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Instead, her brother had just talked for a few moments with the guard captain and then they were through. No exchange of coins necessary.

It was a welcome sign, but still a bit strange to see guards with such moral fortitude so far on the frontier. They were all remarkably well drilled and polite. They wouldn’t have been out of place among the elite guards of Pale Moon Lake City.

It was another quirk of this already quirky little town. Like the cleanliness, the order, even the general smell. It was too nice.

It really shouldn’t be this way, from everything that she had seen so far. It was an enigma.

The roads and quality of the villages they had stopped in on the way here had progressively worsened as she had expected while traveling further north. Dirt roads, untidy villages, grubby farmers. Everything one would expect as you left the centers of commerce for the hinterlands.

This town wouldn’t have looked too out of place in the south. This far north? It was an outlier. Verdant Hills was clean, orderly. Even the smell of the place was pleasant. Almost too pleasant.

Chyou and her brother had arrived after exchanging the usual formalities at the Palace of the Lord Magistrate. She had been expecting a dirt room and creaky chairs. Instead she found herself in a well appointed waiting room, one they had barely been in for long. The Lord Magistrate apparently did not feel like playing too many games with them. Chyou checked her hair and clothes one last time in a small mirror she kept on her person. Her scarlet locks were done up immaculately in the most recent style of the provincial capital. Chyou was garbed in the persona of the perfect flower. A peach silk robe and an array of subtly placed blooms. Her brother was a bit more subdued in his clothing, but it was still an extremely expensive silk garment, one that would surpass the quality of anything a frontier magistrate should have. A display of wealth and power to ensure this Lord Magistrate knew to whom he spoke. It would be less trouble if he took the hint.

Chyou mentally reviewed the information they had on the Lord Magistrate of Verdant Hill as they followed behind the guard. Her brother had met the man before, but his description had been rather vague. He had found the man irritatingly stuck up and by the books, which wasn’t too odd, but pointed to him being unlikely to be bribed, if he would act this way even to the Azure Jade Trading Company.

Most frontier Magistrates were men who had scored poorly on their exams, yet had still barely made the cut. They were the bottom of the rung men who couldn’t refuse the poor postings they were granted. To be banished to such places as Verdant Hills with no hope of advancement was often considered a punishment for men who had spent their lives learning and training to manage cities. Why would they ever be satisfied with the obedience of a handful of rice farmers in far flung outposts? Especially the most northern town in the province. The winters here were supposed to be brutal compared to the ones in the south.

Their intelligence had come back with his records from the Grand Palace in the provincial capital.

Top five in his class and wed to Lady Wu Zei Qi of the Wu Clan.

He had been top of his class until some incident had bumped him down the rankings, but he had still been slated to be taken in by the Grand Palace upon his graduation… until he had requested the transfer.

Was it a coincidence? Or was he here because Master Jin was here? Was he some manner of servant? It would make sense…

Chyou sighed. She hated going in without complete information. All they had was her brother’s vagueness and old, old records. Normally they would have paid somebody for a more comprehensive review.

Normally, they would have used the Plum Blossom’s Shadow. However, for this, they were alone. Though the new and extremely powerful information brokers were on good terms with their company… they had cited standing orders from their enigmatic “Master Scribe” that Verdant Hills was forbidden to them, on account that they were to respect Master Jin’s privacy. So there had been nothing from that front.

They’d had to send out their own men last night for a quick and dirty information gathering session. The people of the Azure Hills had been only too happy to wax poetic about their ruler. The entire town had nothing but positive things to say of “The Patriarch of Verdant Hill”

It was a bit suspicious that the man was so universally loved, but they had nothing else to go on.

Ideally, the man would be compliant to the Azure Jade Trading Company’s wishes. He likely had some powerful friends and, from what they had learned last night, removal from his position if he proved combative would be a fool's errand.

Such things were a measure of last resort, anyway.

Hopefully.

They were admitted to a private meeting room with servants lining the walls. Chyou had expected little and was surprised. The room was tastefully decorated, and lavishly furnished. Clean, and well lit by hanging lanterns artfully placed. It was the room of a noble official, from Pale Moon Lake City, transported all the way up north.

Three figures were waiting for them properly arrayed. A lady and a portly man flanked what could only be the vaunted Patriarch of the Verdant Hills. Guan Chyou finally got her first glimpse of the Lord Magistrate.

She nearly froze in her tracks when saw the man.

Chyou’s image of a normal Magistrate was of a corpulent, corrupt creature, soft and decadent. The south was rife with them, to varying degrees.

Oh, many were skilled administrators, and there were even a few who had little corruption to their name, but they all seemed like the same kind of creature.

The Lord Magistrate of Verdant Hill looked more like the drawings of the Scholar-Generals, the men who aided the First Emperor in founding the Crimson Phoenix Empire.

There was barely a shred of fat on him. He was solid, but not overly muscled. Their men had observed him training with the guards. He had handily defeated the younger men, after taking his horse through its paces, getting it to leap over obstacles like he was hounding some evildoer through a forest.

He was starting to show signs of age. Wrinkles along with a salt and pepper beard, yet neither of those detracted from the admittedly still handsome man.

The single feature that drew her in had to be his eyes. Will and determination. Intelligence and drive. They shone in the evening light. She knew those eyes intimately, her grandmother wore them every day.

She forced herself to keep moving under the Lord Magistrate’s impressive gaze, and was nearly pinned by two more.

Lady Wu looked remarkably hale and hearty for a supposed cripple sitting calmly beside The Lord Magistrate. Her silken robes equaled that of anything the Azure Jade Trading Company had provided to Chyou. Her makeup was barely needed to accentuate an already stately beauty. Her lower face was covered by her fan, depicting the Soaring Phoenix.

A brazen display, calling on the image of Imperial Majesty. It was practically a declaration of war in the language of the court fans.

Behind her fan, the Lady was the image of grace. Chyou was not fooled. Her eyes gave the impression of a smile, but all Chyou felt was that there was a tiger watching her from behind a patch of grass.

A third figure stood waiting nearby, a man who looked more like what she thought of when she first imagined the Lord Magistrate. He was fat and jolly looking, wearing the traditional robes of an Archivist. He would not be out of place among her foolish uncles. But she did not miss that sharp intelligence as he carefully looked Chyou and her brother over.

Chyou felt like she and her brother were being weighted, and found… wanting.

Her grandmother would have the face and the guts to stroll in like she owned the place, uncowed by these clearly experienced and prepared people. Perhaps a phoenix would have come out of her own sleeves to challenge Lady Wu directly.

Grandmother wasn’t here though, and Chyou wasn’t stupid enough to attempt something like that against these three old tigers. There was knowing the power her name held.. And then there was rank arrogance. These men and women were confident for a reason.

Still, the name of the Azure Jade required the Magistrate to rise to his feet to receive them.

“We greet the Lord Magistrate.” She and her brother intoned, bowing politely.

“Esteemed guests of the Azure Jade Trading Company.” the Lord Magistrate replied, clasping his hands but not bowing. “Please, be seated.”

They bowed again and sat down as the servants started moving into place. Even the servants were well appointed and moved as if they knew the dance of courtly rules intimately.

Chyou carefully got out her own fan, one with drifting blossoms. Peace and reconciliation.

The lady raised an eyebrow, but made no move to close her fan. Chyou swallowed.

This was going to be harder than she had ever expected.

“My dear wife, Lady Wu, and the First Archivist, Lin Bao, shall attend us this evening.” The Lord Magistrate continued.

Lin Bao? The name immediately seemed familiar to Chyou. Something about a scandal in the provincial capital? Her grandmother had talked about it maybe? The exact nuances of what had happened escaped her for the moment. She could not think about it long, however, as the meeting had begun.

“It is a long Journey from Pale Moon Lake City. I trust it was pleasant?” The Lord Magistrate asked as they settled in and received the first course. A clear invitation to begin but Chyou hesitated. The food placed before her distracted her. It was some sort of flat disk that smelled slightly sweet.

Her brother nodded his head, still managing to stay chipper in spite of the pressure.

“Yes, sir. It was hard, but uneventful—until we hit your wonderful road of course. Then it was the perfect journey.”

Guan Chyou stared down at the disk. It was the same dish Master Jin had made when he showed them what went well with maple syrup.

Then the servants placed before each of them an entire cup of syrup. It took all her skill not to gape in astonishment. High end restaurants were even now clamoring for more of the golden liquid, they used a thimble.

“Most excellent. A quiet journey is a good journey, no matter what fools say about boredom. But it was a bit abrupt of a visit, was it not?” The Lord Magistrate mused casually as he picked up the cup of syrup that was on his tray, looked them in the eyes, and then emptied the entire vessel onto the plate.

Both of them watched. They were rather used to displays of decadence, but the man was drizzling pure silver onto his plate with utter casualness.

The man raised an eyebrow at them, when he noticed their stares.

Bo glanced at her.

Chyou taped her leg three times.

Bo swallowed. “We of the Azure Jade Trading Company apologize for the timing of the transmission, and for any inconvenience it laid on you.”

The Lord Magistrate made a considering noise.

“It is just you two then? You seem quite young.”

“Our… powerful client requested us,” Bo stated carefully. “He is a good friend to the company, and we endeavour to complete all his requests.”

“Ah, it is indeed troublesome when there are such requests, but what can one do?” Lady Wu spoke up. “Our good friend is a bit of a handful, but he is ever so generous in his gifts, don’t you find it so Guan Chyou?” She liberally poured the syrup over her own stack of cakes as well. She smiled like a mother at them. “Please, do eat. There's plenty more where this came from.”

“Indeed. We servants are ever obedient.” Lin Bao decreed. “But there is value and honour in serving, is there not? So, let us all work together on bringing prosperity.” The man chuckled, as he cut a stack of cakes and took a large bite. “I’ll be having seconds, my dear.” he said to the serving girl, who bowed immediately.

“...yes, there is honour in serving, and in working together for prosperity.” Chyou ventured. She carefully picked up the cup of syrup…and started to pour.

All eyes were on her.

The Lord Magistrate broke out into a smile.

“Very good!” the Lord Magistrate decreed, raising a cup in toast to them. “So, let us decide the specifics of your little operation in my Verdant Hill.” The Lord Magistrate looked very pleased.

Chyou saw her brother swallow.

“Oh my, we haven't done that in years,” Lady Wu said, looking far too amused as she fanned herself. “And you, darling. ‘May we ever have a beneficial relationship?’ that was just mean to the poor boy.”

The Lord Magistrate smiled as he watched two stunned merchants stagger their way back to their hideout. It indeed had been a long time since he had last really dueled with words.

“You were entirely too cruel to that girl, my dear. I thought she was going to trip when you brought out your fan.”

“Oh? But those wide eyes were rather cute. I just want to tie her up,” his wife said with a sadistic smile. “Red rope made of red hair. It has a certain appeal, no?”

The Lord Magistrate shivered. Guan Chyou’s hair was indeed appealing, but he had no desire to offend the Azure Jade Trading Company more than he had.

“...it was easier than I thought it would be,” he stated.

Indeed, he was expecting the more experienced members to lead the negotiations. Instead, he had encountered two relative novices. Competent enough, but unused to being truly challenged.

He had driven a bargain the merchants had gulped at before politely accepting, but he’d have none of their meddling in his town.

And it was rather fun, visiting some of the torment he had felt back on them.