Having left his hometown, among the few people Zhù Ying could call “friends,” most were connected to the Zheng household. Among these, Jin Liang, Ganze, and Lu Chao were the three closest.

On the long journey from home to the capital, Ganze had driven the cart for her family the entire way. Zhù Ying kept this kindness in her heart. She asked Lu Chao, “Which cousin?”

Over the course of those few dozen days on the road, Ganze had been talked into revealing just about everything about himself — if not eight generations of ancestors, at least all his close relatives had been plumbed by Zhù Ying.

Ganze had both a married maternal cousin and a married paternal cousin, and it was unclear which one this was.

Lu Chao said, “His maternal aunt’s daughter. If it were his paternal aunt’s, there’d be no need for all this trouble.”

Zhù Ying understood.

Ganze’s family had worked for several generations on one of the Zheng household’s rural estates, so Ganze’s paternal aunt was also part of the Zheng household and had married someone else who worked on the same estate — a slightly better situation than that of ordinary common people. Ganze’s paternal cousin was of course also a Zheng household person, with a husband who was similarly connected to the Zheng household, being a tenant farmer there.

If it had been his paternal cousin who met with misfortune, Ganze would not need to weep right now — he could go to Zheng Xi and file a complaint, or gather a group of fellow servants and storm over to settle the score, and his cousin’s grievance would be avenged.

A maternal cousin was different.

Ganze’s own mother was not a bondservant of the Zheng household.

Ganze’s mother had originally been a daughter from a free household outside, but his maternal grandparents were extremely poor. They had not a few children, but not many survived — in the end there were two sons and two daughters left. It was not uncommon in the world for a daughter to be married off to a wealthy household’s servant. It wasn’t always a powerful servant forcing his way or parents being inhumane in hopes of attaching to a great house — sometimes it was simply down to poverty, a matter of survival. That was the case with Ganze’s mother.

Ganze’s mother was the eldest daughter, attractive in appearance, and Ganze’s father paid a generous bride-price, which was how the marriage came about.

Although marriage between free people and those of servile status was formally prohibited, careful households had ways of avoiding punishment. For example, if the parents sold their daughter to the master’s household, she too became a bondservant and could naturally be matched with a wealthy household’s servant. Or the great household could manumit the male servant, changing his status to a tenant farmer still under the household’s control — he would then be perfectly eligible to marry a free but impoverished girl.

After Ganze’s mother was married, the bride-price she brought helped her parents’ family recover somewhat. Ganze’s maternal aunt had married a farmer from the same village. This maternal aunt had only one son and one daughter, and the daughter had already married.

Ganze’s maternal cousin could not marry into any wealthy or prestigious family — she too was a farmer’s wife. In her own household they were still expected to do their own work, hiring day laborers only during the busiest farming seasons. It was said this husband’s family was very good at managing their affairs — everyone, young and old, was willing to work hard and willing to save, always thinking of putting money aside to buy more land and become a small landowning family. They had a bright future ahead of them. They were a dependable household.

This cousin had been beaten to death by her husband!

A perfectly good daughter goes to your family and dies within a few years — this was not something that could be kept quiet. The husband’s family had sent someone to deliver the news, saying: “She was perfectly fine, then suddenly something possessed her, and she hanged herself!”

The news arrived just before the Duanwu Festival. Ganze’s maternal aunt had been in the middle of wrapping rice dumplings when she heard. Both eyes rolled back and she fell unconscious.

Ganze’s maternal uncle and cousin went in two directions — one ran to the extended family to weep and appeal for the entire male line of the clan to turn out and demand justice for the girl; the other ran to deliver the news to Ganze’s own mother.

Lu Chao sighed and said, “His cousin — we went back with him to add to the send-off at her wedding. She was the most sensible and capable of people. How could she have ‘been possessed’? And how could she ‘hang herself’? It was nearly the festival, too. Whatever sorrows she had, shouldn’t she have gone to see her parents and brothers one more time before leaving? Don’t you think?”

Zhù Ying nodded. She had seen no small number of village women who had taken their own lives after exhausting their endurance of suffering. But she had also seen village women who, caught in an illicit affair and with nowhere left to turn, had ended their own lives. These past days she had reviewed so many lawsuits and cases — the world truly had all kinds of people in it.

None of these things were easy to say outright. She hadn’t met the woman herself. Going only by what Ganze said was not enough to reach conclusions. The good cousin in Ganze’s mind was not necessarily a good daughter-in-law in another household’s view.

Yet what Lu Chao said was also fair. “Possessed” and “suddenly” were very suspicious. Setting aside any claim of deliberate murder by the husband’s family, there had to be some hidden circumstances at the very minimum. And in Zhù Ying’s experience, village women were more often the aggrieved party — the husband’s family was almost certainly in the wrong to some degree.

Zhù Ying’s heart was on Ganze’s side. She said, “Since there are still brothers in the family, and clan relatives as well, hold them back and don’t let the husband’s family bury the woman hastily. File a complaint at the county yamen and ask for a coroner to come examine the body first, to see whether she was murdered. If it was not murder, then the two families can sit down and talk things through.”

Ganze said, “My little sister had the best disposition imaginable — she could handle housework and farmwork both, and she never liked to quarrel with people. How could she have ‘something possessing her’? Anyone who says that about her has no conscience. It must be that they’re feeling guilty.”

Zhù Ying set aside her own affairs and asked, “You knew before the Duanwu holiday was even granted, which means your maternal aunt’s family and your cousin’s family are not far — probably some county under the Jingzhao jurisdiction, a rural household?”

Ganze said, “Xinfeng County.”

“Not too far, then. Move quickly, and the matter might even be settled before they get their festival holiday.”

Lu Chao shook his head. “It’s not going to be easy. Before, we could seek help from the household, take the household’s calling card to the official yamen, file the complaint, and that would be that. Justice would be swift! But the Jingzhao jurisdiction is now under Prefect Wang. Wang Yunhe is someone who, as you know, does not look at calling cards when handling cases.”

The Jingzhao jurisdiction was under Wang Yunhe. From him on down, none of them were inclined to act on this sort of personal appeal. Wang Yunhe himself would not act on them, and the county magistrates under him did not dare to.

Ganze said, “I only wish I could get away from my duties right now — otherwise I’d go with my cousin and tear down that heartless dog’s den! Let him forget his dreams of getting rich and collecting rent! Sanlang, you came out for something — what is it?”

Lu Chao said, “Whatever it is, I’ll handle it — you never mind, just rest. If you’re really worried, during the Duanwu holiday Qilang will certainly grant it, and I won’t ask for leave this year. You go. Sanlang, come — what do you need?”

Zhù Ying thought for a moment and said, “I have holiday time for the Duanwu Festival too, and I was originally planning to enjoy myself. Why don’t I go along with Elder Brother Ganze?”

Ganze felt a flicker of temptation. Lu Chao also assumed Zhù Ying intended to use her identity as a capital official to smooth things over at the Xinfeng County yamen, and said, “That would work too! Though the Xinfeng County yamen will certainly be on holiday…”

Zhù Ying said, “Let me first take the things home and make some arrangements for the festival. We’ll go quietly — they’ll be causing a commotion in plain sight, while we gather information in the shadows. If it turns out the matter truly is an injustice, Elder Brother Ganze will give his little sister a proper burial and come back; if hearts have gone rotten, we’ll settle accounts with them in full!”

Ganze said, “How could I possibly frame someone with my sister’s life?!”

Zhù Ying said, “Fair enough. But we have to move fast. In this weather, leaving the body a few more days and it’ll start to decompose — after that, all the evidence is gone. The two families would just have to brawl it out and carry a blood feud forever, with nothing else to be said about it.”

Lu Chao said, “All right! Do you have things to collect? I’ll come with you.”

Zhù Ying said, “Come with me.”

She collected her things, and Lu Chao helped her carry them home. At the Zhù household, Zhang Xiangu and Zhù Da looked at the elegantly made festival dumplings bestowed as gifts and said, “These are different from the ones we wrap ourselves.”

Zhù Da said, “They’re too small — not even a mouthful each! What good are they?”

Zhang Xiangu said, “What does size matter? If you’ve got the ability, go demand a dumpling from the palace and see! Always saying ungrateful things — is that a mouth you have, or a…”

Zhù Ying said, “Stop!”

Seeing that Zhang Xiangu had also wrapped some dumplings herself, she said, “We should send some to the neighbors, and send some to Elder Sister Jin’s household. The style here in the capital is different from ours. And get me a few to take — I’ve changed my clothes, I’m going to see some people.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “You still have things to do?”

Lu Chao quietly explained the situation with Ganze. Zhang Xiangu said, “This can’t stand! That poor girl must have been mistreated! What a wretched business — and with the festival nearly here!” Zhù Da said, “How did you end up with that loud manner in the capital too — alarming everyone and making a spectacle!” Zhang Xiangu flared up: “Your own voice is no quieter!”

Zhù Ying said, “Don’t make noise, any of you! I’ll go have a look. Lu Second Brother, sit down and have some tea — I still have things to prepare; I’ll be out shortly.”

She changed her clothes and took some dumplings with her. She and Lu Chao first headed to the Jingzhao Prefecture. Lu Chao said, “What are you going here for? Even though it’s a Jingzhao case, it first has to go through Xinfeng County.”

Zhù Ying smiled and said, “You don’t know.” She headed straight for the prison, bringing some dumplings for the familiar head jailer and prison guards.

Both the head jailer and the guards were there. When they saw her, they said, “Last time you said you’d come find us when you had free time, and then you disappeared without a trace. Where have you been making money all this while?”

Zhù Ying said, “I’m working in a yamen now.”

The head jailer laughed. “Which one?”

“Dali.”

“That’s what I’m asking — which one.”

Lu Chao said, exasperated, “The Court of Judicial Review!”

The head jailer’s feet slipped under him. “What?”

Zhù Ying said, “Here — the festival’s nearly here, I brought you some dumplings. I have a few other things to deal with, so I won’t be coming to see you during the holiday.”

The head jailer said, astonished, “You — what are you doing at the Court of Judicial Review?” He pointed in the direction of the Imperial City to the north.

Zhù Ying said, “Judicial Assessor.”

The head jailer’s feet slipped again. “Good heavens! Last time you said it hadn’t been settled, and now you’re already an official? You — you really are beyond all expectation.”

Zhù Ying said, “There are plenty of things beyond expectation. I’m going. Come see me again when you have time.”

“Of course, of course — I’ll see you out.” The head jailer called out loudly and pressed the prison guard to stay behind watching the door.

The head jailer walked Zhù Ying and Lu Chao out quite a long way, watching her as he walked, his heart full of disbelief. The capital prison also had hidden dragons among its inmates, but someone like Zhù Ying was still comparatively rare. He carefully made conversation, privately wondering whether he had ever offended Zhù Ying in some way. Those in great houses had many peculiarities, and there was a particular type of person who could not bear for others to have seen them in desperate circumstances — the moment they rose to prominence, one never knew how they might…

The head jailer bent his waist even more deeply.

Suddenly someone said, “Head Jailer! What are you doing?”

The head jailer looked up — it was the Jingzhao Prefecture’s chief constable leading a squad of yamen runners, fully equipped with clubs and ropes. He asked, “You’re still going out to make arrests at this hour? Hasn’t the magistrate let everyone off for the holiday?”

The chief constable said, “What rotten luck! A situation’s blown up in Xinfeng County! Two big families fighting, two or three hundred people — Xinfeng County doesn’t have enough manpower and is urgently requesting help. The magistrate’s sending us over.”

“Several hundred people? You won’t have enough people with this many.”

The chief constable said, “We’ll see. Several counties are going to be spending the festival in misery! Let’s go!”

Lu Chao stepped forward and cupped his hands: “Sir, if you’d spare just a moment — I’m trying to find out something. My family’s from Xinfeng — might I ask which two families are fighting and what it’s about?”

The chief constable said, “The Cao family and the Chen family. They were relatives by marriage. The Cao daughter died at the Chen household.”

Lu Chao’s expression changed. He said, “Many thanks.”

Ganze’s cousin was surnamed Cao, and his cousin’s husband was surnamed Chen. There was no such coincidence in the world.

Zhù Ying said to Lu Chao, “This matter — tell Lord Zheng about it, and then I’ll go to Xinfeng County together with Elder Brother Ganze.”

Lu Chao said, “You want to report it to Qilang?”

“With a brawl like this, there will certainly be casualties. Even if it gets suppressed, it will still be significant enough to report to the Court of Judicial Review! We’ve learned of this first — how can we not tell him? And if we can’t contain it ourselves, we’ll have to disturb him anyway.”

The two went together to the Zheng residence. Ganze had already served Zheng Xi home. The two relayed everything to Zheng Xi, who said, “Prefect Wang conducts his affairs with impartiality and integrity.”

Zhù Ying said, “Well — I want to go have a look. We need to keep an eye on things, don’t we?”

Zheng Xi asked, “Can’t sit still? Is the proper work at the Court of Judicial Review not enough to keep you busy?”

Zhù Ying said, “Sooner or later it’ll be reported to the Court. If I go take a look in advance, it’s preparation. And since it’s a holiday, it won’t take time away from my regular duties.”

“You think a mass brawl is something to go watch for fun?”

“I’ve seen them before,” Zhù Ying said earnestly. “Out in the countryside, what won’t people fight over? One mouthful of water, one strip of land, one bit of timber — all good reasons. And what do they fight with? It can’t be just words — it comes down to blows.”

“Go then.”

Ganze said, “I also want to—”

Zheng Xi said, “He may go, but you may not! Do you want to participate in the brawl yourself?”

Ganze was in great distress. He knelt and knocked his head to the floor, saying, “I want to send my little sister off on her final journey.”

Zheng Xi frowned. Zhù Ying said, “Elder Brother Ganze, rest assured — I’ll do everything I can to find the truth and get justice for your little sister! Now that this has blown up, the case won’t be resolved without a proper conclusion, and your little sister won’t be able to be buried either.”

Ganze remained on his knees, and Zheng Xi would not relent one bit. Zhù Ying said, “Then I’ll go with Elder Brother Lu?”

Zheng Xi said, “You two go to Ganze’s family — have Ganze’s father lead the way.”

“Yes.”

Ganze, still on his knees, turned and knocked his head to the floor before Zhù Ying: “Sanlang, I’m entrusting this to you! This little sister of mine is the same as a blood sister to me!”

Zhù Ying and Lu Chao left the Zheng residence. Lu Chao said, “We can’t get there on two legs alone — we need a horse, or at least a cart…”

Zhù Ying said, “You get the cart, I’ll go prepare some things.”

“What things?”

“Quickly!”

Lu Chao didn’t hire a cart from outside — he harnessed one from the Zheng household. Zhù Ying jumped in and said, “To my home first — I need to pick something up.”

The two arrived at the Zhù household. Zhù Ying retrieved two sets of old clothing, found her peddler’s carrying pole, and walked off with the new straw sandals Zhù Da had just made. She also grabbed a few things her family had prepared for the festival. Zhang Xiangu said, “What’s this all about?”

Zhù Ying said, “New business. You two stay home and eat your dumplings. Or go spend the festival with Elder Sister Jin. I have something to deal with in Xinfeng County — it’s an errand connected to Lord Zheng, nothing to worry about, it’s proper business.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “Wait!” She rushed into the kitchen and packed a basket with cooked rice dumplings, duck eggs, and the like, stuffed in a bamboo tube of water, and pressed everything into her hands for the journey.

Zhù Ying and Lu Chao barely managed to get out of the capital before the city gates closed for the night. Zhù Ying said, “I’m going into the cart to change.”

She took off her silk jacket inside and changed into her old clothes — a peddler’s outfit she had outgrown. The soft-winged gauze cap on her head was swapped for a plain cloth wrap, and on her feet she put on the new straw sandals Zhù Da had made. Then she started organizing the peddler’s pole.

The sky gradually darkened. Lu Chao said, “What are you doing? It’s pitch dark out here. Thank goodness the Ganze family is on our estate and I know the road — otherwise I wouldn’t dare take this night route.”

Zhù Ying poked her head out of the cart and said, “Get there earlier, and tomorrow morning we can go straight to Xinfeng County.”

Lu Chao glanced at her, turned back to the road, cracked his whip twice, then looked back in surprise: “What are you doing now?”

Zhù Ying said, “Lord Zheng gave me permission to go have a look — but he gave me no official document and no seal of authority. If I just showed up at Xinfeng County like this, no one would let me interfere! Better to go quietly to the Chen family’s village and see if there are any leads.”

Lu Chao said, “You’re brilliant! Everyone says I’m the clever one in the household — I’d say I’m outmatched by you! Let’s go!” He cracked the whip smartly, and the cart hurtled off into the night.

They arrived at one of the Zheng household’s rural estates before the second watch. Lu Chao was recognized by the night watchman, who held up his lantern and said, “Old Ganze’s family — oh dear…”

Lu Chao said, “Don’t go on about it. This is Zhù Sanlang, an official of the Court of Judicial Review and one of our own — we’ve come to find Old Ganze. Is he in? He hasn’t gone off to Xinfeng already, has he?”

“No, he’s the honest sort — he wouldn’t dare go cause trouble without the master’s permission.”

“Is his whole family home?”

“Not just his family — his wife’s younger sister has come too. Did you hear? Something happened!”

Lu Chao drove the cart, chatting with the night watchman as they walked. Zhù Ying listened along: the daughter had died, and Ganze’s maternal aunt had been brought to stay with Ganze’s family by her relatives. With a brawl between the two sides, it was partly a matter of who could fight harder, and partly a contest over who would have the better position in the follow-up litigation. Ganze’s family were servants of the Zheng household — with his maternal aunt settled here, she could appeal to her sister, her brother-in-law, and her nephew for help with the legal proceedings.

At the door of Ganze’s house, the night watchman knocked for them. Old Father Ganze came out to open the door. Lu Chao drove the cart inside and said quietly, “Qilang won’t let Ganze come — he’s afraid he’ll cause trouble. He told me to bring Zhù Sanlang over to have a look.”

“Zhù Sanlang? Hasn’t he become an official?”

“Yes. He and your son Ganze are good friends, and when he heard he said he’d come see.”

Old Father Ganze said, “Come in quickly.”

Zhù Ying jumped down from the cart, startling Old Father Ganze. “Who’s this? Where’s Zhù Sanlang?”

Zhù Ying smiled. “I am Zhù San.”

“But you — your outfit…”

Zhù Ying’s tattered peddler’s appearance was nothing like the Zhù Sanlang his son had described.

Lu Chao said, “Let’s go in and talk.”

The three went inside, and Old Father Ganze said, “Let me have someone prepare your lodgings. What would you like to eat? It’s simple fare out here in the countryside.”

Ganze’s family, while on the rural estate, had a two-courtyard house with a large yard. Old Father Ganze even had a few helpers to serve him — a life comparable to a prosperous local landowner. Lu Chao said, “Bring some hot soup! I’m exhausted from the road.”

Zhù Ying said, “Just a little something to eat is fine for me. Don’t fuss over that — I’m going to Xinfeng County tomorrow, and you need to find me a guide. I want to go have a look at the Chen village and the Cao village. Also, if you have anything for the festival, give me a bit — something decent but not too showy. I need to play the part of a peddler.”

Old Father Ganze listened to her rattle off the list and quickly said, “Yes! All of that can be done! There’s just one thing — you can’t go help them in the brawl. Officials came in force during the day. Prefect Wang is in charge of Jingzhao now — you don’t want to cross him!”

Zhù Ying said, “I’m going to gather information. I heard… that the lady is also on the premises? I’d like to meet her and ask some questions, if that’s all right.”

Old Father Ganze said, “Certainly. Oh my — since she arrived, these past two days it’s been nothing but weeping. You two eat first. Once you’ve eaten, I’ll go let them know in the back, and they can tidy up before receiving you.”

Both Zhù Ying and Lu Chao were hungry. Rice dumplings were all very well, but she hadn’t been able to eat many on the road without hot soup. Now that they were at the Ganze household, there was a fat chicken, fresh vegetables, hot dumplings, and bamboo shoot broth — all better than what you’d find in the capital.

The two finished eating and wiped their mouths. Old Father Ganze led Zhù Ying to meet Ganze’s maternal aunt.

Ganze’s maternal aunt had a sallow, gaunt face — the appearance of a common old countrywoman. She had just lost her daughter, and her eyes had not dried since. Her gaze was vacant — in the lamplight she looked ghostlike. Ganze’s own mother was her elder sister, and she looked younger and plumper by comparison.

Zhù Ying called out “Aunt Ganze,” and Ganze’s mother said, “You must be Sanlang? Our Ganze speaks of you so often — nothing but praise, the finest young person imaginable.” Lu Chao also stepped forward to greet them. Then he said, “You two talk — when you’re done, we need to be up early tomorrow to go to Xinfeng.”

Ganze’s mother said softly, “They’re stubborn — and they work hard. Always thinking that marrying off a daughter to someone just like themselves is best. They didn’t want her to marry into a household like ours and become a servant. The child was truly wonderful — capable at everything. We thought marrying her into a similarly hardworking household was exactly right for her nature. Who could have known it would come to this?”

Zhù Ying then spoke softly to Ganze’s maternal aunt: “Second Aunt, say a few words to me. I want to be able to go confront the Chen family.”

At the mere mention of “the Chen family,” the vacant look left Ganze’s maternal aunt’s eyes and she began weeping again. “My poor child!”

It took another round of consoling from Ganze’s mother before Zhù Ying was able to gather some information. Ganze’s cousin had been married for two years, still considered newlywed, and had no children yet. The second aunt said, “A few months ago she came back to visit. I could see her face was off — I asked if she was being mistreated at her in-laws’. She said no, just worn out from the spring planting. I didn’t think much of it…”

The second aunt broke into great heaving sobs. “My child! I had just bought white sugar — she loved to dip her dumplings in sugar. Oh, oh…”

Zhù Ying let out a quiet sigh. “Aunt Ganze, please look after Second Aunt. We won’t disturb you any longer.”

“All right! Sanlang — I’m counting on you!”

“Yes.”

Old Father Ganze had arranged lodgings for Zhù Ying and Lu Chao. Since Zhù Ying was an official, the main room was given over to her, with Lu Chao settled in Ganze’s room.

The night passed without incident. The next morning Zhù Ying got up to find Old Father Ganze had already prepared a pile of assorted goods and asked, “Sanlang, will this do?”

Zhù Ying said, “Fine! How much?”

Old Father Ganze said, “Sanlang is already a court official, and still willing to make this trip for us — what money could we possibly ask for?”

Zhù Ying smiled and said, “I’m going to sell goods — of course I need to know my costs before I can calculate my profit. Quick, tell me, or I’ll price everything wrong and someone will realize I’m not a real peddler!”

Old Father Ganze said, “All together, less than three hundred cash.”

Zhù Ying loaded everything onto her peddler’s pole. Old Father Ganze also found a young man called Li the First Son: “You know the Xinfeng area well — you go along as guide. He also works for our household, at the Xinfeng estate. He just came over two days ago.”

Zhù Ying, Lu Chao, and Li the First Son all got in the cart. Li the First Son asked, “Are we heading out now?”

Zhù Ying said, “Cao village first.” She needed to first see what the Cao family was like and get a sense of their reputation in the area, before going to Chen village to see what the husband’s side was like.

Li the First Son said, “Then I’ll drive — I know the roads!”

They set out before dawn. By the time the sun had risen well into the sky, they had reached Cao village. Only the old, the weak, women, and children remained. Zhù Ying said, “You two wait here — I’ll go.”

She shouldered the peddler’s pole and walked in, rattling the pellet drum at the village entrance to draw out a cluster of carefree children who surrounded her. She held up a small clay figurine and said, “Don’t just look — ten cash, take it home!”

A few children actually ran home to beg for money, got a sound thrashing from their mothers, and were then dragged back over to the peddler. One of these women had an unpleasant expression. She’d beaten the child for wanting to spend recklessly, yet still came to ask about needles and thread. Zhù Ying tallied up the money while saying, “It’s a festival day — be a bit happier! Don’t beat the child.” She gave the sobbing child half a stick of malt candy.

The other children clustered around her, and she said, “I can’t give more — he only got it because he was beaten!”

One little boy said, “Then I’ll go get my mother to beat me!”

A little girl said, “If my father gets beaten, can he have some too?”

The woman said, “What nonsense are you talking?”

Zhù Ying said, “Come now, you can’t say things like that.” Then to the woman: “Would you like anything else? Look at this — a fragrant sachet, perfect for the festival. It’s filled with choice medicinal herbs, only ten cash.”

The woman scoffed, “You’re a peddler — what choice things could you have? Tell me, are you heading anywhere else to sell?”

“Of course — if I don’t sell goods, what do I eat?”

The woman asked him to head west, about forty li, where it was the outer part of Cao village — she wanted him to “just have a look from a distance and see if they’re still fighting.”

Zhù Ying’s expression shifted slightly. “Fighting over water rights? Over land? I won’t go near that — fights get ugly! And I don’t know your husband by sight — if I got too close, isn’t that just asking to get hurt?”

The woman sighed. “It’s not a fight over anything like that. A perfectly good daughter of ours married into that household and was somehow killed by them.”

Zhù Ying took the opportunity to ask more about the Cao family. The woman said, “See that house over there? That’s the one. A good household — son and daughter both. His eldest sister-in-law married a steward at a noble household, and they’ve been quite a help. But this family, they don’t like to lean too heavily on those connections. If you ask me, they’d have been just as well off giving their daughter to one of the noble household’s servants. A servant in a great house is nothing to be ashamed of.”

Zhù Ying said, “What does your husband look like? I might pass by, and I’d just take a glance — I’m not going specially, mind you.”

“He’s tall and broad, with a scar on his face — got slashed by a woodchopper two years ago in a water dispute. You’d know him the moment you saw him!”

The woman was very pleased telling her this.

Zhù Ying said, “Then I’ll go door to door first, and when no one’s buying, I’ll head over for a look.”

Zhù Ying shouldered the pole and made a full circuit of Cao village, selling some goods at inflated prices — sweets, needles and thread, the colored five-thread strings for the festival. Along the way she also sold two plasters and a few doses of wound medicine. Eventually she found herself at the door of Ganze’s maternal aunt’s house. The door stood wide open, and she could see right inside.

Three main rooms, with a row of side rooms to the west. The courtyard was flat and even — good for drying grain. In one corner sat a wooden basin, with an overturned low stool and bucket beside it. Looking closer, she saw the basin held soaking dumpling leaves, and scattered nearby on the ground were a few uncooked grains of rice. Zhù Ying walked a circuit of the house and found it clean and orderly — unlike a typical farming household.

Farming was backbreaking work. Farmer husbands and wives often came home caked in mud, too tired to wash, knowing they’d be dirty again tomorrow — where would the hot water come from? Clothes couldn’t be washed and changed frequently either, because there were no spare sets.

This house was different. Everything was clean and tidy, speaking of a stubborn pride in its owners.

Zhù Ying lingered no longer and left Cao village. She told Li the First Son: “Now we go to Chen village!”

Chen village presented quite a different scene.

Chen village also had mostly old people, women, and children. Zhù Ying used the same approach, attracting a group of children. Young women also came to buy small things — needles, thread — and Zhù Ying recommended some cheap trinkets and hair ornaments. On the surface, Chen village seemed no different from Cao village.

She went deeper into Chen village, hawking her wares, and came upon a half-demolished house. The house was fairly new — judging by the bricks and tiles, it had been built within the past few years. But many of the roof tiles had been pried off, one door had been unhinged, and the ground in front was a scene of destruction.

An old woman came hobbling over on a cane. “Who are you? Poking around like that!”

Zhù Ying said, “A peddler. Elder, why aren’t the people in your village coming out to buy? It doesn’t seem right for a village this size!”

The old woman said with a cold laugh, “Come out? Why wouldn’t they come out!”

Zhù Ying said, “Strange.”

The old woman looked at her carrying pole and asked, “How much for the five-colored threads?”

Zhù Ying held up her palm and flipped it a few times: “Twenty cash!”

“You little thief! Why not just rob people outright?”

Zhù Ying grinned. “It’s the Duanwu Festival today! Tomorrow this thing won’t be worth five cash. Yesterday it was worth ten. But right now — twenty cash! The festival’s today! I’m not home eating dumplings — I came all the way out here. What do I expect to get for my trouble?”

The old woman was half amused, half furious. Ultimately she couldn’t bring herself to pay twenty cash, so she cursed and tottered away on her cane: “Don’t buy anything! Wicked price-gouger! Extortion!”

Zhù Ying said, “Wait, wait, wait — I’ll take ten from you! Yesterday’s price! All right?”

The old woman still wanted to curse. Zhù Ying said, “No more cursing! Help me call someone over to buy, and I’ll give you five cash. If you don’t buy from me now, no one else will come today! You won’t drive away illness, you won’t ward off disaster! You’ll have bad luck for a whole year!”

She had learned many a small roguish trick from her days in the countryside. After some back-and-forth, the old woman and the young person struck a deal.

The old woman produced a cloth pouch from her waist and counted out five cash. Zhù Ying’s sharp eyes caught it immediately: “That one’s not standard currency — don’t try to fool me! That’s a privately minted flat coin — illegally minted currency! You’re breaking the law! Give me a real standard coin instead! The price has gone up — I want seven cash now!”

The two bickered back and forth, and Zhù Ying accepted six cash. In truth the cost of the threads was three cash, and with women of the household braiding them themselves in their spare time, the cost per unit was even less.

With this transaction completed, more children clustered around. Strangely, the women did not dare come closer. Zhù Ying asked, “Sisters, that grandmother just now is quite formidable — are you all afraid of her?”

The women were anxious about their husbands who were out fighting, yet life still had to go on and odds and ends still had to be bought. While buying, they answered distractedly: “The worst gossip in the village — if she gets her eyes on you, she’ll go from the east end to the west end scolding you.”

Zhù Ying casually asked a couple more things about the Chen family. The women said, “What a shame — she was a kind person, with a hard life. Even doing the work, she still had to put up with abuse! If her family hadn’t been so fierce about coming to fight for her, I wouldn’t want my husband risking his life over this. It’s not a fight over water or land.”

Zhù Ying jacked up the prices and sold out her goods. Tallying it up, one trip had made two strings of cash. She tossed the money into the carrying basket, shouldered the pole, and got back on the cart. Lu Chao asked, “How was it?”

Zhù Ying said, “I couldn’t get inside that house. Wait for me here — I want to go back and take another look.”

She slipped quietly into the home of Ganze’s cousin-in-law and looked around inside and out. The main room was covered in scattered paper offerings and straw. The coffin was also gone. Following the traces, she found her way in turn to the master bedroom, the young couple’s room, and then made a circuit of the kitchen. The stove had been smashed in, and the cooking pots were gone. The place was in complete disarray everywhere — the girl’s family had come with no restraint whatsoever.

Having seen enough, she slipped back out quietly and returned to the cart waiting outside the village. Lu Chao asked, “Well?”

Zhù Ying said, “Elder Brother Ganze might be right.”

“What? Don’t you believe him?”

Zhù Ying shook her head. “That’s not what I mean. Have you ever decided a case? Deciding a case requires evidence — evidence is what convinces people.”

“You mean you’ve found evidence?”

Zhù Ying said, “Something like that. By the way, where is the body? It wasn’t at either location. Does that mean — ah! No wonder!”

“What are you saying?”

“Quickly! To the county yamen! We’ll be too late if we wait!”

Lu Chao said, “What exactly are you trying to do?”

Zhù Ying said, “I need to examine the body! Quickly! I only have one day of holiday! The woman from Cao village asked me to look for her husband — but on our way here, where was he? And back in the Jingzhao prison yesterday, I also heard there were yamen runners sent to Xinfeng County to stop the brawl — do you understand now? They must have been doing exactly that — making arrests. And after arresting people? The nearest prison would be the Xinfeng County jail. The physical evidence and witness testimony would have been brought along as well.”

Lu Chao said, “I’ve been out with you for a day and a night, not knowing anything, stumbling along behind you!”

Zhù Ying said, “I only have one day of holiday — no time to explain everything to you. When this is all over, on my rest day, we can talk through everything properly.”

Lu Chao said, “That’s a promise!”

“Yes!”

Li the First Son shook his head and raised the whip again.

This time, however, they did not manage to reach the county seat. Before they even left Chen village and got onto the road toward town, they met two monks on a side path seeking a ride. Zhù Ying asked, “Where are you heading? We’re going to the county seat.”

The two monks made a Buddhist salutation and said, “That’s inconvenient, then — we’ve just come from the county seat.”

Zhù Ying handed them some dumplings and duck eggs and gave them water to drink, then asked about the situation in the county seat. The elder of the two monks said, “Prefect Wang, the just magistrate of the capital region, came in person. There was a case, and too many defendants from the brawl — the secondary offenders are still locked up in the county yamen prison, and the small shrine to the prison god is packed full too. Connected to a murder case, the body and the principal defendants from both sides have all been taken up to the capital.”

Zhù Ying and Lu Chao exchanged a glance. No need to go to the county yamen — go straight back to the capital! Even the fastest horse could not get there before the city gates closed tonight. If Zhù Ying could make it back and rush in through the gates at dawn tomorrow, then report to the Court of Judicial Review on time without being caught arriving late — she would be counting her blessings.

Lu Chao was astonished at the accuracy of Zhù Ying’s guess. He said, “One of us will drive while the other sleeps in turns. Go rest in the cart.”

Zhù Ying didn’t refuse. “Fine!”

She curled up in the cart and dozed. Lu Chao and Li the First Son took turns driving. There was little traffic at night, so they took to the main road. Somewhere past one relay station, however, the road ahead was ablaze with lights. Lu Chao said, “Let’s stop for water and use the privy.” He woke Zhù Ying, and the three of them used her official status to enter the station. Zhù Ying’s rank was extremely low, so the station master merely sent a station runner to deal with them perfunctorily, and said, “Prefect Wang is still here!”

With that, the station master happily trotted off to prepare washing water for Wang Yunhe.

Hearing that Wang Yunhe was here, Zhù Ying said to Lu Chao, “Wait for me!”

Lu Chao said, “What do you want to do?”

Zhù Ying said, “I’m going to change in the cart and request an audience with Prefect Wang.”

“Are you out of your mind? If Prefect Wang were willing to accept personal appeals, it wouldn’t be your turn to come asking. Everyone says he’s impartial. If we’d known he’d come in person and handle this murder case, we wouldn’t have had to go through all this suffering these past two days!”

Zhù Ying said, “That’s different — we still had to come.”

She really did go to the cart and change back into her silk jacket, gauze cap, and cloth boots. Then she went to request an audience with Wang Yunhe.

Since taking up his post, Wang Yunhe had managed the capital’s public order very well — so well that Old Ma and Old Mu had both been released from prison. Wang Yunhe had not anticipated that right in the middle of the Duanwu Festival, a murder case would break out in Xinfeng County, followed by a mass brawl on top of it. This had originally been Xinfeng County’s responsibility, but when Xinfeng County called for help, Wang Yunhe could only curse them for being “useless” and come deal with it himself.

He had dispatched forces to Xinfeng County overnight to first bring the situation under control. The festival holiday was one day long, and he had not gotten a single moment’s rest. At first light he had personally rushed off to Xinfeng County and taken over the murder case at the center of the brawl. He had then arrested the largest and strongest fighters from both sides, along with the clan elders.

Now he was on his way back — there was still a major court assembly tomorrow! He could only hope to catch at least the tail end of it.

What Wang Yunhe needed most at this moment was rest. And Zhù Ying had chosen precisely this moment to come knocking.

Wang Yunhe remembered Zhù Ying, because Zhù Ying had not only placed first in the legal examinations but had also entered the Court of Judicial Review — Wang Yunhe had seen this name on the list of official appointments.

“Show him in.”

Zhù Ying had been rattling along in the cart and had caught a bit of sleep. She was still in reasonably good spirits when she met Wang Yunhe, showing him a slightly silly smile: “Prefect Wang! This subordinate pays respects to the Prefect!”

Wang Yunhe was infected by her energetic manner and smiled. “What brings you here? Did the Court of Judicial Review send you out on an investigation?”

Zhù Ying shook her head, smiling sweetly. “There’s a small matter — and as luck would have it, I wanted to ask you something.”

Wang Yunhe’s expression cooled slightly. “Oh? What matter?”

“Well — I heard you’ve brought back a body. Is it Cao Shi?”

“That’s right.”

“I want to look at the body.”

Those who came to make appeals of one kind or another were a constant presence, and many had run up against a wall. But none of the many appeals had ever been a request to see a corpse. That was a first.

Wang Yunhe fell silent for a rare moment, then asked, “Why?”

Zhù Ying said, “The one who died is a good friend’s cousin. He doesn’t believe his cousin took her own life. He is a servant of Lord Zheng and has been held back by Lord Zheng — he was not permitted to cause trouble. So I said, I’ll go have a look.”

“You are male — how can you examine a female corpse?” Wang Yunhe flatly refused. “And how did you come to be friends with a servant?”

“We met on the road to the capital. He looked after my whole family and taught me to drive a cart. I consider him a friend.”

Wang Yunhe said, “Go back and tell Lord Zheng, and tell your friend — I will handle this with full impartiality.”

Zhù Ying said, “I’d just look for a moment — couldn’t I? What does it matter that it’s a female corpse? I won’t touch her or remove her clothing. Just one look! She — if she were alive, it would be the Duanwu Festival now. Her brothers might have brought her to meet me. You really won’t let me see? All right then, let me tell you what I found today.”

Without waiting for Wang Yunhe to speak, she launched into a monologue — everything she had observed in the two villages, her deductions, and her visit to Ganze’s maternal aunt, all told without omission.

Wang Yunhe asked, “You — from yesterday evening until now — you’ve done all this?”

“Yes!” Zhù Ying nodded vigorously and smiled brilliantly.

Wang Yunhe said, “Bring in a lantern. Come with me. Not a word from anyone else. You may only look — do not touch anything.”

“Yes!”