Chained to old wounds

CH129

Morgan

“So why exactly did you come to find me, now that you’ve solved my problem?”

“Something tells me that wasn’t the end of your problem. How exactly did we get to this point?”

He sighed as we walked back to his office.

“You’re restless… and clearly still agitated.”

“Are you saying this because you know whatever you have to say is going to agitate me more?”

“Maybe.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s related to the robes for the Convening of the Celestial Compass. The robes are woven with a specific type of celestial thread that only a few skilled artisans can work with. Your family had was once one of them. I don’t know if anyone alive in your family can still do it, but the thread is expensive, hard to get, hard to make, and most of the craftsmen have left the capital because of the harem.”

I smiled. “Somehow, I’m not surprised.”

“After the attack five years ago, the harem–Ari and some of the other concubines–became. overbearing. Based on some of the information I’ve been getting, they were asking for their regular clothes to be made out of the celestial thread. And the craftsman had been refusing. To be fair, it’s labor–intensive and expensive, and there was no way they were going to pay fair price for it. Of course, that means that the harem members made their lives difficult. They began treating the craftsmen poorly, issuing unreasonable demands, and refusing to pay them properly for other projects. The workers were harassed, threatened, and disrespected. Most of them left the capital entirely, seeking refuge in neighboring provinces where they could work in peace.”

“Well, that makes me feel a lot better about how I plan to deal with them.”

“I know my father doesn’t know. He’d be heartbroken, and with everything that had been going on, there’s no reason to think that he would be looking into it anyway.” He sighed. “The palace is supposed to be a place of respect and honor, especially for those who serve the imperial house. But the harem’s influence poisoned that. The craftsmen felt they had no choice but to leave,

and…”

“They’ll come back.” I smiled. “Once they know that there are sensible people in power again.”

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He smiled. “You and mother are going to get them in line, hm?”

“I’ve already started.” I shrugged. “Give me a list, and I’ll put out feelers. It’s going to take more than just money to convince them to return, but I think it’s more than doable. “I winked at him. “People are always happy to come see a miracle.”

I sighed. “This is all connected, isn’t it? The harem’s influence, the misappropriation of funds, the craftsmen leaving… It’s all part of the same problem.”

“Yes.”

I shook my head as we reached his office. I–closed the door behind us and sat on the couch with

him.

“We’ll figure this out, Tsuneo,” I said softly, placing a hand on his arm. “I’ll deal with the harem,. but I think you should know what I’m planning to do.”

“Go on…”

“We need to test the royal children,” I said. “For paternity. Anya said that there was a scroll that

could for sure say whose kid they were.”

His eyes widened. “Why would that be necessary?”

“The harem is compromised. I’ve started to sow some discord, but the issues are deeper than that. Ari’s betrayal, Elia’s influence, and the culture of entitlement that’s been allowed to fester in the harem is a mess. It all has to change.”

Morgan’s eyes flashed with determination as she told me about Lady Jun and what she’d surmised about Lady Maro and the rest of the harem. I was furious, but as she explained her plan, I nodded.

It made a lot of sense.

I let out a breath. “I am so very grateful that you are so cunning. If I had to devise this plan, I don’t know what else I’d be able to get done in a day.”

She laughed. “We’re in this together, remember?”

I nodded, my heart lighter with her support. “Together.”

Soon it was lunch time.

As we made our way down the long corridor toward the dining hall, Tsuneo’s hand slipped from mine, his lips pressing briefly against my temple. I’ll eat with Kai today,” he said softly, his tone

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filled with warmth.

“Bonding are you?”

He chuckled. “Something like that. I’ve always wanted to be an older brother.”

He turned down the hall leading toward the parlor nearest where Kai was taking his lessons, but they met in the hallway and headed toward the courtyard that led into town. I guessed he’d promised to have lunch with Kai in town. It was cute. I headed back to the parlor where lunch was being served for me and the parlor and sat down.

When I entered the dining hall, Lady Jun was already there, alone. Anya and Maya came soon after. I waited until the food was served before sending all the servants out and putting up a barrier on the room, so even if there were people trying to listen or peep, they couldn’t. The table was laid out with an assortment of fresh fruits, bread, and roasted meats. It was a simple spread compared to the lavish banquets the palace used to host, but given the current state of things, it made sense to conserve resources. It didn’t bother me at all.

We ate like this all the time when my father was alive because someone in the family had overspent on something, or to keep food costs for the family down.

“Let’s talk,” I said. “Tsuneo agrees that it’s a good plan, and he’ll support it.”

They nodded. Lady Jun seemed surprised.

“But that was the easiest part, we need to figure out what comes next. Elia is still a threat, and I don’t want it dragging on any longer than it already has.”

It was unlikely that we could get rid of him before Haruka and Hayato returned, but there was hope that we could at least neutralize him. We toured with the idea of just directly exposing him, telling the truth, and outing all of the members of the harem that were involved, but it didn’t feel enough, and there was still some hope that members of the harem I had already started to pressure would make moves or break. I still hadn’t heard back from the guards about where Lady Mei was going. That could mean that he was in league with Elia, too, but it seemed more likely that wherever she was going was very far.

Maybe she’d already doubled back for the vial and thus hadn’t gone very far at all.

The thought that she was trying to figure out how to sneak back into the palace because there were guards on the exit that she used and used me greatly. Maybe I’d have her picked up or left to sleep in the streets or something for the night. It would certainly support the suspicion that I needed to build around her.

“I think we should focus on how to get rid of and su: now.” I looked at Lady Jun.” Do you know who it c

Chapter Comments

Michelle White

having so much fun reading these chapters