For three or four days in a row, Mister Ye and the others waited patiently for their opportunity. The moment that monk left Xu Ji’s residence, there would be no getting away — with the current strength of the Tribunal’s forces, making a person disappear without a sound anywhere in Chang’an was almost trivially easy.

But after all this watching, it became clear the man had absolutely no intention of leaving. Mister Ye slipped into Xu Ji’s compound again at night to look — the man was being attended to like an honored guest, everything provided for him. There was simply no need for him to go out.

So Mister Ye had no choice but to report back to His Majesty: should they perhaps just take him from inside Xu Ji’s house?

Li Chi listened, then shook his head. Go to Xu Ji’s house to grab someone? Far too petty. Easier to just summon the man directly.

Xu Ji wanted him to know about this monk — very well. Let him know that *he* knew.

—

Meanwhile, word had reached the Western Regions delegation: the Emperor of Da Ning had approved their entry.

Ganluo, who had come from the Black Steppe kingdom, breathed in deeply when he heard the news, then stood looking northeast for a long moment.

That was the direction of home. He could not see it, but he looked anyway.

He and his men — this carefully assembled group of elite fighters — had come to assassinate the Emperor of Da Ning. Even if they succeeded, there was no possibility of escaping alive.

No one with any self-awareness could believe that assassinating an emperor in his own capital and then walking away whole was a realistic outcome.

Everyone understood: this mission was an exchange of lives. Success meant all of their lives traded for the one life of the Ning Emperor. Failure meant their lives bought nothing at all.

To ensure there would be no complications, every man Ganluo had selected was, like himself, not obviously recognizable as a person from the Black Steppe. Those people were simply too easy to identify — even under cover of a Western Regions delegation, there was no hiding it.

In truth, this entire Western Regions mission to Chang’an was itself a Black Steppe scheme.

On the southern battlefield, they had been beaten by the Ning Army. In the near term, not even the Black Steppe’s formidable national power could mobilize another large-scale push southward.

But that crushing defeat had only deepened the Black Steppe *hanhuang*’s conviction that Li Chi was the primary threat.

*The words of Yuan Zhen are being proven one by one.* An emperor like Li Chi, given enough time — his threat to the Black Steppe was incalculable.

If they could not defeat Da Ning on the battlefield, if they could not kill the Ning Emperor in open combat — then some other means would have to be found.

The *hanhuang* settled on the Western Regions peoples.

Da Ning was a newly founded empire, still rebuilding from ruins, and rapidly working to fill the diplomatic void left by the fallen Chu dynasty — especially in its relations with the Western Regions, which were critically important for commerce. Enormous volumes of trade had been suspended by the wars, and on both sides the losses were severe.

The Western Regions peoples had other options, technically. After the Outer Steppe was absorbed into the Black Steppe empire, they could have routed their trade through there. But they feared and disliked the Black Steppe — business with them was always loss, never gain, often outright ruin.

Still, once the Central Plains trade route was cut by the war, the Western Regions merchants had no choice but to deal with the Black Steppe regardless.

Then that route too became impossible, because the Ning Emperor absorbed the Outer Steppe — severing the westward passage entirely. Travelling past the Black Steppe now meant going around the whole of the steppe, doubling the journey and multiplying the risks enormously. Bandits and robbers along that route could strip a caravan down to nothing.

The *hanhuang* saw this as a perfect opening. Get the Western Regions peoples to seek an audience with the Ning Emperor, and the assassination plan could be set in motion.

Ganluo’s men were specialists drawn from across the empire. The Black Steppe’s Bureau of Blue Ravens was a vast and fearsome operation — to monitor the surrounding nations, the Bureau had recruited enormous numbers of people from many different countries as deep-cover agents. Among them were skilled fighters with extensive experience at long-term concealment.

Within the Bureau there was also a dedicated assassination unit, staffed with all manner of men.

The Sword Sect would also contribute.

As the state religion of the Black Steppe empire, the Sword Sect prided itself on being open to all — *any* subject of the Black Steppe empire, regardless of ethnicity, was welcome to enter the faith.

Or so it was said. But no one from outside the Steppe’s eight noble bloodlines had ever risen to any position of real power within the Sect.

Ganluo’s Sword Sect rank was Sword Teacher — and of the seven grades of Sword Teacher, from one star to seven, he held only the lowest, the first.

But rank in an institution and actual ability are not always the same thing.

Whether in the old Chu dynasty or in the Black Steppe, lineage could determine rank at birth. Yet the effort Ganluo had poured in to reach even the rank of Sword Teacher — ten times, perhaps a hundred times what any of the eight noble bloodlines would have needed to expend.

In terms of real martial ability, Ganluo’s skill was easily equal to the rank of Grand Sword Master.

—

The envoys of the various Western Regions nations all turned to look at him now, waiting for his signal.

The *hanhuang*, to keep the plan from being exposed, could not tell the Western Regions peoples directly that this was an assassination mission.

The story told to them was that the Black Steppe also had commercial interests that needed to be conducted with the Central Plains — but with such deep enmity between the two countries, it would be far too humiliating for Black Steppe representatives to approach Da Ning directly.

So the Black Steppe wished to route their trade through the Western Regions merchants’ channels, and would give those merchants a share of the profits as compensation.

Ganluo’s official cover was a Black Steppe court envoy facilitating this arrangement.

The Western Regions peoples, of course, dared not refuse. They wouldn’t have refused even if there were nothing in it for them.

“On this journey to Chang’an,” Ganluo said, looking at the assembled envoys, “the Black Steppe’s interests will be in your hands. If things go well, the *hanhuang* will remember your service. There will be a future reward.”

“And please remember — do not, under any circumstances, allow my identity or the identities of my companions to be revealed. The moment that happens, given the Ning Emperor’s hatred of the Black Steppe, it won’t only be us who die. You will die as well.”

The assembled men nodded vigorously.

The truth was, if they had any choice in the matter, not one of them would have agreed to take on such risk.

“One more thing,” Ganluo said. “I’ve had people confirm that Muyan and Mudi from the Jialou Kingdom entered Chang’an ahead of us — more than half a month ago.”

At these words, everyone present went rigid with surprise — and then came a wave of barely suppressed fury.

Ganluo watched their expressions twist with resentment, and felt a private satisfaction.

“So remember: the Jialou Kingdom is now an enemy of the Black Steppe.”

He swept his gaze over them. “You are different. All of you are friends of the Black Steppe. In the future, if the Jialou Kingdom dares move against any of your nations, the Black Steppe will not stand aside.”

At this, the assembled envoys burst into effusive gratitude.

They felt suddenly emboldened. With a colossus like the Black Steppe as their patron, what was there to fear from Jialou?

“When we reach Chang’an,” Ganluo continued, “press as hard as you can on the trade negotiations. Whatever conditions the Ning Emperor proposes, agree to them — unless they touch upon national honor.”

He waved them off. “Go and prepare. Enter the pass as soon as possible. We’ve delayed too long already. The longer we wait, the more likely it is that Jialou’s Muyan and Mudi will close their deal with the Ning Emperor first — and if they do, all of you will be at their mercy.”

He let a pause settle before adding: “Also — when you go back, you may wish to consider: if Muyan and Mudi were to die in Chang’an, what do you suppose would happen between Jialou and Da Ning?”

This single remark moved every person in the room.

—

One day later, the combined delegations of the Western Regions nations entered Liangzhou City, made a brief stop, and continued east toward Chang’an.

Grand General Tantai Yajing had arranged an escort to accompany them for the journey. That was the polite way of putting it. More directly: a watch detail.

—

Chang’an.

Xu Ji came home, and as had become his habit, immediately sent a servant to the rear courtyard to fetch the medicine.

In reality, the medicine brought back was only a thing made from sweet potato starch.

The fake Cangjie was his own man. He did not trust the real Cangjie, and did not dare take whatever Cangjie gave him.

He didn’t know how long Cangjie’s plan would take to bear results, and found himself with no better alternative.

He was sitting and staring at the newly delivered pill with a blank expression when Cangjie vaulted silently through the rear window.

Xu Ji startled and leaped to his feet. “How dare you—!”

Cangjie was unconcerned. He crossed to a seat, sat down, glanced at the pill on the desk. “So, Master — you won’t even eat something made of sweet potato starch now?”

Xu Ji’s expression darkened. “Your behavior grows more insolent by the day. Do you really believe I can’t manage without you?”

“You misunderstand,” Cangjie said. “You’ve placed a fake Cangjie in your household — naturally I have no choice but to meet you this way.”

Xu Ji said sharply: “You may leave.”

Cangjie shook his head. “Not yet. There’s something important to say first.”

“Then say it quickly and go.”

“If nothing goes wrong,” Cangjie said, “then since there’s no opportunity to bring me in from outside, His Majesty will take a different approach.”

“He will send someone directly to you, saying that he has heard you have a monk of remarkable medical skill in your household — and that he’d like you to bring the man to meet him.”

Xu Ji’s expression shifted.

“That is exactly what you have been hoping for,” Cangjie said. “So you needn’t pretend to look surprised.”

He continued: “But, Master — are you truly certain your fake monk can hold up? His Majesty is not a simple man. Two or three questions might be enough to expose him.”

“Never mind anything else — just the Emperor asking him persistent questions about medicine. How long could your imposter hold out?”

Xu Ji’s frown deepened. “What — are you seriously suggesting you would go to meet the Emperor yourself?”

Cangjie smiled. “Wouldn’t you be glad if I did?”

At that moment, someone came rushing to the study door outside. “Master — a royal decree has arrived from the palace.”

—