Zhang Xiangu’s coin purse jingled and clinked. She counted out precisely twenty cash, taking a little time. This diligent penny-counting manner was nothing like the mother of an official — no different from a market woman haggling over a cent or two on vegetables.
The chief constable didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Zhù Ying was perfectly calm. She took the twenty cash and placed them solemnly in the chief constable’s hand: “Tomorrow, a bowl of tea when you’re tired. Thank you, thank you.”
The chief constable looked at her completely unabashed manner and felt a certain admiration. This young official — the future must be very bright for someone like this. The head jailer was right. A person like this — the days ahead will be promising. On no account to be offended.
He accepted the money and said to Zhang Xiangu, “Madam, rest assured. Only please keep your lips sealed — if word gets out, this matter can’t be done.”
Zhang Xiangu said, “Little brother, don’t you worry! I know how many affairs of people sneaking around behind closed doors I’ve carried in my belly — not a word has ever gotten out!”
The chief constable was left speechless again.
Zhang Xiangu was still thinking about the “Cao girl who appeared to my Laosan in a dream,” and without waiting for the chief constable to respond or not, she circled back to the topic of the Cao girl: “Pitiful! She died at a bad time too. Little brother, at least consider her spirit in this.”
Zhù Ying said to the chief constable, “A thousand thanks. Curfew is nearly here — we won’t trouble you any longer. What a pity for that girl — one more day and she could have eaten the dumplings her mother had wrapped.”
That left the chief constable with a pang of sorrow in his chest.
Zhang Xiangu also said, “Poor thing, poor thing. She died like this — her grievance must be great. Little brother, you have a good heart — you must help her get this off her chest!”
Zhù Ying said, “Let’s go — the chief constable is a person with his own judgment.”
The chief constable saw how Zhang Xiangu was carrying on, and also saw Zhù Da not saying a word the whole time, and truly did not know how to handle these people staying any longer. He also did not know how it would end if they did. So he went along with the moment and said, “Safe journey.” He walked the family to the door.
Zhang Xiangu still wanted to chat with him some more. Zhù Ying glanced at her, and she immediately understood and stopped. The chief constable let out a breath of relief and gave Zhù Ying a bow with clasped hands.
Zhù Ying gave a slight nod, and walked with her parents toward home.
Once out of the lane where the chief constable lived, Zhang Xiangu said, “What happened? Did I say something wrong just now?”
Zhù Da said in a dull tone, “Twenty cash — you really pulled that one out.”
Zhang Xiangu said, “What? Didn’t Laosan give a whole packet of silver already? How can mine not be enough? You don’t know anything — I was adding on top of it…”
Zhù Ying said, “This is not something that can be talked about outside. If it got out, and someone looked into it, it would be a case of using private means to pervert justice — more trouble. Taking father and mother along was so that this wouldn’t be hidden from you. If you go around telling people about it, from now on I simply won’t let you know anything.”
Zhang Xiangu said quickly, “I’m your mother, not a three-year-old — do you think I don’t know right from wrong? Tomorrow I’m also going to watch that little beast get his beating! When I come back, I’ll tell Ganze — let him be happy about it too! Only tell him.”
Zhù Ying said, “This was my business — what does it have to do with Ganze? Why tell him?”
“Well? You went to all this trouble, spent all this money — why…”
Zhù Ying said, “Does Mother feel satisfied?”
“I certainly do!”
“That’s enough then. If you tell Ganze, and he has to keep the secret, and then he tells his parents to keep the secret, it’s no better than me going up to the city gate tower right now and announcing to all passersby that I wanted that wretch dead — and then waiting for the Jingzhao Prefecture to come arrest me.”
Zhang Xiangu saw that her daughter’s manner was unlike her usual self. She decisively put away any urge to argue and adopted an air of nothing-having-happened: “It’s nearly curfew — let’s go home and eat.” She also added, “I need to buy paper money right away — and incense!”
Zhù Ying didn’t bother with that and only asked whether she had enough money. Zhang Xiangu said, “More than enough — I’ve got a plan for mine. And I had a purpose for those twenty cash too.”
She glanced at Zhù Da, but Zhù Da didn’t acknowledge her. He just walked quietly toward home.
The family of three went home, ate, and Zhang Xiangu began arranging to burn incense and say some prayers for Cao Shi. Zhù Ying went to her own room to read and practice her calligraphy.
Zhù Da remained silent until the lamps were put out for sleep. Zhang Xiangu finally came to her senses, nudged him, and said, “What’s got into you today? Did you become mute?”
Zhù Da said, “I’m not like you — just doing useless things.”
“What? How is burning offerings for Laosan not proper business? Then tell me — what is proper business?”
Zhù Da slowly said, “I’ve been thinking about this case…”
“Since when do you analyze cases?”
“Stop interrupting! Can’t you just listen to someone properly?”
“Fine — speak!”
Zhù Da slowly laid out the thinking he had been turning over for the past several days. “Laosan’s situation — she’s better off not getting married. Taking a husband is out of the question. Getting herself a husband? She’s a fine official — we can’t just throw that away! Where would we find a son-in-law who’s a match for what she has now?”
“You old wretch! Are you still her father? We’ll be dead someday — and you want to leave her alone in this world!” Zhang Xiangu shot upright and was ready to do battle, “She risks everything to hold up this lightning rod of a life as an official — it feeds you well and keeps you in comfort, and if you’re any kind of a person, you’d think about what’s good for her. Without a home of her own, how can she manage?”
The two began to quarrel.
After arguing for a bit, Zhù Da also sat bolt upright: “You don’t understand anything! I can’t reason with you, woman — I’m going to talk to Laosan!” He got out of bed, feeling around for his shoes, and went to find Zhù Ying.
Husband and wife went together to find Zhù Ying. The lamp in Zhù Ying’s room was still lit. She put down her book and asked, “What is it?”
Zhang Xiangu jumped in first: “Nothing, nothing — don’t look at this old man, he had too much to drink and got muddled!”
Zhù Da said, “You be quiet! Laosan — let’s figure this out!”
“Mother, don’t rush. Father, you speak.”
Zhù Da rubbed his hands together, made up his mind, and said, “You are not to get married! Find a fine-looking young man, one you choose yourself, and have a child by him. Say it’s by a woman outside the home, and the child’s mother died.”
Zhang Xiangu and Zhù Ying both stared at him wide-eyed. Zhù Da said, “What are you looking at me for? This is the best plan! Laosan gives birth to the child, and it takes our family name — it’s of the Zhù line! Are members of our family going to carry on someone else’s family line?”
He had been chewing on this for a long time. Back in the prefectural city he had thought, since the daughter was capable, they might just take in a son-in-law. Then once Zhù Ying became an official, he started thinking about “the Zhù family line.” Drawing on his extensive but not particularly useful experience in the world, he had racked his brains for a way to ensure Zhù Ying left descendants.
But the Cao girl’s case had overturned his original thinking. Compared to Zhù Ying, the Cao girl was someone even more worthy of marrying — capable, obedient, more “like a woman.” And now look — how did she get beaten to death for exchanging a few harsh words with her mother-in-law? That simply would not do. His daughter was doing just fine as an official! What for?
He was not going along with it.
Yet the old Zhù family line still needed descendants, and there was no real possibility of him and Zhang Xiangu producing another child now. So he had thought up this plan.
Borrow some seed. That’s not against the law, is it? Even if it is, as long as nobody finds out, it doesn’t matter! As for how a pregnant woman could be kept hidden from prying eyes, Zhù Da had limited understanding of women’s physiology. He had known about his wife’s pregnancies only in the sense of “knowing it was happening,” so he thought hiding the visible signs from outsiders couldn’t be that difficult.
Knowing that a woman had to keep to her room after giving birth — he knew this. By his reckoning, that was barely a month! At most counting the last months of the pregnancy, three months in total — at the extreme outside. Three months — either taking leave or some other way, hiding it would be easy. Once the baby was born, even without a “wife,” a man having a child by a woman outside the home was an easy enough explanation.
“Let your mother raise the child, and you go on with your official career.” Zhù Da was the more he thought about it, the more he felt this was workable. “Now it’s so much better than when we raised you — good food, good drink, good lodging, good clothing. In a couple more years when you’ve risen higher and have a bit more money in hand, buy a maidservant for the household — isn’t that fine?”
Zhang Xiangu’s face slowly broke into a smile. “Old man, this is finally the first sensible idea you’ve had in your whole life!” She thought more and more that this plan was excellent. Looking at the state of things lately — seeing what happened to Cao Shi — she had been worried about her daughter too. This was truly an arrangement that satisfied everyone!
Zhù Da didn’t know the difficulties of pregnancy and childbirth, but Zhang Xiangu did — and she was the child’s own mother, which was exactly where she could plan and scheme on her daughter’s behalf. Excellent, excellent!
Zhù Ying said, “Oh.”
Zhang Xiangu said anxiously, “Come on — say something.”
Zhù Ying said, “Let me think about it.”
Zhang Xiangu wanted to press further, but Zhù Da stopped her: “Think it over properly. It’s not something that has to be done right now — first figure out who you’d have in mind.”
Zhù Ying said, “Oh.”
Husband and wife, though not entirely satisfied, felt a great weight lifted from their hearts. They went back to their room — still unable to sleep, whispering and discussing plans for half the night, all other matters shoved aside.
Zhù Ying blew out her lamp and was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow — not a moment’s pause. A man? A child? What were those? Zhù Ying had never considered them at all. She still had an official career to make, money to earn, and people to kill.
The next day, Zhang Xiangu rose a little late, nearly forgetting to go watch the Chen son’s paddle beating. She arrived in a hurry and saw Ganze there, and managed to hold her tongue about the previous day’s business.
Ganze’s eyes were fixed on the Chen son as he received his final strokes, was put in a cangue, and was escorted out of the capital by two yamen runners. The Chen parents trailed behind, weeping as they saw him off. Only then did Ganze withdraw his gaze. He looked up and saw Zhang Xiangu. The family came over to exchange greetings, and Zhang Xiangu also held her tongue, saying, “You’re busy, you’re busy — we just came to see.”
Ganze’s family had clearly talked it over amongst themselves beforehand. They thanked Zhang Xiangu there and then, and when Zhang Xiangu and Zhù Da had gone home, they came over as well, bringing gifts and a formal invitation — they had set a day on Zhù Ying’s rest day to invite her family for a meal in thanks. Ganze said, “We’ve invited Jin Liang, Lu Chao, and others to join as company — all familiar faces. We hope you won’t decline.”
Zhù Da accepted the invitation on Zhù Ying’s behalf. Zhang Xiangu said, “She can’t have wine.”
Ganze said, “Auntie, don’t worry — I know.”
That evening, when Zhù Ying arrived home, Zhang Xiangu showed her the gifts and the invitation. The gifts included silk and satin, a pig, a lamb, fruit wine, a packet of silver, and writing supplies — all practical things, not the face-gifts often exchanged in the capital where even the wrappings were never opened, just passed along to someone else.
Zhang Xiangu said, “I said not to accept, but he said you’d understand.”
Zhù Ying said, “I didn’t. But since he’s given them, accepting is fine too. Refusing would put him at ease no more. The goods we’ll keep — the silver, return it when we go to the dinner.”
Zhang Xiangu felt a small pang: “You’re giving back the silver? We’ve spent a fair amount too.”
Zhù Ying said, “Silver is not good to accept. It wasn’t as if he was asking a favor of me.”
Zhang Xiangu was turning over the matter of “having a child.” To have a child, you’d need a home of your own, wouldn’t you? The Zhù family was renting their house right now — that was unreliable! Buying a house meant having money! Where would the money come from? Capital-city housing was not something a minor official could acquire within a year or two. Just this courtyard they lived in now — even if it were a haunted house, it would take years of frugal living to save up for.
Being an official meant earning well but spending more. Maintaining any semblance of official dignity cost more in every respect, and the money naturally went out faster. Zhang Xiangu had spent half the night doing accounts, and everything came down to money. If Zhù Ying were to have a child, the child would need to be raised with care — the cost of the child alone would be enormous. Food and clothing went without saying, but the child would also need to study, wouldn’t they? That was money too!
Zhang Xiangu sighed. “I was thinking too narrowly — just thinking about saving money ourselves. I’m not a greedy person — it’s just that in the capital everything costs money. We have no family foundation, so we have to be careful. He’s a close friend, people who’ve helped us. It doesn’t feel right to fleece close friends.”
On the day of the dinner, Ganze’s family arranged several tables at their home, ordering good food from a capital restaurant, and invited Jin Liang and his wife, Lu Chao, and several of the noble household’s well-regarded servants — all “their own people.” Everyone in the household knew about what had happened to Ganze’s relatives and were both outraged on his behalf and furious at the Chen son. Jin Liang and the others all said, “Sanlang is someone worth knowing!”
Their hearts had begun to treat Zhù Ying as “one of their own.” The slight distance that had existed since the journey to the capital had disappeared.
Jin Liang saw Zhù Ying and punched her on the shoulder first: “Good kid! You’re a real friend!”
Zhù Ying smiled, drew Ganze aside, and returned the silver to him: “I know your intentions. Though my family is in the thick of spending right now, having just come to the capital, this is not that kind of matter. You didn’t ask this favor of me — I wanted to do it myself. You can give me food, wine, and cloth, and I’ll accept it as friendship. Give money too, and it becomes too formal — the friendship would be gone.”
Ganze had no choice but to take the silver back, saying, “Sanlang — I’ll spare the formal words. Going forward, if there’s anything, just say the word. Please — come in!”
Over on the other side, Zhang Xiangu and Zhù Da were also seated in places of honor. Zhang Xiangu had Jin Liang’s wife, Ganze’s mother, and the others to keep her company — it was her first time sitting at such an elevated position at a dinner, and she felt wonderful. Her eyes swept the room and she sighed quietly: all these young men here, and none of them are a match for my Laosan.
Zhù Da was also cheerful, eating and drinking with Old Father Ganze: “Getting through things out in the world — it all comes down to loyalty, doesn’t it.”
On Zhang Xiangu’s side, she very much wanted to know whether the Cao girl had been properly buried: “Was the child sent off properly? Were the sutras chanted? Burn plenty of paper figures and paper money and gold ingots — the child mustn’t be allowed to go without in the world below.”
Ganze’s mother sighed. “How could we let her suffer more? All thanks to Sanlang — the child has gone home now. Her parents thought about it and thought about it, and worried that an unaccompanied wandering soul might be bullied in the world below, so they arranged a posthumous marriage for her. The family of the groom is one that Jin Liang’s wife knows…”
Jin Liang’s wife said, “I made the introduction. A neighbor from my family’s home — a young man from the Li family who died young. His parents were afraid he would be lonely in the afterlife and wanted to arrange a posthumous union. It’s the same process — betrothal gifts exchanged, tombs moved and joined together. The child will have company in the world below.”
Zhang Xiangu said, “What was the Li family young man like in his nature? Paper the figures generously — healthy, strapping servants. That way if the young couple has a quarrel, she won’t be at a disadvantage.”
This made Jin Liang’s wife laugh despite herself: “Rest assured, everything has been arranged properly.”
This dinner was a satisfying one. Jin Liang also made a promise to Zhù Ying: “When have I ever gone back on my word? I still have equipment at home — bows, arrows, swords, all sorts. When you want to practice, go to my place to get them. When I’m back, I’ll also teach you.”
Zhù Ying said, “I’ll hold you to that.”
“Of course you will,” Jin Liang said, exasperated. “Aren’t you using those words from the road to put pressure on me right now?”
Everyone laughed at this. Ganze and the others helped themselves to drinks and urged each other on. No one urged Zhù Ying to drink, however. Old Father Ganze, not knowing the reason, thought Ganze was being impolite and stood up with his cup toward Zhù Ying: “Sanlang, many thanks.” He moved to pour wine for Zhù Ying. The whole table of people rushed to stop him: “Don’t! She can’t drink! Drink even a drop and someone will die!”
After a round of explanations, Old Father Ganze also laughed: “Sanlang sees through everything — truly the right material for an official!” He drank his own cup and turned it upside down. He also said that Zhù Da had more blessings from his child to enjoy in the future.
The mention of officials brought up Wang Yunhe — truly a clear-headed fine official, who hadn’t muddied the waters — and then the topic came around to letting off the Chen son too lightly. Lu Chao said under his breath, “He’s going where he’s going — we find a few people, stop him on the road…”
Jin Liang roared at him, “You’re drunk and raving again! Is this the kind of thing to say out loud?!”
Ganze also said, “Don’t, don’t — I’m currently at Qilang’s side, and I seem to have heard that the Emperor is very displeased with some of the goings-on in recent years and wants to set the tone right.”
Jin Liang still wasn’t at ease about Zhù Ying. He said, “You pick things up quickly — just don’t pick up Lu Er’s crooked ideas.”
Zhù Ying said, “All right.”
Jin Liang was still unsettled. “You’ve already heard what Lu Er said — you have to make it clear to me that you won’t plot anything.”
Zhù Ying waved a hand dismissively. “What plots could I have? Every day reviewing old cases, exhausted like a dead dog. Each person gets what’s coming to them.”
Ganze immediately felt at ease. He had great faith in Zhù Ying’s abilities, and hearing that tone, there must certainly be something being figured out.
Jin Liang thought: I’ll just keep an eye on what happens to this Chen family member. If it really comes to something, I’ll have to report it to Qilang.
After eating a full dinner, Zhang Xiangu was inwardly happy — not for having eaten well, but because her daughter had a small circle of standing in the capital.
Ganze’s family hired a cart to send the three of them home. When they arrived and Zhù Ying reached for the key to open the door, Zhang Xiangu rubbed her stomach and said, “I ate too much — oh! How does my clothing feel so tight? Have I gotten fat?!”
She certainly had. Clothing, when made, was usually left with a little extra room — but Zhang Xiangu was thrifty and hadn’t had it made too wide. This small allowance had been filled in over these past months of good eating, good rest, and good living. Zhang Xiangu then looked at her husband — he had also put on weight. Then she looked at her daughter — no extra weight, but she had grown taller!
The whole family needed new clothing!
Zhang Xiangu calculated their savings with a sinking feeling after the door was bolted. What to do? She and the old man could wear plain cloth, but Laosan needed silk and brocade. Ganze had sent some silks that could be used, and the court also issued cloth to officials for their clothes. Making them herself would turn out badly — she’d have to hire a tailor to make them presentable — and that was more money.
Laosan’s court boots needed to be bought. And cap-cloth and hats — new styles had come out in the capital. Laosan was an official representing them outside — she couldn’t be looked down upon. At minimum two or three presentable sets of attire. And still needed to save up for the child who would someday need to be born…
Once inside, she said offhandedly, “If only we could be like the Cao family — burn some paper and that’s that. Cheaper.”
Zhù Ying asked, “What about the Cao family?”
Zhang Xiangu then mentioned the posthumous marriage. She said, “Parents’ hearts are all the same — no one wants their own child to be alone.”
Zhù Ying said, “Oh.”
For her, the matter of Cao Shi was past and over. She continued reading her books and practicing her calligraphy. During the days she went to the Court of Judicial Review to work. Because of the earlier impeachment, the atmosphere at the Court had grown a little tense again, with many people muttering behind the scenes about the censors stirring up trouble. The Left Judicial Assessor said, “Censors do exactly that — we do our work, they do their work on us. Tsk!”
Assessor Wang shook his head slowly. “Tsk, tsk — that’s not all of it. Think about it — originally, if a case had an error, you could say it was an oversight at the time. But now we’ve reviewed everything. If there are errors going forward, they’ll be asking what on earth we reviewers were doing. It’s harder than before. It’s better if we find the problems ourselves — if someone else finds them, the fault is greater. We all need to be more careful these days.”
Everyone’s hearts tightened at this, and they bowed their heads to get back to work.
Zhù Ying studied the case files even more carefully than before, and in her spare time she went to visit Coroner Yang and Chief Constable Zhang to learn from them, applying herself even more diligently to the old case reviews.
The weather grew progressively hotter. On a day at the end of the sixth month, Zhù Ying was strolling along the corridor after the midday meal to help her digestion, when she saw someone coming toward her from a distance — someone she recognized. It was Chen Meng.
Zhù Ying hadn’t seen Chen Meng for quite a while. Although both were in the capital, their positions were very different, and each was occupied with their own affairs. Right now, however, Zhù Ying had the feeling Chen Meng had come looking for her specifically, because this person was walking straight toward her.
Zhù Ying quickly stepped forward a few paces. Chen Meng also quickened his step and said, “Come here — I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
Chen Meng led Zhù Ying to a secluded spot and said, “Do you know? You’re going to be promoted.”
Zhù Ying burst into a smile. “Me? How could that be? Don’t tease me. I’ve barely been wearing this official’s uniform — not long enough to get a new one yet. How could it be my turn?”
Chen Meng said, “Wanting a new one? You wish!”
After he explained, Zhù Ying learned that the Court of Judicial Review had submitted a proposal to elevate her honorary rank this year, bumping it to the “Propagator of Righteousness,” seventh rank lower. Her substantive post would remain Judicial Assessor of the Court of Judicial Review. The reason Chen Meng knew was that his father was Counsellor Chen. The Chancellor didn’t normally concern himself with the promotions of such minor officials, but this year the Emperor had his eyes sharp open. Counsellor Chen was being extra careful — things he wouldn’t have looked at in previous years, he looked at this year, so Chen Meng came to know of it as well.
Although official ranks were announced highest first, Chen Meng still advised: “New in office — it’s better to keep yourself contained.”
Zhù Ying thanked him sincerely. From Chen Meng’s expression she could see he had not come just to deliver this good news.
She asked first: “Is there anything else the Young Master wished to advise me on?”
Chen Meng sighed and asked, “What exactly is your thinking? Guanjun — have you really put her aside and not thought further?”
Zhù Ying asked, “What’s happened? To A’Jie? Surely not — she’s still in mourning.”
Chen Meng said, “You’re sharp as ever — you’ve already guessed. My aunt says she’s not young anymore. Even though she must observe the mourning period and keep herself, she shouldn’t be made to suffer excessively in isolation either. They’re already quietly looking into prospects — the moment the mourning is over, things can be arranged immediately. Her uncle and maternal grandmother also feel this way. They, alas… it’s important to find a good son-in-law. But what counts as good varies quite a bit depending on who’s asking.”
Zhù Ying felt a tightness in her chest and asked, “Is the man not good?”
Chen Meng said, “You two are truly peculiar — I can see she’s concerned about you, and you’re clearly worried about her. We know each other well enough that I’ll say something that, if said outside, would get me impeached: the enmity between your two families is not necessarily irresolvable. The world is full of cases where fathers killed each other, and then the next generation made marriage alliances. Take the late Wulie Marquis and General He — General He killed the Wulie Marquis’s uncle, yet the two families still became in-laws in the children’s generation.
“If you two truly have that intention, I’d be willing to act as a go-between. Don’t rush to say anything else — just think about what kind of person my aunt’s character would lead her to consider a man of good moral standing. She’d have to be exactly the same sort herself! Just imagine my aunt as a man, and think of Guanjun spending her life with a man who is like my aunt — would that be a pity or not?”
Zhù Ying’s fist clenched tight. She said, “Tell me more carefully.”
Chen Meng glanced at her expression and said, “The heart of parents everywhere — every parent believes they’re acting in their child’s best interest. And those who do good with good intentions and make a mess of things anyway — those fill the world. Imagine my aunt as a man. If Guanjun were to spend her whole life with a man who is like my aunt — would that be a pity or not?”