Zhù Ying had never imagined she would become entangled with the Feng, Shen, and Chen families again in this way.

What rotten luck!

That worthless official who had done his vile deed, first gone to Madam Guan to show off his service, and now come to show off to the court again? Holding it back until now — what brazenness! She instinctively felt this matter would cause some trouble; that instinct had served her very well in the past.

She never interfered in cases her colleagues were handling, but this one had landed right in her path. She and Counselor Wang exchanged a quick word, and she turned toward the prison. She had barely taken two steps when she heard a sound behind her — she turned back to see Counselor Wang had tripped and was sitting on the ground. She ran back immediately.

One arm went behind his back, the other extended in front of him to give him something to hold while he rose. Counselor Wang struggled to his feet, breathing hard. “Old age — no more use. You go on, Little Zhù — I can still manage.”

Zhù Ying said, “Wait a moment.”

“What?”

With someone in need of care before her, Zhù Ying suddenly felt her head clear. She rapidly reconsidered the whole matter. If this affair had nothing to do with Huajie, she would not be this anxious. Right — there might be some trouble, but it wasn’t worth all this!

She said, “Old Wang, just stand here a moment.”

“My legs are still fine…”

“I’m not talking about your legs,” Zhù Ying interrupted, speaking seriously. “The Court of Judicial Review’s prison is not Vermilion Bird Avenue, and this is not a shift change. The people inside won’t just run loose — the news can’t spread this fast. Don’t rush. Your experience is greater than mine; think it through and you’ll see. As long as it stays quiet and doesn’t get spread around, it won’t be a major affair. You’re treating it as something enormous — and making everyone know about it is what risks getting trapped on a tiger’s back. The matter, in itself, is about the Chancellor’s wife’s maternal younger sister — not his wife or daughter. Embarrassing, yes, but with a limit. As long as it stays hushed, it’s not a big matter.”

Counselor Wang came to his senses, wiped away another handful of sweat, and felt slightly embarrassed. “Ha! I’m old — my mind isn’t what it was. These young ones, after all…” He heaved a sigh, talking himself through it — he had stood on the sidelines observing countless such affairs, had narrated them calmly in retrospect, could reason through them clearly as an observer; but when it came to himself, private interest inevitably clouded his judgment.

He explained somewhat sheepishly, “I turn seventy come the New Year and I’m due to retire. I cannot afford any missteps. What do you think — how should we present this to Zheng Xi?”

That was the thing weighing on his mind. He needed just a little more elevation in his honorary rank to secure enough pension for a comfortable old age. How could he not be anxious?

Zhù Ying said, “Don’t make a scene. Quietly bring that one page of testimony to show him. Do you have the testimony with you? Who assisted you in interrogating the case?”

Counselor Wang said, “Evaluator Bao — someone you know.” Evaluator Bao was Zhù Ying’s classmate who had entered the Court of Judicial Review with her in the same intake, had started as a recorder, and had been promoted to Evaluator in the round of advancements at the end of last year. Zhù Ying said, “Good — I’ll go to the prison; you go find Zheng Xi. Quietly. Zheng Xi’s attention is occupied with another matter right now; this is a good opportunity. Best to handle this as a big matter made small, a small matter made nothing.”

Counselor Wang said, “Good.”

Both slowed their pace and stopped rushing. As she walked, Zhù Ying reflected that she had been somewhat impulsive just now. Also — Yang the sixth had been there, and with Yang’s curiosity, he was bound to keep prying. That was getting a little troubling. Counselor Wang should be in the middle of conducting interrogations; the person who had filed the denunciation was probably also a convicted official — she could only hope that person wouldn’t blurt things out again at the next hearing.

On the other side, Counselor Wang too had come back to himself, deeply regretting his own lack of composure. He cleared his throat, adjusted his robes, looked left and right, saw no one nearby, and recovered the unhurried manner of a veteran court official. He arrived to find the Left Registrar coming toward him: “Old Wang, where have you been? There’s news!”

Counselor Wang asked, “News? What could possibly be happening at this hour?”

The Left Registrar said, “Do you know of the Yuan family?”

“The Crown Princess’s family?”

“What Crown Princess? The six rites haven’t been completed — she’s only a rumored ‘informal selection,’ and by the looks of it, that’s now in doubt. Her family — her uncle has also…” The Left Registrar pointed to a case file. The file did not specifically concern the Yuan family’s case, but the implication was unmistakably clear.

The case had reached the point where even those handling it in the Court of Judicial Review felt that all that remained was to issue a final judgment on Gong Jie — one more round of confiscations, executions and exiles for the rest, and the whole treason case would be wrapped up within a month. Now this unexpected figure had appeared.

Counselor Wang thought: was the big matter Little Zhù had spoken of this one? That truly was something to worry about.

Before long, Zheng Xi had made his decision: he assigned the Yuan family case to Pei Qing to handle, then put everyone back to their own tasks. Leng Yun, who never much liked getting involved in these affairs, was pulled aside by Zheng Xi for a whispered exchange. Before long he emerged and said, “Leave it to me. I’ll go feel out the situation.”

Zheng Xi and Leng Yun had similar backgrounds — both were sons of noble and meritorious families, though Zheng Xi’s parents were somewhat more illustrious, and Zheng Xi himself was somewhat more capable. For matters requiring a certain kind of social standing, sending Leng Yun was very appropriate, and he was glad to do such things.

Only then did Counselor Wang get an opportunity to press forward. Zheng Xi asked, “You came in such haste — do you have something to report?”

Counselor Wang held out a page of testimony with both hands, and delivered the speech he had been composing in his head on the way back: “This matter can be made large or small. I dared not conceal it, but I cannot make it public either — I respectfully ask for your instructions.”

Zheng Xi was not particularly worried about Gong Jie at this point; he was occupied with thoughts of the “Crown Princess.” The Yuan family was something Zheng Xi had not anticipated. The matter of Feng’s wife, by comparison, was not a large affair to him — though he sometimes referred to Chancellor Chen as his half-mentor and could not simply ignore it.

He asked, “Has this been mentioned to anyone?”

Counselor Wang put on a suffering expression: “I dared not.”

He then described his own handling and the encounter with Zhù Ying along the way.

Zheng Xi nodded. “He has indeed made progress.”

Counselor Wang let out a breath of relief, thinking: the pension is safe! He cautiously added a few more words: “Everyone who was around knew something of Feng’s wife returning to the capital and of the virtuous servant story — it’s been something people have sighed over, and it’s not exactly major news. The newer people at the Court of Judicial Review are largely unaware of the background; the worry is that young people might not grasp the gravity and let something slip. If we tell them to understand what’s at stake, we’ll need to mention Chancellor Chen — which is making it public again. How to handle this, I respectfully ask for your instructions.”

Zheng Xi listened patiently through all of it, then said, “A gentleman should not discuss matters of improper conduct.”

Counselor Wang gave a wry smile. “Minor officials and clerks, with nothing else to do and no money to spend on entertainment, amuse themselves by wagging their tongues.”

Zheng Xi said, “Is that so?”

Counselor Wang felt uneasy, unable to read what Zheng Xi meant; he was not allowed to leave, nor was there any indication of what would happen next. Zheng Xi pointed to a seat beside him. “Sit.” Then he had someone bring a book for Counselor Wang to read.

Counselor Wang found the book quite beyond his powers of concentration. After a long interval, Zheng Xi raised his head; Counselor Wang hastily put down the book. Following Zheng Xi’s gaze, he saw Zhù Ying walk in.

Zheng Xi asked, “How was it?”

Zhù Ying’s face was calm. “Mostly in order. Only Madam Guan — I did not dare question her on my own authority.”

Zheng Xi said to Counselor Wang, “Very well. Leave the testimony and go back. Say nothing of what follows — others will handle it.”

Counselor Wang let out a long breath, left the testimony, and thought to himself: I really am getting old. I must retire as soon as this case closes — I’ll write a memorial requesting it. He lingered no longer, made his excuses and hurried out, leaving Zheng Xi to ask Zhù Ying, “Is there anything else?”

Zhù Ying hesitated slightly and asked, “Could I borrow this case for my own use?”

Zheng Xi asked, “What for? Are you still nursing a grudge over how the Feng family treated your parents? You may hold that grudge, but using this matter is best avoided. The affair is neither particularly large nor particularly small — we’ll suppress it and quietly let the relevant parties know. If you stir it up, it becomes something larger.”

Zhù Ying was notably filial; Zheng Xi had a very vivid impression of her throwing herself heaven and earth to save her father in the witchcraft case. It was entirely natural that she might want to retaliate against her former mother-in-law figure.

Zhù Ying said, “It’s not for that. That lady — tch! If I wanted to deal with her, it wouldn’t be now. As you know, that household once exchanged a virtuous servant for Elder Sister. Elder Sister was brought back to the capital, but that poor substitute — what became of her? Elder Sister was deeply concerned about that person even during her time in the prefecture, yet for some reason she simply could not be traced. Elder Sister had no household authority — what could she do? Now I want to use this opportunity to quietly get this matter resolved. Without the treason case as a banner, the people below would be very unlikely to handle it seriously. I promise every official action and document will be without fault. Please grant me your blessing.”

As she spoke, she placed a sheaf of testimonies on Zheng Xi’s desk.

Zheng Xi leafed through them and said, “You always worry about too many people.”

Zhù Ying said, “So you’ll allow it?”

Zheng Xi said, “If your intention were impossible, I would not have put my seal on your foolish idea.”

Zhù Ying said cheerfully, “Thank you, sir — this matter is settled.”

Zheng Xi said, “Don’t celebrate yet; whether it actually comes to fruition depends on the person’s own fate. If something has happened to her, you needn’t reproach yourself unduly.”

Zhù Ying said in genuine surprise, “What should I reproach myself for? I didn’t harm her — I don’t even know her. If it works it works; if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. It’s not as if I owe her anything. I’ve done what I could — no regrets there. Do the things you do all come to fruition? Surely not. Surely not.”

Zheng Xi laughed and scolded, “No sense of pride!”

Zhù Ying said blithely, “Then I’ll remember that — whatever you set out to do, you make sure it succeeds. Heh heh!”

“Oh? Are you keeping score to laugh at me later?”

“That’s not necessarily so!”

Zheng Xi said, “Aren’t you going back to read your books?”

She slipped out. Zheng Xi called after her: “Come back! If Chen Meng asks you, what will you say?”

Zhù Ying turned. “Do you want him to know? Then I’ll tell him truthfully. I hadn’t intended to tell him.”

Zheng Xi said, “It won’t hurt if their own family knows. Go.”

Zhù Ying carried off the case files. She didn’t go to interrogate Madam Guan; Gong Jie was difficult to question, and Madam Guan was a terror to the Court of Judicial Review’s prison as well. In a county lockup, the cell head could do whatever he liked to female prisoners; the Court of Judicial Review at least maintained some face and generally did not subject convicted officials and their wives to humiliation.

But Madam Guan, owing to her background, was completely immune to the usual ways men humiliated women. Not only that, she turned it around and humiliated the officials and jailers instead.

Zhù Ying had no fear of that; but she still had to observe some rules in the Court of Judicial Review and maintain some dignity. She could hardly expect to bring out the full repertoire of spirit-medium street-scolding that was her ancestral inheritance and match this former entertainer in an exchange of abuse in the prison.

Besides, there was no need to interrogate her at all.

While Counselor Wang was with Zheng Xi, Zhù Ying had already made a full circuit of the Court of Judicial Review’s prison. Counselor Wang’s assistant in the interrogation was Evaluator Bao — Zhù Ying’s classmate, the same intake — and the two greeted each other.

Zhù Ying came straight to the point: “I ran into Old Wang; this matter could go large or small. I came to see whether there’s anything I can help with.”

Evaluator Bao said, “When Counselor Wang left in a hurry, he only ordered that no one was to leave and no one was to move. I’ve had the convicted official, the jailers, and everyone else stay put and not say a word. Elder Zhù, what’s actually happening? How did you come rushing over? Is this some major affair? That woman is certainly vicious enough in her heart. Imagine her thinking of that! But surely there’s no need for all this commotion? What’s come over Old Wang?”

Zhù Ying said, “I’m aware of certain things through some circumstance, and at the moment I don’t dare explain them to you fully, Elder Bao. The convicted official…”

She glanced down — the convicted official had already had a wooden ball stuffed in his mouth. Evaluator Bao said, “Counselor Wang’s order.”

Zhù Ying nodded, then turned to Evaluator Bao: “From this moment on, only watch and listen — say nothing, and keep this matter bottled up inside.”

She kicked the convicted official to the floor, then crouched before him in full street-thug fashion and said, “Tell me — sending someone to the inner palace, sentencing someone to become an official entertainer: was that within or outside the law?”

The convicted official’s tears fell.

Zhù Ying looked at this portly middle-aged minor official. Twenty years had passed, and this man had barely managed to brush the hem of fifth rank from below — his abilities were what they were. Zhù Ying shook her head. “Moreover, it’s not as if you illegally seized a freeborn woman; wherever she was sent, it was within the law. We can only say Madam Guan was cruel. As for you — you sold the same service once to Madam Guan and now again to us. Do you think I’ll be satisfied with that? If you want your sentence reduced, you need to confess something more. Come.”

She made a gesture, and had writing materials brought. “Write it out — everything you did, where the person was sent, who handled the transfer, who received her on the other end, how the order was issued, which year’s records.”

Only after forcing the official to write out all the details did she bring this documentation to Zheng Xi and obtain his authorization.

Then she drafted official correspondence in the name of the Court of Judicial Review’s investigation of the case. She then went to find Zheng Xi to sign and seal it, but found Zheng Xi had already left the Court. Counselor Wang and the Left Registrar both converged on her to ask, “How did it go?”

Zhù Ying glanced at the Left Registrar; the Left Registrar said, “Don’t try to hide it from me.”

Zhù Ying said, “I guessed Old Wang didn’t tell you. Here it is: what Old Wang encountered wasn’t a large matter in itself, but ‘suppressing a report’ would be more serious. It’s something unseemly — but thank heaven and earth, the centipede isn’t here today, otherwise we’d have him running around prying into everything.”

Counselor Wang was filled with anxiety: “I don’t know when Zheng Xi will be back.”

Zhù Ying said, “Soon, I imagine.”

Zheng Xi indeed handled his business quite quickly; he needed no intermediary and went directly to see the Emperor, his maternal uncle.

The Emperor saw him come in and asked, “Well? Any progress on the Yuan case?”

Zheng Xi said, “I’ve assigned it to Vice Chancellor Pei Qing — as you know, Pei Qing is a man of integrity.”

The Emperor was fuming over the Crown Prince’s marriage and said, “Then why have you come? The Gong Jie treason case isn’t closed yet — are you coming to me asking for sweets?”

Zheng Xi gave him a piece of paper. The Emperor read it and said irritably, “Women…”

Zheng Xi said, “Adding it to the treason case won’t add any charge to her. Making it public would be a loss of dignity.”

“Oh? Ah — Feng and Chen are related by marriage.”

“Brothers-in-law.”

The Emperor sighed. “A sordid affair! In those days I was misled by Gong Jie…”

Zheng Xi said, “When he was first appointed, he did produce real results; it was only later that he grew arrogant with imperial favor and lost all gentleman’s virtue. And Feng back then — ha! No treasonous intent, certainly, but not a particularly firm loyalty either. Besides, it was you who set things right. Why have you started blaming yourself? You’re not a beauty, Uncle — and even if you were, I wouldn’t flatter you…”

“Pah!” The Emperor cursed. “Get out!”

Zheng Xi began to leave; the Emperor said, “Come back.”

Zheng Xi stopped. The Emperor said, “Summon Chancellor Chen. You wait outside. When he comes out, explain yourself directly — this matter, if spoken of, would be unseemly. The two of you discuss it and settle it quickly. So many matters of state, and we’re still spinning around the petty schemes of women — how can that go on?”

“Yes, sir.”

Zheng Xi waited in the outer anteroom, and after some time saw Chancellor Chen enter. A brief while later he emerged, somewhat unsteady on his feet. Outside the hall, he wiped away traces of tears with his handkerchief, composed his expression into one of cold indifference, and walked briskly forward. Zheng Xi took a shortcut and contrived to meet him as if by chance.

Chancellor Chen nodded at him and said, “Seventh son, you have been considerate.”

“Teacher. Everyone involved has been told to seal their lips. The convicted official — I intend to have him exiled three thousand li.”

Chancellor Chen said coldly, “So he can spread it all the way there?”

Zheng Xi said, “I understand.”

Chancellor Chen let out a long breath. “This has been difficult for you. This treason case…”

“Would you like to take a look? I’ll withdraw the personnel; whatever you want to say, see, ask, or do, no one will know.”

Chancellor Chen hesitated, then said, “Very well.” He then asked Zheng Xi to wait a moment while he sent for his son Chen Meng. Chen Meng arrived in bewilderment; he could read nothing from either his father’s or Zheng Xi’s faces, and could only follow obediently along to the Court of Judicial Review.

The three arrived at the Court, causing the minor officials to watch from a respectful distance. The Left Registrar said to Zhù Ying, “So that’s it — on second thought, I’ll pretend I still don’t know. That one is quite a formidable figure herself.”

Zhù Ying said, “Let’s each attend to our own work. I still need to make sure Zheng Xi puts a seal on my document.”

The Left Registrar said, “Then go quickly!” Counselor Wang said, “Seeing them head into the prison — little Bao is still inside. I’d better go look in, or something might go wrong.”

Zhù Ying tucked her documents under her arm and went with Counselor Wang to the Court of Judicial Review’s prison. They arrived to find Zheng Xi seated in the main hall, drinking tea; Chancellor Chen was nowhere to be seen; Evaluator Bao and the others all stood waiting below. Zheng Xi asked, “What is it now?”

Zhù Ying said, “The document — it needs your signature.”

“Can’t wait even a moment!”

Zhù Ying said, “The sooner this is taken care of, the sooner my mind is at ease — and I still have my proper work to do.”

“What ‘proper work’ now?”

Zhù Ying said, “Accompanying my mother to burn incense.”

Zheng Xi opened the document and looked it over, then couldn’t stop himself from correcting two characters and circling two phrases. “These usages are wrong! Rewrite it!”

Zhù Ying had no choice but to write it out again. Only then did Zheng Xi sign it, and he crumpled the discarded draft, tearing it up. A jailer hastily gathered the scraps and threw them away. Counselor Wang also stood alongside Evaluator Bao; Zheng Xi looked at their bearing — half exasperated, half amused. “What kind of a state is this?”

Counselor Wang thought: That’s the Chancellor — and he manages the Ministry of Personnel as well…

Zhù Ying said, “The seal…”

“You have my signature — can’t the seal be applied afterward?”

“Previously it was always stamped on the spot…” Zhù Ying muttered as she collected the document. She exchanged a glance with Evaluator Bao; Evaluator Bao quietly pointed a finger toward the women’s wing. Zhù Ying thought: why go look at Madam Guan? Chancellor Chen is not a particularly sentimental man. For him, what did this matter amount to? The person would be found and brought back; there was even the uplifting story of a devoted servant who preserved herself through disfigurement and kept her chastity. There was no need to concern himself further with Madam Guan, and they hadn’t come in all this time to see Madam Guan. Could it really be just because of this one matter? That would be oddly petty.

But she restrained herself. These people’s messy affairs were none of her concern. She had borrowed the opportunity to find the person; Huajie’s guilt would be somewhat lightened, Old Nanny Wang truly had suffered and deserved some comfort, and the poor young girl even more deserved the chance to be free.

Zhù Ying tucked the document under her arm and slipped away.

She got the seal applied, then sent the documents out through the official courier system. Matters to be investigated in connection with a treason case were certain to receive prompt attention. She estimated — alive or dead — there would be a result within a month. Tch. The Feng family really was heartless. Two whole years had passed!

Thinking of the Feng family made her mood turn sour, and she began making errors on the abacus. Hu Lian couldn’t bear to watch. “If your mind isn’t calm, go face the wall!”

Zhù Ying sulked off to a corner and actually sat down to meditate facing the wall. Hu Lian shook his head with rueful amusement. “You young one — how are you getting more childish with time?”

Zhù Ying, with her back to him, said, “Every child in a new place is well-behaved for the first few days; after three days, they’re climbing onto the roof to pull off the tiles. The roof of the Court of Judicial Review hasn’t had any leaks — you all have to admit I’m a well-behaved and rule-abiding person.”

Hu Lian laughed so hard he couldn’t hold his brush, and flung it aside. “What a mischievous one!”

Zhù Ying still had her back to him, turning things over in her mind: I won’t tell Huajie yet — better not to raise her hopes prematurely. She’ll start worrying about Old Nanny Wang; I should go have a look at the woman when I have a chance, see if there’s anything that needs help, to prevent her from deciding to go look herself and blowing her cover.

She also thought about buying land — it was true that vast tracts of good farmland around the capital had been seized by powerful families, but scattered patches of thin land here and there were plentiful. There was no need to insist on twenty or thirty contiguous mu; buying two five- or ten-mu plots in separate locations would work just as well. Who said a fallback needed to be all in one place?

While she sat meditating, she also wondered: why hasn’t Zheng Xi come back yet?

Zheng Xi had now consumed two cups of tea in the Court of Judicial Review’s prison. The personnel waiting below were nearly dozing; Chancellor Chen and his son had still not emerged.

They had first gone to see the convicted official; voices were very low, and what was said was unknown. The convicted official ended up weeping pitifully.

Then they went to the women’s wing to see Madam Guan. Zheng Xi asked Chancellor Chen, “Would you like to see Gong Jie as well?”

Chancellor Chen looked at this “student” — not a formal teacher-disciple relationship; “student” was a generous term; Zheng Xi was the Junzhu’s son and had studied in the palace when Chancellor Chen was teaching there. That was the extent of the teacher-student bond. That Zheng Xi had not buried this matter but taken it to the Emperor was well within the bounds of propriety.

He said, “No need. I only want to see this woman and ask her a few things.”

Zheng Xi opened all doors for him, and Chancellor Chen went in with Chen Meng; Zheng Xi did not listen in and waited outside.

By now Chen Meng had finally pieced together why his father had summoned him. The moment he entered the women’s wing, his anger mounted steadily. When he saw Madam Guan — he didn’t recognize her, but she was the only person in this wing — wearing plain prison clothes yet remarkably neat, her hair arranged in a bun despite being in prison. His anger could no longer be contained. Before his father had exchanged even a pleasantry with Madam Guan, he said, “You are Gong Jie’s secondary consort?”

Chancellor Chen inwardly sighed; this son, he simply could not get past the matter from back then. He greeted Madam Guan, who said, “Chancellor Chen? And who is this?”

“My son.”

“The eldest? This excitable manner — doesn’t seem like he takes after you.”

Chen Meng’s head nearly smoldered: “What did you say?!”

Chancellor Chen cut him off and said slowly to Madam Guan, “Madam has lived in comfortable circumstances for over a decade. You should bring some dignity with you when you accompany Gong to the next world — you must not shame him. Seen from a courtesan’s establishment, he would have people mock that Gong managed his household poorly.”

Madam Guan’s face flushed deep red. Chen Meng took secret satisfaction in this and pressed the point: “You vicious woman — how dare you instigate a corrupt official to ruin a virtuous woman?” Madam Guan frowned. “What of it? A virtuous woman?” Chen Meng raged, “You ruined her and you’ve even forgotten her?”

Madam Guan said coldly, “Oh, her? I was born into an entertainment establishment — that wasn’t my choice. She was punished to become an official entertainer — that wasn’t her choice either. We’re even. I’ll just wait and see — what great distinction can any of them achieve after becoming entertainers?! Instigate? You people established the rule that women are to be punished as official entertainers — not me! When you climb on top of an entertainer, do you stop to think that this entertainer you’re using was once a virtuous woman? You dared make the rules; I dared use them! She, the Shen woman, was so devoted to proper conduct — wasn’t she?”

Chen Meng, furious beyond control: “You wretched woman! Your serpent’s heart! To think my maternal aunt, unlike such vile and base creatures as yourself, destroyed her own beauty and preserved her chastity and virtue!”

Madam Guan’s voice sharpened: “Destroyed her beauty and preserved her chastity?! Ha ha ha ha! You’re a man, aren’t you? Destroying your face is done and over, but ‘preserving chastity’ — you believe that? You men patronize women, wanting them beautiful, famous, accomplished! On the basis of ‘official consort’s household’ alone, no matter if she were a pig or a dog, there would be men patronizing her! I should know? You should be able to guess? You accuse me of not knowing?”

Chen Meng burst out: “There are plenty of compassionate gentlemen in the world! How can there be someone as despicable as you?!”

“Compassion?” Madam Guan laughed with cutting cruelty. “Your so-called compassion means letting her stay an entertainer and suffer men’s mistreatment, then giving her a few empty words of comfort when you’ve had your pleasure?! I would have believed you — this animal — if I hadn’t once met true compassion. Ha ha ha ha!”

Chen Meng raged: “You?! A traitor’s secondary consort and you still presume?!”

“I most certainly do!” Madam Guan said, one word at a time. “You say he kept me as a consort in place of a wife — my first-rank lady’s title was decreed by His Majesty with your father’s countersignature, and I held it for fifteen years! Chancellor Chen — every one of you agreed at the time. On that one charge alone, if he is guilty, you are all accomplices! Eldest Young Master Chen — when I was invested with first rank, your mother was first in line to toast me. Ha ha ha ha! Her younger sister was making her way as an entertainer a thousand li away, and she was toasting me! Isn’t that amusing? Beware of any kin who might be adrift somewhere — Eldest Young Master!”

Chen Meng was nearly beside himself. He had truly never encountered such a woman: “Wretched creature!”

Madam Guan said, “That’s right, I am from an entertainment establishment, I am a wretched creature. There are those in this world more wretched than entertainment girls — official entertainers. It is far harder for an official entertainer to be freed from the register than it was for me. I was freed easily; my husband cherished me, his wife showed tolerance, so I went legitimate and from then on was a proper person. Pity his wife passed away early — how our whole family grieved. Life had to go on. I had to hold everything together for my husband, for his late wife.

The first time I received guests, I was very frightened. There was one person — radiant as a phoenix — who said: vile as mud, impossible to shed squalid habits, unfit for polite company. Very good. She was high and noble — let her carry that face of hers into degraded registration, and show me her polite company then!

Chancellor Chen, a man who cherishes his little sister-in-law is not shameful. But a son who can’t control himself — it’s like something brought in through the back door. He and that aunt of his were cut from the same mold — both the kind of people who turn one’s stomach. That son is useless — better to make another. You’re not so very old yet; there are plenty willing to bear one for you…”

Chen Meng said, “I’ll kill you first!”

Chancellor Chen snapped, “Da Lang!” He looked at Madam Guan, then took his son and walked out.

Emerging from the women’s wing to the main hall, they saw Zheng Xi. Zheng Xi pretended not to notice Chen Meng’s seething state, clasped his hands, and saw Chancellor Chen off.

Father and son left the Court of Judicial Review’s prison. Chen Meng, seeing no one around, said in a low voice, “Father! That vicious woman, that vicious woman…”

“You’re no match for a vicious woman,” Chancellor Chen said slowly. “Your maternal aunt returned; her good reputation is restored; ordinary people don’t bring it up. Why did I need to come here?”

“Why?” Chen Meng, calmer now, repeated the question.

Chancellor Chen said, “For you.”

“For me? Father — if it was for our family’s honor and the honor of our relations, we should have said nothing, sealed it, and been done with it.”

Chancellor Chen looked at his son and said, “You needed to see something of the world. A prisoner like that is rarely encountered.”

“Do you think I don’t know what the Court of Judicial Review is? Zheng Xi is your student. He could have buried this easily in the past when Gong Jie was powerful; now, with you as the preeminent Chancellor, why did he need to take it to the Emperor at all?”

Chancellor Chen let out a soft laugh: “You still know that Gong Jie was ‘powerful’ — so you’d dare have your father imitate him?”

“Throughout history and to this day, every Chancellor who came to a good end knew how to write the two characters ‘restraint,'” Chancellor Chen said slowly.

“Father?”

“If he hadn’t accumulated that much power, he wouldn’t have invited the Emperor’s suspicion and the Eastern Palace’s enmity.”

“But…”

Chancellor Chen said, “When the Emperor removed the Gong faction, half the court was emptied out — do you imagine that was done to make room for your father? How could you dare think that?! What are you, to presume the Emperor acts for your benefit?”

Chen Meng was struck with sudden alarm.

Chancellor Chen said, “Was Gong’s wife an impression that will stay with you?”

“What wife?!” Chen Meng cursed under his breath with real feeling, then said honestly, “A woman as venomous as she was is indeed not often seen.”

Chancellor Chen said, “It seems she’s left a mark. In the future, when she comes to mind, remember what I’m saying — a Chancellor must not grow arrogant and overreaching! To be Chancellor, without resolution you cannot hold the position; without dignity, you cannot hold it. But grow too swollen with power, and the whole family dies together!”

“Yes!”

“No matter how lowly a person may be — whether you respect them or disdain them, whether you take them to heart or don’t — that’s up to you. When you have time to spare, go meditate; don’t go baiting and tormenting lowly people just to show off your might! Things you can’t stand — if you can stamp them out, do so without a word! That aunt of yours —” Chancellor Chen delivered a cold, merciless judgment: “degraded in a different way entirely.”

Chen Meng wanted to object, but looking at his father’s expression and recalling how the whole affair had come about, he had to admit that his aunt was rather like a scarecrow — from a distance she had the outline of a person; get close enough and you could dismantle her and she couldn’t fight back.

Chancellor Chen sighed again. “The official system twenty years ago is not the system today; it changes without anyone noticing. Take this Court of Judicial Review — the Court’s Vice Chancellor was seventh rank in the previous dynasty, but it’s sixth rank now.

What are rules? What is propriety? When a person only knows how to invoke rules, they have already become too useless to accomplish anything. When a household clings to dead rules, it means the household has run out of talent — nothing left to offer that intimidates others. A nation, likewise. A court, likewise.

And you? One ‘lowly creature’ after another on your lips, and you can’t even handle a single lowly creature! You only know chastity, virtue, the great moral principles! Stay away from people whose only skill is flattering you! You’re not especially sharp to begin with — the more they flatter you, the duller you become!”