Out through the Zhù family’s gate, Constable Wu felt a faint unease, and asked her husband: “Did I say too much?”

Little Tao nodded: “Yes! You absolutely should not have brought up your cousin.”

Constable Wu pinched him: “Now you’ve got opinions?”

“You asked me…”

Old Wu watched the couple and shook his head steadily: “Tomorrow, go back and behave the same as always, say nothing different.”

Constable Wu said: “All right.”

After a moment, she couldn’t help asking her father again: “So, Father — what do you think Young Official Zhù will do?”

Old Wu said: “How would I know that? If I knew, I would be Young Official Zhù myself. Stop trying to figure out things like this — you’ll never see to the bottom of it anyway!”

Constable Wu said: “But you’re always talking about what the higher-ups are up to when you’re home.”

Old Wu said: “Do you see me guessing correctly about the formidable ones? Even when I guess, I don’t treat it seriously. Formidable people — even when they’re up to something, they’ll never let you see the traces! Take that one year — that Chen fellow who was always making trouble and slacking off. Nothing seemed wrong on the surface, and then within two months, he’d been dismissed. All done quietly.”

Constable Wu said: “Well anyway, I’ve told Young Official Zhù the whole matter, so he can’t say I wasn’t good to him!” After a moment she thought again: “So this year at New Year…”

Old Wu said: “I see you’ve become bolder and bolder! At New Year, whatever the higher-ups hand out is their business — even if he asked your opinion, that doesn’t mean he’ll do exactly what you said. Even if this time it really does turn out to be those exact things, the moment you start thinking you can direct a superior, you’ll be speaking out of turn again the next time, and you won’t be far from earning a superior’s dislike!”

Old Wu felt a little worried. His daughter was clever enough, but she had been a woman of the inner household all her life and had seen too little of the world. Matching wits with the sharp figures of official circles, she was still considerably behind. He could only continue to instruct her: “Most dangerous of all is getting carried away! Don’t look down on either of those two supervisors of yours!”

However much of this Constable Wu actually took to heart, she at least nodded obediently in front of her father. She said: “Tomorrow I’ll just go in and do whatever I’ve been doing. The prisoners are coming, and we absolutely can’t let anything go wrong for Young Official Zhù. If it comes to it, I’ll just keep a closer eye on things. If anything comes up, I’ll tell Young Official Zhù right away.”

Old Wu said: “Now that’s right. Sticking together with your colleagues also depends on reading the situation! If a colleague isn’t reliable, or the immediate superior above you isn’t up to the task, you can’t hang yourself on that tree and nowhere else!”

“I wasn’t thinking of hanging myself on those two — I think Young Official Zhù is good.”

“Young Official Zhù will certainly be promoted away from here eventually, and don’t go out of your way to make enemies of your colleagues either — after Young Official Zhù leaves, you’ll still have to work alongside them.”

Constable Wu asked with worry: “Once Young Official Zhù is promoted away, who will take over? Will things still be as good as they are for us now?”

Old Wu said: “Hard to say — which is why I told you not to take care of the immediate and forget about what comes after! Leave two parts of everything you say unsaid.”

“Right~”

Meanwhile, Zhang Xiangu and the others walked away and came to ask her daughter: “What’s going on? Why did that young woman come here in tears?”

Zhù Ying said: “Nothing much.”

Zhang Xiangu set the late-night snack down on the table for her daughter, looking at her with suspicion. Zhù Ying said: “They think it’s a big matter. For me, there’s nothing much to it.”

“Still — you need to be careful! Don’t brush things off so easily, then have them spring a leak on you in the end.”

Zhù Ying smiled: “Such a small place — what could possibly go wrong? They’ve split into a few camps and are keeping a close eye on one another — they barely have time for anything else.”

“It’s never happened before that someone came to find you over things in the prison. Now look — first it was Lady Wu from the Wu family, now it’s young Constable Wu. Oh! And Hua Jie, the past few days, came back talking about Miss Fu’s situation.” Zhang Xiangu clapped her head in distress. Ten people altogether in the women’s ward, and their affairs were already too tangled for her to follow.

Zhù Ying said: “Better not to try and follow it. Things at home are the same as ever — eat when it’s time, sleep when it’s time, and any gifts people send, don’t accept them, and any requests people make, don’t agree to.”

“All we’re good for is this, aren’t we,” Zhang Xiangu said with feeling. “Can’t help you with anything else.”

“Why say things like that again?”

Zhang Xiangu was speaking from the heart. She had been thinking about Wu Xiang, and naturally about Wu Xiang’s mother, and what a truly “useful” official’s wife that woman was. Entirely different from the “official’s ladies” she had known before — that woman could actually navigate official matters with ease in a way she herself never could. People like them could do nothing but cook a flatbread and make a meal at home.

Zhang Xiangu felt deep distress in her heart. If Zhù Ying had a mother like that, would she not have a slightly easier time of things? At the very least, there’d be someone to run to superiors’ households to socialize, so that not everything had to be done personally.

She could not say this in front of her daughter, and quietly went to the east side room to ask Hua Jie: “Old Third’s affairs outside — I don’t understand any of them. And that Lady Wu said things I couldn’t follow either. You can read and write — please help me keep an eye on things.”

Hua Jie said: “Adoptive Mother, why bring this up now?”

Zhang Xiangu spoke her heart: she was taking up status her daughter had earned for her without being able to offer anything useful in return. “Now I know — cooking a meal for your child means nothing. What’s truly useful is connections like Lady Wu has.”

Hua Jie said: “Lady Wu? She’s the one who’s been cultivating a relationship with you — not the other way around.”

“But when she talks, I can’t keep up! And when I don’t respond well, it feels like something’s wrong somewhere.”

Hua Jie said: “Keeping this home steady for Xiao Zhù is stronger than anything!”

It took quite a bit of reassurance before Zhang Xiangu felt somewhat less anxious.

Hua Jie had no choice but to find Zhù Ying again and convey Zhang Xiangu’s worries in a roundabout way. Zhù Ying laughed: “Why is she saying this? Tell Mother tomorrow — Lady Wu certainly has a way of doing things, but her actual usefulness has limits.”

Hua Jie asked: “Did something happen in the women’s ward? Why are so many people these past few days — every single one of them — connected to the women’s ward?”

Zhù Ying said helplessly: “Nothing happened. It’s just a group of women who’ve never been outside the inner household before. Now they’ve been thrown into the world and their minds haven’t adjusted yet.”

Hua Jie said: “If a man had said that, I’d be angry with him. But since it’s you saying it — then yes, people who’ve spent their lives in the inner household really haven’t developed the full sharpness they’d need.”

Zhù Ying said: “It’s not a lack of sharpness. Their minds just haven’t made the full turn yet. Take Lady Wu — she thought of coming here and finding a way to speak with Mother, then with you. What she can do is exactly this.

The little matter in the women’s ward isn’t worth mentioning at all. It was just two people bickering — but look at what they’ve turned it into now. Women confined to the inner household — even a needle-eye affair is a big affair, because the only world they have is the size of a needle’s eye. Those who have seen the wider world don’t make a fuss over a needle’s eye, because they have the wider world to stand in. If people who already have the wider world still want to argue about needle eyes, then…

Let’s make a rule — let’s stop bringing up the women’s ward at every turn. It’s really not very interesting. If they truly manage to cause some real trouble one day, that would at least mean progress.”

Hua Jie said: “Very well. Tomorrow I’ll say the same to Adoptive Mother. None of this is a big deal — like when we were back home, you’d bow to the county magistrate at every encounter. Now, meeting a county magistrate means nothing. It’s not that the magistrate changed — it’s that we are different. It’s not that Lady Wu isn’t worth knowing, and it’s not that you’ve run into any difficulty — the situation hasn’t changed, but you have. So there’s no need to worry for you anymore.”

Zhù Ying said: “Exactly!”

The two of them exchanged a smile.

Hua Jie still said, with a trace of dissatisfaction: “Since the young women aren’t foolish — they were merely confined until they grew foolish — they shouldn’t have been confined. If you were the one handling the women’s ward matter, what would you have done?”

Zhù Ying said: “Anyone who disrupts the work must be penalized! No matter the reason. If there’s a genuine unavoidable circumstance, after the penalty is done, it can be acknowledged plainly and looked after. What kind of penalty was that? If your authority is insufficient, you still need to show a distinction. You can’t dock pay, can’t administer a beating, but penalizing her to clean every room — is that not possible?

With only eight people under your supervision and nothing else urgent, and you still haven’t sorted this out clearly?

I know what Lady Wu came for — nothing more than wanting me to look out for Wu Xiang. But Wu Xiang first needs to show she can manage things clearly before Lady Wu comes to ask me for more authority to dispense rewards and penalties.

If Wu Xiang handles everything cleanly, I see she’s clear and able, and naturally I’ll support her further and give her more power to reward and punish. But she herself is still muddled — how could I give the power of reward and punishment to a muddled person? It’s like a family: even the head of the family won’t hand over the purse to a spendthrift. You give it to whoever can manage the household. You don’t just hand it over to anyone from the start.

Keeping things from me isn’t necessarily right or wrong. If it was never a serious matter, she smoothed it over, and I don’t need to know — fine with me. But she couldn’t smooth it over, and she’s still trying to hide it from me. And look — hasn’t it ended up right in front of me anyway?

I’m not making an issue of it because I know they’re new to this. For a woman to have an official position at all isn’t easy, and women are prone to being overcautious and hesitating to act firmly. I’m giving them some time. But if they need me to teach them this kind of thing — then their natural abilities are going to be rather difficult to work with!”

Hua Jie said: “Women haven’t been officials before.” She wanted to say something in defense of these people, but looked at Zhù Ying and felt the defense was rather thin. It wasn’t as if Zhù Ying had grown up in some noble official household, was it?

Hua Jie finally said: “You are still the finest of all!”

In the course of one evening, Zhù Ying had dealt with old Constable Wu’s family, then had to reassure Zhang Xiangu and explain herself to Hua Jie, wasting half a perfectly good evening. She got very little reading done. Her private assessment of the women’s ward was naturally not high.

The next day she still did not go to the women’s ward, but left the women’s ward to peck at each other on their own.

Left Deputy Judicial Inspector had just returned from his assignment. He had been outside for a circuit and was a touch darker, but his spirit was considerably livelier. Everyone who saw him said: “Old Left, you’re in high spirits!”

The Deputy Inspector clasped his hands in return: “You flatter me, you flatter me!”

He was carrying a bundle, and after a round of greetings said: “A few local goods.”

When it was opened, there was a box of fresh ginseng — short little roots, none of them large. He said: “Fresh ginseng. Just right for winter — slice it thin and steep it in tea. Don’t look down on me for the small quantity and small size! It’s all I can manage!”

Everyone teased him: “This isn’t like the things you usually say!” Others said: “When we went out, you never made demands either — who here doesn’t know who we’re dealing with?”

Their official ranks were not especially high, and going out on assignment naturally had its benefits — how much one could gain depended on the individual. But none of them could afford to go too far, and a customary practice had formed: bring something back to share the joy with everyone at the Court of Judicial Review, and whatever else remained each person divided according to their own judgment. Usually it was something like this — the Deputy Inspector bringing things of reasonable quality to the Court for everyone to enjoy a little taste. Whatever was left over, he shared as he pleased.

Zhù Ying said: “Put it down, that’s my job — you go prepare to report back to the Directors. Come on, let’s go have tea!”

A crowd of them left in a commotion.

Zhù Ying had someone cut the ginseng into slices and distributed them by department and per person, and said finally: “The ward gets two shares too.” Simple enough to hand out.

Once the Deputy Inspector had made his report to Director Zheng, Zhù Ying didn’t assign him any tasks for the day, telling him: “Just look through the case files, get a sense of the recent cases, and have a picture in your mind.”

The Deputy Inspector agreed.

After work that day, Zhù Ying walked to the end of the alley and found that Lady Wu had been by again. Back at home, Zhang Xiangu still had an uncertain look on her face and said: “Lady Wu came again!”

Zhù Ying said: “Just treat her like a real niece who’s come to chat — go ahead and have a pleasant conversation with her about ordinary things.”

Zhang Xiangu said: “But the things she says, I can’t keep up with her!”

Zhù Ying said: “When she comes again, just tell her — her daughter is here as an official. Let her conduct herself by the rules for officials.”

Zhang Xiangu said: “Hua Jie said some things to her later and she seemed to take it in.”

Zhù Ying said: “If someone like this ever gets on your nerves, we simply won’t see her anymore. What’s the point of getting a post, if you’re not living peacefully at home because of it?”

Zhang Xiangu felt both pleased and a little apprehensive. After her feelings had turned a full circle, she finally said: “You child — you always know how to say something nice to coax me!” In the end, the pleased feeling won out, and she went cheerfully off to the kitchen to press flatbreads.

The flatbreads were not yet giving off their fragrant smell when Left Deputy Judicial Inspector arrived.

He brought a page boy with him, the page boy carrying a large bundle on his back. The Deputy Inspector dismounted before Zhù Ying’s gate and carried the bundle himself, while the page boy tied the horse to the stone post by the gate.

Du Dajie opened the door. The Deputy Inspector called from the entrance: “Xiao Zhù, I’m here!”

Zhang Xiangu poked her head out of the kitchen: “Oh! It’s Old Brother Left! Old Third — Old Brother Left is here!” Because of the Deputy Inspector’s age, he was in the same “big brother” category as Zhang Xiangu, and Zhù Ying addressed him separately as well.

Zhù Ying was already out: “Old Left! Come in!”

The Deputy Inspector was shown to the west side room, set down what he was carrying, and said: “Come look! The weather’s cold — just right for making two new fur-lined robes!”

“Did you come into a fortune?”

“Oh, nothing like that — wouldn’t want to bring trouble your way. Just the usual, the usual. Some things I bought for myself too — goods are worth more away from their origin. In the capital they’re expensive, but at the source, some things are worth only half, and some not even two or three out of ten. Take this ginseng — a fraction of the price there! And some other things fetch a hundredfold profit or more. Look at this ginseng — they said fresh is best! Once it’s been kept too long, even if it’s large, it’s hollow and spoiled.”

Zhù Ying looked at what he’d brought: two boxes, and a whole pile of furs. No wonder the page boy had carried it on his back. She said: “You ran yourself tired on this trip — did you leave any for yourself?”

The Deputy Inspector said: “Now you’re saying something false, aren’t you? Would I not keep something for myself?” He had brought back three cartloads of things — furs, medicinal herbs, and other local goods in abundance. He said: “There are also some coarser items — I’ll have them sent over tomorrow. What I have is no reason to refuse! Who are we to each other?”

Zhù Ying squinted at him: “Something’s off about you.”

“Yes, there is something.”

“You still playing games with me?”

The Deputy Inspector said: “When I was first made an evaluating official, I thought I’d just drift along at the Court of Judicial Review until my eyes closed and that would be that. Now that I’ve actually been promoted to Deputy Inspector, I’ve started to have a little ambition. Not much though.”

He held up his little finger.

Zhù Ying said: “You want to find a way to Director Zheng?”

“That’s it! The trouble is — he might not accept! Director Zheng is like you — for something under ten strings of cash, people say he accepts it with polite courtesy. For anything that exceeds ten strings of cash, he turns it away. Yet there are certain people whose gifts, however fine and costly, he accepts without blinking…”

Zhù Ying said: “I’ve never given him anything exceeding ten strings of cash.”

“You’re different! You — you as a person belong to him.” The Deputy Inspector spoke very bluntly with Zhù Ying. “Now, I — I’m an old dry log. Hard to even get me burning. He may not see any value in me. I don’t want to be like you. You’re young and able, and I said from the moment you arrived at the Court of Judicial Review that you’d have a future. I only want to find a comfortable place to rest. Whether it’s at the Court of Judicial Review or elsewhere, it would be enough if, once I’ve served him — and you — and the time comes when I’m in trouble, or as a small token of genuine loyalty, he’d be willing to help me not fall too badly. That’s all I want. Tell me — can something like this be arranged?”

Zhù Ying said: “Then you’ll want to think it through.”

The Deputy Inspector said: “I couldn’t have come to you without thinking it through!” He lowered his voice and said: “I know that what I have to show would hardly catch Director Zheng’s eye. But I happened to acquire a good ginseng root and a tiger skin…”

Zhù Ying said: “I’ll go and speak to Director Zheng for you.”

“Good friend!”

The Deputy Inspector, seeing Zhù Ying agree to his request, became even more solicitous about her affairs: “This household of yours… how is it you have only one female servant?”

Zhù Ying said: “Everyone says this. But look — what I lack isn’t a servant. It’s capable people. Finding someone has to mean finding someone who’s genuinely useful — better to leave it empty than to fill it carelessly.”

“Then you still need to be looking! Whether it’s someone from the same hometown, a younger relative of the same clan, or your own student — if none of those are options, even picking someone off the street and raising them from scratch would be a start. You need to get going on it.”

“Mm…”

“And the house — why are you fixated on this one place? Even somewhere further out, get yourself a bigger place — two courtyards. Move your parents there to live comfortably as the senior master and mistress, while you rent something here for yourself. Live here with that young lady of yours. You’d still have a west side room to yourself?”

The Deputy Inspector went on at some length before he left.

After he was gone, Zhù Ying looked over what he had brought. One box of ginseng, larger than what had been taken to the Court of Judicial Review. The other box was opened — and a sharp, powerful smell hit her. Tiger bones! Several pieces that she weighed in her hands — over ten catties in total. There were also several fur pieces, among them two pieces of sable fur of particularly fine quality, too fine for any ordinary tailor to work with properly.

Zhù Ying called out to Hua Jie: “Come and look.”

Hua Jie said: “My, my — all fine things!”

Zhù Ying said: “Use the tiger bones to soak wine for Father. As for the ginseng, we can use a little ourselves — Mother isn’t young anymore.”

Hua Jie said: “You don’t need to use it all at once — a little goes a long way. The furs don’t all need to be used right away either…”

The two discussed it for a good while, then Zhù Ying asked her parents’ opinion. Zhù Da said: “Steep some of that ginseng in wine too.” Zhang Xiangu started in on him, but Zhù Ying said: “That’s fine — when you’re free, invite Old Brother Jin over for a drink.” Zhang Xiangu changed her mind and added: “I won’t have the ginseng myself then.” Zhù Ying said: “Just steep some in tea — I think you might not like the taste anyway.”

Zhang Xiangu said: “He hasn’t been this generous in all these years — does he have something going on?”

Zhù Ying said: “Old Left? He’s barely been out, so how could he have been generous before? It takes two to make a generous gesture.” That brushed the matter aside.

The next day, Zhù Ying found a moment at the Court of Judicial Review when no one was about and raised the Deputy Inspector’s matter with Director Zheng.

Director Zheng seemed to have never had anyone come and ask a favor so plainly and directly. He asked her: “You walked straight in and just said it outright?”

Zhù Ying said: “He spoke directly with me, and I’m coming to see you — why would I need to maneuver around anything? It comes down to just this one matter. Whether you agree or not, that’s for you to weigh on your own — why should I need to play any games?”

Director Zheng said: “What is there for me to weigh? The whole Court of Judicial Review knows you’re on good terms with him.”

“Whether we’re on good terms or not is beside the point — what matters is whether you think he’s worth anything.”

Director Zheng said: “As it happens, I need medicine prepared at home.”

Zhù Ying said: “Understood!”

She turned right around and told the Deputy Inspector: “Go home and get your things ready. Tonight we go together.”

The Deputy Inspector was slightly nervous: “Is there anything else I should say?”

Zhù Ying said: “Be exactly as you are when you’re with me. That’ll do.”

After work was done, Zhù Ying made arrangements with the Deputy Inspector: he would go home and change clothes, they would meet at the entrance to the street where the Zheng Manor was located, and Zhù Ying would bring him inside to see Director Zheng.

The Deputy Inspector was clutching his bundle and growing more and more nervous. Zhù Ying said: “Lu Chao, help him hold his bundle — I’m afraid he’ll trip over it.” Lu Chao laughed: “Sanlang, always up to something.” He did take the bundle from the Deputy Inspector, and walked ahead to lead the way.

He didn’t bring the Deputy Inspector’s bundle into the study either. At the study doorway, he handed the bundle to a page boy. The page boy said: “Sanlang — you haven’t come in two days.” Zhù Ying said: “That doesn’t count. Starting from today, today counts as a visit.” The page boy clutched the bundle and walked away with a smile.

The Deputy Inspector’s eyes followed his bundle as it went. Zhù Ying elbowed him back to his senses, and he cleared his throat to cover it. Lu Chao went in and then came out again, saying: “Please come in.”

Zhù Ying said: “Come then.” She steered the Deputy Inspector inside, smiling: “If you have official business to report from your assignment, take your time. I won’t be eavesdropping.”

Having said that, she came back out and chatted leisurely with Lu Chao about the weather getting colder and such things. Lu Chao said: “It’ll snow soon.” Zhù Ying said: “You can tell?” Lu Chao said: “You’re not from the capital so you wouldn’t know — when the weather’s like this, snow is coming.” Zhù Ying thought about it and said: “I hope it holds off a little longer tomorrow.”

“How so?”

Zhù Ying said: “I haven’t gotten an oilcloth coat and umbrella ready yet.”

“You find out when you head out. You need one? I’ve got a spare — take mine first.”

Zhù Ying said: “All right.”

Before long, things inside had been discussed. The Deputy Inspector came out and said: “He’s asking for you.”

Zhù Ying walked in. Director Zheng pointed at her and said: “You do have a decent eye for people.”

Zhù Ying said: “We’ve been acquainted for several years. If I still couldn’t tell, I’d deserve to be wrong.”

Director Zheng said: “The prisoner for the Li Cang case should be arriving soon?”

“Yes. Tomorrow.”

“You people had better receive them properly. This case needs to be handled well. He had quite a few people he knew beyond just Chief Minister Chen — many eyes are watching.”

“Then I’ll just investigate the truth and hand it over to you. How much to disclose and how to make the judgment call I’ll leave entirely in your hands — that way we can all learn from watching you.”

“Go.”

“Yes.”

Zhù Ying left the study with the Deputy Inspector. She saw him pressing a red envelope into Lu Chao’s hands, and Lu Chao was demurring. Zhù Ying said: “He’s only this generous this once — if you don’t take it now, there won’t be another chance.” The Deputy Inspector said: “How could that be? There will be more, there will be more — always more to come.” Lu Chao laughed: “Then I’ll only accept this one time!” He really did take it, then sent the two of them to the door. He also pressed an umbrella into Zhù Ying’s hand: “Here — walking through the snow with this, what a refined sight. Any senior official who happens to see you like that might want to make you his son-in-law!”

The Deputy Inspector watched how naturally and easily Zhù Ying moved among the people of the Zheng Manor, and thought to himself: People really cannot be compared to other people.

Outside the Zheng Manor, he said: “Sanlang, thank you!”

“If you really want to thank me, come with me tomorrow to receive the prisoner.”

“Why would you need to go in person for that?”

Zhù Ying said: “The Li Cang case.”

“Ah!”

Zhù Ying carried the umbrella home. Zhang Xiangu saw it and asked: “Why did you bring an umbrella home?”

Zhù Ying said: “Ah — it was handy. In a moment, I need to go and pick up a few more supplies anyway. It’s going to snow — I should get some oilcloth and oil coats. We ought to have some at home as well.”

When it came to household matters, Zhang Xiangu perked up at once: “Then we need to stock up on more food too! Hua Jie, Du Dajie — tomorrow let’s go buy vegetables! And get some more grain and charcoal!”

Zhù Ying said: “Tomorrow morning, Hua Jie and I both have something to do.”

“You’re not reporting for duty?”

“I am — it’s for the duty that we’re going. It’s all right about the shopping — I spoke with Lu Chao, he’ll arrange for someone to come over and help us. Oh, and tomorrow, send one of those sable fur pieces over to Old Sister Jin.”

“All right!”

Hua Jie thought it strange. She said nothing at the time, but found a quiet moment to ask Zhù Ying: “What will you need me for tomorrow?”

Zhù Ying said: “Help me with something — there’s a female prisoner arriving tomorrow. Come and take a pulse reading for them.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.” Zhù Ying offered no further explanation, though in her heart she was thinking: Since Hua Jie is unwilling to sit the examination for female court clerk, I should at least work toward getting the Court of Judicial Review a female physician’s position. She can decline, but when she’s ready, there will always be a seat waiting for her. Every examination of female prisoners may at some point involve something significant. When that day comes, it will come naturally. Serving as an official is more secure than practicing medicine.

The next day, Zhù Ying reported for duty first, then set off with the Deputy Inspector for the prison. She temporarily handed some of the miscellaneous duties over to Hu Lian. Hu Lian said: “Perfect — I’d rather not move, just sit here drinking ginseng tea by the fire.”

Zhù Ying and the Deputy Inspector went to the women’s ward first. The Deputy Inspector said: “Women — can they really keep a tight watch?”

Zhù Ying said: “We’ll know in a moment.”

Walking behind them were several Court of Judicial Review clerks, one of whom was Little Tao, who said with a smile: “Other people I can’t speak for, but as for my own wife at home — she watches over me quite amply.”

This drew a round of laughter from the group.

Arriving at the Court of Judicial Review prison, both the men’s and women’s sides were lined up very nervously. Zhù Ying and the Deputy Inspector, however, quite naturally cast an extra glance at the women’s ward. The Deputy Inspector was disappointed that the female wardens and constables were not especially attractive. Zhù Ying took note of Zhou Wan — the girl had clearly not had a good few days, and was still carrying herself with a slight awkwardness. Her position in the lineup made clear she had no real friends there.

Zhù Ying said: “Get ready — the guests are coming. Old Left, shall we look?”

“Let’s go.” The Deputy Inspector turned business-like.

The two first walked through the men’s side — a quick pass, nothing had changed. Then they looked over the women’s ward. The Deputy Inspector said right away: “My, it’s cleaner than the other side — having women does make a difference.” Zhù Ying gave a serious inspection of the doors, windows, and locks, then said to Wu Xiang and Cui Jiacheng: “You two — bring people and come with me.”

Wu Xiang, recalling the snippet of information her mother had gathered from Zhù Ying’s household, straightened up and stepped forward, ordering Miss Fu and Constable Zhao Wuniang to stay behind while she and Cui Jiacheng took the other six with them to follow Zhù Ying. She watched Zhù Ying from the corner of her eye and, seeing a small nod, gathered her courage once more: “Move out!”

The male ward’s Senior Warden also brought several men — the case had male prisoners as well as the female ones.

Zhù Ying led the whole group around and did not go out through the main south gate of the palace city, since the Court of Judicial Review’s prison was closer to the west — so they went out the west gate. There, the escort guards who had brought the prisoners were already waiting with the prisoners in tow. By the gate, a table had been set up. An imperial guard official greeted Zhù Ying: “Sanlang — all prepared and in order. The young lady has been well looked after. Come do the handover here.”

Hua Jie was sitting in a chair at the side of the table, with Du Dajie beside her. The guards had been overly attentive, fussing constantly — someone kept adding charcoal to her hand warmer, another kept making sure she had hot tea. Hearing herself mentioned, she hastened to say: “These officers have been most considerate.”

An imperial guard laughed: “Officers? You flatter us!”

Both the Deputy Inspector and the women’s ward staff recognized Hua Jie. The Deputy Inspector asked: “Why have you brought the great lady here?”

Zhù Ying said: “Receiving female prisoners — best to be thorough. Big Sister, come with me.”

Both sides met and identified themselves. Zhù Ying and the Deputy Inspector showed their official seals, and the other side handed over a document: “By order, escorting four male prisoners and five female prisoners — the documents are here, please.”

Zhù Ying took the documents, and the Deputy Inspector said: “You handle it, you handle it.”

The escorting party introduced the prisoners to them. The primary female prisoner was named Bi Shi, twenty-two years of age. Her three ladies-in-waiting were nineteen, seventeen, and fifteen respectively. An older serving woman was fifty years old. The male prisoners: one elderly man of sixty-three, two middle-aged men both in their forties, and one young page boy of twenty.

The verification was completed. Zhù Ying said: “I appreciate the hard journey. But I cannot yet sign for the prisoners.”

“Why is that?”

Zhù Ying said to Hua Jie: “Please begin.”

The Deputy Inspector laughed: “What is this? Any time you deal with a woman, you have to take her pulse first? Great Lady, you can’t be used like this.”

Zhù Ying said: “Better safe than sorry.”

“Safe from what?”

From the other side came a startled cry from Hua Jie — Zhù Ying looked over and saw Du Dajie rushing to support her. One of the imperial guards shouted: “That prisoner — how dare you cause trouble here!” Bi Shi had shoved Hua Jie away.

Zhù Ying said: “Hold her down! Big Sister — take her pulse!”

The Deputy Inspector turned serious as well, and said quietly to Zhù Ying: “What is this? Is she carrying some kind of fatal illness? That doesn’t make sense either…”

Hua Jie looked at Bi Shi in complete astonishment.

Bi Shi had now regained her composure and was no longer struggling. She pulled her hand back, and said: “Tell me then.”

Hua Jie, uncertain, had her take the other hand — then took small steps over to Zhù Ying’s side and said quietly: “She is pregnant. Did you have a suspicion of something?”

Zhù Ying let out a long breath and said: “You may speak aloud.”

Hua Jie had no choice but to raise her voice slightly and make the announcement to everyone: “She is pregnant. Three months along.”

A wave of murmured discussion swept through those assembled. Zhù Ying said to the escorting constable: “I need to write a counter-endorsement, and you’ll need to sign as well. Her husband has been dead for nearly a year — where did a three-month pregnancy come from?”

The Deputy Inspector’s eyes widened: “Sanlang!”

“Mm?”

“This…”

“My guess.”

The Deputy Inspector narrowed his eyes and looked at Bi Shi. Hua Jie was frightened and asked: “What… what is happening?” She was deeply worried that her reading of the pulse had caused some kind of trouble to come out of this.

The Deputy Inspector softened his expression toward her and said: “The Court of Judicial Review — does not execute pregnant women.”

Zhù Ying said: “More precisely — for any pregnant or newly delivered woman, there is no execution. Even if she committed the murder, she has at least eight more months of her life. The family will not let matters rest quietly.”

While the rule was written down in black and white, many people treated it as waste paper in practice. But if someone insisted on this provision, then even if Bi Shi were the murderer, she would at least have to wait until after she had given birth before anything further could be done to her. Li Cang’s eldest son from his first wife was insisting she was innocent, and was very likely to cause trouble over this.

The women encountering their first case had expected only to receive a prisoner. Now this turn of events had left all of them stunned. The imperial guards were exchanging murmurs among themselves.

The escorting party also refused to sign off, and Zhù Ying said: “If you don’t trust our finding, we’ll have to request another physician to come.”

An eager imperial guard jumped up and said: “I know of one… wait a moment! Isn’t that Imperial Physician Huang? He’ll do!”

And so Imperial Physician Huang was unlucky that day. His superior had just been dressing down some people, and he had seized the opportunity to slip out for some air. Unfortunately, he was spotted by an imperial guard, who grabbed hold of him.

Caught, he had no choice but to take a pulse. He had no connection to any of the parties involved, so he stated the result as he found it: “This is the pulse of a woman with child.”

The escorting constable flatly refused to accept this. Three months — right at the time they were in custody! How had this happened?

Zhù Ying said: “Little Tao, go and report to Director Zheng. Have Old Hu send official correspondence requesting the Imperial Medical Office’s assistance.”

The Imperial Medical Office’s duties were officially to attend to the imperial family and to treat officials whom the Emperor directed them to see. The Court of Judicial Review had no authority over them, unless the Court was investigating them. But Director Zheng would certainly find a way.

Once a formal official document was issued, the Imperial Medical Office would be accountable for the result. And with the imperial guards on hand to prevent the escorting party from leaving, before long Deputy Director Pei personally came with an imperial physician to the west gate, and immediately demanded: “What has happened?”

Zhù Ying said: “The female prisoner is pregnant.”

Pei Qing said: “This is going to cause trouble…”

The imperial physician took the pulse confidently and wrote up the diagnosis result without hesitation. Pei Qing clasped his hands toward the physician: “Many thanks.” Then to Zhù Ying: “Bring the prisoner back inside — investigate this matter first!”

Zhù Ying said: “Yes.”

Pei Qing looked at Bi Shi and frowned faintly. He could not say for certain in that moment whether Bi Shi had been violated, or whether this woman had arranged it deliberately in order to preserve her life. Either way, it was a scandal — and fortunately the Court of Judicial Review had discovered it early.

Zhù Ying said to Wu Xiang and Cui Jiacheng: “Bring the prisoners in.”

Pei Qing further ordered that even the escorting constables be held — and sent official correspondence to the local jurisdiction demanding an investigation be opened there as well.

The constables who had simply been escorting prisoners now found themselves being “invited” to stay, which they were far from pleased about. There was cursing, and there was begging — all of them despondent. Pei Qing paid them no mind, simply telling Little Tao and the others: “Escort them in as well.”

Then he personally followed along to the Court of Judicial Review prison, watched both sides secure their respective prisoners properly, and then said to Zhù Ying and the Deputy Inspector: “Come with me.”

The Deputy Inspector had originally tagged along behind Zhù Ying simply to observe a case, never expecting to encounter anything like this. He was momentarily at a loss for words, and uttered something that sounded very much like one of Hu Lian’s habitual phrases: “Your fortune is always good — good things happen when you’re around…”