Imperial Treasury Annex—that's not even its official name. If you check the records, this area should be called something like "Such-and-such Prefecture," "So-and-so Department," or "This-or-that Barracks," but Eunuch Chief Yvonne couldn't be bothered to remember it, because honestly, those names are just too bland. Yet, as the saying goes, "blend in with the dust and light," and the plainness of its name is precisely because the things stored here are insanely valuable.
The Imperial Treasury Annex isn't far from the palace itself—architecturally, it's a relatively independent outbuilding within the palace grounds. Kind of like how the Crown Prince's East Palace is both connected to and separated from the main Forbidden Palace. If you use the palace as the axis, the Imperial Treasury Annex and the East Palace are perfectly symmetrical, almost like they're facing off. And this standoff isn't just symbolic—if you dive into the whirlpool of court politics, you'll see this opposition is very real.
The Imperial Treasury Annex? That's totally Minister Simon Jia's turf.
The Crown Prince's East Palace, on the other hand, is quietly under the sway of Frank Fang.
Here's what these two have in common: Frank Fang got the honorary title of Dragon Library Academician, and Simon Jia snagged the title of Treasure Pavilion Academician. But the difference? Aside from that fancy title, Frank Fang's got nothing official to show for himself. Simon Jia, though, is at the very top—he calls the shots, makes the wind blow, and pretty much rules the court.
Titles are funny things—sometimes they matter a lot, sometimes they're just whatever.
If you're the type who plays by the rules, titles are a big deal. They're not just about status—they're about the "reason" behind that status. Frank Fang doesn't have an official title → Why not? → Because Simon Jia's influence at court blows his out of the water.
Outside the court, Frank Fang's got connections everywhere—among the top dogs, that's basically an open secret. But titles are like battle flags: Frank Fang doesn't even have the right to show up at court, which makes a lot of people think twice about whose side they're really on.
But for some folks, titles are just whatever. Especially for those who don't care about politics and just want to throw a punch—titles only exist to make flipping the table more dramatic.
—Three in the afternoon, right after the emperor finished flipping his appointment cards, Eunuch Chief Yvonne was already at the door of the Imperial Treasury Annex.