Character Index
Zhou Yunqi: The Crown Prince, fifth son of the Emperor.
Ashina: Personal name is Ibilga, princess of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.
Wei Guang: The Imperial Edict Bearer and Minister of Censure.
Ji You: Blind mage who served Lin Yaoguang.
Kulun: A tarkhan of Chuluo Khagan.
Zhou Xianchun: The Seventh Prince.
Xiang Daozong/Qu Boyong: Lord of the Xiang clan, maternal nephew of the Emperor.
Shu Yunzhi: Older brother of Shu Yunsong, had no idea what his sibling was involved.
Chuluo: Khagan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. Ashina's father.
Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Lord of the Liang clan, Oversight Officer deployed to keep an eye on General Yan.
Chujiao/Jing Shuyou: Cousin of Qu Boyong, recently engaged to Hu Qing in a political marriage.
Sun Ruhui: Right Secretariat of Justice, Kayla's advisor.
Chen Caichun: Chamberlain of the Court of Judicial Review, Kayla's supporter.
Zhou Kuang: The Third Prince, deceased.
General Yan: Commander of the reinforcements sent to Chuluo Khagan.
Qiu Jianluo: Yunqi's eccentric but brilliant advisor.
Li Que: A Senior Investigator of the Imperial Investigation Bureau.
Liu Boyue: The Seventh Prince's advisor.
Zhou Ying: The current Emperor.
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Kayla returned to her household with her mind running static.
Yunqi is the Crown Prince, Kayla repeated to herself for what must have been the hundredth time since she’d left the Imperial Palace. The Emperor had filed the edict with the Hanlin Academy, and had circulated it to the court. By tomorrow morning, the announcement would be made in each and every market. It had become fact.
The grim air of her guards had dissipated, and instead there was a note of joy in their eyes, as well as something close to respect. Kayla barely registered any of it as she walked into her quarters, stopping before Ashina.
Relief hit hard at the princess’ familiar face, almost turning Kayla’s knees to jelly.
“Ibilga,” Kayla called, not caring how desperate her voice sounded. “Ibilga, I’m back.”
“Congratulations,” Ashina said. The princess opened her arms expectantly.
Kayla pulled Ashina into a hug, slowly letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
“It’s alright now,” Ashina said comfortingly. “You’re the subject with the greatest merit in making him the Crown Prince.”
“You could think of it that way,” Kayla murmured.
“And me? How do you count my merit?” Ashina asked.
Kayla’s exhausted mind spun around the question upside down and then counter-clockwise.
Right, the pregnancy. Of course that would’ve been a factor–even the Emperor mentioned it.
Ashina’s arms tightened around her.
“I’m not pregnant.”
Kayla froze, confusion stuttering her mind to a stop. Realization dawned a beat late.
“Ibilga, you–”
“I’ll need to fake a miscarriage,” Ashina said gravely. “And I’ll have to accept all the criticism that comes with that.”
The princess let go, stepping back to hold Kayla at arm’s length.
“Your godfather asked me not to tell you the ruse, in order to confound the Emperor. If you have a problem with that, take it up with him. I only did what I could to save you!”
“I-I understand,” Kayla said.
The weight of it all finally seemed to hit her, and Kayla sank into the nearest seat.
“I wouldn’t fault you for this,” Kayla said. “You saved my life, Ibilga.”
“I wanted to, and more importantly, I had to,” Ashina said bitterly. “What would the Emperor care that I have no say in what you do or what you’re involved in? My fate is still tied to yours.”
Ashina took a deep breath and mustered her courage, then seemed to deflate. With great effort, the princess tried again.
“That mage who burst into our house some time back…the blind woman, was it?”
Already, Kayla knew where this was going.
“Yes?”
“How did you fend her off back then?” There was a nervous tremor in Ashina’s voice.
“What do you mean?”
“A mage wouldn’t burst into your room just to stand there until your guards arrived. How did you fend her off?”
I should at least offer an excuse. But the young woman holding before her was holding back a nervous meltdown while making a gamble for a future she had no control over.
I’ve been there before. First with the Grand Duke, then with the Empress Dowager. And Kayla had overcome both, only to place another in that same position.
For a brief moment, she felt unbearably lonely.
“You nullified her magic,” Ashina said. “That’s also how you dealt with Kulun-tarkhan’s agents back then, isn’t it?”
Kayla drew a sharp breath, opening her mouth as she mustered an excuse on the fly.
“Don’t bother lying to me. I have a good sense of your household affairs now, and you don’t have access to military-grade nullification talismans,” Ashina said. “You’re a nullification mage.”
“That’s not true,” Kayla said. “You’re right that I don’t have access to nullification talismans–not from the armory, at least. But my mother left me a great deal of–”
“I won’t tell anyone,” Ashina cut her off. “I’ll protect your secret, whether it’s from my family or yours. And I’ll even cover for you no matter what happens. But listen–look at me!”
Kayla met the princess’ eyes.
“Listen to me, Wenyuan. I’m tired of sitting here and waiting while you and my father decide my fate. Do you think I’m just an idiot?!”
How long had this been in the making? Since their wedding night? Since the young princess met Kayla in that brothel? Or since the moment when Ashina’s life had been decided for her in the name of the greater good?
“I would never think that,” Kayla said.
“Your choices decide my fate, but I don’t have any say in what you do! Does that sound fair to you?! You think that I should just shut up and accept this?!” Ashina demanded, getting more worked up as she went.
Kayla winced. “No.”
“I’ve kept your secret,” Ashina said in a shaking voice. “I’ve lied for your sake and now I even need to fake a miscarriage for your sake. I’ve more than proven my trustworthiness. If you can’t trust me even with all this, then let’s divorce. I’ll marry the Crown Prince, or the Seventh Prince, or maybe even Xiang Daozong–whichever one will have me. But I can’t live like this!”
“Ibilga, I…” Kayla stopped, taking in Ashina’s expression. The princess stood with her arms crossed and a ferocious glower on her face, one that Kayla knew from experience as a front for being close to tears.
I was the one who pushed her to this point.
Kayla thought of Shu Yunzhi’s horror and despair with a painful twinge in her chest.
“Ibilga, I think we’re going to go to war with your father someday,” Kayla said heavily.
Ashina frowned in confusion. “Why would you think that?”
Kayla sighed. “Because every sign points to it. The natural conditions, the Arab incursion into Sogdia, our own weakening dynasty…that’s why. It’s not because of–it’s not because of you, it’s just the situation that we’re in.”
“How long have you thought that? From the very start?” Ashina asked in disbelief.
Kayla avoided her eyes.
“Why did you even marry me then?!”
“I thought that peace, however short lived, was preferable to conflict,” Kayla said. “And don’t be mistaken–I’ve never once considered you disposable. Since we married, I was prepared to put everything I had to protect you once it came to that.”
“Father wouldn’t,” Ashina said. “He wouldn’t break the alliance first.”
“I’m not sure he’ll have a choice,” Kayla said. “If not him, then perhaps his heir, your brother. Whether it’s the natural environment, the international situation, or the Khaganate’s own needs…we may truly come to war.”
Ashina was silent for a moment before she set her jaw.
“So be it then. I’ve chosen you over my father–you’re the one I’m stuck with, the one who decides what happens to me, whether I like it or not. At the very least, I should be treated as an equal, shouldn’t I?”
Kayla stared at Ashina, a little awed at the princess’ strength. It was no easy feat to muster such determination, moreso when it was your own family involved.
An equal, a partner. Someone to rely on, someone who wants me to rely on them. The thought was far more tempting than Kayla could have imagined.
Hu Qing was far away in a distant land, and Chujiao was cloistered in his household, awaiting his return with the heavy heart of a human sacrifice.
Sun Ruhui looked at her with disappointment these days, and it had been a long time since Chen Caichun had shown any enthusiasm.
Kuang was dead. Yunqi seemed strangely translucent in her eyes, an unfamiliarity to him that Kayla couldn’t make sense of.
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The Emperor wanted her dead, and had said as much.
Kayla finally realized why she hadn’t cut Ashina off or tried to distract the young princess the second she’d realized where this was going.
I’d wanted this as much as Ashina.
“You should,” Kayla said. “I’m sorry that I haven’t given you the respect you deserve. Ibilga, will you stand at my side from now on and give me a chance to make up for my actions?”
Ashina thrust out her hand, relief blossoming over her face. Kayla shook it firmly before pulling Ashina forward, hugging the princess around the waist.
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Yunqi entered the Emperor’s quarters with his head slightly bowed, kneeling to greet his father. The prince had projected the same image of filial respect over the past week, taking care that each detail was the perfect model of etiquette.
More so than anything, he had to reinforce the Emperor’s image of him as the epitome of dignified refinement, a man who could be trusted to uphold the rites and continuance of the Imperial household.
“I humbly greet you, Your Majesty,” Yunqi said.
“You may rise,” the Emperor said warmly.
Yunqi obeyed, approaching the Emperor’s seat with his head still slightly lowered.
“May I inquire as to your health this morning, Father?”
“As well as I can be,” the Emperor said. “Come here, Yunqi. I have something to show you.”
Yunqi sat down by the Emperor, accepting the scroll that was handed to him.
“This is…” Yunqi frowned slightly as he took in its contents.
The Grand Duke's assassins....
“Make good use of this,” the Emperor said. “When I ascended to the throne, I had too little sway over my retainers, especially those who held great power in court. As a result, I was forced to endure a great deal that I would never have permitted otherwise. With this, I hope that you will not suffer the same.”
Yunqi flipped over the report, nodding solemnly.
“Thank you for sharing this with me, Father,” Yunqi said. “Words alone cannot show the depth of my appreciation for your thoughtfulness. Instead, I would like to prove my gratitude through my actions.”
“Very good,” the Emperor said, looking rather pleased. “You understand what this means for you. Use it well. Wenyuan is capable enough, but he hides his depths. Don’t make the mistake of waiting too long like I did with the Grand Duke.”
“Don’t worry, Father,” Yunqi replied. “I will not.”
More so than that…
He was surprised that the Emperor seemed to have forgotten.
Wenyuan still has sympathetic troops outside the border.
If the Emperor didn’t think of it, Yunqi had no reason to bring it up. Having Wenyuan executed was far more disadvantageous to him than allowing Wenyuan his allies, potential threat or not.
Wenyuan isn’t that type of person to begin with. So long as he has no reason to fear for his survival, he’ll prioritize the country’s future.
And if that changed, General Yan had also been sponsored by the Third Prince. Surely the bereaved younger brother of the Third Prince and the legitimate heir to the throne would have a stronger chance at swaying the troops’ sympathies.
He took his leave of the Emperor and made his way back to his quarters, nodding at the occupants of the room. One was Qiu Jianluo, his eccentric strategist. At a single request, Wenyuan had Qiu Jianluo bundled off right into Yunqi’s residence at the palace, where the man was now nodding off to sleep again after greeting the prince.
The other man stood guard diligently in a corner, almost entirely obscured by the shadow of a pillar.
Yunqi pulled out the report again. It’s not a good idea to hold this type of thing over Wenyuan’s head. He had ample reason to kill the Grand Duke’s assassins. Framing him for an atrocity when it was only self-preservation would be disingenuous.
That being said… Yunqi turned over the report in his hands, sitting back in his seat.
He carefully sorted through the situation, assessing each strand and possibility.
Wenyuan wouldn’t turn against me easily. But leaving things solely to trust is imprudent. Even more so, leaving his faults to his political enemies is imprudent.
He methodologically began rolling up the report again, winding the string around the scroll.
A great man does not stand beneath a crumbling wall. If you value a man, if you wish to make him great, then you also would not allow them to stand in such a place.
Competence, loyalty, prestige, Kuang had lacked none of these amongst his supporters. Yunqi only had Wenyuan and Wei Guang to truly call his own, and he wasn’t even all that sure about Wei Guang.
I can’t leave anything to chance, I have to make the best choice no matter what, Yunqi thought grimly. Too many people have died for me to be in this position, and too many people will die if I make a mistake.
Just the Grand Duke’s assassins wasn’t enough. He needed something more than that.
“This whole matter about Zhao Wenyuan, what are your thoughts on it?” Yunqi asked, turning towards his advisor. Qiu Jianluo jolted awake from where had dozed off.
“Huh? Oh, uh, it’s good material, but the Duke will fear and resent you if you use it against him like that, wouldn’t he?” Qiu Jianluo said groggily.
“Indeed, but what should I do then?” Yunqi asked.
“You need to have a hidden card he doesn’t know about just yet,” Qiu Jianluo said. “That way you can let this matter go–he’ll be bound to you by gratitude, and that’s a valuable thing to have.”
“You want me to hand over the evidence of his crimes to him?” Yunqi asked with a note of amusement. “Well, I suppose I could. But why the hidden card?”
Qiu Jianluo seemed to become completely alert almost instantaneously.
“A man like that cannot be left unrestrained, my prince. Such things cannot be left to fate or virtue alone, for one makes a mockery of men, and time makes mockery of the other,” he said solemnly.
Yunqi gave a small hum of acknowledgement.
“I agree,” he said. “I have no wish to shackle my cousin, or to bend him to my will through forceful means. Yet leaving him entirely unrestrained is unthinkable. But what can be held against Wenyuan? What can restrain him?”
“The North, my prince,” Qiu Jianluo replied. “He has the unwavering support of the Tiele, and such bonds can only remain pristine for so long. Allegiance of so many different groups and all their members with one man, simply based on regional ties? Geopolitics aren’t enough to suppress human desires. If the Duke fails to resolve the problems they bring to him, if he fails to grant the benefits they wish for, then their support will also falter. It’s been a while now, not all that long, but long enough for problems to begin emerging. If the Duke has resolved them, then surely there is something for us to make use of.”
“Problems…what kind of problems?” Yunqi wondered. He turned his face towards the man standing in the shadowed corner of the room.
“Perhaps you would know,” Yunqi said to him.
The man stepped out of the darkness and into sight, bowing respectfully as Yunqi addressed him.
“Well?” Yunqi asked. “What do you say, Senior Investigator Li Que?”
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Xianchun knelt in his outer courtyard, Liu Boyue waiting just out-of-sight as the prince received the Imperial Edict releasing him from house arrest.
“By the order of His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince, you are to be granted liberty of movement within the capital city. You are forbidden from leaving the capital without express permission from His Majesty the Emperor, and your movements are subject to review by the Imperial Investigation Bureau,” the eunuch read from the scroll, visibly trying to conceal his nervousness at the announcement. “Thus is decreed.”
The eunuch uneasily lowered the scroll, glancing at Xianchun’s reaction.
Against his expectations, the prince wore an unreadable expression.
“I thank the Emperor for his mercy and benevolence,” Xianchun said.
The eunuch bowed his head before hastily leaving as the prince rose to his feet.
Liu Boyue stepped out from the alcoves to Xianchun’s side.
“The house arrest may have been lifted, but it would be prudent to remain cautious,” Liu Boyue murmured as they watched the eunuch leave. “It does not mean the danger is over, especially now that the Emperor will be wanting to secure the Crown Prince’s position.”
“So this is how it is now?” Xianchun murmured.
Liu Boyue regarded his prince for a moment. Xianchun had, contrary to all expectations, grown calmer on a deep-rooted level after being placed under house arrest. It wasn’t resignation or defeat, as would have befallen a lesser man, nor delusions of superiority or unobtainable glory. Rather, the prince was staring fate in the face unflinchingly, without the slightest intention of backing down.
If that was the case, then they still had hope.
“Please do not despair, my prince. So long as you’re still alive, there’s still a chance! Right now, more important than anything is to secure your position in this new order,” Liu Boyue comforted him.
“How? All my supporters have fled,” Xianchun said bitterly.
“And that’s for the best. If we’re ever to become anything, the first thing you must do is to show that you’re no longer a threat,” Liu Boyue said.
“Not a threat…” Xianchun glanced at Liu Boyue. “If Fifth Brother learns of your existence, that means Wenyuan is no longer protecting us. If Fifth Brother does not, then surely Wenyuan will still help us.”
“You’re my greatest asset, Boyue. So long as I have you, no matter the circumstances, there will always be a chance for me. I fear what will happen if my brother–or Father, for that matter, comes to realize this.”
Liu Boyue lowered his head in shame.
“If I were worth anything, Your Highness would not have fallen upon such circumstances,” he said.
“Don’t bother with the self-flagellation,” Xianchun said. “We both know that I need you. From now on…from now on, it’s a different world.”
Liu Boyue frowned thoughtfully.
“I can’t help but think…”
Xianchun gave him a quizzical look.
“When you mentioned Wenyuan’s protection, I couldn’t help but think that Wenyuan recognized me that time I infiltrated the Grand Duke’s household.”
“That’s impossible,” Xianchun said immediately.
“But he realized I wasn’t a servant of the inner household right away. Thinking back now, his reaction was strange. He wanted me to get away from him, and was almost desperate to do so. Was that really how he would react to a temporary worker who wasn’t supposed to be there? I think…I think he noticed something then.”
“At that time? He wasn’t the Director yet.”
“No. But perhaps that was what encouraged him to look into my existence. It’s of no importance to us now, I suppose. ”
“Do you think so?” Xianchun glanced towards the direction of the Imperial Palace. “I don’t believe it’s that simple.”
Xianchun gave a short huff. “Wenyuan has stifled me and yet I have to thank him for it…and thank him for covering your importance to me. There will be a time when he calls on that favor. I’m sure of it. And when he does…it surely would be for no simple task.”
He shook his head. “Believe me, Boyue. This isn’t over yet.”
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Zhou Ying stood in the bedroom of his youth. The Eastern Palace had been empty for a long time in the absence of a Crown Prince. For the lengthy years that Zhou Ying had been the Emperor, he had never permitted any of his sons to reside here. But soon, the rooms would once again be occupied, this time by someone that even Zhou Ying had never considered a possible option.
Alone in the room and alone in the currents of history, Zhou Ying had to admit that Yunqi was far more suitable for the seat of Emperor than he had ever been. It wasn’t just Yunqi either. The same could be said of several of his sons, if not also his brothers.
Zhou Ying traced a finger through the dust on his old desk.
Even though Yunqi’s suffered so much at my hands, he still maintains his virtue like a polished piece of jade. I was placed on that coveted seat since birth, and yet I struggle to have that same forbearance.
Being born as Crown Prince had only made him sensitive to gains and losses, with a tendency for suspicion that only grew stronger as he aged.
The cesspool of human greed, the pressure of so many desires, the jealous eyes that followed his every move, all of those things had haunted every moment of Zhou Ying’s life. He couldn’t handle it, and his position was constantly threatened by those who could.
Where my father’s confidence drove me to desperation, my fears have driven us all to this point, Zhou Ying mulled. He glanced around the rooms, picturing each of his sons here.
Kuang would have made an excellent ruler, one that would have been acclaimed for thousands of generations after, he lamented. His third son’s capabilities would have allowed Zhou Ying to hand over the throne without worry.
But if it was Yunqi, there were things that the prince’s temperament or virtue couldn’t overcome so easily.
I’ll have to clear the path for him, Zhou Ying decided. His life was dwindling away. He could feel it in every breath he took, in each night that he slept fitfully. Who knew how long he had left? Zhou Ying didn’t even bother asking the Imperial Healers. Some things were simply inevitable.
But if I am to die, if Yunqi is to become Emperor…He breathed in deeply, steeling himself for what he needed to do. Then my mother cannot outlive me.
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Cultural Notes
翰林学院/Hanlin Academy: A scholarly and policy thinktank for the Emperor's use in Ancient China, it also functioned as a policy-drafting and policy-filing agency.
Sogdia: Refers to modern-day Central Asia, starting from Eastern Iran. During the expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate, the fall of Persia to Arab conquest was followed by incursions into Sogida, where an Arab-Tang struggle for hegemony in the region would eventually take place. The Tang would be forced to withdraw from Central Asia for the most part, but neew Central Asian powers emerged in the power vacuum, and resistance against outside incursions from either the East or the West would continue in various forms.
请安/Inquiring [as to one's] peace/health: A practice in Ancient China where children or adult children would essentially come and give their daily greetings and check in on their parents. This was more a thing in larger households where people had separate living quarters. It was an important rite in demonstrating filial piety (and also in strengthening one's relationship with one's parents as an adult).
礼数/Rites and etiquette: Not only were rites and etiquette important in Ancient China, upholding them strictly also demonstrated self-restraint and self-control. That is also why a prince who demonstrates perfect adherence to the rites is often looked upon in a good light.
君子不立危墙之下/A great man does not stand beneath a crumbling wall: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning that a great man does not knowingly place himself in a precarious position.
落到如此境地/Fallen upon such circumstances: A Chinese saying.
东宫/East Palace: While adult princes (and most princesses once married) were required to move out from the palace, the Crown Prince had a special wing of the palace (the Eastern wing, to be specific) to reside in.
君子温润如玉/A great man is as gentle and refined as jade: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to someone who has a gentle and refined temperament, who is not prone to strong fits of emotion (aka also has strong emotional regulation).