When Guo Ying knocked on the door of Zhao Xinci\u2019s office, his Director of Supervision looked wary. Guo Ying wasn\u2019t surprised. He\u2019d 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 hadn\u2019t been comfortable giving them any details, they\u2019d both been firm that someone who\u2019d 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 Xinci\u2019s resurgence of hostility toward Dixing was having a serious impact on attitudes among Guo Ying\u2019s other Directors and upper administrators. It wasn\u2019t that he didn\u2019t think Zhao Xinci had a right to his anger; he just couldn\u2019t afford to let it shape Ministry actions.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have a moment for a word?\u201d<\/p>\n
Zhao Xinci eyed him for a long moment, but finally sat back with a sigh. \u201cCome in, Minister.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
Ying closed the door and joined him. \u201cHave you had a chance to think about what Zhao Yunlan said in our meeting last week?\u201d Because he was watching for it, he saw Zhao Xinci\u2019s momentary grimace, and added dryly, \u201cI know the two of you approach things very differently, but it seemed he had a point.\u201d<\/p>\n
That pulled a half smile out of Zhao Xinci. \u201cWe do. And I continue to think that Yunlan relies far too much on intuition.\u201d The smile tilted. \u201cSometimes he does get results, with it, I admit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guo Ying sighed and leaned his elbows on his knees, looking down at his laced fingers. \u201cLao-Zhao, you have a right to be angry. More than angry. I would never deny that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zhao Xinci leaned into the opening immediately. \u201cAnd Zhang Shi is an example of one of their least harmful.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI would actually call him one of the more insidious.\u201d That made Zhao Xinci still, watchful, and Guo Ying nodded to himself. The Director was still trying to deflect attention from that personal cost. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zhao Xinci\u2019s eyes sharpened. \u201cRecruited? As an agent to oversee Dixing Affairs?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what it sounds like, yes.\u201d More quietly, Guo Ying added, \u201cI don\u2019t think either of our peoples has a monopoly on questionable ethics.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cPerhaps, but it\u2019s Dixingren powers that increase the impact.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAny power increases the impact,\u201d something Guo Ying had become sharply aware of when he took over as Minister. \u201cWeapons. Political power. You\u2019ve seen a great deal of that, in your career, haven\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd we control access to those things, don\u2019t we?\u201d Zhao Xinci returned.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo tell me about what we should be doing to screen visitors from Dixing.\u201d Zhao Xinci\u2019s mouth tightened, and Guo Ying shook his head. \u201cLao-Zhao, they exist. We can\u2019t pretend they don\u2019t. But we can put policies in place to reduce the risk, just like we screen people who want to join the Armed Police.\u201d Quieter, he added, \u201cHelp me think about how to keep the things you\u2019re worried about from happening again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zhao Xinci\u2019s hands tightened on each other where they were laced on his knee, and he was silent for a long minute. \u201cWe need to be able to see their Register,\u201d he said, at last. <\/p>\n
Guo Ying restrained an urge to do a small, undignified dance of victory in his chair. \u201cI will bring that up with them immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zhao Xinci scrubbed his hands over his face. \u201cI\u2019ll write up a report for you, on measures that might help. How likely do you think it is that we\u2019ll be able to institute them?\u201d<\/p>\n
Guo Ying smiled and reached into his jacket for the letter that had come that morning. \u201cRead this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zhao Xinci unfolded the letter, and his eyes slowly widened as he read. He glanced back up at Guo Ying, brows raised. \u201cDid you request this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d Guo Ying sat back, increasingly sure that this would, as he\u2019d hoped, be the thing that started dragging Zhao Xinci’s response to Dixing back toward rationality. \u201cI don\u2019t know whether the idea came from your son or from the Envoy himself, but it was a surprise to me, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
After a long moment staring at the paper and not looking like he was seeing much of it, Zhao Xinci asked, \u201cCan I keep a copy of this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was an extra copy included. I brought that one to leave here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zhao Xinci closed his eyes with a faint snort. \u201cBlack-robed bastard always was too sharp for anyone else’s good.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA good quality in an ally,\u201d Guo Ying pointed out as he stood. \u201cI\u2019ll look for your report within a week, Director Zhao.\u201d 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 Ying\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n Or maybe he should just put Zhao Yunlan on the air and let him talk; it had worked last time.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n End<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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.