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Everyone knows that inviting Sir Su to a party meant trouble. So if you invite him anyway, then don't be surprised if all your plans go sideways, up to but not limited to: dramatic reveals, breaking and entering, capitol guards at the door, a fire, several fires, corruption scandals uncovered, someone trying to ruin the virtue or reputation of another person, and so on and so forth.
Su Zhe, that soft-spoken scholar who was once Chief Mei of the Jiangzuo Alliance, has never claimed responsibility for any of the troubles that arise. He arrives on time, usually alone, but everyone knows his precocious young bodyguard is about somewhere, likely on the roofs. He is polite to a fault, shows due deference to those in high positions, and is kind and patient with servants and children. He never drinks to excess, always brings tasteful humble gifts, and can make delightful small talk on an astounding variety of subjects. You could almost describe him as a perfect guest, if not for the pattern of chaos left in his wake.
No one dares to touch him. He is the reticent husband of the warrior princess Mu Nihuang, who is often away from the capital defending the southern border. Sir Su stays in the capital in her stead, managing their household and keeping an eye on her younger brother Mu Qing. Everyone knows better than to raise the ire of Mu Nihuang.
Besides, it is quietly known among the older and more astute ministry officials, especially those at the Emperor's infamous birthday party, that Sir Su is none other than Chiyan Vice-Marshal Lin Shu, returned from exile. The Emperor has made no direct announcement, but these days he is often ill and ill-tempered, and no one is so foolish to ask. The Crown Prince Xiao Jingyan has welcomed Sir Su into the Eastern Palace and brooked no argument on that front - if you believe the wilder end of the gossip, you may even think this jianghu chief has a jade token from the Crown Prince himself, to come and go as he pleased! - and his status in Mu Manor is of course unquestioned.
Cai Quan does not know what fantastical miracles, what terrible price, had to be wrung out to call the young marshal back in this manner, but he knows that Lin Shu's streak of wicked mischief burns bright in Mei Changsu.
So, of course, it is well-known in Jinling that to invite Sir Su to your party is really to ask for the highest entertainment.
Winter, Forty-Third Year in the Reign of His Majesty Xiao Xuan, Liang Dynasty
Cai Quan heads for Shen Zhui's office as soon as he hears. Halfway there, the Minister of Works, Liu Yuan, falls into step beside him. Cai Quan exchanges a speaking look with his colleague. Liu Yuan is a sensible man with a good head on his shoulders, and he appreciates the silent support as they wait in the hall to be received.
The moment they are admitted, Cai Quan demands, "Word on the street says Sir Su has been invited to your housewarming?"
Shen Zhui has the sheer gall to smile at them. "My friends, one piece of gossip brings you all the way here?"
Cai Quan drops down into the seat in front of him, staring open-mouthed, while Liu Yuan lowers himself more carefully, taking care with his old knees. Shen Zhui stirs the brazier at his side and starts preparing tea quite calmly.
"So it's true? Don't you remember," Liu Yuan's voice drops to a hushed whisper, "what happened at the Emperor's celebration? And Xiao Jingrui's birthday? And the wedding ceremony of Minister Qiu's daughter? That was just two months ago!"
Shen Zhui huffs a laugh. "How could anyone forget? That last one was the most memorable event this year."
"Shen Zhui, you are really asking for trouble!" Cai Quan hisses.
His friend continues to chuckle. "He is a great scholar, and a guest of the court. I know I would enjoy his presence at my housewarming." He serves them tea, eyes twinkling. "You do not have to worry so much about it, my friend."
"We'll see about that," Cai Quan mutters. Next to him, Liu Yuan takes a fortifying gulp of tea.
Shen Zhui's party is a resounding success. There is food and drink aplenty, and the word is that a visiting headman from the eastern states is so taken with a first-rank minister's opinions on trade routes and access between kingdoms that he wants to open a new line of communication pursuing that very aim. The officials and nobles who have been invited are all mingling, laughing and speaking to each other, sated by the fine tea and quality wine that Shen Zhui broke out for the occasion. Cai Quan is cautiously starting to think that they just might get through this in peace.
So, of course, it cannot be expected to last.
He doesn't know how it starts. A second-rank ministry official starts shouting at one of the nobility, and before anyone could blink, the two have started throwing punches at each other.
"You were embezzling! And sleeping with my wife, on top of that!"
"How dare you accuse me of such falsehoods!"
"I saw your records! And if you think I can't recognize the stink of another man on my wife, you have another thing coming!"
"Lies! Do you think I am so stupid?"
"I saw what I saw, and you can't hide the stealing or the affair anymore! I demand compensation for this!"
"You should have been home more often if you wanted to keep either of them!"
"You—!"
No attempts to calm them down work. Indeed, one man even shoves the other so hard that he crashes into the serving tables, smashing the dishes Shen Zhui's wife so carefully prepared everywhere. Someone runs out to the street, calling for the nearby capitol guards to intervene and separate the two red-faced, furious men.
Shen Zhui wades into the fray, soothing rattled nerves and arranging for a servant to sweep up the mess. Cai Quan steps in too, waving for one of his officers in attendance to follow the two men and take their statements.
Given what they were shouting at each other, Cai Quan resigns himself to sleepless nights the next week on this investigation. He looks around for Shen Zhui, intending to take his leave and return to his ministry to start sorting this out at once.
His eye catches on Sir Su watching the chaos from a quiet corner. He has heard that Sir Su's health has finally turned a corner, but here he is still bundled tight in heavy robes, his collar thick with fur. Something in the slant of the man's mouth gives him pause. Cai Quan switches direction and moves towards him instead.
He’s frazzled and annoyed, and doesn't beat around the bush. After a perfunctory exchange of greetings, he says, "Sir Su, if you know something of today's events, I would like you to tell me."
Sir Su responds with a masterful expression of polite, puzzled inquiry. It is such a perfect mask of innocence that Cai Quan instantly calls bullshit in his head. "Is there reason I should know about this, Minister Cai? As you know, I am hardly active at court these days."
Cai Quan did know. Sir Su had not appeared at court since the Emperor's disastrous birthday party, despite his participation in the last year's upheaval and border wars. He does not believe Sir Su ever stopped tracking the shifting dynamics at court, not when his chosen prince has risen so close to the throne.
Sir Su gives Cai Quan a tiny, tilted smile. "I am only here to give Minister Shen my well wishes for his relocation. Of course," he adds, "if Minister Chen chose to keep his records in an easily accessible location, that is no one's fault but his own."
Shen Zhui has come up behind him during this exchange, and Cai Quan sees his friend hide a laugh behind his sleeve. Cai Quan is speechless for a long moment, looking between the two.
If Shen Zhui had known and hosted the housewarming anyway, he owes Cai Quan so many drinks.
Autumn, First Year in the Reign of His Majesty Xiao Jingyan, Liang Dynasty
The newly ascended Emperor is scanning the list of guests for the upcoming Mid-Autumn celebrations when he notices the oddity. He pauses a moment, blinking. His eyes run down the list once, twice, to make sure.
Then he calls for the Minister of Rites. "Why has Sir Su not been issued with an invitation to the palace's Mid-Autumn event?"
The minister fumbles. He is relatively new at his post, having inherited it in last year's purge of corrupt officials at court. He does not know how to deal with this emperor yet. How to explain Sir Su's reputation? It is too awkward, especially since the Emperor has seen fit to name Sir Su a permanent guest of the court, and has been seen to take tea with him and his wife on occasion. Sir Su’s title is ostensibly a reward for the scholar's outstanding bravery in service of Liang three years ago, when they were surrounded on all sides on the brink of war. The palace servants and eunuchs all seem pleased with Sir Su's presence, and so far the court has not made a fuss about it yet, but it is still an incredibly delicate situation.
“Well?” the Emperor repeats, and the minister falls to his knees and bows, apologising profusely. He promises to have an invitation issued immediately.
“See that you do,” the Emperor says, and dismisses him with a wave.
Cai Quan watches Sir Su greet the Emperor, wishing him health and longevity, and then fold himself with precise motions into his seat. He takes an orange and starts to peel it, offering a few slices to his warrior wife next to him.
The Divine Talent is too casual, not looking up from his plate, and even his wife is shooting him a few searching looks. She is not armed, but then a warrior of her calibre does not require a weapon to protect or to attack. The Emperor's gaze is fixed, intense, and when his eyes sweep over each attendee, it scorches the room.
He has started to recognize the signs of Sir Su's interference. This scene tugs at his memory of another not too long ago, when a different emperor's birthday celebration ended in chaos and ruin and long-awaited justice.
Cai Quan supposes, with some resignation, that it is too late to stop whatever incident is about to happen from spiralling out of control. It’s going to be another week of late nights doing the necessary work. He makes a mental note to speak to the Minister of Personnel about training the lower-ranked officials to lead; it will be poor form if they have to go through all this again in five years because there wasn't anyone capable of stepping up when needed. Case in point, Cai Quan thinks with a sour look at the new Minister of Rites, who clearly has never been assigned an important task of the realm before his current appointment.
The incident occurs almost exactly at the midway point of the event. A well-dressed woman whom Cai Quan does not recognise bursts into the hall, wielding a bloodstained sword that she uses to beat back the palace guards. She points an accusing finger directly at a nobleman and shouts, "You owe me my son's life, you rat bastard!"
Silence hangs over the hall for a suspended heartbeat, like glass waiting to shatter. Then someone shouts, and the entire room dissolves into chaos.
The woman flings herself at the frozen nobleman with her sword raised. He shrieks and falls off his cushion.
It’s Meng Zhi's flying kick that saves his neck. The commander lands in front of the woman and says, "This is a matter for the courts, madam. Please disarm yourself!"
"I will disarm when my son receives justice!" she yells back, and then looks beyond him and snarls. "Marquis Yao, do not attempt to leave this hall!"
The look on the Emperor's face is somewhat similar to how Cai Quan is feeling right now, as he watches his ruler rise and start to take control of the room. Sir Su has remained seated, allowing his wife to stand battle-ready in front of him. The scholar and the Emperor exchange a fleeting glance, no longer than a heartbeat. Sir Su looks down and pops another orange slice into his mouth.
Cai Quan resists the urge to rub at his temples. He has no doubt that Sir Su works to the Emperor's benefit, but the man's penchant for showmanship is truly at odds with his public reputation.
When all is said and done, Cai Quan exits the palace, tired but satisfied. He’s pleased with his officials, all of whom acted with efficacy and are proving that his training system works, but it has still been a long day.
He sees Sir Su standing on the steps, next to the Princess Nihuang. He wears a small, crooked smile, and in his eyes, there is a look like a cat savouring a plump fish.
Cai Quan clears his throat to make his presence known. Sir Su catches his aggrieved look and chuckles.
He must look truly exhausted, for Sir Su unexpectedly offers, "This time, Minister Cai, I admit to some small interference. I was only acting as a concerned citizen."
The Princess nods at him. "We appreciate the Ministry of Justice's prompt action, as always."
He nods back, weary. "Send a messenger if there is news," he says, too tired to obfuscate. "If you can prove that the evidence is obtained through legal means, or if you have a suitable replacement in mind, write to me and I will take it into consideration."
Sir Su has the audacity to look surprised. His wife elbows him subtly, and he hurries to say, "Thank you, Minister Cai. I will think on it."
"You do that," Cai Quan says, and hails a carriage to take him home. He deserves to spend his well-earned coin this once.
Spring, Second Year in the Reign of His Majesty Xiao Jingyan, Liang Dynasty
This time, Cai Quan was warned.
"Mei Changsu!" the official wails as he is dragged away in broad daylight, "You will pay for this!"
Sir Su smiles, cold and triumphant. All eyes are on him, and he does not deny the accusation. Next to him, his young bodyguard snarls at the official as the guards haul him away for trial.
Cai Quan rather wishes that Sir Su would take himself elsewhere when shit goes down. It would be infinitely easier to clean up messes without such an easy scapegoat hanging around, whom Cai Quan has to deflect attention away from. He is certain that Sir Su is capable of doing it himself, and that his terrifying wife and the Emperor are also very capable of doing it on his behalf, but he cannot help it. The man has grown on him, like a fungus.
Later, Cai Quan finds a neat, damning pile of evidence on his desk, outlining exactly how the official has been ferrying blood money through Jinling's underground black market. There is no note, and the papers are all unsigned, but Cai Quan is more than familiar with this game by now.
He supposes it is about time he invites Sir Su to take tea in his home. It had been a while since he and Shen Zhui last visited with the scholar, and since then he had only ever seen snatches of the man at the next wrecked event. It would be good to sit and drink with him and discuss how they will make this liaison work, like proper gentlemen.
Cai Quan still knows better than to host any kind of party that requires Sir Su's attendance, though. He does not earn nearly enough to pay for damages on that scale.
Summer, Third Year in the Reign of His Majesty Xiao Jingyan, Liang Dynasty
For the record, Lin Shu would like it known that this incident is not his fault. Correlation is not causation. He may be helping Jingyan steer the leaking ship that is the Liang government, but not every incident is his fault .
He knows where the blame lies for this one, after all. Lin Shu quite admires what Yan Yujin has grown up to become, all clever words and artful taste, a diplomat with his father's sharp tongue and Prince Ji's slippery wiles.
He steps into the teahouse. A waiter immediately comes forward to greet him, but he waves the man away. He has already spied the person he is looking for, sitting at a low table with Gong Yu, back turned and none the wiser.
Good. He can't run if he doesn't see Lin Shu coming.
"Good afternoon, Yujin," Lin Shu says lightly, and has the pleasure of watching Yujin freeze up, just for a moment, before he smooths out his expression to a more ordinary, open delight. "It's good to see you in the city again."
"Of course, of course!" Yujin leaps up from his seat and ushers Lin Shu over. Gong Yu greets him, quiet and watchful, and he nods to her. "Su-xiong - eh, I mean, Lin Shu-gege, that's okay to use, right? - it's good to see you! I only went to see Jingrui off again, I never could stay on the road for months like he does. Why, how would I have the joy of Miss Gong Yu's music if I am constantly up and down the country, I ask you— "
Lin Shu allows Yujin to prattle on while serving him tea, feeling unbearably fond. "Would you like to tell me about the incident earlier today?"
Yujin blinks at him, the picture of innocent surprise. Lin Shu notes that his hand on the teapot trembles just slightly; he would have to work on that. "Lin Shu-gege, surely you have heard about it from everyone by now! The word on the street is that the party fell foul to you ."
"My reputation is useful in that way," Lin Shu says, taking a sip of tea. It is very good, with a strong aftertaste the way southerners like it; Yujin must have picked up a liking for it on his last journey. "You have impeccable taste."
"Eh, Su-xiong, I learned from the best," Yujin says with easy, clear affection.
"If you wish to continue expanding your knowledge," Lin Shu says, "I have gathered a great experience of different tea varieties from my time in the jianghu. It would be a pleasure to share them with a connoisseur like yourself."
The cup is warm in his hands, and his grip is completely steady. He still marvels at this.
"Ah, that's really generous of you, Su-xiong!" Yujin says, "I'm sure you have many more important things to do, but if it isn't too much trouble, I would love to have a look at that. If you don't mind, I'll call on you later this week?"
"Of course," Lin Shu says, finishing his cup. He lays it gently on the table. "Nihuang has just taken her next assignment, and will be leaving in two days. I will appreciate company in her absence."
"Su-xiong, are you saying I am only a stand-in until your wife returns?" Yujin cries, pulling a mock dramatic face.
Lin Shu laughs. "If you have a wife like mine, certainly. Perhaps you may experience something similar yourself, someday." His gaze slants across to Gong Yu, and he is amused to see her turn faintly red. Yujin splutters.
"My apologies for interrupting your time together," Lin Shu says, getting to his feet. "I will leave you to enjoy the rest of your session. No, please, stay where you are. I will be expecting you at my residence this week, Yujin."
He pays for their table on the way out. The clouds shift as he steps out of the teahouse and looks for his carriage, spilling sunlight warm and welcome on the street.
It is a beautiful day.
It is the quiet of a comfortable evening, the cool air that comes after a summer storm washing away lingering heat, the crickets in the palace gardens chittering to each other. The three of them are in the Emperor's private receiving chambers, relaxed and resting after an enthusiastic reunion, at the end of two months of separation.
Nihuang uncurls from her end of the daybed, relishing the feel of soft furs, smiling. "Husband, you seem to have gained something of a reputation."
Lin Shu groans. "I told you, that was Yan Yujin . I am an innocent party in this."
"Of course. Certainly it is known that innocent parties invite fellow schemers into their home, and allow their guests to drink their tea stores dry," she says, because she is ruthless like that. Jingyan shakes with silent laughter.
"It was a moment of reckless impulse that I now deeply regret," Lin Shu says, flinging an arm over his eyes.
"Reckless impulse? From the Divine Talent? This is astounding news," Jingyan teases, and then has to wriggle away when Lin Shu kicks out at him. Nihuang laughs at them and ignores Lin Shu's reflexive scowl.
"How am I meant to take action when everyone is so quick to blame me?" he complains.
"There are far worse reputations you could have garnered for yourself," Nihuang says, eyes twinkling merrily. "This is more superstition than anything. Besides, you know Jingyan would never haul you up for petty troubles like these."
Lin Shu mutters something uncomplimentary, but he stays a warm and quiescent weight in Jingyan's arms, so they know he is not that bothered.
"Xiao Shu, they are only idle, and looking for entertainment," Jingyan murmurs, lacing his fingers together with Lin Shu's and feeling a curl of delight when his friend tightens the hold. Nihuang gives him an approving look from Lin Shu's other side. "You know your place is secure, and always will be."
“Mu Manor and the Jiangzuo Alliance stand between you and any harm,” Nihuang says, her smile sharpening.
"I'm not worried about that," Lin Shu says, "I'm worried about nefarious plans they will work harder to conceal, knowing I am watching."
"I'm sure you will still find ways," Jingyan says, “For instance, what mischief are you planning for my birthday celebrations this year?”
Lin Shu shoots him a look, clutching at his chest in false hurt. "Jingyan! Would I do that to you?"
The corner of Nihuang's mouth twitches. She sits up, stretching, and then tugs an extra fur over the two men. "How many letters of complaint should Jingyan-ge expect to receive, this time?"
Lin Shu laughs now, reclining back into the tangle of furs and limbs. "Ah, it would spoil the surprise if you knew."
"You are incorrigible," Jingyan says, but there is no heat to it.
"You love me anyway," Lin Shu says. It is spoken carelessly, but there is a trace of unease in his voice that he cannot quite shake, and it does not go unnoticed.
Jingyan huffs. "Of course we do," he says, turning to press a kiss to Lin Shu's temple, the same time Nihuang leans forward and kisses her husband right on his dear laughing mouth. Lin Shu makes a quiet, choked sound and reaches out, pulling Jingyan down towards the sensitive arc of his neck, and pressing up into Nihuang's firm hold. When everyone pulls away at last, Jingyan and Nihuang are smiling and satisfied, and Lin Shu's ears are red.
"You're the life of every party," Nihuang tells him, laughing and flopping down to lie with them again. "I have a hundred taels riding on you ousting that incompetent War Minister before the big day. Xia Dong will pay up if I guessed right."
"Nihuang!" Lin Shu hisses, "That's completely inappropriate!"
"So, will you confirm my theory or not?"
Lin Shu splutters, looking scandalized. Jingyan and Nihuang's quiet laughter echo in the room, and they curl tighter around him.
And for a few shining moments snatched from their daily work, the three of them are ridiculously, absurdly happy.