Surviving the Succession (A Transmigration Fantasy)

Character Index

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

Zhao Rong: Ashina and Kayla's child. Was born prematurely.

Derin: Ashina's lady-in-waiting.

Meral: One of Ashina's servants. In Book 2 she was revealed to be one of Chuluo's spies.

Chuluo: Khagan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. Father of Ibilga and Halime.

Captain Du: Guard in charge of Xianchun's household.

Zhou Xianchun: Archduke, former contender for the throne.

Yu Bianfu: Archduchess, married to Xianchun quite unhappily. Used to be in the military.

Tao Qian: Kayla's head retainer.

Yang Lihua: A young laundry maid that Xianchun has developed feelings for. Seemingly reciprocates, but no one can say for sure.

Liu Boyue: Xianchun's childhood friend and strategist.

Cao Shuyi: Widow of Grand Prince Kuang, currently raising her son Chenqian outside the capital.

Archduke Qi: Half-brother of Emperor Xuanzong, he was exiled from the capital and persecuted relentlessly after a tragic accident, after which he began to conspire to take power with Yunqi as a puppet. His conspiracy was foiled, but only after Kuang and the First and Second Princes were murdered.

Consort Liu: Xianchun's birth mother, she was a laundry maid before Emperor Xuanzong took interest in her. She was eventually murdered by the Grand Duke.

Halime: Royal Consort, Princess of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. She is Ashina's half-sister.

Empress An: Currently married to Yunqi. She is Kuang's maternal cousin.

Li Que: Vice-Director of the Imperial Investigation Bureau's newest branch which is yet mostly unknown to the rest of the capital.

Baran: Halime's lady-in-waiting.

Like the startlingly clear blue sky after a storm, Ashina went back to her usual self almost immediately after their confrontation. Kayla would even say that Ashina was in a better mood than usual–or perhaps it was just the presence of Rong'er.

Derin had probably sensed that there would be discord of some sort, and had come in with the couple's young son as soon as she was sure it was over. The toddler's presence worked wonders for Ashina, who was all smiles once she saw her son, but Kayla's gaze lingered on the Turkish serving girl who had carried Rong'er inside until she was out of sight.

Kayla turned her attention to the toddler for a long moment, reaching out to chuck Rong'er under the chin. He gurgled happily, still not quite managing a full phrase.

"Ba!"

"Yes, your father is over there," Ashina agreed, taking the toddler's chubby hand in her own to point at Kayla.

"Our young master is so smart!" Derin cooed. "Try saying the full word–Baba. Come on, let's say it together now, Baba."

"Ba!"

Kayla chuckled, patting Rong'er on the head. "You're getting there, little buddy."

He would learn to speak full sentences in time. Hopefully.

She met Ashina's gaze with as open an expression as she could manage, trying not to lead into another disagreement.

"That girl who brought Rong'er in earlier," Kayla said casually. "Her name was Meral, right?"

"Yes, one of my serving maids," Ashina replied.

"Since when was she in charge of caring for Rong'er?"

"It's not really one of her main duties, but she helps out now and then," Ashina said. "Why?"

Kayla gave a thin smile. "I'm just not sure I like the look of her for the job. She's competent, I don't doubt that, but she doesn't exactly seem the right type to care for a child. Maybe it's best to play to her strengths instead of having her take care of Rong'er."

After all, that girl's one of Chuluo's eyes and ears.

Which surely Ashina was aware of.

Ashina met Kayla's gaze head-on, voice hardening.

"She might not be the best with children, but she can be trusted with Rong'er," Ashina said firmly. "Meral will definitely protect his safety."

After all, that girl's one of Chuluo's eyes and ears, went unspoken.

Kayla gave a small nod, deciding not to push the matter further. It was true that the Khaganate had much more incentive to keep Rong'er alive–not necessarily for a good purpose, but they would protect their political capital.

But if she's this embedded in the household, it will make things difficult when I have to make my move.

She couldn't leave Chuluo's spy network intact. When the time came, she would do to Chuluo's intelligence efforts what he had done to hers. That might not be for years yet, but the strange trends they were observing in the West suggested it might be much sooner than Kayla hoped.

At least Rong'er is too young to remember much.

Kayla leaned down to meet the toddler eye-to-eye.

"Alright, Rong'er, your father has to go to work now," Kayla said regretfully. "Be a good boy for your mother, alright?"

Derin glanced between Kayla and Ashina, then smiled down at Rong'er. "Rong'er, don't you want to help your father change into his official robes?"

"Oh? Do you, Rong'er?" Kayla asked.

Rong'er made a sound close enough to "yes", and was tasked with smoothing down Kayla's robes for her after Derin wiped his hands clean of spit. The women cheered him on as the boy studiously smudged his palms over a tiny percentage of the robe's surface area.

"Whoa, look at that! Great job, Rong'er!" Kayla patted his head. "What would your father do without you?"

Ashina and Derin laughed heartily, patting the child's head and pinching at his cheeks.

Kayla's smile faltered at a sudden alert on her communication device. The call was marked as urgent, which was never a good thing. She turned away slightly to answer it.

"Yes?"

"Greetings, Your Excellency. This is Captain Du. This lowly one is in charge of the Imperial Guards currently stationed at Archduke Xianchun's household," the caller said.

She vaguely recollected the man's face from a brief meeting at the palace some months ago.

"Ah, Captain Du, it's good to hear from you," Kayla said. "Is something the matter?"

"The Archduchess, my lord," Captain Du said awkwardly. "She is demanding to see you."

Kayla subconsciously glanced over her shoulder to find Ashina giving her a death glare. The princess couldn't hear the contents of the call, but her sixth sense had evidently sounded the alarm.

"I'm afraid that I can't meet with her at the moment," Kayla said apologetically. "I have other obligations to handle. I'm sorry about this, but please convey that to her."

Captain Du, to his credit, did not let any unease show through in his voice.

"I understand, Your Excellency. Please take care."

"Thank you, you as well."

Kayla ended the call and smiled at Ashina. "Well then, I must be off."

"Be careful," Ashina warned her. "Don't get involved in anything unnecessary."

She said the final words with emphasis, and Kayla hastily nodded.

"Of course."

She waved at Rong'er and headed out before Ashina could ask any other questions. Kayla barely made it to the carriage before there was another call from Captain Du.

"Yes, Captain Du?"

"I'm terribly sorry for bothering you, my lord, but the Archduchess is insisting on meeting you," he said sheepishly.

"I know this is putting you in a difficult position, but I really can't come meet her right now."

"Your Excellency, the Archduchess says that if you will not come to her, she will go to you," Captain Du said, chagrin clear in his voice. "If we try to stop her by force, it's also…"

"It would be a problem for you as well," Kayla concluded for him.

"Your Excellency is astute."

Kayla withheld a sigh.

"Very well then," Kayla said in resignation. "I'll be there shortly."

"Thank you, Your Excellency!"

She turned towards Tao Qian with her mouth in a thin line. "We're going to the Archduke's household."

Perhaps it was too much to hope for that Xianchun would do something about his wife and, like a proper adult, handle his own marital issues himself, but Kayla was still disappointed when the Archduke was nowhere in sight when she got there.

"Captain Du," Kayla greeted the frazzled man in charge.

"Your Excellency, thank the heavens you're here," Captain Du said, relief palpable on his face. "We were worried that–"

"Say no more, I understand all too well," Kayla sighed.

Captain Du dipped his head, guiding Kayla into the household as if she didn't have the layout ingrained in her mind already from the surveillance reports.

"I suppose this is about…the exception," Kayla said.

"It seems so, my lord. Please be assured that the girl is being kept safely in seclusion."

"Heavens help her when we leave!"

"Indeed!"

Kayla whirled around at the worried cries of a servant girl.

"Archduchess! Archduchess, please wait!"

Kayla held back the urge to wince as she came face to face with Yu Bianfu storming over in a rage.

Ah fucking–

"Archduchess," Kayla offered a greeting, inclining her head slightly.

"Archduchess," Captain Du dutifully chimed in.

"Zhao Wenyuan!" Yu Bianfu snarled.

"Thank you, Captain. You can go now," Kayla said over her shoulder.

He fled as fast as his dignity would allow.

"My lady, I heard you wished to see me?"

"Just what are you playing at now?"

"I'm not sure what you mean, Archduchess."

"That girl! Why on earth was she the only one withheld when the palace suddenly withdrew our staff?!"

"The palace staff transfer was due to a security concern," Kayla said as politely and blandly as she could manage. "Please be assured that they will be replaced as soon as circumstances allow, and in the meanwhile, the palace will cover any expenses associated with overtime for the current staff."

"That's not what I was asking about! Why on earth was that sly little minx kept aside when everyone else was transferred away?! You knew full well that the Archduke was not in his right mind when he made that request, how could you comply with such a ridiculous demand?"

Kayla blinked slowly. "Does my lady wish to declare…her husband, well, mentally unfit for making decisions?"

Yu Bianfu's cheeks flushed scarlet.

"You–! You know full well that's not what I mean! I'm talking about that wench right now!"

Kayla lowered her eyes respectfully.

"I can understand your feelings on the matter of the laundry maid, but this is a matter you should discuss with your husband rather than with me," Kayla said gently.

"You want to play the outsider after interfering to this extent?!"

"I was merely intervening on the transfer of a palace staff member given her unusual status," Kayla said. "The fight between you both is hardly a discreet matter, and rumors are merciless. It would not do for the Emperor to be seen as someone who forcibly takes what his brother loves, regardless of whether or not the girl has actually engaged in any acts of intimacy."

"You're pathetic," Yu Bianfu spat out the words with so much derision that Kayla was actually impressed. "You come up with all manner of false pretenses to justify sucking up to the Archduke, but back away the second there's trouble! You're as much of a coward as you were back then!"

Kayla nearly laughed at that. Though she bit back a laugh, she couldn't bite back the words on the tip of her tongue.

"Is there a reason for me to flatter the Archduke at this point?"

The slap was somewhat expected, but it still hurt as Kayla's head swiveled to the side.

Letting out a soft huff, Kayla slowly turned her face back to meet the seething Archduchess' glare. She was actually kind of glad Xianchun wasn't here right now, though she probably would have said it anyways. It was what he deserved for dropping his own mess onto her plate.

"You're doing this to ruin him!"

Kayla blinked in surprise at that.

"Who?"

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"The Archduke! Letting that girl stay…you don't care about whether she lives or dies, as long as you can drag the Archduke down with her!"

Kayla paused for a moment.

Yu Bianfu's face reddened as she read into Kayla's look of surprise.

Do you think he needs to be ruined? He already is.

Kayla lowered her eyes again before her thoughts could become any more obvious, but it was too late. Yu Bianfu had seen that look and understood, and now stood there, humiliated but unable to back down.

Kayla chose to react to the safer part of Yu Bianfu's statement.

"My lady…if you mean to say that the girl is unsafe in the Archduke's hands, it is also my duty to intervene. Until her contract ends or is transmuted, Yang Lihua belongs to the palace–"

"I don't mean it that way," Yu Bianfu snapped. "The Archduke would never stoop so low to harm a civilian woman!"

Kayla felt her patience draining at an alarming rate. She had too much shit going on, and she had gotten into too much shit because of this to handle this melodrama much longer.Still, Kayla forced a polite smile that seemed to infuriate Yu Bianfu further.

"May I ask what you mean then?"

"The girl isn't good for the Archduke," Yu Bianfu said in what was almost a snarl. "And don't look at me as if I was a jealous wife!"

Kayla nodded slowly, trying to dredge out some hidden well of empathy that hadn't been drained yet over the last day and a half. To be honest, the whole thing was unfair to Yu Bianfu. If anything, she was a victim in all this. Kayla was essentially sacrificing two women's happiness to keep Xianchun from becoming a threat to the nation–Lihua couldn't possibly be happy for long if she lived as a concubine under Yu Bianfu.

Yu Bianfu, that left even less to be said. If she were a normal woman, she could get a divorce. It was the Wu dynasty, it wasn't that hard. But Yu Bianfu was tied to Xianchun by an Imperial marriage edict, and thus doomed to watch her estranged husband fall in love with another woman while she herself didn't have the same liberty.

It was shitty, yes, but frankly, Yu Bianfu had gotten the best future she could have gotten. It wasn't as if the woman had been an innocent bystander in the succession struggle. She had been a player in the game, one with military power at that, and she'd staked her future just like everyone else. Yunqi had already been merciful. To Yu Bianfu, to Xianchun, to Liu Boyue–if their positions were reversed, Xianchun would have killed Yunqi and Cao Shuyi the second he could spare the effort, and Yu Bianfu would have helped him with a smile.

And Kayla? Kayla didn't even want to be a part of this mess. Xianchun was the one who was borderline cheating on his wife, though of course it wasn't considered cheating by the standards of the time. Kayla was just keeping his potential affair from being broken up through state violence and letting him handle it himself. Why give him an additional excuse to go against Yunqi, another reason to hate the Emperor?

She couldn't kill Xianchun when he hadn't done anything yet–couldn't bring herself to do it, or maybe she could if it came to that, but Yunqi wouldn't allow it. She couldn't send him to therapy either, which was probably the thing he and his entire household needed the most.

I can't fix that piece of work, the best I can do is to keep him encircled. But even someone as trapped and suppressed as Archduke Qi nearly overturned the nation's fate–no, he did overturn the succession battle. I can't take chances with Xianchun.

"I would not think that of you, my lady," Kayla said out loud. She had unwittingly paused too long, and Yu Bianfu's face was growing increasingly contorted with vexation.

"Do you really not understand? The girl reminds him of his mother, that's why he likes her!" Yu Bianfu cried. "But that won't end up well. Not for her, not for him, and not for me!"

Laundry maids. Of course.

That's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? It's far more likely that he's predisposed to sympathy for laundry maids because of his own mother's experiences, and thus far more likely to take notice of one compared to serving girls who barely register to him. But sure, let's jump straight to Oedipal complexes.

Kayla lowered her eyes. "My lady, have you discussed this with him?"

"I have!"

Kayla pointedly did not raise her eyebrows.

"I mean to say…have you said it in a way that wouldn't be insulting to his mother?"

Yu Bianfu went quiet.

Am I a relationship counselor now? She might as well be. With the Empress and Halime breaking their pregnancies to Kayla rather than their husband, and with Xianchun breaking his confession to her rather than his wife, Kayla might as well get licensed while she was at it.

Kayla pushed on in the silence. "My lady, as an onlooker watching on with cold eyes, I can observe that you clearly care a great deal about your husband. But I think it is just as clear that your husband thinks you hate him."

Yu Bianfu's hand twitched, but she managed to keep herself from outright attacking Kayla again.

"How dare you?" Yu Bianfu asked, her voice trembling with the effort it took to withhold a blow. "Are you insinuating that I am lacking as a wife?!"

"No. Honestly, he is far more lacking as a husband," Kayla said. "I know I am being rude, but I am honestly trying to help, as you have requested me to."

A shudder went through Yu Bianfu's body, and her face twisted into a mask of agony that made the woman look ten years older.

"I don't hate him," Yu Bianfu snapped. "I could never hate him! How on earth would he even–"

Her glare grew venomous, her teeth bared slightly. "Are you blaming me for this?!"

Kayla looked her in the eye. "No."

The simple response seemed to take Yu Bianfu off-guard.

"The Archduke is at fault for failing to consider the household's harmony," Kayla said. "As the head of this household, it is his responsibility. He should be the one handling all this in the first place rather than forcing the mistress of the household to turn to an outsider. But if we wait for things to be how they should be instead of how they are, we'll be here until the sun starts moving from west to east."

"Don't think you can criticize the Archduke just because you've risen in the world," Yu Bianfu said darkly. "You're still just an Imperial in-law. The Archduke is the Emperor's own brother!"

Her voice rose and continued to rise. "Why are you smiling?!"

"You should defend him while he's here instead of when he's not," Kayla said. "If he knew, he would be very happy."

Yu Bianfu stared at Kayla with a mix of discomfort and confusion. She was evidently no more comfortable with Kayla as a relationship counselor as Kayla was in the role.

"As it is right now, there's no harm in letting the girl stay," Kayla said. "Show him you care about him, not just about how much he's making you lose face, and the girl will probably marry out of the household in a year or two. As I've said, it's unfair that you have to do this, but frankly, your husband doesn't seem to be in the right state of mind to be reasonable."

"You could refrain from indulging him!"

"I am trying to keep your husband alive," Kayla said through her teeth, with a sweet smile. "As I have already told you. Remember what happened to Archduke Qi? People remember that. Being an Archduke isn't exactly a safe occupation right now. The fewer motives he has, the less people can pin things on him if something goes wrong down the line. Please understand that if political pressure is enough for the Emperor to order an investigation, I will have to obey."

Yu Bianfu looked entirely unsatisfied with that answer.

"So that's your excuse for pimping laundry maids to him and leaving me with the consequences?!"

Kayla lowered her eyes, trying to remind herself that Yu Bianfu's reaction was entirely reasonable. It was, it really was, even if Kayla wanted to drill a hole into the closest wall and start pouring termites in.

"I apologize for the trouble, my lady."

Yu Bianfu looked as if she would have liked to say a great deal more, but Kayla's communication device showed a timely incoming call.

"Forgive me, but I must take my leave," Kayla said politely.

Yu Bianfu grew even more livid at the implication that her entire household didn't have the security clearance for a call to be taken there.

"Then goodbye!" She snapped.

Kayla bowed and quickly left, giving a nod to Captain Du on her way out. He nodded back in turn with the grim respect of a soldier sending off a comrade into battle.

Kayla waited until she was back inside the carriage before returning the call.

"Vice-Director Li, I do apologize for the wait," Kayla said.

"Not at all," Li Que replied. "I'm sorry for the short notice, but do you have time to meet? There's been an unexpected development with the investigation."

"I'll be at the palace shortly," Kayla said. "Let's talk more when I get there."

Halime retched the last of last night's dinner into the bucket and began to straighten herself. Another wave of nausea hit before she could even lift her head fully, and she dry-heaved, lacking anything more to vomit. Her eyes teared up, and her maids sympathetically patted her back as she finally leaned back into her seat.

"How much longer will I have to do this?" Halime asked in a quavering voice. "I can't take much more of it!"

"It'll pass soon," one of the older servants comforted her. "Just bear with it a little longer, my princess."

Halime gratefully accepted the cup of water handed to her, wishing to gulp it down but not daring to, fearing the nausea that it could trigger. She sipped at it with growing frustration. A maid came in with breakfast but quickly backtracked out of the room at the warning glares she received.

"Do you think the Empress knows?" Halime asked the room.

"Surely not, my lady."

"Don't worry, there's no way the Empress would know."

"She must know," Halime concluded. "Even if she doesn't know yet, she'll know soon. If it's being taken into consideration in the investigation, there's no way she won't know about it sooner or later!"

"Soon it will become too difficult to hide the pregnancy either way," another servant said. "At least the Emperor also knows now, he'll surely extend his protection over you."

"Will he?" Halime asked quietly. She hadn't slept at all the night before, and the dark circles under her eyes were made all the more evident by her puffy face.

She turned towards her most trusted lady-in-waiting, who had also been her childhood nurse.

"Baran, isn't there any news from my brother?"

"The Duke hasn't been in touch yet, but I'm sure he's already working hard to clear your name," the middle-aged woman replied.

"What about my sister?" Halime's voice took a desperate edge, and Baran smoothed down the young woman's hair where it had become unruly.

"It would be best for both of you if there is no contact until the case is solved."

"Good Tengri!"

Halime grit her teeth. "I can't stand this anymore! That woman will see me dead, she would hang me right this moment if she could!"

Baran had little to counter that with. The Empress' vitriol yesterday had shocked everyone in Halime's palace. After all, their presence was as much for diplomatic purposes as for conjugal, even if the Empress only seemed to see Halime as another wife.

"No, I can't just sit and wait to be killed," Halime said venomously. "We have to strike first. It's hunt or be hunted!"

"Please be patient just a little longer, my princess," Baran pleaded. "Wait and see what the Duke does. If there's still no word from him by tonight, then we can decide on what to do."

"I could be dead by then!"

"This old woman will gladly die to protect you," Baran said. "So please, my princess, wait just a few more hours. I fear that in trying to escape the trap, you'll stumble into one instead!"

"Surely the Emperor can't believe that I would do this," Halime said, now on the verge of tears again. "He knows I wouldn't! I'm bearing his child!"

Baran gently patted Halime's back. "Of course he knows. Don't worry, my princess, it's just the child that has you feeling this way, with the awful nausea. Here, have some mint tea and you'll feel better in no time."

Halime wiped her face and obediently took the offered cup.

She was halfway through the steaming liquid when she started at a commotion outside.

"What's going on?" Halime demanded.

Baran turned to a young maid. "Go take a look!"

The Turkish girl bowed and scurried out of the room, pace quickening as she made her way through the courtyard to the entryway.

A cluster of Imperial Guards were swarmed around the gate, their expressions grim. One of them turned and saw the maid, hastily waving for her to go back. She didn't obey, slipping closer to hiss at him.

"What's going on?"

"Get inside!"

"What–"

A sharp voice from outside the gate made her freeze, and the maid became very glad that she was too short to be seen from behind the burly masses of the Imperial Guards in front of her. She instinctively recognized the voice of the Empress' head eunuch.

"Stand aside! The Empress has ordered a search of the Royal Consort's quarters on suspicion of conspiracy!"

"We have orders from the Emperor himself not to let anyone through save for the Imperial Investigation Bureau," the head guard said firmly.

The eunuch's eyes narrowed.

"Are you sure you can bear the consequences of refusing the Empress herself?!"

"I am sure I cannot bear the consequences of disobeying the Emperor."

The Imperial Guard who had shooed the maid now physically pushed her–albeit as gently as he could manage–back towards the building. She didn't resist this time, running off at a startling speed.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

"What's the matter?! Collect yourself in the presence of the princess!" Baran snapped.

The maid stopped a second too late and crashed into another serving girl, sending both of them stumbling before Halime.

"What's going on?" Halime demanded.

"Your Highness, the Empress' men are outside! They're demanding to search the premises!"

Halime went as white as a sheet, and Baran's patience snapped like a frayed rope.

"What of the Imperial Guard?! Damn you, speak, you wench!" Baran snarled.

"The Imperial Guard are stopping them, they're arguing outside right now!"

"Say that first!" Baran scolded the maid. She hastily turned to her royal charge, soothingly patting Halime's back.

"It's alright, my princess, the Imperial Guard are duty-bound not to let them in."

"Tengri help us," Halime whispered. "She'll know of the pregnancy!"

"The Imperial Guard won't allow it," Baran assured her, but the princess only seemed to grow more pallid in fear.

Kayla made her way through the palace, stopping at a crossroad to stare at the building in the distance. How many times had she turned down this path to the Emperor's quarters? The same stone path beneath her feet with its wide, well-swept tiles. The same swaying willow that dipped its green boughs over a garden wall. The same looming building in the distance that symbolized the Emperor's might.

Faintly, she seemed to hear a mechanical beep. Or was that just tinnitus? Chronic stress and lack of sleep hadn't done her any favors in that department.

Perhaps it was the sleep deprivation, or perhaps it was just two emotionally-charged confrontations in a row this early in the morning. But for a second, it felt as if none of this was real–some strangely detailed vision from a fever dream, or some realistic simulation from high-tech VR games that didn't exist yet. Kayla blinked as the sun pierced through a haze of voluminous clouds, and slowly raised her head to look at the sliver of blue sky that had emerged. A bird soared through that little window of light, its tiny body seeming to cast an enormous shadow.

Kayla blinked again, and it was just a trick of the light after all.

I need more sleep, Kayla thought blankly. I'm getting too old for this.

Everything they had done for the sake of stability, and it only took one assassination attempt to show how fragile their daily peace was. Her only saving grace was that the court had not yet found out about this yet, but that too was only a matter of time.

Just thinking of the chaos that would occur made Kayla want to go back to sleep and not get up again. Except that there was Rong'er to watch over and Chuluo to watch and a million other tasks related to the reforms that she still had to do.

"Your Excellency?"

Kayla blearily turned her eyes to the Imperial Guard who had called out to her, and took in his look of mixed worry and nervousness.

"Over there," the young man said uneasily.

Kayla turned to see another Imperial Guard sprinting towards her at full speed. That was a rare sight–he was fast enough to win at least a regional championship, if not get onto the Olympic team. That would be more impressive if not for the fact that there were no Olympics in this part of the world yet.

The Imperial Guard skidded to a stop before her, bowing quickly. He was barely out of breath.

"Your Excellency, please help us! The Empress' men are trying to search the Royal Consort's quarters!"

"Let's go," Kayla said immediately. She changed her mind exactly one second later when it became clear that her pace wouldn't be fast enough. She tossed her golden plaque at the young man who may or may not be Olympic worthy from her amateur's assessment.

"Take this and go ahead of us! Order them to desist immediately, or they will be arrested for interfering with the Emperor's investigation. Go!"

He sprinted off, somehow at an even faster speed than before.

"We should also make haste," Kayla said out loud. She pulled out her communication device en route, dialing Li Que.

"Vice-Director, you are needed at the Empress' palace to tell her to stop interfering with the investigation! Her people cannot be allowed to barge into another Consort's quarters," Kayla said as soon as the call connected. Perhaps it was because she was jogging, the words came out harsher than she'd intended. "Tell her to call off her men at the Royal Consort's palace immediately!"

"Yes sir!" Li Que, to his credit, had suppressed his alarm before he'd finished the phrase. Kayla hung up without further ceremony and quickened her steps.

Cultural Context

爸爸/Baba: One of the most common Chinese phrases for dad. It's basically "Dad" as opposed to "父亲/Father".

她/他/它/He/She/It: All three are pronounced "ta" in Chinese, meaning that you can't tell the gender of a person being spoken about in their absence without relying on other context clues.

夺人所好/Forcibly taking what someone likes/loves: A Chinese proverb.

Divorce in the Tang Dynasty: Unlike in other dynasties where it was much more difficult for a woman to divorce a man but not the other way around, women in the Tang Dynasty could obtain a divorce. By the Tang Legal Code, "若夫妻不相安谐而和离者，不坐/If a husband and wife cannot get along peacefully and divorce, they cannot be legally punished for it." Generally, the process was that the wife demands a divorce, but her husband has to agree to it, or else the divorce doesn't go through unless they a) go to court or b) call upon their relatives and community members to help facilitate a divorce. Women were permitted to remarry after their divorces, and some letters from the time period had husbands wishing their ex-wives well and hoping that they'll find a better match next time. Another letter by a woman from the time period who had the whole community stage an intervention and get her and her husband to divorce congratulated her husband for being able to marry a woman better suited to him and that she herself will find a better man.

赐婚/Imperial marriage edict: This was technically a huge honor and award from the Emperor himself, as a way to show favor and trust. So it's not something that can be easily damaged or undone, more so due to the political fallout than because of any other reason.

冷眼瞧着/Onlooker watching on with cold eyes: A Chinese saying that usually means either to be an unconcerned bystander who doesn't care about whatever horrible thing is going on before them and certainly not interested in intervening, or that they're so uninvolved in this that they can be trusted to be objective.

Harems in Ancient China: I know I've talked about this a lot by now but I'm going to bring up some relevant information. Ancient China allowed the practice of polygamy, though it should be noted that most of the population did not participate in this practice, mostly because they couldn't possibly afford to. There's the bridal gifts that the groom needs to provide, and then you also need to be able to afford the upkeep of a spouse. Monogamy was most common among farmers and commoners, but people of higher status often took concubines in addition to wives, but only having one wife was considered virtuous and laudable in many cases (though having many concubines was often admired for different reasons). However, the wife has a higher status than the concubines, and generally has a high degree of control over the punishments meted out (especially to the women and children of the family), but the husband has the final say. However, men of these families often traveled extensively for work and so were away from home a lot, during which their concubines would be at the mercy of his wife, or of his mother-in-law. Sometimes, if his father had multiple spouses and he was born of a concubine but adopted by a wife, that would be the mercy of his mothers-in-law.