Character Index

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

  Li Que: Vice-Director of the Bureau, head of the palace branch.

  Zhou Yunqi: Emperor of the Wu. Fifth son of Zhou Ying.

  Chen Jian: A young Imperial Investigator, works with Li Que.

  Consort Huang: One of Yunqi's consorts. She quickly became a favorite after Yunqi hit her by accident after a nightmare.

  Qiu Jinwei: Yunqi's advisor.

  Consort Li: Yunqi's newly favored consort who was badly injured in an explosion that seemed to target the Emperor.

  Sir Teng: Consort Huang's head eunuch. Seems to have military training.

  Empress An: Yunqi's Empress, Kuang's cousin.

  Halime: The Royal Consort, Ashina's sister.

  Zhou Ying: Emperor Xuanzong, Yunqi's father.

  Grand Empress Dowager: Wenyuan and Yunqi's grandmother, had been responsible for placing Emperor Xuanzong on the throne and killing off the male offspring of her stepsons to prevent them from challenging her son's rule.

  Empress Dowager An: Kuang's birth mother.

  Empress Dowager Shu: Yunqi's mother, posthumously awarded the title of Empress Dowager.

  Cao Shuyi and Lord Cao: Kuang's widow and her father. Currently live in their fief with Kuang's son, who is eligible for succeeding the throne.

  Han Daizhi: Strategist of the Shandong faction.

  Four days after Kayla had last entered the palace, she was woken up before the break of dawn by a message on her communication device.

  【Requesting permission to torture a palace staff member.】

  Blinking fully awake at that, Kayla carefully extracted herself from bed without rousing Ashina to make her way to the dimly-lit courtyard, which was still brighter than the bedroom.

  It was from Li Que, marked as highly urgent. Kayla glanced around in befuddlement at the empty corridor.

  At this hour? At least tell me who this is for, Li Que.

  She wasn't about to carry the black pot for him without even knowing the circumstances.

  And yet, he wouldn't have contacted her at this hour without due urgency. Knowing him, they were about to make a breakthrough.

  They technically don't need my permission...please don't tell me they're talking about a Consort here.

  No, if that were the case, Li Que would have sent someone in person, or would have directly asked the Emperor. Almost certainly it was a senior staff member, and Li Que couldn't take the chance of shouldering the responsibility himself and facing the animosity of the palace staff when his future now seemed to be tied to them. Not wanting to delay the case and not wanting to destroy his prospects, he had chosen to make it her problem.

  Kayla hesitated for a moment, glancing back at the bedroom over her shoulder, before finally taking a deep breath. They needed this to be over with. Forget the court, even the Emperor was losing patience, and a critical issue of national security that implicated the most powerful women in the country was still unsolved.

  And with the Cao clan watching...The Bureau had been watching the Cao clan's allies, and how former students of Cao Shuyi's father had been sending regular messages out of the capital over the last few days, with growing frequency. Kayla made up her mind.

  【Proceed as deemed fit, with the priority of ensuring the safety of the Inner Palace. Follow due protocols as applicable.】

  At least this way they had the excuse of doing whatever they did for the Emperor's sake. Sighing, she lowered the communication device when no new messages proved forthcoming. Glancing back into the dark bedroom blearily, Kayla decided that she wouldn't be able to get any more sleep anyways. She ventured back in, silently grabbing her robes and shoes before making her way to the study instead. She passed by a servant who did a double-take at his thinly-dressed master.

  "My lord," he began, but Kayla gestured at him with her boots to move along, having no free hands.

  "Bring some tea to the study when you have a free moment, and that'll be all."

  He bowed and hurried off.

  She sat down at her desk, deliberating the possibilities as she pulled on her boots.

  Just what's happening in the palace?

  Li Que could be trusted not to make a mess of things, but it wasn't prudent for her to ask more about a confidential investigation she was excluded from. Though in that case, he shouldn't have even involved her in the first place.

  Whatever is going to happen, it'll happen soon.

  She nodded as the requested tea was brought to her, but sat without touching it until it had gone cold. Kayla grimaced at the cool liquid as it hit the roof of her mouth, but swallowed it anyways.

  Soon.

  Somehow, Kayla felt that it wasn't the only thing that was pending. The court had stirred itself into quite the fuss over Kayla's alleged threatening of an official in board daylight, and that was only the smallest of her problems. The Khaganate, the reforms, Yunqi, all of it congealed in the morning air as it slowly grew brighter with the rising sun.

  By the time the dawn light shone into her study, Chen Jian was at the gates requesting an immediate audience.

  "Bring him in," Kayla told the messenger. She realized she still had her outer robes haphazardly draped on and began to put them on in earnest.

  Kayla was only halfway done when Chen Jian appeared before her, looking only slightly tired despite almost certainly having been up all night.

  “Your Excellency,” Chen Jian greeted her. “I'm very sorry to disturb your rest, but Vice Director Li has an urgent report.”

  He bowed, offering her a tightly sealed scroll.

  A scroll?

  That was strange. What was so urgent and confidential that it required a magically sealed scroll when his protege was already here in person?

  “Oh? Let’s see it then,” Kayla said, hiding her trepidation. She finished tying her robes and opened the scroll.

  【Consort Huang’s guilt has been confirmed. Requesting instructions for next steps.】

  Kayla went still, processing the implications of the information before her.

  So it was Consort Huang after all?

  Of course, it's good that the case has finally been closed. It was the best result they could hope for, a mundane answer to a very complicated question, one that would have minimal political consequences. Just a jealous consort, that's all, happens to the best of us. The court would be suitably satisfied with having some juicy gossip, and both the Empress and Royal Consort would be fine.

  And yet, a strange sense of unease gripped her. She turned to Chen Jian, who was still patiently trying not to shift his weight from one foot to another.

  “Chen Jian, go back and watch over the culprits and evidence. Once you can replace your mentor, have him join me in meeting the Emperor once His Majesty rises.”

  “Yes sir!” Chen Jian bowed and turned to leave.

  “Wait!”

  Chen Jian stopped, turning back towards her.

  Kayla put a hand on his arm, her brows furrowed. “Chen Jian, you must know that this isn’t a normal case. It’s ultimately the Emperor’s family affair, do you understand?”

  After all, Consort Huang held special significance to him. If they caused the Emperor to hold a longstanding regret, it would be they who eventually paid the price for it, even if only indirectly.

  “I…uh, yes, I think.”

  “Good,” Kayla said. “If–I’m saying only if–you receive orders you weren’t expecting, follow them without question. Don't ask any questions, don't tell anyone about what you do. That’s the best choice, and the only choice you have.”

  Chen Jian nodded uneasily, not quite sure what she meant and not quite wanting to know.

  “Go on,” Kayla said. He soon disappeared from sight, choosing to leave directly over the rooftops.

  Sighing, Kayla put on her belt and stepped into the corridor, waving over the first staff to appear in sight.

  "Prepare the carriage without the family crest,” Kayla said. "I must go to the palace."

  Li Que waited for Zhao Wenyuan impatiently, relief flooding his chest when a nondescript carriage stopped before the palace's side door. Zhao Wenyuan stepped out, his expression utterly unreadable.

  "Director," Li Que greeted him. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."

  "Let's go in first, we can talk on the way," Wenyuan said. He nodded at the Imperial Guards as he headed in, and they offered brief greetings in turn. To Li Que, they remained stonily indifferent.

  The palace gates were usually locked from dusk to dawn, and kept under strict guard, barring entry or exit. There were only a few people that exceptions were made for, and even fewer who were exempted regularly. Of those people, even fewer could enter and leave the palace freely without receiving explicit permission each time. Li Que had fallen into that last category for most of his career after a lucky breakthrough early on with Emperor Xuanzong, but he had always been distant with the Imperial Guards. They had their duties, he had his. They served the same master, but one might easily be used against the other, whether to investigate their dirty secrets or to get rid of someone labeled a traitor.

  It was not strange then, that the Imperial Guards seemed to dislike Li Que's new position. Creating a palace branch of the Bureau essentially cut away from the Imperial Guards' existing authority, and they chafed at it. He had ignored it thus far, since they had never acted in a manner that went against regulations or that caused him any trouble. But their attitudes didn't seem to have signs of changing anytime soon.

  Once again, Li Que silently cursed the meddlesome Qiu Jinwei for getting him into this situation.

  And he thinks I owe him, Li Que thought with a mix of bitterness and resignation. I would have made Vice-Director or even Director eventually even if he hadn't intervened.

  Instead, he was now tasked with presenting unhappy results to the Emperor.

  "So, Consort Huang," Wenyuan said after waving for the Imperial Guards and Investigators to keep their distance. "You say she's the culprit."

  "Yes, my lord. We tortured her head eunuch for information today, but he didn't talk. It was her lady-in-waiting who confessed the truth," Li Que said.

  "Oh?"

  "We had her watch the process," Li Que clarified.

  "What was the Consort's involvement?"

  "She was resentful of Consort Li winning over the Emperor's affections, and had hoped to rid herself of a rival. However, opportunities were slim, and she eventually settled on her current plan with the help of her head eunuch, who used to be military."

  "Yes, you mentioned that."

  "It turns out he had entered the palace after being convicted of bribery."

  "Accepting bribes?"

  "And giving them, of course. He was the scapegoat for quite a few officers' wrongdoings, it seems. He had a daughter at the time but never returned home after being castrated as punishment, and does not know her whereabouts now. If she is still alive, she would be around Consort Huang's age. We believe that's why he helped her," Li Que said.

  Consort Li was also his daughter's age, but Kayla supposed that didn't matter to the eunuch.

  "And this eunuch is still alive?"

  "Sir Teng is still alive," Li Que confirmed. "He is under careful watch to ensure he does not commit suicide, though I expect he'll be executed soon after."

  "And how did she gain access to the talismans?"

  "Sir Teng obtained an explosive for Consort Huang, and he infiltrated both the Empress and Royal Consorts' quarters while using the serving girls as a distraction to steal their nullification talismans. It seems he used one of them in the process. He was the one to set it off and was able to get away undetected thanks to his martial training. We've confirmed his absence from Consort Huang's palace, and his presence was not recorded anywhere else in the palace at that time. Furthermore, we've found one of the stolen talismans in his quarters, the other one having been used."

  "They're pinning this on him then?"

  "The head lady-in-waiting is certainly involved, but the serving girls seem to have no knowledge of it," Li Que replied. "Another two eunuchs covered for the head eunuch's shift, but they also seem to have no knowledge of his intent."

  Consort Huang was evidently hoping to portray herself as a misled young woman swayed by conniving servants, and Li Que could hardly subject her to interrogation. Whether or not that would fly with Yunqi depended entirely on how much affection he held for her–but no matter what, it was unlikely she would remain in the main palace for long. She could either be sent to the Cold Palace, or risk getting done in by the vengeful Empress and Royal Consort.

  If Consort Huang was smart enough to set this up, she was smart enough to know that getting out of the palace was her best option. Best if she joined a nunnery. Though of course, her servants would have to be executed, since they did not have a noble title to protect them.

  Wenyuan drew a deep breath, letting it out in a sigh.

  "You've worked very hard on this, Vice-Director. Well done."

  "Thank you, my lord, but…"

  Wenyuan glanced at him askew. "Does Consort Huang know she has been found guilty yet?"

  "Yes, my lord. She is under close watch right now."

  "The palace branch should probably hire some female Investigators," Wenyuan remarked. "Though hopefully we'll have no more need of them after this. Anyways, how is the Consort?"

  "She denies it of course, even with a mountain of solid evidence," Li Que sighed. "It will not be easy if she is summoned for cross-examination before the Emperor."

  "We'll see about that as we go," Wenyuan replied. "Do not worry too much about breaking the news. I will also be present."

  Li Que seemed to finally let out a breath he'd been holding. "Thank you, my lord."

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  Kayla and Li Que stood before Yunqi, their eyes lowered respectfully as Yunqi paced the room. A bleary-eyed Qiu Jinwei squinted at the Emperor, gaze swinging back and forth with a look that was somewhere between sleepy and bewildered.

  I knew we should have waited until he'd gotten up.

  And yet the head eunuch on shift had insisted that the Emperor had ordered that any results be reported immediately, and so Yunqi had been roused, and then Qiu Jinwei had been roused, and now Kayla suspected that half the palace was getting up to figure out what was going on. It was still dark inside the room, though the sky outside was slowly growing brighter.

  "Consort Huang," Yunqi said, voice taut with contained rage. He paused, giving Li Que another look of disbelief. "It was Consort Huang?"

  "Yes, my liege."

  The matter of national security was resolved then, but Yunqi might have preferred an actual assassination against him over this.

  "Over mere jealousy? What foolishness for someone so favored," Yunqi said bitterly. "And within my own palace!"

  Kayla and Li Que kept their heads bowed contritely. Qiu Jinwei looked like he wanted to say something, but Yunqi spoke first.

  "The fault lies with me," Yunqi sighed. "I've given her special treatment and allowed her to become like this. I'm just as responsible for this mess."

  "My liege, please don't say such things. She made this choice herself," Kayla protested.

  Yunqi shook his head. "Because I let this happen. She’s a young woman who never lived anywhere other than her parents’ home before coming to me. I’m ten years older than her, I should’ve known better even if she didn’t."

  Kayla glanced helplessly at Li Que, who didn't seem to have any platitudes to offer.

  "If that's the case, then all of us might as well never be born at all," Qiu Jinwei said flatly. He ignored Kayla's frown in his direction. "Each person must take responsibility for their own actions. If everything can be blamed on someone else, how is this country meant to enforce its laws? My liege, I urge you not to be soft-handed on this matter."

  Yunqi was silent for a long moment.

  "A turbulent Inner Palace means a turbulent succession struggle," Qiu Jinwei added. "Your Majesty should know this first-hand!"

  He's right. Kayla lowered her gaze as the chaos of the previous regime came to mind.

  "I have been thinking about this possibility since my Empress and Royal Consort were first mentioned as suspects," Yunqi murmured. "And yet even now, it feels strange to hear the truth."

  He gave Kayla a wan half-smile. "I supposed that I'd hoped to be better than my father in this regard."

  Before she could reply, his gaze grew distant, and Kayla knew that the moment to offer condolences had passed. It wasn't a husband but an Emperor that was speaking now.

  "Execute the co-conspirators before the end of the day," Yunqi said. "The rest of Consort Huang's staff are to be transferred or dismissed."

  Li Que bowed his head sharply. "As you wish, my liege."

  Yunqi barely seemed to hear him.

  "I wish to reform the rules of the Inner Palace," Yunqi said. "Since all three of you are here now, I would like to hear your thoughts."

  He took a deep breath, posture straightening as he spoke.

  "The intrigues of the court and Inner Palace are complex and intertwined, this we all know. But I will make it simple and straightforward," Yunqi said. "From now on, if anyone is caught trying to harm, frame, or sabotage another consort, they’ll immediately be divorced and expelled from the palace and the capital."

  Li Que drew his breath in sharply before he could constrain himself.

  "As a…nun, my liege?"

  "As a divorcee."

  Seeing the looks of shock on their faces, Yunqi gave a soft laugh.

  "I know, I know. Since the founding of the dynasty, no consort has officially been divorced in this way. Either they're killed, or sent to the Cold Palace. Even if sent away, they're forced to cut their hair and become a nun at a temple affiliated with the palace."

  He slowly continued his pacing across the room, the warm glow of the lamplight flickering over his shadowed features, seeming to show a hundred different faces, each one unfamiliar.

  "And yet…what good has that done? Since my grandfather's time, harem intrigue has only grown worse with each following generation. I've no intention of continuing it," Yunqi said.

  "But sending them home only invites sympathy," Qiu Jinwei pointed out. "There's a reason why previous Emperors would rather kill their wives than send them back."

  "I have no intention of sending them home." Yunqi's pacing stopped, but the light continued to move across his face, casting him as a statue in a dark temple.

  "They will be exiled," Yunqi declared. "Yunnan or Anbei. Whichever one is furthest from their family will be their new residence."

  Holy shit.

  It wasn't just about not sending them home anymore, it was that they could never go home again in their lifetimes.

  And that's not even considering the climate difference and the poverty of the region–it's basically a death sentence. Even if you survive, with the humiliation and the living conditions, it would be worse than death for women raised in well-off households.

  Kayla would have wondered if Yunqi didn't know the consequences of what he was doing, as Emperor Wen of Han didn't know the consequences of outlawing disfigurement as a criminal sentence. But from the look on Yunqi's face, grim, determined, and not entirely without grief, he knew exactly what he was saying.

  "It will certainly remove them from their families' influences," Kayla offered, not sure what else to say.

  "That's not enough," Yunqi said. "If the fault only lies with the woman, her father and brothers can simply discard her as a chess piece." His face twisted into a bitter smile, and it wasn't hard to guess that he was thinking of his mother or his first wife.

  "Then what does Your Majesty wish to do?" Kayla asked.

  "All the men in her direct family are to be removed from their government posts and exiled from the capital, not to return within two generations. Any costs related to investigation, medical costs, compensation, and the relocation of the divorced consort are to be fined directly from her clan," Yunqi said. "Consort Huang will be granted one final exception, as these rules did not exist yet when she had committed the crime. But I cannot show mercy now, or the rules will be unable to stand for themselves."

  He hesitated, a subtle frown upon his brow.

  "My liege, if I may be so bold," Kayla interjected. "This is of course Your Majesty's family matter, and us outsiders have no basis to intercede. But for Consort Huang's crimes, perhaps she can be divorced and expelled from the Imperial Palace, but not exiled so far as to the outlying regions. Is there not an old Imperial villa north of Hebei where your great-grandfather Emperor Gaozong had once stayed on his survey of the land? It is a modest size and a suitable distance, and enough to make an example for the others of Your Majesty's determination to clear the palace of conspiracy and intrigue."

  "I will consider it," Yunqi replied after a short pause. "In any case, her family will pay the fine for Consort Li's medical treatment and recovery, as well as the compensation for her troubles."

  "A wise decision, Your Majesty," Qiu Jinwei chimed in. "Then I will draft the edict–"

  "Not so fast," Yunqi said softly. "I'm not done yet."

  Kayla's heart skipped a beat.

  "My grandmother did what she could to preserve the country's stability. It's a strange thing, isn't it? That if a dynasty has too many children in its Imperial lineage, it becomes a problem. But if there's too few, it's another form of crisis," Yunqi said.

  "From now on, if anyone harms a child in this palace–or even attempts to, they will be divorced and exiled. Their fathers will be executed, and their families sold as indentured servants by the government. The consort will have the option of leaving the palace and taking poison at the execution grounds with their fathers, or being exiled offshore on a small ship. For the latter, if they have the fortitude to survive, then so they will. But the Consort will only be allowed to take what they're wearing at the time of the arrest, and the crewmen will de-board once they are fifty miles offshore."

  As Yunqi finished, the room fell into a silence so complete that they could hear the soft swish of the flickering lamplight.

  The harem was of the Emperor's own family, and it had always been up to the Emperor how he dealt with its members–no shortage of crueler punishments had been dealt out in the past. Yet there was something jarring about writing it into law, especially when compared with the Emperor's usual merciful nature.

  Kayla found herself unable to form a response.

  It's not about personal sentiment. It's purely about stability.

  Finally, they had a ruler who recognized the danger of their own emotional volatility. When it came to their families, which of the preceding Emperors had not acted on their personal feelings, believing it to be a private matter rather than another one of their duties? And look where they had gotten them so far.

  But humans are emotional creatures. Is it a good thing or a bad thing for him to go against his nature in this way?

  "Since the Imperial Investigators now have a branch in the palace, all the better. Any untoward incidents will be treated as a criminal manner and investigated thoroughly to ensure that the punishment falls to the right party and that no individuals are framed unjustly," Yunqi said, sounding wearier with each word. He sat down as he finished, seeming to be sapped of strength. "So it will be. Do any of you object?"

  "The rules are harsh but fair," Qiu Jinwei replied. "I have no objections."

  "I won't deny that it's harsh. Cruel, even, since these women have little choice of whether or not they come here. But better to set laws that will not be easily transgressed than to allow things to spiral out of control. How many lives were ruined by harem intrigue in my father’s time, or even in grandfather’s time? For the women involved, for their children, for everyone who got dragged into the political conflicts that ensued…" Yunqi shook his head.

  "I won't have it in my palace, under my rule," Yunqi said. "Whether it's love, jealousy, or purely greed for power, I won't have it. If any one of my consorts goes against my wishes in this regard, they and their bloodline will be thoroughly cleansed from relevance. I'll have none of the troubles that have come before me in this generation!"

  I can only hope that's true.

  In truth, the Imperial bloodline was running thin. They couldn't afford any more trouble.

  "Your Majesty's decision is wise," Kayla said. "I support it fully."

  Li Que kept his silence, bowing in lieu of a reply.

  Yunqi nodded, closing his eyes in what seemed to be exhaustion. When the Emperor finally spoke again, he seemed to be deep in thought.

  "In all honesty, I’m hoping I never have to use this. Entering the palace is…I can take as many consorts as I want, but they can only have one husband. I don’t want to make them suffer. But I cannot afford to let something like this happen again."

  "It is an honor for them to receive the chance to serve the Emperor," Qiu Jinwei objected. "Your Majesty need not concern yourself as such."

  Yunqi's face gave a near-imperceptible twitch.

  Realization dawned upon Kayla, far later than it should have.

  It's like I thought, Kayla noted. Even after all these years at the Emperor's side, Qiu Jinwei doesn't actually understand Yunqi. Something between hope and vindication flickered in her chest.

  "It is just as Advisor Qiu says. But duty and honor aside, I doubt there are many women throughout the entire country who are lucky enough to have such a benevolent man as their husband," Kayla said.

  Yunqi sighed softly, leaning back into his seat and staring into the distance.

  "I can only hope so, Wenyuan."

  He turned towards Li Que. "Vice-Director Li."

  Li Que stepped forward. "Your Majesty."

  "Have Consort Huang removed from her quarters immediately to a side palace–but ensure that she suffers no indignities from your men. As soon as it can be arranged, she will be sent away from the capital. Let's say to the Imperial Villa north of Hebei for now, but we may relocate her as it proves necessary," Yunqi's jaw clenched and unclenched, and there was strain in his voice as he continued. "I do not want to hear of any disturbances until then."

  So he refuses to meet her again. It wasn't an easy decision to make about someone who had stayed at his pillow-side for several years, and Kayla did not expect Consort Huang to easily accept it. At least Li Que could be trusted to keep the woman from seeking a short-sighted solution for the next few days, but once Consort Huang was out of the capital, her life was basically over.

  Li Que must have known the weight of the sentence as well, given the look of consternation on his face.

  He knelt, bowing his head. "As you command, Your Majesty."

  Yunqi gave a near-imperceptible nod. "You may go."

  Kayla took that as her cue, bowing and making to leave while Qiu Jinwei stayed where he was.

  "Wenyuan."

  She turned back at the Emperor's call. "Your Majesty?"

  "Stay."

  "As you wish."

  Qiu Jinwei glanced between them dubiously, but followed Li Que's silent departure in turn.

  "Your Majesty," Kayla said, cautiously staying where she was.

  "Approach."

  She moved closer, still remaining a suitable length away from him.

  Yunqi gave her a baleful look. "Wenyuan, since when have you been so distant? Come closer and cease with the formalities."

  Kayla obediently went over, sitting down next to him.

  "Your Majesty, will you really be alright with this?"

  "There is no precedent for this level of stringency with one's own consorts," Yunqi sighed. "That's precisely why I must set the precedent. What else can I do?"

  He hesitated. "Is it too harsh?"

  "I think it'll protect more people in the long run," Kayla replied. "The two-headed snake fights over the berry, forgetting that it shares the trials of the same body. We have seen the ills of past mistakes, if we are unable to remedy them, we will only trod in the same path. Consort Huang may think her treatment unfair, but what of Consort Li? What of the Empress and the Royal Consort who were wrongly accused? It's harsh but fair, just as Advisor Qiu said."

  "I wonder if Xianchun wouldn't have turned out this way had his mother not died amidst palace intrigue," Yunqi said. "Even my own mother…she nearly went mad with fear and stress. I've never seen her completely at ease before in all my years as her son."

  "Things will be different now," Kayla said cautiously. "The Empress and Royal Consort will finally have their names cleared as well, and surely will support these measures eagerly as a result."

  "Yes, my Empress." Yunqi sighed. "This Empress of mine, she really is young, isn't she?"

  "She is a woman of great bearing and fortune," Kayla said cautiously.

  "The Empress Dowager, of course, has been very upset that her niece was accused. May this also be of comfort to her," Yunqi said. "I will have to reward the Empress properly–Halime too–for the troubles they've endured. It wouldn't do to offend the An clan."

  There seemed to be a subtle hint of dissatisfaction there, and Kayla noted it down.

  Kuang's clan. It would be good if they were grateful for Yunqi's continued care towards them even after Kuang had passed away, but the problem was whether they felt that this was owed to them.

  Like the Cao clan does. Perhaps that was another reason for the regulations–a signal that Yunqi was the ruler of all under heaven, no matter how many princes or Empresses they had amidst their bloodline.

  We'll have to deal with it sooner or later, and it's really up to them how they want this to end. Yunqi will be lenient so long as they have any smidgen of restraint, but…at the very least, he still needs me. There's no way he hasn't heard of the rumors outside the palace, but he hasn't even asked about the matter with Han Daizhi. Even with the palace branch, if he really wanted to curtail me, he would at least use this incident to give off a warning signal. Instead, he's ignoring it...and probably will continue to ignore it until the Imperial in-laws are properly dealt with. What came after that was a concern for the future.

  Presently, Yunqi let out a soft huff, turning towards Kayla.

  "If I implement these decrees, can Li Que uphold them?"

  "Yes, my liege. He is very capable."

  "Can he uphold them fairly? I do not wish to cause more undue suffering inadvertently."

  "He can. I'm sure of it."

  "You have no objections? I am not testing you, Wenyuan. I want your honest opinion."

  "There's nothing to object to, Your Majesty. Li Que is reliable, and not culpable to temptation. I can think of no better man for the job–though I do suggest having him train and hire some female Investigators or to select some men among the eunuchs. After all…well, you know," Kayla trailed off awkwardly.

  Yunqi nodded. "A good idea. Then it's decided. I will raise his rank accordingly."

  He clapped a hand on Kayla's shoulder, giving her an exhausted smile.

  "Now, enough of policy. Join me for breakfast."

  Cultural Notes

  背黑锅/Carry the black pot: To be the scapegoat.

  家事/Family affairs: Often used in the context of 家事国事天下事/Family affairs, country affairs, affairs of all under heaven. The three overlap but also often conflict with one another, and specifications are used to signal both the relevant context and appropriate response. In the case of Yunqi's harem drama, Kayla signals for Chen Jian to treat it as a domestic dispute rather than a crime against the Emperor, allowing Yunqi more leeway in how to handle it.

  有眼的人/Anyone with eyes: A Chinese phrase meaning that something is very obvious.

  冷宫/Cold Palace: Traditionally used to refer to where unfavored consorts or those who have been stripped of their title live, usually in seclusion/confinement within the palace.

  铁证如山/Mountain of solid/steel evidence: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning that there is undisputed evidence.

  殿前对峙/Cross-examination before the Emperor: Lacking DNA evidence, back then they primarily relied on material evidence, witness statements, and testimonies, making cross-examinations all the more important in the justice system.

  落发为尼/Cut heir hair and become a nun: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to the act of becoming a Buddhist nun, which requires shaving one's head.

  Statues in East Asian Temples: Statues often feature prominently in East Asian temples and are often larger-than-life and to sit on elevated pedestals, and temples tend to have limited windows inside, creating a very interesting effect between the incense and candles burning within and the statue looming above.

  Yunnan: A remote province in Southwestern China, known to be relatively underdeveloped though rich in natural resources. Home to a very ethnically diverse population.

  Anbei: Historically an administrative region that encompasses parts of modern-day Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang.

  汉文帝废级刑/Emperor Wen of Han's outlawing of using disfigurement as a punishment: An example of unintended consequences, where Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, known to be very good to the people, outlawed punishments that involved disfiguring people's faces or bodes (cutting off noses, ears, etc) and replaced them with whipping instead. Unfortunately, this resulted in more deaths as whipping was more likely to cause internal injuries.

  巡视/Survey of the land: An act that many Emperors engaged in, both to connect with the populace and to actually get a sense of on-the-ground conditions.

  Hebei: A province in Central China.

  Harem Intrigue in the Wu: Yunqi's mention of his father and grandfather's time refers to his grandfather making a three-year-old the crown prince on his deathbed, forcing Emperor Xuanzong to rebel, as well as the palace intrigues that resulted in Archduke Qi's eventual plot against the throne. Emperor Xuanzong deposed his first Empress and forced her to suicide to cull her clan's influence in court, and afterwards disowned his two eldest sons, eventually resulting in tragedy for his other sons as well.

  血脉单薄/Bloodline running thin: Refers to a dwindling household, especially if they lack male descendants who will not marry out of the family.

  枕边人/Person at your pillow-side: A Chinese phrase referring to one's lover or spouse, usually in reference to a woman.

  寻短见/Seek a shortsighted solution: A Chinese phrase meaning to commit suicide.

  睹枳首之争莓，而忘同身之祸/ 知前疾之失於彼，不能改弦於此 /The two-headed snake fights over the berry, forgetting that it shares the trials of the same body/We have seen the ills of past mistakes, yet are unable to remedy them: These two quotes are from < 抱朴子 吴失>, by a philosopher who lived through the Three Kingdoms era and saw the downfall of the Wu kingdom. He referred to the ills that troubled the nation, including infighting and shortsightedness.