Character Index
Spoiler
Chen Jian: A young Investigator being trained as Li Que's successor. Has little sense for politics but extrely sharp instincts.
Chen Caichun: A Chamberlain in the Court of Judicial Review, a brilliant young woman recruited by Kayla.
Investigator Qiu: An Investigator who accompanied Kayla to the North, he has a fatherly relationship with the much younger Investigator Mi, who also went North with Kayla.
Wei Guang: The Imperial Edict Bearer and Minister of Censure, Kayla's godfather.
Kulun: A tarkhan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. Escorted Ashina to the Wu for her marriage.
Chuluo Khagan: Khagan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, Kayla's father-in-law.
Ashina: Princess of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, personal na is Ibilga, but as she has not granted Kayla permission to use it (even though they are a married couple, Kayla as a Duke ranks lower), the only people who can call her by na without being disrespectful are her father and the Emperor.
General Yan: A no-nonsense general stationed in Xiazhou, he was strongard into becoming Kayla's ally during her ti in the North.
Zhou Kuang: The Third Prince, popular with the military.
Zhou Yunqi: The Fifth Prince, nephew of the Shu clan, which had a strong military presence in the Northeast.
Zhou Xianchun: The Seventh Prince, childhood friends with Yu Bianfu.
General Yu: Father of Yu Bianfu, a female commander in her own right. He was promoted recently, as Yu Bianfu ntioned to Xianchun a few chapter ago, but rather than being placed in the North as he'd expected, he was stationed in the Southeast.
Zhou Hong and Zhou Yong: The deposed First and Second Princes, sons of the deposed Empress Gongsun. Politically sensitive persons and persona non grata in the capital.
Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Lord of the Liang clan and Vice-Censor. Kayla's friend and supporter, he was the one to suggest stationing guards for the First and Second Prince.
Chen Jian waited quietly at a cross-way until a carriage pulled to a stop before him. The curtains parted, showing the face of Zhao Wenyuan.
“Investigator Chen, please join ,” Wenyuan said, as polite as always. Chen Jian bowed his head and climbed into the carriage, nodding towards Wenyuan’s retainers. The carriage began to move again.
Chen Jian regarded his superior officer’s quietly contemplative expression, instantly knowing that the news would be disappointing. Unlike many of the other Investigators, Chen Jian had never disdained nor feared Wenyuan, even when the man had, by so strange stroke of luck, beco the commanding official of both Chen Jian and Chen Caichun. It was strange to think of it, but the two of them were only a year apart. Yet one was a Duke and a Director, and one was still a ntee.
Every man has his own fate. If I wanted to be a noble, then I should have reincarnated into a different household. Chen Jian was never bothered by the difference in their positions. Instinctively, he knew that Wenyuan didn’t care either. All the sa, it was never pleasant to let soone down. Even without being told, Chen Jian knew that he was serving as the harbinger of bad news.
Wenyuan was looking for sothing important when he sought out the mass grave.
And he hasn’t found it.
“You must have been in the morgue all night, are you alright?” Wenyuan asked.
“Oh, I’m fine. I’m used to it,” Chen Jian replied blithely. Wenyuan’s eyes crinkled into a smile.
“I’m glad to hear it. But still, take care of your health.”
“I will, thank you for your concern, sir.”
“Can you brief on the results?” Wenyuan asked.
“Certainly, sir. From the forensic analysis, our preliminary theory is that the bodies belong to the teenage son of a noble and his guards. We believe they were killed about three years ago all at around the sa ti–seemingly by sharp force, given that there’s no signs of broken bones or poisoning,” Chen Jian said. “They seem to have been buried at this gravesite from the start, but a preservation talisman–likely one used for food–kept the bodies from polluting the water supply until it wore out, seemingly within the last year or so.”
He paused for a mont, hesitating a little. “As of now, the bodies remain unidentified, and we have no leads.”
“Wonderful,” Wenyuan said, his voice falling flat.
Chen Jian noted Wenyuan’s displeasure with sympathy. The man was quiet for a long mont before breathing in sharply and giving Chen Jian a grim smile.
“Well, good work locating and analyzing the bodies,” Wenyuan said, any hint of unhappiness gone from his face and voice. “Investigator Qiu’s group and the coroners have all done well. You too, for supervising.”
“Thank you, Director.”
“I’d like you to keep looking into this with Investigator Qiu and the coroners. Have Investigator Qiu investigate the surroundings of the mass grave, and have the coroners keep looking for any clues that might identify where these n had been or who they are. I would like them to keep going until every last detail has been exhausted, and for you to coordinate between them,” Wenyuan said.
Chen Jian bowed his head. “As you wish, Director.”
“Keep up the good work,” Wenyuan replied. “Oh, and send a healer into the village just in case. A polluted water supply is no laughing matter.”
“Yes sir!”
Chen Jian bowed and got out of the carriage, standing at attention until it pulled out of sight.
Inside the carriage, Kayla waited until Chen Jian was no longer visible. She pulled the curtains shut and leaned her head back against the carriage seat.
The Khagan, the reforms, the wife, and now a mystery mass grave…She groaned quietly into her hands. I’m really just making work for myself at this point.
She rubbed a hand down over her face, breathing out sharply. No, forget it. It’s not as though I could just leave the bodies there. There’s a water supply there, for god's sake.
It’ll all fall into place, Kayla assured herself. Every piece will fit sohow. She firmly quashed the budding anxiety in her stomach and prepared to et with Wei Guang.
Kulun approached the throne with quick steps and a lowered head, kneeling on one knee before the throne.
“Great Khagan, I have co as ordered,” Kulun said. Chuluo waved him closer, his face as unreadable as always. His colleagues sotis described Kulun as capable of a terrible look like that of a hawk poised to strike, but Kulun personally thought that whatever intimidating aura he had, he siphoned off his liege. Chuluo Khagan was like the stone face of a mountain when he was calm, and a countenance like fla and storm when he was angered.
The counterweights of the earth are the mountains, of the people, the khans.
If there was ever a man that saying applied to, it would be the khan of khans before him. Up close, the lines on Chuluo’s face didn’t soften his countenance, but rather heightened the air of gravity about him.
“How may I be of service to you, Great Khagan?”
Chuluo’s gray eyes t Kulun’s in a piercing gaze.
“Tell , tarkhan, what do you make of my son-in-law?”
Kulun hesitated for a mont and dipped his head in a slight bow before speaking.
“He is not a man to be underestimated,” Kulun said. “And I am ashad to admit that it was my carelessness in dealing with him that gave rise to a great many concerns for your honored princess. It is only by your clency that I still stand before you today.”
Chuluo dismissed the apology with a wave. “I do not underestimate any man. Let your tongue free and speak with full truthfulness on your thoughts, and make worthy my trust in you as my tarkhan.”
“From what I have observed, Duke Zhao is ruthless and brazen, but he knows when to stop, and moreover, how to hide his dangerous side. As the Han people say, he is soone who knows when to advance and when to draw back,” Kulun said. “But I daresay that the Wu Emperor has married the princess to his most treasured family mber. The Duke stands at the height of favor, far more so than any other prince. Forgive for saying this, but I do not believe the princess can keep him in check.”
Chuluo thought of the young man he had t last night. There had been plenty of rumors, of course, and secret reports as well. But as the Han people said, a hundred whispers heard was not equal to a single glance. Chuluo was a seasoned expert in evaluating people, and he could tell at a glance that his son-in-law was secure in his self-awareness as a man who could go to any lengths for his goals. Reputation, family, riches, none of those things mattered to Wenyuan, and that was what made him brazen. Ashina would have a long way to go before she could hold her own against such a man. But Chuluo had no doubt that his daughter would learn quickly. His unreadable face transford, showing the faint traces of a smile.
“Is that so? He is glib and wily, yes, but I do not believe him to be as dangerous as that–though I am impressed by his boldness. He was not afraid of .”
“Perhaps, but there is no man too proud, no beast too wild for you to ta, great Khagan. All who live under the sun may be brought to yield by your wisdom and might,” Kulun replied.
“No flattery, tarkhan. I dislike empty praise,” Chuluo warned him.
“I speak only the truth of my thoughts,” Kulun replied.
Chuluo’s gaze flicked away from Kulun’s face and fixed into the distance.
“But indeed, any man who lives under the sun can be brought to yield,” Chuluo said thoughtfully. “A man such as my son-in-law cannot be subdued through brute force. But by trickery you can capture a lion, with force you cannot capture a mouse.”
Chuluo’s eyes narrowed. “Andalus…I have only heard of the Arabic incursion against Iberia in passing from Roman traders. The Wu Emperor’s information network is cast more broadly than I expected.”
He turned his attention back to Kulun.
“See what you can do to plant agents among the Romans. I would not be outpaced by my son-in-law.”
“As you wish, great Khagan,” Kulun replied, bowing his head.
“Godfather,” Kayla called out in greeting as she entered Wei Guang’s study.
“Wenyuan, there you are,” Wei Guang returned the greeting with an affable smile. He waved her over to sit down, waiting for his servants to finish setting out the tea and snacks before waving his hand. The servants left, closing the doors behind them. Kayla glanced about them, sensing the plethora of privacy talismans. The study was even more secure than it had ever been before.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not ant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“So, Wenyuan, what do you think of your father-in-law?” Wei Guang asked. “I have heard a great many things about Chuluo Khagan, but have never had the honor of eting the man.”
Kayla hesitated before replying. “To be honest with you, godfather, I’m not sure. Both of us were sounding each other out and trying not to give too much away, given that we’ll be opponents in the long run. But he is far-sighted and has an acute sense for potential threats, given that he is already thinking of a possible invasion by the Umayyads despite their still being occupied in Persia, not to ntion Andalus and Byzantium. However, I am unsure of how sincere he really is, and how much of it is simply to throw us off.”
“I’ve heard of the Fulin, but what is this Andalus you speak of? I wasn’t aware the Bureau’s intelligence network extended that far,” Wei Guang said curiously.
Kayla sheepishly shrugged. “We don’t actually have–well, not in Andalus itself. We have traders in Byzantium, but news moves slowly because of the great distance. Information needs to be relayed in hops instead of right away, since no communication spell extends that far. Sotis we need ssengers to do things the hard way. But we have heard of military conflicts in Byzantium affecting the silk trade, and also of military clashes with the Arabs happening along the shore and further west. I think it’s safe to deduce that the place they speak of is the Iberian peninsula–that is, Andalus. I’ve seen those nas in a few obscure readings in the past, and the information seems to line up. I just didn’t want to let it seem that we knew less than the Khaganate.”
A look of surprise flitted over Wei Guang’s face. “That’s quite a gamble, but you were right to do so. It wouldn't do for the Khagan to think he has an advantage over us.” He frowned slightly, scrutinizing Kayla. “You really take after your mother with your interest in foreign lands and obscure books.:
He trailed off into thoughtful silence before shaking his head sharply. “In any case, it’s a problem that your father-in-law’s reach extends further west than ours.”
“Well, the Bulgars seem to share a common ancestry with the Turks, and their languages should be close enough that they could communicate without too much trouble, so it’s hardly strange that the Khagan would have more ease of access to the happenings in the west. But if we can gain access to information from the Arabic traders in Canton, we would have the upper hand. Currently, the Arabs mostly stay in the foreign quarters, and we make little effort to glean information nor form connections. But news travels faster by sea than by land, no? I’ve already submitted a proposal for setting that up to the Emperor, and I believe him to be anable,” Kayla said.
“A good idea,” Wei Guang said approvingly. “And what of the Khagan’s request for reinforcents? Does he seem intent on making the request?”
“I believe so. He seems to sincerely want reinforcents from us, because he doesn’t want to win with heavy losses only to have us take advantage. But if his intention is to inflict heavy losses upon the Western Turks, we have no reason to fulfill that wish either.”
“That may not be up to us.”
“Yes, but if we want to leverage our position to make the most of things, we need to send soone we can rely on. My opinion is still the sa as before–General Yan is the best option, and may very well be the only one we have. But given that he lacks a strong backing, we’ll need all the support we can get.”
“You want to rally the neutral faction to support General Yan?” Wei Guang asked. “I’m sure they would follow your lead, but we need more support than that.”
My lead? They listen to you far more than they listen to , Kayla’s mind flickered to the stubborn and prideful old n who reluctantly let Wei Guang keep them in line.
“I would like the Third Prince’s support as well, but it wouldn’t do to receive it from the onset. It’s best to let these things happen naturally, especially after we praised His Highness to the Emperor last ti,” Kayla replied. “Just because he paid special attention to the Fifth Prince’s case doesn’t signify that he’s made a final decision, just that he’s beginning to seriously consider crowning the Third Prince. Acting too hastily at this point would be lethal.”
“Indeed it would,” Wei Guang replied. “But of those who aim to walk a hundred miles, half stop at ninety. This last stretch is crucial. We can’t afford to be overly reticent either.”
“Then what would you propose?” Kayla asked.
“I suggest keeping General Yan out of the spotlight until the final decision, and then flooding the capital with stories of his exploits. That way, those who hedge their bets incorrectly will be otherwise occupied–it would certainly apply to the Seventh Prince, who is acting all the more aggressively as the Third Prince gains ground,” Wei Guang said. “After all, the final decision lies with the Emperor and the Minister of War, and both can be convinced.”
“Isn’t that risky though?” Kayla asked.
“It’ll be a grueling stretch,” Wei Guang replied. “We will only formally agree to send reinforcents after receiving an official envoy from Chuluo Khagan. And from then, it’ll take ti to mobilize troops and handle logistics. Even at the fastest speed, there won’t be Wu soldiers in the Khaganate before the end of the month. The most crucial stretch will be before an official reply is made to the Khagan, at which point the commander will be all but unchangeable.”
“So that’s about two weeks,” Kayla muttered. “When do you want to nominate General Yan?”
“Not until all the diocre options have been listed,” Wei Guang said. “Commanding reinforcents in a war between the Khaganates ans an inordinate amount of opportunities to grossly exaggerate the rits of oneself and one’s subordinates, not to ntion a pri position for taking bribes and gifts. Every man of so consequence will be nominating their own n. Once the greed-motivated nominations have been made, General Yan will naturally stand out. As they say, those who co later have an advantageous position–he’ll escape the initial round of slander against rival candidates.”
“True enough. But I don’t like to take chances with sothing this important, especially when it pertains to so many people’s lives,” Kayla muttered.
“Then tell this, Wenyuan. If the Emperor chooses General Yan, can anyone point out a better candidate?” Wei Guang asked.
“Unlikely, not unless he intends to re-employ the Shu clan, and he certainly won’t use them, nor the Third Prince’s relatives. Excluding the Imperial in-laws, General Yan is the best candidate. For one, he’s already right by the border and has the background knowledge to cooperate with Turkish warriors,” Kayla said drily. “Him and his soldiers are acclimated enough–at the very least, they won’t die two days in because they can’t handle the climate.”
“Here you have your argunt then,” Wei Guang said. “Let the Seventh Prince nominate General Yu or so other general willing to pledge their loyalty, as he surely will. We shall have them expend their energy and resources in this way.”
“It would look suspicious if the Third Prince does not back a candidate of his own, it would speak of insider trading, so to speak,” Kayla pointed out.
“No, let him be the one to nominate General Yan,” Wei Guang said firmly. He smiled at Kayla’s frown.
“I know what you fear, Wenyuan. But the point is to show the Third Prince as a man who does what’s best for the country without being prompted and without asking for reward, even at cost to his own interests. Our success in doing so with the sabotage attempts was what created the Emperor’s good impression of the Third Prince,” Wei Guang explained. “Seeing the Third Prince carefully scrutinize the candidates with a critical eye rather than scrambling to nominate soone affiliated with him will reinforce that impression.”
“Yes, I’m sure, but is that believable?” Kayla asked. “The Emperor is naturally suspicious of the Princes and their clans. If we give the Emperor the impression that the Third Prince is trying very hard to co off as a suitable candidate to the Emperor’s eyes, it might actually backfire.”
“Have so faith in the Third Prince’s talents,” Wei Guang replied.
Kayla reluctantly gave in.
“Speaking of faith in the Third Prince, you ought to give him assurance of your own trustworthiness,” Wei Guang remarked. His eyes glinted dangerously. “I heard your n found a mass grave down in Henan.”
Kayla’s face froze into a blank mask.
“They did.”
“A terrible thing, truly. It was awfully thoughtless of the criminals to have buried the bodies so near a water supply,” Wei Guang said.
“I agree. I’ve already sent a healer to the village downstream, so there is no need to worry.”
Wei Guang observed her for a mont and smiled.
“Were you disappointed that it wasn’t the grave you wanted?”
“I’d really rather there weren’t any such graves,” Kayla replied.
Wei Guang’s face softened. “I wouldn’t bury them so carelessly, Wenyuan. And certainly not near a water source.”
“Probably not,” Kayla reluctantly admitted. Knowing Wei Guang, it was either sowhere no one could ever find, or right in Kayla’s own backyard.
“I don’t say this to rub it in your face, Wenyuan, but you’ll never find the assassins’ bodies,” Wei Guang said. “This is for your own sake.”
Kayla kept herself from stiffening.
“What do you an?”
“Let the Third Prince have sothing over you, Wenyuan. You must let him have one. Just think of it as an assurance,” Wei Guang said, his face growing solemn.
“He’d have the ans to end !” Kayla snapped before she could stop herself.
“And because he has the ans to end you, he wouldn’t,” Wei Guang said. “A man who has a weakness is a man who can be kept in check. And what is more important for a ruler of n?”
Kayla paused, considering Wei Guang’s words.
“The bird that stands out is shot down first,” Wei Guang added. “The imasurable, and indeed, incomparable favor you’ve received from the Emperor is as much a threat to the next Emperor as it is your protection now. You must not forget that.”
“I understand,” Kayla said after a mont of silent consideration.
So if I do find the Grand Duke’s assassins, Kuang might end up taking it as a challenge against his authority over ? She sighed in resignation.
Am I ant to just accept having a sword of Damocles over my head then? Then again, did she trust Kuang to trust her otherwise? Kayla couldn’t answer that.
“Even with your Uncle, whose love for you is unparalleled by that for any of his sons, trust is a fragile thing,” Wei Guang went on. “Requesting a guard detail for the First and Second princes was not a wise move, Wenyuan.”
“I believed it necessary,” Kayla said, a little stiffly. “In fact, I still do.”
“As you may, but you should not have gotten involved. The Gongsun clan were a serious threat to the Emperor’s power, and even now, there are people who speak of reinstating the two princes. If your Uncle had been any less trusting in you, you would have crossed a dangerous line,” Wei Guang warned.
“I understand, but if anything happens to the princes because I ignored the danger–”
“It would have just been an unfortunate incident,” Wei Guang cut her off. “But now that you’ve been dragged into this murky water, you’ll be tied in whether sothing happens or not.”
Kayla breathed in sharply, hiding her irritation by lowering her gaze.
“Thank you for the advice.”
Unfortunately, Wei Guang’s guess was probably on the mark–anyone else would have been heavily scrutinized for even ntioning the First and Second princes, hence why even the Investigators in charge of surveilling them were reluctant to directly speak of them.
But when has Hu Qing ever been wrong about sothing like this?
A cloud of unease crept into the back of her mind and settled there uncomfortably.
Cultural Notes
The counterweights of the earth are the mountains, of the people, the chiefs: A Central Asian proverb from before the 10th century, recorded in the Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk by the scholar Mahmud Kashgari.
知进退/Know when to advance and when to retreat: An Ancient Chinese concept that ans to know the best course of action to take, to act wisely.
百闻不如一见/Hearing [about it] a hundred tis is less [useful than] seeing it once: An Ancient Chinese saying that ans that rumors can never fully capture the real thing.
By trickery you can capture a lion, with force you cannot capture a mouse: A Central Asian proverb from before the 10th century, also from the Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk
拂菻/Fulin: Records of the Tang Dynasty noted the successor of the Roman Empire, which had been known to China as the 大秦/Great Qin, as the Fulin, i.e. the Byzantium. China seems to have been known of in turn by Ro as Serica for Northern China and Sinae for Southern/Eastern China.
Bulgars: The Bulgars were a semi-nomadic Turkic people that were active around the Volga region (around the Eastern European plain in modern-day Russia) and the Pontic-Caspian steppe (stretching from approximately modern-day Bulgaria and Romania all the way to Western Kazakstan). The Bulgarian Empire had a great many military conflicts with the Byzantines, and spoke a Turkic language. As for whether Kayla's guess that they would be able to communicate without trouble with other Turkic peoples, that's probably not true since the Bulgar language was part of the Oghuric languages instead of Common Turkic, but Kayla probably doesn't know that.
The mariti Silk Road: Just as important, if not more so than the overland Silk Road, it connected China, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian peninsula, Europe, Egypt, and parts of East Africa via sea routes. Though this was primarily used by Southeast Asian traders prior to the 10th century, there had been a significant Arabic presence since at least the 7th century, and a Persian presence even earlier. The ports of Quanzhou and Guangzhou/Canton in Southeastern China beca flourishing trading posts and multicultural hubs of economic and cultural activity.
Arabic traders in Canton: There was a significant number of Arabic traders who lived in the port city of Canton, so more permanently so than the others. Generally speaking, it was a floating population. So would go on to intermarry with locals, though most remained within the foreign quarters of Canton. There are historical records in the Tang dynasty of Muslim traders having their mosques on the southern bank of the Canton River.
行百里者半九十/Of those who [seek to] travel a hundred miles, half [stop at] ninety: An Ancient Chinese saying that ans the last stretch is the most difficult to endure.
后来者居上/Those who co later have the upper-hand: An Ancient Chinese proverb, usually refers to situation where those who arrive later get to pick up the spoils instead of getting dragged into the fierce fighting.
枪打出头鸟/The bird who stands out most is shot first: An Ancient Chinese proverb advising for moderation and against excessively flaunting your abilities/wealth/talents/power, etc, especially when the situation is complicated and constantly changing.
淌入这滩浑水/Dragged into this [pool of] muddy water: A Chinese proverb aning to get dragged into a ss of which you cannot easily extract yourself, just as the mud would remain on your clothes even if you climb out of the water.
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