“Your superior is no longer looking after you” — this, in the vast majority of circumstances, is not a good thing. “No longer looking after you” does not simply mean “no longer making trouble for you.” More broadly, it means “you’ve been cut out of the circle.” Everyone else has what you don’t; everyone else knows what you don’t; everyone else is warm and merry together while you stand alone in the cold wind and rain. Everyone else gets their moment in the spotlight while you are rendered invisible.

Even if everyone still talks to you privately, it’s all a show for the superior’s benefit anyway — you simply won’t get a share of the good things that come down from the prefecture. If the prefecture needs to distribute disaster relief, your portion will be cut or eliminated entirely. When the Governor assembles a delegation or puts together a group to go to the capital together, Fulu County won’t be able to hitch a ride on that cart.

Just as Zhù Ying had said to Fulu County’s “elders” — a fish and a bear’s paw cannot be had at the same time. You have no eye for your superior, and your superior will have no eye for you. In the day-to-day details of administration, there are eight hundred ways to stifle you.

Governor Lu’s declaration that “Fulu County is no longer our concern” meant he truly, completely, ceased to concern himself with it. By this point in the calendar, it was already the seventh month, the southern climate hot and sultry, with the autumn harvest soon to begin. It was now clear that Zhù Ying had not actually done anything as recklessly greenhorn as submitting a memorial to demote Fulu County to a lower tier — which meant Zhù Ying would still have to cover this year’s tax and grain quota, while simultaneously shouldering the accumulated overdue rent from all the preceding years.

This matter was something Governor Lu had no intention of helping Zhù Ying resolve. He was waiting to watch her make a spectacle of herself. This wasn’t a street brawl where the outcome had to be decided on the spot. Everyone had all the time in the world — days, months, years, even decades. These officials spent their entire lives doing precisely this.

Governor Lu was very curious to see how Zhù Ying would paper over this problem, and he was also waiting to see her make a fool of herself.

Unfortunately for him, he was dealing with Zhù Ying.

——

After the “evening banquet,” Fulu County’s various “elders” did not immediately depart. They all took up lodgings in the county seat — some of them already owned houses in this modest town, some stayed with relatives or friends by marriage or by clan, and others put up at inns and guesthouses.

After emerging from the yamen, many of them exchanged meaningful glances with each other and didn’t return to their lodgings straight away, gathering instead at the County Deputy’s home. In Zhù Ying’s presence they had submitted for the moment, but once they were out the door they felt they had been made to swallow a loss, and wanted to struggle against it a little more.

Fulu County had gone without a County Magistrate for several years, during which the “elders” had enjoyed unfettered freedom and considerable swagger, each developing their own sphere of influence. Yet none of this could easily bypass the County Deputy, County Secretary, and other officials. The County Deputy and County Secretary had always been tactful in return — they accepted a certain amount of bribery from the “elders” and a certain amount of their high-handedness, and on the whole both sides had managed to get along tolerably well.

They gathered at the County Deputy’s house. Two men were supporting Lei Bao and his son Lei Guang by the arms, eyes glistening with tears, as they asked the County Deputy: “Your Honor, what are we to do?”

The County Deputy said: “What is there to do? Did you not just listen to what the County Magistrate said at the yamen?”

“But this…”

The County Deputy thought to himself: And now you think of me? I didn’t see you treating me with this much respect before!

The County Secretary said: “The beating was rather severe, I must say.”

The “elders” let out a chorus of weeping — a group of men with tears and snot running down their faces. The County Deputy said: “You people went too far yourselves in the past.”

The County Deputy had already thought it through: having the County Magistrate willing to assert her authority was entirely good for him! The County Magistrate’s authority was official authority, and he as County Deputy was an official too! He shot the County Secretary a fierce glare, itching to give him a piece of his mind.

The “elders” could hear that the tone of his words was slightly off, and they all begged the County Deputy: “Please, point us toward a way forward.”

“A way forward? Have you still not given up?!” The County Deputy said sternly. “Still thinking of manipulating your superiors?!”

“We would not dare, we would not dare!”

The County Deputy had not felt this gratified in all these years. His mood improved, yet he had no wish to truly come to blows with the “elders.”

He softened his tone and said quietly: “Lei Bao, you have no grounds for grievance. How could you not read the situation? The County Magistrate had already posted an announcement. You still went and started a private brawl — you didn’t take her seriously at all! How could she let you off easily?”

Among the “elders,” some spoke up for Lei Bao and his son, saying of him: “It must have been a momentary lapse — he would never dare again. But now the matter of the school and the positions in the yamen…”

The County Deputy was amused: “She gave you the right to choose for yourselves — isn’t that generous enough? From the moment the Magistrate arrived in Fulu County, leaving aside that very first day when you met to pay respects, have you elders shown any regard for the County Magistrate at all? Or for the court? You were tremendously impressive!”

The “elders” dropped to their knees to beg forgiveness.

The County Deputy said: “If anything, the beating was too light! How is it that what the County Magistrate said just now went in one ear and out the other? She already said ‘past offenses shall not be pursued’ — that’s no small concession! And you? Still insisting on raking up the past? Are you waiting for her to settle old scores with you? Can you withstand a proper reckoning?!”

Never mind those who were not entirely above reproach — even those who were perfectly clean could be crushed by the methods of a local official if he chose to apply them.

The County Deputy was genuinely furious! These scoundrels — obsequious and compliant at the banquet, then running to his house the moment it was over! Were they trying to stir him into opposing the County Magistrate? Even the Governor couldn’t handle her, and now they wanted him to lead the charge — and if the County Magistrate found out they’d come to his house…

The County Deputy slammed his hand down hard on the table: “Don’t you get any crooked ideas!”

The “elders” all said: “We would not dare.”

The County Deputy laughed coldly: “Do I not know the lot of you? Heads full of scheming! I’m telling you plainly — don’t go looking for trouble. Be off with you.”

The “elders” had no one to give them backbone, and could only slink away in embarrassment. The County Secretary, however, remained behind. He sat across from the County Deputy and asked: “Old friend, have you made up your mind?”

The County Deputy said: “What do you mean, made up my mind? Haven’t we always upheld the law of the court? The County Magistrate hasn’t broken the law.”

The County Secretary said with a laugh: “True enough. Still — this young person really does tend to stir things up.”

The County Deputy let out a sigh: “Personally, I would rather have Magistrate Zhù set the county to rights. Without a County Magistrate to take the lead, our own authority over this county lacks legitimacy. Think about it — these gentry and wealthy families over the past few years have shown very little respect to this county’s officials. They’ve practically been treating us as equals. And why couldn’t we do anything about it? Precisely because we lacked someone with that formal title. The person occupying that title wouldn’t move.”

The County Secretary said: “You’re right, you’re right — it has been rather stifling. These tactless creatures, actually thinking they could climb up over our heads.”

The County Deputy laughed: “So now they’ll have plenty to cry about.”

On this side, the County Deputy and the County Secretary decided they were done bailing out the “elders” — it simply wasn’t worth it. These gentry were not their fathers; why should they pit themselves against the County Magistrate on their behalf?

The County Secretary said quietly: “What if they report us to Magistrate Zhù for taking bribes?”

“Falsely accusing a court official carries a heavier sentence,” the County Deputy said quietly. “And we’re not blocking the Magistrate’s plans in any way.”

“Now we just have to watch these people try to arm-wrestle with Magistrate Zhù!”

……

The County Deputy had misjudged them, too. Once these “elders” saw that he had washed his hands of the matter, they abandoned any notion of arm-wrestling with the new County Magistrate.

The County Magistrate was too fierce. She didn’t play by the refined rules.

Break a man’s household, a County Magistrate can; wipe out a family, a Governor can. Common people have never fought officials and won. A spineless official — they could still try their luck. But one who pushed them too hard and left them with no choice but to resist — and this new County Magistrate was neither spineless nor currently trying to push them to their deaths. They had no way to nerve themselves into collective resistance.

One of the “elders,” a man named Zhang, said: “This young County Magistrate is deep in her calculations! Lei Bao — you brought this on yourself by failing to observe the rules.”

Another elder, a man named Zhao, said: “From what I can see, this County Magistrate is not an unreasonable person. ‘Past offenses shall not be pursued’ — now there’s a clever principle!”

Lei Guang, young and fresh from his beating, saw these elders refusing to take his family’s side, and couldn’t restrain himself: “You’re all just going to meekly accept being pushed around like this?! This is like having someone relieve themselves on all our heads!”

Old Zhang said with displeasure: “Such coarseness! No wonder Magistrate Zhù stripped you of your standing!”

Old Zhang’s relative by marriage, a man named Gu who lived in the county seat, said: “Young man of the Lei family — have you not read history? Do you not know that when Wang Dao crossed south of the Yangtze River in the Jin dynasty, he learned to speak the Wu dialect after arriving in Jianye? That was the conduct of a great statesman! No wonder your standing was stripped — it was well deserved. Gentlemen, the first thing the County Magistrate did upon arriving among us was not any inspection tour or adjudication on behalf of the people — it was learning to speak. Did you hear her speak today? Not Mandarin — perfectly clear, plainly spoken Fulu dialect!”

Others had noticed this already; once Old Gu put it into words, everyone nodded in agreement. They each said that although the County Magistrate had been severe in her beatings today, she didn’t seem to have come to deal harshly with everyone — she still wanted to coexist peaceably with them.

Old Gu extended one finger: “First: she is an extremely intelligent person, who learns on the spot. How many officials have come through this place before? How many of them could learn so quickly and so well?”

He extended another finger: “Second: she has intention — she was willing to learn. She came half a month ago, and has been holding herself back, biding her time. I leave you to weigh that for yourselves.”

He extended one final finger: “Third: from what I have observed, she has not been harsh in her conduct since arriving in the county seat. Her family members are also amiable and cause no trouble. Human nature cannot be suppressed forever. Look at her household servants — they have the manner of people who receive daily beatings and scolding. Since the County Magistrate took up her post, we have in truth never paid a formal call on her. That was a failing on our part.”

Old Zhao said: “If that is so, perhaps we had better wait and see how she chooses to handle things?”

They all thought it over. That dog of a County Deputy — after accepting so many of their favors — now refused to stand up for them. With no better option available, they had better wait first and see what the County Magistrate intended to do. Perhaps it would not be so terrible after all?

They agreed: tomorrow they would go together to the yamen and formally pay their respects to the new County Magistrate.

Old Zhao asked Lei Bao: “And you?”

Lei Bao said: “Do I dare leave?” He shot a fierce glare at Widow Chang. While the “elders” had been speaking, Widow Chang had not interjected a single word. Now she paid no attention to Lei Bao’s glare and made a bow to the assembled men: “I shall follow in whatever direction the elders lead.”

“Good!”

The following day, a group of “elders” arrived at the yamen to pay their respects — first to seek forgiveness for their previous neglect of the County Magistrate, and second to inquire about how she intended to proceed with the matters she had raised: the registration of concealed households, and the matter of the various family members who held yamen positions.

……

After arriving in Fulu County, Zhù Ying had kept the same daily routine she had maintained in the capital. Though she was now free to decide for herself, she did not sleep later — but she did not get up particularly early either. As people grew older, they tended to need less sleep, and so Zhù Da and Zhang Xiangu were also both up at a reasonable hour.

When the “elders” came to request an audience, Zhù Ying had already finished breakfast and was reading the official gazette.

Fulu County was so far from the capital that the official gazette always carried news that was days old. In this issue, Zheng Xi’s presence was rather minimal, while figures like Pei Qing of the Court of Judicial Review appeared from time to time. Zhù Ying was scanning carefully when her eye caught a very brief item: a commendation for Duan Ying.

Zhù Ying had come south two thousand seven hundred li; Duan Ying had gone northwest two thousand three hundred li to eat sand. Duan Ying was a capable man and a brilliant literary talent, and his talent had won over the chieftains of more than a few tribes. His dealings with them had gone most agreeably, and they had sent envoys to the court requesting classical texts.

Zhù Ying thought: This is bad — someone is going to write and urge me to do the same.

At that moment, the “elders” all appeared together.

Zhù Ying set down the official gazette, straightened her attire, and had the group ushered to the flower hall of the front courtyard.

Today, the “elders” carried themselves with proper deference. Zhù Ying glanced at the County Deputy. He was afraid she would find out that the “elders” had gone to his house — but in fact Zhù Ying had sent no one to surveil him. Fulu County seat was tiny, and the County Deputy lived not far away. If Zhù Ying had simply propped a ladder against the roof and climbed up, she could have looked straight into the County Deputy’s home and seen a house full of visitors.

The “elders” completed their courtesies, and Zhù Ying asked them to sit. They thanked her for the seat before carefully perching on the edges of the chairs.

Zhù Ying suddenly asked one of them: “I didn’t see you yesterday. Did you only arrive today?”

The man hastily rose to his feet: “Yes. My elderly mother suffered a relapse of an old ailment, so I was unable to come pay my respects yesterday. I beg Your Honor’s forgiveness.”

Zhù Ying asked: “What ailment?”

“A long-standing condition, it — it will pass soon. Every year when the weather turns hot she comes down with a rash.”

Zhù Ying said: “She must be carefully looked after. The countryside is damp, and your home is beside the lake — if convenient, why not invite the honored lady to come rest in the county seat?”

The words were said very lightly, yet they struck the listener’s heart like a drumbeat.

Zhù Ying then asked: “Old Zhang, where is the young man who was beside you yesterday? The one you called Eleventh Lad.”

Old Zhang promptly rose and clasped his hands: “He spotted something fine for sale in town and I sent him home to fetch money to buy it.”

Zhù Ying said: “Does he have company on the road?”

“Yes, yes, quite so.”

Zhù Ying exchanged a few words with them, and then Old Gu rose to his feet, clasped his hands and said: “Your Honor, we have come today with a matter to request your guidance on.”

“Old Gu speaks too formally — please sit and take your time.”

What Old Gu wished to inquire about were the several matters Zhù Ying had raised the evening before. Most of those present were the heads of their households. They all understood that words alone meant nothing — what showed that a person was doing real work was specific, concrete arrangements. Old Gu chose his words carefully and said: “We are afraid of misunderstanding your meaning in some things.”

This happened to be precisely Zhù Ying’s strength. She said: “Well — even if you hadn’t come to find me, I would have needed to explain this clearly to you.”

The matter of the yamen staff and the gentry clan families was absolutely a case of “cannot be had at the same time” — there was no negotiating on that point.

As for the upcoming recruitment of new yamen staff, she would absolutely not allow these families to have any hand in it. She went on, however, to add: “You should also consider — once a family member has taken a yamen position, that closes the door to legitimate official careers for other family members. For this reason, you may submit the names of relatives within five degrees of kinship to me, and I will not select any of them, so as to avoid causing trouble for you.”

Old Gu laughed ruefully: “Your Honor need not tease us — as Your Honor saw yesterday, Fulu County has not produced a legitimate official in decades.”

Zhù Ying said: “That was before.”

Old Gu was slightly moved, but still harbored doubts. If it were Duan Ying standing here making promises about education and official careers, he would believe it without question. If it were Liu Songnian or Wang Yunhe speaking, he would drop to his knees and beg to be taken as a disciple without a second word.

He carefully asked: “Then the selection for county school students…”

Zhù Ying said: “Fulu County is remote and isolated, and the standard of learning has not been high; nor have the students had much exposure to correct pronunciation and refined instruction. This is not the fault of Fulu County’s elders. Therefore, for this selection, I will not first examine correct Mandarin pronunciation — there will be time to correct speech after enrollment. Any county resident who meets the court’s requirements may register for the selection. Of course, sons and nephews from your households are also eligible. Study diligently, and after the winter solstice I will personally conduct the examination.

To be frank from the outset: once enrolled in the county school, the rules must be observed! Any further instances of late arrival, early departure, truancy, or unlawful conduct — or any failure to make academic progress — and they will be expelled without exception.

Those who do make genuine academic progress will not be left to languish in obscurity. I will see to that.”

Old Gu found these terms acceptable. He bowed deeply and then added: “Your Honor, please forgive this commoner. Our household has accumulated some servants over the years whose numbers have grown, and we have cleared a little wasteland — all without filing proper reports with the county yamen. In this matter…”

Zhù Ying said: “Past instances of deviation from the law — not pursued. You are all people of standing, and I am willing to preserve that standing for all of you. Let the Mid-Yuan Festival serve as the deadline: before the Mid-Yuan Festival, everything is reported honestly, and we turn the page. After the Mid-Yuan Festival, if I discover anyone who has been playing tricks, I will trace back every unlawful act committed by that entire clan across the past twenty years and nine degrees of kinship!”

The assembled “elders” felt a chill run through them.

Zhù Ying said: “Naturally, thick ice does not form in a single day’s cold, and a horse running at full gallop cannot be pulled to a dead stop without throwing its rider. Some households have been employing certain farm workers — or perhaps digging a pond, or building a house — and these projects are already underway, so they need not be demolished. The people involved still need to be properly registered and entered into the household census as civilians. You may continue to employ them until the work is complete. Past offenses not pursued — but from this moment forward, wages must be paid. The farming seasons must not be disrupted. Other similar matters will be handled by the same principle. How does that sound?”

She spoke with great consideration for appearances. Her reference to “farm workers” was the generous way of putting what were actually the large clans’ concealed households. She made no further mention of the clans’ previous violations — the clans, in turn, were required to release a portion of those people. When she had spoken of “a thousand households” to the “elders,” it had been a rounded figure — a figure already stripped of the remainder. Based on her estimate, the actual number of concealed households in these clans’ hands was probably in the range of fifteen hundred.

Extracting a thousand to put on the county yamen’s books would look well on paper and also ward off any attempt by Governor Lu to audit her accounts and question a “reduction in household numbers.”

This made the “elders” deeply uncomfortable. Zhù Ying had pinned down the number with uncomfortable precision and still left them a third. That remaining third was enough to make them think twice about risking a confrontation with the County Magistrate.

The same principle applied to land. Zhù Ying also intended to survey and reclaim undeclared fields. She said: “When I first arrived at the Court of Judicial Review, I was caught up right away in re-examining old cases — going back decades. I came to know quite a few techniques. Some places, when they couldn’t balance the books, would think themselves very clever and simply set fire to the account books! Well!”

The County Deputy and others felt their cheeks twitch.

Zhù Ying said: “Wherever there’s a will to investigate, an investigation can always be carried out. Fulu County is in no position to burn down the Ministry of Revenue’s ledgers. Is that understood? Even if the Ministry of Revenue’s own ledgers were lost, I would personally go out and measure every field myself.”

The “elders” quickly said: “Yes, yes, we shall absolutely report everything accurately!”

But then Widow Chang stepped forward again: “And what is to be done about the land Lei’s family seized from mine?”

Lei Bao was furious. He glanced at Zhù Ying and managed to restrain himself from erupting. Lei Guang also wanted to speak, but was held back by Old Zhang.

Zhù Ying asked Widow Chang calmly: “Handled the same way your family’s seizure of land from the Lei family is handled.”

Everyone was taken aback — and immediately afterward, impressed.

Zhù Ying said: “I know you have never gotten along, and the misunderstandings built up over generations cannot be dispelled so easily. Forcing you to reconcile would only produce a show of smiles before me that I wouldn’t believe for a moment. There’s no rush — we take it step by step, and I untangle matters for you one by one. You may refuse to speak to each other — but you may not come to blows or break the law. Whoever breaks the law, I deal with them.”

She then pointed to two other men in the group of “elders”: “Look — those two can still sit at the same table and share a meal. That is enough. I have no need for them to shake hands in front of me to prove I’m a skilled mediator.”

The two men she pointed to came from two families that had also feuded for generations — blood enemies — yet the wealthiest members of both families had been able to sit at the same table the previous evening without drawing blades.

Old Zhao and the others said: “Your Honor is magnanimous. Under your governance, what grievance could we not resolve?”

Zhù Ying waved her hand: “I understand your concerns, and I know what you are seeking. Whoever upholds the court’s laws, their future and peace I will protect. Gentlemen — the Mid-Yuan Festival is approaching. Do not forget what you owe me. Oh, and one more thing — the county seat will continue to grow and improve. Bring your sons and young men and come take up residence here for a time. The county school selection will be set for after the autumn harvest.”

Finally she pointed at Lei Guang: “You were the first to violate the rules, and I expelled you. However, since I said past offenses would not be pursued, I will give you one more opportunity. You may also participate in the upcoming selection.” After all, she had already removed the Lei family from the yamen staff roster, so Lei Guang was once again eligible to sit the examination.

Having laid out all her terms, Zhù Ying issued her dismissal: “You may all go home and make your preparations.”

Then came the verdict on the feuding brawl between the Lei and Chang families. Fortunately no one had actually been killed this time, so compensation for medical expenses would suffice. Since Fulu County was already an exceedingly remote place, further exile would require sending people to god knows where — so those who had caused injuries simply received a flogging and the matter was closed. This was also part of why the area was so difficult to govern: it was simply too isolated.

……

The “elders” withdrew and each returned home to deliberate.

Old Gu still held firmly to his opinion that the new County Magistrate was a deeply calculating person who kept everything in her head, and that cooperation was the better course. Surrender the land, surrender the people — as long as Zhù Ying could deliver on what she had promised, that was preferable to opposing her.

The discontented ones were certainly there, yet none of them wanted to be the one to stick their neck out.

While they were each making their calculations, Zhù Ying issued another order within the yamen — the county yamen would first begin selecting scribes and constables.

She issued two conditions: first, anyone in the entire county who met the requirements could apply. Second, once selected, the entire family would have to relocate to the county seat.

She had traveled through all thirteen townships, yet she had never lost sight of the county seat. The county seat was the link connecting her to the capital — the center from which she issued orders across the whole county — the very foundation of governing the county as a whole.

The court preferred to conscript soldiers from households of upstanding citizens; Zhù Ying was no different. The very first condition she listed was: the entire family must be resident in the county seat! Everything else came after. Constables were not required to be literate, and scribes did not need three generations of clean civilian ancestry. At the same time, she formally established a women’s detention facility and began recruiting female guards. Due to the matter of rank—

All of your wives and children are in the hands of the County Magistrate — whose side would you be on?

Among the constables, some were sent by Zhù Ying back to their home townships to serve as headmen or village chiefs — all positions better than being an ordinary farmer. Some who preferred county seat life refused to leave, and Zhù Ying settled the matter by having them formally branch off from their home clan and establish themselves as an independent household. Those who returned home, if they wished to later, could also come back to the county seat and apply again.

Furthermore, since she had promised the “elders” that their family members would require the endorsement of a clan elder before applying, a compromise route was available: “branching off.” By establishing a separate household, even if they shared the same ancestor, they were legally counted as two separate branches with no mutual obligation — and thus no clan elder’s consent was needed.

That same day, she issued another order directed at the yamen staff: past offenses not pursued. But they needed to come to her in person to confess. Any past instances of corruption, embezzlement, or seizure of official property — confess them, settle it with her honestly, and the matter would be closed. Anyone still nursing illusions of getting away with it would find her coming after them.

She ordered a box to be placed inside the yamen: those who were not comfortable discussing matters face-to-face could submit a written confession to the box, and that would also count as turning themselves in.

The deadline, again, was the fifteenth of the seventh month — the Mid-Yuan Festival.

Once both orders had been issued, Zhù Ying began assembling her constabulary.

She first gathered together her core constables, then summoned Hou Wu, Xiao Wu, and Cao Chang for a meeting.

The three arrived without knowing what to expect and stood there obediently. Zhù Ying said: “Sit — let’s talk.”

Hou Wu sat down first, followed by Xiao Wu and Cao Chang.

Zhù Ying said: “What are your plans?”

The three were caught off guard. Xiao Wu ventured tentatively: “Your Honor’s meaning is…?”

Zhù Ying said: “Whether you want to take a proper post in the yamen, or to remain as my household staff. Think it through clearly. Yamen work has its small perks but also its limitations. Cao Chang — you in particular need to think carefully. If you have ambitions, there is a path from yamen clerk to official. Think about it.”

Cao Chang said: “I’ll keep following you, holding your horse for you.” His parents had long harbored the conviction that they would not serve as servants — they now worked as hired help, and his status remained that of an ordinary commoner.

Hou Wu said: “I was already a gatekeeper. You even promised me a death shroud.”

Xiao Wu said in a loud voice: “Your Honor, this one is willing!”

Zhù Ying said: “Good. I will put the constabulary in your hands.”

Xiao Wu was delighted: “Thank you, Your Honor!”

Zhù Ying said: “Do it well.”

“Yes!”

She then summoned Qi Tai: “Master Qi — your turn now.”

Qi Tai, somehow still unaware that Zhù Ying had already turned Fulu County upside down, asked without even looking up: “What does Your Honor need from me?”

What else can you do? Xiao Wu thought privately.

Zhù Ying said: “Audit the accounts! Starting with the yamen’s own books — this time I want every single entry made clear. Start with the yamen itself!”

Qi Tai skipped any formalities and immediately got to work.

At that same moment, someone struck the great drum at the yamen’s outer gate!

……

Widow Chang’s complaint against Lei Bao had been an act of desperation. Yet the moment Zhù Ying raised her hand and unleashed a beating without the slightest hesitation — the scales had tipped.

This case inspired others who had been watching and waiting to hold back no longer. They began filing complaints.

The complaints Zhù Ying received were of every conceivable variety: wives and daughters seized by force, gambling debts collected with killing, murder during feudal brawls, robbery…

Among those filing the complaints, some had a smattering of literacy and had written their own petitions, riddled with misspelled characters. Others had hired someone to write for them.

Xiao Wu hugged a stack of complaint sheets and clicked his tongue: “I thought Fulu County, being such an out-of-the-way place, would have honest and simple folk — who could have imagined there would be so many serious cases! I expected some, but not this many!”

Zhù Ying said: “It’s been how many years? With cases going unheard all this time, what Fulu County owes is not just back taxes — it owes back cases too! I came out badly — I should not have let County Magistrate Wang off so lightly!”

County Magistrate Wang alone had served six years here without attending to a single matter, and the wrongdoers had certainly not been hibernating during those six years! Before County Magistrate Wang, Fulu County’s governance had already been lax for some time. Add it all up, and it amounted to one or two decades of “hands-off governance.” Now that one person had appeared and announced she was going to take matters in hand, no small number of people wanted to put her to the test.

The residents of the county seat, compared to country folk like the thief who had stolen the widow’s savings and rolled the jar home without bothering to cover the tracks, were somewhat shrewder — though in Zhù Ying’s eyes they were still fairly guileless.

She had assembled her new corps of constables and instructed Xiao Wu to take them out and sweep up the local ruffians and idlers. Following the model she had once seen Zhong Yi use, she had them locked in a cangue at either side of the yamen entrance — all told, over a dozen were locked up at one time.

The moans of the ruffians rang out at the yamen gates while Zhù Ying sat inside the yamen, adjudicating cases. She worked quickly. For the smaller matters, she simply had them dragged out for a flogging. The larger ones also had ways of being resolved. Now that she was County Magistrate she understood why, if a local official wished to act arbitrarily, it was so terribly easy.

The Court of Judicial Review held the right of oversight, but if a matter was never reported, the Court of Judicial Review had little leverage. The Prefect of the Capital District could drag capital ruffians straight out to the streets and have them beaten to death, and that sort of thing was never reported to the Court of Judicial Review before the beating happened. County seats were the same.

The cries of those locked at the yamen gates continued until the fifteenth of the seventh month, when Zhù Ying issued an order to release all of them first. The county seat prepared to observe the Mid-Yuan Festival.

Zhù Ying dressed in her full formal official’s robes and stood on a high building in the town, acknowledging the street below with her presence.

The common people on the street smiled and pointed, also acknowledging her in return. Just as Wang Yunhe had done when he served as Prefect of the Capital — dealing with ruffians and reining in the powerful, the people’s feelings improved greatly, and they all felt: This is exactly the kind of County Magistrate we needed.

Zhù Ying was in good spirits. Zhang Xiangu and Zhù Da, however, were filled with anxiety. The county seat was not large to begin with, and a single circuit was enough to see all of it. The two of them, though attended to with flattery, had pleaded “age and fatigue” and returned to the yamen.

So Zhù Ying did not linger either. Ever since Zhang Xiangu had broken out in a rash during that inspection tour, Zhù Ying had kept careful watch over her parents’ health. Neither of them was young anymore, and Zhù Da was especially old — if either fell ill because of accompanying her in her official duties, she would never forgive herself.

She invited Huajie, and the two went together to see her parents.

——

The old couple lived in the western courtyard. When Zhù Ying and Huajie arrived, their lamp was still burning, and they were sighing and moaning to themselves.

Huajie took their pulses while Zhù Ying asked: “What’s the matter? You both looked unhappy.”

Zhang Xiangu could never keep anything to herself: “Oh, it’s not my body that’s off, it’s my heart… my heart!”

“What’s wrong?”

Zhù Da said: “You… you… don’t you think what you did at the gate there was a little bit… a little bit… too imposing?”

Zhù Da had always enjoyed being on the receiving end of the perks of being an honored elder — he would have rejoiced to do so even more openly if he could. When his daughter held court, he had wanted to listen from the sidelines; when she sentenced people to beatings, he could barely restrain himself from cheering.

When Lei Bao and his son had been beaten, both old people had watched with great interest. But when a row of people were locked in cangues outside the yamen gate, the two of them had suddenly grown frightened. Zhù Da found himself thinking back to his own brush with officialdom in years past.

Zhang Xiangu took Zhù Ying by the hand and said: “Old Third — I know being an official comes with authority, but I didn’t know it was this kind of authority. It’s quite frightening! You came here to be an official, and we should do some good.”

Zhù Da also said: “An official’s authority — even so, this kind of authority goes a bit far!”

“But weren’t you both enjoying the sight of the floggings?”

Both of them grew anxious and could only repeat: “That’s different from this kind of authority — this was too much.”

Huajie first comforted the old couple: “Little Zhù has always known what she is doing. Those she has beaten — they deserved to be beaten. Dry Father and Dry Mother feel pity for them, but do you know that the people those men bullied felt even more pitiful? From the time of the previous County Magistrate onward, how many years did they suffer before Little Zhù came to set things right?”

Zhang Xiangu was flustered: “It’s not that I’m saying Old Third is wrong! I’m worried about her! Old Third, I’m just afraid that always being imposing — always being imposing — will mean I won’t recognize you anymore.”

Zhù Ying said: “Mother, I understand what you mean.”

“Good.”

Zhù Ying reassured them: “They’ve had six years of loose rein — I have to pull it taut a little before I can go back to being a decent person. I came here to live, not to beat people. Don’t worry.”

“Oh, well then, that’s good, that’s good.”

Huajie finished checking their pulses and said: “Nothing seriously wrong — just drink more tea and water.” Then she followed Zhù Ying out, feeling a little worried about her, and went back with her to her room.

Zhù Ying said: “Don’t worry about me — I know what I’m doing. In my household’s affairs, I’ve always known better than to listen too closely to what my parents say.”

Huajie was made to laugh: “If you know what you’re doing, that’s enough.”

“They’re also afraid I’ll turn into a cruel official and lose my original nature,” Zhù Ying said. “I understand all of it.”

“Then — what do you plan to do next?”

Zhù Ying said: “Of course, keep beating! Honestly, I’m never the decent person at any point in this. Help me with one thing — if they start worrying again, help me talk them around. Just tell them, I said so myself: I have to finish one full round of beatings before I can be a decent person.”

Huajie suppressed her laughter: “All right.”

——

The local ruffians and idlers had been dealt with, and the Mid-Yuan Festival had passed. The door of amnesty had now closed — it was time to settle accounts!

Qi Tai first turned up problems in the yamen’s own account books. Zhù Ying wasted no words: she instructed Xiao Wu to take men and haul in several of the account scribes. When the books didn’t balance, they were first given twenty strokes of the rod; then the stolen goods and money were recovered; then they were dragged outside the yamen, stripped of their clothing, and beaten again. After the beating, they wore the cangue for three days. Dismissed from their posts.

The County Deputy, upon seeing this, brought over a register with careful steps and presented it to Zhù Ying: “Your Honor, here are the revenues from the official lands…”

Zhù Ying said: “Put it down.”

“You… don’t want to check the figures?”

Zhù Ying said: “Check the figures? Does one of us not know how to count? We both know how to count. I said — past offenses not pursued. County Deputy Guan — I look to you for guidance going forward.”

“Not at all, not at all, of course, of course.”

Zhù Ying made a gesture of dismissal, and the County Deputy departed in relief. Zhù Ying shook her head and opened the revenue records from the official lands — this was right in her area of expertise. Her consistent approach had always been to treat her own people generously, especially where money and grain were concerned.

The County Deputy had obviously already made some corrections in the accounts. Zhù Ying did a mental calculation — acceptable.

By this point she had thoroughly reformed the order of the entire yamen and county seat. The new staff of clerks and constables could not be called unconditionally loyal, yet they were all willing to work alongside her. Providing for her people’s livelihoods was something Zhù Ying did with well-practiced ease.

Meanwhile, the various “elders” were also gradually reporting to the county yamen, making new declarations of their land holdings, the number of servants and tenant farmers they held, and so forth. Zhù Ying sent Qi Tai to verify the accounts with them. Qi Tai was a man who paid no attention to social cues whatsoever. Zhù Ying had aimed for a thousand; through one slip of Qi Tai’s diligent counting, he managed to verify eleven hundred households.

This should by rights have been a tremendous achievement — yet because Zhù Ying had also smoothed over the previous magistrate’s arrears, it could only quietly disappear into Fulu County’s household registers.

By the fifteenth of the eighth month, the county seat had taken on an entirely new appearance, with a noticeably denser population. Many “elders” had purchased houses in the county seat, and some had moved in. Some lived there in person and sent their eldest sons to look after the ancestral homes, while others sent sons and grandsons to reside in the county seat and returned to the countryside themselves.

At this point the County Deputy came to consult Zhù Ying again: “The autumn harvest — it’s time to collect the taxes. But the overdue rent still…”

Zhù Ying said: “That is my concern.”

She said nothing to the County Deputy about her plans, but instead issued a countywide order: “Anyone who is free should go out and catch a white-feathered wild pheasant for me! There will be a generous reward!”

White pheasants — one of the most celebrated varieties of auspicious omen. They were fairly easy to find in remote mountain forests. If white pheasants were not available, a white dove would do. The fabrication of an auspicious omen to present to the Emperor in exchange for court-remitted overdue taxes — the previous magistrates had been far too honest! If white pheasants weren’t available, white tigers or white wolves would also work. If none of those could be found, a cluster of auspicious lingzhi mushrooms would have to do. And if all else failed, she could always fall back on her old trade and work a bit of sleight of hand!

Fortunately, luck was on her side. Before long, a local villager came to the yamen bearing two “white-feathered wild pheasants.”

Zhù Ying was in the rear courtyard practicing her martial arts at the time. Now that she was County Magistrate, even her practice sessions had grown considerably more convenient. After settling the household census and land records with the “elders,” Zhù Ying found herself with time to spare. Zhang Xiangu and Zhù Da finally no longer had to sit in the rear courtyard in a cold sweat listening to their daughter beating people in the front.

She wanted to set up plum-blossom posts, sword racks, archery targets, and straw dummies. The old couple enthusiastically endorsed all of it. It was quite agreeable, sometimes, to have an official do nothing!

She wiped her face with a cloth and draped a robe over her shoulders, then went out front to inspect the goods.

Coming out of the inner gate, Tong Bo was waiting outside and drew near: “Your Honor…”

“What is it?”

Tong Bo said: “This person doesn’t seem right.”

“What do you mean?”

“He just — looks like he might be of獠 extraction.” Tong Bo wrinkled his nose.

Zhù Ying said: “Not in this county’s household registry?”

Tong Bo said: “I didn’t ask that.”

“Let’s go take a look.”

The two went to the front hall, where Zhù Ying found the so-called “person of獠 extraction” — a young man dressed in a blue scholar’s robe, somewhat tall, with light-colored skin, slightly different from the locals, though clear-featured and dignified in bearing. Zhù Ying asked his name, and he said: “This student’s name is Zhao Su.”

Zhù Ying asked where he was from, and he named a township within Fulu County. Zhù Ying said: “Oh, that’s nearly at the edge of Fulu’s jurisdiction. You must have worked hard searching for the white pheasants.”

She took one look at the two birds — quite lively, in fact.

Zhù Ying then asked how they were to be kept. She was told that ordinary food and water would do, with insects added if available.

Zhù Ying had someone bring gold and silver to compensate him. Zhao Su said: “I would not dare accept. This student’s family has enough to eat and wear. Since Your Honor has set Fulu County to rights, this student has already benefited.” With that, he left the white pheasants and departed, gracefully and without ceremony.

Zhù Ying said: “Interesting. Hou Wu — come here, I have an errand for you!”

Hou Wu’s tongue might be ill-timed, but he was entirely reliable for long journeys. Zhù Ying had the two white pheasants caged, prepared some local products, and along with several letters, had him carry everything with the cage to the capital.

At Hou Wu’s pace, traveling with fair autumn weather and the relay stations along the route, the capital was a little over a month away — precisely the right timing.

……

Zhù Ying certainly couldn’t come out and say plainly to the Emperor: I’m giving you auspicious omens in exchange for a tax remission.

She wrote to the Council of State, quietly hinting at a few of Fulu County’s minor difficulties. Others used auspicious omens to earn a moment of face time with the Emperor; Zhù Ying used two wild pheasants to get the court to waive the overdue taxes.

Liu Songnian complained that “even three thousand li away, she can’t escape the stench of Wang Yunhe,” while in the same breath telling the Emperor: “The grace of the sage’s rule should extend even to the borders of the realm.” Wang Yunhe then formally requested that the overdue taxes be remitted.

The Emperor laughed: “Granted.”

Carrying no cargo, the court’s decrees descended on Fulu County far more swiftly than goods could travel there. The commendation decree arrived at Fulu County just as Zhù Ying received an official communication from Governor Lu. He ordered Zhù Ying to submit a report on this year’s tax and grain revenues as well as the status of repayment on the overdue rents from previous years. Zhù Ying picked up her brush and crossed out the entire line about overdue rents.