason to hand over the culprits to you for revenge. You’re worth more to him anyways. But if you don’t, you’ll live to see yourself trapped in insignificance while those bastards gain the benefits of being related to the Duke. Why don’t you go home and talk this over with your cousin?” Hu Qing said, trying hard and failing to be inoffensive.
“Fuck you! Stay away from my cousin!” Seething, Xiang Daozong stormed off.
Hu Qing watched him go with derision.
“What a fucking mess,” Hu Qing muttered. Shaking his head, he left the deserted alley.
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Cultural Notes
Fulin: The Ancient Chinese name for Byzantine, not to be confused with Great Qin, the name for the Roman Republic and Empire.
Foreign embassies in the Tang Dynasty: As far as I know, there weren't embassies back then like what we know today, but it was common to have ethnic or religious affiliation organizations that had backing, support, or contact with the government or nobility of the home country. Furthermore, when ambassadors and their delegations came to China, it wasn't uncommon to leave some people behind on a semi-official basis.
Christianity in the Tang Dynasty: There are archaeological and historical records of Christians in ancient China, going as far back as the 6th century. Many religious traditions became localized, and the Old and New Testaments seem to have been fully translated into Chinese in the 800s in order to better proselytize to the Chinese population. However, during the historical Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution of 845, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and Christianity were banned, and many religious assets were seized by the state. More so than a simple backlash against the encroach of foreign religions, the Emperor at the time also sorely needed war funds, and so pushed for persecution of these religions. Islam seems not to have been affected much, due to the Muslim community's relatively low profile.
道德绑架/Moral hostage: I replaced this term with emotional blackmail, but the Chinese term used for these situations is literally "morality hostage".
丧家犬/A owner-less dog: A Chinese phrase used for subjects that have lost their master or their backer, and are left in a pitiful position without protection.