Character Index
Ashina: Personal name Ibilga, princess of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, Kayla's wife. Notably, she keeps her title of Princess rather than becoming Duchess as was custom at the time for members of royal or Imperial houses.
Qiu Yun: Kayla's personal maidservant, chosen for her plain looks and bubbly personality.
Zhao Wei: Wenyuan's uncle, former Minister of War. Currently demoted to the provinces after willingly stepping down to preserve the clan's safety.
General Yan: Kayla's ally, currently the commander of reinforcements to Chuluo Khagan according to the terms of the marriage alliance between Kayla and Ashina.
Chuluo Khagan: Khaganate of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, Ashina's father. Kayla's father-in-law.
Shegui Khagan: Khaganate of the Western Turkic Khaganate. Formerly assumed to have become a puppet ruler in his illness, he has re-emerged on the battlefield with his youngest son.
Hong Xifan: The middleman responsible for hiring Xia Xun, the spy captured by the Bureau in the hostel raids.
Tabuyir: A Senior Investigator of the Bureau and a Vice-Censor. Of Khitan ancestry, he entered Kayla's faction with his nephew Yilie as a hostage/ward in the Zhao household.
Zhou Kuang: The Third Prince.
Zhou Xianchun: The Seventh Prince.
Zhou Yunqi: The Fifth Prince.
Sir Yang: An elderly eunuch who serves the Emperor.
Captain Jiang: A young captain of the Imperial Guards who is well-trusted by the Emperor and by Kayla.
Tao Qian: Kayla's retainer and bodyguard.
Li Que: A Senior Investigator of the Bureau, Kayla's supporter.
Zhou Mingda: The Sixth Princess, born of a marriage alliance with the Uyghur tribe. She arranged to enter an alliance with Kayla with a young hostage, Qazar, from her clan to enter the Zhao household.
Sun Ruhui: Right Secretariat of Justice, Kayla's supporter.
Chen Caichun: Chamberlain of the Court of Judicial Review, Kayla's supporter.
Chujiao/Jing Shuyou: Cousin of Qu Boyong/Xiang Daozong, she was Wenyuan's childhood friend and sweetheart after being forced to enter the Zhao household under dangerous circumstances after the destruction of her clan.
Alizhi: Mingda's cousin, grandson of Commander Tumizhi, the ruler of the Uyghur tribe. Previously helped Hu Qing as a guide.
Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Lord of the Liang clan and Vice-Censor. Publicly known to be Kayla's most trusted and favored supporter both to his benefit and detriment.
Lin Jie: Former Attendant Censor, he was murdered after uncovering dangerous information.
Zhang Wuxian: Attendant Censor and Lin Jie's friend, currently working to piece together his late friend's findings.
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“It looks good on you,” Ashina said, sounding rather pleased as Qiu Yun attached the sword to Kayla’s belt. It was one of the Emperor's best, just as the man had promised. Both in outward appearance and quality, it was undoubtedly amongst the best in the nation, the kind that countless martial artists would fight to the death for. And here it was, wasted on her.
Kayla turned towards where the princess sat on their bed.
“Do you think so? I’m honestly no good with a sword though,” Kayla said.
“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that this is one of the Emperor’s best swords,” Ashina replied. She tilted her head, evaluating Kayla’s outfit. “It suits you.”
Kayla gave Ashina a smile. The princess was in a good mood, not just because of Kayla’s newly granted privileges, but also because of her father’s recent success on the battlefield.
In her eyes, I chose a good man for the job, didn’t I? Kayla thought wryly. Ashina might’ve thought that way, but Kayla couldn’t be so sure. General Yan was a good commander, but she wasn't so certain about his political judgement.
Less than an hour later, her worries showed themselves as reality.
Kayla stared blankly at the report on her desk in the Bureau, trying to hide her disbelief.
“These battle reports…are we certain they’re accurate?” Kayla asked.
“Indeed, Director! These were recorded by our observers in the General’s own camp, they were on the battlefield at the time of the engagement,” the Investigator before her said cheerfully.
The fuck you smiling for? You think this is a good thing?!
“Wonderful,” Kayla said pleasantly.
He only got there a few days ago and he’s already running wild to this extent?
She read through the report again.
Maybe it’s because I’m not in the military so I don’t understand this? I could ask Zhao Wei to double check for me.
But even to the eyes of a civil official, the report seemed to signal that General Yan had little reason to pursue the enemy. He was there as reinforcements for the defense of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. Given that Shegui’s men were outnumbered and outmatched to begin with, being in a disadvantageous geographic position, they had been mustering that one burst of momentum to break through Chuluo’s defenses. General Yan already successfully defended Chuluo’s army when he’d broken their charge.
For an army relying on a boost of morale to mount an attack, they would have had no choice but to retreat to a more strategic position, giving up the ground they had gained, and the two armies would have gone back to facing each other down. Given how much money and resources this must be taking up, they would’ve come to negotiations sooner or later.
So why the hell had General Yan rallied his men to make a charge?
He even galvanized Chuluo’s men.
She reread the report, a cold lump sinking into her stomach.
Oh no. Oh come on. Please don’t tell me this guy’s actually a battle junkie!
Kayla set down the report, starting to doubt her decision.
Let’s calm down and not jump to conclusions.
“What news on the manhunt for Hong Xifan?” Kayla asked.
“We’ve narrowed the search down to the Changshou neighborhood of Yongan County,” the Investigator replied. “The special commission headed by Senior Investigator Tabuyir has begun conducting house to house searches, it shouldn’t be long now.”
Kayla nodded. So nothing new since last night. Pity. I would’ve liked to give the Emperor some good news before the funeral.
There was a quick knock before a second Investigator entered the room.
“Director, news from the front! General Yan has won another victory against Shegui Khagan!”
“What? When was this?!”
Her shock was accepted without suspicion.
“About an hour ago. While surveying the area, he came upon a group of enemy combatants and gave pursuit–his men chased the enemy straight into their main camp, where the weary soldiers were taken by surprise and failed to give effective resistance,” the Investigator reported. “He forced a Western Turk to send for reinforcements while keeping the defeat secret under magic oath, then lay ambush to and defeated the reinforcements while they were en route.”
WHAT.
“Two consecutive victories in as many days!” The first Investigator marveled. “We’ve long known that General Yan is skilled at defense, but to think he would be so talented in offense as well!”
“Indeed,” Kayla said.
This bastard…what the hell is he doing?! He really is a battle junkie! I fucked up, I fucked up big time. How the hell could I give such a man to my father-in-law?!
She silenced her mental screeching.
No, calm down. If he’s an excellent commander now, then so long as he doesn’t die, then we’ll have a skilled general with both reputation and experience amongst the Turks. Should we come to war, we’d at least have a talent like him to make use of.
“I’ll send him my congratulations,” Kayla said. “Have it relayed to him as early as possible.”
“Of course, Director.”
The Investigator stood by patiently as she hesitated for a moment before setting the brush to paper. The message had to pass through several Investigators to make it all the way to General Yan, and probably would be seen by multiple Turkic soldiers along the way.
“I sincerely congratulate you, General Yan. Your bravery and martial skill has been received with great acclaim in the capital. As you continue to wage war in a distant land, please keep in mind amidst your successes the Emperor’s great hopes for you and the significance of your role.”
She handed the page to the Investigator, who bowed and left with his coworker.
Would General Yan even understand it? He would. General Yan hated going in circles, but he knew how these things went. The problem was that he could very well claim not to have understood unless she said it outright, and Kayla couldn’t do that without offending Chuluo.
Is this really a bad thing though? If Chuluo Khagan unites the Khaganates, wouldn’t that mean he’d have more resources at hand? Even if there’s disasters, he could just settle his people in areas less affected…
Kayla shook her head. Don’t be ridiculous. How can you place the initiative in the hands of someone who will be your enemy? Strengthening him is even more out of the question.
She couldn’t take that chance.
After the funeral, Kayla promised herself. After the funeral, I’ll deal with General Yan.
The funeral had been delayed, first due to the autopsy, and then due to needing to transport the corpses back to the capital.
After deciding not only to void the posthumous honors for the First Prince’s wife but also his infant son according to Xianchun's proposition, the Emperor had then suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and tasked Kuang with conducting the rituals for the funeral as the representative of the Imperial Family.
The Emperor’s ambiguous attitude left the court in a state of confusion.
Accepting one son’s proposal and appointing another as the chief mourner, is he trying to balance the bowls of water? Or did he simply change his mind? The same questions filled the minds of everyone in the capital, including said sons.
Kuang had reached out to Kayla for confirmation, but all she could grant him was encouragement to do his best. Even Xianchun had pulled down his face and sent a very nicely-worded message to ask her advice.
I can’t say, I don’t really know. Just be on your best behavior and avoid acting rashly. That was all she could say no matter who was asking. Kayla didn’t know what the Emperor was thinking, but she could guess. He was undoubtedly cycling through guilt, anger, and grief, a carousel of persons and past happenings spinning through his mind as he tried to pinpoint where things had gone so wrong, what magical change that could have avoided all this.
When he’s guilty, he’ll side with Kuang. When he’s angry at having been forced into this position by the court and the Imperial in-laws, he’ll side with Xianchun.
After working all his life to rectify the damage his father did near the end of his life, the Emperor was being punished for it.
He’d pushed his wife and his fourth son to their deaths with little more than some mild regret, but now lost himself to the grief of losing the sons he’d exiled. Kayla supposed that for a man in a position like his, only the Emperor could truly understand what it was truly like.
Only he who drinks the water can know whether it's cold or warm.
The day of the funeral was rainy, and by the Emperor’s request, Kayla stayed at his side instead of taking her spot among the other mourners of the court. She exchanged a sympathetic look with Yunqi and Xianchun when she caught their eye. The princes and the court had both been shocked by the Emperor’s changed appearance. It had barely been weeks, yet the Emperor might as well have been an entirely different man. His hair had become mottled with white. The Emperor’s handsome face had sunken into gauntness, his haggard eyes clouded with a look of weary despair.
Yunqi lowered his face, but she could see that he was crying. Kayla felt a pang of sympathy.
Even if I'd warned him, there's no way I could have prepared him for this sight.
The gray sheets of rain and clouds outside the hall seemed to bear down on them endlessly as Kuang went through the rites. There was no wind, but the chill from the open doors seemed to seep into one’s flesh, burrowing into their bones.
Before long, the Emperor’s face was worn with exhaustion. At Kayla’s quiet prompting, the Emperor left the funeral hall and retired to his quarters.
She could feel the eyes of the court taking note of how the Emperor took his leave, and how he leaned his weight on Kayla as he walked.
Go on, guess and calculate all you want, she thought bitterly. Time was running out. After today, the battle for succession would be completely unleashed from any fetters, and there was nothing left to stop it.
They returned to the Emperor’s room in somber silence. Kayla glanced up as an Investigator appeared in the doorway, accompanied by an Imperial Guard.
Shit, what now?
Kayla subtly gestured for the Investigator to wait outside. She remained at the Emperor’s side until an eunuch stepped forward to help him with the rough cloth of his robes. Moving silently, Kayla quickly slipped outside.
“What is it?” Kayla asked in a low voice.
“There’s been another battle in the Khaganate,” the Investigator reported. “Shegui Khagan mounted a counteroffensive and nearly crushed the Eastern Turks by attacking their center, where Chuluo’s Crown Prince was located, but General Yan was able to turn the battle around.”
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“Send me a detailed report later,” Kayla ordered. “What about casualties?”
“We’re not sure yet about the Eastern Turks, but losses were minimal amongst our reinforcements,” the Investigator replied.
Kayla nodded. “I’ll go back in for now.”
The Investigator bowed and slipped back into the shadows. Kayla slipped back into the Emperor’s quarters. The Emperor glanced up at her, barely registering her presence. He finished changing out of the mourning clothes and lay down without saying another word, his back turned towards them. At some extremely cautious coaxing, he reluctantly drank some water before resolutely shutting his eyes.
Glancing at each other helplessly, Sir Yang and Kayla carefully pulled the blankets over the Emperor’s stiffly curled figure and stepped away from the bed.
“I should stay,” Kayla murmured quietly.
Sir Yang shook his head. “His Majesty will probably sleep for the rest of the day. You still have matters to handle at the Bureau and the Court of Judicial Review, don’t you?”
“Then I’ll leave him in your care,” Kayla replied. “When appropriate, please tell him that General Yan has won another victory in the Khaganate. I’ll have my men send a report.”
Sir Yang bowed his head. “Understood.”
She approached the bed again.
“Uncle, I’ll take my leave of you now,” Kayla said, keeping her voice low. “I’m needed at the Bureau.”
She waited for a moment, but the Emperor didn’t respond. Bowing deeply towards his turned back, Kayla left the room, exchanging a nod with Sir Yang.
“Your Excellency,” Captain Jiang greeted her as she stepped outside.
“Captain Jiang,” Kayla said in surprise. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“I’m on duty right now,” Captain Jiang replied. “Please allow me to escort you to the carriage.”
“I thank you for your kindness, but that’s an ill use of your time,” Kayla said.
Captain Jiang shook his head, subtly signaling at her sword.
“Please allow me nonetheless,” Captain Jiang said meaningfully.
Ah. The Imperial Guard commanders aren’t happy about this, are they?
“I would be grateful for the company,” Kayla replied.
Two more Imperial Guards fell into pace behind them, staying a few steps behind.
“Captain Jiang, how is the mood amongst the Imperial Guards?” Kayla asked quietly. “You can speak honestly. Please don’t soften your words for my sake.”
“The reception wasn’t very good, especially amongst the officers,” Captain Jiang said grimly. “The guards who are usually stationed near the Emperor’s quarters and those who acknowledge your accomplishments are more accepting of it. But the higher-ranking officers are very much against it.”
“Would they cooperate if it came to that?” Kayla asked.
“They would have to,” Captain Jiang replied. “No matter their personal feelings, they would have to follow your command or risk being accused of refusing the Emperor’s orders. For an Imperial Guard to do so is tantamount to treason.”
“You’re afraid they’ll try to intimidate me into knowing the difficulties and retreating on my own accord,” Kayla remarked.
“Your Excellency is astute,” Captain Jiang said, bowing his head slightly.
“How far would they go?” Kayla asked. Her shoulder blade twitched despite herself.
“They would not dare to harm Your Excellency,” Captain Jiang said, sounding increasingly uncertain as he finished the sentence. He rallied himself and continued. “No, they wouldn’t dare. They have a rough and impulsive streak to them as most martial officers do, but they’re no fools, having gotten this far in life. You are a Duke and a high official of the court, who would dare to act so rashly towards you? But I fear that you will experience unnecessary rudeness nonetheless.”
Not fools, are they now?
Her mind flashed to General Yan. She let out a deep sigh, feeling a headache building up at her temples.
“Your Excellency, please don’t take it to heart,” Captain Jiang said, his voice tinged with concern.
“That’s not it, Captain,” Kayla replied. “I just have a lot to think about.”
She straightened her back. “In any case, the dissent will quiet down when I produce a culprit to justify my Uncle’s extraordinary trust,” she said. “In the meanwhile, will you be alright? Some of them are ranked higher than you, aren’t they? You’re protecting my pride, but I fear that it will damage your own.”
“Please don’t worry about me,” Captain Jiang said, sounding rather pleased. “I’m only doing my duty, I fear no reprisal.”
“Good man,” Kayla murmured. The carriage came into sight. “Take care of the Emperor, will you?”
“Of course,” Captain Jiang said. He stopped before the carriage, giving a slight nod as Kayla’s guards hastily bobbed their heads in greeting. “Then please go safely, Your Excellency.”
“Thank you, Captain,” Kayla replied. She turned towards Tao Qian. “To the Bureau.”
Li Que was there to greet her as soon as she’d arrived.
“Director, the news from the front,” Li Que began, falling into step with her as they headed towards her office.
“I’ve heard,” Kayla replied. “Three days, three battles, is it? Can his soldiers take it?”
“The reports from the front seem to suggest that it’s not an issue. If anything, the soldiers are in very high spirits,” Li Que said.
Kayla gave him a thoughtful look.
“Is my father-in-law pleased?” Kayla asked. “I suppose he must be.”
“Certainly, Director,” Li Que said meaningfully. She let the topic drop as they passed by a group of Investigators.
“How is the Emperor’s health?” Li Que asked.
“He retired early,” Kayla said. “That’s why I’m here and not still in the funeral hall.”
Li Que’s face subtly creased before smoothing back into his usual stoic expression.
I hope the Emperor doesn’t get sick, Kayla thought distantly. With the ill weather, it wouldn’t be strange if any of the mourners did fall ill.
Kayla frowned, a feeling of unease shooting through her chest.
She turned to Li Que as they reached her door.
“We’ll have to arrange for the princes’ security to be strengthened. The same goes for the Sixth Princess. I know they already employ poison testers, but I’d like to assign an extra one from the Bureau for them anyways. They shouldn’t be eating or drinking anything unless it’s been taste-tested by both their own testers and one of ours.”
Li Que nodded. “I’ll arrange for it, my lord. But should they ask for a justification, what should we say?”
“Just say that as the investigation proceeds, the culprits are more likely to jump the wall like a cornered dog–we can’t allow any extreme action on their behalf to cause harm to the Imperial Family,” Kayla said.
Hopefully that'll also keep Kuang and Yunqi in check as well, knowing that the neutral faction will gain more influence with the Emperor once the case is solved.
“Understood. I’ll see it arranged,” Li Que replied.
He nodded for the young Investigator expectantly lingering in the hall to enter the office.
“Give your report,” Li Que ordered, moving to stand next to Kayla’s desk. Seemingly more nervous this time, either at Li Que’s presence or at Kayla’s mourning clothes, the Investigator shuffled uncomfortably and cleared his throat.
“Before dawn today, the Western Turkic army under Shegui Khagan attempted to retaliate for the previous two defeats by launching a surprise attack on Chuluo Khagan’s camp,” the Investigator said. “The main camp, where the Crown Prince of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate was located, fell into peril. General Yan, who was stationed nearby, roused his men and rode out to meet the enemy.”
Kayla and Li Que nodded expectantly.
“He chose to circle around and attack from behind in order to force the enemy’s retreat,” the Investigator went on. “Thankfully, his tactic was successful and the enemy withdrew before breaking through the Turkic Crown Prince’s defense.”
Kayla’s smile was now frozen on her face.
“What? Give me more details. What was that about the Turkic Crown Prince again? What did General Yan do?”
The young Investigator glanced down at the report. “General Yan chose to use a plan of surrounding Wei to save Zhao. Rather than reinforcing the Crown Prince, he stormed the enemy’s flanks and charged straight towards the center, where Shegui Khagan’s youngest son and his uncle were in command. Lacking the manpower to fend him off, they were forced to recall their own soldiers. The Western Turks retreated with heavy casualties.”
This idiot! This–the second he’s unleashed onto a battle, he can’t help but follow the scent of blood like a hunting dog, huh?
Kayla quickly turned away from the Investigator as though she were stunned by the news, hiding her increasingly uncontrollable expression of frustration.
Is he kidding me?! What the fuck does he think he’s there to do?! General Yan, you’re not there to become a war hero for the Turks! You’re here as reinforcements–reinforcements! You’re only there to help out, as part of a political deal, and you fucking ignored the heir to their throne?! You should’ve at least made a show of sending over a small number of men bearing your flag, do you even understand what kind of signals you’re giving off to the Turks and to the court?!
She wished the burly man was in front of her at the moment so she could thwack him with his helmet.
Forget it, that wouldn’t even hurt him.
“How did the Eastern Turk army react? Did Chuluo Khagan take offense? If he did, we can send an intermediary to mediate right away,” Kayla said, already filing through a mental list of possible diplomats.
“Not at all, Director. Chuluo Khagan personally thanked General Yan for saving the army from sinking into a difficult position and honored him for winning the battle with precious gifts,” the Investigator replied.
“And he accepted them?”
Despite Kayla’s continued look of polite interest, the Investigator shuffled uncomfortably at the subtle edge in her tone.
“I–I believe he asked for permission to share them amongst his men, who he credited for winning the battle,” the Investigator replied.
“A thoughtful act on his part,” Kayla said. She gave him a smile. “Thank you.”
The Investigator bowed and hastily took his leave.
“My lord,” Li Que murmured in concern.
“The general is truly a warrior from heaven,” Kayla said. “It’s just a pity that his courage is used in the wrong place.”
“We could ask our Investigators to–”
“We could, but that wouldn’t be enough,” Kayla said. “I’ll have to send a political commissar.”
“Pardon, a what?”
“I mean I’ll have to send an official from court to act as a political consultant,” Kayla quickly said. “I’ll leave the matter of increasing the Imperial Family’s security to you.”
“I’ll be sure to see it done,” Li Que promised. “Then I’ll take my leave of you now, Director.”
“Yes, thank you.”
The door closed, and Kayla shot up from her desk to pace the room, fuming silently.
General Yan, you–It was an absolute waste of talent to have kept him buried in a small Northern outpost for so long. Yet she could understand why he’d languished there. The man utterly lacked political sense. Kayla had thought otherwise when hammering out a deal with him, thinking that he at least knew well enough to act in accordance with the political context.
I was the one who misjudged him. General Yan, it’s a good thing you’d never been promoted any higher till now, Kayla thought to herself. You would have either gotten yourself executed through a political blunder or you'd have become a tool for one clan or another.
Now, under Kayla, he could flourish so long as she kept him in check. General Yan was, undeniably, a great talent. If Kayla couldn’t protect him from the court’s inevitable attacks, then the country would be losing someone who could potentially be one of their greatest assets against the Turks in the near future.
This won’t do.
She turned on her heel to pace back the other way.
This won’t do, not at all. I need to rein in this bastard before he destroys himself and drags us down with him for good measure. He’s all but forgotten what he’s there for, and gotten all swept up in fighting the war! Did he already develop camaraderie with Chuluo’s army? Is that why? He’s the type that loves his men–if he thinks of them as part of his own, then it could make sense why he’s doing this.
Kayla groaned.
How am I even supposed to keep him in check if that’s the case?
“As expected, is a political consultant the only way?” Kayla muttered. “That’s right, I’ll have to send someone who can leash him. An official who has some martial capacity, or General Yan’s men will look down on them. But it has to be someone who can’t be bought…no, better to send more people at once to muddle Chuluo Khagan’s eyes and ears, but at least one person who’s completely loyal to me. Someone–who the fuck?”
Realizing she was now thinking out loud, Kayla sighed and stopped her feet, turning her eyes to the ceiling despondently.
The rafters stoically ignored her dramatics.
Mindful of walls with ears but needing to bounce her thoughts off of something, Kayla switched to English for the first time in a very long while.
“Hu Qing is an option…but do I have the heart to send him for a job with so little payoff and so much risk? The Office of Censure is stable enough now that Tabuyir will be enough, and Hu Qing’s talents are wasted in a civil career…not to mention that he’d be at a disadvantage because of his limited education. No matter how hard he studies, he can’t win against people who have been taking intensive lessons everyday since they were five,” Kayla muttered.
She slowly began pacing again. “But sending Hu Qing…I should at least ask Sun Ruhui and Caichun if it would be a good idea.”
But the marriage with Chujiao too…no, we could get that taken care of before he leaves and bring her in as his fiancee, that way he’d have someone within the Liang household to keep them in check while he’s gone.
Hu Qing and…someone from the Uyghur’s ruling clan would do, someone with a strong enough blood relation to the Sixth Princess to have some weight with the Turks. That Alizhi man, didn’t he get along well with Hu Qing last time?
Kayla clenched her nails into the fabric of her sleeves.
He’s barely been a Lord for long, and the entire tenure of his nobility, he’s been embroiled in political struggles because of me. Asking him to get married to a woman he’s not interested in and now even asking him to risk his life in a foreign land?
Moreover, the conflict between the Princes was undeniably worsening. Could she afford to lose her right-hand at such a time? Kayla needed Hu Qing for–
For what? Emotional support? It was too trivial to even consider, even as her mind lingered on it.
What could he do even if he remained here? He’s too high up to do the fighting himself–that’s for retainers for whom I can cover things up.
She continued pacing, her speed rising and falling to match her thoughts.
Politically speaking, he can’t really rise any higher without a significant achievement, and his current position has limited value due to the ostracizing of the Office of Censure by the other Ministries. Even if Zhang Wuxian’s investigation turns up something good, it wouldn’t benefit Hu Qing. After all, I can’t let Lin Jie’s death be connected directly to him.
Hu Qing had done exceptionally well in the North last time. Some of it had been his easygoing personality, but the greatest factor in his success had been the weight of his patron’s name. If he went to the battlefield as the man of the Khagan’s son-in-law, his talents would once again be given the opportunity to shine.
I really do need someone there, and who better than Hu Qing? Plus, if it really comes to it…I might need support from outside the capital. Just cutting off the Inner Palace from outside contact might not be enough.
The thought made her heart feel sick, but it was the cold truth of it. The Emperor might just pass away or lose his judgment at any time, with the rate things were going.
I’m sorry, Hu Qing. You’ve gone North for me once before already.
Kayla’s eyes fell onto the map, with the battlegrounds marked with red pins.
So please do so once again.
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Cultural Notes
外戚/Imperial in-laws or Imperial External Relatives: Can refer to the maternal clan of the Emperor (via the Empress Dowager) or the Emperor's consorts' clans. These clans often gained power and influence through the success of their Imperial brides, but are often associated with corruption, ineffectual rule, and undue interference in politics.
如人饮水冷暖自知/Like someone drinking water, the warmth or cold is only known to them: An Ancient Chinese saying that means only the person themselves can truly understand how a situation affects them.
Politics and the Military: A common pattern we see in Ancient Chinese history is that military and civil officials are often (but not always!) hired, trained, and utilized differently. The military was often subject to the whims of the court, but they in turn often had influence via alliances or through its own military might (ex: the soldiers could "riot" and manage to beat to death only that one pesky civil official who's stonewalling their favorite general, no one knows for sure who was the "real" culprit, and the matter would likely be dropped since you don't want the military to revolt). The dynamic varied by dynasty--the expansionist Tang Dynasty placed more emphasis on the military, which of course ended up with more political power, but that was reversed in the Song Dynasty, which emerged after years of civil strife with a strong suspicion of powerful generals. But no matter where you are, a general with no political sense might receive titles and rewards, but is seen as "good for little other than hacking people on the front lines" or as a tool for the use of the court. If you combine a lack of political sensitivity with a strong personality, then the general is asking for trouble. Even a powerful alliance couldn't save a bullheaded general who makes excellent military campaigns but continuous political blunders.
两碗水端平/Balance two bowls of water: A colloquial Chinese saying meaning to act fairly.
拉下面子/Pull down face: Meaning to give up one's pride.
武将鲁莽/Martial officers are rough and impulsive: An Ancient Chinese saying and stereotype that military officers are more rash and hot-tempered than their civil counterparts. While it's often used in a derogatory fashion, it can also be used to excuse behavior that might otherwise be unforgivable/a great political misstep in a civil official.
知难而退/Know the difficulties and retreat [on your own]: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to either give up while you're still ahead, or to make someone give up while they're still ahead.
狗急跳墙/The cornered dog [will] jump the wall: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning that a cornered beast is at its most dangerous.
围魏救赵/Surround [the state of] Wei to save [the state of] Zhao: A pre-Qin proverb meaning to force the enemy to retreat by attacking somewhere extremely significant to them, forcing them to bring their forces back to defend. It originates from the pre-Qin story of the country of Qi, which sided with its ally, the country of Zhao against the invasion of the country of Wei. Rather than dive into the fighting with the country of Zhao already in a precarious position, Qi besieged the capital of Wei, forcing its generals to retreat to come save the capital rather than conquering Zhao.
将军真乃天神也/General truly is a man/warrior of the heavens: A common term of praise used in Ancient China for especially brilliant commanders, especially those with great courage and ferocity on the battlefield.
政委/Political commissar: Kayla is referring to a supervisory official responsible for ensuring political control of the military, a position that first emerged in the French Revolution, and which is still in use in modern-day China. Kayla is using in the context of bits and pieces she would've picked up from her mother's words (who was from China). There were often similar positions as "advisors" or "supervisory officials‘" in Ancient Chinese armies as well, especially when political tensions were high.
突厥太子/Turkic Crown Prince: Not the actual term used by the Turks. I wanted to note that they are localizing the title of successor as often seen in Ancient Chinese historical records.