While it did snow during the winter in Ga Province, it rarely settled anywhere except for at the tops of the mountains. No sooner did the snow fall did it melt and vanish, so it was really no different from rain.
Here, however, it was a different story. The snow was like silk floss, fluttering gently to the ground. Instead of melting, it piled up, layer by layer. It almost looked like it should have been warm to the touch.
Ko was in the room that the chief of the Yukei tribe prepared for him, but once the sun set, Jo sent a servant to call for him.
“Didn’t you want to sleep on it?” Ko said, laughing—but Jo didn’t even muster a smile.
Jo wordlessly turned in the direction of his house and Ko followed after him. Their surroundings were shrouded in darkness, but the thick snow still stood out, emitting a faint, white glow. The snowfall showed no signs of stopping, concealing their footprints before their very eyes. A breeze danced through the air, causing the falling snowflakes to brush against Ko’s cheek.
“Let me hear what you have to say.”
Jo went inside his workshop and took a seat. Ko sat down on the wooden floor. The wind rattled against the door, but it was plenty warm enough inside as the furnace was still lit. Ko couldn’t help but wonder whether Jo made a habit of working at his lathe until late at night.
“It’s not that difficult,” Ko began. “Essentially, you’d have to sneak down the mountain unnoticed and make sure nobody chases after you.”
“It is difficult. That’s why I’m still here.”
“What you need is some chaos. People need to be so preoccupied that they won’t have the time to chase after you.”
“Chaos…?”
“Starting the fire is the easy part, but that alone wouldn’t be impactful enough. If we get the authorities to intervene, then the chiefs will be forced to get involved. Bringing out troops would be even more effective. The more of an uproar there is, the more furiously people will be rushing around and vindicating themselves in an attempt to get things back on track. By the time things have settled down again, you’ll already have made your escape…”
“It’d have to be a serious situation for the authorities to get involved.”
“It will be.”
Jo frowned skeptically at him. “That’s impossible!” he exclaimed. “There’s nothing that could spark such a commotion in a place like this.”
“There is,” replied Ko with a chuckle. “There’s me.”
“What?”
“My name is Saname Ko,” he began. “Did you know that two of His Majesty’s consorts are pregnant?”
“Huh? Oh, right… That does ring a bell. I remember some of the elder folk around here were thrilled about it—saying how two of them were with child at the same time.”
“That’s right. And one of those two consorts is my younger sister.”
Jo’s eyes widened. This was the first time Ko had seen him look stunned.
“Caught you unawares, didn’t I?” Ko said with a laugh. “Well, it’s not like I have any way to prove it to you. I have my identity pass, but I doubt you know the consort’s family name, right? Still, I don’t mind whether you believe me or not. It’s not you who’s going to establish my identity, but the authorities.”
“I’m failing to see your point.”
“Let’s say that somebody stabbed me during the fire and I suffered significant injuries. Someone from the tribe would go to the foot of the mountain to call for a doctor or another person who could help. Then, they’ll rush to the province council and say an imperial consort’s brother had gotten himself embroiled in an uprising and was stabbed. A public functionary would come check that this was the case, would they? I would have to convince him that there was no uprising, and it was just your run-of-the-mill injury—but it’d still cause confusion until the facts became clear.”
If there were no grounds for a rebellion to occur, then there was no need for Ko to trigger one.
As long as some sort of commotion resembling a revolt took place, it’d spur the authorities into action and lead them to check what was going on. The parts about Ko being the brother of a consort and that he’d been stabbed would both be true. What would happen if he were to assert that a rebellion was in fact happening? Even if the truth would eventually come out, the first notice would be issued to the imperial capital—and it’d get there right away. Would the imperial court really be easygoing enough to let the remaining Ran descendant live until the facts became clear? Killing her would undoubtedly be the safest option for them.
Jo crossed his arms and thought to himself for a moment. “Are you suggesting that I should be the one to burst into the province council with the news?”
Ko nodded. “You can escape as soon as that job is done. Easy, don’t you think?”
“I can’t imagine things would go that smoothly…”
“Well, putting the details aside for a moment, both a fire and me being stabbed would be major incidents. I’m just suggesting that you take advantage of them in order to flee.”
Jo cocked his head at that. “Are you really going to get stabbed? Or will you just pretend to have been?”
“A fake stabbing won’t be serious enough an incident. Please, stab me.”
“I have to do it?”
“Do I have any other options? If you can’t bring yourself to do it, then I’ll just have to stab myself.”
Ko snickered, but Jo had an odd look on his face.
“Have you got cold feet?” Ko asked him.
“No—I just can’t see what you’d get out of this.”
A serious look came over Ko’s face. “You’re right… For me, it’s all cons and no pros.”
“So, why would you go through with it?”
“I don’t have any other choice.”
Ko turned his face away, and a rat-a-tat-tat sound echoed from the doorway. Ko assumed it was the snowstorm outside, but he was soon proven wrong.
Jo, instead, sprung to his feet. There was somebody knocking at the door.
Before Jo had the chance to open it, the door moved. Jikei’s snow-topped head squeezed through the gap between the door and frame, and he didn’t look happy.
Ko found himself rising to his feet at the sight. Jikei brushed the snow from his head and cast a sharp glance at Ko, and then at Jo.
“You’re that salt merchant…” said Jo with a frown, seemingly unable to grasp what was happening.
Jikei looked at him. “Jo,” he began, “your younger sister informed Seki that something strange appeared to be going on between you and the visiting merchant. She was worried.”
Jo awkwardly averted his gaze.
Ko clicked his tongue in annoyance. That timid-looking girl ratted me out, he thought to himself. Leaving her to do her own thing had been a big mistake.
“Enough of this lunacy!” Jikei shouted at Ko. “You can’t entangle somebody in your foolish schemes when they don’t truly understand the situation!”
“I’m not entangling him in anything,” countered Ko. “I’m just lending him a hand.”
“I said that’s enough. Just come with me.”
Jikei grabbed Ko by the collar and dragged him out of the workshop. Ko was astounded to find that Jikei was able to pull him along almost effortlessly—which was saying something, considering Ko possessed a rather impressive physique himself. Ko had assumed that Jikei’s strength could be put down to brute force and immense effort, but it seemed like there was more substance to it than he’d expected.
Are all salt merchants like this? Ko found himself wondering. Surely not.
“Let go of me,” Ko protested, snowflakes flying into his open mouth.
There was a violent snowstorm outside. Ko thrashed about in agitation. Then, there was a thwacking sound. Jikei loosened his grip, and Ko heard the man groan—his fist must have hit Jikei’s face. Ko took advantage of this moment to step away from the man and step back toward the workshop.
Jikei just stood there, rubbing his nose.
“Jikei, I…”
“Do you remember what I told you?”
“I can’t let you die. No matter what plans you come up with, I’m going to put a stop to them.”
Ko heard Jikei’s words replay in his mind.