Surviving the Succession (A Transmigration Fantasy)

Character Index

Consort Li: Yunqi's consort, her face was destroyed in what appears to be an assassination attempt against Yunqi.

Qiu Jinwei: Yunqi's loyal advisor, appears to be at odds with Kayla.

Zhou Yunqi: The Emperor.

Halime: The Royal Consort, Ashina's half-sister. Currently pregnant and keeping it a secret.

Chuluo Khagan: Halime and Ashina's father, Khagan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

Zhou Xianchun: Archduke, Yunqi's brother.

Archduke Qi: Emperor Xuanzong's brother, conspired to place Yunqi on the throne by murdering all the other princes, then seize control over politics. However, his plot was discovered even though he did succeed in getting Yunqi to the position of Crown Prince.

Empress An: Yunqi's Empress, from Kuang's maternal clan. Currently pregnant and keeping it a secret.

Empress Dowager An: Kuang's mother. She became Empress Dowager since Yunqi's own mother was killed.

Cao Shuyi: Kuang's widow, mother of Chenqian. She currently resides on Kuang's fief with her son.

Zhou Chenqian: Kuang's young son, now eight years old.

Zhou Kuang: The deceased Grand Prince.

Ashina: Personal name Ibilga, Princess of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. Married to Kayla.

Zhao Rong: Kayla and Ashina's young son. Developing slower than considered normal (by Kayla's standard), much to the consternation of his father.

Tao Qian: Head Retainer of Kayla's household.

Chujiao/Jin Shuyou: Young lady of the Jin household (in-laws with the Xiang clan). She married Hu Qing in a political marriage to tie her cousin Xiang Daozong/Qu Boyong to Kayla in an effort to keep Kayla from eventually murdering the man out of sheer annoyance.

The palace was peaceful and quiet, shrouded in a darkness that seemed to swallow thought and sound alike. It was far past midnight, but Qiu Jinwei couldn't sleep at all. After everything that had happened that afternoon, it almost didn't seem right that it was so quiet.

The silence had swallowed Consort Li's pained moans as the healers reconstructed the melted flesh over her exposed jaw. It had swallowed the sounds of Imperial Investigators knocking at servants' quarters and whisking them away for questioning one by one, using a slew of methods, traditional and newfangled ones alike, for they had plenty of both. It also seemed to eat away at Qiu Jinwei's threadbare veil of composure, making him toss and turn, uncomfortable with every thread that touched his skin.

He sat up bolt straight, eyes boring a hole into the wall.

Just who had attempted an assassination right within the palace?

Qiu Jinwei sighed deeply, accepting that he would get no sleep that night, and began pacing in tight circles inside his room.

That it had been an attempt against Yunqi was something Qiu Jinwei didn't doubt for a second. Consort Li was a perfectly nice young woman, but she wasn't particularly important in any way.

He made this judgement without any malice–it was just what it was. Consort Li's father was a middling lower-fourth-rank official stationed in the Jiangnan Circuit. He held a position that wasn't very insignificant but also not terribly important. Her great-aunt had married into an Archduke's household a few generations ago, and another great-aunt had joined the harem the same year as Yunqi's grandmother–which meant the poor woman fell into obscurity without ever bearing a child, having no hope of outshining the former Empress Dowager.

By Consort Li's generation, the Li clan had some relatives and connections in the capital, but no more than the average clan of regional importance. Her clan held sway in Jiangnan, but not so much as to be predominant. Her brothers were perfectly mediocre officials who wouldn't climb very high but also wouldn't end up at the bottom of the ladder. Her sisters had married alright, all making matches amongst families of similar status.

The young woman herself was above-average in looks, personality, and wits, but not so much that she particularly stood out. In other words, a perfectly inoffensive and replaceable presence in the world that left little mark whether it was there or not. Possibly the only remarkable thing about Consort Li was that she was well-liked by the Emperor, who found it relaxing to be in her utterly unremarkable presence. Which was nice, just as she was, but not really a reason to kill her.

Simply put, why bother?

But Yunqi–Yunqi was a different story. He was the Emperor, and had far too many people who wanted him dead.

Qiu Jinwei grit his teeth. He had known the Emperor from when Yunqi was still a young prince who had just left the palace. Back then, Yunqi had been his last hope–if Qiu Jinwei failed to remain in the prince's good graces, he would have had no other option but to kill himself. His eccentricities had already destroyed too many chances and relationships for things to be otherwise.

Qiu Jinwei hadn't expected Yunqi to accept him so full-heartedly. Neither had anyone else. Back home, there had been a betting pool on how long it would take before he was cast out from the young Prince's household. There had also been another one on how he would kill himself after, but that was something he'd rather not think about. It was strange because he had never hurt any of them. They were happy enough to profit off his advice, in fact, and seemed to think that they had a god-given right to do so. Qiu Jinwei had finally been vindicated when Yunqi went against everyone's expectations to appoint him as a personal advisor. It was a decision that even Qiu Jinwei couldn't comprehend.

But whether it was out of practicality or pity, QIu Jinwei no longer cared. Having stayed at Yunqi's side through thick and thin over so many years, Qiu Jinwei knew full well that Yunqi had the most moderate temperament and generous soul out of all the Emperors in the entire dynasty. It wasn't that he was playing favorites, that's just what it was. It couldn't be helped that there were always fools who didn't appreciate the luck they had.

The Eastern Turkic Khaganate was suspect, of course, though Qiu Jinwei deemed Halime incapable of carrying out such a plot–her maids stood out too much in the palace due to their markedly foreign origins, and she couldn't possibly set up so many moving pieces without someone taking notice.

Qiu Jinwei wasn't writing off the belabored Western Turkic Khaganate either. Even if Chuluo hadn't really needed Wu reinforcements to turn the tide of the war, they had helped the Eastern Turks. It wouldn't be strange if there were nationalists from the West who held a grudge.

Then there were domestic enemies–mostly those who had some chance at the throne. Officials had less reason to kill Yunqi, though it didn't remove the possibility of extremists who hated the Emperor for reshaping the country with the reforms. But how would they gain access to the palace? Some had relatives or connections among the staff, surely, and the explosion talisman was military grade after all. Was the entire Ministry of War suspect then? Qiu Jinwei wouldn't be able to remove anyone from the list until the investigation had made some progress. But in his own mind, the prime suspects were all related to the Imperial family to some degree.

There were Archdukes from the previous generation who hated the father and so hated the son. Some poor deluded man might even hold ambitions for the throne, not knowing he was already damned to obscurity. All the Archdukes had grown up in the palace. It was possible that they still had old connections they could leverage. Even if a palace worker knew it was a bad idea, there were still plenty of people from impoverished families who would gladly risk their necks for some fast money.

There was also Archduke Xianchun, even if Zhao Wenyuan insisted the man was pretty much incapacitated. A political impotent, as good as eunuched. Guess who had also said that about Archduke Qi? And everyone had believed it too, all the way up until three princes had been killed. Qiu Jinwei was not taking that risk again, thank you very much.

Qiu Jinwei found the room too stuffy, and moved his pacing out into the courtyard.

What about the Inner Palace then?

Failing to consider the womenfolk was foolhardy. After all, the Empress and Empress Dowager could be in cahoots. He also found this a little bit of a stretch, but why not? They were from the same clan, and the Empress was pregnant. She could claim regency if Yunqi was gone.

Even back when Grand Prince Kuang was still alive, there had been tensions between the An clan and Yunqi. The An clan resented the burden that Yunqi posed to Kuang, and there were plenty who believed that Kuang could have made Crown Prince much faster without him. Despite the disturbance today that could not have possibly slipped her notice, the Empress Dowager hadn't even sent a messenger to inquire about Yunqi's safety until hours after the incident.

Empress An had also been especially out of sorts today, throwing a fit as if she had something to hide by redirecting the investigation towards Halime. It wasn't as if the Empress was particularly close to Yunqi either. The two had a perfectly cordial relationship, truly the epitome of "as respectful to one another as if they were guests".

Qiu Jinwei heaved a sigh, kicking at a stray pebble. He resumed his pacing, kicking the pebble along with him as we went.

What about Cao Shuyi–could she be behind this?

Qiu Jinwei winced at the thought. He had kept faith with the Cao clan according to Yunqi's wishes, and he had watched with baleful eyes as their ambitions grew with each year that Chenqian became more like Kuang and Yunqi remained without a son.

Had they decided to make their move before Yunqi had a child? Even a single daughter would be enough to prove Yunqi capable of fathering children and therefore capable of fathering an heir some point down the line, and Chenqian would be relegated to an afterthought entirely.

It would be awfully cruel of them to try and kill the one who had been kindest to them, but Qiu Jinwei believed them capable of it. He could believe anyone capable of it.

But for the Emperor's sake, it would be best if they weren't involved.

More so than his wife of three years, Cao Shuyi's betrayal would hurt Yunqi far more. There wasn't any kind of romantic affection between the Emperor and his sister-in-law, but they had been kin for a very long time.

If only we still had some earlier traditions in place, Qiu Jinwei thought grimly. If the Emperor could just take her into the harem–

That only left the young Chenqian, who could be leashed tightly to the capital or sent to "govern" some distant fief, but it would certainly be easier either way! Why were members of high society so fussy about marrying widowed sister-in-laws? It could have prevented them from their current dilemma, where Cao Shuyi's many years of sisterly love could easily turn to resentment rather than being converted to affection for a new husband.

In that regard, the Turks have it easier.

On the steppes, marrying a widowed sister-in-law was extremely common–even the father's younger consorts could remarry the stepson, saving the expense of recruiting a new harem and the trouble of establishing new political alliances.

Qiu Jinwei entirely failed to consider that Yunqi would not have been comfortable with such an arrangement even if it were possible. Frankly, Yunqi didn't have to be comfortable with it. The point was that Cao Shuyi's political significance would be entirely contained and redirected to any potential children she could or would have with Yunqi, and Chenqian would become just another Imperial relative.

So many options, and all of them with sufficient motive and means.

Sighing softly, he felt a deep sense of exasperation and despair rise up inside him.

Why were people so stupid? Did they not understand that Yunqi was the best choice for their own welfare? Of course they didn't. Everyone thought they were special, that they were somehow the exception to all past failures and disasters, and that they had some quality that would let them surpass Yunqi's performance.

They were wrong.

At least the assassination attempt also provided more opportunities–Qiu Jinwei had already grabbed at the two closest at hand. Keeping Xianchun from being able to raise his head on one hand, and reining in Zhao Wenyuan's power on another. The Archduke was a stupidly stubborn and prideful man who needed a good kick in the face to keep him in his place every now and then. Nothing better for the job than a stark and spontaneous reminder that everything Xianchun had was permitted to him by Yunqi's mercy.

Splitting the Bureau, on the other hand, had been a project long in the making, and Qiu Jinwei had grabbed the first instance possible to make it happen. Zhao Wenyuan had the power to keep the court in check, which meant there needed to be someone to keep him in check. And today, all the pieces had clicked, though the occasion was far from ideal.

The lopsided loop of his pacing had widened with the trajectory of the pebble, and Qiu Jinwei found himself outside the courtyard. The Imperial Guards nearby bowed their heads slightly, used to Qiu Jinwei's eccentricities. They were good men who never gave him strange looks or interfered with his habits, and as far as Qiu Jinwei was aware, they didn't gossip about him either.

Qiu Jinwei realized that the pebble had skittered off and gave up on it. His attention was drawn to a bobbing light in the distance. Frowning, he watched as it crossed the palace and disappeared from sight.

"Who goes there this late at night?" Qiu Jinwei asked.

"I'm not sure, sir," one of the guards replied. "I can go ask if you would like."

"If you would be so kind," he replied.

The guard bowed and was off. It was a good ten minutes before he returned.

"Sir," he greeted Qiu Jinwei. "It seems that Duke Zhao had a meeting with the Emperor."

"This late at night?" Qiu Jinwei said disapprovingly.

The guard gave a helpless shrug.

"What on earth for?"

"I wouldn't know that," the guard replied.

Qiu Jinwei frowned, debating whether he should go see Yunqi or not. He hadn't been summoned, so it didn't seem right to go and disturb the Emperor yet again.

But why on earth would Zhao Wenyuan come here this late? And his timing doesn't make sense.

If it had to do with the investigation, Qiu Jinwei would have been informed by now. Qiu Jinwei ran through the events of the hectic day again, irritation rising as he parsed the possibilities.

Was it about splitting the Bureau? No, even Zhao Wenyuan wouldn't barge into the palace this late at night over the new branch's establishment.

What else then?

They had argued over Archduke Xianchun's staff, and Yunqi had only just been convinced to go through with it a few hours ago. Had Wenyuan come because of that?

Even if he's dissatisfied, there should be a limit, he thought grimly.

Qiu Jinwei had thought merely to adjust the leash as the hound grew larger, but Zhao Wenyuan was already biting back so defiantly. If he was so resistant to control after only three years of Yunqi's favor, how would they handle him if his power continued to increase?

He's still too young for this. Qiu Jinwei grimaced in annoyance. The man could be so much more useful if not for his many faults.

But intervening on this matter? Just what is he trying to do?

Cozy up to Xianchun, who hated him less than Prince Chenqian? No, not while his own sister-in-law was pregnant.

The thought of one pregnant woman brought up another, and Qiu Jinwei was soon besieged by worries over the assassination attempt again, this time with Xianchun and Wenyuan mixed in as well.

Bewildered and exhausted, Qiu Jinwei walked past the Imperial Guards and returned to his own room, a million thoughts running through his mind in the dark.

He thoughtfully picked up his communication device. By now, Li Que should have obtained the communication device that Qiu Jinwei had sent to him, and like himself, Qiu Jinwei doubted that Li Que was getting any sleep tonight.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

He opened the device and called.

Kayla's head was swimming by the time she made it back to her quarters in the Zhao household. She silently padded down the corridor, stopping outside of Ashina's room. The two slept in separate rooms more often than not these days, with Ashina exhausted from minding an energetic toddler all the time and Kayla sleeping at odd hours of the night. Some part of her lamented it, but some part of her was also glad for it.

Gently cracking open the door, Kayla glanced inside. She smiled as the sliver of light from the doorway fell across Zhao Rong's round cheek in his little bed at Ashina's side. Her heart swelled with affection, and the many tribulations and indignities of the day seemed to melt away. Kayla silently closed the door, careful not to let it fall shut against the frame and risk waking the mother and son within.

She turned and went to her bedroom, slowly changing out of her official robes and sling them over the back of a chair. Even now, Kayla wasn't used to having servants constantly floating around her, though at times like these she wished she was. Plopping face down onto the bed, Kayla half-heartedly pushed herself onto her side before falling into an uneasy sleep.

It felt as if she had only just fallen asleep for a few minutes when there was the sound of brisk footsteps. Kayla stirred awake, immediately on guard against the unusual intrusion. She couldn't quite manage to open her eyes yet, but could make out the distinctive sound of Ashina's footsteps, the forceful steps of a rider with strong legs, followed by what seemed to be a maid.

"Put it down here," Ashina ordered. There was the soft clinking of a tray, and the sound of footsteps leaving.

Kayla groaned, flopping onto her back as Ashina approached the bed.

"Get up," Ashina ordered, patting Kayla's shoulder. "It's morning already!"

"Let me sleep a little longer," Kayla pleaded.

"No. If you get up late you'll have to do overtime, and you'll end up with less time to rest."

Sighing, Kayla forced herself to turn blearily towards her wife, eyes gritty with sleep. The princess mercilessly opened the curtains directly opposite the bed.

"Ah, the sun!" Kayla dramatically threw up a hand over her face.

Even without looking, Kayla knew Ashina was rolling her eyes.

"You'll feel better on a full stomach," Ashina said. "Come on, get on up."

Kayla winced as she gingerly stretched her limbs.

"I'm getting too old for this," Kayla groaned.

"Nonsense," Ashina said. "Get up and eat something."

"My back hurts."

Ashina lightly smacked Kayla's shoulder. "Get up!"

Kayla gingerly propped herself up on her elbows, lighting up at the contents of the tray.

"Milk tea, just what I need," Kayla said, gratefully accepted the cup that Ashina handed her.

Unlike the sweet versions with various toppings that Kayla was familiar with in her world, Ashina's tea was a salty, creamy concoction. Its astringent bitterness took the edge off the dull headache thudding at the back of her skull.

Kayla was still finishing off her cup when a platter was shoved into her face.

"Eat one," Ashina ordered, offering a plate of spiced meat pastries.

Turkish food, Kayla noted, taking one without further prompting. Ashina was worried then. It was one of the ways the princess showed it, by making sure her loved ones were well-fed on the hearty food of the steppes, as if the lighter foods common in the Central Plains wouldn't be enough sustenance for whatever trial they were going through.

"Delicious," Kayla said between bites.

Ashina waited until Kayla finished eating to start in on the main course.

"I heard the general gist of what happened from Tao Qian," Ashina said. "Where does this leave my sister?"

Kayla hid a wince, occupying her attention with wiping off her hands.

"Well, she's innocent until proven guilty," Kayla said. "We are not considering either Halime or the Empress as suspects at the moment, but their palaces do need to be investigated."

"So you're still going to investigate her," Ashina said.

"I have to," Kayla replied, trying to shrug off a strangely ominous feeling.

"And what about the Empress? She accused me and Halime, didn't she?"

Tao Qian…you…did you have to say everything?

Kayla couldn't blame the man either. She would be the one breaking the news otherwise.

And really, what was Empress An thinking? It's one thing for some random guy to say these things, but the Empress of the country? That has diplomatic ramifications. If any other official had been there, things could have gotten really bad really fast.

The flames in Ashina's eyes were growing stronger by the second. "What on earth is the Empress trying to do?! Does she also want to rip up the treaty while she's at it?!"

"She couldn't even if she tried," Kayla said.

"She knows full well that my sister would never do such a thing! Are you sure she's not behind it? She could very well be trying to take out a rival in the palace now that Halime's pregnant!"

"The Empress doesn't know Halime's pregnant."

"Doesn't she? My sister is all alone there in the palace, and the woman in charge of running the place is intent on framing her!"

"There hasn't been any framing yet," Kayla helplessly tried to calm her down, knowing how weak her arguments sounded.

"Just what did she do then?" Ashina demanded, eyes flashing when Kayla hesitated. "You won't even tell me, Halime's own sister?"

"Look, I'll be frank here–the Empress was absolutely in the wrong. But she panicked," Kayla said.

"So she did start it."

Kayla drew a deep breath. "That's true. The Empress went to confront Halime, and some harsh words were said on both sides–"

"Mostly on the Empress' side, no doubt!"

"No doubt indeed–"

"Then why say it like that? As if my sister was equally at fault?" Ashina looked simultaneously as if she was going to start bashing Kayla's face in with a brick and as if she was about to cry. "My poor sister doesn't even speak Chinese that fluently, and she's only ever learned formal speech! She wouldn't know how to throw insults at the Empress even if she wanted to! And what did the Empress say to her?"

Ashina held up a hand before Kayla could answer. "I don't even need to hear it to know that the Empress was decrying my sister for daring to be born in the Khaganate. And to think that your cousin was the one who asked for her hand when he won't even protect her!"

"The Empress was very much in the wrong, and the Emperor also knows that," Kayla hastily assured Ashina. "I–"

"That's why I was also accused," Ashina burrowed on. "Because I'm also from the Khaganate."

Her eyes did grow wet with tears now, to Kayla's increasing panic. "Do they think they can bully us just because we married in from a foreign country?"

"I won't let that happen. Empress An already took back her words about you, Ibilga," Kayla said. "So long as I have any say in court, I will not let anyone disrespect you or your sister."

"Including the Empress?"

Kayla sighed. "Please, Ibilga. I'm on Halime's side! I was prepared to protect her even before I knew for sure that she was innocent! No matter what, I won't let the investigation turn out against her favor, but–"

"What makes you think you can do that when the Emperor is carving away your own Bureau from under your feet?! You're not going to do anything about the Empress and we both know it. All you'll do is try to muddle things over for the sake of politics and bury the offenses she has dealt against us! I won't have it. She may be the Empress, but we also have our pride. Letting her trample over us only invites further abuse, and that matters little for me, but think of poor Halime who has nowhere to escape to!"

Ashina glared at her for a long moment, and Kayla began to wonder just how much of the resentment was for this and how much more of it was for everything Ashina endured trying to keep Rong'er safe and healthy.

I can't help it, Kayla wanted to say. I don't want this either. But that sounded too much like an excuse.

"This could get her killed," Ashina finally said.

Kayla lifted her eyes to take in Ashina's face, a second away from crumpling, and the frustration and resentment of her excuses being seen through disappeared.

"Oh, Ashina, I wouldn't let that happen."

Ashina drew a deep breath and collected herself, but wouldn't meet Kayla's eyes.

"Not now," Ashina said quietly.

Kayla had nothing to say to that. It wasn't as if the princesses didn't know their role–or their father, for that matter. They were stop-holders and sacrifices. They and their children were only chess pieces to be squabbled over and tossed onto the board.

"Listen, I'll do what I can to get a proper apology from the Empress," Kayla said. "But my priority is first and foremost protecting Halime's personal safety and her child. I hate to say it, but her pride is a secondary matter compared to this. Halime may have the Emperor's first son. You don't need me to tell you how important that is to her status and that of her son's."

Ashina stared her straight in the eye now. "Wenyuan, you forget that we are royals. We have our dignity to uphold."

Right. Of course, there was also that. Kayla hadn't forgotten, but she also hadn't quite remembered how it was relevant either.

"I'll do my best," Kayla said. "Really, I mean it. I'll try and get the Empress to apologize, but Halime also needs to accept it with grace, or we'll have completely offended the Empress and her clan for nothing."

Though Ashina wasn't particularly happy with the lackluster guarantee, she nodded reluctantly.

"Alright then," she said, dissatisfaction clear in her voice.

But the moment passed, and Ashina was handing her another meat pastry. Kayla accepted one, and then placed it back on the plate when Ashina wasn't looking. She had lost her appetite.

"Speaking of," Kayla began, but trailed off, not sure how to continue in the tense atmosphere.

Any chance you and your sister might actually be involved after all?

Which would rightfully receive an indignant "no". Or even worse–Say, if your sister was pregnant, would you help her stage a coup and seize power as regent? Would you try to get me to do it?

These weren't things Kayla could bring herself to say, especially not now.

"About Halime's pregnancy, did you have any idea?" Kayla asked instead, molding her face into the look of a mildly baffled husband who didn't usually pay much attention to women's affairs.

Even so, there was some tension in Ashina's voice when she replied. She wasn't fooled so easily these days.

"No," Ashina said. "I wish I did! I certainly would have watched out for her more if I'd known."

"Me too," Kayla admitted. "It really gave me quite a shock. To think she kept it secret all this time!"

Ashina sighed. "Poor thing, I can't imagine how frightened she must be. She grew up coddled by her mother and brothers, and Father had never prepared her for the possibility of marrying all the way here. If she'd known, she would have spent more time on her Chinese. Her Persian and Arabic may be perfect, but what does that matter here?"

"It's impressive enough that she speaks so many languages," Kayla said, letting the conversation flow into a less dangerous topic. She'd had enough drama without starting more in her own household. "You and all your sisters are very talented–I have high hopes for Rong'er, given that he has your blood."

Ashina smiled at that, and the tension finally seemed to wane.

Then–"What about last night?"

"Huh?" Kayla suddenly wanted to be anywhere else but here. "Last night?"

"Don't play the fool with me!" Ashina snapped. "You didn't even come home until nearly morning, but you sent a message that you were on your way back hours before that! Running to the Archduke's house and then the palace–something must have happened."

"Well, the Archduke asked for me while I was on my way back," Kayla began.

"Does he think he's still a contender for the throne, to summon you at such short notice in the middle of the night?!"

"I know, right? Let's be honest, losing the succession struggle hasn't done any favors for his personality. Even if he's the one who needs a favor, he sure doesn't act like it. Perhaps that's for the best though, I don't actually want to see him grovel."

But Ashina wasn't interested in trash-talking Xianchun together.

"What did he want?"

Kayla gave a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Well, so you see, it's complicated," Kayla said. Ashina's glare intensified, but did little to intimidate the truth from Kayla as she launched into an extremely abbreviated version of the events last night.

Still, even if it was extremely abbreviated, Kayla couldn't fully avoid the matter of Lihua.

"So I appealed to the Emperor on his behalf, and the matter was settled," Kayla concluded.

"You what?"

Something in Ashina's voice made Kayla straighten up in her seat. Whatever was coming would make Ashina's earlier upset over Halime look like a drop in the ocean, that much was certain.

"It's not what it sounds like," Kayla said weakly.

"You just said you wouldn't let them hurt us!"

"I meant it–"

Ashina crossed the room in what seemed to be three steps, short stature be damned.

"Did you consider even for a moment what might come of this?" Ashina demanded. "What might happen to Rong'er if you angered the Emperor for his disgraced brother?!"

"I increased security before this happened," Kayla tried to placate Ashina, but the princess's eyes blazed with fury as she loomed over Kayla.

"And for what?! For the Archduke's not-even-concubine? You place that man's petty whims before your own wife and son!"

"I would never!" Kayla protested. "I had my reasons, very good reasons–"

"Zhao Wenyuan!"

Kayla shut up immediately.

"I have been through hell trying to keep Rong'er alive. Don't you know how much effort I've put into raising him after the circumstances of his birth?! Did you forget how many times we nearly lost him?!"

"I know," Kayla said, her voice coming out paltry and weak.

"You," Ashina hissed, grabbing Kayla by the chin, "Are my husband. Your first responsibility is to keep this household safe! You promised me that when Rong'er was born!"

"I did."

Ashina's anger never failed to unnerve her as it increased in intensity over the years, the princess slowly unraveling the spool to its full length as time passed. Though it wasn't actually enough to dislodge Kayla's decisions, she was hardly going to dismiss it offhandedly either.

But ferocious as Ashina's tempers could be, Kayla also adored it in a strange way. It meant trust, and it meant strength, both of which Kayla lacked and Ashina had in abundance. It was almost like watching a storm up close, both terrifying and breathtaking.

Ashina leaned in until her face was hovering over Kayla's, grip painful on Kayla's jaw.

Kayla swallowed hard.

"Keep your promise," Ashina whispered, eyes bright with tears. "Keep it, or I'll kill you with my own hands."

Then Ashina flung her arms around Kayla's neck, and Kayla wordlessly returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry," Kayla finally said. "Helping the Archduke was a stupid risk, but I never forgot our promise."

Ashina's fingernails dug into the back of Kayla's head.

"I'm doing this to increase our chances," Kayla went on, ignoring the prickling sensation of nails against her scalp. "The Archduke is a very dangerous man. I can't kill him, which means I can't break him either. You have to believe me when I say that I'm doing this for us."

Through the layers of brocade, Kayla could hear Ashina's heartbeat thudding against her where their bodies were pressed together.

"If you die, me and Rong'er are done for as well," Ashina said softly. "Our fates are tied together, don't you see that?"

She pulled away now to look Kayla in the eyes with an intensity that didn't seem quite human.

Kayla stared with some amazement at the monstrous being in her arms, a monster who was very much her equal.

If I fail, she'd rather that we die together, Kayla silently filled out the implication of Ashina's threat. This was as close as they got to true love in a time and place like this, a threat of murder-suicide. And contrarily, it made Kayla's heart melt.

Poor Ashina. Is this what I made you into, or were you always like this?

"Ibilga," Kayla said gently, "Don't worry. I understand."

Ashina's grip tightened until it was almost painful, and Kayla smiled into the robes pressed over her face.

"It's alright, Ibilga. We'll be safe. You, Rong'er, Halime, all of us will be just fine."

Kayla paused a bit, and tacked on an additional disclaimer.

"And of course, the whole matter of Xianchun taking a concubine has nothing to do with my own thoughts on the matter," Kayla explained. "I have no such–"

"You wouldn't," Ashina said firmly. "You promised me that too."

Kayla began to smile, but faltered when she remembered the excuse she had given to Yunqi.

The guilty glance up towards Ashina's face went unseen, and Kayla forced the matter out of her mind.

Some things are better left unmentioned.

Li Que flipped through the pile of testimonies on his new desk. His new office in the palace had been set up overnight, which was also when the night shift Investigators had obtained these statements. The work was done efficiently enough, but Li Que still felt plagued with doubt.

Had anyone left out anything on purpose in an attempt to sabotage him? It would be awfully foolish to do such a thing, just for petty pride. The Emperor's safety was at risk here, and none of them could bear the responsibility for leaving a threat at large. But Li Que especially could not bear the responsibility for such a thing, not when he had been promoted on such short notice and in direct opposition to the Bureau headquarters.

He shook his head, trying to dislodge the paranoia creeping upon him.

No one in the Bureau was that stupid. Sure, people were displeased, but…

Qiu Jinwei's words from last night echoed through his mind, as uncomfortable as a slug dragging its wet body across his skin.

"There's no need to be too deferential to the Duke in this investigation, Vice-Director. The intention is for you to gain merit, you and the new branch."

That in itself was not so tantalizing as Qiu Jinwei must have believed. But the man's next words had sent a shock of ice straight to the core of Li Que's soul.

"Remember, Vice-Director. This is the Emperor's will."

If so, why hadn't the Emperor sought out a private audience? Why hadn't the Emperor said anything to Li Que through someone who could be trusted as a messenger, someone who didn't lurk around the palace so suspiciously?

But then again, the Emperor didn't need to. Qiu Jinwei had no rank or position. If the Emperor hadn't wanted this, the Emperor had a million ways to quash it.

This is an excellent opportunity.

But it was also a terrible sign of the storm on the horizon. The time to make a decision was coming upon him fast. Within hours, he would have the first inklings of who would be responsible through piecing together everyone's narratives. At that time, did he call Zhao Wenyuan or not?

It would be foolish not to. The Director definitely had eyes on him. But it was just as foolish to do so, when Qiu Jinwei and the Emperor doubtlessly had eyes on him as well.

Li Que's fist clenched around a scroll, startling as it crumpled beneath his fingers. Sighing, he unrolled it and smoothed out the delicate paper, trying to push his worries out of his mind.

Cultural Notes

江南道/Jiangnan Circuit: An administrative region in Tang-dynasty China, it encompasses several wealthy economic hubs.

相敬如宾/As respectful to one another as if they were guests: An Ancient Chinese proverb describing cordial and respectful relationships between husband and wife. Some staunch conservatives frowned upon overly lovey-dovey martial relations and saw this as the ideal.

Levirate marriages in North and Central Asia: Among nomadic cultures in Northern and Central Asia, it was common for a widow to marry the brother of her husband, or to marry the stepson of her husband. This was not considered incest by the standards of the time, and was practiced by the Xiongnu, the Turks, and the Mongolians.

Northern Asia milk tea: Unlike the milk teas we often see in boba shops or Starbucks today, this was often savory. For some extra oomph, people often add toasted rice grains (in Mongolia) for the crispy texture.

Dietary differences between Turks/nomads and Han Chinese: Chinese cuisine varies a lot by region, and this was especially true in the past when fresh ingredients could not be easily transported. That being said, the meat and dairy-heavy diet of nomadic cultures to the North often disagrees with agricultural communities in the South, where many people may be lactose-intolerant. Among my own relatives, there are people from Southern China who couldn't adapt to Inner Mongolian cuisine while on a trip there, being used to lighter foods and more seafood-heavy diets, compared to the constant barrage of lamb and beef and cheeses they found up North.