Eirian burst into Chenzhou's office, making him jump where he was hunched over a pile of papers. She let the door swing shut behind her.
"I think I found something!"
"Don't tell me!" Chenzhou yelped, and Eirian scowled. She'd been so excited, she'd forgotten.
"You're no help." She told him and spun out of his office in the same breath.
A tentative, "I'm sorry." Followed her out.
And because the Rock loved to taunt its inhabitants, she ran into Mingzho two hallways over, looking haunted as was his new normal. He froze when he saw her, and Eirian's elation only lasted for a second before he turned tail and practically ran away from her.
"I wasn't going to try to tell you anything!" She snapped after him, and the only reason she stomped in the opposite direction was that that just happened to be the way to Yuze's office, and he, at least, she could talk to.
Or at. He didn't really need to talk back; she just needed someone in the room while she talked through it herself.
Thankfully, Yuze was in his office. Along with Kai Low and the boy. Kai Low and his nephew were bent over the small atlas in the corner, and his nephew had a vaguely overwhelmed look that Eirian attributed to seeing how big the world of the Rock was for the first time. It could be shocking, she imagined, if you'd never seen it before, and she doubted even the most travelled tribesman had gone far beyond the borderlands or the lands that immediately bordered them. They were too insular a society to really produce people driven to wander far from home.
She turned to Yuze, who had a collection of old intelligence reports spread out in front of him. "I learned something."
Yuze perked up. "Oh? That's good. It's always important to improve one's-"
"About the investigation." Eirian rolled her eyes and missed the incredulous look Kai Low shot Yuze over her shoulder.
Yuze flushed. "Right. Of course. What?"
"Mingzhe and Yang Hikari are friends."
Yuze blinked. "Yes. It's a rather well-known friendship?"
"Who the fuck is Yang Hikari?" Kai Low demanded, walking over to join the discussion. Ran Orlo followed on his heels.
"The oldest son of Lady Yang. Heir to the family dynasty. He's one of Mingzhe's commanders." Yuze rattled off facts and Eirian watched Kai Low's eyes glaze over in real time. Before she could say anything, Yuze realized it too and flushed. "The oldest son of the commander of the archers."
Some, but not all of Kai Low's confusion faded. Enough that he nodded along.
Yuze turned back to Eirian. "They've been friends for years."
Eirian was practically vibrating out of her skin with excitement. "Yes. And you know what one of the other commander's told me…that they can mimic one another's writing perfectly." She raised her arms in victory as the three men stared at her.
Silence.
"Why aren't you celebrating?" She demanded.
Yuze and Kai Low's eyes met, then jumped back to her. "That's…interesting?" Yuze tried.
"What the fuck does that matter?" Kai Low didn't bother with diplomacy.
Normally, Eirian would appreciate that….when it wasn't aimed at her. "It matters, Bandri, because it throws into doubt anything signed by Mingzhe."
Yuze straightened as he started to understand.
"It matters because the Wen are allied with the Yangs." Eirian continued, something dark and vicious entering her eyes. "It means there's a clear line that can be drawn between the Yang and Wens."
Kai Low looked doubtful. "I wouldn't call that clear. Don't they also share a marriage?"
"Yes, another of Lady Yang's sons." Yuze nodded. "But it is something. Circumstantial, but if we gathered enough circumstantial evidence, we could at least force the court to free Mingzhe from suspicion."
"The Yangs have the money to buy books like that. The Yangs were in the Camelia, in a position of power, before the miasma started." Eirian pointed out.
"The Yangs have never been anything but supportive." Yuze countered. "Lady Yang is known for her dedication and loyalty. To the point that any attempt to say otherwise has ruined reputations beyond repair. I don't…." Yuze paused, torn. "I don't know if even Chenzhou could accuse her of something as bad as treason and win."
"He's Lord of the estate." Eirian scoffed. "He's just as well known for his dedication and loyalty."
"True. Chenzhou's reputation is unassailable…nearly."
"Nearly?" Eirian growled, defensive. Behind his uncle, Ran Orlo's eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of her magic for the first time.
Yuze raised his hand, doing his best to placate the woman who could smite him with conceringly little effort. "Chenzhou is an excellent Lord. Everyone knows that." Although statistically, that was a lie. No one was universally liked, but he didn't think pointing that out to Eirian was the right strategy when there were flames starting to rise off her skin. "But he was sick. For a long time. Lady Yang stepped up a lot during that time. Along with many others, but…maybe no one else stepped up as much as she did."
Eirian's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. "So she was trying to take over?"
Yuze shook his head. "No. There were others who called for Chenzhou to step down when his illness peaked. Lady Yang is the reason none of those calls went anywhere. She protected him. Protected his authority. It's very likely he would have been forced out without her."
"It could be someone else in her family. She has children. Relatives. From everything you guys have said, she doesn't like giving up power. Maybe someone in her own family got tired of waiting?"
"Two hundred years ago?" Yuze frowned, his brow furrowed. "I suppose it could be one of the minor family lines."
"The what?" Kai Low asked.
"Family members outside the primary line of succession," Yuze explained blithely. Kai Low rolled his eyes. "But how would they manage something on that scale without Lady Yang noticing?"
"Maybe her son is hiding it from her?" It was an off-the-cuff remark at first, but by the time it finished, Eirian had warmed up to it. "Maybe he's tired of his mother hanging on to power, and he wants to get rid of her."
~ tbc