Character Index

  Geleng: A Pugu warrior and herder. Cursed with astute instincts and critical thinking skills.

  Heli: The teenage Chieftain of the Pugu.

  Shelun: A prominent Pugu clan leader. The mastermind of the anti-Heli movement.

  Dulan: A Pugu warrior and herder. Previously a strong anti-Heli dissident.

  Tuhezhen: Heli's older nephew, died at Hu Qing's hands after Heli requested Kayla's help on the matter.

  Tiezhen: A prominent Pugu clan leader.

  Anagui: A prominent Pugu clan leader.

  Nagai: Shelun's son. Was introduced a few chapters back in a conversation between Geleng and Dulan, where Nagai's achievement of passing the local Civil Exam was called into question giving his lacking intellect.

  Datan: Heli's mentor, guardian, and right-hand man.

  Investigator Mi: A young Investigator who went North with Kayla in Book 2, in charge of settling the anti-Heli movement.

  Sima Qi: A former Investigator who was fired after Kuang's death and has since eked out a rather bloody niche for himself.

  Xie Rengui: Currently Hu Qing's aide in the military, a young farmer who happens to share a given name with the Tang Dynasty general Xue Rengui, a coincidence that piqued Kayla's interest.

  Lin Jie: A brilliant official with extraordinary investigation skills and a bad arm. He was murdered by Archduke Qi's band of conspirators after he came too close to uncovering their plans. It was made to look like suicide, but was given away by the fact that Lin Jie was incapable of lifting his bad arm over his head to tie a noose.

  Zhang Wuxian: Lin Jie's friend and coworker, he resigned after the "suicide" of his best friend, jaded with politics and power.

  Geleng’s anger burned hot in his chest for a while as he trekked through the snow, but the cold winds won out. The heat inside his ribcage slowly faded, and he was left shivering in the desolate chill of the winter night. The clarity that always followed an outburst of emotion filled him with a familiar embarrassment and a desire to distance himself from his excesses.

  What am I even doing? Geleng wryly thought to himself. What did Heli or Shelun really have to do with him? It had been a mistake to get involved in the first place–and now he was working himself up over a handful of unfounded suspicions instead of tending to his livestock.

  Geleng inhaled deeply and breathed out, the frosty white of his breath almost invisible in the darkness.

  Forget all this nonsense, he told himself wearily. I’ll just go back and have a drink with Dulan.

  Tomorrow, life would just go on as usual.

  He turned back and began making his way back to his household. Without realizing it, Geleng had made it to the outskirts of town where little light could be found among the abandoned houses. Only the cool silky sheen of the moon as it furtively peeked out from behind the clouds offered a dim brightness to navigate by.

  Hopefully, Dulan would have the good sense to give up on finding Geleng out here and wait back at the house. If he was unlucky, Dulan would have already gone home, and Geleng would have to trek even further to find him.

  His steps stilled as he heard voices in the distance. Guided by some unknown instinct, Geleng stepped into the shadows of a building instead of greeting them head on. He slunk around the perimeter of the empty house, obscured from their field of view.

  Geleng’s eyes narrowed as two men came into sight.

  Aren’t those men–

  He recalled the two hapless servants trying to put up a sign at Heli’s gates, berated this way and that by an elderly matron as the sign tilted first to one side and then another. Geleng had helped one of them down a ladder. That was the younger one who now had his arms tucked in under his armpits, grimacing as his coworkers loudly complained.

  Geleng narrowed his eyes, watching them with caution. What were they doing here? Heli’s household was on the other side of town. If they wanted to go back, the way through town was much faster.

  They don’t want to be seen, Geleng realized. Though they could certainly afford it, the men weren’t using a light. Nor were they in their neatly laundered servants’ uniforms, instead wearing the drab clothing that a poor herder would use.

  Where are they coming from?

  “You would think that stingy bastard would pay us more,” the complaining man said. “He’s certainly rich enough!”

  “Well, he’s in a bad mood right now,” the other said in a reasonable tone. “We can try our luck again later on. He’ll still need our services, won’t he?”

  Geleng’s ears prickled. A wild urge seized him, some deeper animalistic part of himself that was guided by instinct rather than reason. He needed to hear this. He needed to hear everything.

  The answer was already becoming clear to him. What other rich man lived across town from Heli, who would have use for the services of Heli’s servants?

  Shelun, what the fuck did you do?

  “Maybe we should cut ties with him,” the older man said. “If he failed to oust the Chieftain even with such a card in his sleeve, then he’s just not cut from the right cloth to succeed. We needn’t go down with a sinking ship.”

  “You think he’ll let us go that easily?” The younger man asked mockingly. “If he lets Heli know we were spying on him, he won’t suffer any consequences, but we’ll be dead within the day!”

  “He wouldn’t,” the older man scoffed. “Then Heli would also know!”

  “Yes, that’s kind of the point.”

  “No, you idiot. Use your head! Look, he built his whole platform on the Chieftain offing Tuhezhen, yeah? But if Heli knows that Shelun knew, then he could drag Shelun down with him. Imagine how fast his adherents would turn on him then. We're safe,” the older man explained, his voice dripping with condescension.

  Geleng felt his blood run cold. He’d known to some extent that Shelun was just waiting for Tuhezhen to die. Shelun could’ve openly thrown his support behind the Chieftain’s well-liked and ambitious nephew at any point in time–he’d waited till Tuhezhen was dead to use the man’s memory for his own means.

  But that was different from this.

  There was a faint roaring sound in his ears. Before Geleng even knew what he was doing, he had charged at the servants. They seemed to turn towards him in impossibly slow movements, eyes widening with shock. He could see their pupils dilating bit by bit–and then the world caught up to him, and Geleng had already lifted the older man by his collar and slammed him against the wall of an abandoned house.

  “What the fuck do you mean by that?!” Geleng roared into the man’s face.

  “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!” The man squealed. His younger companion was shouting threats, having pulled out a knife that Geleng didn’t even glance at.

  “What did Shelun allow to happen?” Geleng hissed. The man was turning red in his grip, legs uselessly kicking at Geleng’s shins.

  The younger man faltered. Geleng was a head taller than him and far more well-built. Even with the man’s back turned towards him, the youngster had no confidence in taking him on. Before he could muster the courage to stab his first man, someone knocked him into the snow from behind.

  “Bastard! Don’t move!” Dulan shouted, out of breath from running through the snow. He swiveled towards Geleng.

  “Geleng, stop! What the hell are you doing?! You’re going to kill that man!” Dulan cried.

  Geleng didn’t even seem to hear him. Grimacing, Dulan snatched the knife out of the hands of the young man, who was now ashen with fear. He managed to dislodge Geleng’s grip enough to let the servant drop to the ground. The servant gasped and heaved for air, desperately crawling away from the two men looming over him.

  Dulan glanced uneasily between his friend and the man on the ground, and made up his mind. He stepped squarely onto the lower back of the struggling servant.

  “Answer his fucking question,” Dulan snarled.

  “Have mercy! Please have mercy!”

  “Answer him!”

  It was the crying youngster who answered.

  “Tuhezhen! Shelun knew about Tuhezhen! For Tengri’s sake, don’t kill us! We had nothing to do with it!”

  “Knew what?” Dulan breathed the question out, his stomach already dropping.

  “That Datan–that Datan wanted him dead–” The young man flinched away, his face scrunched up in anticipation of pain. “Please, please–”

  “Shut the fuck up! The fuck are you talking about?!” Dulan shouted.

  At his side, Geleng began to laugh. Dulan was shocked enough to take a step back, staring at his friend. The servants took this chance to run off in an awkward, lopsided gait, both winded from the unexpected assault.

  Geleng’s laughter was a deeper sound than his usual voice, bubbling up from someplace bitter and furious inside him.

  “Geleng,” Dulan said helplessly. “Geleng, what in Tengri’s name is happening?”

  “Shelun knew Heli was going to kill Tuhezhen,” Geleng said, the words coming out almost a giggle. “Can’t you see? He knew! He was waiting for it to happen so he had something to use!”

  “No,” Dulan whispered. Geleng went on laughing, a horrible sound that made Dulan uneasy to even look at him. Dulan felt nauseous with it all–he wished he hadn’t even come out here.

  Still shaking with bitter laughter, Geleng turned on his heel and marched off. Dulan remained where he was for a long moment, trying to reconcile the worldview that had suddenly shattered on him. It was a long moment before he’d finally pulled himself together.

  “Shit, Geleng!” Dulan glanced about wildly for where the man had gone, but in his heart he already knew.

  “Geleng!”

  He took off sprinting for Shelun’s house.

  Geleng had reached a state of detached calm by the time he arrived at Shelun’s household. It was a fragile, self-delusional calm, but Geleng felt confident in his own conduct nonetheless.

  “I would like to see Sir Shelun,” Geleng announced to the guards outside. The guard he spoke to frowned, not recognizing him. His companion leaned over and nudged him in the ribs.

  “It’s Geleng,” one of the guards muttered. “You know, the guy…” He leaned in closer to whisper to his coworker. The other guard nodded, and waved for Geleng to follow him. They passed through the outer courtyard that Geleng had since become familiar with, and passed into the inner courtyard.

  A guard from the inner household approached. “What is it?”

  “It’s Geleng, he wants to see the master,” the one escorting Geleng said.

  “Well, I’ll see if my master has time.” The man’s voice dripped with irritation at being forced to do his job. He lumbered off at a leisurely pace. Geleng was relieved to find he remained unbothered by the man’s attitude.

  “Well, then,” the guard who had escorted him said awkwardly, nodding before stepping away. Geleng nodded back on autopilot, scanning the courtyard. He had never been into the inner quarters of Shelun’s house–the man was one of the few who could afford a household with inner and outer quarters. Most, like Geleng, lived in one-room houses.

  So this is how he really lives.

  Shelun usually showed a tasteful degree of wealth–respectable, but austere enough to avoid accusations of decadence that departed from Tiele ways. His inner courtyard told a different story. Geleng took in the expensive decorations, finery that he knew was priced beyond his means, and finery that he couldn’t even guess the value for. His eyes caught on an open barrel of wine.

  Grape wine, he noted. An expensive import far beyond what men like Geleng and Dulan could afford, save for occasional events when they were lucky enough to taste some. Tiezhen and Anagui must have been here recently.

  Finally, the guard returned, waving Geleng into the sitting room.

  Shelun was sitting at a desk–another import. It was large enough that it couldn’t have been brought in without drawing attention, unless it was done so in pieces and then assembled onsite.

  He didn’t even glance up when Geleng entered.

  “Sir Shelun,” Geleng greeted him stiffly.

  Shelun briefly swept his eyes over Geleng. “Ah, Geleng. Good to see you. How can I help you?”

  Geleng saw a servant standing in wait in the side door, already holding a tray with a money pouch on it. Disgust roiled through him.

  “I’m not in need of your help,” Geleng said, with more anger than he’d intended. Shelun stopped writing at that, squinting up at Geleng with suspicion. Just as well then, he’d cut straight to the point.

  “Did you know Tuhezhen would die?” Geleng demanded.

  “What are you talking about?” Shelun asked, sounding utterly baffled.

  “Heli’s servants,” Geleng replied. “An old, fat man and a scrawny kid about twenty-one, twenty-two. They came from your house.”

  “I don’t recall hosting them,” Shelun said drily. “I’m a busy man, Geleng. I don’t exactly have the time to handle the Chieftain’s servants.”

  “You knew Tuhezhen would be killed if he went North,” Geleng said. “You let it happen on purpose. That’s why the rumors spread so fast, didn’t it? You just used me as an opportunity.”

  “Geleng, the stress must be getting to you,” Shelun said with waning patience. “Why don’t you have some wine and rest up a bit, and then go on home? Have some grape wine, it’s imported. Very good liquor, if I say so myself. Take it easy for a bit. You’re not in your right mind.”

  Does he think that some expensive wine would–

  “I know the exact servants involved,” Geleng breathed out the words. “Don’t lie to me, Shelun. I want to know the truth. If I can’t get it from you, I’ll get it from them and it won’t be in private!”

  Shelun gave a huff, setting down his scrolls with a firm clack.

  “Now listen here, you are being very unreasonable and disrespectful,” Shelun said, his voice dripping with irritation. “I don’t have the time to entertain this nonsense. If not for the fact that you were the last one to see Tuhezhen alive, I would have thrown you out already!”

  Geleng felt the world slow around him.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Annoyed. Shelun was annoyed. He wasn’t nervous or even angry, even now that Geleng had witnesses and testimonies against Shelun.

  Is that how insignificant I am to him?

  If it were malice, Geleng would have walked away, angry but satisfied in knowing that Shelun was as human as he was. But what he saw was indeed Shelun’s human side, one that Geleng recognized well–the unmistakable dismissal of a human towards a lesser creature, some livestock or perhaps a stray pest.

  Even if Shelun had lost influence, even if he’d been found out, even if Geleng had gained the unwanted respect and attention of his fellow Pugu, it didn’t matter to Shelun because the Pugu didn’t matter to Shelun. It was only the title, the power, and the wealth that mattered to him, and the Pugu people were his path to get it.

  He didn’t think Geleng could do anything to him because he knew Geleng couldn’t. With that much wealth, with his connections among the Han officials, Shelun could easily whittle Geleng down to nothing. Shelun could get rid of his spies in Heli’s households and cover up the aftermath. He could destroy Geleng’s reputation and drive him to ruin.

  Geleng felt a pit open up in his stomach, a howling rage inside him like he had never felt before.

  So that’s all we are to him.

  Tuhezhen’s ambitions and pride. Dulan’s sincere and misguided sense of justice. All of it used and tossed aside like a dirty rag by Shelun, who found any outrage against him a nuisance at best. Heli was no better, a kin murderer who had been eagerly awaiting a crisis to gain popularity. They both disgusted him to his very core.

  “You bastard,” Geleng hissed. “You know what you’ve done! And you’re not even ashamed of it!”

  “Oh, get him out of here,” Shelun said, annoyed. He flapped a hand at Geleng, and two servants marched over, seizing Geleng by the forearms.

  “You piece of shit!” Geleng shouted as the servants began to drag him out. As the door closed on him, he saw Shelun shake his head, turning back to his letters.

  Geleng’s ears were ringing, a sharp noise that pierced deep into a tightening space between his brows that constricted ever further by the second. He was choking on the furious words he had swallowed down so many times, now clawing up mercilessly in this unguarded moment.

  The featherlight grips on his arms meant nothing. He shook them off effortlessly, drawing himself up to his full height. The world was slowing around him again. Geleng knocked aside a guard charging at him, then glared down at the other man bracing himself to attack. His eyes fixated on the barrel of priceless wine, sitting on a soiled weaving that cost more than his entire fortune. He kicked it over and grabbed a torch off the wall.

  Dulan saw the unmistakable light of fire before he saw Shelun’s house.

  “Shit, shit! It’s a fire!” Dulan hissed under his breath. Most of the houses in town were made of wood, and covered in tapestries that burned just as well as they kept rooms warm–it only ever took a few minutes for an untended fire to destroy a household and its livelihood. If unlucky enough, the homeowner and their family could perish as well.

  As he got closer, the column of dark smoke rising into the air became visible.

  “Fuck,” Dulan breathed. He grabbed the nearest onlooker, who was shaking their head at the lost cause of a fire. “Have you seen Geleng?!”

  “Geleng? Why would he be here?”

  “He went to talk with Shelun! Fuck!”

  “The household seems to have gotten out just fine,” the man assured him. “Look over there, they’re still trying to put out the fire. If there were any guests I think they would’ve made it out as well.”

  “I’ll go take a look,” Dulan said, already running off.

  Fuck, it wasn’t even that long! I shouldn’t have let him run off!

  Dulan circled the burning building until he rounded the corner. A wary arc of onlookers were watching the flames with disquiet.

  “What the fuck?” Dulan glanced about. “Geleng?! Where are you?!”

  Dulan saw him then, a familiar silhouette standing way too close to the fire. Dulan’s steps unconsciously slowed to a stop as he approached.

  “Good Tengri,” Dulan whispered.

  Geleng seemed to hear him above the crackling fire and shouting men. He slowly turned towards Dulan, wreathed in flames. The man was calm, far too calm.

  Dulan knew what kind of face Geleng would make before he actually saw it, but all the same, the sight made Dulan’s stomach sink with a type of grief he couldn’t name.

  Geleng was smiling.

  Then everything was going too fast for Dulan to handle. Nagai rounded the corner with war in his eyes, two guards chasing after him in vain as Shelun’s spoiled son raised his bow.

  “You bastard!” Nagai shouted.

  Geleng turned as if to meet the arrow and caught it through his shoulder. Onlookers screamed and shouted in alarm, but the man himself didn’t even let out a cry as he dropped to the ground

  “No!” Dulan dashed forward, heart in his throat.

  He grabbed Geleng, getting the man’s head off the muddy ground.

  “Shit! Geleng!” Dulan’s voice cracked.

  “Move, Dulan!” Nagai shouted. “I’ll kill that fucker!”

  Dulan ignored the brat, ripping off his scarf to press over Geleng’s wound.

  “You’re bleeding too much,” Dulan said in alarm. “Damn it! Someone go get a healer!”

  “I told you to move!” Nagai shouted.

  “Get out–go!” Geleng choked out.

  “No,” Dulan replied, his voice shaking.

  “Dulan!”

  Dulan found that he wasn’t even afraid. He turned, staring down Nagai and the arrow aimed at him. Time slowed as he stared at what would likely be his death.

  Someone tackled Nagai before he could shoot again. Dulan stared at the scene in a daze, watching as familiar faces filled the space between himself and Nagai. People who had come to respect Geleng, Dulan distantly noted. Who would have thought? Standoffish, quiet Geleng. Dulan had known Geleng the better part of his life and yet had never seen this coming.

  “Is Geleng alright?!” It was his neighbor asking.

  “He needs a healer,” Dulan said.

  “Why the fuck would he burn Shelun’s house?” Another man shouted.

  “Shelun let Tuhezhen die on purpose,” Dulan replied dazedly. “He knew and let it happen so he could profit.”

  His mind shuttered out the urgent voices around him as the questions multiplied, turning back to Geleng.

  “It’s alright,” Dulan said pleadingly, pressing down on Geleng’s wound. “It’s alright, Geleng.”

  Geleng gave a half nod, eyes glazed with pain.

  “It’s alright,” Geleng whispered back through labored breaths.

  Behind them, the flames crackled.

  Amidst the confusion and racket, Dulan barely noticed as Heli’s guards arrived on the scene, or as Nagai was arrested despite his father’s pleas and protests, the youngster still howling and kicking up a fuss. It was only until two men were standing over him with grim expressions did Dulan look up.

  One of the men knelt down next to Geleng, activating a healing talisman as he unceremoniously yanked out the arrow.

  “Geleng, Dulan, you are under arrest,” Datan said gravely.

  Neither Dulan nor Geleng gave any resistance. Dulan helped Geleng to his feet with the help of a guard, carrying the injured man between them as they left the scene, the house still ablaze with a strange and savage beauty.

  Kayla breathed in sharply, raising her eyebrows as she finished hearing out Investigator Mi’s report.

  “Good heavens,” Kayla muttered. “Arson, huh? And here I’d hoped to wrap this up quietly.”

  “I apologize, Your Excellency,” Investigator Mi said grimly.

  “Well, thankfully it didn’t escalate beyond that,” Kayla replied. “Shelun’s lost most of his fortune, his son is in prison, and his reputation is in shambles. Tiezhen and Anagui will also have to live quietly with their heads down from now on. Though it’s unfortunate that Tuhezhen’s death is now public knowledge, it was pretty much the case even before this. No one would press charges for a family matter–what troubles me is that this has become an actual criminal incident, you see, now that arson is involved.”

  Investigator Mi flushed, bowing his head. “I have failed you.”

  “No, never mind,” Kayla said. “I don’t think you could have stopped it.”

  Investigator Mi faltered, then dipped his head. “No, my lord. I don’t think I could have. Whatever Sima Qi said to him pushed Geleng past the edge of all reason.”

  Had it? Sima Qi did seem to have a strange effect on people. But Geleng really was unlucky. A minor case of arson could have been overlooked had it been contained, but strong winds had caused the wooden building to go up in flames entirely, and Geleng’s role in it was witnessed by half the town given Nagai’s dramatic revenge.

  Investigator Mi hesitated a moment, then pushed on forward when he saw that Kayla was waiting expectantly.

  “My lord, Sima Qi is seriously dangerous! He refuses to be transparent about his actions, which are erratic and extremely risky, with volatile consequences far beyond his control. I don’t deny that he’s useful and capable, but please consider thrice before entrusting him with important tasks.”

  “Oh?”

  “He instigated Geleng,” Investigator Mi said.

  “On purpose?” Kayla asked.

  Investigator Mi grimaced. His face flushed red again.

  There’s something he’s not saying, Kayla noted. Either Sima Qi has spooked him, or he has made mistakes of his own that he doesn’t want to report.

  “I don’t believe he did it on purpose. But that’s the thing–he acts without fully considering the consequences–as long as it works, he doesn’t care! My lord, we cannot entrust people’s lives to this man!”

  Definitely something he’s not saying. Damn it, Sima Qi. What the fuck did you even do?

  Kayla nodded slowly.

  “These are words of sincere advice. I thank you for them and accept your suggestions. Be assured, Investigator Mi.”

  Investigator Mi flushed slightly, bowing his head.

  “Though it goes without saying, what we’ve said here remains between us,” Kayla added.

  “Of course,” Investigator Mi bowed his head.

  “Please go on. Tell me, what do you think about the situation in the Anbei Protectorate?”

  “The Pugu–or more broadly the Tiele–are in a somewhat unique position,” Investigator Mi said. “They’re not fully autonomous, nor are they fully protected by our laws, and the growing wealth disparities have angered many people. Resentment has been building for a long time now. Heli breaking a taboo and Shelun allowing it to happen…that was merely a catalyst.”

  Investigator Mi took a deep breath. “There would have been another cause even if it wasn’t Tuhezhen. There would have been a different angry man even if it hadn’t been Geleng. Those are my true thoughts after having been there myself.”

  “Interesting,” Kayla said thoughtfully. “So how is the mood right now?”

  “It’s somber,” Investigator Mi said. “But the immediate anger has fizzled out–please be assured that Chieftain Heli is in no danger now.”

  “Then that’s good enough,” Kayla said with finality. “I’ll see what I can do to wrap this up for you. You and your team should make sure you don’t leave any suspicious traces on your way out. If there’s something you feel that you could have done better, write a report and submit it to me. I’ll compare it to your performance next time.”

  An unmistakable promise of continued investment.

  Investigator Mi opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again, face bright with surprised joy. His forehead was once again ruddy. “Thank you, sir! I will do so immediately!”

  Kayla smiled, waved, and ended the call. Sighing, she dropped her smile the second Investigator Mi was gone. She called Sima Qi.

  It didn’t take long for the call to connect.

  “My lord!” Sima Qi greeted her with excitement, smiling ear to ear.

  Kayla forced a small smile.

  “Sima Qi,” she greeted him. “I’d like to hear your report on what happened.”

  He launched into an eager, rapid-fire retelling. The kid didn’t really have a good grasp on highlighting important details, Kayla noted. But perhaps it was a reflection of how his mind worked, absorbing everything to lethal effect.

  She finally cut in when it became clear he was still going to go on for a while.

  “Sima Qi, I want to know the events leading up to Geleng’s act of arson,” Kayla said.

  Sima Qi nodded, an earnest look on his face as he rattled into another lengthy explanation.

  “So it wasn’t really his fault,” Sima Qi finished just as Kayla’s patience was wearing thin. “I mean, he did set the house on fire, but he had good reason to.”

  “Unfortunately, that’s not a legal defense,” Kayla said.

  Sima Qi’s face fell. “But he’s a good man,” he said. “He helped me.”

  Kayla was silent for a moment. “What about his friend? Dulan? The one who also helped you?”

  Sima Qi’s forlorn air dissipated immediately. He gave a shrug. “Dulan wasn’t really involved in the arson. He’s not a bad person, but he was a pretty staunch dissident.”

  The difference in temperature was almost laughable, but Kayla elected to ignore it.

  “Why do you think Geleng did what he did?” Kayla asked. “I’ve heard your explanation of the events leading to it. But I want to know what you think of him as a person–why did he do this?”

  Sima Qi’s face clouded over.

  “Geleng’s a good man,” Sima Qi repeated. “He’s really calm during times of crisis, and he does what he should do, not what he wants to do. He also helped me even though it could have hurt him–and it did hurt him.”

  He lowered his eyes. “I think…I think Geleng really saw through me near the end. But he didn’t try to stop me or hurt me. He just seemed to feel that whether it was Heli or Shelun, both of them were wrong.”

  Sima Qi lifted his face again, and there were tears in his eyes. They were probably genuine, but Kayla noted them with wariness.

  “Geleng seems to really understand things,” Sima Qi said fervently. “I’m not sure how to say this, but he seems to feel things on a different level than other people. I think that’s why he did it. It wasn’t Shelun’s house he was trying to burn, it was something else. Something bigger, I think. But I don’t really get what. I just don’t want him to die.”

  “He certainly will not,” Kayla offered reassuringly. “Though it is impossible to pardon him altogether given the severity of arson, I won’t let him receive the sentence of capital punishment. I get the sense that this is not a man we should allow to come to ruin.”

  Sima Qi lit up almost immediately, eyes shining brightly with gratitude.

  Kayla was now faced with the problem she had chosen to overlook for far too long.

  Do I keep him or cut him loose?

  She scrutinized Sima Qi’s youthful face. What alternatives did this kid have if she let him go? It would hardly be difficult to do–she only needed to slowly cut off support and contact, bit by bit over time, and he would eventually find himself an abandoned dog.

  And he’ll bite.

  Kayla fiddled with her pen, just out of sight from the communication device. Her face was static in the same pensive expression she had been wearing since the start of the conversation.

  It might have been wrong to take him in, but now that I have, it’s too dangerous to let him go.

  Tightening the reins then, that seemed to be her only option.

  “You did well to adapt on the spot to prevent discovery. That being said, I think there’s also a lot you can learn from this mission, both from how the plan invoked suspicion and how it served its purpose,” Kayla said.

  “Of course,” Sima Qi said, seeming even happier now.

  “It seems you’ve been acting pretty boldly,” Kayla said, her tone very mild.

  Sima Qi’s smile fell. “My lord…”

  “You’re a talented young man, Sima Qi,” Kayla said gently. “But it would do you a great deal of good if you learned to consider the consequences of your actions some more. Didn’t we have this conversation before?”

  Sima Qi seemed to shrivel in place. His ears would have flattened against his head if it were physically possible for him to do so.

  “Your Excellency, I’m very sorry.”

  “I know what you did,” Kayla said, folding her fingers before her with a certainty she completely lacked. Sima Qi stiffened.

  Oh fuck, this guy definitely did something else that he’s not telling me.

  She pressed on in the same tone. “And I am able to take care of it this time. But the consequences don’t just impact you, Sima Qi. There will be a point where you go beyond what I can cover for. You need to learn to understand this, and you need to let that guide your actions. Have I made myself clear enough?”

  “I’m very sorry, my lord,” Sima Qi said with a pleading note in his voice. “Please forgive me!”

  Panic was beginning to blossom over his boyish features.

  “If I thought you hopeless I would not have helped with the cleanup,” Kayla replied. “For better or for worse, I want to see how you turn out. I want to give you another chance.”

  Sima Qi looked so grateful that it was almost pathetic.

  “Thank you! Thank you so much!”

  Kayla gave a nod. “Don’t prove my judgment wrong, Sima Qi.”

  He bowed his head. “I promise that I won’t!”

  She ended the call with a few last words of encouragement. Someone like Sima Qi needed to be wielded very, very carefully, always kept in debt to her and in fear of losing her good opinion. If she ever lost control of him, Kayla would have to kill him. And that would be wasting a perfectly viable, if not unstable talent.

  Her mind drifted to the other talent they had uncovered, too late to make use of.

  What a pity. It seems this Geleng is really something, Kayla mulled to herself. But there had never been any reports of him prior to Tuhezhen’s death.

  What was it Datan had said again?

  Unremarkable in peace, competent in times of crisis.

  Her mouth twisted into a bitter smile.

  I can’t let a guy like this die.

  Whether or not Geleng faded into obscurity would be up to his choices.

  Not just his choices, Kayla thought with a pang in her chest. Birth, opportunity, the wrong time and wrong place–any and all of these can be an insurmountable mountain.

  There were talented people everywhere. There were talented women who toiled endlessly between their children and their in-laws, never knowing what they could have accomplished if they’d had the opportunity. There were talented farm boys like Xie Rengui who would go on sowing fields for the rest of their life without ever receiving recognition for what they were capable of. There had been talented men that she ruined with her own hands. The brilliant Lin Jie, hanging from a noose he wasn’t capable of tying. Zhang Wuxian, willingly choosing obscurity for the rest of his days over a brilliant career under Kayla’s patronage. And how many more were there that she didn’t even know about?

  Well–she flicked over a scroll at the top of a pile, watching as it slowly unfurled itself, bumping over the countless other scrolls and papers cluttering the desk. At least Heli’s mess had blown over for now. Geleng’s mess would also fade in due time.

  Fate will provide.

  Cultural Notes

  Consider thrice/三思: A proverb based off a Confucian quote, "季文子三思而后行。子闻之，曰：再，斯可矣/Ji Wenzi always thinks thrice before acting. When Confucius heard of this, he said, 'twice is enough.'" However, this quote is often taken out of context to advise someone to "think thrice before acting".

  Anbei Protectorate: A semi-autonomous administrative region in the Tang Dynasty.

  Arson in the Tang Dynasty: In the Tang Dynasty, punishments for arson were harsh due to the fact that most houses were made of wood, and thus destruction was often swift, fatal, and wide-reaching. The Tang Penal Code mandates that "Arson of public or private buildings is to be punished with three years of prison; arson resulting in damage equivalent to or more than five bolts of silk is to be punished by banishment of no fewer than two thousand miles; arson resulting in damage equivalent to or more than ten bolts of silk is to be punished by hanging; arson resulting in injuries or death is to be charged as causing serious injury." The final clause is due to the fact that the charge for causing serious injury is to first provide compensation for the medical costs and lost income of the injured during the period of convalescence before serving one's sentence.

  You should not rear a lion cub in the city, but if one is brought up, accommodate its ways: Not actually from Ancient China, but from Ancient Greece. Kayla's reflection on Sima Qi is a reference to Aeschylus' line in Aristophane's Frogs, where the man refers to Alcibiades, a politician and general from Athens who enjoyed great popularity among the people but was also highly controversial for his warmongering and ambition.