Mingzhe's commanders were an interesting lot.
Though maybe that was just the lack of sleep talking.
Eirian had only managed a couple of hours of rest the night before. The books Yuze and Kai Low had found were fascinating and most definitely what had been used to create the miasma. It was all the proof Eirian needed, but unfortunately, she wasn't the High Court judge.
Mingzhe was right that the books, as much as they seemed like a giant victory, didn't actually help them much right now. The Wens might have had the books, but they didn't have anything else that suggested they were involved or capable.
Mingzhe's commanders didn't have much to say about them. Very few of them were even distantly related to the Wen family. Which was small and only boasted a dozen grown adults. All but one or two served under the Yang family.
Most of Mingzhe's commanders came from other noble families, but a handful were unrelated to anyone important and had ascended on their own merit.
The noble commanders didn't have anything useful to say, though Eirian took note of it all anyway. They were all carefully toeing the line of family loyalties and social niceties, and no amount of Eirian cajoling or ordering changed their tune.
It was a marked difference from the actual families she'd spoken to weeks before, who'd at least been willing to express an opinion. Even if it was sandwiched between cow-towing and ass-kissing.
Mingzhe's common-born commanders were more willing to speak out, and they had plenty of stories about each other and Mingzhe.
Unfortunately, a lot of it seemed to be petty rivalries and eagerness to take a chance to vent grievances that only mattered when they could complain about them.
There was an excessive number of missing items. Small things like belts, pouches, smaller weapons, and a lot of food and ale.
Priorities, she supposed. She was surprised but pleased that there were a few books that seemed to be a sore spot.
There also seemed to be an innumerable number of grudges related to snubs, credits, and stolen moments that reminded her of the nobility. Apparently, large groups of people of any caste developed the same tendencies and habits.
The whole thing was rather exhausting.
One of the common-born commanders, Ty, did have an interesting view on the dynamic between Mingzhe and Yang Hikari. "They've been friends since childhood, least that's what I've always heard."
"Is that strange?" Eirian didn't get the point of his statement, but it was more interesting than anything else she'd heard.
He was a big, bulky man, and when he shrugged, his entire torso seemed to move. "'Suppose not. Don't really think about all those noble-headed fools being friends like normal folk."
Eirian raised an eyebrow, but he seemed to miss her expression entirely.
"Some of the men call them the deepest friendship in the estate. There's poems or shit written about it."
Eirian blinked, surprised. She'd heard none of that, though Mingzhe had called Hikari his closest friend on multiple occasions.
"They've served together since they started training. Lots of rumors they're more than friends, but the Yang got married some years back, and those mostly quieted down.
Until Mingzhe had taken up with Eirian and Chenzhou, she thought, amused. Nothing Mingzhe had ever said had hinted at that kind of relationship, so she doubted there was any truth to it.
Ty finally got to his point. "If Lord Zhao were to do something treasonous, be hard to believe Lord Yang didn't know about it."
"You think so?" Eirian frowned. Mingzhe had mentioned they'd drifted apart about Hikari's marriage. Not for lack of feeling, but the lack of time that came with a new relationship and priorities.
"Never seen them not know exactly what the other is doing."
"How long have you served under them?"
"Five years now. Lord Yang got married not long after I arrived. Had to fill in for him while he was off at his wedding celebrations."
Eirian nodded, thoughtful. "Have you ever seen Lord Hikari take over for Lord Zhao?"
Ty thought on it, then shook his head. "Only seen Lord Yang step away for family things. Lord Zhao's a bit mad, never seen the man take a single day of rest the entire time I been here. Hell, they can mimic one another's handwriting near perfect."
Eirian froze. "They can what?"
Ty made a scribbling motion with a big, meaty hand. "You know, their handwriting. They can copy each other's signature and such."
Eirian's thoughts erupted into a dozen directions all at once. If Hikari could copy Mingzhe's signature, then he could easily forge letters.
Was that how everything had been done? A simple forgery?
~ tbc