After parting from Chen Meng, the return home was now more than halfway done.

Zhù Ying continued to attend Chen Kuan as before for the second half of the journey, and the form of address between them had shifted to “Uncle” and “Sanlang” — Chen Meng’s two sons had taken to calling her “Third Uncle” or simply “Uncle.”

Their home direction and Zhù Ying’s southward route were not entirely the same. At a certain point, Chen Kuan’s family would need to branch off home, while Zhù Ying continued down the official road. If it had been just herself and a couple of carts, she would have happily seen Chen Kuan all the way to his door — but that was not possible with the grain convoy.

The day came when they reached the fork in the road. Chen Kuan said, “The time to part has arrived at last. Go forward — don’t look back. I told Da Lang the same — don’t return to the capital, and I say the same to you.”

Zhù Ying said, “Yes. I will carry this in my heart always, Uncle.”

Chen Kuan said with gravity, “The matter that called you back was not, in itself, a great affair. Yet the moment someone chose to exploit it, it escalated from the Court of Judicial Review’s internal inquiry all the way to the Censorate’s formal questioning. Affairs like this have always existed in abundance — they just hadn’t fallen on you before. Now that your head is above the crowd, they will fall on you with greater frequency. You cannot prevent them — you can only learn to handle them. And how does one handle them? With only your own solitary effort, you can’t manage everything by yourself. Depending solely on Zheng Xi won’t do either. You must have your own people.”

Zhù Ying said, “Yes. It’s like building a house — solid achievement is the bricks and timber, but how it is constructed depends on the craftsmen, the blueprints, the coordination, and whether the ground can support a tall structure. One can’t say any single element is unimportant — but one can’t rely on any single element alone either.”

The two of them felt a genuine reluctance to part. Chen Kuan thought to himself: no wonder Wang Yunhe was willing to guide this one.

I am really getting old, he thought, always moved to feeling. He swallowed all his sighs in the end and, rousing his spirits, said, “Go! The sky is wide and the sea is open!”

“Take care, Uncle. Next year when you come to the capital, I’ll come and see you.”

Chen Kuan smiled and nodded. “Good.”

Zhù Ying watched his convoy turn off onto another road, growing smaller and smaller — a line, a dot — before turning back and saying, “Let us carry on as well.”

The escorting official had seen his share of eye-opening sights on this journey — somehow, without quite understanding how, he had traveled this long stretch together with a Chief Minister, retired though he was. Even without having exchanged many words with Chen Kuan himself, he had at least had a brief conversation with a figure of that stature. The most important thing was that Zhù Ying had taken time out to pay attention to the comforts and treatment of him and his people. The escorting official concluded that Zhù Ying was someone who understood the world, and said privately to the guards and drivers: “No wonder someone this young manages to get along so well everywhere — there really is something to her.”

The guards and laborers accompanying the grain convoy had not in the past experienced such good conditions along the way, but there were certain comforts — occasional small gambling, occasional drinking, though that might earn a beating from the escorting official. Small advantages, some inconveniences, but on balance they were more or less satisfied.

Until Zhù Ying had seen Chen Kuan off.

That evening, Zhù Ying found the escorting official and said, politely, “Brother — may I discuss something with you?”

The escorting official had a good impression of her and said, “Don’t be so formal, Lord Zhù — go right ahead.”

Zhù Ying said, “I will need to ask the men to exert themselves a little — starting tomorrow we need to move faster. Otherwise we’ll run into rain ahead, and once the southern rains start, they go on for half a month. The road gets muddy and difficult, and everyone will be suffering.”

The escorting official asked with some concern, “Is it really that rough?”

Zhù Ying said, “The further south we go, the harder it gets — the heat, the humidity. That’s why people call it a land of miasma and pestilence. Why else?”

The escorting official had been watching Zhù Ying move through this homeward journey with no apparent worry, looking entirely at ease, showing not the slightest sign of resentment or complaint. It wasn’t until Zhù Ying mentioned it that he remembered — oh, right, land of miasma. He asked nervously, “Is there any danger of illness?”

Zhù Ying said, “The next few hundred li are still all right — after that, you’ll need to be vigilant. Once we reach Fulu County, if we’re in the rainy season, you all rest there a few days before heading back. Three to five days of meals I can still manage to provide. And I’ll write you a document explaining the weather, so you can take it back.”

The escorting official said, “Agreed!”

Zhù Ying spread out a route map and the two of them worked out the plan for the remaining journey. From the escorting official, Zhù Ying also learned things — long-haul grain escort was quite different from accompanying a family relocating to a new post. Officials moving to a new posting could get replacement horses and carts repaired quickly at courier stations along the way. A large convoy faced greater challenges because of its sheer size — if losses were too great, a courier station that hadn’t prepared in advance wouldn’t be able to keep up, and delays could stretch on. Damaged draft horses, sick personnel, broken carts, spoiled cargo — all of these were possibilities, and all required contingency plans.

The escorting official said, “As an official escort, we get replacement horses along the way, but not necessarily replacement people. Best to stop at big courier stations and find a doctor to stock up on medicines — at the first sign of illness, give the person a dose right away. Repair carts before any cracks become breaks. If you wait until you’re out in some backwater or some small station, there’s nothing to be done. Long journeys like this are hard on people — but too much attrition makes it hard to file the completion report.”

Zhù Ying nodded along, and at the next courier station had them pick up some basic carpentry tools and spare wood to carry along, in case of minor problems she could solve herself with a quick fix.

The escorting official noted this and felt a further measure of admiration. Her carefulness extends even to this.

And her carefulness did not stop there. Now that she no longer had Chen Kuan to accompany, she had time to go through the whole grain convoy carefully. The escorting official walked with her. “Lord Zhù, rest easy — on this stretch everyone’s been eating and drinking well, not one person has been drunk and caused trouble.”

Zhù Ying looked them over and nodded.

At the next big courier station, the usual practice was to stop for a longer rest to replenish whatever the convoy was short of. Zhù Ying proposed to the escorting official that they spend an extra day here. The escorting official was happy to agree. “The weather has been looking a little uncertain — a day’s rest is just the thing.”

But Zhù Ying left the station, had the local courier station chief show her into town, bought a large batch of new straw sandals, then went and got some straw raincoats and bamboo rain hats, and finally bought a few new buckets with covers and some wooden ladles, hired two carts, and had everything hauled back to the station.

Before returning, she took out a fistful of coins and pressed them into the hands of the courier station workers: “You’ve worked hard — take this and have a drink.”

This unusual behavior quickly attracted onlookers. The escorting official said, laughing, “What’s all this?”

Zhù Ying said, “Call the men over — after walking a thousand li, doesn’t everyone need a new pair of shoes?”

The escorting official’s mouth opened, and he blinked. “Lord Zhù is so thoughtful!”

Zhù Ying said, “Hand these out — everyone gets a share. Oh — the road ahead gets rainy, and I see there aren’t enough raincoats to go around. The buckets have lids — fill them with clean, sweet water from the station before we set out each day, so nobody has to drink dirty water on the road.”

The escorting official had never encountered such smooth sailing. He himself was not particularly attentive — on grain escort duty, the grain was kept dry, and that was about the extent of it. Beyond keeping his own raincoat handy, he hadn’t thought much about providing for his subordinates. Not making them bring their own rations was already considered quite good — providing all of this?

The guards and laborers themselves hadn’t imagined such treatment was coming. Some of the more careless laborers hadn’t even brought these basic items for themselves when they set out, thinking it too much bother.

Zhù Ying said, “I’m pushing you to move fast — the least I can do is make sure you’re properly equipped. When we hit slippery rainy roads you may also need walking sticks — we’ll cut bamboo when we pass a bamboo grove. I’m out of money now, so I can’t buy any.”

Everyone said, with smiles, “Fine.”

Zhù Ying said, “If I think of anything else, we’ll just buy it as we go.” Keep people healthy and uninjured, and any problem on the road can be dealt with.

From then on the journey went increasingly smoothly. Zhù Ying knew this road, and though the season was a little different, the general shape of things was familiar. The further south they went, the less use the escorting official’s experience was — and the more Zhù Ying was in her element, more familiar, more capable, arranging everything with ease.

They traveled by day and rested by night. Those along for the journey had few complaints, and most setbacks were resolved on the spot. At the end of the fifth month, they were close to Fulu County, and the rain had begun to pick up. When rain fell, everyone’s movements to protect the cargo were quick and practiced, and the wheat seed arrived with almost no moisture damage — a fact that gave Zhù Ying a great deal of relief.

She had spent the nights on the road writing out plans — how to use the wheat seed, projections for how much might be lost along the way. Now she could proceed according to the original plan, and she felt a quiet satisfaction.

This time she did not go first to see the Lu Prefect. Zhù Ying calculated her timing: now that she was back in Fulu County, she would deal with the backlog of official business that had accumulated over the past half year, get the wheat seed properly stored, and then she needed to go see the Lu Prefect — since it was already the end of the sixth month. Going unprepared would not make for a good meeting.

On the twenty-first day of the sixth month, she arrived back in Fulu County.

The long convoy attracted a great deal of attention. People gathered to watch, and some called out to their friends to come look as well. Noticing that the rider at the head of the convoy was Zhù Ying, they all cheered: “Lord Zhù is back!”

Zhù Ying waved to them. She also said to the escorting official, “Watch that the carts don’t run over any crops — I’m counting on those for my people to eat.”

The escorting official said, laughing, “We’ll be careful.”

From the county’s border to the county seat was another two days of travel. Inexplicably, the closer they got to the destination, the slower the laborers’ steps became. The escorting official was also worn out enough — he had never covered a stretch this fast on any escort in his experience, yet everyone’s spirits were still reasonably good.

Zhù Ying did not push them. She said only, “We’re almost there — the county seat is simple enough, but there are places to rest arranged, so you’ll have a few days to recover before moving on.”

People in the county seat had received word ahead of time. Department Head Guan and others came out of the county seat to meet them.

Among the village elders behind Department Head Guan, several had red-rimmed eyes, and at the sight of Zhù Ying could not hold back their tears. “My Lord! We’ve finally got you back!”

Zhù Ying said, “Why come out this far? I said I’d come back, so of course I came back.”

Department Head Guan immediately offered congratulations: “Congratulations, My Lord, on receiving the imperial red robe!”

An official in a red robe — Department Head Guan had only ever seen one in the prefectural seat. The Southern Prefecture had been without a Prefect for years now, and from top to bottom, everything was a sea of spring green — all of them wearing green.

Zhù Ying said, “Congratulations all around. The wheat seed is here — let’s talk more once we’re back. Oh — please stop crying the moment you see me. When I’m not visible, you can weep in private and wish for my return. But that’s enough of tears now.”

With that one line she made everyone laugh. Old Gu Weng leaned on his staff, his voice unsteady. “We’ve been straining our eyes waiting for the Lord! Truly watching and watching and wondering!”

Zhao Su said nothing, only quietly stepped forward a few paces and positioned himself naturally at Zhù Ying’s side. “Adoptive father — please mount.”

The group mounted up and rode on. One more day’s travel and they arrived at the county seat the following evening.

Zhao Su said, “Adoptive father — everyone has prepared welcome drinks to wash away the dust of the journey.”

Zhù Ying said, “Good. Chief Clerk Mo — you and the granary supervisor complete the handover of the wheat seed first. Is there enough storage space?”

Chief Clerk Mo smiled. “Plenty. After the tangerines and rice were stored, and then we collected the taxes and more tangerines went out in batches, the storehouses were empty and waiting — perfect timing for the wheat.”

Zhù Ying said, “This is meant for planting — store it with great care.”

“My Lord need not worry!”

Zhù Ying said that when the handover was done, she would like the escorting official also invited to the drinking party, and that the courier station keeper should get all the guards and laborers settled into the courier station. She told everyone, “Allow me to pay my respects to my parents first, and by the time that’s done the handover will be complete — then we can all drink together.”

Everyone said, “Of course, of course!”

The whole crowd ushered her toward the county office.

Zhù Ying had brought back just two carts in all. Cao Chang, returning home, worked quietly without being told — directing people to unload the carts, carrying boxes through to the inner residence. Hou Wu was faster than Xiao Wu — seeing with his own eyes that Zhù Ying had come back safe and sound, he sniffled and said, “My Lord — you’re finally back!”

Zhù Ying said, “Yes — and if I’d stayed away any longer, I would have run out of money and gone hungry.”

Talking as she walked. Before she had even passed through the inner gate, Zhang Xiangu and Zhù’s father came rushing out, with Huajie following behind.

Zhang Xiangu took both of Zhù Ying’s hands and looked her over left and right. “Thinner,” she said.

Zhù Ying said, “It’s the summer heat. Oh, by the way — I brought some things back. There are things people asked me to bring to you as well.”

The Zheng residence gifts were sorted for each person. Even Huajie had a portion — a bolt of fine silk, though being a widow, the colors chosen for her were muted. Zhang Xiangu’s silk was slightly more vivid than Huajie’s. Zhù’s father had his share too — the Marquis had even sent a fishing rod, complete with hooks and line. Then there were the things various acquaintances had asked her to bring. And Zhù Ying had bought local specialty items in the capital on her own.

Zhang Xiangu said crossly, “How much money did all of that cost?”

Zhù Ying said, “None of my own money — the Emperor rewarded me with a hundred strings of cash.”

“You’ve spent it all?”

“Of course not — I still have twenty strings left!”

Zhang Xiangu nearly choked. She held up two fingers. “T-t-twenty strings? You had a hundred, and you’ve spent it down to twenty? I should just beat you!”

Qi, the young woman, and Nanny Du came over quickly, laughing and holding Zhang Xiangu back. Huajie drew Zhù Ying aside and tapped her forehead. “You.”

They laughed a while together. Cao Chang and the others carried the boxes in. Zhù’s father said, “What about your official robes? The imperial gift! Put them on and let us see!”

Zhù Ying said, “That’s a fifth-rank robe — and I’m not fifth rank! It’s in that box over there. If you want to see it, just take it out and look. Oh — Xiao Qi, I brought some things from the capital for your father’s family too. Open them and have a look.”

Qi smiled shyly: “We have things too?”

Even Xiao Wu — she had helped old Wu’s family bring some things back as well. Hou Wu had no family; she had just picked up a few small things for him at random. Nothing expensive, but things from far away cost more than they’re worth at home, and she remembered everyone.

The parents wanted to sit and talk with her, and she said, “They’re waiting outside to drink with me.”

Her parents were no longer afraid of her going out to drink — nobody dared to pour into her, after all. Zhang Xiangu said, “This heat — at least bathe and change clothes first!”

Nanny Du said, “The water is already heated.”

Zhù Ying said, “Fine. You sort out the things yourselves.” She had no particular attachment to any of it, just had Xiao Wu take the farming songs and related drafts from Liu Songnian to the study.

After her bath, still patting her hair dry, Zhù’s father cradled the red ceremonial robe in his arms and said, “Put it on just once — once — let me see!”

Zhang Xiangu dried her daughter’s hair and said, “Right, put it on, just once! Oh! A red official robe! A red official robe! Only when you’re in the red is it a real official robe!”

Zhù Ying swung her wet hair, sending small drops of water spinning in the air, and casually scooped it up and wrapped it around herself. “There — what’s so special about that? Once I’ve actually made fifth rank we’ll be seeing this every day. You’ll be tired of it before long.”

“Heh heh!” Zhù’s father circled her, grinning foolishly. “Our family has an official in red now.”

Zhù Ying thought: just wait — I’ll earn one for both of you too.

She took the robe off. “Put it away somewhere safe — just this one set, and I can’t afford to ruin it. Only to be worn for important occasions.”

Zhang Xiangu hurriedly took it back and clasped it to her chest. “Don’t worry! I’ll put it away myself!”

Huajie smiled and drew her toward the dressing table. “Come — I’ll do your hair. The people outside must be getting impatient. Tease the dry-parents later after you’re back.”

“I’m not teasing anyone.”

Zhang Xiangu laughed and scolded her: “You weren’t teasing? You were poking at me to get a rise. Now go drink your fill! Get out!”

The welcome drinks were laid out in the county’s one proper inn. Zhù Ying did not ride — the county was really too small for that — and walked down the street in fresh, clean silk, fanning herself with a folding fan, greeting everyone who saw her. She smiled and replied to each, “Fine, fine.”

Someone asked, “Has the Lord come back?” Bystanders laughed: “If she wasn’t back, who do you think you’re looking at?”

She was not impatient with any of it, and said again: “I’m back.”

Along the road someone pressed two big tangerines into her hands. Zhù Ying accepted them and asked, “You still have tangerines now? Didn’t they all sell?”

The child grinned: “Mm — stored some! Kept them on purpose for you!”

Zhù Ying felt around and gave him a few coins. He took them happily and was immediately surrounded by his playmates.

At the entrance to the inn, Commander Ding was standing beneath the eave, cupping his hands: “Lord Zhù — a safe return!”

Well… that phrase was a bit off, but seeing that the shadow on Commander Ding’s face had lifted and he seemed himself again, Zhù Ying didn’t correct him.

Zhù Ying said, “A safe return to you as well — safe return to everyone.”

Commander Ding said, “You’re finally back! I’ll say no more than that — come, let’s drink!”

“After you!”

Everyone found their seats. The escorting official had been given a spot as well, and looked around curiously at all the faces. By now he could only watch — these people were speaking in their local dialect at full speed, which he could barely follow. Spoken slowly he might catch some of it; fast, and his mind just went blank.

He was astonished to discover that Zhù Ying spoke the local dialect fluently and easily, holding clear, uninterrupted conversations with all of them. He had looked down a little on Chief Clerk Mo’s official dialect, which was on the poorer side — but now he saw that Mo’s official dialect was actually among the better ones here.

Zhù Ying noticed his discomfort and said to Zhao Su, “That’s the escorting official — your official dialect is better. Go chat with him.”

Zhao Su followed orders, swapped places with Chief Clerk Mo, and slipped into the seat beside the escorting official. The escorting official was relieved to find that Zhao Su’s official dialect was quite good. “Young man, your dialect is impressive.”

Zhao Su said modestly, “I’ve only just started learning.”

The two of them began a quiet conversation.

On the other side, Commander Ding raised his cup first, offering a formal welcome back to Zhù Ying. He did not say words of apology — just this: “It’s all in the cup.” He downed it himself first, and a chorus of cheers went up around the table.

Zhù Ying said, “It wasn’t your fault to begin with. The Censorate matched your accounts and mine. From now on, we both just need to be more careful.”

“Don’t worry — I’ve got it all sorted out!”

Both of them had been caught up in the Feng Fort business. Commander Ding had suffered more — months of reprimands. He’d come back and taken out his frustrations on his soldiers for a while, then in the past month had returned to his normal self, strictly ordering his men to stop their idle talk, and sending the worst offenders even further away.

Then came Department Head Guan and other officials, followed by Gu Weng and the local gentry, offering cups of welcome. Local custom held that a man who could not drink was not quite a real man — but the county’s chief official was the exception. Everyone drank their own and praised the one who wasn’t drinking.

Department Head Guan asked about the red robe. Zhù Ying said, “Yes, there’s one set — brought it back. It’s just one set, and I can’t afford to wear it out. Keeping it safe, wearing it for important occasions.”

Everyone ate and talked. Zhù Ying said, “I looked at the rice fields on the way in — the harvest should be good this year.”

Everyone agreed that this was all due to the Lord Magistrate’s wise management and care for the people, which was why they had such a harvest. Department Head Guan also brought up: “And the wheat seed?”

Zhù Ying said, “Yes — we’re planting new grain, and the court wasn’t going to just sit and watch — hence the seed allocation. Drink first — I’ll make arrangements in a couple of days.”

Arrangements for planting?

The ears of the gentry all perked up. But Zhù Ying indicated that this was not a time for “official business” — only for catching up and sharing the warmth of reunion. Over on the other side, after a few cups, the escorting official’s upper and lower eyelids had begun to fight. Zhao Su watched him with curiosity. “Are you…?”

The escorting official shook himself awake. “It’s nothing — just the heat. I won’t fall asleep, honest. Your Lord Zhù… isn’t she tired?”

Zhao Su thought to himself: that’s just you being weak.

On the upper end of the table, Zhù Ying was talking and laughing freely. Zhao Su watched from the side with something like admiration and a shared sense of pride. By the end of the drinking party, Zhù Ying hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol, but several at the lower tables had been moved to tears.

Zhao Su waited until the party was over, saw the escorting official back to the courier station, and then walked home to the county office through the cooling summer evening air. His adoptive father had been away for several months — she would certainly want to know about developments in the county. He had been mentally drafting his report ever since he heard she was on her way back — the trading with the Asu clan, the situation in the fields, the gentry’s movements, the tangerine trade, the Commander’s affairs…

He ran through each item in his head, intending to be the first to give his report.

Walking to the county office, the night watchman called out, “Young Master.”

Zhao Su asked, “Is Adoptive Father in the front rooms or the back?”

“In the front. Young Master Gu Tong came — they’re talking inside.”

Zhao Su’s eyes widened slightly. “Gu Tong?”

“Yes?”

Zhao Su thought: what scheme is old Gu up to now?

In the signing room, several lampwicks lit the space quite brightly, casting Gu Tong, kneeling on the floor, into several overlapping shadows.

Zhù Ying had been going through the official documents from Fulu County that had accumulated over the past months. There weren’t too many things in Fulu County — but after months of backlog, there were still quite a few. The prefectural and regional offices had sent several documents, some demanding one account, some demanding another. Department Head Guan was extremely slippery — he had devised a way to satisfy both. For any document he felt submitting might get him in trouble with Zhù Ying once she returned, he would simply claim it had been taken along to the capital by Zhù Ying herself to answer the case. The prefectural and regional offices had no way to argue with that and could only note it down for later.

Zhù Ying, reading this, could not help smiling.

It was at this moment that Gu Tong arrived requesting an audience.

At the welcome dinner that evening, Gu Weng had brought this grandson along. Surrounded by elders, Gu Tong had no one of his age to talk to and had been conspicuously quiet the whole time. This was the natural state of many young people at such gatherings — either they were there to pour wine, offer toasts, make small talk, or show off some talent, or their sole purpose was simply to make up the numbers in silence.

Gu Tong sat in silence watching the performance of all these people. A thought that had first taken root months ago suddenly burst into the open.

As a child, he had watched these people in their authority and confidence — commanding, directing Fulu County’s affairs, easy and composed, with an air of everything in hand. These past two years he had come to see their shallowness. When these elders bickered, the difference from street hooligans squabbling was not as great as one might imagine.

He had lost faith in his grandfather. His grandfather had always seemed tall and deep in his eyes — calm in a crisis, seeming to have everything planned out. The local gentry — some of them were his own senior kinsmen. Each one of them was lordly and imposing in their daily lives, and yet when word came that the county magistrate who had brought them good things was leaving, they panicked like a herd of donkeys. Not thinking of the county, not thinking of the people — their first thought was their own household’s gain or loss, and their grievances and debts with the county magistrate.

Then when the county magistrate came back, they were all as overjoyed as women pining in their chambers at the return of a husband.

Weeping like jealous wives, making scenes like difficult wives.

What a boring lot!

Though he was reluctant to admit it, he found himself saying of them: narrow and grasping. Not the least bit generous.

Gu Tong thought back over the county magistrate. Compared with these people many times his age, she at least could truly be called composed and at ease, moving effortlessly, everything arranged in advance — and what’s more, genuinely impartial. She had not been contemptuous toward the local gentry — she hadn’t killed Lei Bao when she could have, hadn’t squeezed his own family’s money when she could have. She could have not arranged for ordinary farmers to benefit at every turn — but she had not done that either.

In this scene of joy mixed with tears of welcome, Gu Tong fixed on his model: I want to become someone like Lord Zhù.

He saw his grandfather settled in and then slipped away quietly to the county office, to do something that was at once impulsive and not impulsive at all.

He knelt before Zhù Ying and said, “My Lord — can this student still transfer to the Law examination track?”

Zhù Ying looked at this young man and asked, “What gave you this idea?”

Gu Tong said, “Before I had not thought it through clearly — now I have. What does the Classics track matter? What does the Law track matter? Even among those who pass the Presented Scholar examinations, only some of them are good at actually doing things. Being good at examinations doesn’t mean being good at work, let alone being good at being a person. Since the Lord once said that transferring to the Law track is also a path — this student is willing to transfer.”

Zhù Ying said, “Get up and speak properly.”

Gu Tong obediently climbed to his feet. “Is it possible?”

“Every track — the ones who can distinguish themselves among all the scholars of the realm are no ordinary people.”

“This student understands.” Gu Tong said. He suddenly felt as though some vital channel in him had been unblocked — there was really just one question he had been turning over: Grandfather is impressive — so how is it he never even became a county magistrate? Is being a county magistrate easy? Not easy at all!

He made up his mind. “This student is willing to follow the Lord!”

Zhù Ying was also a little surprised. Chen Kuan had been right to warn her — she needed to start gathering people. She had planned to start from Fulu County. She had not yet made a move and someone had already come knocking at her door of his own accord — however one looked at it, it was a little unexpected. She said, “You haven’t said anything to your family.”

Gu Tong said, “No.”

Zhù Ying looked him over carefully and said, “On impulse?”

“Yes.”

Gu Tong clenched his fists tight with tension. Zhù Ying said, “You’ve been my student all along — the matter of changing tracks, think about it more.”

“But —”

“I can tell you now, since everyone will know before long. I submitted the petition, and I am serving another term.”

Gu Tong felt his determination solidify further: “I will follow the Lord’s arrangement!”

“It’s late. Go rest first. If you’ve truly thought it through, come find me again. We have more time now — things don’t have to be settled by changing examination tracks. There are other ways I can arrange things for you.”

Gu Tong’s face showed puzzlement. Zhù Ying said, “Three years versus six years — the arrangements are different. You don’t have to change tracks — but with three years of a term, changing to the Law track means I can give you more protection along the way. I’ve heard your thoughts. Go back and think it through — think about yourself, and also think about how to manage the family’s response.”

“Yes.”

Gu Tong didn’t hesitate — think about himself? He had already decided to follow this county magistrate and do whatever was asked of him. Staying near her and learning was worth more than anything the county school’s scholars could teach. Think about the family? If he did everything the family wanted, he’d never accomplish anything in life.

Even so, he departed quietly and properly, already half-considering himself an informal disciple.

Zhao Su stood in the shadow of a tree and watched Gu Tong leave, then straightened his robes and walked with deliberate steps to the signing room.

Xiao Wu smiled. “Young Master has come?”

Zhao Su asked, as though casually, “Is Adoptive Father busy now?”

Zhù Ying’s voice from inside: “Come in.”

Zhao Su walked in with an unchanged expression. Zhù Ying put down the documents she held and said, “Sit.”

The two of them settled down. Zhù Ying asked, “How is your official dialect coming along?”

Zhao Su smiled wryly: “It seems still a little wanting.”

Zhù Ying said, “Keep working at it — otherwise that accent in the capital will be enough to make people laugh.”

“The capital? Is Adoptive Father returning to the capital? What about the wheat seed?”

Zhù Ying said, “Not me — you.”

“Me?”

Zhù Ying said, “How old are you now?”

“T-twenty-three.”

Zhù Ying said, “For you to enter official service, there are several paths available. First, study with your life and try for the examinations — not an easy path. Your natural gifts are not lacking, but the culture of scholarship in Fulu County before was weak, and that has cost you some time. By the time you’re ready to sit the capital examinations, it’ll probably be another eight to ten years. Second, the tributary school — but I suspect that’s not what you want. Which leaves the Imperial Academy. That I can arrange.”

She had already consulted Liu Songnian, whose judgment on these matters was reliable. Before leaving the capital, she had also called on Yue Huan and shown him Zhao Su’s writings, along with some account of his situation. Yue Huan, a man of letters of the same lineage as Liu Songnian, arrived at much the same conclusion.

Zhù Ying planned to nominate Zhao Su to the capital for the Imperial Academy examination on behalf of Fulu County. Calling it an “examination” was accurate, but Zhao Su would be at an advantage. Seven or eight parts out of ten — though he would likely come in near the bottom.

If Zhao Su waited until thirty to enter service, that was already considered favorable for someone from a remote area with no connections. But thirty was an ideal — among the talented scholars of the world, those who didn’t pass until forty were also numerous. Zhù Ying, who had herself been considered precociously successful, felt that a person entering service at thirty or forty and then working their way through the ranks might just reach sixth rank before dying of old age, if they had no extraordinary gifts.

Better to come in through the Imperial Academy. Though the competition was also fierce, the chances were considerably better than through the examination system. And one would have more exposure to the sons of prominent families — which would be useful for Zhao Su.

Zhù Ying said, “If you want to take the orthodox examination path, that’s one option. Or you can wait one or two more years, and I’ll recommend you directly into office. Or we could do this: you first go to the Imperial Academy and see how things stand. Slower, perhaps — and then I’ll recommend you into office after that, though your rank may not be guaranteed.”

Zhao Su had nearly forgotten why he had come. He paused, then said, “I’ll follow however Adoptive Father arranges. The son came to report on some matters.”

“Oh?”

Zhao Su laid out the events of the past months, item by item.

The Asu clan — all was still going well. There had been another small conflict with the Liji tribe, mainly because the eldest cousin could not forget being robbed of his household and had sent men to return the favor — two people were brought back bound, though they suffered losses themselves. For the latter half of the month, Su Mingluan was on the mountain — she would come down at the start of the seventh month as usual.

Nothing out of the ordinary had occurred in the county — no major criminal cases in Zhù Ying’s absence. Everyone had missed her, and that was all.

He then spoke of the tangerines. The Fulu County tangerines had technically lost money over the New Year — but looking at the longer view, after the third month, other stored tangerines elsewhere had mostly run out. Only Fulu County, because the county office had taken the lead, built the storehouses, and kept them well-maintained, still had considerable stock. Various hometown association halls had been selling gradually — after deducting labor costs, there had been a small profit. Overall, in that first year the loss was minimal.

Once the market developed further in the years ahead, it should at least break even. Zhao Su said, “In my experience, this is already very smooth. It is entirely due to the Adoptive Father’s support behind everything.”

The local gentry of Fulu County had also seen this clearly, which was why they had been so obedient. Other places also produced tangerines — but the reason for this rapid rollout was that the government provided the coordination and smoothed the way. Without Zhù Ying giving orders and taking on the role of the difficult party, others simply following through would have been vastly more complicated.

Zhù Ying asked, “Not a single person opposed it? No one quietly trying to sabotage it out of jealousy?”

Zhao Su said, smiling, “There were even those who didn’t bother with jealousy — who simply couldn’t stand to see others doing well. They were all dealt with quietly from below, never allowed to reach your ears. And there were people cutting others’ tangerine trees, pouring boiling water on someone else’s tree roots… tsk! Caught them and gave them a beating.”

Zhù Ying said, “I see. As for your situation — think it over carefully.”

Zhao Su said, “I want to go to the capital!” Two small flames burned in his eyes.

Zhù Ying said, “Then you have to promise me — for the first five years in the capital, whatever you see and hear there, you only watch and listen. You do not speak up and you do not get involved. Watch carefully, listen with great care, and understand the logic beneath the surface. The capital is a great millstone — if you plunge in carelessly, you’ll be ground to powder.

The more opportunity, the more danger. In the histories you’ve read — powerful nobles striking down officials in the open street, flogging officials in broad daylight — that happens in the present day as well. In Fulu County, you are the son of a gentry family, with a seat at the county office. In the capital, you are like every other young man who has come out of some remote county. It’s a different kind of… not contempt, exactly. Invisibility.”

Zhao Su drew a breath. “I understand. I’m not afraid.”

“Invite your parents to come as well. If you’re going, they ought to know. And tell them first — I’m about to arrange the winter wheat planting. If you’re leaving, your father will need to come himself.”

“Yes.”

Zhù Ying finished reading through the accumulated official documents of the county and, on the third day, first sent off the escorting official on his return journey.

The escorting official and his people had rested two days and couldn’t wait to leave. None of them could understand a word being spoken, which was maddening. And to make it worse, the locals seemed to want to laugh at them: “Even the official dialect, and you still can’t understand it?”

Is what you’re speaking the official dialect?!

The weather was, as Zhù Ying had warned, hot and humid. The mosquitoes were fierce. And this was the county seat — the thought of elsewhere was too much. They had been to the temple to collect the charitable herb medicines and cooling tea that were distributed there, and after a few doses were feeling somewhat better.

As for local specialties — only the well-preserved tangerines were even remotely interesting at this point. There were no tangerines left to speak of now. Ten coins each — expensive, but rare, and in the capital they would cost even more. Someone bought a couple of jin.

Then there were some local fruits that could only be eaten on the spot. One fool in the group had eaten two handfuls of lychees in a row and ended up with such a heat rash from it that he brought it on himself.

The escorting official decided: leave. Now.

Zhù Ying gave them a few strings of travel money and saw them off properly.

When Zhao Feng arrived, she assembled the local gentry at the county office and discussed with them the matter of planting winter wheat. The rice harvest was nearly ready — once it was in, there would be a short rest, then the fields would be plowed and the wheat sown.

She summoned the gentry first because they held more farmland and already had their own draft oxen, and were in a better position to manage the details of planting and harvesting. The trial planting period was already demanding enough — asking her to also organize the small households, lend them oxen, and everything else was not entirely practical. More importantly, these families could absorb a loss. Ordinary farmers, after a whole season of labor with nothing to show for it, would have no choice but the rope — the gentry could survive a setback and take the risk.

Zhù Ying assembled all the gentry and said, “You’ve all seen the wheat harvest I put in, haven’t you?”

The gentry, not knowing she planned to use them to test the waters, were all eagerly interested: “Yes! My Lord, just say the word — tell us how to plant it!”

Zhù Ying said, “The wheat seed is mine. If there’s a harvest, you only need to return the seed to me — everything else is yours.”

The gentry smiled all around. They had all seen the yield from the public-service farmland — an extra season’s income, and what a thought!

Zhù Ying said, “Don’t be too happy yet — there are a few things to be settled first.”

Zhù Ying laid out her arrangements one by one.

Two thousand shi of wheat seed — she did not intend to plant all of it at once. She was fully prepared for a large-scale sowing to fail. Farming depended on sunlight, rain, and irrigation, but also on soil strength — and without sufficient fertility to maintain it, the yield would inevitably fall short. How to grow two seasons per year without exhausting the soil, how to apply fertilizer to replenish it — all of this required testing.

Her plan was to demonstrate first on a portion of the land. If soil strength could be maintained, continue that way. If not, test ideas like “beans to enrich the soil,” or “crop rotation,” or “composting.” She had a whole county of land to experiment on, and three more years of tenure to do it.

The whole county’s farmland was divided into sections — trial planting, with records kept from scratch. The goal was to find the optimal combination. In the years she had left in office, as long as she ensured the annual rice harvest came in at normal levels, she was free to experiment with the rest as she liked.

The gentry, hearing that there was a plan, and that “one full rice harvest per year, guaranteed” was part of the deal, were all willing to cooperate. Even if it was just playing along with the county magistrate — it wasn’t as though they had to go into the fields themselves. They had oxen, plows, and tenant farmers. Even just an extra plowing of the earth — that cleared the ground and helped next year’s planting.

Gu Weng said with a smile, “We all personally witnessed the wheat harvest — this can’t go wrong! But how will the wheat seed be distributed?”

Zhù Ying said, “No hurry — each family should give me an updated count of their fields, broken down by quality: how much top-grade, how much medium, how much poor. We’ll divide it fairly — we can’t give everything to one family and nothing to another, nor have shares be drastically unequal.”

She didn’t trust that these families’ field-size declarations had ever been entirely honest — so she’d have to plow through them again each year, just as one plows a field.

The gentry had grown accustomed to her approach and thought: well, all right then…

Zhù Ying said with a smile, “Once I’m back from seeing the Prefect, we’ll begin getting things underway.”

She needed to hurry off and buy a hundred jin or so of those irregular pearls. The Emperor really had no sense of proportion — already having craftsmen in the capital study the things — she might not be able to afford them much longer. She needed to stock up.