Zhang Xiangu suddenly noticed that her daughter was busier and busier, and her heart was quietly troubled.

She was a former spirit-medium who understood household matters and human nature quite well. In what village was there not a great flock of men who claimed to be “out on legitimate business, earning money to feed the family” or “socializing because it’s necessary”? In truth, what those “heads of household” were doing out there — only the ghosts knew!

Seeing her daughter now showing signs of the same pattern, Zhang Xiangu felt deeply uneasy. She was worried! Her child was not “a son who became an official at a young age” but “a daughter who bluffed her way into an official post.”

Zhang Xiangu nagged at Zhù Da’s ear for several days. Zhù Da said, “If you’re not at ease, just ask her.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “She’s sharp as a tack — the moment you ask her, she says nothing, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

In the end, the two of them decided to try their old trick: follow Zhù Ying for a while. As luck would have it, they never had the good fortune of stumbling onto Zhù Ying’s trail the way they had that one time. They made trips to visit “big brother” carrying little boxes of pastries and such, and learned only that Zhù Ying did not go to Constable Zhang’s house every day. As for where she went at other times, Constable Zhang only knew that Zhù Ying had at least two more acquaintances in the city — the prison warden and Coroner Yang — and beyond that he knew nothing.

Zhang Xiangu also guessed it might have something to do with Huajie. Zhù Da said, “She’s run away and gone. It’s been this many days — she could be anywhere by now. You don’t search for someone by staying in the city; there must be something else going on.”

Zhang Xiangu and Zhù Da put their heads together and agreed: this business of not coming home couldn’t be let to drag on any longer. They needed a clear answer before they could feel settled.

That evening, when Zhù Ying came in from outside, Zhang Xiangu bided her time and didn’t press right away, letting Zhù Ying finish eating first. Once Zhù Ying had gone back to her room and lit the lamp to read for a while, Zhang Xiangu arranged a tray of meat pies and broth and brought it over as a late-night snack. Zhù Ying was still in her growing years, and her appetite could comfortably match that of her colleagues and superiors who lived in the capital pampered and at ease.

Zhù Ying had long since noticed her parents exchanging glances at dinner and had simply pretended not to notice. She now put away her books and writing things properly and polished off the snack in one go.

Zhang Xiangu collected the tray and said, “Tired?”

Zhù Ying said, “Not tired.”

Zhang Xiangu asked again, “Have you found Flower Sister? Has her family come to trouble you afterward? Is there any news? Your father and I have been walking around the streets with nothing better to do, and I’m thinking — she’s almost certainly already left the capital.”

Zhù Ying said, “Hard to say. First Young Master says he’s sent people to wait in her home village — what if she goes back there?”

Zhang Xiangu sighed again over Huajie’s fate, her luck, and things of that sort, then said, “Everyone has their own destiny. Fate is set by Heaven. And so do you — don’t wear yourself out. I’ve noticed you’re even busier these past few days. What’s happening? Are there dinner parties? If so, it’s not good to always let other people host — let me put together some money and you can host people too.”

Zhù Ying heard all her roundabout maneuvering and said, “It’s not dinner parties — it’s case work.”

Zhang Xiangu asked anxiously, “Is it dangerous?”

Zhù Ying said, “Not in the least — just looking around at various places.”

Zhang Xiangu calmed herself somewhat. “Still, be careful — don’t go running down dark alleys.”

Zhù Ying said, “The review at the Court of Judicial Review isn’t finished yet. The further along you get, the more careful you have to be. If you want to be promoted faster than the others, you have to do more than the others and do it better, don’t you? We’re newcomers — we don’t know the streets very well and don’t have many connections. We can’t ask Lord Zheng for help with everything; what would I have to repay him with? I still need to go out and test the waters of the capital myself. These criminals — you know them well, Mother, don’t you? They’re the most expert at judging their targets: they generally don’t dare provoke anyone in an official’s clothing.”

“That’s right! You are an official now!” Zhang Xiangu cheered up. “All right, then — I’ll prepare more food for you from now on.”

Zhù Ying said, “Good.”

Without Huajie’s consent, Zhù Ying had no wish to tell Zhang Xiangu about her whereabouts. Nor had she been lying to her mother — she truly had been very busy lately. For one thing, there was an increasing amount happening at the Court of Judicial Review; the review work was proceeding at a brisk pace under the intense pressure from Zheng Xi and the other two, and what remained were the difficult and doubtful cases. Zheng Xi and company had also worked out a new method — cross-sampling checks, where, for instance, a case that Zhù Ying had already reviewed would have Left Assessor pull a few out to review again.

And for another thing, she genuinely wasn’t sufficiently familiar with the capital. The capital’s waters were truly deep — not something you could see through by looking at a few footprints on the surface; she needed to go out and walk it, see it, make contacts herself.

Beyond what her colleagues had told her about family standings and the social customs and human connections of the capital, she urgently needed contacts across all levels of society. Her rounds of the nunneries weren’t only for the sake of maintaining appearances; visiting one or two nunneries each day was also good for getting a feel for the workings of those establishments. Having the pickpocket she happened upon pass a message to Old Ma was also part of this calculation.

The next day, she again went to the Court of Judicial Review, pulled a few of Left Assessor’s cases for cross-review and signed her own name, and then watched Wang Assessor pull several of hers and sign his. Then she went off to the Registry of Taoist and Buddhist Affairs to browse for another stretch. When the time came she slipped out of the palace, made her way to the outside of the Capital Prefecture jail, and met with Old Ma.

——

Old Ma was in a deeply foul mood!

He had gone to jail in order to lie low, and once the streets outside were clear he found a way to get himself released. This wasn’t difficult — he had planned his entry into jail carefully and naturally had arranged a way out, producing evidence of his innocence when the moment was right and simply walking free. Once out, he didn’t dare make any loud fuss; he still kept his people under strict control and told them to be careful when they worked.

Wang Yunhe had cracked down hard on aggressive troublemakers and roughs: anyone bold enough to bare a tattoo on the street got rounded up and given twenty strokes of the rod. Even petty thieves had grown timid — none daring to be too brazen. Old Ma was a fence and thief-master; even if his people stole less, he still skimmed off the top and lived comfortably. Thinking of the fierce people he’d had to watch out for just a few days ago — arrested, exiled, beaten, scattered — while he was still here in the capital living at ease, he was in rather fine spirits.

Old Ma didn’t drink much. A few small dishes, barely two taels of light wine, and he could sit through an entire evening. Just as he was eating, a little thief came creeping around and poked his head in. Old Ma was annoyed. “Look at the state of you! One glance and it’s obvious what you are! Can’t you tell you’re a thief from three miles away — people have their purses gripped tight! How many times have I told you: the more of a thief you are, the less you should look like one!”

The pickpocket pulled a mournful face. “Boss, we’re in trouble!”

“What? Did you get caught again?” Old Ma was tense — he had no wish to be hauled off to the Capital Prefecture jail without being prepared.

The pickpocket said, “No, it’s not that — someone is looking for you. They’re telling you to wait outside the Capital Prefecture jail.”

Old Ma pressed him for details, then said, “I understand. Stay out of trouble for the next few days.” He gave the pickpocket a few hundred copper coins and told him to use it for food and living expenses.

Once the pickpocket left, Old Ma thought it over for a long time and concluded that he didn’t recognize any official fitting that description. The most frightening thing in the world is the unknown. The next morning he took a gift box and went to pay a visit to the prison warden, hoping to find out from him who this might be. The warden didn’t know only one young official — there were several — but from Old Ma’s description, he could only think of Zhù Ying.

He told Old Ma, “Might it not be Zhù Third? You don’t know — she’s become an official!”

Old Ma said with surprise, “Her? What does she want with me?”

The warden said, “The way I see it, it could be because you know the streets? I can see she’s trying to build connections with all kinds of people in the capital. She wants to do her job well.”

“You think that’s it? A real official — who’d bother themselves with the likes of us? When officials want to use people like us, they send a servant to summon us, throw us a bit of money, have us do a job, and giving us a single glance counts as doing us a favor. Even you lot — working at the government office — you don’t want us anywhere near you.”

The warden said, “Are you putting me down? From where I stand, it’s your kind that won’t associate with us.”

The two were half-acquainted and traded some good-natured banter, after which Old Ma asked the warden a favor: “When the day comes, let me hide nearby — if it really is her, then I’ll come out.” In exchange for the gift, the warden agreed.

When the appointed day arrived, Zhù Ying and Old Ma came face to face.

Old Ma saw it was her and stepped out of the corner with relief, pointing his thumb approvingly. “Sanlang — truly a capable person.”

Zhù Ying smiled at him. “I was looking for you, but the warden said you were already out; I didn’t know where to find you. Lucky coincidence — I ran into that little monkey, and I didn’t actually expect he’d know you, but it turned out he really did.”

Old Ma said, “I take it that little monkey had a lesson from you at some point?”

Zhù Ying smiled without answering.

The two of them reestablished contact. Zhù Ying also asked about news of Old Mu and others who had been fellow inmates, and asked after Old Ma’s situation. Old Ma said, “Things are much more peaceful now — but we can’t exactly do something else for a living. I’m getting by fine. Those hot-headed types have all calmed down. People say they’re fierce, but there’s nothing in this world fiercer than the government when it acts like a ruffian.”

Zhù Ying said, “Come on — let’s go have some tea.”

“You summoned me all the way to this place just for tea?” Old Ma took a small liberty and said it aloud, then added, “It’s almost curfew — there’s no time.”

He walked slowly forward, slightly bent at the waist. “I always thought Sanlang would do great things, but I never imagined you’d come so far so fast.”

Zhù Ying said, “Just muddling through. What kind of people doesn’t the capital have?” She could see that Old Ma was unwilling to have tea, and the hour was indeed growing late, so she didn’t insist. She walked alongside him and chatted as they went. She didn’t expect Old Ma to open his heart and pledge his life to her just because they had once shared a prison cell — she just wanted to establish a connection first.

Old Ma said, “That’s true enough. Lord Wang of the Capital Prefecture is quite the figure. With him around, none of us dare move — we all have to show our real faces.”

Zhù Ying smiled. “So what do you live on these days?”

Old Ma said, “I have some savings — enough, enough.”

Zhù Ying pressed no further. She said, “I’m not going to eat you alive! And I’m not asking you to sell anyone out. Keep acting like this and there’s no point, is there?”

Old Ma gave a sly grin and rubbed his hands together. “Sanlang understands everything perfectly — why say any more? Sanlang, whenever you have some task in the future, just send someone to tell me. If you have questions, feel free to ask. We walk different roads; the more we’re seen together, the worse it is for you, and it puts me in a difficult spot too, doesn’t it?”

Zhù Ying said, “You still need to give me a person or a place where I can find you — you can’t expect me to search all of the capital, can you?”

Old Ma said hastily, “Wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare. Outside the Western Market, there’s a tea house with a red banner outside, with the characters ‘Cai’s.’ Just go and say you’re looking for Old Ma.”

Zhù Ying also asked what had become of Old Mu and the others. Old Ma said, “Him? He hasn’t been on the streets lately.” He said nothing about where Old Mu had gone.

Zhù Ying sighed softly. “All right — if you’re uncomfortable I won’t press you to keep talking here.” She produced a piece of silver for him, saying it was for the pickpocket: that little fellow had probably been frightened half to death, so tell him to have a little more awareness and not be too arrogant.

Old Ma pocketed the silver and made a clasped-hands gesture to Zhù Ying. Zhù Ying said, “Better not go running off anywhere.”

Old Ma said, “At my age — where would I go?”

Zhù Ying said, “Take care on the road.”

Old Ma flashed a grin, turned, and vanished.

Zhù Ying shook her head and headed to Coroner Yang’s place.

——

After meeting with Old Ma, Zhù Ying noticed a few times on the road that she was being followed. She looked back and recognized them as several of the pickpockets, so she smiled at them; they scattered in a flurry, and things were considerably quieter after that.

Zhù Ying still made her rounds of the nunneries. The capital’s nuns probably numbered in the hundreds if not a thousand, and she couldn’t see them all at once; she was in no hurry, and simply made a point of slipping into a few nunneries at irregular intervals. Sometimes she “accidentally” wandered into a Buddhist monastery for monks as well, going in for a stroll and exchanging a few words with the young novices.

On the other side, Chen Meng had looked up the religious name under the ordination certificate Huajie had purchased, and had people going to nunneries searching for transient nuns — but found nothing.

Half a month passed. Chen Meng was aware that Zhù Ying was visiting nunneries in her spare time. He and the Feng family’s adopted son had both been quietly searching for Huajie; when the two of them met, they inevitably brought up that it seemed someone else was also looking at the nunneries, and a brief inquiry confirmed it was Zhù Ying.

Chen Meng said, “She really is a conscientious and persevering person. Pity that she’s too set in her ways.”

Feng Dalang said, “She’s a good person. It’s just that they have no fate together. Now that we regret it, it’s too late. If we had given her to Zhù Ying from the start, we wouldn’t be in this situation. To think of all the hardship my sister has had — not even time to catch a breath…”

Chen Meng said, “She’s been missing for more than half a month with no sign. Most likely she’s already left the capital.”

Feng Dalang thought this very reasonable. “Most likely she missed her foster mother and wanted to go back to see her. Let’s recall the searchers — send people along the roads looking for her, and have people waiting back in her home village.”

Chen Meng said, “Agreed. I’ll have the people there stay alert.”

Chen Meng and Feng Dalang had no other leads, and could only hope Huajie had gone home. The two then sighed over Huajie for a while; neither had spent much time with her, yet this cousin was indeed a lovable person. Feng Dalang had no enthusiasm for going home. Back at the residence, his wife would have grievances to unload on him, and right now he had little appetite for that. Madam Feng was even more trying than usual — her face, already severe, had become more severe still.

Chen Meng, however, was thinking: Zhù Ying might be only a petty official right now, but judging by the way she handles things, she shows a degree of competence. To become strangers from this point on seems rather a pity. Coming back to the capital after so many years away, he had made some friends, but having been gone so long, those friendships weren’t deep. Those acquaintances couldn’t be neglected, of course — but capable, capable people couldn’t be let go either.

If he didn’t become friendly with Zhù Ying while she was still insignificant and powerless, was he supposed to wait until she was accomplished and then come running to warm himself by her fire?

The two men each had their own thoughts, but shared a mild dissatisfaction with Madam Feng and a bond forged from searching together for Huajie for more than half a month, and had thus grown somewhat closer to each other.

Several days more passed. The people they had sent out of the capital still had no news. But Steward Huang in the prefectural city sent a letter saying: Yu Miaomiao’s grave was intact, and no sign of anyone having recently paid their respects had been detected; he would continue to keep watch.

Chen Meng read the letter over and over again and couldn’t help sighing. He thought: if even those along the road and at all the postal relay stations have seen nothing, Guanqun must have run into trouble!

He went to his father’s study to report back: “Father — if the letters sent back say no one has seen her, let’s recall all the people we sent out. If we keep this up too long, once word leaks out it won’t look good either, and people may say you misused your official authority for private purposes. Just have the people in the home village stay alert; as long as she comes back, we’ll hear of it right away. It’s only that she may suffer some more hardship.”

Chancellor Chen said, “So be it. Any other news from the capital?”

Chen Meng shook his head. Chancellor Chen said, “Have reliable women who recognize her make one more pass through the capital’s nunneries and the places where Taoist priestesses reside — in case something was overlooked. She’s not a foolish person; what if she didn’t use the nun’s ordination certificate and we’ve been mistaken? Also check at inns and other lodgings for any young, handsome, clean-shaven young men who have been staying there.”

Chen Meng hesitated a moment, then said, “Yes.”

“If you have something to say, say it! She is your cousin — what harm is there in going to more trouble for her on your brother’s behalf?”

Chen Meng hastened to explain, saying, “Zhù Ying has also been looking for her. I was thinking — given Zhù Ying’s skill at tracking, if even she hasn’t found her, Guanqun is most likely not in the capital…”

Chancellor Chen said, “Young people in love — there is some genuine feeling there.” He was silent for a moment, then scolded, “I always said your uncle was all flash and no substance! Whatever schemes he had were all written on his face!”

Chen Meng turned the phrase “young people in love — there is some genuine feeling there” over in his mind and felt rather uncomfortable. He glanced at Chancellor Chen and said, “Uncle bore the expectations of the entire family on his shoulders — no wonder he grew anxious. The more anxious you become, the less you can achieve.”

Chancellor Chen shook his head. “You may go.”

——

Zhù Ying had no idea that Chen Meng had just received another lesson from his father. But she did sense that Chen Meng had some desire to cultivate a friendship with her — a desire that had been present to some extent even before now. When Chen Meng was in the prefectural city, he had always operated with a flavor of following his uncle’s orders. Back in the capital, he had much more of his own ideas.

But this had nothing to do with Zhù Ying; her relationship with Chen Meng amounted to nothing more than “reasonably well acquainted.”

It was no lie to tell Zhang Xiangu that the Court of Judicial Review had been keeping her very busy — it had been. On one hand there was the mutual cross-checking; on the other, there were also the difficult and doubtful cases that needed to be addressed. These were now being handled by Junior Court President Pei Qing; Zheng Xi’s hands were full with the case of Gong Jie, which had not yet been concluded.

Zhù Ying was well acquainted enough with Zheng Xi that she seized one of her visits to request instruction, and slipped in a casual question: “I can see how exhausted you are — it’s been over a year now, hasn’t it? The Gong case still isn’t finished?”

Zheng Xi gave her a sharp look. “What do you know?”

Zhù Ying said, “Look — I came here to seek guidance, and since I have no proper teacher to ask, whenever I get a chance I ask everything I possibly can!”

Zheng Xi said, “How can you be confused about this? Does a year seem long to you? How many years was Gong Jie an official? How many years was he Chief Minister? How many factions did he build up? How much did he manage to accomplish? No — just reading case files will give you a kind of removed, impractical naivety. You need to get your own hands into things before you understand how hard it really is.”

Zhù Ying said, “I understand, I understand — like the arson case at Jin Da-brother’s household: even that took a whole day and night to unravel. And the Gong case is nothing like a single arson.”

Zheng Xi said with cold amusement, “A day and a night? When Chancellor Chen went home, it took two or three months before his household was set in order again — you just didn’t see that part.”

Zhù Ying didn’t dare say another word.

Just then, Gan Ze came in to report: “Assessor Su has returned and is outside requesting an audience.”

Zhù Ying blinked. The Court of Judicial Review did have an assessor named Su — he was barely past twenty, and she had heard his father and grandfather had both worked in this field. He had been sent out of the capital to handle a case before Zhù Ying joined the court, and she hadn’t expected him to be back already.

Zheng Xi said, “Show him in.” He gestured to a spot beside him; Zhù Ying moved over to stand there.

Assessor Su was handsome in appearance, tall of stature, fair-complexioned, with a thin mustache above his lip — light facial hair on a fair face, the textbook image of a beautiful young man as one would read about in books.

Though dusty from the road, he carried himself with alertness and competence even in his leanness; his salutation to Zheng Xi was smooth and crisp. Zhù Ying thought to herself: this is someone who gets things done.

Zheng Xi was clearly also rather satisfied with Assessor Su and asked in a composed voice, “How was the journey?”

Assessor Su said, “I am pleased to report success.”

Zheng Xi listened as he recounted the case — a dispute over an inheritance, of the kind of sordid matter common in great families. They had been trying to claim the entire estate from a widow: the family’s small son had been taken away by the clan and given out in adoption; the widow had then been married off, and the clan seized the property. However, this child had spirit. Having grown up, having made something of himself, he went to the authorities and lodged his grievance. The local official took bribes and covered for the clan; the child went to a higher court, and then a still higher court, until the matter involved official misconduct.

Because officials were involved, the Court of Judicial Review took up the case and sent Assessor Su out. Assessor Su had traveled to investigate, examined the case, came back — and had managed to obtain both documentary and witness evidence, and in the process had even found the widow. He had also tracked down the person to whom she had been “married off” — or rather, sold. The old case was laid bare; naturally, the officials involved in the bribery were also uncovered in the process. The case had been handled truly brilliantly — and luck had been truly remarkable.

Zhù Ying knew that in the ordinary run of things, the child might not survive to adulthood, the widow might not survive to see the child succeed, the widow might have passed through several hands by now, and finding her might be nearly impossible.

Zheng Xi smiled and nodded, then pointed at Zhù Ying. “Zhù Ying.” He said to Zhù Ying as well, indicating Assessor Su’s name. “The two of you are both young people at the Court of Judicial Review — you should befriend each other well. Your futures are both limitless.”

The two exchanged greetings and smiled, calling each other “Brother Su” and “Brother Zhù.” Zheng Xi then dismissed them both.

Out the gate of the Zheng residence, Assessor Su cupped his hands to Zhù Ying. “Brother Zhù, I only just returned and haven’t been home yet. Once I’m settled, let’s have a proper conversation.”

His words were measured and even, yet his manner was quite warm. Zhù Ying was no pushover either, and smiled back, “That would be wonderful! I’ve been fretting about having no one close to my own age to talk with.” In truth she had already perceived: this Assessor Su was probably also rather a cunning character.

Someone chosen by Zheng Xi, who came first to pay a private visit — notable! Zheng Xi headed the Court of Judicial Review and would naturally not put all his eggs in one basket. Assessor Su was probably also one of the people Zheng Xi had selected. Whatever aspect of Zhù Ying that Zheng Xi had found useful, this Assessor Su surely possessed as well — it might be worth watching him quietly to see if she could learn something from him.

The two of them walked together in the direction of the main street, happening to be going the same way for a stretch before parting — but just then, a familiar face came toward them. “Sanlang! So you’re here! Come on! Let’s go eat and drink!”

Assessor Su watched Zhù Ying with a smile. Zhù Ying looked helplessly at Feng Dalang — this “elder brother-in-law” of sorts, who on earth had let him appear at this particular moment? She had literally just said “no one close to my own age to talk with”! And she and Feng Dalang — they genuinely weren’t very well acquainted!

Zhù Ying felt aggrieved in her heart, but her face remained utterly composed. With perfect ease she cupped her hands to Assessor Su. “Brother Su — see you tomorrow.”

Assessor Su’s expression didn’t change. “See you tomorrow.”

Zhù Ying watched him go, then asked Feng Dalang, “What are we drinking to?”