Character Index

  Zhang Dingyong: Minister of Justice. Kayla's ally.

  Han Daizhi: A Director in the Ministry of Rites. Brain of the Shandong clique.

  Zhu Simo: Right Secretariat of Revenue. A staunch conservative of the Shandong clique.

  Zhou Ying: The previous Emperor, posthumously titled Emperor Xuanzong.

  Zhou Yunqi: The current Emperor. Fifth son of Emperor Xuanzong.

  Lord He: A capital aristocrat. A leader of the Traditionalists.

  Tao Qian: Kayla's chief retainer.

  Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Lord of the Liang clan, an Oversight Officer in General Yan's army. Kayla's friend and ally.

  Shegui: Khagan of the Western Turkic Khaganate.

  Chuluo: Khagan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. Kayla's father-in-law.

  General Yan: Commander of the reinforcements sent to Chuluo Khagan.

  Chen Caichun: A Chamberlain in the Court of Judicial Review.

  Luo Qichen: A young retainer in Lord He's household.

  Yu Ruirong: A young serving girl in Lord He's household. Her older sister was "adopted" and married off for Lord He's benefit.

  Su Daoyun: Yu Ruirong's significantly older brother-in-law, the nephew of a prominent merchant.

  Shi Song: A merchant affiliated with Lord He.

  He Zhengda: Lord He's wanton son.

  Hua Ying: A retainer of Lord He.

  Housekeeper Li: A loyal servant who has watched over Wenyuan since his childhood. She is a highly competent person who cares deeply about Wenyuan.

  Kayla tried to focus on what Zhang Dingyong was saying from across from her, but the Minister seemed to be having fun at her expense by interjecting the important information throughout inane matters. Even worse, he spoke in a serious and determined manner when yammering on about something entirely irrelevant while he used a light and flippant tone for the matters she cared about. It was impossible to multitask while dealing with him.

  He was doing this on purpose. Kayla glanced at him askance. It wasn’t as though the Minister were incapable of charming–he was reserving the most obnoxious side of himself specifically for Kayla. What, was she supposed to feel honored?

  It did make her feel at ease with their partnership though, knowing exactly what she was dealing with.

  “The traditionalist faction seems to be growing more united by the day,” Zhang Dingyong remarked. “From what I’m seeing, those who can be convinced are being sidelined for not taking a hard enough stance by their peers. You would think that they would want everyone they could get, but it seems they’re taking a different route.”

  She cut in before he could wander off-topic again, which she had failed to do twice before already.

  “They’re radicalizing?”

  “They think we’re the radicals.”

  “No, I mean that they’re becoming radical conservatives.”

  “We’re the radicals.”

  “I’m talking about the conservatives.”

  “Conservatives can’t be radical, that goes against what they stand for,” Zhang Dingyong said, frowning in confusion.

  Frustrated by the circular conversation, Kayla gave up. It would probably be a few more centuries before the phrase would make sense as it was.

  “How do you think this will go?” Kayla asked. “It’ll make them harder to deal with, won’t it?”

  “Definitely. We have far fewer staunch supporters in the Reformist faction than the Traditionalists do,” Zhang Dingyong said. “People’s reactions to your reforms still mostly range from thinking it’s good to being ambivalent but not wanting to directly oppose you. The true believers are few and far in between. But raising enthusiasm past its current levels will require a much higher level of effort for every little gain.”

  He paused briefly. “That wily Han Daizhi is probably behind this.”

  “Who?”

  “The Director from the Ministry of Rites.”

  “The one who’s always by Zhu Simo,” Kayla said. “I remember him. He was also involved in the negotiations between the capital aristocrats and the Shandong clique. What do we do about him?”

  “Nothing,” Zhang Dingyong said smugly. “He’s an opportunist. As reliably opportunistic as they come.”

  Like you?

  “So he can be negotiated with?” Kayla said instead.

  “I wouldn’t know about that,” Zhang Dingyong said, sounding a little surprised. “Certainly not at this point. His hand can be forced, and I’m sure there are times when he’ll concede in order to ensure his career survives. But what kind of negotiation are you thinking of? Are you looking to completely unite the court?”

  “No, but we’ve basically gone from having more than half a dozen factions to just two,” Kayla said. “We don’t even have a neutral faction of importance anymore. In cases like these, sometimes the two factions can more or less come to an informal agreement about what to unite over and what to fight on. It might take a bit of tussling beforehand, but eventually we should be able to wrangle things out, no?”

  Zhang Dingyong stared at her. “No.”

  “No?”

  “When the court’s reached the point of only having two parties left, then it’s time to fight to the death until we all find an excuse to back off without losing face,” Zhang Dingyong said. “And whoever doesn’t die in the process gets to try again the second they have a chance until they can take out an enemy or at least exile them to Lingnan. Whoever comes out on top recalls all their people from exile and then exiles a bunch of opponents, and then you just keep going until one side is more or less depleted. Isn’t that why the late Emperor Xuanzong was so insistent on having you head the neutral faction? To keep things from escalating to that point?”

  Kayla had nothing to say to that.

  I guess party politics hasn’t come that far along yet. The Northern Song and its destructive two-party system was probably the closest to her current situation. The thought of that made Kayla’s mouth run dry. That, too, had been the result of reforms. Had she kicked off something that she couldn’t control? Like a rubber ball tossed erratically by a small child, it might bounce off in directions that she might not even think of. And in retrospect, perhaps she would find that her rushed reforms were the cause of the nation falling into ruins, good intentions be damned.

  No, there have always been factions. How far the factional polarization goes really depends on the capacity of the leadership. The Northern Song was a special case with its sickly emperors and shitty armies. We’re different enough. Hopefully. Whatever the situation, she wouldn’t let the court devolve to the point where the Emperor resorted to charlatan magicians with their approximately one thousand geese to fend off invaders at the capital gates.

  Not that she could imagine Yunqi doing such a foolish thing.

  Then again, the Emperor’s reign was just starting out, and Kayla was not setting a good tone for the factional disputes ahead.

  I’m not the only one using underhanded methods though, she noted.

  “The Traditionalists have been trying their best to send you to Lingnan over the last few days,” Zhang Dingyong said. “Especially Zhu Simo, just look at how vigorously he’s been spreading the rumors about your debt to the Treasury. I bet he doesn’t even show that much vigor with his wife in the–”

  “Minister Zhang, I am trusting your judgement on this matter,” Kayla said, cutting him off. “But I do not wish for this to spiral out of hand.”

  “What do you mean, spiral out of hand? It’s going well,” Zhang Dingyong said. “This is exactly what I had hoped for.”

  Kayla gave him a long look, her eyes deliberately clear of suspicion.

  Was he ever like this with Kuang? Probably not.

  “I should prepare to retaliate,” Kayla said.

  “No, leave it. I think the rumors are fermenting well,” Zhang Dingyong said cheerfully. “Let it ripen a bit more for the best flavors of disappointment from our enemies.”

  Kayla glanced at him askance. What was with this guy and his weird metaphors?

  Well, that didn’t matter.

  “I’ll need to tell the Emperor my intentions in advance,” Kayla said.

  “No, please wait three more days for it to ripen,” Zhang Dingyong said. “In that time, please just focus on finding whatever dirt you can on Lord He.”

  “Why wait?” Kayla asked. “The Emperor should be made aware of our plans.”

  Zhang Dingyong looked her in the eye. “So he can’t refuse. If it impacts his reforms enough, he’ll have no choice but to agree to the ceremony and hold it in great pomp and circumstance in order to ensure his own interests. Please trust me on this, Your Excellency.”

  Yeah, he was definitely never like this with Kuang. Zhang Dingyong didn’t respect lineage or titles, only raw ability and power, that much was clear. In a way, he was ahead of his time.

  “I also know what waiting will do for us,” Kayla said slowly. “But I don’t wish to force the Emperor’s hand.”

  “Then you’re giving him room to refuse you,” Zhang Dingyong said. “Trust me, Duke Zhao, he will suspect you anyways. You’re an Imperial relation with great power and influence–do you think it’s possible for any Emperor not to suspect you? Oh, don’t take it personally. Affection has got nothing to do with it!”

  She paused for a moment.

  “Even so,” Kayla said. “I don’t intend to force his hand on this.”

  Zhang Dingyong made to protest, but Kayla held up her hand to stop him.

  “My decision on this is final,” Kayla said. “Him and I are partners in this enterprise, I cannot create a dynamic of contention right at the beginning of our collaboration. Without trust, everything falls apart. And without a certain degree of risk, we cannot gain trust.”

  A subtle look crossed over Zhang Dingyong’s face.

  “Well,” he said, his tone strangely amused. “We will follow your lead, Duke Zhao. You know best in regards to the Emperor.”

  “Still, thank you for your advice, Minister Zhang.”

  “Not at all.”

  Zhang Dingyong bowed his head slightly and left, Kayla walking him to the door. Tao Qian bowed sharply as Zhang Dingyong trailed past him, waiting until Zhang Dingyong walked out of earshot.

  “My lord, there’s news,” he said breathlessly.

  “What?” Kayla asked, a little alarmed.

  “Hu Qing, my lord.”

  “What about him?!”

  Tao Qian’s eyes shone brightly. “He saved the left flank from being caught in a pincer attack in the latest battle against Shegui Khagan’s forces and was hailed for his valor by the men. Chuluo Khagan and General Yan have both commended him for his courage and he has been granted military honors by the Khagan himself!”

  Kayla’s face split into a wide smile.

  “Ha, he did it! Now there’s a military merit that won’t go ignored!” Kayla said. “I must report this to the Emperor at the most opportune moment. We've got to make the most of this however we can.”

  She clapped Tao Qian on the back, the young guard beaming as well.

  “Go, go on! Tell the others!” Kayla said.

  Tao Qian bowed his head and practically skipped off. Kayla returned to her desk, still smiling so wide that her face was beginning to hurt from exerting the underused muscles. The formal report would probably arrive soon after, at least a day slower than the communication network she had spent great expense setting up from the Northern territories. It had been a loss to build up the system, but it would pay itself back in time.

  Hu Qing, you really did it. Kayla could clearly recall the moment when Hu Qing had revealed his dream of becoming a General. And sure, this was only one step forward but what did that matter? Hu Qing had good backing and a direct channel to have his achievements broadcasted straight to the highest seats. As long as he could handle himself on the battlefield, he had no cause to worry for a stagnant career.

  To her satisfaction, she heard the distant sound of unrestrained laughter from Hu Qing’s old colleagues. A wave of sentiment overtook her.

  Whether it’s Hu Qing or Chen Caichun, or anyone who has stood by me so far, I won’t let their accomplishments be overlooked. So long as I’m alive, they’ll never have to claw for power the way I did.

  Since she’d had the luck of meeting them, she had the obligation to make it worth it.

  Once the peace talks are underway, General Yan will probably be recalled to the Northern border. The court can’t let General Yan gain too many more merits in such a short time when he’s already gained so much acclaim, Kayla thought to herself, hovering over a map. But the relative instability of the North would still require a military liaison.

  The best compromise is Hu Qing, Kayla mulled to herself. He’s received official recognition from Chuluo Khagan, and General Yan can acknowledge Hu Qing as an ally if not necessarily one of his own. This is a solution that both of them can accept.

  The court could also be convinced easily enough, Traditionalists aside–another headache. Hu Qing had gained experience in the North, had sufficient lineage and achievements, and was on very good terms with the Tiele to boot. It would mean that she wouldn’t have Hu Qing’s help in the capital even after the war, but it was the fastest way to boost his career.

  And I do need him to gain more knowledge and experience about the Turkic army, Kayla thought with a note of dread. Even if we’re strengthening our ties now, we’re still likely to come to war in the future.

  One thing at a time. She would get to it when she needed to. For now, Kayla allowed herself to relish in her friend’s success a moment longer.

  Luo Qichen woke up from a good night’s sleep to find that the sky had fallen down.

  Sure, the sun and clouds were still in their rightful place, but the sky might as well cave in on them and end everyone’s misery.

  “You what?” He repeated for the second time.

  The tearful Yu Ruirong became all the more inconsolable. “I’ve been engaged!”

  Luo Qichen glanced up at the sky in disbelief that it was still there.

  Across from him, Yu Ruirong was weeping piteously. The same beauty that made even an emotional breakdown look like a pear blossom covered in raindrops was also what had destroyed her life. The cruelty of it gave way to a flat sense of absurdity as Luo Qichen stared at her.

  “He wants me to marry Merchant Shi and go to Stone City with him! I don’t even know where that is! I don’t want to! I won’t do it!” She was sobbing now, helplessly wiping one side of her face after another like a wronged child.

  “Who the fuck is even Merchant Shi?” Luo Qichen said in disbelief.

  “The old geezer who was here last autumn, you wouldn’t know him,” Yu Ruirong wept. “It’s awful! He–he–” She hiccuped. “He’s older than Lord He!”

  “The fucking bastard,” Luo Qichen said darkly. “A man at that age marrying a girl in her teens? He ought to do us all a favor and choke to death on his food!”

  “I won’t marry him, I’d rather die!” Yu Ruirong cried. “If I go with him it’ll be as a concubine, and not even a valued one–he could kill me or sell me off when he gets tired of me, or just leave me there to seek my own survival or death in the Western Regions! What if I never see my sister again?”

  “Did your brother-in-law know about this?” Luo Qichen asked, feeling sick to his stomach.

  Yu Ruirong gave him a look of horror. “He couldn’t have!”

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  They both knew that he could have. The man had been here only a few days ago, and now it was clear what for. To pimp off his sister-in-law while his wife was heavily pregnant.

  “But–but–” Yu Ruirong fell quiet in abject dismay.

  “Don’t marry the old bastard then,” Luo Qichen said.

  “I haven’t got a choice,” Yu Ruirong replied.

  “I’ll figure something out,” Luo Qichen promised. “Just say you’ll go with me, and I’ll take you away from here!”

  It was closer to a confession than he had ever gotten, and certainly not under the circumstances in which he would have liked to say it. Yu Ruirong stared at him in surprise for a moment before she smiled sadly.

  “Thank you, Qichen. But I couldn’t ruin your life just for liking me,” Yu Ruirong said.

  “It’s not like that! Don’t think about me, think about yourself! I can find a path to survival anywhere, but what about you? Your life will be ruined forever if you marry that bastard!” Luo Qichen said heatedly.

  “But how? We’re both under contract! The He household practically owns us,” Yu Ruirong said. "We won't get very far even if we run, and the lord will kill us if he catches us."

  “I–I have a plan,” Luo Qichen said quietly. “It’s not necessarily a good plan, but I don’t think we have many options left. I was thinking of doing this even if you didn’t have to marry Merchant Shi, because this clan is going to go down.”

  “What is it?” Yu Ruirong asked, her voice quavering, torn between hope and not daring to hope.

  “Duke Zhao,” Luo Qichen said. “He’s going to move in on Lord He soon. We…”

  He trailed off, checking her reaction to the proposed betrayal. “We can offer him information, in exchange for his protection.”

  “But…” Yu Ruirong gazed at him with a lost expression. “What information? He’s the Director of the Bureau, what could he possibly gain from us?”

  “I have a feeling that he’s not aiming to make an immediate arrest,” Luo Qichen said. “At least if it were me, I wouldn’t. All this is about the reforms, right? If he arrests the Lord, he’ll have passed the reforms by force, and it won’t be pretty. More likely, he’ll aim to reach a deal under the table, or at least that’s what I think.”

  He leaned in closer. “We can tell him about the girls that the Lord pimps out. And the young master and his sordid dealings.”

  Yu Ruirong withdrew. “He doesn’t pimp them out,” she protested.

  “He’s as good as a pimp,” Luo Qichen said heatedly.

  “Then are we whores waiting in the lineup? I don’t like to say it like that. It’s disrespectful to the girls who have already been humiliated this much,” Yu Ruirong insisted.

  “Alright, alright,” Luo Qichen said. “But in any case, the dirty methods he uses to maintain his pristine reputation are more than enough for the Duke to work with.”

  “If he wants to work with them,” Yu Ruirong pointed out. “If you’ve guessed his intentions wrong, he could sell you right back to Lord He!”

  “We have to try,” Luo Qichen said.

  Reluctantly, Yu Ruirong nodded her assent. Luo Qichen offered a few more assurances before heading off. Despite the confidence he had displayed to Yu Ruirong, he had no real idea of how to go about doing this.

  He ended up right outside the Zhao household’s backdoor. Just like that, in broad daylight, no backup, no covered face, just standing there. Luo Qichen stared at the closed door and its doormen for a while, not knowing what was next. He only had a general plan in mind, based off the developments that were sure to occur, but all of that was in broad strokes. Extremely broad strokes.

  Mechanically, he turned on his heel and stiffly walked away, cursing his idiocy.

  I need to forge a coincidence. Or find an intermediary. Or maybe–

  A hand clamped down on his shoulder just as Luo Qichen whipped out his knife.

  “Easy there, little brother,” a man greeted him warmly. “I just want to talk.”

  Luo Qichen blinked a few times, recognizing the man as one of the guards that had accompanied Duke Zhao.

  “Oh, you’re–”

  “Yes.” The man smiled at him.

  “I want to offer the Duke information in exchange for protection,” Luo Qichen blurted artlessly. He was already starting to feel humiliated by his own stupidity. But how the hell did people even initiate deals like this anyways? Sidle up in a tavern, buy a drink, flatter someone into feeling dissatisfied with their current employer and then offer a ludicrous deal? But that was for the soliciting end. Or maybe Luo Qichen was the soliciting end, since he wanted protection. Which was which anyways?

  “You’re straightforward,” the man remarked. “I like that. Protection, was it? That’s easily done.”

  “Not just for me, there’s also a serving girl,” Luo Qichen said.

  “Oh? Your lover?”

  “No, it’s not–we’re not–”

  “Relative?”

  “No,” Luo Qichen answered.

  The man smiled knowingly. “Alright then. A friend.”

  “Yes.”

  “Consider it done,” the man replied. “Go fetch your friend discreetly and meet me in the alleyway behind Old Tao’s steamed bun store. The branch store down on Changmen Street.”

  Luo Qichen blinked rapidly. “Wait, really?”

  “Yes,” the man replied. “Really. Get moving.”

  “You don’t need to verify my identity or anything?” Idiot, the man recognized him. What was he asking this for? “I mean, you don’t need to ask anything to-to check or–?”

  “No, your face is very easy to read,” the man said pleasantly. “You’re an honest man. I only pray you’re a little less honest during your escape.”

  Was Luo Qichen that easy to read? No, this man was just a professional. Probably one of those people who could track micro-expressions and interrogate delicate prisoners or whatever.

  “Who are you?” Luo Qichen asked, a little too late into the conversation for this exchange.

  “Tao Qian. Head retainer of Duke Zhao.”

  Tao Qian smiled. “It’s good to meet you.”

  Luo Qichen stared at him in amazement. Just when he had been seeking an opportunity, an opportunity right from Zhao Wenyuan’s head retainer came knocking first.

  It was too much of a good thing.

  But it fit. Zhao Wenyuan wanted Lord He gone, Lord He wanted Zhao Wenyuan gone, one would succeed, the other would fail even if he succeeded, and Yu Ruirong was getting married and Luo Qichen was really, really running out of time before his shift started and he lost his chance to move independently without anyone checking where he was.

  “I’ll see you later!” Luo Qichen called, already having sprinted a good distance away.

  Why the hell was the Zhao household so far? It hadn’t seemed that far on the way over when Luo Qichen had been lost in thought and moving far too slowly. Now, he was late for his shift. On guard duty. With Hua Ying.

  Who Luo Qichen owed far too much.

  Hua Ying gave Luo Qichen a disapproving glance at his late arrival, but evidently had not marked the infraction. Hua Ying never did.

  Shit. Shit, I shouldn’t have come here.

  If Luo Qichen had simply gone on to the female servants’ quarters–no, Hua Ying would have just sent someone to check Luo Qichen’s dorm, which would have been found empty, and then the mess would spiral. But Hua Ying wouldn’t do that until at least half an hour in, when it became plausible that Luo Qichen was in real trouble.

  It wasn’t half an hour yet, but Luo Qichen had walked right into the cage on his own two feet.

  Why???? Luo Qichen wanted to slap himself. Why the fuck did I do this to myself?!

  He could’ve been gone by the time Hua Ying checked. Not far away enough to be safe, but he would’ve had a head start.

  But deep inside, Luo Qichen knew that he never could have left without seeing Hua Ying one last time. Luo Qichen had first arrived as a starving teenager, half-feral from his childhood on the streets of Luoyang’s worst slums. Hua Ying had been the one to patiently watch over him all these years, always stern, always strict, always there. The man was like an older brother that acted more like a dad or something like that, and Hua Ying had been the one to get Luo Qichen this position by covering for his mistakes. If not for Hua Ying, Luo Qichen would’ve been sold off, his debt for the room and board and training re-bundled to some merchant acquaintance. It might’ve been a better path–but not likely, since Hua Ying had protected him from it.

  Today, Hua Ying was being especially nice. He hadn’t even scolded Luo Qichen for being late. The man evidently knew about Yu Ruirong’s engagement. Also knowing about Luo Qichen’s badly hidden feelings for her, he was trying to be gentle.

  It took a while for Luo Qichen to gather his nerve.

  “I have to step away for a moment,” Luo Qichen said. Immediately, Hua Ying stiffened.

  He knows. Of course he knows. Luo Qichen bit down his panic. Hua Ying didn’t know where he had gone, just what he wanted to do.

  Not better! That’s not better! There were limits to Hua Ying’s coddling.

  And there it was–Hua Ying gave him a piercing look.

  “Why?”

  “Water break,” Luo Qichen said lightly.

  He moved to step away. Hua Ying’s hand shot out, grabbing his shoulder in an iron grip.

  “Is this about Yu Ruirong?” Hua Ying’s voice was unusually harsh, tinged with genuine anger. Or worry. Or maybe just anger, given the strength of the grip.

  “Let go,” Luo Qichen hissed.

  “Leave that girl be,” Hua Ying said. “Don’t get involved any more than this!”

  “I’m not going to do shit,” Luo Qichen said.

  “Do you seriously think you can elope with her? Lord He will track you down and kill you both!” Hua Ying snapped, his worry showing through the stern mask on his face. “For heaven’s sake, Qichen! Don’t be a fool!”

  “I–” Luo Qichen gave Hua Ying a pleading look. “Look, I just need to go to the bathroom. I’ll be back in a bit.”

  Hua Ying shook his head slowly, not breaking eye contact. “You won’t.”

  “I will, I swear it,” Luo Qichen said, his stomach falling. Hua Ying had quietly and unobtrusively taken care of him for years, without ever mentioning what he had done for Luo Qichen even once. Luo Qichen had never even tried to repay him.

  What the hell would happen to Hua Ying if Luo Qichen left him behind?

  “Come with me,” Luo Qichen said impulsively.

  Hua Ying’s face twisted in distress. “I can’t do that. You can’t leave either!”

  “Oh for heaven’s sake, Lord He doesn’t own us!”

  “He literally does,” Hua Ying replied.

  “Well, he shouldn’t!” Luo Qichen cried, forgetting to lower his voice. “Why the hell should he? What has he done for us that we haven’t already repaid with our service? He doesn’t have the right to sell her off like that!”

  Hua Ying grimaced. “That’s not something we can decide, Qichen. We owe him our loyalty for our training and livelihoods. You can’t just turn your back on that!”

  Luo Qichen let out a string of curses. “Damn it, Hua Ying! Why are you like this?!”

  “He’s my master,” Hua Ying said. “Without him, we’d still be on the streets like thousands of other unskilled vagrants without family or connections!”

  “And I’m your friend! So is Ruirong! Do we not matter to you at all?” Luo Qichen pleaded.

  Hua Ying’s face underwent an entire procession of conflict, grief, and then grim acceptance.

  “Don’t force my hand,” Hua Ying said tightly.

  Luo Qichen gulped, realizing the man was serious. He couldn’t beat Hua Ying. The man was ranked higher than him for a reason.

  “I don’t want to,” Luo Qichen said in a small voice. “But I will if I have to. I owe you and Ruirong more than I owe Lord He, I can’t just stand by and watch this happen!”

  For a moment, Luo Qichen tensed, bracing for the fight about to take place and its inevitable outcome. But then, face unchanging, Hua Ying let go of Luo Qichen’s shoulder and stepped back into place at his post.

  “Hua Ying?” Luo Qichen asked nervously.

  Hua Ying ignored him, staring straight ahead.

  Relief, guilt, and gratitude flooded through him at once, the waves crashing into each other to form a sour and bitter taste in his mouth.

  “Thank you!” Luo Qichen said. He bowed deeply towards his friend and bolted.

  It took him less than five minutes to crash off a roof right in front of Yu Ruirong, who dropped her laundry with a frightened squeak.

  “We’ve got to go,” Luo Qichen said.

  “What?!”

  “We’re leaving, right now!” Luo Qichen hissed. “Come on!”

  “Oh, but I haven’t packed–”

  “Just take my hand!” Luo Qichen said.

  Yu Ruirong grabbed onto him, and he pulled her onto his shoulders before rushing off over the rooftops. From above, he caught a brief glimpse of Hua Ying. The man was still at his post, staring straight ahead with the grim determination of someone waiting to be sentenced.

  Luo Qichen’s heart fell. Lord He would never forgive Hua Ying for this. A split second thought crossed his mind and he made his decision.

  “Where are we going?!” Yu Ruirong cried.

  “The Zhao household! Well, you are. I can’t leave just yet or Hua Ying will be seen as complicit,” Luo Qichen said.

  Yu Ruirong’s grip tightened around his neck. “What are you talking about?! You can’t come back! Lord He will kill you!”

  “He won’t have any proof that I got you out,” Luo Qichen said. “I have to do this, please understand.”

  He came to a stop at the arranged meeting point, scanning his surrounding rooftops before dropping down into the alleyway. It was clear, of course. The Duke was the master of the Imperial Investigation Bureau, he knew where his men patrolled better than anyone else did.

  Also means he could kill us here and cover it up.

  No, the Duke wouldn’t. Now, more so than ever, the Duke needed informants, dissatisfied retainers and servants and the like, and he wouldn’t get any by killing Luo Qichen. In retrospect, going to the Duke’s household in broad daylight to be stared at quizzically by the doormen had accidentally been a good idea.

  He set Yu Ruirong unsteadily onto her feet, glancing about the empty space. His stomach dropped.

  Had they been duped? There was no one there.

  Just as he was beginning to doubt himself, a carriage pulled to a stop right at the alleyway’s entrance. It was a plain rickety old thing, unassuming in every way. The horseman, however, was a well-trained martial artist. It wasn’t Tao Qian, the head retainer he’d met earlier. The horseman swung off the front of the carriage and opened its door.

  Luo Qichen gaped as Zhao Wenyuan appeared before him. He hastily bowed, Yu Ruirong following suit in muddled confusion.

  “I-I humbly greet His Excellency the Duke!”

  Yu Ruirong made a small startled sound next to him.

  “Please rise,” Zhao Wenyuan said. “Luo Qichen, was it? You and your friend are welcome in my household. Please get in.”

  Luo Qichen hesitated for a long moment. If he went with Zhao Wenyuan, he would be set for life. He’d heard the rumors about how Zhao Wenyuan took care of his own. A life outside of the capital, outside of the politics and all the filth that entailed. A life with Yu Ruirong if she’ll accept him.

  But still, the same question. What would happen to Hua Ying?

  Luo Qichen stilled, the debate in his brain falling silent.

  “I apologize, my lord, but please forgive me for reneging on our agreement. I must return to the He household or my friend will take the fall for this. If I am found to be there, he will not be suspected. In my stead, please take this woman into your care, I beg of you!”

  “You’re going back?” Zhao Wenyuan asked in amazement. “Seriously? You still have time, you might as well just go and get your friend. Going back won’t do you any good.”

  “He won’t come with me,” Luo Qichen said. “He won’t betray Lord He and he won’t betray me, so he’ll be the one torn to shreds if I don’t go back! Please, my lord! He will not tell anyone that I had left my post, so I will be free to leave after Yu Ruirong’s disappearance blows over. I swear that I will make good my agreement with you if Your Excellency will protect this woman!”

  “Qichen!” Yu Ruirong said pleadingly. “You can’t go back. Lord He will know it is you, there’s no way he’ll let this go!”

  A look of dissatisfaction, or perhaps impatience flashed over Zhao Wenyuan’s face before disappearing into amiability.

  “You need not worry about Miss Yu. She will be left in Housekeeper Li’s capable hands,” Zhao Wenyuan said. “Housekeeper Li is a very compassionate woman, your friend will be comfortable and safe in her care.”

  What? He agreed, just like that? Luo Qichen hadn't been expecting that, and swallowed the groveling words he'd managed to think up.

  “Thank you,” Luo Qichen said, his relief palpable.

  “But my lord!” Yu Ruirong protested.

  “How much trouble are you two really in?” Zhao Wenyuan asked. “I do not claim to understand the He clan’s contracts, but your situation seems much more severe than what I’d thought.”

  Luo Qichen valiantly kept his face innocent. “My lord, I do not understand what you’re saying.”

  Zhao Wenyuan stared at him flatly for a long moment, and Luo Qichen began to despair of his chances when the Duke relaxed and let out a sigh.

  “Whatever, I suppose it’s fine either way. I am a Duke of Imperial descent, there’s no amount of trouble that you’re capable of getting in that I cannot shoulder for you.”

  “Thank you, my lord!”

  “I will take the girl into my care then,” Zhao Wenyuan said. “Go back if you wish.”

  He smiled in a friendly manner. “But don’t take too long.”

  Luo Qichen gulped. “Though it may not mean to someone in such an eminent position, I am entrusting my most important person to you, my lord. I pray that your generosity and benevolence will extend to the petty affairs of lowly persons such as her and myself. Our lives and happiness hang in the balance of a single thought from you.”

  “I understand,” Zhao Wenyuan said, his light tone unchanging at Luo Qichen’s sincerity. “Do not worry. You should focus on taking care of yourself.”

  That smile was starting to scare Luo Qichen a bit. More than a bit.

  Sweat trickling all over his back, Luo Qichen bowed his head. “Yes sir!” He briefly met Yu Ruirong’s teary gaze and hastily tore himself away with a short bow in Zhao Wenyuan’s direction.

  “Miss Yu, if you would please,” Zhao Wenyuan said to the young woman. She hesitated to join him, and he shrugged with a wry smile. “Do not worry, I have a lovely wife with a strong jealous streak. No harm will befall you by sharing a carriage with me.”

  Helpless and alone in the alleyway, Yu Ruirong bowed her head and joined him.

  Cultural Notes

  Radicals in Ancient China: The reason why Zhang Dingyong couldn't understand Kayla's usage of radicals is because the application of radicalism to the ancient equivalent of right-wing politics would not exist for a very long time. It was much more likely that someone would be understood as 迂腐/stubbornly Traditionalist, but generally, conservatives upheld the status quo of how things were earlier in the dynasty while reformists who wanted to try new things were considered radical.

  贬到岭南/Exile to Lingnan: Refers to the modern-day area encompassed by Fujian and Guangzhou. Despite having prosperous port cities, the mountainous landscape prevented regional economic development. The hot and humid climate was also unbearable for many people outside of the region.

  Party Politics in Ancient China: While this has always been around, the amount of violence involved tends to vary dramatically over time. Some factional rivalries are almost entirely bloodless, taking place mainly through demotions and exile, while most are a combination of getting your enemies executed and getting them demoted as Zhang Dingyong described. In some cases, it can escalate straight into military conflicts where a faction with the support of the army can use the excuse of "清君侧/Cleaning the [traitors] at the Emperor's side" to kill their political enemies and force the Emperor to "abdicate" in favor of a more easily controlled candidate. This happened pretty rarely though. The party politics at the end of the Northern Song were legendary for the continuous escalation that led directly to the dynasty's downfall. By continuously sabotaging every single capable general based on factional alignment rather than ability, the capital was left more or less defenseless against the invading Jin army (a Jurchen dynasty), leading to the incident below.

  The magician and goose incident: Accounts of this are slightly exaggerated, but the last Emperor of the Northern Song was not a very capable leader to begin with, and was also probably more than just a little misguided by his belief in charlatan magicians (possibly a coping mechanism to deal with the ineffectiveness of his actual court). Emperor Qinzong decided to deploy a minister who claimed to be able to summon heavenly soldiers to fight off the Jin army, and set off with (as legend tells) approximately a thousand geese. The city gates opened, the Jin soldiers braced for battle, and out comes a minister hooting and howling with his thousand geese squawking loudly around him. The Jin soldiers watched him with trepidation, not sure what the hell was going on. With bated breath, the Emperor and his court waited for the heavenly soldiers to descend and wipe out the barbarian invaders, restoring the glory of the Song dynasty (which wasn't yet the Northern Song dynasty on account of still having the entire country in its grasp). Nothing happened. The incredulous Jin army killed the "magician" and probably most of the geese, and then massacred the demoralized Song army. The city fell to the invaders, and all manners of atrocities took place. Both Emperor Qinzong and his father, the retired Emperor Huizong, were taken into captivity where they would remain for the rest of their lives. The Empress, who had more guts than both of them combined, killed herself rather than suffer the same humiliation.

  一觉醒来天塌了/Wake up to find the sky's fallen down: A Chinese saying that means you wake up to find that something shocking/terrible has happened.

  哭的梨花带雨/Tears like a pear blossom covered in raindrops: A Chinese proverb referring to a beautiful woman crying. It is often used to refer to the pity or sympathy that such a sight elicits.

  石头城/Tashkurgan Stone City: A city in modern day Xinjiang, it would have been inside or outside of the border depending on historical time period (this tended to go back and forth quite a bit over the dynasties or even within dynasties).

  自生自灭/Seek my own survival or death: A Chinese proverbs which means to be left to one's fate without support.

  找活路/Find a path to survival: A Chinese saying.

  嫁给他一生就毁了/If you [F] marry him your life will be ruined: A commonly used Chinese saying. Even in modern-day China where divorces are common, marriage values are still relatively traditional. Similar to in many other places with more traditional views towards marriage, a divorced woman may have a harder time on the marriage market than a man does, since a divorced man could still marry a woman who has never married before while men who have never married before would be discouraged by the entire extended family not to marry a previously divorced woman. Of course, this varies greatly by region, but especially applies to many rural or more traditional areas.

  一念之间/Hands in the balance of a single thought [from you]: An Ancient Chinese proverb often used to refer to situations where someone has a great deal of power over the situation to the point that matters very much to someone else.

  汗流浃背/Sweat trickling all over his back: A pre-Qin Chinese proverb referring to highly tense situations where someone is afraid/stressed/uncomfortable, especially when you sweat so much your back is soaked.