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Being away on campaign gave Mowen plenty of time to think about things, at least when they weren't being shot at. And the ride back into the capital was the longest trip of Mowen's life, just from the knowledge that Peizhi and Zhang Ping were potentially in danger without him. His mind kept turning back to the two of them again and again. And then to the two of them.
Peizhi had had other lovers before, and Mowen had never begrudged him that. Hell, he'd had a fling or two of his own while out on campaign for months. But none of those relationships had been serious for either of them. Mowen had never known anyone else Peizhi was sleeping with. Not since Shulin, before the two of them had even gotten together in the first place. And Mowen had always been wary of Shulin, but he genuinely liked Zhang Ping. Holding him in his arms back in that forest as he was terribly unsure the other man would survive the night had cast that very sharply into focus.
By the time that Mowen arrived back in the capital and set eyes on first his father then Peizhi and Zhang Ping, he was determined to figure out how to navigate this new normal between the three of them. Zhang Ping was going to be a permanent part of Peizhi's life; that much was obvious. Because of this, he would be a permanent part of Mowen's life by association. But if it was something Zhang Ping would want, something he would at least consider, Mowen would be far from opposed to Zhang Ping becoming a part of his life on his own merit rather than through Peizhi.
This whole situation was different than anything Mowen and Peizhi had experienced together before. In a way, it was a good thing for many reasons that Zhang Ping had been sent to serve as a magistrate outside of the capital for the time being. Not only would it allow for the emperor and the loyal officers to clean house, but it would give Peizhi time to recover from the awful revelations of what Shulin had been capable of. Mowen was tempted to feel vindicated in his petty dislike of the man, but he wouldn't indulge in that feeling when it would only hurt Peizhi. He wanted to build something strong, not something built on a foundation of ill feelings. And he knew that what they built now would shape the rest of their lives.
"This appointment is not forever," The emperor had warned him when he'd named him as the new Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. "I have someone in mind for the position, but he is too inexperienced just now for me to keep him close while I clean house. You understand what I am saying?"
"I understand, Your Majesty," Mowen had said. "I will make sure to set the Ministry in order for when he returns."
His answer had pleased the emperor, which was encouraging. The atmosphere in the court had been stifling before, the tension between the emperor and the empress dowager infecting all of the ministers and forcing them to either take sides or constantly walk a very thin line. To have an emperor whose values seemingly aligned with Mowen's own was something he could never take for granted. That the emperor also valued Zhang Ping so highly... well, that certainly couldn't hurt.
Mowen didn't breach the topic with Peizhi right away. He knew that if they were to be successful, they would have to discuss how their relationships with each other and with Zhang Ping would change. But Zhang Ping would be leaving soon, so few decisions had to be made quickly. And Mowen didn't want to risk long-term success by acting in haste. He knew Peizhi well enough not to start anything his lover wouldn't want. So Mowen fell into bed with Peizhi for glad-we're-not-dead reunion sex, allowed Zhang Ping to stuff all of them full of noodles, and bided his time. All of them were busy, which helped avoid any interpersonal problems cropping up before the underlying questions could be addressed.
There were few moments when Mowen saw Zhang Ping without Peizhi around, but he managed to pull him aside one day outside of the kitchen.
"When do you leave?" he asked him.
"Chen Chou and I will set out in five days," Zhang Ping said. He looked excited but nervous. Mowen wasn't surprised. As much as this assignment was perfectly designed to keep Zhang Ping temporarily away from the chaos of the capital, it was still a significant role to take on.
"You'll do well," Mowen told him, both because Zhang Ping needed to hear it and because it was the truth. He clasped Zhang Ping on the shoulder firmly. "And you'll have a home waiting for you when you return," he promised. Mowen and Peizhi would see to that for him.
And if once Zhang Ping left the capital, both Mowen and Peizhi felt his absence in their bed—a bed the three of them had not yet shared together—at least they could be confident that the separation would not last forever.