33. Unwanted guests with unwanted requests
As he and Shuomo had discussed and as he had told the emperor, Yan spend the next days pouring over the reports of Honggu, checking every name of the fallen soldiers. The medal bearing the mark of Xuan in a battle with another empire was a worry. "I suspect there was a spy during the battle of Honggu." Yan said, when Su asked him what he hoped to find. Finally he found a name of a soldier who wasn't mentioned in the report of the magistrate, but who was mentioned in the report of Liang Chen. It was a soldier from Liang Chen's back guard. Both reports also listed two unknown soldiers who died in the vicinity of the back guard. But only the magistrates report mentioned the military medal. Yan suspected these two were the soldiers of the Ghost Army. Having enlisted Xie's help in finding the unknown missing soldier, Yan felt that in time they would be able to discover what happened to him. In the meantime Yan often and much more frequently than before met with his brother at the palace to discuss issues with the trade with Beirong, trying to discover which actions were likely orchestrated by unknown persons. The emperor had also told Yan to get more involved with the army, not that Yan needed to be asked, he still received the four generals in his Mansion and got their reports. But for the emperor this request was part of laying a foundation, because if a war with Beirong was imminent the Tiger Tally would have to be brought back into the hands of his brother.
The first week back home saw Su primarily at home, she rested and took care of the household issues that had arisen while they had been away. She was thankful that Yan had insisted she took some days off from work, it gave her the time to really get the rest her body needed. When the tiredness and nausea finally subsided during the second week Su was even more thankful because she was getting bored. The morning sickness wasn't completely gone, but she could deal with it a lot better, especially since the fatigue, Su highly suspected this had also been due to the long journey from Beirong, was considerably less. It also appeared to Su that the nausea was worse when she was tired, so she took the precaution to rest enough during the day.
When one day, during her moment of rest, Fei Yuan came to announce a guest, a woman with her daughter, Su didn't think much of it. Especially not when Fei Yuan told her the woman had declared she was an old friend of her parents. As no one apart from her closest friends and the official of the royal court knew she was actually Bai Jian, it was fair to assume the lady meant the nonexistent parents of Su Ci (to the public it was Su Ci who had married Prince Qi). "Tell her to go to the Mingjing Office to examine her claim. If she returns with written proof that head officer Luo Xin believes her claim is true, I'll listen to her request." Su had told Fei Yuan. Since her betrothal to Prince Qi had been announced quite a lot of people had come to Pei Mansion to claim familial or friendly ties to Su, which Su knew all to be false as her identity had been made up. Her real parents had been killed along with the entire Bai Liang tribe, so she had no family or friends to the family left. When the amount of people who wanted money or recognition from the future princess consort Qi had risen to quite absurd levels, Su, Yan and Luo Xin had decided to refer them all to the Mingjing Office to verify any proof they had. It still surprised Su that people were willing to try and claim a link to her, she was after all still known as a detective and so those calling should in all fairness realize she would see through all the forged proofs. It did have the unexpected side effect that several forgers were traced and apprehended. After this had trickled through the community the people stopped trying to claim a relationship with Su. So it should have caused Su to consider why this lady was trying to claim a relationship, but as she was tired and in no mood to deal with unwanted guests, Su left it to Fei Yuan to deal with the lady. When a few days later Luo Xin came to discuss some cases and the continuation of schooling of the new detectives Su asked him if someone had come to have her claim investigated. As he answered that no one had come Su thought no more about the lady. With Luo Xin Su decided she would continue to work, but focus more on the education of the young detectives. Only with difficult cases she would be asked to help. Su also asked Luo Xin to inform her and Yan about all cases where the mark of Xuan was found. Those cases would be transferred to Su for investigation. And so Su was once again going to and from Mingjing Office regularly. Yan hadn't protested as long as the personal guards of Su went with her. About a week after the first lady had come calling, another tried to get an audience with Su, unfortunately Su was away. As the lady claimed to be from the Bai Liang clan Fei Yuan also directed her to Mingjing Office, where she never went. And again Su didn't think much about the caller. A third lady with her daughter also failed to meet Su as Su had just left to go to the palace where she had been summoned to by the dowager empress. But when a fourth lady with her daughter came to the mansion and claimed to be a distant relative of Prince Qi Su was at home and with the relation to her husband had to greet the guest. At that time Rushuang was visiting Su, so she joined her.
"Your Highness." The lady and her daughter bowed, Su asked them to rise and asked them why they had come. It had been quite a awhile since Su had seen Rushuang and she had not liked their afternoon being interrupted, so Su was hoping it wouldn't take long to deal with these guests.
"Your Highness, it is good to see that you have recovered. In your circumstance it could be difficult to care for your husband. My daughter wishes to help you." The lady started. This caught Su off guard as it hadn't occurred to her that others might think she would be unable to take care of Yan. Besides that if these women were really related to the royal family, surely they wouldn't want their daughter in servitude? "What does she wish to do? Help with the cooking? The cleaning?" As an officer of the Mingjing Office Su had learned to get to the core quickly. She could see a slight hesitation in the woman, the daughter had looked at the mother with alarm.
"She will of course do as is asked of her by you and your husband." The lady replied. Su watched the woman and said: "Surely there is a more suitable place for your daughter then in the mansion of Prince Qi?"
"It would honor our family for our daughter to have a place in the household of Qi."
"If you wait here I will see if there is need for a maid in housekeeping or in the kitchen." Su turned and started to walk to the kitchens, Rushuang, who had remained silent during the conversation, saw another look of confusion between the elder woman and the younger. Quickly she followed Su and whispered: "Isn't it odd that someone who claims to be related to the royal family wishes to be a maid in a royal mansion?"
"Yes, but you heard her, she seems determined for her daughter to work here. I wonder why she hasn't married yet. She seems of marriageable age. You would think any man would like to marry someone whose family is close to the royal family. I do have to check her claim before I can offer a place." Rushuang sighed, for all her intelligence Su could be blissfully unaware of social situations and rules. "Sister Su, I don't think she wants her daughter to be a maid. She offers you her daughter as concubine for brother Pei." This had the desired effect, for Su abruptly halted and turned to Rushuang.
"A concubine?" She repeated, disbelieving. Rushuang nodded and saw the disbelief turn into anger.
"How dare she?!"
"It's a common practice, quite a lot of nobles have concubines." Rushuang calmly said, but she didn't think Su had heard her, as Su continued: "As if I would share my husband with anyone." Then she fell silent, trying to suppress her anger. Rushuang was right: many men had concubines, but Su hadn't considered it for her and Yan. Maybe this was something they should discuss but Su knew this was going to be an unnegotiable point for her, as her personal guard had been for Yan, there wouldn't be any concubine in their household. But first things first, she needed to get rid of her guests. Su turned and walked back to where the two women stood, they could see Su and Rushuang coming back.
"I've considered your request, but we are currently not in need of a maid. Furthermore I don't think the dowager empress would be pleased to hear a family member, no matter how distant was in servitude at another royal family."
"But princess, my daughter really wishes to serve the prince Qi, maybe there is another position she could fill, which will make it possible for her to serve the prince?"
"Madam, I really think it would be best if you tried to find a suitable husband for your daughter, so she may have her own household. If you need help finding a husband please let me know and I'll see what I can do for you." When she saw the woman starting to protested a little harder, Su simply said: "Please leave first." There was a finality in the sentence that told the woman that this conversation was over. When she didn't leave Su indicated to one of the guards nearby to escort the two ladies out of the mansion. Turning to Rushuang Su saw she was trying not to laugh. "Do you think this is funny?" Su was still quite resentful to the notion that someone wanted to share her husband. Somewhere Su knew her reaction might be a bit much for the situation, but she simply couldn't help it.
"No. It isn't funny, it's deeply troubling." Rushuang replied, Su looked t her from the corner of her eye suspiciously. Then Rushuang couldn't contain her laugh anymore and laughed. In the face of so much mirth Su couldn't stop a smile from forming on her own face. Shaking her head slightly Su started to walk back to the pavilion where they had been seated when they were interrupted. "What were we talking about?" Su asked as she Rushuang sat down in the pavilion. Rushuang was immediately serious and nervous, which made Su even more curious as to what Rushuang had wanted to tell her.