Sinking in the Deep Waters

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Branch

Ink Burns

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

This is a work of fanfiction, produced according to the principles of transformative fair use as put forward in US copyright law, and abiding by the custom and practice of fan-produced work in Japan, where the source texts were created. No author is in any way affiliated with any of the creators of the source texts, nor with the companies who distribute their products, nor any other rights holder, and these stories were not authorized by either the creators or the producers. Ink Burns is a fan site and the material here is freely provided for the enjoyment of fellow fan-community members; there is no commercial infringement.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 US license at the Ink Burns fanfiction archive (http://www.branchandroot.net/archive/).

Published on 2019-09-23 13:44:03.

Attributions can be made by author's name and a link to the archive.

This ebook edition was published on September 23, 2019 by the Ink Burns fanfiction archive.

Cover art created by Branch

Sinking in the Deep Waters

Minister Guo and Zhao Xinci try to deal with some of the things revealed about Zhao Xinci's past, and decide what it will mean for the future. Drama, I-3

When Guo Ying knocked on the door of Zhao Xinciâ€™s office, his Director of Supervision looked wary. Guo Ying wasnâ€™t surprised. Heâ€™d taken time to prepare himself for this meeting, and that had included some necessarily vague discussion with both the psychologists the Ministry kept on retainer. While he hadnâ€™t been comfortable giving them any details, theyâ€™d both been firm that someone whoâ€™d suffered any breach of personal integrity—body or mind—would resist any interference in his coping methods. Guo Ying wished it wasn't necessary to interfere at all. Unfortunately, Zhao Xinciâ€™s resurgence of hostility toward Dixing was having a serious impact on attitudes among Guo Yingâ€™s other Directors and upper administrators. It wasnâ€™t that he didnâ€™t think Zhao Xinci had a right to his anger; he just couldnâ€™t afford to let it shape Ministry actions.

â€œDo you have a moment for a word?â€

Zhao Xinci eyed him for a long moment, but finally sat back with a sigh. â€œCome in, Minister.â€ He pushed up to his feet and came around to the set of chairs in front of the desk. The action was promising, even if Zhao Xinci's apparent resignation wasn't very.

Ying closed the door and joined him. â€œHave you had a chance to think about what Zhao Yunlan said in our meeting last week?â€ Because he was watching for it, he saw Zhao Xinciâ€™s momentary grimace, and added dryly, â€œI know the two of you approach things very differently, but it seemed he had a point.â€

That pulled a half smile out of Zhao Xinci. â€œWe do. And I continue to think that Yunlan relies far too much on intuition.â€ The smile tilted. â€œSometimes he does get results, with it, I admit.â€

Guo Ying sighed and leaned his elbows on his knees, looking down at his laced fingers. â€œLao-Zhao, you have a right to be angry. More than angry. I would never deny that.â€

Zhao Xinci leaned into the opening immediately. â€œAnd Zhang Shi is an example of one of their least harmful.â€

â€œI would actually call him one of the more insidious.â€ That made Zhao Xinci still, watchful, and Guo Ying nodded to himself. The Director was still trying to deflect attention from that personal cost. â€œI asked about his past. The Envoy cautioned that memory has been an unreliable thing in most of his kind, but from what they can tell Zhang Shi really did sneak out among humans thousands of years ago and was recruited by Ma Gui.â€

Zhao Xinciâ€™s eyes sharpened. â€œRecruited? As an agent to oversee Dixing Affairs?â€

â€œThatâ€™s what it sounds like, yes.â€ More quietly, Guo Ying added, â€œI donâ€™t think either of our peoples has a monopoly on questionable ethics.â€ Which he was hoping to steer his Director of Supervision away from. Zhao Xinci's eyes flickered aside for a split second, which was encouraging. At least the man did still know that what he'd done wasn't always righteous. Zhao Xinci huffed a faint breath.

â€œPerhaps, but itâ€™s Dixingren powers that increase the impact.â€

â€œAny power increases the impact,â€ something Guo Ying had become sharply aware of when he took over as Minister. â€œWeapons. Political power. Youâ€™ve seen a great deal of that, in your career, havenâ€™t you?â€

â€œAnd we control access to those things, donâ€™t we?â€ Zhao Xinci returned.

â€œSo tell me about what we should be doing to screen visitors from Dixing.â€ Zhao Xinciâ€™s mouth tightened, and Guo Ying shook his head. â€œLao-Zhao, they exist. We canâ€™t pretend they donâ€™t. But we can put policies in place to reduce the risk, just like we screen people who want to join the Armed Police.â€ Quieter, he added, â€œHelp me think about how to keep the things youâ€™re worried about from happening again.â€

Zhao Xinciâ€™s hands tightened on each other where they were laced on his knee, and he was silent for a long minute. â€œWe need to be able to see their Register,â€ he said, at last.

Guo Ying restrained an urge to do a small, undignified dance of victory in his chair. â€œI will bring that up with them immediately.â€

Zhao Xinci scrubbed his hands over his face. â€œIâ€™ll write up a report for you, on measures that might help. How likely do you think it is that weâ€™ll be able to institute them?â€

Guo Ying smiled and reached into his jacket for the letter that had come that morning. â€œRead this.â€

Zhao Xinci unfolded the letter, and his eyes slowly widened as he read. He glanced back up at Guo Ying, brows raised. â€œDid you request this?â€

â€œNo.â€ Guo Ying sat back, increasingly sure that this would, as heâ€™d hoped, be the thing that started dragging Zhao Xinci's response to Dixing back toward rationality. â€œI donâ€™t know whether the idea came from your son or from the Envoy himself, but it was a surprise to me, too.â€

The letter was a copy of an official sentence. Zhang Shi would never take another host; when her current body could no longer sustain life, she was sentenced to die. The order was witnessed and accepted by Zhang Shi herself.

After a long moment staring at the paper and not looking like he was seeing much of it, Zhao Xinci asked, â€œCan I keep a copy of this?â€

â€œThere was an extra copy included. I brought that one to leave here.â€

Zhao Xinci closed his eyes with a faint snort. â€œBlack-robed bastard always was too sharp for anyone else's good.â€

â€œA good quality in an ally,â€ Guo Ying pointed out as he stood. â€œIâ€™ll look for your report within a week, Director Zhao.â€ As he stepped out into the hall, he reflected on the fact that Zhao Xinci was apparently still more willing to think well of the leader of a race he hated than to think well of his son. That was going to continue to be a headache. On the other hand, it confirmed Guo Yingâ€™s own decision to use Zhao Yunlan as his lever, rather than Zhao Xinci. He needed compassion for the policies he hoped to put in place.

On the other hand, Zhao Xinci's sharp political acumen was still a useful tool also. Perhaps it was time for Zhao Xinci to rotate to a different Directorship—one a little less likely to make other administrators bow to his views. Public Relations, perhaps; he certainly managed those well enough within the Ministry. But only, Guo Ying thought firmly, after the revelation of a couple of gods in the city had already been managed. That was going to be the biggest headache he had, for a while, he was sure.

Or maybe he should just put Zhao Yunlan on the air and let him talk; it had worked last time.

Guo Ying chuckled as he headed back to his own office, turning over plans for the future that seemed to have a better chance, now, of combing out some more of the tangles that the Ministry had lately fallen into.

End