It started young, Mingzhe told them. When he and Hikari had first become friends. Small things, innocuous at first, that started to add up. Mingzhe hadn't realized what was happening until he was already spending evenings making complaints that bordered on treason.
"It was small favors at first, a promotion or demotion here or there. Getting around policies we didn't agree with or like. Things that didn't mean anything by themselves, but put together over years and years, it became a slow-moving blade, sinking in deeper and deeper with every year."
Counsel Margrave's face remained bland, and Mingzhe had to admire her control. She was clearly experienced and well-trained. She had yet to let any reaction to his story show on her face, and Mingzhe knew he'd have to convince her before he left today or there'd be no chance.
But he had to be careful. The Counsel was trained to spot lies and probably spent the majority of her time figuring out which lie was better or worse than the others, and then figuring out the actual truth despite that.
"Hikari was the one who told me about their plan." He needed to put in as much truth as possible to keep it as believable as possible. "They've been working on it for generations."
"Generations." Counsel Green repeated, not as good as Margrave at concealing his reactions.
Mingzhe nodded. "They speak a lot about the kingdom their family came from, before they came to Sorrow. How they were a pillar and helped keep the country on track, and how, when it finally collapsed, they'd fled with what they could carry. Betrayed by the kingdom and the people they served."
"It's not uncommon for nobility who fall from status to feel betrayed by those they see themselves above." Counsel Margrave said. "It's not accurate or correct, but human emotion is rarely that logical."
Mingzhe nodded. "The Yangs have nursed that feeling since before they arrived in this land. They truly believe everything they do is in the interest of the Camelia. Or at least what they think the Camelia needs."
"And what do they think the Camelia needs?"
"A stronger leader. Coincidentally, a Yang." Mingzhe drawled. "Apparently, they didn't believe it would happen this soon, but Lord Ye's illness got so severe that they were expecting him to die for years. Lady Yang has been expecting to take over for years. When Princess Soliel arrived and managed to cure the illness and the miasma, it…changed their plans."
"The time between Princess Soliel's arrival and the ambush is not even a year. Are you saying they managed to put something like that into play in such a short amount of time?" Counsel Margrave's eyes narrowed.
Mingzhe shook his head. "The war was always part of the plan. Lady Yang believes it's the duty of the Camelia to destroy the tribes and claim the borderlands for Sorrow. She wasn't pleased when Lord Ye pursued peace. She's been arguing against it the entire time."
"That's a significant claim." Counsel Green murmured. "Starting a war against the wishes of the King could be grounds to exile the entire family."
Or to execute it.
"Lady Yang and her forces were there when Beng Shai died."
"He was killed by Lord Ye, according to Lord Ye himself." Margrave put in.
Mingzhe nodded. "Lord Ye already wanted peace. He was reluctant to engage from the beginning. They weren't expecting to run into Beng Shai's forces at all that day and then…" he paused, recalling what Chenzhou had told him about the battle and its startling start. "Someone among our forces attacked without orders and triggered the battle."
"Confusion during war is not uncommon."
"I agree."
"What makes you think it was part of Lady Yang's plan?" Margrave asked.
"The majority of the forces on the field that day were hers. Chenzhou had only gone out with a contingent of his guards, and Lady Yang had joined him without his permission."
Margrave's eyes narrowed, writing a long note on her scroll. "Lord Ye didn't feel the need to order her back?"
Mingzhe sighed. "Lady Yang is well respected by everyone, including Lord Ye. He has struggled to maintain control between the two of them. It wasn't the first time she had ignored his orders. She forced her way onto the expedition to Tira Lian because she was worried about what they would find."
"And did they find anything?" Green broke in.
"I don't know," Mingzhe admitted. "She seemed to dismiss the entire thing after they returned. I thought for a moment that she had changed her mind. That perhaps Lord Ye had impressed her somehow, but then the battle and Beng Shai's death…" Mingzhe paused and took a deep breath. "Lord Ye and Beng Shai had been discussing peace prior to the war breaking out. Lord Ye told me he was dedicated to it, that he believed Beng Shai was too…" The memory of his soldiers, slaughtered without care on Lady Yang's orders, made him shift, the urge to move, to scream, nearly overwhelming. "Lady Yang was worried they would succeed….so she reached out to the Land of Song and Snow."
Margrave's quill froze. "I'm sorry, are you alleging that Lady Yang conspired with the Land of Song and Snow and the tribes of the borderlands against Sorrow?"
This was it.
This was where the High Court would buy in or not, and he had to be very careful.
"I don't know for sure," Mingzhe pretended to hedge. Well, it wasn't really pretend; he didn't know if Lady Yang had ever worked with the Song and Snow, but he needed them to believe it. "But I didn't think she was capable of working with the Bandri either, and she did that. She's always hated the tribes, wanted to wipe them out. I thought she felt the same about Song and Snow, but perhaps their ties are stronger than they are willing to admit."
Margrave's face was stone. He was losing her.
"Hikari told me the original plan was to have Song and Snow help destroy the tribes, but Lord Ye's possible peace made them nervous, and they moved early. He won't admit it, but I think they were as surprised by Song and Snow as the rest of us were."
"Song and Snow double-crossed them." Margrave mused, her eyes calculating.
Mingzhe nodded. "And they double-crossed the tribes. And the Camelia."
"And that's what led you to become disillusioned?"
"No, that was…"Mingzhe stopped, swallowed around the knot in his throat. He glanced at the floor, tried to gather his thoughts.
~ tbc