Surviving the Succession (A Transmigration Fantasy)

Character Index

Li Que: Vice-Director of the Imperial Investigation Bureau.

Duan Wuxie: Senior Investigator of the Imperial Investigation Bureau.

Qiu Jinwei: Yunqi's loyal advisor.

Zhou Yunqi: Emperor of the Wu.

Gao Hanyi: Li Que's subordinate and friend.

Chen Jian: Li Que's mentee, Chen Caichun's brother.

Ke Sitao: Vice Director of the Imperial Investigation Bureau.

Chen Caichun: Director of a taskforce within the Court of Judicial Review.

Zhou Chenqian: Son of Kuang, Yunqi's nephew.

Cao Shuyi: Grand Princess Dowager, widow of Kuang.

Liu Hongyu: Former Secretariat Director, died after Kayla got him sentenced for lese-majeste.

Consort Li: Yunqi's consort, a twenty-three year old woman.

Chuluo Khagan: Khagan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

Sir Yang: A senior eunuch who serves Yunqi.

Zhou Ying: Posthumously titled Emperor Xuanzong, previous Emperor.

Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Lord of the Liang clan and instructor of the capital guard.

Zhou Kuang: Grand Prince, deceased.

By the time Li Que was able to leave the palace, it was close to midnight. He strode past exhausted servants and eunuchs to regroup with the other Investigator at the Inner Palace gates, delegating a fresh shift of men for the night watch.

"Senior Investigator Duan," Li Que greeted his colleague as the man ambled over. Duan Wuxie stiffened, his posture straightening into rigidity.

"Senior Investigator Li–no, it's Vice-Director now, isn't it? I do apologize," Duan Wuxie said. There was a subtle note of dissatisfaction in his voice that bordered on accusation.

"There's no need for all that, just address me how you usually do," Li Que said. "We've known each other for almost twenty years now."

Duan Wuxie's lip curled derisively.

"I wouldn't dare," Duan Wuxie said curtly. "Good day, Vice-Director!"

He bowed stiffly and left. Li Que could only shake his head.

There was no way anyone at the Bureau could take the news lightly. They were the capital branch, the very headquarters of the entire Bureau, and they had been more-or-less publicly blasted for incompetence.

Do you think I had a choice? The Duke was the only one who could have stopped it, and he didn't.

No, even the Duke couldn't have. It was the Emperor who gave the orders, after all.

Li Que grit his teeth. Did the Duke believe Li Que's proffered loyalty? What was he supposed to do if the Duke didn't? He could neither afford to offend the Emperor nor Zhao Wenyuan, but now that he was riding the tiger, it was difficult to get off.

Li Que could sense–or perhaps imagine–the hint of hostility in his subordinates' eyes as he returned to the Bureau.

I'm not a fucking traitor, Li Que thought in frustration. He lowered his gaze, suppressing the irritation boiling up inside him.

Does Qiu Jinwei think I'll be grateful? He's using me to target the entire Bureau. I've dedicated my life to the place!

Even if Li Que succeeded in gaining promotions and achievements, he was still tied to the Bureau itself. It would take far more than just a flimsy title to distance himself from Zhao Wenyuan, and even after he did, Li Que would still be first to be discarded when things went badly.

When the nest falls no egg can remain whole. The Bureau's demise will impact all of us.

Did Qiu Jinwei just lack real-life experience? Or was that his intention in the first place? That was the problem with geniuses, Li Que supposed, the world they saw was so different that human costs barely factored in.

But what a way to drag me under, Li Que thought bitterly. Given his skills and previous support for Zhao Wenyuan, he would have made Vice-Director sooner or later. Qiu Jinwei's actions were tantamount to declaring that Li Que was the Emperor's eyes and ears in the Bureau.

Why? Why does he want to rip the facade? It wasn't as if Zhao Wenyuan didn't know the Emperor had someone high up in the Bureau–that much was obvious, and Zhao Wenyuan gave his tacit agreement by never even looking into the matter. It wasn't anything to be ashamed of either. Keeping the Emperor informed was literally a part of their job description, and no one questioned that.

Yet Qiu Jinwei was pushing Li Que right to the brink of the abyss. For what? Ownership of a branch that the Duke was intent on quashing? A promotion that would mean nothing when he was stripped of his rank altogether?

Thankfully, the piercing gazes lessened in number as they headed deeper into the Bureau, until Li Que was left only with his protege Chen Jian, and his old friend Gao Hanyi. Gao Hanyi had entered the Bureau the same year as Li Que, a man of great competence who lacked the ambition and charisma to rise the ranks. Quite the opposite, Gao Hanyi had deliberately managed to stay out of Zhao Wenyuan's notice for three years, aptly dodging the various opportunities that could have granted him a promotion in favor of staying Li Que's subordinate. But regardless of the man's eccentricities, Li Que liked keeping him around.

Gao Hanyi had kept his peace all day, but now kept it no longer. As soon as the number of Investigators around them dwindled down enough, he launched into an angry tirade.

"Damn that Advisor Qiu! That man should be castrated if he likes to hang out in the palace so much! He's pushing our commander right into a pit of fire just for his own means. There's no way Duke Zhao will let you off easy, you know that, right?"

"Watch your tongue!" Li Que snapped.

"Duke Zhao isn't that kind of person anyhow," Chen Jian interjected from Li Que's other side. "And should the Vice Director refuse such an opportunity simply out of unfounded fears? That's no different from refusing to eat for fear of choking! Not to mention that he can't refuse an order from the Emperor anyhow."

"Chen Jian, you're really too young! All these murder cases you've dealt with and you still haven't learned to be wary of the evil in human hearts!"

"That's enough from both of you," Li Que said firmly. "What's most important right now is treading carefully. Chen Jian, go on and write your report."

Chen Jian bowed and left.

Li Que turned to his old friend. "Don't speak ill of the Director to Chen Jian," he warned. "That kid's future relies on the Director far more than it relies on me!"

"Then I'll say that he has no future."

"The Director isn't that sort of person."

"You're saying that, but he's in there right now with Vice-Director Ke, figuring out a personnel list to screw you over without looking responsible!" Gao Hanyi said with a sharp jerk of his head in the direction of Wenyuan's office.

"He's the Director of the Bureau, of course he has the final say over personnel," Li Que said wearily. He sighed, turning towards Gao Hanyi. "Let's not speak of these things. I have a conundrum here–do I bring Chen Jian or not?"

"You're assuming it'll be your choice."

"I think it will be. What do you think?"

"Leaving him here is no good for the kid," Gao Hanyi said. "Who else will protect him but you?"

"His sister serves the Duke, he's not in a bad position," Li Que said. "But if I take him with me, then it'll be hard to tell."

Gao Hanyi shook his head. "Take the kid with you," he said. "You'll be throwing him to the wolves otherwise."

Li Que sighed. "I'll consider the matter a bit more. Go home, you look exhausted."

"You're the one who should rest while you can," Gao Hanyi said. "Trust me, you won't have much time for it from now on."

Li Que nodded with a tight smile, waving the cynic off. He made his way back to his own office, glad to have a moment alone. It didn't last very long. A familiar knock came at the door that Li Que immediately recognized as Chen Jian.

"Yes?"

Chen Jian slipped through the door, closing it tightly behind him. The young man was unusually taut, a furtive look on his face.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Li Que asked worriedly.

"Sir, there's a call for you," Chen Jian said.

"What?" Li Que looked quizzically at his own communication device, then looked at the device Chen Jian was holding out to him. "Where did you get that?"

"An eunuch gave it to me on my way out," Chen Jian said. "I…I think you should take the call, sir."

Li Que drew his mouth into a tight line, taking in the simple device being held out to him. He took the communication device from Chen Jian, narrowing his eyes in suspicion as he opened it to take the call.

"This is Li Que of the Imperial Investigator Bureau," he said, voice devoid of emotion.

Li Que froze as a familiar voice ran out.

"Hello, Vice Director," Qiu Jinwei said. "Is now a good time to talk?"

Vice-Director Ke Sitao made a face at the file Kayla placed before him.

"That man's actually competent," Vice-Director Ke protested. "We can't just hand him over to the palace!"

"It also wouldn't do to just hand over incompetents, Vice-Director. The palace would cast aside our choices and choose on its own–that's the last thing we want, for the palace to be in complete control of staffing the new branch. We'd lose any semblance of autonomy altogether," Kayla replied. "No, there needs to be a good amount of competent men in the new branch, and they need to get along well enough to be useful–at least in the short term. I don't mind burying a few landmines in there."

"A few what?"

"Timed explosives," Kayla corrected herself.

"Like the one that caused this mess," Vice-Director Ke muttered. "Never in my career! The most we've had is being assigned a new Director–"

Realizing what he'd said, he glanced up awkwardly at Kayla. "I don't mean anything by that, Director."

"It's fine, I can understand," Kayla said.

"It turned out to be a good thing, of course, but we had no way of knowing that," Vice-Director Ke supplied.

"I get it," Kayla said firmly. "Let's focus on the new branch for now. It can't be too shoddy, or it'll make the rest of our branches look bad as well."

Vice-Director Ke shook his head in dismay. "A new branch should be good news…more resources, more positions available…but this is making a mockery out of us. Why do we need a new branch right in the capital when the headquarters are already here? Why can't we just place an office in the palace? A separate branch–they'll be autonomous in a week, just you watch!"

"I'm well aware," Kayla said grimly. "Having two full branches of the same institution within one city, with overlapping functions, they clearly intend to have us contend against one another! And then what?"

She met Vice-Director Ke's eyes. "Then comes the problem of legitimacy."

"We're the head office!" Vice-Director Ke seethed. "How can our legitimacy even be in question?!"

"Who will even remember that in just a few months' time?" Kayla murmured. "So long as there's enough news to distract people or to barrage them into confusion, any outrage will only last a day or two. And even if Qiu Jinwei isn't good at manufacturing outrage, there's no telling if his allies are."

"His allies?"

Kayla didn't reply. Qiu Jinwei was on good terms with the moderate wing of the Reformists, including the men who had once comprised the core of Kayla's neutral faction back during the succession struggle. But more importantly, he was on good terms with the Cao clan, who not only had the political capital of the young Prince Chenqian and Grand Princess Dowager, but also access to great influence and favor with the Emperor.

"I'm not afraid of Qiu Jinwei slamming us with attacks," Kayla said. "I'm worried that he'll be patient. If he moves against us as soon as the branch is established, then we can set things straight and keep it that way for at least a period of time. But stretching out the battlefront is far easier for him than for us. He only needs to attack the Bureau's openings as they appear, but we need to defend ourselves on all fronts."

"Director, that means our entire Bureau is at stake!"

"Yes," Kayla said through gritted teeth. "But I'm determined to fight this to the end! The pride of our Bureau has been upheld since the start of the dynasty, there's no way I'd let that unranked advisor push us to our destruction!"

"Well said, Director!" Vice-Director Ke drew himself up. "I don't believe that our foundations can crumble so easily!"

Kayla smiled, lowering her eyes back to the scrolls before her.

If Qiu Jinwei is carrying out this plan…Kayla closed her eyes against an imminent headache. Qiu Jinwei was doubtlessly brilliant. Not that it took someone particularly brilliant to dig traps with the Emperor's backing–but Qiu Jinwei had kept Yunqi alive throughout the long years of Emperor Xuanzong's oppression. And both with Hu Qing's military appointment and with the Bureau, he always managed to corner Kayla before she could anticipate him coming.

But that doesn't mean he can pull this off.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Qiu Jinwei wasn't good at human relationships. People tolerated him, even grew to become fond of him precisely because of his seemingly natural obtuseness. But when it came to actually carrying out a long-term plan that required coordinating the efforts and interests of different parties, could Qiu Jinwei actually do it?

There was a reason why Qiu Jinwei always caught Kayla by surprise–because he could only wage short battles, not an extended war. An advisor without rank, without power, without money, without even any retainers, he was getting by only with Yunqi's support.

He won't be able to wait, Kayla assured herself. He can't afford to stretch things out that long.

And he had already offended the greater part of the Bureau's head office. People worked themselves to the bone to get in here, and took an uncommon pride in having succeeded. For a complete outsider like Qiu Jinwei to cheapen that…it was no different from kicking a steel board.

They glanced up at the sharp knocking on the door.

"Director, Vice-Director," Duan Wuxie announced himself, irritation heavy in his voice.

And here comes the first of many, Kayla thought wearily. Well, better now than later.

"Come on in," Kayla called.

Duan Wuxie shouldered his way into the room as if there were guards keeping him out rather than just a door. Kayla watched the door fall shut until it had closed completely.

Duan Wuxie had the etiquette to wait that long before beginning his outburst.

"Director, I heard that the new branch was created with your permission," Duan Wuxie said accusingly.

"Indeed," Kayla replied.

"We had thought that it was the Emperor's will!"

"It was," Kayla answered. "You all guessed correctly."

"And you just offered a chunk of the headquarters to him without a fight?! I'm disappointed in you, Director! Seeing that you weren't just a useless plant from the palace, I had developed some respect for you over the years. But to think you were such a coward!"

"Senior Investigator Duan! Watch yourself!" Vice-Director Ke snapped.

Kayla raised a hand. "It's fine," she said. "Senior Investigator Duan's feelings are understandable."

"Not just me, the men want an explanation!" Senior Investigator Duan snarled. "You might not understand, but we've broken our bodies repeatedly just to get to where we are in the headquarters! And unlike you, we don't have another appointment at the Court of Judicial Review that we can retreat to. We can't just accept having our very own office in the capital being split into two like this!"

Kayla nodded thoughtfully, then gestured to a chair. "Sit down, Senior Investigator Duan."

"I'm fine standing!"

"Sit down, Senior Investigator Duan," Kayla said, her tone unchanged.

Duan Wuxie let out a huff and reluctantly complied.

"What I'm saying to you now, you cannot say to the men," Kayla said. "How you explain it to them is up to you–whether you let them deride me as a coward or offer a simplified, less politically sensitive explanation they can accept, it's entirely in your hands."

Duan Wuxie's furrowed brows crinkled even further in confusion.

"Director," Vice-Director Ke protested.

Kayla took no note of him. "Senior Investigator Duan, tell me, where does the Bureau get its power and legitimacy from?"

Duan Wuxie grimaced. "The Emperor."

"Exactly. Our functions overlap with the Ministry of Justice. And our officials are not chosen through the Imperial Exam. All our autonomy is rooted in nothing other than the Emperor's trust and willingness to let us exist," Kayla said. "So what happens when the Emperor changes his mind?"

Duan Wuxie straightened in his seat. "He wouldn't!"

Kayla lowered her eyes.

"Think of the Court of Judicial Review and the Office of Censure," Kayla said softly. "I was at Emperor Xuanzong's side when he decided on both. What do you think he had in mind when he reinstated these two institutions?"

"The current institutions weren't doing enough," Duan Wuxie said. "But we've–"

Kayla gestured for him to quiet down. "Have some patience, Senior Investigator Duan. One, the current institutions weren't doing enough for Emperor Xuanzong's needs. But more importantly, he couldn't trust the current institutions to do what he needed them to do, even if he expanded their functions. So what did he do? He created new organizations to fill the blanks. Let's be honest. What these institutions really did was to carve away at the hegemony of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Public Works, each in its own way. But people barely opposed their creation. Why?"

"The death of Liu Hongyu and the destruction of the Wang clan of Taiyuan," Duan Wuxie said rather pointedly, with an accusatory look in her direction for good measure. "That had the effect of killing one to intimidate a hundred."

"More or less, yes," Kayla said. "But also because these two institutions were, on the surface, tailored to newly created needs in a time of turbulence. Between my grandfather and my cousins, to be frank, the court was a little distracted. The latent functions of these two in carving out their power wasn't particularly obvious at first, and even if it were, opposing them meant taking a political stance that could be easily misinterpreted with potentially deadly consequences."

"Then what about our Bureau?" Duan Wuxie asked, not swayed in the slightest by her reasoning.

Kayla withheld a smile. To some extent, that had always been the part of Duan Wuxie she liked the most.

"The Emperor just expanded our power," Kayla said mildly. "This is top-secret, but we've been permitted to use any methods to establish our intelligence network in the Khaganates."

"That–!"

"But not everyone trusts us–no, trusts me enough to let that happen," Kayla said. "Hence the creation of the new branch."

"It was Advisor Qiu's idea, wasn't it?" Duan Wuxie asked immediately. "But why did you accede to an uncastrated eunuch?!"

Kayla had to bite back a surprised chuckle.

"He lives in the Inner Palace," Duan Wuxie defended himself.

"Never say that out loud again!" Vice-Director Ke snapped.

Duan Wuxie grimaced and glanced aside.

"Because the Emperor doesn't disagree with him," Kayla said. "He also may not fully agree, but he doesn't disagree enough to prevent this from happening. This is what I need you to keep to yourself, Senior Investigator Duan. Our Bureau has expanded our influence across the country with the development of the communication network just as the Court of Judicial Review and the Office of Censure has slowly become entrenched. Now, the Emperor feels as though we are getting too big to fit the muzzle–and he was just the victim of an assassination attempt. I won't pretend I foresaw this coming, but I don't think we have any other option but to agree."

Duan Wuxie narrowed his eyes. "I can understand your position, Director, but it sounds more like you have no other option but to agree."

"No, the Bureau has no other option but to agree," Kayla emphasized. "If I had refused, there would have only been three possibilities. One, the best scenario possible, the Emperor accepts it and lets the matter be. But much more likely are the latter two. Either the Emperor is angered and establishes a branch anyway, with the mood soured right from the start and thereby much more likely to result in a permanent schism; or that the Emperor accepts it, and then establishes another institution to fulfill his purposes. It's much better to have one of ours in a separate branch than to be squeezed out by a new institution with overlapping functions!"

It's not like I can raise the example of the Eastern and Western Depots with him either, since those won't exist for centuries yet, Kayla griped. But it's all too easy for the ruler of a country to split away our power. Better to accede when he's still refraining from direct intervention than to become an empty scaffold.

Duan Wuxie glanced at Ke Sitao.

"Vice-Director, you have no objections to this?"

"Senior Investigator Duan, as your coworker of ten and seven years, allow me to speak from the heart," Vice-Director Ke said. "If there's anyone who can understand His Majesty's intentions best, it's our Director. I'm also unhappy about this, but he's right that we can't go against the Emperor's wishes. What we can do is to show the Emperor that he needs us, and that we're the ones who have his best interests at heart. Not that one he keeps at his side."

Duan Wuxie sighed, his shoulders loosening. "So we have no other options?"

"Not at the moment," Kayla said. "Opportunities will open up along the way, and we'll grab onto them as they appear. We can afford a war of endurance–Qiu Jinwei cannot. Be assured, Senior Investigator Duan, I have no intention of giving up anything."

Duan Wuxie nodded. "Alright then," he gruffly said. "I'm not happy with this, but we'll see how things go."

He got up, bowing his head to Kayla and Ke Sitao. "Excuse me."

They watched in silence as Duan Wuxie left, the door falling shut behind him.

Vic-Director Ke eyed Kayla warily. "Please don't mind him, Director. He's very devoted to the Bureau, that's why."

Kayla waved off his explanations. "Of course I understand. It's better that he asks me to my face than if he festers in silence. His heart is tied to the Bureau, so I can also trust him to quell dissent among the men."

I'm not the type of person to want him gone just for thinking he has a say, Kayla wanted to tell Ke Sitao, but that sounded exactly like the type of thing that someone who wanted Duan Wuxie gone would say.

"Thank you for backing me up, Vice-Director," Kayla said.

"Of course. Shall we get back to it then?"

Kayla dipped her head in response. Focusing back onto the personnel list, Kayla opened a docket of files and got back to work.

Well past midnight, Yunqi found himself still unable to fall asleep. The horrible sight of Consort Li's destroyed face, the withheld pregnancies of his wives, the looming threat of his father-in-law, and Wenyuan's carefully contained reactions kept spinning before his eyes every time he closed his eyes.

Letting out a sigh, Yunqi pulled a robe over his sleeping clothes and stepped out into the garden.

The moonlight cast a pale translucent veil over the palace, mellowing the shadows cast by its towering walls.

How do I know if I'm doing the right thing? Yunqi wondered. He didn't care if the question made him seem a weak ruler. He'd seen too many people destroyed by conviction–even now, both Qiu Jinwei and Zhao Wenyuan held strong beliefs in the correctness of their choices. That made them incredibly competent, but it also meant they needed to be balanced out by a ruler who deliberated. Yunqi much preferred the torment of doubt over what his misplaced certainty could do to the country.

Steady steps, Yunqi reminded himself. There wasn't much he could do but place one foot before the other and keep moving forward.

There were quiet steps on the path behind him, and Yunqi turned to see Sir Yang approaching.

"My liege," Sir Yang bowed, draping a cloak over Yunqi's shoulders.

"Thank you," Yunqi said as the old eunuch tied the cloak securely.

"My liege, you should get some rest," Sir Yang said in concern.

"I needed some air," Yunqi said.

Sir Yang nodded. "Advisor Qiu is asking for you, but since it's so late, perhaps I should tell him to come back tomorrow?"

"No, show him in," Yunqi said.

Sir Yang bowed and hurried off, returning shortly with Qiu Jinwei in tow.

"My liege, why are you not sleeping?" Qiu Jinwei asked him in confusion, as though he had not come to disturb Yunqi's sleep.

Yunqi stifled his laughter.

"Never mind that, Jinwei. You wanted to speak with me?"

Qiu Jinwei nodded. "It is about the matter of Archduke Xianchun, Your Majesty. I have been thinking about it some more, and I still think the best decision is to change out the palace servants sent to his household."

Yunqi sighed softly. Qiu Jinwei had always been strangely stubborn on seemingly small things–but it was undeniable that listening to Qiu Jinwei had kept him alive all these years.

"Do you really think that is necessary?" Yunqi asked.

"I do," Qiu Jinwei said solemnly. "There's no need to hold back simply for Duke Zhao's sake. There are no real bonds of affection between him and Archduke Xianchun, it can hardly matter so much to him as that."

Yunqi averted his eyes to avoid Qiu Jinwei's piercing stare.

Indeed, since when was Wenyuan sympathetic to Xianchun?

Or perhaps Yunqi had simply overlooked something. After all, Wenyuan had protected Xianchun from Emperor Xuanzong in the aftermath of Kuang's death. If there was ever a good opportunity to kill Xianchun, that was it.

But Wenyuan had not.

It wasn't as though Yunqi wanted his younger brother dead–his siblings had dwindled down over the years, and even if Xianchun had once opposed him, Yunqi didn't resent it enough to torment or kill him. Far from it, some part of Yunqi was desperate to keep his last surviving brother alive.

Wenyuan is hardly heartless either, Yunqi chided himself. Qiu Jinwei's paranoid enough for both of us, there's no need for me to be like this too.

"Wenyuan's right to tread carefully," Yunqi said out loud. "There's no point in startling Xianchun or causing him distress."

Qiu Jinwei's frown deepened. "My liege, I understand your love for your brother and how much it means to you to avoid your father's mistakes. That's precisely why I'm worried about what will happen if you act too late."

"What do you mean?"

"Right now the country is without a Crown Prince," Qiu Jinwei said. "Your father's brothers are too damaged, too old, or implicated in conspiracy–plus, many of them had been offended by the court during their years of disfavor, and so would not be considered candidates for the throne even if something happens to you. That leaves a startlingly small number of candidates. If your wives bear you sons, that's very well. But if they don't, we really only have two options. Archduke Xianchun, or Prince Chenqian."

"I know," Yunqi said grimly. "That's why I want a son more than anyone!"

"But until you have one, the court will have to choose–a young child who can be shaped to their will, or a grown man with existing favors and grudges? For many, getting rid of Archduke Xianchun will serve as an expression of sincerity to Prince Chenqian. So if they have an excuse, they'll apply immense pressure to have him killed or exiled–and if that goads a poor reaction from him, even better," Qiu Jinwei reasoned. "It wouldn't be hard."

"My younger brother has always had a sharp temper," Yunqi muttered.

"Precisely. My liege, can you imagine the consequences if the culprit does turn out to be related to someone in Archduke Xianchun's household?"

Yunqi breathed out slowly. "Do you really think that is the case?"

"I think we can't take chances," Qiu Jinwei said.

"We've already offended Wenyuan enough by carving out a branch from the Bureau," Yunqi said. "And now, we stir up a ruckus when he has the situation under control?"

"Would you bet your brother's life on that?"

Yunqi grimaced.

"Think of what happened to the Grand Prince," Qiu Jinwei insisted. "Think of what can happen when someone blocks the road for one's ambitions!"

"I would never allow that! If my one remaining brother were to come to harm, they would pay for it with their lives!"

"Better not to risk him in the first place!"

Yunqi had no words for that.

"Letting Duke Zhao save face is not more important than the Archduke's life," Qiu Jinwei said. "Surely you agree with that, my liege!"

"I do," Yunqi said. He heaved a sigh, deliberating the matter a moment longer. "You have a point. It would be too late by the time we find a problem. If nothing goes wrong, I can compensate him and Wenyuan some other way."

"One needn't fear that which happens ten thousand times, but that which happens only one out of ten thousand times," Qiu Jinwei said. "You make a wise choice, my liege."

Yunqi nodded silently, not looking his strategist in the eye.

Qiu Jinwei bowed. "You should get some rest, my liege."

"Jinwei," Yunqi called. Qiu Jinwei paused, turning back towards him.

"Your Majesty?"

Yunqi's eyes were as tranquil as the unbroken surface of a pond.

"I won't forgive anyone who uses my brother to manipulate me," Yunqi said softly. "Whether it's an official, an eunuch, or anyone else."

Qiu Jinwei, as always, was impossible to read. Whether he understood that Yunqi's warning was also intended to him, whether he was offended, or whether he simply took the words in without understanding why they were being said, Yunqi had no way to tell.

Qiu Jinwei nodded solemnly. "I understand, my liege. I won't let that happen."

He bowed again, and plodded off under the moonlight.

Cultural Notes

骑虎难下/Once riding the tiger, it's difficult to get off: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to something difficult to continue but that you can't stop halfway with, just like someone who is struggling to stay on the back of a tiger but can't afford to fall off.

倾巢之下无有完卵/When the nest falls no egg can remain whole: An Ancient Chinese proverb that means if the collective is doomed, no individual can emerge unscathed.

撕破脸面/Rip the facade: Directly related to the concept of face, this proverb refers to rip apart the facade in which everyone can maintain face beyond salvation, forcing everyone to fight to the end/terminating possibilities of cooperation.

推入火坑/Push into a pit of fire: An Ancient Chinese saying that means to push someone into a dangerous predicament.

因噎废食/Refusing to eat for fear of choking: An Ancient Chinese proverb that means to fear doing something advantageous for fear of potential adverse effects.

人心险恶: The danger and evil of human hearts: An Ancient Chinese proverb.

杀一儆百/Killing one to intimidate a hundred: An Ancient Chinese proverb, to make an example out of someone.

踢铁板/Kicking a steel board: A Chinese saying that means to pick the wrong fight.

不怕一万就怕万一/One needn't fear that which happens ten thousand times, but that which happens only one out of ten thousand times: An Ancient Chinese saying referring to how the unpredictable is more frightening and more damaging than something that is troublesome but certain.

Eastern and Western Depots: Two eunuch-headed institutions in the Ming Dynasty. The Eastern Depot was created as a secret police/spy agency by Emperor Yongle, who had usurped his nephew and thus had especial need for a secret police force. Later, as the Eastern Depot grew overly powerful and corrupt, Emperor Chenghua created the Western Depot with the excuse of investigating supernatural crimes, but soon usurped many of the functions of the Eastern Depot.