Surviving the Succession (A Transmigration Fantasy)

Character Index

Yang Lihua: A young laundry maid who has developed mutual affections for Xianchun.

Zhou Yunqi: The current Emperor.

Zhou Xianchun: An Archduke, has developed affections for Yang Lihua.

Ashina: Personal name Ibilga, princess of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

Yu Bianfu: Archduchess, married to Xianchun.

Zhou Rong: Kayla's two-year-old son.

Halime: Princess of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, currently the Royal Consort.

Qiu Jinwei: Yunqi's long-time advisor.

Zhou Ying: Posthumously titled Emperor Xuanzong, father of Yunqi and Xianchun.

Chuluo Khagan: Khagan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

Wei Guang: Formerly the Imperial Edict Bearer and Minister of Censure. Kayla's godfather/ally.

Chujiao/Jin Shuyou: A relative of the Xiang clan, which was framed by the Grand Duke (their revenge plot was featured in Book 1). She was Wenyuan's maid and childhood sweetheart, but has since married Hu Qing in a political match.

Hu Qiang/Liang Hongfei: Lord of the Liang clan and commander in charge of training the capital guard.

Kayla stared at the girl before her. Face twisted in fear and anxiety, Yang Lihua seemed younger than nineteen in the dim lighting.

Before she made any requests to Yunqi on Xianchun's behalf, Kayla had wanted to confirm Lihua's thoughts. She wasn't about to ruin some poor girl's life just to satisfy Xianchun, even if some strange compulsion had made her agree to the Archduke's request.

Lihua was not particularly pretty, just as the reports had taken the trouble to note. She had a small frame, but her wiry arms were doubtlessly strong from extensive labor. The girl now looked about nervously, wringing her hands into her skirts.

"My lord, please have mercy!" Lihua cried after a moment of confused deliberation. She glanced at the Imperial Guards on either side of Kayla imploringly, then turned her gaze upon Kayla. It lingered nervously there for a moment before Lihua abruptly averted her eyes again.

Kayla considered the girl before her. Did Lihua really know what she was getting into? Surely she did. Lihua was nineteen, and hardly so naive as to not understand her situation.

Was being en route to becoming a consort really what she wanted though? Or was it only a one-sided fantasy on Xianchun's end? The Investigators may have noted signs of attraction, but they could have been mistaken, assuming that this was Lihua's goal.

After all, she would be marrying far above her station. To go from hard labor on a daily basis to dressing in brocade and eating off jade plates was not something most serving girls would think of turning down.

But what if it wasn't what the girl wanted?

Kayla didn't exactly have a good way to ask it either. Palace maids were governed by strict standards of chastity, and privately making marriage arrangements without permission was forbidden. Even if Lihua did have someone she liked who was not Xianchun, how could the girl possibly say so? If she were found out, both her and her loved one would be in great danger.

But as things were now, Lihua could leave her post once she was twenty-five with generous severance pay and savings, and would be highly sought for on the marriage market despite being older than the average bride. She could be a respected wife of a middle-class family rather than a concubine.

Thinking about all this is useless, let's just see what she says.

Trapped in the long silence and Kayla's unflinching scrutiny, Lihua was trembling like a leaf.

"The palace staff are being transferred by order of His Majesty the Emperor," Kayla announced. "Upon request of the Archduke, your transfer has been deferred for the moment being."

Lihua's face lit up immediately, blossoming into a brief illumination of beauty.

Kayla was almost taken aback by the genuine joy she saw there.

Guess it really is reciprocal.

"Leave us for a moment," Kayla ordered the Imperial Guards.

They obediently went outside.

Kayla turned back towards Lihua, who was staring at her nervously.

"I do not have much time, so let us speak plainly. Do you want to stay here?" Kayla asked Lihua.

Lihua didn't even blink, eyes wide as she stared at Kayla in confusion, or perhaps disbelief.

Kayla pushed onwards. "If you do not wish to, I will remove you from here immediately and see that you won't face reprisal. It is within my power to do so."

"I–my lord, please don't send me away!"

"You will not lose your post in the palace unless you wish to leave it before your term is up," Kayla said. "And I will ensure that you will have severance pay even if you do. What I am asking right now is whether you wish to stay with the Archduke."

Wide-eyed, Lihua vigorously nodded her head.

"Do you understand that you will most likely become a concubine of his? Even if you do not harbor such affections, you'll have few prospects elsewhere if you become the subject of rumors, which you most certainly will."

"I-I understand!"

"Do you?"

"I do! Truly, my lord!"

Kayla scanned the girl's face but found nothing but earnest dedication.

"Very well," Kayla said. "You may return to your quarters."

"Thank you very much, Your Excellency," Lihua said in a small voice.

Kayla nodded, and the girl bowed deeply before scuttling out of the room.

I've done my due diligence, Kayla thought to herself. That girl chose this path.

Letting out a soft huff, she headed out of the household.

For the second time that day, Kayla made her way back to the palace.

Kayla winced at the throbbing in her temples as she walked through the dark pathways, dotted only by the warm pinpoints of lamps. It was very late, and she was tired of handling extremely powerful people and their emotions. Or maybe she was just tired.

Each step towards the Emperor's quarters seemed heavier than the last.

I want to go home, Kayla thought wearily, then remembered that Ashina would be waiting for her there, demanding answers on her sister's situation.

Ok, I don't want to go home.

Why? Why was she even bothering to disturb the Emperor this late, over Xianchun's affair, of all things?

Even stranger was that Yunqi had responded to her request immediately when she hadn't expected an answer till the morrow. Why wasn't he in bed at this time of the night?

Was he having trouble sleeping again? What was it? Nightmares? Guilt? Insecurities? She flipped through a host of mental files, the tabs she kept on Yunqi's wellbeing. It could be all of the above, Kayla concluded, with an attack on his life, even revenge wasn't off the table if it just happened to stir Yunqi up enough that he recalled Xianchun's old wrongdoings against him.

Kayla finally climbed the steps to Yunqi's quarters. An eunuch led her into the garden, where Yunqi was sitting on a stone bench, a cup of warm liquid in his hands. The vapor rising off of it shimmered and dissipated before reaching his face.

"My liege," Kayla greeted him, bowing deeply. "Please forgive me for disturbing you this late at night."

"Wenyuan," Yunqi said with a smile. "Come and join me."

She cautiously approached, sitting down next to him when he gestured for her to do so.

"Pour the Duke some tea," Yunqi ordered. A eunuch immediately handed over a cup before quietly backing out of hearing range.

"My liege, are you wearing enough?" Kayla asked, scanning the cloak over his shoulders. "The night is chilly, please be mindful of your health."

"I'm more than warm enough, thank you," Yunqi replied. He seemed content to sit in silence for a bit, so Kayla complied accordingly.

"I heard you visited my brother?" Yunqi asked lightly.

Ha. No wonder Yunqi had responded to her so quickly.

"Yes, the Archduke asked me to his household," Kayla replied. "He seemed distressed, so I thought it best to comply."

"You withheld a laundry maid from the personnel being transferred," Yunqi observed, pausing to sip his tea. "Why?"

"It seems that she and the Archduke are in love with one another," Kayla replied. "It was a bit of a delicate matter, and I didn't dare to proceed either way without begging your permission first."

"Ah, yes. There was something about that in the reports, wasn't there? I can hardly remember," Yunqi remarked.

That was hardly a surprise. Yunqi had countless briefings every day about every corner of the country. An Archduke that had been rendered politically impotent was hardly one of Yunqi's concerns. Yunqi had been good enough to Xianchun given their messy past, there wasn't any real reason that the Emperor would need to constantly check in on his little brother's love life on top of all that.

"Your Majesty has so many matters to worry about, such a trivial thing does not warrant your attention," Kayla said, bowing her head slightly.

"If he has claimed her as a lover, he could have simply notified the Internal Administration," Yunqi murmured. "If he has bedded her, then making her his concubine officially as well is only the right thing to do. Why wait until now? Could my little brother be embarrassed?"

Kayla lowered her eyes. "They have not engaged in intimacy yet," Kayla said carefully.

"It has not been consummated yet? Well, I suppose she wouldn't count as a concubine then," Yunqi said. "Have some of your tea before it cools, Wenyuan. As you said, the night is chilly."

"Thank you, my liege." Kayla obediently took a sip.

"So he is enamored," Yunqi said.

"Your Majesty is astute," Kayla replied. "The Archduke is very attached to the girl, so I wondered…if perhaps an exception could be made for her if her background is clean?"

Yunqi tilted his head slightly. "My dear cousin really is thoughtful. Very well, if you think that is best, I also do not have the desire to break apart a loving pair. Though I do feel sorry for Archduchess Yu."

He spoke in the same tone as usual, but Kayla couldn't help but detect–or imagine–a hint of sarcasm.

"I feel the same," Kayla admitted. "But that is a household matter that the Archduke will need to resolve on his own."

Yunqi smiled thinly. "I will honor your request, of course...but my dear cousin, do you forget that I was the one who arranged their marriage?"

Fuck.

Yunqi went on, his voice slowly growing sharper. "How would it look if I was the one to damage their relationship now? An Emperor who unwittingly made a bad match for his brother is very different from an Emperor who maliciously insulted the Archduchess by offering a lowly laundry maid as a concubine. It may be my brother who entered an inappropriate relationship on his own, but the maid is from the palace. How will people interpret this?"

Ah shit.

What was she even doing?

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"My deepest apologies, my liege. I failed to consider this–"

"Wenyuan," Yunqi looked her in the eye. "You certainly sympathize with my little brother, don't you?"

Ice shot through her veins. "My liege, I wouldn't say that it's really sympathy," Kayla protested. "I had simply sought to avoid stirring up a ruckus over such a small matter. After all, if the Archduke openly petitions about this, it won't look good on either him or yourself. Whether or not the maid is sent back to his household, it will be a smear on your reputation."

Perhaps it was because of Yunqi's strange mood, but the excuses sounded weak even to her own ears despite being legitimate.

Yunqi smiled even as his voice grew colder with each word.

"Of course. I believe you only had the best of intentions. I only find the juxtaposition a little bit strange. My most trusted subject, who has designed the reforms that have filled the Treasury, who is watching over the security of this nation and of the Imperial Family, who is responsible for monitoring the international developments in the West and the North, is approaching me for a private meeting just to beg for the placement of one servant girl?"

A dangerous look flickered over his face, so quickly she nearly thought she'd imagined it.

"Or are you simply displeased that I ordered the transfer without telling you?"

"No, how could I possibly–my liege, I would never dare!"

"I'm glad to hear that," Yunqi said. "I wouldn't be in a good position if you were displeased with me, would I?"

"Your Majesty!" Kayla hastily set down her cup, kneeling before him. "Please don't say that, Your Majesty, this lowly subject is too ashamed to bear the burden of such words!"

Contrary to her frightened tone, her inner voice had gone flat and bitter.

Literally what is wrong with everyone today?

And why wasn't she surprised at all? That was the bad part. That was what should scare her.

"I simply struggle to understand," Yunqi said. "If it's not sympathy, if it's not displeasure, then could it possibly be out of the good of your own heart?"

Kayla gave him a wounded look, trying to buy herself time.

Fuck, he's really pissed.

Why had she taken this on, for someone who was now worthless to her?

It was an unnecessary risk, especially with Rong'er still so young and fragile, with Halime under suspicion, with the Bureau seen as inept, and with Qiu Jinwei breathing down the back of her neck. Why had she even bothered?

Now Yunqi was displeased, and for good reason. He was the one who had granted her this much power, but she was going against him for Xianchun.

Damn it, Kayla, she mentally cursed her own stupidity, but that soon faded away as her conviction resurfaced.

Why the risk for Xianchun, of all people?

Was it guilt for taking the throne from him? No, far from it. Kayla had never regretted her decision to support Yunqi even once. He made for a good Emperor who evaluated decisions carefully and sought to maintain balance in his court and country. Xianchun could never have done the same.

What was it then, misplaced sympathy for a man whose future she'd ruined? Kayla didn't think it was that either. How many lives had she ruined to get here? Xianchun had lost the throne and his political career, but he still had his life and lifestyle intact. Kayla was watching his every move, but she was also keeping him very safe. Few of her other opponents could say the same.

Gratitude then…well, that was part of it. In all fairness, Xianchun could have become Emperor if Kayla had never appeared. Wenyuan could never have survived if Xianchun didn't exist. What was the source of all the titles and power she had today? It was Emperor Xuanzong's wish to get rid of the Grand Duke and to balance out the rivaling princes before the succession crisis could come to war.

It wasn't going too far to say that Duke Zhao only existed because of Xianchun, a disregarded prince born of a laundry maid who had no resources yet had carved out a spot for himself in the succession struggle.

Which is why Kayla knew, from the depths of her heart, that Xianchun could never be allowed to be pushed past the breaking point. Whatever monster emerged from that would be more than she could handle.

The Xianchun of the past was a man who would go to great lengths for his own goals, but placed the good of the country before his personal benefit. But how long could he hold onto such convictions when it felt like the world itself had turned on him?

Imagine a man of Xianchun's conviction and readiness to act, but with absolutely nothing holding him back. Not morals, not affection, not even the childhood ties that bound him to sanity.

Kayla didn't even want to think of how far such a man could go–the Grand Duke was the lower limit. She couldn't imagine the upper limit.

Especially not with Chuluo watching us in the North like a tiger watches its prey. Now, I can still count on Xianchun to fight and die for the greater good of the country even if he's lost out on the succession struggle. But if he ends up spiraling all the way down…

How difficult was it to sneak someone out of the capital? Not so easy as that, especially if you were under heavy watch, but there was no wall that never leaked wind.

If Xianchun was ever pushed into cooperating with Chuluo Khagan, the end of the Wu was imminent.

Physical torments couldn't break a man like him. Xianchun's resolution would only get stronger in proportion to what he had to endure. But mental suffering, the kind that made your very existence agony? The kind that only your loved ones could cause, the kind Kayla had once suffered because of her own mother. The kind she saw now in the hollow face of Yu Bianfu, that had made her stomach flip when she'd seen it in Xianchun's eyes…that, Xianchun could not endure.

Yunqi, whether or not he'd meant to, had chosen the cruelest fate for his brother. Not by killing him, not by hurting him, not even by humiliating him, but by doing none of the above and letting him live with his loved ones.

And as love turned to hate and the gilded walls became a claustrophobic cage, Xianchun would either shatter or warp into a monster that nothing could shackle.

Why remove someth–someone who could bind him?

She couldn't say that to Yunqi, who would neither be able to bring himself to kill Xianchun nor to treat him normally after knowing this. Who knew what that would lead to, especially when Qiu Jinwei caught wind of the Emperor's concerns? Xianchun hadn't been pushed nearly as far as Archduke Qi, but Xianchun wasn't the type that needed a whole lot of pushing.

Yet what else could she possibly say?

Give him a weakness, Wei Guang's voice echoed in the back of her mind. Give him a weakness so that he can feel safe.

He has one! Kayla wanted to shout back. No thanks to you and your stunt with the Grand Duke's assassins!

But she had to agree with Wei Guang's assessment. Yunqi didn't need an option to pull the plug altogether–he couldn't use it even if he wanted to while he still needed her for the reforms. He needed something that could damage her but not destroy her.

A big mistake can cost your head. A small mistake can save your life.

Kayla lowered her eyes, choosing the option closest to truth. Not the truth, but a truth nonetheless.

"To be honest, I don't sympathize with the Archduke at all," Kayla admitted. "When I was still under the control of the Grand Duke, he never sympathized with me. He despised me and would have liked to kill me–my circumstances didn't matter to him until he noticed that I was useful, and even then, he never made it easy for me to deal with him."

Yunqi actually seemed taken aback at that.

"I wouldn't have thought that," Yunqi said in surprise. "You always seemed to handle both sides with equal levity. But then why are you speaking up for him? I understand if it's just a matter of principle, but…"

Yeah no one would believe that. Taking a principled stand for Xianchun, of all people? Over a mere love tryst that wasn't a tryst yet? No, Wenyuan wasn't that type of person. It would be more believable if it was a life-and-death situation, but this was too outlandish for anyone familiar with the leader of the Reformists.

Kayla winced. "My liege, I wish I could say that it was a matter of principle. But it's more…it's more that I sympathize with my past self."

Yunqi's brows crinkled in confusion.

Kayla lowered her eyes awkwardly. "Before I say anything, I wish to clarify that I love my wife dearly, and I would never think of taking another concubine or having an affair or anything of the sort. I treasure what I have now."

"I would not think otherwise," Yunqi murmured. If he was confused, he did not show it.

"There was a maid that I grew up with," Kayla said. "She had stayed at my side since I was thirteen and she was eleven. She was an orphan, but I was the one who relied on her for strength, especially after my mother died. If not for her, I don't think I could have made it through the Grand Duke's…well, Your Majesty probably has heard of what went on in that house."

Yunqi nodded sympathetically.

"She didn't look down on me for being treated like that, the way many people did. She didn't mock me. She…"

Kayla fell silent for a moment, trying to tamp down the strange sensation at the back of her throat.

"I loved her," Kayla said, surprised at how much she meant it.

A wave of grief swept over her, strangely foreign and yet familiar at the same time. It took her a second to recognize the sensation, and it was soon followed by shame for her own hypocrisy.

Wenyuan's affections were far stronger than death itself.

I'm sorry, Kayla thought. I'm sorry the world took that from you, and now I'm playing it for my own purposes.

She realized she had been silent for a few moments already, just gnawing at the inside of her cheek. Kayla took a deep breath and collected herself.

"That girl turned out to be a descendant of the Xiang clan. Her parents had been killed by my very own grandfather," Kayla said. "And she herself was there for revenge. Of course, it was impossible between us, even before my marriage to Ashina was decided."

Realization dawned over Yunqi's face. "A descendant of the…are you speaking of Lady Jin?!"

Kayla nodded grimly. "We have done what we could to cover up her past as a maid. It was hardly her own choice, but rather the circumstances. My liege, if you could please…"

"Of course," Yunqi said kindly. "I would never damage the reputation of an innocent lady."

"Your Majesty's benevolence is infinite," Kayla replied.

Yunqi seemed to finally relax. His in-law-cousin-Duke-Minister was as faulted and human as his wives who were as frightened as he was himself. Finally, he could be sure that they were on equal footing. And if he ever had doubt of it, he would know how to hurt her.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Wenyuan."

Kayla maintained her tempo, pausing a few beats as she readied to continue.

Show your human side to him. Bare the soft flesh to the knife and hope that it won't draw blood.

That was what the Emperor needed. For someone he needed to trust to trust him in return.

"Thank you, my liege, but it's probably not what you're thinking," Kayla said. "My affections were not one-sided. Of the two of us, Lady Jin was the one who was truly tormented by her feelings for the descendant of her greatest enemy. All those years, I had been relying on her kindness and the love between us, all without realizing how much it was hurting her. It's one of my greatest regrets."

"You hardly could have known," Yunqi said. "It wasn't either of your faults."

Kayla sighed. "Whose fault it is no longer matters, especially since she is married now."

Yunqi could barely hold back either his sympathy or his confusion. "But Wenyuan, if I recall correctly, you were the one who mediated the match and oversaw the wedding rites!"

"Yes," Kayla said. She managed a bleak smile. "Personally arranging for the woman I love to marry my best friend, it's quite a shameless act, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't think so," Yunqi said. "I'm sure you were doing so out of consideration for their best interests."

"I wish it was that purehearted a motive," Kayla said bitterly. "I didn't want either of them to leave me, that's all. But it doesn't matter anymore. She's beyond my reach now. I've forgotten about the whole thing."

Yunqi politely did not offer any pointed remarks on that.

"The past is in the past," Yunqi comforted her. "These things are beyond our control sometimes. You have a lovely family now, isn't that what matters?"

"Of course," Kayla said, a desperate edge in her voice. "I could hardly covet my friend's wife anyhow. I couldn't betray the princess' love for me."

Yunqi nodded, suppressing any emotions he must have had at the scandalous reveal. It spoke to Yunqi's temperament that he remained flawlessly polite in the face of so much dog-blood drama.

"I have always known you to be a man of integrity," Yunqi said assuringly. "You wouldn't do such a thing."

Kayla bowed her head slightly.

"I understand how irksome and inappropriate my request is," Kayla said sheepishly. "It's not the Archduke that I'm sympathizing with, but I do pity the maid. Chujiao–no, Lady Jin…I'm sure she resents me deep down for the suffering I've caused her. Even now that she's happily married, some part of her must resent that it's me who married her off, and for such selfish purposes as that. I've tainted her life, but I want to seek redemption in some way, even if it's just for my own conscience."

Yunqi nodded thoughtfully.

"If that's how you feel about it, I have no reason to interfere. Check her background and connections thoroughly, and if there's nothing of concern, leave her with Xianchun if you think she'll be safe there. Whatever becomes of that is beyond us," Yunqi said.

"Thank you, my liege," Kayla said, bowing her head deeply.

Yunqi let out a soft huff, the tension having seeped out of his frame.

"Wenyuan, I hope you don't mind my inquisitiveness," Yunqi said. "I don't mean to cast any aspersions on you or to suspect you, but you are my most trusted subject, and the one I rely on the most. It troubles me when I can't understand your actions."

Kayla kept her head lowered. "Not at all, my liege."

Yunqi sighed. "What you've shared with me will stay between us, Wenyuan. Rest assured of that."

"Thank you." Her relief was completely genuine. Kayla had only dragged up the excuse as a last-second resort, but to subject Hu Qing and Chujiao to the rumor mill as a result would have been the opposite of what she'd wanted.

"Please raise your head, Wenyuan," Yunqi said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She met his gaze as she straightened her posture, immediately taken aback by the depth of empathy in his eyes.

"You and I are on the same boat," Yunqi said with emphasis. "Have faith in that."

"Yes, my liege!"

"Go on and get some rest," Yunqi said. "I should call it a night as well."

"Please rest well, my liege." Kayla bowed her head. "Then I will take my leave of you now."

Yunqi nodded with a smile. It was only when she saw the genuine thing that she realized how fake his smiles had been of late.

Kayla wordlessly followed a young eunuch out of the palace, barely even noting the Imperial Guards that joined the escort.

He keeps going on about trust and faith. The more he lacks it, the more he says it.

With a bone-deep weariness, Kayla left the towering walls of the palace behind her.

Cultural Notes

锦衣玉食/ dressing in brocade and eating off jade plates: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to living it up.

私定终身/Privately making marriage arrangements: An Ancient Chinese phrase used for youngsters who fall in love and make marriage arrangements on their own (aka without parental permission, or in the case of palace staff, authorization from their superiors). In the era of arranged marriages, this was seen as quite a scandal in the upper class, though attitudes among commoners varied greatly by time and place.

虎视眈眈/Like a tiger watches its prey: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to someone who doesn't bear good intentions towards you and is watching for an opening.

没有不透风的墙/No wall that never leaks wind: A Chinese saying that means there is no secret that is safe forever.

大错掉头,小错保命/A big mistake can cost your head. A small mistake can save your life: A Chinese saying that was applied by some officials in key positions, where they show some very human flaws that make them seem more relatable and also makes their superiors/subordinates feel at ease despite being very cautious in handling their work.

Dog-blood drama: A Chinese phrase referring to extremely soap-drama-esque situations. The phrase originated from the Han Dynasty, where the son of a minister by the name of Wang Mang knew his father was trying to usurp the Emperor. Trying to scare his father off from making a major step towards the goal of usurpation, Wang Mang's son splashed dog blood on the household gates to try and create a "supernatural" omen, but was caught in the act. His father then forced him to kill himself, and this entire scenario then became the defining example of "dog-blood drama".