Character Index
Chen Jian: A young Investigator in the Bureau, Li Que's protege.
Duan Wuxie: A Senior Investigator in the Bureau.
Zhou Yunqi: The Fifth Prince.
Wei Guang: The Imperial Edict Bearer and Minister of Censor, Kuang's supporter and Kayla's godfather.
Zhou Kuang: The Third Prince.
Lady Lin: A blind divinator who showed Kayla the future.
Zhou Xianchun: The Seventh Prince.
Tabuyir: A Senior Investigator and Vice-Censor, has sent his nephew to Kayla as a hostage.
Housekeeper Li: Kayla's loyal servant.
Lin Yaoguang: The Grand Duke's money launderer, now bound to Kayla's service.
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Chen Jian approached Duan Wuxie, handing the man a cup of tea.
“Is there anything new, sir?” Chen Jian asked.
“They’ve barely just entered,” Duan Wuxie said, giving Chen Jian an irritated glance. Both of their gazes turned towards the door of the interrogation room, where the plain-looking man their Director pointed out had been brought into.
Chen Jian leaned closer, ignoring Duan Wuxie taking a step away.
“Did you notice the Director acting a little strangely earlier? He seemed strangely tense,” Chen Jian whispered.
“He’s probably nervous,” Duan Wuxie said in a bored voice.
“Nervous? It’s hardly the first time he’s made an arrest. He’s even been arrested himself before,” Chen Jian pointed out.
Duan Wuxie shrugged. “Well, if this doesn’t work out for him, then he’s going to have to grovel hard for the Emperor to forgive him, if that’s even possible. The Director knows it too.”
“I think he made the right call though,” Chen Jian muttered. “The guy he pointed out? I think that’s the one we’re looking for.”
Duan Wuxie raised an eyebrow. “If you’re saying that, then it’s a good sign, I suppose?”
They both stopped as the door to the interrogation room opened. A man with graying hair stepped out, wearing the same fierce glower as always. The ace interrogator of the Bureau was a man in his late forties, with a face that could make a grown man cry. He nodded to Chen Jian in greeting, bowing more respectfully towards Duan Wuxie.
“Investigator Jin,” Chen Jian greeted the older man. “How’s the interrogation going?”
“He cracked,” Investigator Jin replied.
“What? That fast?” Duan Wuxie asked in surprise. “It’s barely been an hour.”
Investigator Jin nodded. “He realized he was screwed and decided that he might as well lighten his punishment by cooperating. After all, the Director personally pointed him out amidst all those people, so I went with that and let him believe that we already knew who we were looking for.”
“Who is he?” Chen Jian asked.
“Name’s Xia Xun, age 32. You can investigate his background some more, but he claims to have no family, grew up as an orphan in the Shanbei region. He’s been doing all sorts of illicit jobs since he was a kid, first as a pickpocket, then realized that he had a skill for blending in and going unnoticed, so he stopped working as a thief and started working as a spy for rich men. Mostly to catch their younger wives and pretty little concubines in affairs, but he started going for higher paying jobs, and eventually landed this gig while he was in Yongan County. He doesn’t know who the employer was, since they used a middleman by the name of Hong Xifan, but he gave us everything he knows,” Investigator Jin said. “The assistant’s finishing up the transcript right now, but we’ve got a pretty good physical description and a portrait. I grilled him thoroughly, so we have a lot to go off of. It shouldn’t be too difficult to catch the middleman, but we’ve got to act fast, before the news of the raid spreads. A middleman like him would probably have contacts in the capital as well.”
Chen Jian and Duan Wuxie stared at him in amazed silence for a brief moment.
“That’s a lot for such a short time,” Chen Jian muttered.
“Can the information he gave us be trusted?” Duan Wuxie asked.
“I’ve cross-examined him thoroughly, the information should be truthful,” Investigator Jin replied. “Plus, he has no reason to lie. From what I can tell, this Xia Xun’s a self-serving bastard through and through. He’s got no ties to his employer, and no reason to protect a man who would gladly cut him off the second he’s found out. The Director really scared Xia Xun with the whole pointing-him-out thing.”
“Honestly, it surprised us too,” Duan Wuxie admitted. “He stopped out of nowhere and then suddenly whipped his head around and stared right at that Xia Xun guy, and then told us to interrogate him. We all thought he’d gotten freaked out and was trying to cover for himself, and we were just going along with it to let him save face. But I guess he knew what he was doing after all.”
Investigator Jin shrugged. “Don’t forget which household he grew up in.”
A brief, awkward silence fell over them.
“Right,” Chen Jian said, even more awkwardly.
“I’m going to go write up the report, but we should prepare for a manhunt,” Investigator Jin said.
“That we should,” Duan Wuxie said grimly.
The two headed off, leaving Chen Jian staring confusedly at the interrogation room.
“Isn’t that a bit…too easy?” Chen Jian muttered to himself worriedly.
Sighing, he collected himself and entered the room. He entered the observation area, nodding at his colleagues.
“Get the prisoner ready for transport,” Chen Jian ordered. “We’re putting him in solitary confinement.”
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Yunqi sat in his brother’s study, deep in thought as he flipped through a report. The contents of the report filed past his eyes and escaped his grasp as soon as he finished reading them, crowded out by the conversation of the night before.
The conversation draped over him like a heavy cloak, drawing him back to hours ago, when he had sat in the exact same spot and glimpsed into the secrets jealously guarded by the heavenly gods.
“My prince, what I have to say next…” The echoing words solidified.
“...was originally not meant for mortal ears,” Wei Guang said, eyes reverentially lowered. "After all, heavenly secrets should not be divulged."
Yunqi had breathed in sharply at that, carefully keeping quiet.
“What do you speak of, Wei Guang?” Kuang asked. He leaned forward, his face animated with an almost boyish curiosity.
“A great divinator, known to me as Lady Lin, was once greatly respected in the capital many years prior. But despite her talents and her extended experience, she was dissatisfied. After great deliberation, she left the capital, believing that her limited abilities could not divine the true course of history. She traveled and researched for many years, and finally found a method to fully divinate the future, but it came at a cost,” Wei Guang said. “She sacrificed her eyesight, blinding her body in the present so as to see into the future.”
“Is that even possible?” Kuang asked.
“It is, my prince. I myself was once a magical researcher, and there are a great many things that can be accomplished when one is willing to pay the price,” Wei Guang said.
“Then–where is this Lady Lin now?”
Wei Guang shook his head. “Unfortunately, she has passed on.”
Taking in the small frown on Kuang’s face, Wei Guang continued on. “She gave her sight, but it was not enough. What she saw frightened her and compelled her–she was determined to see more, no matter what the cost.”
“Her lifespan?” Kuang asked.
“Your Highness is indeed astute. Lady Lin whittled away at her lifespan until she was able to see the full future of the dynasty, from now till its end,” Wei Guang said.
A strange look briefly passed over Kuang’s face.
“Your Highness is surely wondering how a woman with most of her life behind her had managed, with so little to give in exchange,” Wei Guang said mildly. “And you would be correct in wondering so. Lady Lin was only able to see the future fall of the dynasty because it is meant to take place soon.”
Kuang’s expression slowly turned into an icy wall of stone, his eyes shining with a terrible light.
“How?”
Wei Guang bowed his head slightly.
“An Ice Age is upon us, my prince.”
Both Kuang and Yunqi jolted.
“Snow will fall even in Lingnan, and the North will become too cold to farm. The Turks will be forced Southwards, as will vermin, and accompanying it, plague. Famine will descend upon our country, and the overwrought Treasury will have no funds for maintaining infrastructure or border defenses. The neglected dams of the Yellow River will give way to flood, the underpaid soldiers will tremble and flee before invaders and rebels,” Wei Guang said gravely. “Local clans will gain vast influence and absorb refugees, growing into powerful entities that can rival the court. Civilians who have no way left to survive will take up sticks and bamboo stalks in desperate revolts, and the country will dissolve into bloodshed and chaos.”
An almost nauseous dread pooled in Yunqi’s stomach.
“And the Turks, will they invade?” Kuang demanded.
“They will, my prince, they would likely have to do so,” Wei Guang replied.
“And here we are, sending them reinforcements! Do we have any dates? How many years do we have?” Kuang asked.
“We do not know, my prince. But within twenty years, the dynasty will have splintered apart to the extent where even though the name remains, it has practically dissolved,” Wei Guang replied.
He fell silent, as though patiently waiting for questions. Before the communication device, Kuang fought to keep his calm.
“Under whose reign?” Kuang finally asked.
A look of satisfaction passed over Wei Guang’s face. “Your youngest brother’s.”
“Xianchun?” Kuang said in surprise, then again in thought. “Xianchun…but how? My brother’s methods don’t fit my taste, but he has the country’s interests at heart.”
“The Seventh Prince hates corruption with a vengeance,” Wei Guang explained. “Threatened by his radical reforms, the nobles blocked his every attempt with insubordination and active sabotage. In response, he unleashed bloody political purges that worsened tensions, forcing people into taking treasonous action to preemptively protect themselves. And after your death–”
Yunqi froze in horror. What?
“—so long as your brother or your son survives, there will be a rebellion, and then civil war. Even if no one of your faction survives, the Seventh Prince’s own descendants, or rather his in-laws, will come to war after he goes to an early grave.”
“So I die?” Kuang asked calmly.
“In what Lady Lin saw, yes,” Wei Guang said. “But we intend to prevent that with everything we have. Which is why I offered you my previous assurances regarding Wenyuan’s commitment. No matter what, Your Highness will be the one on the throne.”
“Since when have you known?” Kuang asked.
“Do you remember when Wenyuan left the capital briefly, before the Grand Duke’s death?” Wei Guang asked. “He had gone to see Lady Lin in her last moments.”
“Was that when? It’s barely been two months since,” Kuang said in surprise. “You certainly move quickly.”
“I cannot take full credit for that,” Wei Guang said, bowing his head slightly. “My godson’s youthful vigor is what drives our progress. I know that this may all seem difficult to believe, my prince, but please believe our sincerity in assisting you to become the Crown Prince, to become the Emperor!”
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Wei Guang paused for a beat and waited in vain for a reply, met only with Kuang’s veiled expression.
“But only taking the throne will not be enough, my prince. Natural disasters and man-made troubles will still plague the country, regardless of who becomes Emperor. Your Highness must enact reforms in anticipation of what is to come!” Wei Guang pleaded.
Yunqi watched with bated breath as the clouds parted from Kuang’s face to reveal the brilliant luster of the sun.
“It seems the heavens smile on me after all,” Kuang said.
“Pardon?” Wei Guang said, unable to hide his surprise at the prince’s reaction.
Kuang gave him a beautiful smile. “Wei Guang, did you know? What the future requires me aligns perfectly with what I already had planned. And now that I know there are men as loyal as you and Wenyuan by my side, I feel all the more confident in achieving my goals.”
“It is what I should do, Your Highness. But may I ask what you meant by those words?” Wei Guang asked tentatively.
“There were many things I planned to do when I took the throne, Wei Guang. And chief amongst them were a few specific policies: Public projects for flood control, an improved system for government purchases of grains, a census to properly tax the clans, and, of course, strengthening our defenses against the North via diplomatic and military means,” Kuang said.
Beside him, a chill ran down Yunqi’s spine.
Those were all policies that he had stayed up late talking with Kuang about since years ago, grand plans for the future that had helped to comfort some of the lowest points of his life.
From the look on Wei Guang’s face, he felt the same sense of amazement.
It’s too uncanny to be just a coincidence.
“The heavens protect our dynasty yet,” Wei Guang said. “My prince, this one is truly relieved to hear such words! I had feared that within my lifetime, I would not even be able to convince a ruler of the dangers that lie ahead, much less meet a master whose plans already align with what our country needs!”
“As the ancient greats have said, of those whose countries come to ruin, it is due to officials and subjects who prioritize the country’s troubles rather than governing the country. A true ruler should pave the path for prosperity, not just patch the holes as they appear. Our country lacks adequate monitoring and communication infrastructure, we lack the ability to properly survey and tax the richest of our subjects, while we drain the impoverished of everything they can give. Even if no disasters befell us, if no wars took place, I would have enacted these reforms.,” Kuang said. “Wei Guang, if what Lady Lin sees is true, then Xianchun must not take the throne no matter what. Having plans is one matter, but enacting them is another. From here on, I will need to rely on you more so than ever before. ”
“I will serve you within the best of my ability, Your Highness,” Wei Guang replied.
“I can’t help but be curious, Wei Guang. Are you telling me that Wenyuan offered that plan to me to make use of Xianchun, even knowing what my little brother’s actions led to in the future?” Kuang asked.
Wei Guang lowered his gaze. “Yes, my prince. My godson has a tendency to take the less trodden path. It is a blessing of youth, I suppose, to not fear the unknown. I believe he was worried about the backlash from the court that emerged in Lady Lin’s divinations, and wished to create an environment where it could be mitigated.”
“The mountains and rivers produce talents in each generation,” Kuang said mildly. “Wenyuan’s innate virtue…the one you spoke of to me some time ago, is that related to this?”
“Yes, but not limited to it,” Wei Guang said. He hesitated, a look of mild discomfort on his face. “I could give you a clear answer, my prince, but Wenyuan is someone who strongly lacks a sense of security. While he may be courageous in some arenas, he is extremely sensitive in other regards, likely due to his harsh upbringing. It might be best to leave him some leeway.”
He’s protecting his godson, Yunqi had noted absentmindedly, but something in Wei Guang’s expression struck doubt into his heart. No, not protecting Wenyuan from us.
Yunqi recognized the distinct look of unease for a threat so covert that it barely counted as one.
Is he protecting himself then? From Wenyuan? Or does he fear creating a monster of the likes of the Grand Duke by backing Wenyuan into a corner?
“Then don’t say anything,” Kuang replied. “Knowing what I know now, it is clear that I can place my trust in him. That much will have to do for now.”
“Thank you, my prince,” Wei Guang replied.
The call ended soon after, leaving Kuang and Yunqi to discuss their newfound knowledge. The memory faded away, leaving Yunqi back in the present, staring at a report that he wasn’t reading.
If Xianchun becomes Emperor, the dynasty will end. But now that Brother knows this…Yunqi quashed a strange sense of unease. Speaking of, how did Brother die in the future Lady Lin saw?
Yunqi set the report down with a sigh, leaning forward to rest his head in his hands.
Did Xianchun kill him? How is it that I survived? Was I spared because of how useless I am? But Wei Guang said that as long as I or Chenqian survived…
Fighting to leash his thoughts before they spiraled out of control, Yunqi pinched at the bridge of his nose.
The future really is a frightening thing.
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Kayla slept fitfully, spine awkwardly twisted as she contorted herself on the couch. A hazy dream was shattered by a familiar sound as the communication device rang. Waking immediately, Kayla snatched it off the side table and answered it faster than she could sit up.
“What is it?” Kayla demanded.
“My lord!” Li Que’s face appeared, unusually animated. “My lord, congratulations! We’ve caught the assassin eighty miles away from the murder scene!”
“Ha! The men have done well! Send me the report immediately,” Kayla ordered, fixing her messy hair with one hand as she headed over to her desk, the communication device gripped in the other.
“Yes sir!”
”What about the middleman?” Kayla asked.
“We’ve begun a manhunt, and will be deploying extra personnel to Yongan County and the surrounding areas,” Li Que said.
“Good! We can release the injunctions on the men from the hostel,” Kayla said. “As for the other men we’ve arrested, we can defer them to civil institutions unless we have sufficient grounds to justify continuing to hold them.”
“As you wish, my lord,” Li Que said, his level voice not hiding his high spirits.
“I’m establishing a task-force with Senior Investigator Tabuyir as its head and sending it to Yongan. I would send you, but I need you here in the capital,” Kayla said. “Can you spare Chen Jian?”
“Of course,” Li Que replied. “Who else would you like to send?”
“Let Tabuyir pick his own men, but tell him to prioritize ability above all else,” Kayla said. “Forget earning merits, if we fail to find the culprit, we’re all on the chopping block. And what about you? Do you want a few slots for your own men?”
“I’m satisfied with sending Chen Jian. Senior Investigator Duan would probably like to send some of his men. His direct subordinates are all veterans, highly competent and a great sense of subtlety too,” Li Que said.
“You really know how to deal with human relations,” Kayla remarked. “I’ll let you handle it. Just run the list by me before we finalize it.”
“I’ll send it to you within the hour,” Li Que promised.
“Go on then,” Kayla said.
“Then please pardon me, my lord.”
The call ended, and Kayla plopped down in her chair, letting out a laugh.
“Thank god! We’ve caught the spy, and we’ve caught the killer,” Kayla said to herself. “Now we just have to follow the vine to find the melon.”
Track down the middleman, trace it back to the mastermind. Turn him over to the Emperor, step back and let the Emperor unleash his wrath.
Heads would roll–the assassin and the spy had no family, they would die by a thousand cuts over the process of days, reviled and ogled as a spectacle for the public. The middleman and the mastermind would probably have their clans exterminated to the ninth degree.
Don't blame me for this. You must have known from the start that this would happen if you failed.
The Emperor needed closure. He was getting none. Two of his sons had died after his own inaction, their posthumous honors were the subject of endless debate in court, and a culprit was nowhere to be found.
If I let this fester for much longer, there will be a bloodbath. There would be one either way, but at least with a culprit, it would be contained.
A knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts.
“Lin Yaoguang is here to see you, my lord,” Housekeeper Li said.
“Show him in,” Kayla ordered. She covered the scrolls on her desk, folding her hands over the painting she spread over them.
“My lord,” Lin Yaoguang greeted her as he entered.
“Lin Yaoguang, just who I wanted to see,” Kayla said warmly. Lin Yaoguang twitched slightly at the uncharacteristic greeting.
“I have come to bring you the account of the total funds, as per your request,” Lin Yaoguang said. He reached into his bag and withdrew a thick volume.
“What’s the total amount?” Kayla asked, flipping through the book.
“The combined amount of the funds is over thirty five million silver,” Lin Yaoguang said.
Kayla gave a noncommittal hum, hiding her shock at the sum.
“That doesn’t even include the assets and priceless treasures that belonged to him,” Lin Yaoguang went on. “You can see the catalogs at the back of the book.”
He waited for Kayla to flip to the right section before continuing. “The combined worth of his immovable assets is over twenty million, and the various gifts of the rare and precious are each worth large sums in their own rights, but I don’t recommend liquidation. You can only get a good price via proper appraisals and negotiations, which is impossible unless you intend to sell these publicly and attract great attention.”
Unbelievable. Just how much did you siphon from the country, Grand Duke?!
Sweat beaded at her collar as Kayla fought to keep her face calm.
If I hadn’t made myself useful to the Emperor, corruption to this extent is enough to get the entire clan executed or sent into exile! Did you even consider it, even for a moment? Or was it that you were already in hell so you didn’t care about dragging the rest of us in with you?
“Not bad,” Kayla said out loud. “Well then, you’ll certainly be wealthy once you’re done. I suppose congratulations are in order?”
“Please don’t say such things, my lord,” Lin Yaoguang said, sounding slightly flustered.
Kayla gave the fakest laugh of her life.
“Oh, I was just teasing you. You’ve worked hard.”
“Not at all.”
“Good, because I’ll need you to work harder,” Kayla said. “You see, I took your advice, and arrested the eyes and ears our culprit has planted in the capital. And this spy of ours has in turn given us his middleman. But as for this middleman of ours…help me find him, won’t you?”
Lin Yaoguang looked at her uneasily, knowing that it wasn’t really a request.
“My lord, I’m glad that my information was of help to you, but I really don’t–”
“You know more than you let on, Yaoguang. I’m letting it be since you’re useful, but you’re giving me cause for concern right now,” Kayla cut him off.
She leaned forward. “I’m not interested in excuses. I intend to find this man, and I want you to find out everything you can to help make that happen.”
Lin Yaoguang’s jaw clenched in displeasure.
“That’s not how this works, my lord. If you want information on something, I keep my ears open. I glean and weave together whispers into information that’s useful to you. If I openly seek this man out, then I would implicate myself and render all my connections useless,” he said through gritted teeth.
Kayla sighed. “You’ve done this for the Grand Duke plenty of times, don’t even pretend you haven’t. I know you can get the information for me, subtly, and I expect you to do it.”
“That’s not a part of our agreement, my lord,” Lin Yaoguang said firmly.
“It’s not even that much trouble for you, but you just really don’t want to do me any favors, huh?” Kayla muttered. “Well, that’s not up to you.”
She jabbed a finger at his chest. “If I ask you to investigate information, you will prioritize it in a timely manner and provide daily reports. Remember that? From our magical contract?”
A vein twitched on Lin Yaoguang’s face.
Vindictive pleasure coursed through Kayla’s ribcage, curdling in her stomach even as it gave rise to a rush of twisted joy.
Does it hurt your pride to take orders from someone so much younger, someone who usurped your previous master to boot? Don’t worry, you won’t have to suffer for that much longer. Once we’re done, I’ll free you from this tiresome contract for good.
In the face of Lin Yaoguang’s evident irritation, Kayla smiled.
“You’re my hunting dog, aren’t you?” Kayla said gently.
She didn’t wait for a reply. “Then go and hunt.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Lin Yaoguang said after a moment of mulish silence.
“I’m so glad to hear that,” Kayla said cheerfully. “Then I’ll be relying on you!”
Lin Yaoguang grit his teeth and bowed.
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Cultural Notes
将功赎罪/Make up for crimes with merit: An Ancient Chinese proverb and practice.
永安县/Yongan County: A country in Henan province in the Tang Dynasty.
守住面子/Save face: To protect one's dignity.
天机不可泄露/Heavenly secrets should not be divulged with mortals: An Ancient Chinese saying. As in all ancient cultures, the heavens and fate was taken very seriously.
Little Ice Age: A period of extreme cold climate that happens once every few centuries, usually resulting in great turmoil in Ancient China, including plague, famine, and even the fall of dynasties.
岭南/Lingnan: Southeast China, modern-day Guangdong and Fujian, a subtropical region. In records of Little Ice Ages in the past, there have been mentions of snow even in somewhere usually so warm.
黄河决堤/The Yellow River floods the dams: This happened quite often on varying scales in Ancient China despite persistent attempts to deal with flood control, with over 1600 floods recorded between 602 BCE and 1949 (part of it was because the river changed course). This usually resulted in great numbers of deaths and displacements.
揭竿而起/Lift sticks and bamboo stalks in revolt: An Ancient Chinese idiom referring to revolts, especially 农民起义/Farmer revolts, often under desperate circumstances and without proper weaponry. It refers to a situation where people are so angry that they're breaking off branches of trees and stalks of bamboo to fight against oppression.
名存实亡/Exists in name but has practically ended: An Ancient Chinese proverb.
嫉恶如仇/Hates [evil/corruption] with a vengeance: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to people who have a strong sense of justice, which can make it difficult for them to handle delicate politics.
天灾人祸/Natural disasters and man-made troubles: An Ancient Chinese proverb.
拨云见日/Part the clouds to see/show the sun: An Ancient Chinese proverb, can be used to mean "to show/see the truth", or in a variety of other ways
天佑我朝/The heavens protect my dynasty: An Ancient Chinese style exclamation, often of relief or joy, but can also be used as a plea to the heavens.
今皆亡国者，其群臣官吏皆务所以乱而不务所以治也/Of those whose countries come to ruin, it is due to officials and subjects who prioritize the country’s troubles rather than governing the country: A quote by Han Feizi, a pre-Qin scholar, statesman, and political philosopher of the Legalist school (human nature should be restrained by the rule of law).
江山代有才人出/The mountains and rivers produce talents in each generation: A Chinese saying that means new talents will emerge in each generation, there will always be fresh talent.
会做人/Knows how to be a person/to handle personal relationships: A Chinese saying referring to someone who is good at handling interpersonal relationships, often not just through being glib, but also being a trustworthy and reliable person with generous qualities that allow them to get ahead in life. Now that they have a good grasp on arresting the middleman, the situation at the Bureau has gone from "screwed because they let the boss' sons die" to "successfully avenged the boss' sons", and the taskforce is also a chance to gain merits for their hard work. Rather than filling the coveted positions with his own people, Li Que willingly takes a step back and grants this opportunity to Duan Wuxie, so that Duan Wuxie now both owes him a favor and also has a reason to watch out for Chen Jian, Li Que's successor who has also made it onto the taskforce. While he may not gain a great deal from this, it certainly solidifies his own standing, reputation, and support of his peers within the Bureau.
顺藤摸瓜/Trace the vine to the melon: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to trace clues back to the answer.
凌迟处死/Death by a thousand cuts: An Ancient Chinese punishment reserved for the worst of criminals. Extremely painful and could take days.
诛九族/Exterminate one's clan to the ninth degree: An Ancient Chinese punishment, considered the worst punishment possible, it meant that everyone within the ninth degree of relation with you would be executed. The sentence may be partially commuted in some situations.