Character Index

  Zhu Simo: The Right Secretariat of Revenue, a member of the Shandong faction.

  Zhang Dingyong: Minister of Justice.

  Yao Gongzhuo: Minister of War.

  He Zhengda: Lord He's third son, widely known as a degenerate.

  Wei Guang: Former Imperial Edict Bearer, Kayla's godfather. Deceased.

  Emperor Xuanzong: Former Emperor, father of the current Emperor.

  Ashina: Personal name Ibilga. Princess of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

  Qiu Jinwei: Advisor of Yunqi.

  Luo Qichen: A young retainer in the household of Lord He. Was present for Kayla and Lord He's meeting.

  Yu Ruirong: A servant girl in Lord He's household.

  Lord He: Leader of the capital aristocrats.

  Hua Ying: A retainer of the He clan, was present for Kayla and Lord He's meeting.

  Yu Ruihua/He Ruihua: Older sister of Yu Ruirong. Was adopted as a ward by Lord He and married off to an older man for the He clan's benefit.

  Su Daoyun: He Ruihua's husband, nephew of Lord He's merchant friend.

  Lord Cui: Lord of the Cui clan, co-leader of the aristocratic faction.

  Li Que: A Senior Investigator in the Imperial Investigation Bureau.

  Lin Yaoguang: The Grand Duke's money launderer. Was conspiring with Archduke Qi against the throne.

  Tabuyir: A Senior Investigator in the Imperial Investigation Bureau. His nephew is a ward in Kayla's home.

  Sima Qi: A young Investigator who had been assigned to Kuang as a poison tester. After he came under suspicion for Kuang's death, Kayla intervened and kept him safe until a general amnesty was granted to the country at large for Yunqi's coronation.

  Zhou Kuang: Third son of Emperor Xuanzong, was the primary candidate for the throne before his death.

  Zhu Simo, in typical fashion, was more effective in churning the rumor mill than any tabloid. By the time Kayla met with Zhang Dingyong and Yao Gongzhuo, the Shandong conservative had once again set the capital aflame with rumors.

  Kayla greeted her allies with an unaffected calm that didn’t match her true feelings on the matter. Unlike the flimsy rumor spread by He Zhengda, the talk of her debts was actually damaging. It threatened her far beyond what any kind of sex scandal possibly could.

  If people actually believed that this was a ploy to siphon money from the government, then they were done for. It didn’t matter that Zhu Simo had no proof, only that Kayla’s finances were in deep trouble. That was convincing enough for most.

  Zhang Dingyong wore an annoying look of pity from the moment he greeted her.

  “Well, these rumors don’t look good for you,” Zhang Dingyong said sympathetically.

  Yao Gongzhuo frowned. The Minister of War was a middle-aged man who was best described as solid. He was of medium height, but so stocky that he appeared shorter. Though the robes of a court official made him appear paunch rather than well-built, his powerful frame became apparent in armor, which he rarely had occasion to wear. In other ways as well, he was solid. Solid in loyalty, solid in friendship, solid in reason, and solid even in the sanctity of marriage. He had no concubines but had seven children with the wife he married as a twenty-year-old. Like him, she was a woman of solid build who ran the household strictly but not without kindness. Few people knew of this because Yao Gongzhuo did not like to entertain guests out of concerns that it would burden his wife with extra work.

  Upon determining that the reforms were solid enough to bear his weight, Yao Gongzhuo had fully thrown his support behind the policies. He turned towards Zhang Dingyong with a look of displeasure.

  “Minister Zhang, the Duke made his financial circumstances clear to us. Why did you insist on swaying people to our side with the promise of riches, knowing what would necessarily result?” Yao Gongzhuo demanded.

  “It’s fine, Minister Zhang couldn’t have known that Zhu Simo would go so far when I already have an agreement in place with the Emperor and the Treasury,” Kayla said, stepping in before the two could escalate. Technically, she had given him a free hand to do so.

  “Please pardon me, Duke Zhao, but if we are to put our faith in Minister Zhang, we must know for certain that he is on our side,” Yao Gongzhuo replied, giving Zhang Dingyong an insistent look. “Well, Minister Zhang?”

  Zhang Dingyong smiled sheepishly. “Well, I couldn’t have known, really.”

  “You’re a man of rare intelligence. I find that hard to believe.”

  “Money is the approach that works,” Zhang Dingyong said. “Everyone hates it when their position in the hierarchy is threatened, but everyone’s frothing at the mouth to supplant someone higher up on the ladder. Wealth makes that possible! Of course people will respond to wealth, so what else was I meant to use? If I can’t talk about it just because of the Duke’s circumstances, what difference is it from chopping off my own arm?”

  Yao Gongzhuo frowned. “Who does this benefit, Minister Zhang? The Emperor’s policies, or you?”

  “Are you accusing me of something here?”

  “Your position will increase if the Duke is removed,” Yao Gongzhuo replied. “I will cooperate with the Duke for the sake of the Emperor and the country’s benefit. I will not cooperate with you to further your own interests.”

  Kayla glanced between the two uneasily. “I’m sure that’s not the case. Minister Yao, thank you for your concern. We should all strive for clearer communication in the future. That goes especially for you, Minister Zhang. Your ways of thinking are unique, and that is both a strength and a challenge for your allies. I’m sure we’ll get to see each of our best points more as we move along in cooperation,” she said, uneasily watching Zhang Dingyong’s blank face. For a moment, she was worried that the two men would abruptly start clawing at each other, but Zhang Dingyong gave a small huff and his temper seemed to deflate.

  Zhang Dingyong turned towards Kayla with a smile, completely changing the topic. “Your Excellency, how goes the investigation into He Zhengda?”

  “Nothing substantial enough to warrant a heavy sentence,” Kayla admitted. “But my retainers are trying to get some information from Lord He’s servants and staff.”

  “What you really need there is a promise to one of the retainers,” Zhang Dingyong said. “Many retainers are second-class citizens who are sons of prostitutes or criminals. If you can offer to raise someone to a full citizen, and to establish his career and family for him, he will surely present something useful to you.”

  “I’ll take your advice,” Kayla said.

  “What does this have to do with the rumors about the Duke?” Yao Gongzhuo demanded.

  Zhang Dingyong smiled. “I want Zhu Simo to spread these rumors, Minister Yao. He should spread them as far as he can manage.”

  “You what?”

  “Excuse me?”

  Kayla and Yao Gongzhuo reacted with simultaneous disbelief.

  “This would have become a problem eventually, no matter what,” Zhang Dingyong said. “Rather than allow everything that goes wrong in the reforms to be blamed on the Duke’s frankly astronomical debts, it’s better to get this entire matter out of the way right now. Your Excellency should understand the benefit of doing that.”

  Preventing the old accounts from being flipped through again. Kayla understood the value of that just fine. It was why she had continued to work with Wei Guang after he’d gotten her arrested for the Grand Duke’s death. She, too, understood that once the case was closed during Emperor Xuanzong’s time, it would not be reopened again at a more inopportune moment.

  “You mean to say that you did this on purpose?!” Yao Gongzhuo demanded. “What a rash course of action–!”

  Kayla held up a hand. “Please explain, Minister Zhang.”

  “Of course. My intention is that the opposition coalition should be the ones to raise a ruckus about your finances, specifically Zhu Simo, who predictably is doing his utmost to shake the rafters as usual,” Zhang Dingyong said. “That then allows you to make a grand gesture that silences their attacks on this matter in perpetuity.”

  “How?” Yao Gongzhuo asked.

  “Make a public declaration at a temple–with ceremony and pomp–that you will not earn any proceeds from the reforms, and that you will only derive your income from your position at court,” Zhang Dingyong replied. “Publicly denounce the acts of your grandfather and dedicate your oath in the name of your parents, and most significantly, in the name of Emperor Xuanzong who has cherished you since your youth.”

  “That–that–” Kayla broke off into a grimace.

  A PR stunt? That’s ridiculous.

  Or maybe not. People of this time believed in the gods far more than their distant descendants would. They believed in the rites that upheld the hierarchy and they would continue to do so for several more dynasties.

  Will that even work? It just might. Her reputation had seen a drastic increase right after the grand wedding ceremony with Ashina. Even now, she still enjoyed some degree of goodwill from housewives who had been taken by the cross-country love story.

  “Your Excellency doesn’t like it?” Zhang Dingyong asked. “I guess it is difficult given how large the Zhao clan is, but some sacrifices need to be made if the reforms are to go through.”

  “It’s not about the money, though it’s true that everything requires exorbitant amounts of money,” Kayla said grimly. “Don’t you think that publicly declaring that I won’t be corrupt is like posting a sign above buried money that the three hundred silver is not here?”

  “If I remember correctly, didn’t you say that Advisor Qiu raised similar concerns about your debts?” Zhang Dingyong asked pointedly.

  “He did.”

  “It is humiliating to provide such an oath in advance or to include it as a clause in a legal agreement, at the behest of an ally who does not trust you. But a grand gesture that caters specifically to the sentiments of the common people, will earn you much acclaim,” Zhang Dingyong said firmly. “What do you think, Minister Yao? Would you not be moved by such an upright young man, making an oath before the gods and the Emperor to dedicate his life in service to the country and its people? We see this type of thing primarily for military officers primary to embarking on campaigns, but it's not as if we can't do the same for a civil official.”

  “I would have been if you hadn’t said anything,” Yao Gongzhuo said.

  “You see? People are swayed by these types of sentiments,” Zhang Dingyong said. “And they’re superstitious. The feelings of the public are a funny thing, Your Excellency.”

  “You want to bring the Emperor to a farce of a ceremony?” Kayla asked in disbelief.

  “Why not? You’re swearing on the memory of his father, and he’s known for his filial piety,” Zhang Dingyong said. “And all politics are a farce! Listen, Duke Zhao, once Zhu Simo has attracted the entire country’s attention to this matter, it becomes possible for you to turn it into a publicity stunt for your own benefit. That, and the opposition will probably end up dedicating so much of their attacks on this matter that you will be able to render them them ineffective once it’s addressed. Don’t underestimate the power of spectacle! Having the temples behind you is a privilege that few can claim, are you really going to waste it?”

  Zhang Dingyong whirled towards Yao Gongzhuo. “Minister Yao, tell me if what I say isn’t true–people are naturally tolerant towards the powerful and stringent towards the disadvantaged. It’s our nature as a nation to seek out the merits of the strong and to nitpick the faults of the weak, so it only stands that our Duke here, who has all the advantages that youth, looks, birth, and station could bring, is a natural beneficiary of this mindset, and only needs to present a minimal show of sincerity to obtain a disproportionate amount of goodwill.”

  Yao Gongzhuo grimaced. “While I don’t like the way Minister Zhang phrases it, there is truth in his words. People are much more forgiving to the faults of those who they cannot hold accountable.”

  “See?” Zhang Dingyong said to Kayla.

  “I’m not sure about this,” Kayla said. “And in any case, I would have liked it if you could’ve told me if this was what you were aiming for.”

  “You were the one who left it to me,” Zhang Dingyong said simply.

  Kayla gave up. “I will follow your advice, Minister Zhang. But I hope, for the sake of both of us, that this works out the way you want it to.” Though it was grudgingly, she had to admit that it probably would. Zhang Dingyong was that type of person, after all. As long as he still benefited off of Kayla, he would do everything to keep her in power.

  “It will depend on how you make use of this opportunity,” Zhang Dingyong replied. He withdrew a scroll from his sleeve, smiling broadly. “I have a few ideas.”

  Luo Qichen sidled along the wall, making sure he stayed out of sight from the servant girls gossiping while they hung up the laundry. He peered around the corner of the building, smiling as he caught sight of who he was looking for. The young woman in question was Yu Ruirong, a girl of low birth who happened by chance alone to have the striking beauty of a goddess. She was finishing up her work, casting a wistful glance over the garden wall every now and then.

  Luo Qichen picked up a pebble and tossed it in her direction. It rolled to a stop at her feet, and she glanced over. She frowned slightly as she saw him, shaking her head slightly. But when he gestured for her to come over, she obliged, cautious not to be seen as she slipped around the corner.

  “What is it?” Yu Ruirong asked.

  “Let’s go see your sister,” Luo Qichen said. “Her husband’s sitting with Lord He right now, so she’ll be free. Come on!”

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  He took her hand and began to walk, but she pulled away.

  “What’s wrong?” Luo Qichen asked.

  “I can’t,” Yu Ruirong said. “We’ll get in trouble.”

  “No one will know,” Luo Qichen insisted. “Hua Ying’s keeping an eye out. Come on, when will you get your next chance? You should at least go see her before the baby’s born.”

  Still hesitant, Yu Ruirong let Luo Qichen take her hand and pull her away.

  The two slunk through the household to the guest house, where Yu Ruirong’s sister was waiting.

  The Yu sisters were both blessed, or perhaps cursed, with good looks. They had no family, no money, and no prospects. It was by luck that they had entered the He household as servants, just before Luo Qichen had joined as a guard.

  The elder Yu sister, Yu Ruihua, had been informally adopted by Lord He as a goddaughter a few years ago. It wasn’t out of any benevolence, but rather for the sake of furthering Lord He’s interests. Yu Ruihua was renamed He Ruihua, and then married off to the nephew of a fabulously rich merchant who operated in the Western Regions. He Ruihua’s husband was forty. She was a few months short of twenty.

  Lord He and his sons seemed to think that they were doing her a great favor. From a serving girl to the official wife of a rich family–even if her husband was a widower, even if he was twice her age–it was a blessing for an impoverished laundry maid! He Ruihua’s looks were nothing to be ashamed of. Her lineage, on the other hand, left much to be desired.

  That was easily dealt with. She was now of the He family, her name tacked onto some obscure side branch. She officially had no more ties to her only living relation, Yu Ruirong. It was why the two sisters, two years apart in age and who had spent their lives together, were now forbidden from meeting as family members. How could a servant go and visit the mistress of a household? How could a mistress of a household make a trip just to visit a lowly servant girl? When Yu Ruirong saw her sister, she had to bow.

  It was downright inhumane in Luo Qichen’s eyes. The girls were family. Lord He hadn’t even given them a choice.

  “I don’t want you to get into trouble because of me again,” Yu Ruirong whispered nervously as they approached the sitting room.

  “It’s fine,” Luo Qichen said. “Lord He’s always angry at me for one reason or another, if I’m there, he won’t get mad at you.”

  “But–”

  “It’s fine!” Luo Qichen quickened to a jog as they crossed a small courtyard to the sitting room. A serving maid from the merchant’s household stood at the door, but kindly pretended not to see them. The truth was that He Ruihua’s husband, a man by the name of Su Daoyun, was actually quite a decent person. He treated his young wife very well, and was very sympathetic to his sister-in-law. He was just so spineless that he couldn’t stand up for his wife to Lord He, who wanted He Ruihua to be as distanced from her servant-girl origins as possible.

  So it fell to Luo Qichen to make these meetings happen.

  “We won’t be here for long,” he whispered to the servant girl before pulling Yu Ruirong into the room.

  “Rong’er!” He Ruihua greeted her sister with delight, swooping off the couch to embrace Ruirong.

  “Sister, have you been well? How do you feel? How’s the baby?” Ruirong asked in a rush, as if terrified of running out of time.

  He Ruihua smiled, placing a hand on her swelling belly.

  “A few more months to go,” He Ruihua said lovingly. “I hope it’ll be a boy.”

  “I’ll pray for a fat baby nephew,” Ruirong giggled.

  “Thank you,” He Ruihua said. She turned to Luo Qichen.

  “Qichen, thank you so much for bringing Ruirong. Won’t you be in trouble?”

  “You know how it is,” Luo Qichen said lightly. “I’m always in trouble with Lord He.”

  The two sisters gave him identical looks of concern.

  “I’ll wait outside and keep an eye out,” Luo Qichen said, not wanting to be fussed over. He slipped outside, joining the serving girl.

  Why’s Lord He meeting with Su Daoyun right now? Is it because of the economic reforms Duke Zhao’s proposing?

  Something was strange. Lord He was utilitarian with his relationships. He could abandon a daughter to her abusive husband if it meant he benefited, he could leave his illegitimate grandchildren by He Zhengda to die by the riverside, and he could adopt a serving girl he looked down upon simply because Su Daoyun had taken interest.

  There was no way Lord He would summon Su Daoyun out of the blue unless he wanted something. Luo Qichen supposed that it wasn’t really his business. Retainers should just obediently follow their lord’s orders, and that was it. Except that if something went wrong, they would be among the first to die. Lord He never told them anything, but Luo Qichen still had to know. Should he stay where he was? Should he avoid a particular mission? Should he grab Hua Ying and He Ruihua and take a conveniently timed vacation several provinces away?

  “Ah, fuck,” Luo Qichen muttered. The servant girl gave him a strange look, which he responded to with a sheepish smile.

  He turned away to scan the horizon and jolted in shock.

  “Ah, fuck!”

  He hastily knocked on the door before bursting into the guestroom.

  “Sorry, Ruihua. Ruirong, we’ve got to go. Lord He’s walking your brother-in-law back!” Luo Qichen announced. That was unusual. Why the fuck was Lord He being so courteous to Su Daoyun?

  Yu Ruirong shot up from the couch.

  “Be careful!” He Ruihua called, her voice trembling.

  “Sorry, Ruihua,” Luo Qichen said again. It wasn’t good to startle a pregnant woman, but what could he do?

  “Let’s go, come on,” he said. Nodding at the servant girl outside, Luo Qichen and Yu Ruihua made their escape.

  Just a bit too late. Lord He and Su Daoyun swerved into view as they stepped onto the path leading to the courtyard right before the guesthouse. Catching sight of the two of them, Su Daoyun hastily struck up a conversation, making time for their escape.

  Luo Qichen and Yu Ruihua sprinted away. He finally deposited her back at the servants’ quarters, Yu Ruihua flushed and out of breath.

  “Do you think–” she got the words out between labored pants. “Do you think he saw?”

  “It’s alright,” Luo Qichen said. Yes, Lord He had definitely noticed. Su Daoyun meant well, but he had the personality of a wet book. For him to suddenly strike up conversation? Lord He had definitely scanned the environment with the eyes of a hawk.

  “Gods help us,” Yu Ruihua said fearfully.

  “It’s fine, just push everything onto me,” Luo Qichen assured her.

  “No! You only did this for my sake to begin with!” Yu Ruihua protested.

  “Well, when I’m asked, I’m saying that I dragged you there. If you say otherwise, they’ll have to take extra measures with me for lying,” Luo Qichen said.

  “I don’t want you to get hurt,” Yu Ruihua said.

  “I’m not afraid of pain,” Luo Qichen said. “Listen, the old bastard’s got it out for me anyways, just leave it be. I’ll be fine. Go on then.”

  He nudged her towards the entry. With great reluctance and glancing back at him every few steps, Yu Ruihua went inside.

  Bracing himself, Luo Qichen returned to his post.

  “What took you so long?! I told you a few minutes at most,” Hua Ying hissed at him.

  Luo Qichen gave a half-hearted shrug.

  “Did Lord He see?” Hua Ying asked.

  Luo Qichen didn’t respond.

  “I asked if he–” Hua Ying fell silent as Lord He stormed into the room.

  “You insolent bastard!”

  Luo Qichen barely blinked as Lord He slapped him across the face.

  “I apologize, my lord,” he said.

  Lord He would have to hit him again–there wasn’t enough of an audience for the last one. A few guards and servants trickled in behind Lord He. And there it was–Lord He slapped him again.

  “I’m sorry,” Luo Qichen said. “I thought it would be good for the baby.”

  Lord He flushed bright red with anger.

  “You thought? Why the hell do you think that would be of any worth?! You’re nothing but an uncouth, uneducated stray that I took in out of goodwill–you wouldn’t even know how to read without me! You dare go against your master’s orders?!”

  “I’m very sorry,” Luo Qichen said.

  “I’m cutting your pay for the month!” Lord He snarled. He stormed off, having once again failed to get the reaction he wanted.

  His subordinates trailed after him, giving Luo Qichen sympathetic looks as they passed.

  “Fuck,” Luo Qichen muttered as Lord He stormed out of sight.

  “You really can’t keep doing this,” Hua Ying said.

  “It’s not right what he’s done to them. They’re sisters, for heaven’s sake,” Luo Qichen said heatedly. “This clan doesn’t treat its women right. Remember that poor girl who got pregnant by the third young master? Who the fuck would believe that she went home to get married? She’s probably dead somewhere in a ditch!”

  Hua Ying gave a long-suffering sigh.

  “Anyways, what was the meeting about?” Luo Qichen asked.

  Hua Ying gave him a flat stare. “I didn’t get to be head of the guards by wagging my tongue,” he said. “If you weren’t informed, you don’t need to know.”

  Luo Qichen stepped closer. “Is Lord He going to create a monopoly on the market?”

  “What?” Hua Ying gave him a look of confusion.

  “You know, fear mongering and stuff and making people think that the new policies are going to bankrupt them, and then he can buy out the trade in amber at a low price. Then once the special trade zone policies actually pass and it turns out not to be that bad, he’ll be rolling in gold,” Luo Qichen said in a conspiratorial tone.

  Hua Ying looked deeply uncomfortable.

  “So all that about principles and shit, he’s just trying to rake it in for himself, huh?” Luo Qichen said. “Poor Lord Cui.”

  “Keep your silence on the matter,” Hua Ying said quietly. “It’ll be a while yet, and Lord He will change his decision based on how things go. If the costs outweigh the benefits, there’s no way he’ll let the policy pass.”

  “Alright, alright,” Luo Qichen said, sidling away again. “Have it your way.”

  Would Lord Cui sit still and let his ally rake in all the benefits? Would Duke Zhao fold his hands into his sleeves and do nothing? Absolutely not.

  Perhaps it was time to start considering his options, Luo Qichen thought grimly. The problem was that he couldn’t just abandon his friends to go down with their shitty lord. But what the hell was he supposed to do? They were all under legally binding contracts that could cost them everything to break.

  A powerful backer, Luo Qichen thought. That’s what I need. That, and something to make himself worth the trouble. He glanced sharply in the direction of Lord He’s study before schooling his face back into calm apathy.

  Li Que frowned over the autopsy reports, carefully reading every single line over and over while comparing them with the diagrams provided by the coroner. He was reconstructing the fight in his mind based on the injuries sustained by the dead.

  The first murder, a clean cut across the throat. The forty-something year old victim was a trained fighter in his own right, but evidently hadn’t seen the blow coming until he was choking on his own blood. The culprit was probably a man, given how tall he would need to be to make the cut at that angle. And probably had an unassuming visage that didn’t raise any suspicions. Even with a sword? Or did the culprit and the victim know each other then?

  The second incident had three victims, two men and a woman. Again, the cuts were clean, showing little sign of resistance. From the way they had fallen over, it seemed they had willingly gathered around someone, probably in curiosity, only to be felled all at once.

  Very skillfully done, Li Que evaluated with clinical detachment. A circular swing of the sword, so fast that no one had reacted in time, angled perfectly to get all three victims of varying heights and weights all at once.

  Again, why had they approached so innocently even though the victims all had long-term involvement in criminal enterprises?

  Given that the culprits had fallen where they had stood, they stood close enough that a short blade would have done the job. But in the criminal underworld, concealed weapons were the norm. Under what circumstances would a short sword go unnoticed, or perhaps unaddressed?

  An Investigator could hide a blade and draw it fast enough to avoid detection. Li Que grimaced at the thought.

  He continued going through the reports, his heart growing heavier with each line.

  Almost none of the victims had given a struggle, and had almost without variation died in twos and threes. Only the last incident was an exception, when the culprit had stormed a stronghold alone, and rapidly dispatched every single one of the men inside. They had resisted, yes, but the difference in skill was so high that it was practically an execution.

  Li Que was now certain that it was an Investigator.

  Skilled enough. Unassuming enough in appearance that no one thought to suspect him–that crossed out quite a few people whose demeanor seemed to ask for a fight. Uses a short sword with skill…all Investigators do. But the height of the culprit is rather tall.

  That crossed out a few more suspects.

  Someone good enough at investigation to track all these people down and continue killing them without incurring resistance when they knew their compatriots were being hunted.

  And on top of all that, it was someone who had a motive to kill Lin Yaoguang’s network.

  Li Que’s frown deepened. Who the hell would want to do that? Either a co-conspirator, or someone who was intent on removing anything that could be used to trace Lin Yaoguang to the Zhao household. If not for how frantic the Duke was over the matter, Li Que would have thought that Zhao Wenyuan had ordered it himself.

  Now, another possibility arose.

  Li Que shot up from his desk and went to seek out Tabuyir.

  “Tabuyir, you’ve worked with Sima Qi before, right?” Li Que asked him.

  “Yes,” Tabuyir said. “A very nice kid, really. His mentor was terrible though.”

  “What was your impression of him?”

  “Eager to please,” Tabuyir replied immediately. “He was very fastidious, so sometimes the more senior Investigators liked to tease him over how he handled the details. But he was a good person. Reliable. That’s why we chose him for Grand Prince Kuang.”

  They were both silent for a moment.

  “Do you remember how he reacted towards receiving help?” Li Que asked, trying to sound casual and failing badly. He was thinking of a cup with two silver rings in the bottom, a young man with tears in his eyes holding the rings with reverential gratitude.

  “Like I said, he was eager to please,” Tabuyir said. “He wanted to repay every favor tenfold, it was endearing but not too great for his career in the long run, since it meant he was too beholden to ties of personal loyalty and could end up with conflicts of interest. I actually arranged for his mentor to have a talk with him about it, but let’s be honest, that old drunk probably didn’t say anything useful to the boy.”

  Tabuyir peered at him curiously. “Why do you ask all this? Do you really think it’s him?”

  Li Que’s heart sank.

  “What’s wrong?” Tabuyir asked, astutely sensing the change in his friend’s demeanor.

  “Please suppress the news of this for now,” Li Que said grimly.

  “You think it’s Sima Qi,” Tabuyir said with finality.

  “Yes.”

  A silence fell over them.

  “If it comes to light, it’s not just a question about a scandal involving a past Investigator,” Li Que said. “It wasn’t just the Duke’s decision to let Sima Qi leave. It was also the Emperor’s.”

  Tabuyir nodded slowly. “I can see how this might spiral out of control.”

  “Exactly. Our best option right now is to cover this up,” Li Que said.

  “How?”

  Li Que opened his mouth to reply, sighed, and then steeled himself to try again.

  “We find Sima Qi,” Li Que said, the words drying in his mouth. “And we kill him.”

  Cultural Notes

  翻旧账/Flipping through old accounts: To bring up old history.

  对天发誓/Swearing oaths to the heavens: The practice of swearing grand oaths was well-respected and honored in Ancient China. One of the most famous examples is Huo Qubing, a talented young general in the Han Dynasty who led a series of successful campaigns from ages 18 to 22 against the Xiongnu. He was well-known for swearing not to start a family before destroying the enemy, the Xiongnu. Unfortunately, he died at around 23 years old without ever marrying. Swearing an oath or a pact was a serious business, and often involved rites to swear it before a god or deity, followed by a celebration. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms popularized the oath of brotherhood between Liu Bei and his sworn brothers, and people are taken in by these types of grand declarations even today.

  此地无银三百两/Three hundred silver is not buried here: A Chinese saying that means to make obvious something by trying to hide it. The original story was that a man wanted to safekeep his three hundred silver so he buried it, but then put up a sign over it that said "There is not three hundred silver buried here". His neighbor Wang Er saw this sign and dug up the silver underneath, then left a second sign there that read "Wang Er next door did not steal it."

  西域/Western Regions: Refers to anything west of China, primarily refers to Central Asia.

  尊卑有别/[The] respected and [the] lowly are differentiated: A Chinese saying that refers to the hierarchical structure and rites that bound people's behavior. The rigidity of these rites differ based on time period and personal preference. But in some extreme cases, a concubine’s younger son might get adopted by a childless wife, and then her older son will have to bow and use formal language with his younger brother even though the two of them are literally full-blooded brothers.

  琥珀/Amber: A valued import during the Tang Dynasty.

  送别酒/Parting drink: A custom in Ancient China where travel wasn't all that convenient yet, for those sending off a friend to have a final drink with them. Sometimes this would include putting valuable items in the cup or having the cup itself as a valuable item for the person to accept as a gift without making it extremely obvious that you were giving them money and thus hurting their pride. Kayla arranged for Sima Qi to receive two silver rings and a cup of value to help for his semi-official exile from the capital.