Kayla glanced at the scrolls in surprise, and back up at the Empress Dowager.
“Nullification talismans?” Kayla asked. Damn, it’s the one thing I don’t need.
“Goodness, aren’t these very expensive to procure?” Cao Shuyi gasped.
“Of course, the high price is ant to be a deterrent. Not to ntion that the ones on the market have heavy restrictions on their use, but these are different. These scrolls are exempt from restrictions,” the Empress Dowager replied. “Which is why I expect all of you to use them wisely. Wenyuan, be sure to tell that to Xianchun as well.”
Kayla bowed her head slightly.
She didn’t ntion Yunqi.
Of course, the Fifth Prince is known to be very careful, she doesn’t need to remind him.
“Grandmother, what does it an that they’re exempt from restriction?” Kayla asked.
How co you never ntioned that to ? She asked Wenyuan.
I like magic that I can actually encounter, nullification magic was too rare. There are barely a dozen talismans on the market at any given ti, Wenyuan protested. Why would I bother paying more attention to them? Plus, the theorists didn’t write much about nullification magic either, they didn’t have enough to go off of.
That’s fair, Kayla admitted.
“The ones on the market right now can only nullify certain types of magic, and only nullify magic within a very small range,” the Empress Dowager explained. “But these do not have any limits, you can nullify any kind of magic within a hundred ters.”
I an, I could also do that myself.
“Isn’t that dangerous though? Is it really alright for us to have these, Empress Dowager?” Cao Shuyi asked worriedly. Realizing that she was directly questioning the Empress Dowager, she quickly bowed her head. “Please pardon my rudeness, Empress Dowager, I’m still in awe of receiving such an item.”
“Indeed, they’re very dangerous. Whether in this palace or outside these walls, the capital is imbued with magic. It’s used by workers, guards, and even worked into weapons and buildings. That’s why the capital has always remained safe since the founding of the Dynasty. Even when rebels and invaders had started their onslaught on the city walls, we had the overwhelming advantage,” the Empress Dowager explained.
“That is why nullification magic has always been restricted, and any magicians were kept under close guard and surveillance,” she continued.
Kayla quickly glanced down, hiding her reaction.
Wait, what? Did you know that?!
No?!
Well shit, there goes Plan B, the second I bust that out I’m screwed, aren’t I?
“I didn’t know that,” Kayla said.
“It’s not written in the law, but it’s always been the practice,” the Empress Dowager replied. “Don’t worry, it’s not that you’d missed sothing in your studies.”
Kayla grinned sheepishly, pretending to be unbothered.
“Then Grandmother, is it really alright that we have these? I an, when would we even use these?” Kayla asked. The Empress Dowager shook her head.
“If you’re prepared you won’t have worries. Even if the capital appears too secure to land a blow on from the outside, the situation inside fluctuates incessantly. These are to protect you boys from whatever may co your way. I trust that you will use these talismans wisely and with great restraint,” the Empress Dowager said.
Kayla nodded dutifully. So this is also a test. But isn’t that a bit risky?
Only the heavens may fully understand what Grandmother is thinking, Wenyuan replied resignedly.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there actually were restrictions on the talismans.
“Thank you, Grandmother, I’ll be sure not to use it unless absolutely necessary,” Kayla said.
“My deepest gratitude on behalf of my husband, Empress Dowager,” Shuyi chid in. The Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction before changing the topic.
“Wenyuan, you haven’t had many chances to et your cousin-in-law before, but from now on you should pay your respects to her more often. She’s managing the household alone with such a young child, take care to look to her needs when you can,” the Empress Dowager said. Kayla bowed her head.
“Of course, Grandmother,” Kayla replied obediently.
“Left Secretariat Zhao is a busy man, I don’t dare to take up more of his ti than necessary with the bits and pieces of my household affairs, but if the Left Secretariat is free, then I’m more than happy to welco you at any ti,” Shuyi said, smiling at Kayla. Kayla bowed her head slightly.
“Thank you, my lady.”
The Empress Dowager looked between them with a satisfied expression.
“Good, good. Now then, Wenyuan, I still wish to speak with your cousin-in-law a while longer. Go on and give your greetings to the Wise Consort,” the Empress Dowager said. Kayla stood up and bowed, first at the Empress Dowager and then Cao Shuyi.
“Then I’ll take my leave, grandmother, my lady,” Kayla bowed her head slightly towards each one in turn. The Empress Dowager nodded with a smile.
“Take care, Left Secretariat,” Cao Shuyi said politely. Kayla bowed one more ti before leaving. She nervously patted the talisman in her sleeve.
Alright, so Plan B is going to have to be a one-ti thing. If I can’t pass it off as using the talisman, I’m really not sure it’s a good idea to use my nullification magic at all.
Agreed. If the news was leaked, who knows how the Princes would react?
Kayla winced. She quickly smoothed her expression into a smile as she approached the Wise Consort’s quarters, nodding as a eunuch stepped forward and bowed.
“Greetings, young lord,” the eunuch said. “I’ll announce your arrival.”
Kayla nodded and waited for him to step into the main building, raising his voice to announce Wenyuan’s arrival. He bowed slightly towards Kayla through the doorway, indicating she could enter.
“Consort Zhao and Consort Liang are also here to visit her ladyship,” the eunuch said politely.
Your aunt’s here? No wait, the infamous beauty Consort Liang is here?
“Thank you,” Kayla said. She entered the room and swept her gaze over the three won.
Kayla bowed respectfully towards the oldest woman present. “Zhao Wenyuan humbly greets her ladyship the Wise Consort,” Kayla said, she lifted her head slightly and lowered it again towards the other two. “Consort Zhao, Consort Liang.”
“Please drop the formalities,” the Wise Consort said. Her voice ca out soft and a little bit raspy. Despite her pallid complexion, it was clear that the Wise Consort must have been a stunning beauty in her youth. “It is a pleasure to see you, Left Secretariat. I must give you my thanks for all these supplents you sent.”
“Not at all, my lady. It is my honor to do so,” Kayla replied.
“The Left Secretariat’s good-natured,” Wise Consort praised her. “Your aunt is here as well, have a cup of tea with us.”
Kayla smiled at Consort Zhao, who readily smiled back. Next to her, Consort Liang gave the two of them a friendly look. The youngest concubine was indeed stunning, with a gentle and elegant air to her that seed to pull people in. Even Wenyuan who grew up surrounded by beauties couldn’t help but react with awe. Kayla quickly averted her eyes and bowed to the Wise Consort.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Thank you, my lady.”
She chatted briefly with the Wise Consort but quickly took her leave after the woman showed signs of tiring. Kayla left without getting a chance to speak with Consort Zhao since Consort Liang was also present. Even if Wenyuan was the Emperor’s nephew, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to interact too much with the Emperor’s younger concubines in a semi-private setting, and it would be even less appropriate to pull Consort Zhao aside in another Consort’s quarters.
Kayla settled for giving Consort Zhao a aningful look on her way out, Consort Zhao giving her a reassuring nod in return.
What the hell was aunt doing there?
She probably ca along with Consort Liang. Consort Liang’s known for being kind, it’s hardly a surprise that she ca to visit a sick person.
I can’t believe my aunt actually ca along though.
Kayla let out a soft sigh of relief. It’s good she’s taken my advice to heart. I can barely protect myself, much less protect her. But if she can stick to Consort Liang, she can still find a path to survival herself.
But would the Fifth Prince misunderstand? After all, he might not know Consort Liang’s personality.
Kayla scowled slightly. God forbid. But I can’t interfere in the Inner Palace’s affairs, I’ll just have to trust Grandmother’s hand to keep things under control.
Her hands were already full with the investigation, and she was barely keeping afloat. Governor Yue had mostly uncovered evidence of corruption through officials who had been ssing with taxation, and once Kayla had sorted out who had done what to fra Governor Yue, it ant a whole lot of accounting and paperwork to go through to prove their motives and involvent. She didn't have to do that part herself, but she did have to know enough to wrap her head around the results that the investigators tirelessly produced.
Most of the corruption took place via the two-tax system, which involved plenty of paperwork even without the ss the officials made. The two-tax system implented after the previous reforms looked good on paper, but it made corruption incredibly easy. Thanks to the Empress Dowager's spies and the speed at which the Imperial Investigators worked, they were gathering plenty of evidence, but it still left Kayla with the problem of managing a shit ton of audits to figure out just how much the officials had slipped into their own pockets. And it was a huge amount, to the point where Kayla felt disgusted by looking at the figures.
The original equal-fields system had concentrated land in the hands of the governnt and each individual had been entitled to a certain amount of farmland, but that beca a problem after the population had grown. The governnt no longer had the resources to micro-manage fields the way it had at the beginning of the dynasty. As a result, farmland beca concentrated in the hands of aristocrats, which completely ssed up the taxation system based on land ownership.
To be fair, the forr taxation system had wanted individual farrs to pay taxes with grain and cloth, which Kayla didn't think was too great of an idea. But even if the current system ran on coins, people had to pay twice a year. It worked at first, but within a few years, officials were increasing the number of tis they collected tax without increasing the amount they handed to the court, and both the Imperial Treasury and the farrs were having a rough ti of it.
It's disgusting how eager these bastards are to fatten themselves up, just like the pigs they are. The feudal elites here really aren't much better than the elites in my day, they're equally shitty, it's just the thods that changed.
Shitty people will be shitty in any ti period unless they get a taste of their owndicine, Wenyuan offered in agreent.
Thank god you have so idea how to deal with the accounting, or I would be soscrewed, Kayla shook her head.
Kayla's mood fell further as she thought back to the pile of scrolls burying her desk and quickened her footsteps, determined to get so more work done before the end of the day.
//////////////////
Li Que stood with his arms crossed, an intimidating frown on his face as he watched investigators hurry to and fro before him with their arms full of boxes of scrolls.
“Sir Li,” his subordinate walked over. “We’ve finished the inventory from the first batch.”
The younger man glanced over at the chaotic scene before them with amusent. “I’m guessing the second batch will take much longer, I expect the auditors are going to be working overti for a while.”
Li Que glanced at him sharply. “Is this sothing to laugh at?”
“I apologize, sir.” The younger man swiftly bowed his head. “But may I ask why you’re in such low spirits, sir? This investigation’s been more successful than anything we’ve tried before.”
Li Que sighed and shook his head. “Chen Jian, you’re still too young, you don’t understand the implications of all this.”
“Please instruct , sir.”
“I’m in low spirits precisely because we’re so successful. Do you know how much hatred the Left Secretariat is garnering right now?” Li Que said grimly. “The strength of the court’s resistance is proportional to how much they stand to lose, and as you can see…”
Chen Jian looked at the crates of evidence in the warehouse. “They stand to lose a lot,” he finished the sentence. Li Que nodded.
"But isn't it a good thing? The corruption just keeps getting worse these years, it's about ti soone cleaned things up before the dynasty falls into decay," Chen Jian comforted him.
"You young folks are too hot-blooded, you only think about how much you detest corrupt officials, but have you ever considered what happens to the person who cleans things up?" Li Que snapped. Chen Jian's face fell.
“Sir, are you worried that the Left Secretariat will make us the scapegoat?” Chen Jian asked.
“No, he’s not that type of person. But that doesn’t an those who want him to succeed won’t scapegoat us. Or even if he chooses to take on all the enmity from the court alone, that person won’t be pleased with either,” Li Que sighed, shaking his head.
Chen Jian frowned in confusion. “You an the Grand Duke?”
Li Que gave him a piercing glare. “You hopeless brat, do you really not understand, or are you playing dumb? Go ho and ask your sister if you really can’t figure it out and keep your mouth shut!”
Chen Jian bowed his head sheepishly. “I apologize for my foolishness.”
Li Que waved him off. His expression turned blank as he noticed another investigator approach.
“Tabuyir,” Li Que greeted him. Chen Jian bowed his head towards the higher-ranking man.
Tabuyir nodded politely. “Good afternoon, Li Que. It seems your investigation’s progressing nicely.”
“It’s all thanks to the Left Secretariat’s brilliance,” Li Que said. “Did you just co from the Palace?”
“That’s right. I reported to the Emperor just now and he asked for you.”
Li Que stiffened. “He summoned ?”
Tabuyir shook his head in an almost imperceptible motion. “He asked for you,” he repeated aningfully. Li Que drew in a deep breath.
“Understood. Chen Jian, I’m taking a break. You watch over things here,” Li Que said.
Chen Jian quickly bowed his head. “I understand, sir. If anyone asks for you, I’ll tell them you went for a walk.”
“Good.” Li Que nodded. He headed out of the Bureau, Tabuyir falling into step next to him.
“What’s this about?” Li Que asked once they were alone.
“It’s pretty much as you can imagine,” Tabuyir replied. “The Emperor’s growing uneasy with the pressure from the court.”
Li Que shook his head ruefully. “I won’t deny the Left Secretariat’s abilities, but he really is either too young or too straightforward,” Li Que said in exasperation. “What does the Emperor want to do?”
Tabuyir gave Li Que a sympathetic look and Li Que’s shoulder slumped as he understood.
“I see,” he said heavily. “Then, what is the will of the Empress Dowager?’
Tabuyir’s look of sympathy lted into a subtle smile. “The Empress Dowager is of a different opinion. I’d expect that our ti with the Left Secretariat will last quite a while longer.”
Li Que sucked in a deep breath. “Alright then. Guess I’ll be arguing for the investigation to continue then.”
“That’s a good plan,” Tabuyir agreed. “Best of luck, my friend.”
/////////////////////
An Haoyang scurried over the top of the wall, dropping into the alleyway with a soft thump. Glancing around carefully, he approached the lone figure at the end of the alleyway and removed his mask.
“Sir, Haoyang has arrived,” he said respectfully. The man turned towards him and nodded.
“I was waiting for you,” Qu Boyong said lightly. “It’s good that you ca just now or I would have left.”
Haoyang hastily lowered his head. “I’m sorry sir, I was held up at the Bureau.”
Boyong shook his head. “No need to worry about it, doing your job at the Bureau properly’s the most important thing. How’s the investigation going?”
Haoyang hesitated. “It’s going unexpectedly well, my lord. But after we conducted the second round of searches, things have slowed down quite a bit.”
“Is the Left Secretariat hesitating then?”
“No, sir. The Emperor’s under a lot of pressure right now, so we haven’t been allowed to proceed with the next round of interrogations. We’re just working through what we already have at this point,” Haoyang explained.
Boyong nodded. “Good, I didn’t take the Zhao heir to be a coward.”
Haoyang stared morosely at the ground in silence. Seeing his reaction, Boyong let out a sigh.
“I know it’s not easy for you, but you have to hold your ground,” Boyong urged him.
“I understand sir, I apologize for increasing your worries.”
“How can I not worry? I heard you directly challenged him on the first day of investigations, how could you be this impulsive?” Boyong chided.
“I’m very sorry sir.”
“You have to be very careful right now. You’re still under scrutiny for withholding the communication talisman last ti, how much more trouble are you planning to get into? Do you want to be kicked out from the Bureau?” Boyong demanded.
Haoyang gave him a wounded look. “I would never! I acted rashly in the mont, but it won’t happen again!”
“It better not,” Boyong said sharply. “I know it’s difficult to bow your head to him, but you’ve only had to deal with it for a short while. Do you know how much my cousin and I have endured?”
Haoyang bowed deeply. “I’m very sorry sir! I was in the wrong, I swear there won’t be another ti!”
“No matter your personal feelings, the big picture cos first. Even if it ans we have to swallow our pride for the mont, we can’t lose sight of our goal,” Boyong said, his tone softening at Haoyang’s admonished expression. “I’m planning to make a risky move, I’ll need your full support from now on. Can I count on you?”
Haoyang nodded. “Of course, sir. But please don’t put yourself in danger, if there’s a risk, then I can take it on.”
Boyong shook his head. “No one can take my place for this. But no matter how high the stakes, there’s no need to worry.” His smile sharpened. “I’m certain it’ll work.”
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