Character Index

Ju Shou: The Third Prince's original poison tester.

Sima Qi: The Bureau-assigned poison tester to the Third Prince.

Zhou Kuang: The Third Prince.

Tabuyir: A Senior Investigator in the Bureau, of Khitan descent.

Archduke Qi: The Emperor's half-brother. One of the conspirators.

Tan Hui: Archduke Qi's loyal retainer and former head of security.

Xia Xun: The spy sent by Wu Zhihuan to keep an eye on the political developments within the capital.

Wu Zhihuan: Lord of the Wu clan, scapegoat of the conspirators after the death of the First and Second Prince.

Zhang Dingyong: Minister of Justice, Kuang's man.

Ji Fangluo: A woman who assisted Qu Boyong in his revenge in place of her father, Ji Yantao, who had been the accountant for the Xiang clan.

Qu Boyong/Xiang Daozong: Lord of the Xiang clan, sought revenge against the Grand Duke.

Shu Yunsong: Yunqi's maternal uncle, a veteran who was stripped of his position by the Emperor.

Lin Jie: Former Attendant Censor, was murdered after catching onto the conspiracy.

Li Que: A Senior Investigator of the Bureau.

Duan Wuxie: A Senior Investigator of the Bureau.

Vice Director Ke: Vice Director of the Imperial Investigation Bureau.

Chen Jian: Li Que's protege, Chen Caichun's older brother.

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Ju Shou watched anxiously for the maid to arrive with the Third Prince’s tea. Sima Qi had been gone for only a few moments, but it felt far longer than that. Every second felt like an eternity, as if the young Investigator would suddenly reappear into the room out of nowhere.

Sima Qi won’t get back that fast, right? He is from the Bureau after all…

He kept himself from jumping as a maid entered.

“Excuse me, Sir Ju. The Third Prince wishes to take some tea,” the maid reported. She glanced about the room. “Is Sir Sima not in?”

“No, I’m afraid he only just went out,” Ju Shou said. “I believe he went over to the storehouse, shall I just do the poison test?”

“Oh, but…”

“It’s alright, I’ll take it to the Prince myself, the responsibility won’t lie on you,” Ju Shou assured her. “After all, if we wait for Sima Qi to get all the way from the Storehouse after he finds whatever it is he’s looking for, the prince will have to remain thirsty the whole time.”

The maid faltered.

“Plus, I’ve been doing this for years without him. But now that there’s a new face around, I’m not worth as much to you guys anymore,” Ju Shou said, working self-pity into his voice.

The maid hastily made to assure him.

“It’s not like that! You’ve been risking your life for the prince all these years, how could we not value your expertise?” The maid said. “Please go ahead, I can tell the prince the situation and let him decide whether he wants to wait while you do the testing”

Ju Shou smiled at her. “Thank you.”

He took the tea tray from her and poured out a cup. Undergoing standard procedure, he lifted the lid of the teapot to inspect the insides, and carefully checked the rim of the prince’s cup.

His heart slowly sinking into his stomach, he drank the tea. The maid nodded and slipped away as Ju Shou gave her a smile.

Ju Shou didn’t know how it was supposed to work, but the longer the poison mixed with the tea, the more potent it would be. As it were, he had time before it would kill him. With the Prince, it would act more quickly.

The maid entered again without knocking. Ju Shou nearly jumped in surprise, quashing his reaction with great effort.

“The Prince said it’s fine,” the maid said with a smile. “Is the tea alright?”

“It’s perfectly fine,” Ju Shou returned the smile as best as he could. “The new tea this year’s rather excellent.”

“Lucky you, getting to taste such fancy stuff,” the maid replied teasingly. “Then I’ll take it over to the prince.”

“Please go ahead.”

Relief and guilt intermingling, Ju Shou watched as the maid disappeared with the teapot.

His heartbeat echoed in his ears as he slowly sank into a seat.

Alone in the small room, Ju Shou waited for death, silently praying for the fate of his loved ones.

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Kayla watched her communication device anxiously, waiting for news from Tabuyir. The Senior Investigator had accepted the politically-charged task of arresting Tan Hui with neither question nor complaint. Tabuyir had dealt with Archduke Qi’s household multiple times by now, and was confident in his task. It was Kayla who couldn’t stop worrying.

The medical exam she arranged for the Archduke could be explained away as part of a spot check to ensure no sabotage against the Imperial Family was secretly taking place, but Tan Hui was another matter.

Is it really alright to arrest the Archduke’s closest retainer at such a sensitive time? And with so little evidence?

Kayla barely noted an Investigator as he approached with a report in hand.

“Excuse me, Director, the report from the Joint Investigation,” the young Investigator said, offering her a scroll.

“What?” Kayla started out of her thoughts, turning to the man with a confused look.

“The joint investigation with the Ministry of Justice,” the Investigator replied, mistaking her reaction.

“Oh, of course,” Kayla said. “You can just leave it there, thank you.”

She flipped through the report, setting aside her frazzled worries for now. During the hostel raids that had snagged Xia Xun, the spy hired by Wu Zhihuan to watch the political situation in the capital, they had also nabbed an undercover agent from the Minister of Justice.

The man had been part of an operation to root out the labor trafficking rings in the capital, but that had all been forced to a pause by the Bureau’s heavy-handed tactics. As compensation, Kayla had offered to spare some manpower and resources for a joint investigation in order to get the operation back on track, and Zhang Dingyong had agreed.

So they’re preparing for the arrests now? That’s pretty fast.

Most of the labor traffickers would probably be executed, given the disturbing abuses the investigation had uncovered. But the victims were unlikely to be compensated at all.

From what the Ministry of Justice had found, the traffickers had two main streams of revenue: securing cheap labor and placing people in coveted positions. The first was relatively straightforward. They would scour impoverished villages for desperate people, offer a decent sum upfront, and then proceed to traffic their victims into various jobs, pocketing all the victims’ wages while restricting their ability to leave. The victims were often worked to the bone until they died, either from overwork, the horrid living conditions and food, or some combination thereof.

The second stream of revenue came from placing people into servant positions in wealthy or noble households. Those who wanted to move up in the world would shell out large amounts of money in order to gain a coveted position as a servant of the rich and the powerful. The wages were often significantly higher than elsewhere, and for people from more remote areas, it was the best place to gain some modicum of decorum and prestige, enough to change the lives of their children.

The placement fees were often ludicrous, and people could remain in debt for decades after entering a good household. If someone was fired after managing to gain a placement, they could find themselves drowning in debt with no way to pay it back. Higher-ranking servants understood as much, and rejoiced in finding subordinates they could overwork and torment without restraint–no matter how badly they were treated, those who owed money to the labor traffickers would beg to stay on.

Abuses were rampant–violence against the farmers they trapped into cheap labor, and sexual abuse of young women who wished to work in wealthy households. There were a disturbing number of incidents where desperate young serving maids killed themselves or died through botched abortions after falling pregnant from the rapes.

Kayla shook her head in disgust. The reports suggested that the labor traffickers had been running rampant for over two decades now, but the problem had been consistently overlooked for the entire time.

And we just let this happen. Say what you want about Zhang Dingyong, but the man actually gets shit done.

She finished reading the report and set it aside with a sigh.

I’ll need to check if there’s any such thing in the Zhao household. A thought flashed into her mind, and Kayla hurriedly picked up the report again.

Wealthy and noble households. Does that include the households of the Imperial family members?

Archduke Qi treated his servants well when he was in favor. And he had distributed what little remained of his wealth to his former servants after falling from grace.

His servants loved him. They certainly adored him enough to continuously visit a fallen noble who bore the scrutiny and hatred of the Emperor himself.

Would he have been kind enough to buy out the debts of his servants?

What did that matter though, except to make Kayla feel more guilty for hassling him?

No, it does matter. Tan Hui could use that gratitude as leverage to persuade them to act as accomplices.

It wasn’t just gratitude either. There was the issue of revenge. Ji Fangluo had gotten involved with Xiang Daozong’s revenge plot for her father’s sake, but the woman herself had a bone to pick with the Grand Duke for what her family went through.

When there’s so much status and power between you and the people who work for you, it’s easy to forget that they’re just as human as you are. Who wouldn’t want revenge if their family members were hurt or killed?

Ice spread through Kayla’s chest. Servants were almost invisible to the capital’s elite. Stewards, housekeepers, perhaps a few favorite servants or maids might have a close relationship with the master or mistress to the point of being like family. But the vast majority of servants were like the invisible machinery that kept things running seamlessly.

Kayla knew exactly how much damage a servant could do to a household if they chose sabotage. She knew how much information they could glean–the reason why she insisted on restricting access to her person, her study, and her bedroom.

Is that how Tan Hui is pulling the strings? By using the network of the Archduke’s old servants?

The servants of a disgraced Archduke would have trouble getting hired in a good household again, but they were seasoned veterans of the workplace. Kayla didn’t doubt that their expertise was highly sought after by servants from the countryside who needed to adjust their dispositions and mannerisms for better employment options.

Instead of the cold thrum of urgency that should’ve shot through her veins, Kayla found herself frozen.

What am I going to do if it’s true?

The Bureau could certainly root out the servants–if the Bureau couldn’t do it alone, there was still the Court of Judicial Review.

But what are they aiming for? Revenge? Against who, the Emperor?

How far would they go, and how far had they already gone? Kayla felt strangely helpless as cold realization dawned upon her.

The executions of the Wu clan may have only been the beginning of the bloodbath.

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Archduke Qi stiffened at the familiar sound of multiple footsteps tromping down the hall.

Another raid?

There hadn’t been any for a few months, especially not after the Empress Dowager had withdrawn from politics. Had his temperamental brother remembered to torment Archduke Qi again after losing his sons?

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

He found that there was little dread in his heart. The victory that was just within sight seemed to shield his heart in a cocoon of surety.

A knock came at the door.

“Please pardon me, Archduke. This is Senior Investigator Tabuyir of the Bureau,” a familiar voice rang out.

A small frown creased Archduke Qi’s brow.

They’re being unusually polite. That was never a good sign.

“What is it?” Archduke Qi asked, his voice coming out hoarsely.

“I apologize for the disturbance, but we need to conduct a search of your servants’ quarters,” Tabuyir replied.

What?

Tan Hui’s rooms and that of the Archduchess’ maid were always trashed in every raid, but only as part of the larger destruction that went on throughout the household. What was the Bureau up to now?

Archduke Qi opened the door to face Tabuyir.

“May I ask why?” Archduke Qi asked.

Tabuyir’s face was unreadable.

“Your Excellency’s retainer was implicated in an ongoing investigation on conspiring to harm a court official,” Tabuyir replied. “I’m afraid that we’ll have to trouble you for permission.”

“Well, I can hardly refuse,” Archduke Qi began, a sense of unease creeping up on him. His heartbeat began to thud in his eardrums as it quickened.

What are they doing? Did they find–

His thoughts came careening to a stop as he caught sight of a familiar figure being walked out by two Investigators.

Archduke Qi’s blood went cold.

“Tan Hui!”

He leaped up and ran after the Investigators. Tan Hui was reluctantly walking out of the courtyard, caught on each side by an Investigator.

“Please stay back, Your Excellency,” Tabuyir said, easily catching up to Archduke Qi. He gently but firmly grabbed onto the Archduke.

“My lord,” Tan Hui said grimly. “I apologize for the trouble.”

Archduke Qi drew in a sharp breath.

No, this can’t be happening. So they did find something. They must have! Dread pooled in his stomach. They were so close to victory. It was just within reach, and yet–

No, they don’t have anything solid or they wouldn’t be arresting him, they’d be arresting me. There’s still a chance–I still have a chance!

Archduke Qi whirled towards Tabuyir.

“You can’t do this! He hasn’t done anything!” Archduke Qi pleaded.

Almost as though he were ashamed, Tabuyir didn’t meet the Archduke’s eyes.

“Apologies, Your Excellency. But this is just a routine questioning as part of an ongoing investigation. If we find nothing of concern, we will return your retainer to you without further delay,” Tabuyir said.

“My dear, what’s going on?” The Archduchess came hurrying down the corridor, her maidservant close behind.

“What investigation? Questioning for what? You’re going too far!” Archduke Qi said through gritted teeth, ignoring his wife.

“You’re not in good health right now, Your Excellency. Please don’t concern yourself with such things,” Tabuyir replied. He gestured, and two men dressed in healers’ robes approached. “We have specially arranged for these two healers to take care of you in your retainer’s absence, and further arranged to increase the security of your household.”

Archduke Qi stiffened.

Damn it, they’re from the capital! I can’t let the healers see me just yet!

His anxiety spiked as he glanced around the courtyard. His heart pounded against his ribcage, the sound dimming his surroundings.

Some of the Investigators had peeled off and were now positioning themselves along the corridors and the gates.

“What is the meaning of this?” Archduke Qi said in bewilderment. “Am I–are you–”

“Please just take it easy for the next few days,” Tabuyir said, not unkindly. “Get some rest. Some peace and quiet will do you good.”

“You’re putting me under house arrest,” Archduke Qi said in disbelief. “You–you–”

He stumbled forward, clutching desperately at Tabuyir’s arms. “Don’t do this. Tan Hui never did anything wrong! All he did was to stay at my side when everyone abandoned me, you can’t punish him for that!”

“I assure you that we will not,” Tabuyir replied. “This is a criminal investigation, everything will proceed exactly according to procedures, no more and no less. We beg your understanding, Your Excellency.”

“There must be some kind of mistake,” Archduke Qi said, trying to sound as bewildered as he could. “Tan Hui couldn’t possibly be involved in something like that!”

“I apologize for causing you distress, Your Excellency,” Tabuyir replied.

Damn it!

They were done for. It didn’t matter whether or not Tan Hui talked or not–even if he did, Archduke Qi had withheld crucial details from even his most loyal retainer. But Archduke Qi knew the Emperor. If Tan Hui was taken into custody, Archduke Qi was damned either way. Any confessions extracted would be twisted to fit the narrative of Archduke Qi’s guilt, and a refusal to speak would be seen as disloyalty engineered at Archduke Qi’s commands.

This can’t be the end. We’ve gotten so far!

He locked eyes with Tan Hui. The same desperation and fear was reflected back at him. Tan Hui let out a shuddering breath and breathed in sharply.

Archduke Qi stiffened, recognizing the look of determination on the other man’s face.

“Tan Hui,” Archduke Qi said warily. “Tan Hui, you–”

“My lord, I apologize for deceiving you!” Tan Hui shouted. “I acted alone, and I’ll shoulder responsibility alone!”

Faster than the Investigators could react, Tan Hui struck one Investigator in the face and grabbed the blade from the man’s belt.

“No!” Archduke Qi shouted.

The Investigators tackled Tan Hui to the ground, prying the hilt from his fingers. It was too late. The blade was already lodged firmly in Tan Hui’s chest.

Blood began to pool on the ground. Archduke Qi watched in horror as the dark-red liquid seeped over the stone path, barely hearing the frantic shouts of the Investigators as they scrambled to produce healing talismans.

Tan Hui’s open eyes stared blankly into the sky, slowly glazing over as death settled over him.

The strength went out of his knees, and Archduke Qi crumpled to the ground.

“No, no this can’t be,” Archduke Qi said in a pitifully small voice.

“Your Excellency, are you alright?!” Tabuyir hoisted Archduke Qi to his feet, all but keeping the man upright. “Get a healer and escort the Archduke back to his quarters!”

His mind was a blur as he was practically carried back to his rooms.

Amid the grief, a kindling of fury began to burn ferociously inside him.

Tan Hui, your sacrifice won’t be in vain, Archduke Qi silently swore to himself. I’ll succeed in this no matter what it takes!

“My dear, are you alright? Please say something!” The weeping Archduchess pleaded from the bedside.

“Excuse me, Archduchess, if I may,” someone said from the doorway. Archduke Qi caught a glimpse of the healer.

“Get out,” Archduke Qi said through gritted teeth.

“My dear, the healer–”

“Everyone get out! Get out right now!” Archduke Qi shouted, his voice breaking. “Get out!”

Taking the cue, the Archduchess fled the room, sobbing. She clutched onto the healer’s robes, beginning to give a long spiel about her woes. Uncomfortable but unable to shake her off, the healer could only back away bit by bit while the Archduchess continued to cry onto him.

Archduke Qi seized the moment of solitude and produced a small paper packet from a stash hidden in a secret mechanism beneath his pillow.

Tan Hui’s death only buys me some time at most. He’s died without leaving any testimony–if I also claim ignorance, then they won’t make any progress for the time being. But that’s not enough! If they’ve already found evidence, they’ll trace it back to me eventually. I don’t have any choice left!

Archduke Qi had been through enough storms to know what to do. He swallowed the powdered contents of the packet, scrabbling to down it with some water before anyone could check up on him again. The powder was produced by the best medicine makers his wife’s clan could find. No healer would be able to tell the difference between its effects and a natural malady.

Archduke Qi closed his eyes, waiting for the pain to begin. Once it did, the healers’ findings would only confirm the previous diagnoses–that Archduke Qi was an invalid who was incapable of causing any damage.

The downside was that for as long as he continued to take the medicine, he would really become an invalid. Whether it was dealing with the aftermath of Tan Hui’s death or the final stages of the plan, it would be out of his hands.

Shu Yunsong, I’ll be leaving it to you.

No matter what they suspected about him, between Tan Hui’s suicide and a diagnosis as an invalid, they would be forced them to reconsider. Even the Emperor couldn’t get away with murdering a sick invalid of a brother without being criticized for the rest of his life and for generations after.

His ill health had kept Archduke Qi alive throughout the turbulence of his childhood, and it was what kept him alive after falling from grace.

Now, once again, Archduke Qi could only pray that it would save him one more time.

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Kayla stared at Tabuyir in disbelief, holding her communication device in one hand as she paced the room.

“What do you mean, Tan Hui killed himself?!”

“I apologize, Director! We should have kept a better eye on him!” Tabuyir replied.

“Damn it! We needed him alive! Now that he’s dead, our work becomes all the more complicated–did he at least say what he was confessing to?” Kayla demanded.

“No, my lord, he did not. His exact words were, ‘My lord, I apologize for deceiving you. I acted alone, and I’ll shoulder responsibility alone.’ He acted so fast that he couldn’t stop him, please forgive us!”

Kayla heaved a sigh.

“Suspend the Investigator who lost his sword for three months and have him return on probation after,” Kayla said. “As for the rest of you, what’s done is done. But I want detailed reports from everyone present, sent directly to my desk.”

“Thank you my lord!”

“Did you tell Tan Hui what you were charging him with?” Kayla asked.

“Just that he was under arrest for conspiring to harm an official of the court, but we didn’t say anything more than that,” Tabuyir answered. “Archduke Qi didn’t seem to realize what was going on until Tan Hui killed himself–he seemed to believe that Tan Hui’s arrest was an act of persecution from the-from the capital.”

“How did Archduke Qi seem to you?” Kayla asked.

“He was responsive, at least,” Tabuyir said. “He was able to walk around on his own and didn’t show any delayed reactions. Last time we conducted a raid of his house, he was almost completely unresponsive for most of it. But Tan Hui’s suicide seemed to be quite a strong blow to him–the Archduke fell to the ground and was unable to stand or walk on his own afterwards. We escorted him back to the room and arranged for the healers to see him.”

“Did they produce a diagnosis?” Kayla asked.

“Yes,” Tabuyir replied. “It seems that the shock of the event triggered the recurrence of his symptoms, and the Archduke is now in bed with a fever. The healers found that the Archduke has severe health issues–head wind, high blood pressure, heart palpitations, and a malady that eats at his reason, a disease of the heart. The Archduke…”

Tabuyir hesitated slightly. “The Archduke is in very weak health, my lord. Our healers’ findings match the previous diagnoses.”

Kayla drew a sharp breath.

Fuck.

“Tell the healers to take good care of his health,” Kayla said.

“Of course, my lord.”

“We’re in quite a bind here, Tabuyir. Tan Hui killed himself without even knowing what he was being charged with, and now we have no way of finding out what he did and did not do,” Kayla said in a tight voice. “If someone insists on picking fault with us, persecuting a man until he was forced to suicide would be the first thing they throw in our faces. Archduke Qi as well, if his health declines because of this incident, then they’ll have a fucking field day!”

Tabuyir winced, lowering his eyes.

“What do we do?” Kayla asked.

“We could suppose that Tan Hui knew, by the timing of the arrest, that his relationship with Wu Zhihuan had come to light,” Tabuyir cautiously offered. Observing Kayla’s expression, he grew bolder. “Perhaps I remembered wrong. On second thought, I think we did tell Tan Hui he was under suspicion for the murders of the First and Second Princes and of Attendant Censor Lin Jie.”

“You want to falsify the testimonies?” Kayla demanded.

Tabuyir’s expression stiffened.

“Fuck,” Kayla muttered. She sighed, pinching at the bridge of her nose.

“Yeah, do it. Make sure everyone knows what they’re doing, check that the reports are consistent but not so consistent that they’re suspicious, and that the Investigators present could stand their ground even when they’re being cross-questioned,” Kayla said, softening her attitude as she went on. “You’re more experienced in this regard, you don’t need me to teach you how to do things. Tabuyir, I’ll be leaving it to you. We’re all in your hands now.”

“Please leave it to me, my lord. I won’t let you down,” Tabuyir promised.

“I believe it,” Kayla replied. “As for how we continue from here…”

She sighed again. “Keep an eye on the servants who usually visit Archduke Qi, make sure they don’t run, but don’t bother them either. We can’t afford to beat the grass any more at this point.”

“As you wish, Director,” Tabuyir replied.

He made to end the call, pausing as the door burst open.

“Director!” Li Que burst into the room, his face ashen. He glanced at Tabuyir through the communication device and then at Kayla.

An ominous feeling crept up her spine.

“What?” Kayla demanded, her hackles already rising. “What?!”

“Something’s happened at the Third Prince’s household,” Li Que said solemnly. “The prince has been poisoned.”

“How the fuck is that even possible? He has two poison-testers—forget that, what’s the prince’s situation right now?” Kayla asked, her disbelief giving way to cold dread.

“We-we’re not sure,” Li Que replied, a note of nervousness slipping into his voice. “The Princess Consort shut down the household.”

“Then what about healers? Have they sent for healers?”

“They have two on staff,” Li Que replied.

“That won’t be enough! Send word to the Emperor immediately and call for an Imperial Healer to be sent to the Third Prince’s household,” Kayla ordered. “I’m also heading there immediately–”

She paused, a strange sense of foreboding overtaking her.

Kuang can’t die. He can’t possibly die, but even so…damn it.

“Lock down the capital,” Kayla said. “No one enters, no one leaves, and checkpoints on every street. Mobilize the City Guard to help, and send word to the Imperial Guard to tighten security immediately. Li Que, I leave that to you. Send Chen Jian with two teams to surround the Seventh Prince’s household. Enact wards to prevent any information from entering and leaving the place. I want it locked down so tight that not even water can get through!”

“Yes sir!” Li Que immediately turned and left the room.

“Tabuyir, you take over the command at the Dengzhou branch,” Kayla ordered. “Keep a careful eye on every single noble and their relatives. If anyone starts acting suspiciously, arrest them right away.”

“Yes sir, I’ll go right away,” Tabuyir replied.

Kayla grabbed the communication device off her desk, hitting the emergency notification line.

“Senior Investigator Duan, I need you to go to the Third Prince’s household right away with your men. Secure the site and be on the lookout for anything suspicious. Vice Director Ke, bring two teams and come with me to secure the Fifth Prince’s safety. We leave immediately!”

Heart pounding so hard that it felt as if it would burst from her chest, Kayla sprinted out of her office and down the corridor.

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Cultural Notes

新茶/New tea: Refers to fresh tea harvested within the year, often very expensive and of the best quality.

一人做事一人当/[What] I act [upon] alone, I shoulder the responsibility for alone: A Chinese saying.

骂名/Criticized name: Directly translates as criticized name, but it essentially means to damage your reputation to the point where the criticisms of your actions are the first thing that comes to mind when anyone speaks of you.

头风/Head wind: The commonly used term for a variety of headache/migraine inducing maladies in Ancient China.

不用我教你做事/You don't need me to teach you how to do things: A Chinese saying.

水泄不通/Not even water can flow through: A Chinese proverb meaning to seal off/block off something so tightly that nothing can get through.

打草惊蛇/Beating the grass and startling the snakes: A Chinese proverb meaning to alarm someone in taking off before you can catch them.