Giselle - One Of Yue Mansion's Students

One of the Yue mansion's students dropped an annotated ledger on the desk beside Giselle. It made a satisfying thud. Lady Wu's furniture wasn't shabby. In fact, something about its quality struck Giselle as not quite right. She couldn't put a finger on it. The student picked up an unannotated ledger, saluted awkwardly, and went back to his room. Initially, Giselle harbored doubts the students would be much help. But they had been cramming for the imperial exams and were well-versed in academic trivia.

Dragon Turtle Society's ledgers assigned customers and suppliers handles based on classic works from the Qianqiu Dynasty. The handles were anagrams of the original names. The order of characters depended on rules not yet understood. The actual identities behind the handles were not yet known. What everyone purchased or supplied, however, was becoming clear.

That was a start.

With agents looking for those materials on the market, based on what was being sold, Giselle could eventually match names to a handle. The more handles she worked out, the better her odds of figuring out the rules. Then she would know which parties were most interested in knockout narcotics.

Tianming Duke's token was a clue. But Giselle restrained her urge to jump for the juiciest target. The possibility that the token had been planted could not be ruled out. Furthermore, something had been removed from the cellar where the token was found. It was therefore possible that Tianming Duke's agent was dealing in whatever had been removed, not in the knockout drug. Of course, Giselle wanted to know what had been removed.

That mystery might also be in the ledgers.

Another student dropped off a ledger. Crown Princess Esmaralde had commandeered the mansion by fiat and allowed everyone renting rooms to stay – so long as they paid rent to her. It was at best an unorthodox solution. Legalists would call it an abuse of royal power. The Ministry of Revenue might also have complaints. None of that mattered to Giselle. The student picked up an unannotated ledger, saluted awkwardly, and departed.

An agent entered the office.

"The Tianming District Managing Censor is at the entrance with two more censors," she said. "They've brought Magistrate Berge and a captain of the Tianming Guard. They're demanding the mansion be made available for inspection, and want all occupants to assemble in the main hall."

Giselle snorted.

"Not even the Emperor makes demands of the Crown Princess," she said.

"The Peach Topaz Guard have so far declined to let them in," said the agent.

Giselle sighed.

"It's not my fight," she said, "unless they expect me to join them in the main hall."

"Do we trust the Tianming Guard?" asked the agent.

"That's…," said Giselle, "a delicate point. The Tianming Guard does have jurisdiction. So does Magistrate Berge. As for the Censors, either they're stupid or the Emperor has countermanded the Third Prince's order. Even in that case…."

She tapped on the annotated ledgers and stood.

"Make sure these are protected against misappropriation," she sighed. "The Crown Princess will not take this intrusion well. If I do nothing, she'll trust me less."

Giselle went down to the main entrance.

The Tianming Guard had brought several squads to back up their captain. The Crown Princess's guards were outnumbered. The Managing Censor had brought several deputies. Magistrate Berge came alone – and shifted uncomfortably.

Giselle felt sorry for the man.

"The Crown Princess has seized this mansion," she said. "Whether she was right or wrong to do that, you'll have to wait for a determination from the Emperor before proceeding."

"We are here to help inform the Emperor's decision," said the Managing Censor.

"Is that so?" asked Giselle.

The Censor stepped forward.

"You know what role the Censorate plays," he said, "Moonlight Chamber."

"In fact," said Giselle, "nobody knows what role the Censorate plays. You make it up as you go along. But arguing with me is futile. I apologize to all the people you've brought with you. There's nothing to do but turn around and go home."

Magistrate Berge stepped forward. Giselle wasn't expecting that.

"This is too much!" he said. "First the Crown Princess seizes property without regard to the law. Then the Second Consort kills a hundred people in the middle of the capital without regard to the law. Now Moonlight Chamber refuses to allow the legal authorities to do their jobs. Have you deposed the Emperor and set up your own dynasty?"

Giselle wasn't sure how to respond to the Magistrate's uncharacteristic boldness.

"Run that by me again," she said. "The Second Consort killed a hundred people?"

"Yes!" insisted the Magistrate.

Giselle laughed.

"Magistrate Berge," she said. "Consort Chen hasn't come down from that rock in ten years."

"She came down," said the Magistrate. "Her style cannot be duplicated."

"Who did 'Consort Chen' kill?" asked Giselle.

"The locations hit," said Berge nervously, "are associated with Sorrow Woe Society."

It was Giselle's turn to step forward.

"You're angering me," she said. "There aren't a hundred people in Sorrow Woe Society."

"Two dozen killers," said the Magistrate. "But plenty of informants, spies, and bookkeepers."

"If what you say was true," said Giselle, "I would have heard about it from someone else."

"It's not the sort of thing to tell people about!" protested Magistrate Berge. "We left the rumors of a gang war in place. You can ask Consort Chen why she hasn't told you if you like."

"There are only two people in this world who ask Consort Chen questions," said Giselle. "One of them is the Empress. The other is a little girl. Besides, a gang war is more plausible."

It would be a pity if Sorrow Woe Society had actually been wiped out. But with Jian Peak Abbot dead, who could have made such a powerful move?

Could it really have been Consort Chen? Why?

"You are not the only one getting angry," said the Managing Censor. "We have been patient."

"You'll remain patient," said Giselle, "or more people will die."

"Threatening a Censor is a capital offense."

"I am explaining to the gentleman," said Giselle, "that the Crown Princess will kill him if he disregards her seizure of this mansion and her protection of the people in it."

"The Crown Princess is not above the law," said the Censor.

"Of course not," said Giselle condescendingly. "But she's above you."

"Enough!" cried the Tianming Guard captain. "Advance!"