The city of Wuzhou filled with the sound of weeping.

There was no way to conceal the news of Zhù Ying’s departure. The transfer order had come with great suddenness and demanded she return to the capital as soon as possible. Such a document gave Zhù Ying no means to “act without drawing attention and arrange things gradually.” After a moment’s reflection upon receiving the order, she set about preparing to hand over her post.

This was a monumental undertaking. She had not appreciated the scale of it until she began tallying things up — over the years in Wuzhou, she had done a great many things, and every one of them now needed to be properly accounted for. To account for them thoroughly meant explaining the reasoning to those taking over, so they would be prepared.

She convened the officials and clerks of the office for a brief meeting: “I have been called back to the capital without warning, but Wuzhou must still go on! Everyone must pull yourselves together! Whoever comes to succeed me, get along well with the new Prefect. We have worked together here; I will see to it that you are properly provided for.”

Within half a day, the news had spread throughout the entire city.

Zhù Ying had no time to spare for others’ weeping. She had twice the work to do of any other departing official — she also had to settle her household. She needed to push for the prefecture’s officials to take over swiftly, so that she could then free up time to make arrangements for her parents and family.

The entire Prefect’s office felt as though an enemy army had arrived at the gates; the ground underfoot felt like a field of hidden traps, where one could stumble on flat ground. The most unfortunate of all were the Deputy Directors of Households — everyone else had a superior standing in front of them, but their superior was Qi Tai, and Zhù Ying intended to take Qi Tai with her this time. Qi Tai still had to hand over all matters to them.

Director of Personnel Wang stepped out of his office and had not gone two steps before he collided squarely with Director of Justice Li, who was also wandering in circles. Each read the same anxiety in the other’s face; they stared at each other and said nothing. Both were thinking the same thing: following a Prefect who could stir up real results, they had ridden that current upward! Their own evaluations had also been consistently strong for several years running.

Now the wind was gone.

Beside them, Zhang Yun watched the state everyone was in and became even quieter than usual. But Zhù Ying would not let him sit at ease — she brought him along with her, beginning from the household registry records of the Director of Households, explaining each one to him as they went through them, and saying, “After I depart, and before the new Prefect arrives, Wuzhou’s affairs will all fall to the Vice Prefect. Once the new Prefect arrives, the Vice Prefect must still be there to assist and support him. Now is not the time for the Vice Prefect to be careless or inattentive.”

Zhang Yun could only say, “Yes.”

The more of the handover he went through, the more Zhang Yun came to realize that in those previous months, he had only seen the thin froth floating on the surface — the depths beneath the surface were only now revealing themselves to him. Wuzhou — it was nothing at all like a remote, miasma-ridden backwater! Its population was not large, but it was growing steadily; its stored grain was plentiful; its accumulated wealth was considerable!

Zhù Ying was genuinely a capable official.

Zhang Yun roused himself, bowed his back the faintest degree, and held his head at a slight, deferential tilt. His hands came together before him; however he moved, his body was angled just slightly toward Zhù Ying.

While conducting the handover with him, Zhù Ying called out to someone in passing: “Inform the five county magistrates.” Then she told Zhang Yun, “You must give great weight to the five tributary counties, and treat them with the proper courtesies. Remember this — remember this well!”

“Yes!”

“I will make one more trip into the mountains to offer reassurances. When the new Prefect takes post, whether or not to enter the mountains is at your discretion — but before going in, it is best to first obtain the county magistrates’ consent. They have held their imperial titles for only a few years now — do not alarm them.”

“Yes!”

Zhù Ying worked in the Prefect’s office for three days, and the county magistrates came galloping in on fast horses.

Zhù Ying brought all five county magistrates into her study.

Su Mingluan’s heart lurched as she stepped inside — looking left and right, she saw the furniture still in place, but the bookshelves had already been cleared. After everyone was seated, the first to speak was Shanque’s father-in-law, who folded his hands and asked, “My lord — you are leaving?”

Zhù Ying said, “I had believed I might remain a while longer, but His Majesty has given the order, and I have no choice but to follow it. I will be brief — what I am about to say, you must all commit to memory.”

All five came to attention. “Yes.”

Zhù Ying said, “It was I who brought you into the court’s fold, and from the very beginning, I have treated you as my own people. Toward one’s own people, there is no pulling up the ladder after raising them to the wall. You are tributary counties — different from the three interior counties — and you have the latitude to make many decisions for yourselves. You have all been to the capital. Among your own people, there are those who know the roads and the routes. I will set out for the capital — if something arises, send someone to find me. For official memorials — Little Sister, I have taught you how to write them.”

“Yes!” Su Mingluan answered cleanly and without hesitation.

Zhù Ying continued, “I do not know the new Prefect either. But whatever the case, I have left you a way out. If he is easy to get along with, that is the best outcome — it is what I hope for — and you will all go on as before. If he proves difficult, close your doors and manage your own affairs. There is no need to argue with him; simply speak directly to the court.”

Shanque’s father-in-law asked, “What office will you take up in the capital, my lord?”

Zhù Ying said, “That I will only know after seeing His Majesty. So — I will be leaving my family at the estate, and I shall be depending on your care of them going forward.” With that, she rose and bowed to all of them in a full circle.

The five looked at one another, hurriedly rose to return the bow. Su Mingluan said, “Adoptive Father — this means…”

Zhù Ying said, “They are getting on in years, and your elder sister is the Academy’s Doctor of Learning for the indigenous languages — how could she be easily moved? Once I am settled in the capital, I will make further arrangements. As for the estate — I will see to it. The market will continue as before.”

Su Mingluan gave a slow nod.

Zhù Ying said, “In my absence, if any conflict arises between mountain people and those outside the mountains due to differences in custom, you must handle it with great care. The understandings we have reached — I have all of them conveyed to Vice Prefect Zhang, and I will also leave a written letter to be passed by him to the new Prefect when the time comes.”

Lang Kunwu asked, “When do you intend to set out, Adoptive Father?”

Zhù Ying said, “His Majesty’s intent is as soon as possible. Once I am settled, I will send word to you all. Do not worry.”

Not worry — easier said than done!

Shanque’s father-in-law cursed under his breath, though his face remained composed. Zhù Ying continued, “Now that I am departing, I have also prepared some gifts for you all.” She had prepared silks, gold, and pearls for each of the five households.

Su Mingluan said, “None of these for me — Little Sister has lived beside the adoptive father for many years and has grown rather attached to certain things.”

Zhù Ying said, “Some bamboo items — take them if you want.”

Lang Kunwu did not fully understand, but still claimed a set of furniture in his son’s name. Shanque’s father-in-law grasped for something to say and claimed the study’s bookshelves. Lu Guo and Xi Jin simply followed the others, each taking away a set of desk furnishings.

After the five outer tributary counties were settled, there came the inner three counties. The county magistrates and deputy magistrates of all three had been placed by her; she told them all as well: “Get along well with the new Prefect.”

She also had a separate conversation with Xiao Jiang.

Xiao Jiang had heard she was leaving. When she arrived at the now-emptied study, Hua Jie was there too.

Zhù Ying had both of them sit, and said, “Here in Wuzhou, the two of you and I are fellow townspeople from the north. You both hold official posts and may not depart without leave. I will return first on my own. If either of you encounters difficulties, you can consult each other.”

Xiao Jiang suddenly asked, “And where will the Doctor live?”

Once Zhù Ying left, the Prefect’s office would have a new master. It would no longer be fitting for Hua Jie to remain here; the same went without saying for Zhang Xiangu and Zhù Shenhan.

Zhù Ying said, “Once I have left, she will be a local official in her own right and may freely acquire property here. In a day or two, she will find a quiet courtyard.”

Xiao Jiang nodded slowly.

Zhù Ying said, “You are both women; if the new Prefect keeps his distance from you, that is not out of bounds. Simply do your own work well. If he tries to push you out, you need not accommodate him. If anything arises in Wuzhou, write to me — the guild hall’s roads will remain open.”

Xiao Jiang nodded with a serious expression.

Zhù Ying said to Hua Jie, “I will make one more round of the schools and other places, and then go into the mountains to bid farewell to Father and Mother.”

Xiao Jiang could not help asking one more thing: “Will the two elders not return to the capital? They are getting on in years — the capital is surely more comfortable than Wuzhou.”

Zhù Ying said, “No.”

Xiao Jiang said, “Once you are back in the capital, you will be able to acquire property there too!” She did not dare assume that Zhù Ying had established the estate in Wuzhou solely on her own account, nor did she believe Zhù Ying had left her parents behind for Hua Jie’s sake.

Officials acquiring property and accumulating assets during their posting was entirely commonplace. Given Zhù Ying’s record of achievements, even if Wuzhou’s people knew about the estate, no one would say a word about it. Ordinary people did not know that officials were prohibited from acquiring property in their posting location; and the officials themselves — on the one hand, Zhù Ying had brought too many real benefits to too many of them; on the other, they all recognized that what Zhù Ying had done was hardly worth raising a complaint about. Establishing a small estate in the mountains of the tributary counties wasn’t even in the same category as buying a single acre in the inner three counties.

Xiao Jiang simply took it to be ordinary property acquisition — and it seemed unreasonable to leave elderly parents three thousand li away in the south for the sake of a mere estate.

With farewell imminent, she did not hold back and quickly added another line: “A family ought to stay close together and look after one another.”

Zhù Ying said, “The situation in the capital is unclear, and I would not want them caught up in murky waters. Leaving them here also spares them from danger. When you have leisure, would you look in on them for me?”

Xiao Jiang said solemnly, “I will!”

With official matters settled, Zhù Ying turned to her household affairs. First, the office’s attendants: she would bring Ding Gui and the others back to the capital, and would also select twenty from among the estate attendants to travel with her. Qiao’er and the others were all local people with their families here — they could continue to serve as Hua Jie’s helpers. In this way, Hua Jie’s new residence would also have people to staff it.

Then there was older sister Hu. She was from the south and was a young woman. Zhù Ying knew there was nothing improper in it, but she worried that older sister Hu might have other arrangements of her own — so she asked her directly about her intentions.

Older sister Hu, in turn, asked Zhù Ying, “How does the lord intend to arrange things for Third Daughter?”

Zhù Ying said, “She and Second Brother are both my aides. I know that some people will have unflattering ideas. But their father has passed, and I promised to look after the Xiang family — I regard those siblings as my own nephews and niece. Third Daughter has her own views on her life, and those views cannot coexist with becoming another man’s wife.”

Older sister Hu was somewhat reassured. “As long as the lord does not find me a burden, I will stay by the lord’s side alongside Third Daughter.”

Then there came the trip to the estate. Unexpectedly, someone had passed the word along incorrectly, and the city’s residents believed she was leaving at once — they came out weeping one after another, blocking her horse.

Zhù Ying sat on her horse, at a complete loss: “What is the meaning of this? I am going to the mountains to inspect.”

The one who had pushed to the very front was Elder Jing. The old man was crying and blowing his nose, and when he suddenly heard that Zhù Ying was only going into the mountains, he wiped his tears: “So the lord is not yet leaving us.”

Zhù Ying dismounted and said, “Not yet — in a couple of days.”

Elder Jing’s knees went weak and the tears and streaming nose reappeared in an instant: “But why must the lord still go, ah?”

Zhù Ying offered kind reassurances, but Elder Jing continued to weep like a man undone. The crowd wailed and sobbed; Zhù Ying said, “I will see to every arrangement before I leave. I will not slip away quietly. When I return from the mountains in a day or two, I will hold a meal for everyone.”

Elder Jing wept even more fiercely.

——

Fiercer still than Elder Jing’s weeping was Zhang Xiangu’s.

She told herself she must not cry in front of her daughter — it would only make her daughter worry. Yet when Zhù Ying arrived at the estate and began settling its affairs, Zhang Xiangu burst into tears all the same.

Zhù Shenhan hugged his head, huddled against a pillar, and made not a sound.

Zhù Ying said, “Why is everyone like this? Is this not so much better than the first time we went up to the capital all those years ago? You are here, safe and sound; as for me — I’ll have dozens of escorts with me.”

Zhang Xiangu, folding clothes for Zhù Ying, said through her tears, “What a situation! There isn’t a single person at your side who knows your deepest secret!”

“Who says? I know the background of every one of them.”

“I mean there is no one who knows your background!” Zhang Xiangu wept and cursed under her breath at the same time, smearing tears and mucus onto Zhù Ying’s shoulder. “I and Hua’er — if neither of us is beside you, then when your time of the month comes, who is there to help conceal it? Do you think I cling to you for nothing? All these years, it is not because I am afraid you will slip up — and then I can say it is my own business. Hua’er thinks the same way. Yet you will not take us along.”

From the time Zhù Ying had grown up, she had never felt at ease with Zhù Ying being away from her. She feared that someone might discover Zhù Ying’s monthly matter and see through her. Even after there were servants in the household, Zhù Ying’s intimate garments had been washed for a long time by her and Hua Jie alone. On Zhù Ying’s long journeys, one of the two of them always had to accompany her — for fear of what that time of month might bring; and if it came, they could say it was their own matter.

Zhù Ying laughed and said, “I can manage.”

“How many times can you go on burning garments?” Zhang Xiangu slapped a stack of carefully stitched monthly cloths into Zhù Ying’s arms, her expression full of indignation!

Zhù Ying picked up the things and stuffed them into a chest. “I can afford to burn them — and what of it if I say I fear someone will use my old clothes to curse me? That is a perfectly good reason.”

On the last journey north alone, it had been winter — convenient enough to toss soiled things straight into the charcoal brazier.

Zhang Xiangu said, “You, alone, all by yourself…”

Zhù Ying let her mother talk on for a long while. Seeing that Zhang Xiangu still could not finish packing even after all this time, and that it had grown dark, she urged her parents to go and rest.

Early the next morning, Zhang Xiangu was packing again. Zhù Ying rose early and called together the estate’s managers once more. Xiang Le would accompany her north; for the estate, Zhù Ying planned to leave it in Hua Jie’s hands, with Hou Wu assisting in its defense and Du Dajie helping with estate household affairs. Hua Jie already had the task of practicing medicine throughout the prefecture, spending a stretch of days each month traveling with her students to provide medical rounds — which was also convenient.

The estate’s day-to-day affairs were entrusted to “managers” who received a monthly stipend, reporting to Hua Jie each month.

Zhù Ying had her eye on Wu Ren, and left word with Hua Jie: if Wu Ren was willing, and if Hua Jie found her suitable, Wu Ren could be brought to the estate to help.

With all the arrangements settled, Zhù Ying took a few small fish and went for a walk around near the granary. A granary guard spotted her and came quickly to pay respects. He was a man who had come from the old Suoning stockade — the sight of Zhù Ying made him smile first, and then he looked curiously at the fish in her hands.

Zhù Ying held up the fish. “Are there any kittens?”

The guard said eagerly, “Yes! Yes!”

Zhù Ying used the small fish to hire herself a young tabby, and carried it contentedly by the scruff of its neck, settling it in the crook of her arm, then went to show Zhang Xiangu. “Here — this one!”

Zhang Xiangu asked, bewildered, “What? We already have a cat — what are you bringing another one back for?”

“I’m taking this one with me — does Mother think it will do?”

Zhang Xiangu was taken aback for a moment. “It… it will do.”

The estate’s people were accustomed to Zhù Ying coming and going, and assumed that this departure from the estate would be like all the ones before. Zhang Xiangu and Zhù Shenhan accompanied her all the way to the checkpoint; Zhù Ying said, “Go back now. I… am on my way.”

Zhang Xiangu could not hold back and began to cry again. Zhù Shenhan turned away and wiped at his eyes.

——

When Zhù Ying came back down the mountain, the whole city was watching for her, and over a hundred people had made their way over from Fulu County. The gentlemen of the three interior counties gathered together with some of the elders and assembled at the Prefect’s office.

They had collectively recommended “the Prefect’s brother-in-law” Zhao Feng as their spokesman. Through streaming tears he said, “My lord, once you have left — who will look after us?”

Zhù Ying offered kind reassurances again: “My heart will always be with Wuzhou. You are all respected and established families — it is now your turn to look after this piece of land.”

Beside him, Elder Gu and Elder Jing were crying, and gradually began to hear a different note in what was being said. Elder Gu said, “We have the will to do it — we only fear our abilities may fall short. We ask that the lord not forget us.”

Elder Jing added, “The people of Wuzhou keep the lord in their hearts. We ask that in the days ahead, the lord will also lend us a helping hand!”

They were gentry, to be sure — officials would give them a certain degree of deference and treat them with extra consideration. And then there was Zhù Ying: she had a particular fondness for checking whether those well-fed sheep had been encroaching on others’ land. Yet beyond that, Zhù Ying was genuinely capable of getting things done. Over the years, how many young officials had she raised up for Wuzhou? She had also brought money to the region. She herself never extorted or squeezed the wealthy households, and she did not pick fights with people or destroy families on a whim.

Zhù Ying said, “That goes without saying.”

The gentry felt somewhat reassured.

The common people wept far more bitterly; they understood all too well — once an official changed, what their days would be like depended entirely on what sort of person came next. What sort of person the next one would be, no one could say, but nine times out of ten it would not be as good as Zhù Ying.

The whole of Wuzhou’s people, with the grief of orphaned children seeing their father to his burial, wept as they escorted Zhù Ying out through the gates of Wuzhou city.

Zhù Ying smiled and offered reassurances all the way, right up until the post station, where there were still people who refused to leave. Not until she had crossed out of Wuzhou’s borders did the crowd behind her gradually disperse.

Ding Gui and the others accompanying her had been crying the whole while, eyes swollen completely shut. Ding Gui choked out the words: “My lord — we, we switch… switch to the water route… must…”

Transferring from land to water, the luggage would need to be moved onto the boat. Zhù Ying’s own belongings were not many — most of what she had was at the estate now; she had brought only some books, bedding, and such things. She had not brought much money either, though she did bring a quantity of local goods. Then there were Xiang Le’s and Xiang An’s own servants and belongings, as well as Zhù Lian — his few little possessions had still filled two large trunks. Qi Tai, older sister Hu, and the others were also moving their households with them.

All together the luggage was considerable — additional hands would need to be hired to manage it.

Zhù Ying said, “We will not take the water route. This time we go by land!”

Ding Gui said between sniffles, “Yes… yes.”

The land route was taken because, with a few detours along the way, she could stop for Gu Tong and Zhao Su along the first stretch, and make a detour to her old home at the end.

Zhù Ying planned to call on Chen Luan, and to pay her respects at Yu Miaomiao’s grave as well. And as for her family’s “ancestral graves” — she could also stop to burn some incense along the way.

Qi Tai was returning to the capital; he and his daughter Qi Niangzi would not know when they would meet again. The daughter, hearing that her father could return to the capital, would surely be able to put her mind at ease.

Zhù Ying had been detained in Wuzhou dealing with affairs for several days, and the road ahead was pressed for time. She did not manage to spend much time within the jurisdictions of Gu Tong and Zhao Su. But judging by the people’s spirit and bearing, life seemed to be getting by well enough — evidently both of them were handling their posts reasonably well.

All along the way she kept meeting up with various Prefects and Vice Prefects she knew, exchanging what few additional insights they had to offer one another — and in this manner, after roughly a month’s travel, she arrived back in her home county.

She went straight to the Chen residence in the prefectural city and sent in her calling card.

——

Chen Luan’s hair and beard had gone entirely white. He had already seen the official gazettes, yet he had not expected Zhù Ying to come to see him.

When the gate reported her arrival, he stood up at once. “Please show her in.”

Zhù Ying drew the curious gaze of quite a few of the Chen household’s servants along the way. When she stood before Chen Luan, she greeted him with the proper bow of a junior to a senior.

Chen Luan looked at her manner and could not help a short laugh. “Unhurried and composed — you have the bearing of a high minister.”

Zhù Ying said, “It is all owing to your guidance.”

“Sit.”

Zhù Ying settled slowly into her seat. Chen Luan said, “The capital is not quiet right now.”

Zhù Ying said, “His Majesty has already begun taking precautions, I would think. Master Zheng has taken up the post of Metropolitan Prefect; Minister Yao is someone His Majesty trusts; and it has been some days now since the Imperial Guards’ command began to be adjusted.”

“And you? What post will you take in the capital this time?”

Zhù Ying said, “I do not know — nothing was specified. I estimate it must be His Majesty’s arrangement. Perhaps… His Majesty believes I can be trusted as well?”

Chen Luan said, “What ‘trusted’? You only need to be reliable.”

Zhù Ying promptly and obediently said, “Yes.”

Chen Luan said, “You did very well in Wuzhou — that is the true foundation of your standing. Once you are in the capital, do not let dazzling things cloud your eyes.”

“Yes.”

Chen Luan said, “Talking with me, what need for all this formality? Let us simply chat.” He also mentioned that the sugar Zhù Ying had sent him was excellent, and that the children were fond of it — and that Chen Meng had written to say he had run into Zhù Ying in the capital the previous year, and so on.

Zhù Ying said, “When I saw Young Master Chen the year before last in the capital, he was the truly unhurried and composed one.”

Chen Luan smiled a self-deprecating smile. “That is only because his father laid the foundation for him. Had he been born to a background like yours, there would be no composure at all. You suffered for your origins; I too came from humble beginnings — the more impoverished, the more you must hold steady. Yet it is precisely the men of humble birth who are most prone to impulsiveness. When a man of poor birth sees a chance — he has had so few of them — he cannot help reaching out, and is easily blinded to the dangers beside him.”

Zhù Ying listened quietly and attentively as Chen Luan spoke on at length. At last Chen Luan said, “You must be reliable! And what is reliability? Look at Wang Yunhe. When the court is in difficulty, he comes to mind; when he steps forward, people trust him. With that — you have no need to go casting about for opportunity everywhere.”

“Yes.”

The two spoke on for a good while longer. At parting, Zhù Ying drew out two bound books and presented them to Chen Luan.

Chen Luan smiled and said, “You have compiled a text collection? That is as it should be — you ought to publish your writings.”

Zhù Ying said, “These are not mine — I do not know how to write. I only know how to help print things. These were written by two women.”