Zhù Ying always kept herself half a step behind the Crown Prince as they walked. Speaking as they went, she said: “Your Highness — perhaps it’s time to let Associate Justice Lin come over?”

The Crown Prince gave a faint sigh and waved a hand backward. Lin Zan and the eunuchs quickened their pace and caught up. Sensing something slightly off about the atmosphere, Lin Zan was tactfully silent. He quickened his step ahead to have people go greet the Crown Prince.

Inside the Court of Judicial Review there was a flurry of activity. The Left Aide had barely gotten a few snoring breaths in before being shaken awake — the Crown Prince was here.

Zhù Ying invited the Crown Prince to take the seat of honor in the main hall: “The Court of Judicial Review is working in shifts. Yesterday they worked straight through the day and night; the night shift is currently resting and will continue shortly.”

The Crown Prince silently nodded. One by one the officials of the Court arrived, lined up, and performed the proper greetings. The Crown Prince took a deep breath and spoke to encourage them: “I came to have a look; you all go about your work. You have all worked hard; once the case is wrapped up, there will naturally be recognition and rewards. Those who were exhausted last night — please go rest first.”

The responses from below were somewhat ragged; everyone said it was their duty. The Crown Prince glanced at Zhù Ying. Zhù Ying said: “Good — keep to the shift rotation. Everyone back to their posts. Have Evaluators Wei and Wu returned yet?”

The Left Aide yawned: “Not yet — should be back soon.” The others, though still wanting to make an impression before the Crown Prince, dutifully filed out.

Looking at this Court of Judicial Review, the Crown Prince didn’t know where to start. He cleared his throat and asked: “What did they go to do?”

Zhù Ying said: “Last night’s questioning brought to light a few more people. They went to arrest them.”

“Oh.” The Crown Prince also asked: “And the Prince of Lu?”

“He is awake — I had a look at him yesterday daytime. Would Your Highness like to go see him?”

The Crown Prince asked: “May I?”

Zhù Ying nodded: “Of course. Please wait a moment, Your Highness.”

“Oh?”

Zhù Ying said: “His depositions are on file here in the Court. Your Highness should have a look at the context first.”

The files were brought over; the Crown Prince read through quickly and asked: “He talked just from having a conversation?”

Zhù Ying said: “The law does not impose punishment on high officials — there are too many people in the prison of the Court of Judicial Review on whom it’s not appropriate to use torture. We had no choice but to learn how to have conversations. This way, Your Highness.”

The Crown Prince went with her to the prison. The wardens and guards were thrown into another commotion. The Crown Prince said: “Where is the Prince of Lu?”

The Prince of Lu was awake and had just finished breakfast. He was frantically pacing his cell, like a caged animal. Xiao Tao and the others all hesitated about whether to let the Crown Prince in. The Crown Prince said: “Open the door.”

Xiao Tao looked at Zhù Ying; Zhù Ying nodded. The door opened; the Prince of Lu stopped dead and looked over. Recognizing the Crown Prince, he let out a cold laugh: “So it’s you! Come to see me make a fool of myself?”

The Crown Prince looked at this uncle of his, his feelings a jumble. In the seventeen years of his life, for sixteen of them there had been nothing about him that could compare with this man; now the tables had turned entirely. There was a little satisfaction — a very little — and much more that was difficult to express.

The Crown Prince said: “Grandfather has passed away.”

The Prince of Lu kept his face rigid. The Crown Prince asked: “Why did you commit treason?”

The Crown Prince’s expression when he asked this was just slightly too weighty, too profound. The Prince of Lu, watching him, felt all his dormant fury reignited. He had always looked down on these brothers and nephews of his. He lunged forward in a single bound to seize the Crown Prince’s collar, startling the small eunuchs into throwing themselves in the way; Xiao Tao and the others rushed to intercept in alarm.

The Prince of Lu, seeing this, kicked out instead — landed both blows squarely on the small eunuchs. At this display, he pulled back his foot: “Nothing but the victor and the vanquished! Are you and your father such fine and upstanding men?”

Lin Zan felt like sighing. They had already managed to get the Prince of Lu into a somewhat cooperative frame of mind; now the Crown Prince had stirred him right back up. Lin Zan hurried forward: “Your Highness — a noble person does not stand beneath a tottering wall. Please…” come outside.

The Crown Prince said: “And he is what danger?”

Zhù Ying made a signal to the small eunuchs; by now they were willing to listen to her rather than try to protect the Crown Prince from a different angle. Xiao Tao and the others blocked the Prince of Lu; the small eunuchs maneuvered the Crown Prince out.

The cell door was shut again. Zhù Ying said: “A rash man — noticeable for his temper, nothing more. At a moment like this, still carrying on like this — far below Gong Jie.”

The Crown Prince managed a thin smile.

The Prince of Lu’s outburst had also woken several who had been sleeping; they pressed against the barred doors of their cells to look out. Some recognized the Crown Prince and began shouting their grievances. Some said they had been coerced; some said they had been misled; some said they had been confused and were pleading to be let off.

A treason case — people arrested by the evidence of the oath scroll. The Crown Prince felt not one particle of the self-satisfaction of “I am the just magistrate who will right these wrongs.” He only found it noisy. He suddenly realized that after this exchange with the Prince of Lu, if he simply left now, it would look like he had fled. In his mind’s eye, the scene had been supposed to unfold quite differently — him composed and magnanimous, the Prince of Lu repentant and confessing.

The Crown Prince took a deep breath and asked: “Where is Duan Ying?”

“Over there.”

“You talk to him.” And she stepped out.

Duan Ying had finally gotten his moment with the Crown Prince — though he didn’t understand why Zhù Ying would dare let him speak with the Crown Prince alone. He seized the opportunity nonetheless. He knelt before the Crown Prince first, then laid out his grievances.

Faced with someone like this, the Crown Prince recovered some of the dignity he had lost before the Prince of Lu. But then he listened to Duan Ying proclaim the merit of his denouncement, which the Crown Prince found ridiculous. The reckoning over the timing of that memorial — the Council of State had already worked it out for the Emperor and Crown Prince. The Crown Prince heard nothing from Duan Ying that was any different. He said nothing, and quietly walked out. At the door he asked Zhù Ying: “And Wen Yi?”

She brought him next to Wen Yi.

Wen Yi maintained the bearing of an elder statesman and called himself a criminal — said he dared not pray for his own life, but begged the Crown Prince to protect his family. At last there was someone reasonable to talk to. The Crown Prince asked and Wen Yi answered; Wen Yi no longer raised the issue of “I was assigned to the Prince of Lu by the late Emperor and had no other choice.” He only said it was his own moment of foolishness, and that it was thanks to the protection of the Emperor and Crown Prince’s ancestors that the Prince of Lu had been unable to succeed.

The Crown Prince felt a little better — but only a little. Then he lost interest in further dealings with these people. What he encountered here was quite different from what he had imagined.

A small eunuch came hesitantly to remind him: “Your Highness — it is time to attend the mourning hall.”

The mourning rites before the Emperor were held at set times. Zhù Ying and Lin Zan had no choice but to accompany him back to the bier. Along the way, the Crown Prince was silent for a while. He knew that his performance today had not been good. There was some regret.

He hesitated, then leaned close to Zhù Ying and asked: “What should I have done? Settle my mind, take no shortcuts — but how, specifically?”

Zhù Ying hesitated.

There were things she genuinely did not refuse to teach the Crown Prince — if she could, getting the Crown Prince on the right path would make things easier for all those doing the actual work. But what would it mean to tell him “Wen Yi is useless, really can’t manage things — if it had been me, first I would have done this and this, then that and that, and it would have certainly succeeded…”

She might well end up dead before Wen Yi.

“You are no longer in the Zhao Wang household, no longer in a schoolroom. If you were still in a schoolroom, your tutors would tell you the same things they always have. If you step outside the schoolroom — it is what stands before you now.”

Considering the Crown Prince’s age, his position, and his temperament, Zhù Ying added one more sentence: “Some things are different for those who have never seen them versus those who have; different again for those who have seen them versus those who have actually done them; and different still depending on how much one has done. Your Highness — how much time do you have to do each and every thing? If not very much, then do what most needs doing. The Prince of Lu’s case will be diligently and thoroughly investigated by the Court of Judicial Review, and everything will be reported. What Your Highness should be thinking about is the verdict to come.”

This was still “empty talk.” The Crown Prince was a little despairing.

Zhù Ying saw his expression and said: “Take your time. You have just been confirmed as Crown Prince; tutors and staff haven’t even been fully assigned yet. The realm’s affairs — do them one by one; look back after a while and you’ll find you’ve already done a great deal. If you always stand still and keep asking what you should be doing — you will very soon find that this court…”

She leaned closer to the Crown Prince and said: “Gets its hands on you and won’t let go.”

“I already find it extremely sticky,” the Crown Prince said.

Zhù Ying smiled and did not reply, thinking to herself: You don’t know the half of it yet.

After the mourning rites, the Crown Prince thought back on what had just happened and felt he had not handled himself well. He regretted it. Like that last remark — he should not have said it to Zhù Ying.

Too impatient, he thought. I need to control my own mouth.

After the mourning, the Emperor was escorted to his inner quarters to rest. The Emperor asked: “You went to the Court of Judicial Review for a look — what do you think?”

“Well ordered. As for the Prince of Lu — still that same temperament. Serves him right that Zhù Ying has to be the one to grind him down!”

The Emperor thought of the Prince of Lu and felt a headache coming on: “Watch it closely — this matter can give no one any grounds to criticize. In the eyes of history…”

“Yes.”

The Emperor was tired from weeping and went to rest. The Crown Prince returned to the Eastern Palace. They had not yet moved; they would have to wait until the late Emperor’s coffin was taken out of the palace, and then the late Emperor’s consorts could be settled, and then the move could be made. Others would move; the Crown Prince would not. He was to have the entire Eastern Palace for himself.

Passing the Adjutant’s Office, he stopped. Many rooms here were already locked; the office had been mostly emptied. Many people had already received new official appointments. He suddenly remembered the words “You have just been confirmed as Crown Prince — tutors and staff haven’t even been fully assigned yet.” Yes!

The Crown Prince’s heart leapt with urgency — and then slowly settled again. He tried to recall the conversation just now and gradually began to extract some small flavor from it.

Lan De ran out and, seeing the Crown Prince, smiled and said: “Your Highness has returned. Princess An’ren and Princess Yongping are both with Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

These two had been at the mourning rites; rather than staying with the assembled women afterward, they had come back with Luo Hao and the Crown Princess to the Eastern Palace to rest. Luo Hao was frail and looked even smaller than usual sitting in her chair, leaning against the armrest, not saying a word — she had been exhausted by all this.

They exchanged greetings. The Crown Prince asked: “What were you all talking about?”

Princess Yongping said: “We were congratulating Her Highness — bitter days behind, good days ahead.”

The Crown Prince smiled slightly: “A happy occasion for all of us.”

Princess An’ren said: “Indeed — Her Highness is now Empress, Your Highness is now Crown Prince. And our little Hao? Surely she hasn’t been forgotten?”

The formal edict had said nothing about Luo Hao’s status as Crown Princess. Everyone knew that was what she would be, but history also held plenty of cases where the original wife ultimately did not receive the title she was due. What Princess An’ren and Princess Yongping had been most worried about these days was exactly this.

The Crown Prince said: “She would not be forgotten.”

The Empress also said: “The Prime Ministers were deliberating first on the great affairs of court; our household matters naturally get pushed back.”

Princess An’ren said: “Just please don’t keep us waiting too long. They had the wedding done in such a rush, and I had prepared some furnishings to send over for Hao’s chamber. I wonder when I’ll finally be able to do as I wished?”

The Crown Prince and the Empress gave assurances again and again; Princess Yongping helped smooth things over; palace maids brought tea and refreshments. Only then did the matter rest.

The Crown Prince thought to himself: It is not only court affairs that are sticky — even within one’s own family… things preventing free action are everywhere.

He had no ill will toward Luo Hao, but Princess An’ren was truly forceful.

He found himself thinking of Zhù Ying a little — wondering what kind of arrangement someone like her would make in a situation like this? Infuriating! She would no doubt play at riddles again! Unless the house were on fire, she simply would not say anything plain and direct.

The Crown Prince found himself missing the moment a few days ago when Zhù Ying had dragged him in a full sprint through the imperial city. The moment had been tense, but he liked it.

Zhù Ying left the palace and went to the Prince of Lu’s mansion. It was still in the process of being inventoried — property and people. The clerical staff were busy listing out the people to be released for separate tallying.

From there, Zhù Ying went to the Capital Prefecture. Zheng Xi had also returned.

Just like Zhù Ying, he had been going back and forth to the palace repeatedly in these days. The changing of dynasties meant the capital’s stability was essential; the mourning rites could not be neglected either. He had visibly lost weight.

The officials of the Capital Prefecture congratulated Zhù Ying all the way down the corridor and into Zheng Xi’s presence. Inside the Capital Prefecture he seemed far more at ease — unlike at the mourning rites, where the color had drained from his face.

Zheng Xi said: “Come to take someone away again?”

Zhù Ying sat down across from him: “Can’t I come for some other reason?”

“You have a prime treason case in your hands — and you have the presence of mind for other things?”

Zhù Ying smiled and produced an envelope, placing it on his desk: “Back in the day, you handled the Gong Jie case. How did I end up getting the Prince of Lu?”

Zheng Xi picked up the envelope and began opening it as he spoke: “What is this? The Prince of Lu is harder to deal with than Gong Jie. Gong Jie — you just do what needs doing. The Prince of Lu — be careful not to work hard without reward. Too easy, and the Emperor will scold. Too harsh, and the literati will criticize.”

Zhù Ying said: “I have some things stored at the warehouse on the eastern side of the city.”

From the Prince of Lu’s mansion — things had been skimmed off during the confiscation, and this was Zheng Xi’s share. Zheng Xi only needed to send someone with a ticket to pick them up from the warehouse.

Zheng Xi stacked the ticket together with the envelope and set them lightly on the desk: “Back to this business again! The first priority is handling the case well — don’t get distracted by this.”

“Actually, I have a favor to ask.”

“Oh? What favor? You don’t need this kind of thing for a favor.”

Zhù Ying said: “The Court of Judicial Review has been slacking quite enough these past years. The work is sloppy, and the staff isn’t even fully in place. What I can determine myself goes from the sixth rank down. But there’s still a missing Associate Justice — this…”

Zheng Xi understood at once and said quietly: “I’d advise you not to be in a rush about that. Bring in someone who’s eager to make a big display of talent — and with a major case in your hands, you’ll have to split your mind dealing with him. Where are you going to find another Pei Qing? Leave it empty for now.”

“As long as you have someone in mind, whoever you recommend I won’t oppose. If you genuinely don’t want to arrange for anyone — then I’ll have no choice but to consult the Council of State. An Associate Justice position — as you said, with a major case to handle, it can’t be left vacant too long. And looking further ahead — the Zhao mansion retainers, the Eastern Palace staff, three sets of in-laws, how many people are waiting? I don’t want another handful of trouble. The ones who are too stupid, I can’t work with.”

Zheng Xi said: “You don’t have your own people?”

“What am I worth?” For positions from the sixth rank and below, she could arrange things without much trouble; for the fifth rank and above, she needed to negotiate with others. Her foundation was thin — no way around it. The people she was cultivating were still working up their seniority.

Zheng Xi said: “With you in the Court of Judicial Review, what other second person do I need? Those students of yours — you can start placing them elsewhere. Move fast — they’re all getting ready.”

“True. Then…”

Zheng Xi said: “I actually have someone in mind.”

“Who?”

Zheng Xi said: “Shi Kun has a son who is in the capital this year. You submit to the Emperor for his approval for the Associate Justice position, and I will put his name forward.” Shi Kun had several sons; this youngest was around forty, and it was a fine opportunity to build up a case record in a major case.

Zhù Ying understood at once — this was using the Associate Justice position to negotiate a deal with Shi Kun. She asked: “Prime Minister Shi?”

“I think he is nearing retirement. Before he leaves, he’ll want to make arrangements for his descendants. He is going to leave office, but he’ll also establish his own household and be able to arrange things for others. He will find a suitable placement for the Thirteenth Young Master.”

“Understood.”

Zheng Xi lowered his voice: “Don’t work too hard just yet. Wait until everyone finishes the mourning rites — the real action hasn’t even started. After the new era is proclaimed and the amnesty issued — just watch! This won’t be properly wrapped up in three or four years, let alone two or three.”

Zhù Ying also lowered her voice: “I only handle the investigation. The verdicts — that’s not my department.”

Zheng Xi said: “Is the Crown Prince getting restless?”

“You know?”

“Hands and feet not yet coordinated,” Zheng Xi said. “It’s easy to get impatient at that age. Don’t make promises to him lightly! First watch the Emperor, then figure out how to deal with the Eastern Palace.”

“Understood.” Zhù Ying rose and took her leave. Zheng Xi walked her partway out, telling her as they went that if she needed the Capital Prefecture for anything during the case, she only had to say the word.

Zhù Ying also needed the Capital Prefecture to help register the farmland for Old Ma’s younger sister’s family, and to process household registrations for the servants released from the Prince of Lu’s mansion.

But not right now. She hadn’t finished tallying those yet, so she went to press for it again. At midday she returned to the Court of Judicial Review and got in a proper nap — finally recovered some energy.

She went back to check on the case. Ordinary interrogation work was within the Court’s ability to handle without her direct involvement; she didn’t need to question everyone herself. The only exception was the Prince of Lu — who, having been provoked by the Crown Prince’s visit, had started causing scenes in his cell again. As soon as he started, the sound set all the other prisoners on edge too.

Zhù Ying had no choice but to go to his cell again for another “chat.”

The Prince of Lu had not calmed down; seeing Zhù Ying, he felt she had tricked him into confessing and that she was the Emperor’s father-and-son’s running dog. He lunged at her swinging his fist. Zhù Ying tilted her head, let his punch pass, and immediately drove one fist into his stomach. The Prince of Lu let out a howl and doubled over clutching his belly — no more raging. The officials watching were stunned; after a moment, they felt an enormous satisfaction.

Zhù Ying looked down at him and said: “The Court of Judicial Review does not use punishment — that blow just now was personal, on my own account; you may report it to anyone you like. When you and Zhou You charged the palace, the late Emperor had not yet died — so even if you had succeeded, you would still have been a rebel. Didn’t Wen Yi ever tell you about Qi Taishi?”

She turned to Lin Zan at the door: “You know the story of Qi Taishi, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Tell it to him!” Zhù Ying said. “Don’t lay a single finger on him — call the physician. Have him examined. When he’s been seen to, tie him to the bed with soft rope. And bring me all the depositions.”

She divided her attention between reviewing cases from other counties and prefectures that had been sent up for review, and handling the Prince of Lu’s case. Details were surfacing one by one. One particular deposition was especially interesting.

It described the activities of the assassins hired by the Prince of Lu’s household. To cultivate “death soldiers,” the Prince of Lu had truly spared no expense — money, land, houses, women! Lovely and graceful serving maids: whatever these lawless assassins set their eyes on, the Prince of Lu gave them with a wave of his hand, and even provided dowries. They were also promised rewards upon success — nothing beyond the usual gold, silver, and property for their children.

No wonder. She had said to herself that with the Prince of Lu’s character, how could he have such resolute assassins? This too was “eating the sovereign’s grain and working in the sovereign’s service,” in a manner of speaking.

One fist hadn’t been enough, Zhù Ying thought.

She summoned the Left Aide: “Old Left, question this person yourself and get him to name every single assassin — name, place of origin, address. Living or dead. A matter this big — you don’t think he’d have some backup plan? “

The Left Aide said: “Yes.”

She was going to personally raid their homes!

Zhù Ying intended to go with the Capital Prefecture to arrest them once the list was in hand.

Tonight, she would finally be able to go home and sleep properly.

But when she got home, she found she could not rest after all — the house had visitors!

Now that Zhù Ying was a hot commodity, many calling cards had piled up at the door, but since she had been staying at the Court of Judicial Review to oversee the case, the gatekeepers hadn’t actually had anyone staking out the entrance.

Zhù Qingjun came out to meet her: “My lord, Academician Chen and his father have come! A’Lian and Lin Feng are keeping them company.”

Zhù Ying had no time to change clothes; she went first to the main hall to see Chen Meng.

Chen Meng had also come back from the mourning rites. He had kept someone watching, and seeing that Zhù Ying had finally returned home, he brought his son to pay his thanks.

Zhù Ying was puzzled: “Thanking me?”

Chen Fang said: “That day, Uncle said something to me in the imperial presence, and the Emperor asked about my background. Once he knew that Father was still in the capital, he told Father not to leave just yet.”

“That was your family’s fortune arriving.”

Chen Meng said: “That’s not how you put it. A word in the right place before the right person doesn’t come easy. And especially with a new Emperor — you can’t read his temperament yet.”

“His Majesty is benevolent and magnanimous.”

Chen Meng said: “The Council of State talked to me — they’re transferring me to the Court of the Imperial Stud. It’ll happen in the next day or two.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

Why had the position of Imperial Stud Overseer come open? Because the previous holder had been arrested. Who was the previous holder? Duan Lin. It seemed he wasn’t going back.

Zhù Ying said: “Thank His Majesty.”

“Thank His Majesty,” said Chen Meng, “and once I get to the Imperial Stud and have a look around — let’s talk more properly then. I can see you have no shortage of students — whenever you need to make arrangements, just say the word.”

“Now that’s too formal.”

“It’s exactly because it’s not formal that I can say it.”

The two talked a while longer. Zhù Ying kept them for dinner; the Chen father and son were not fussy, eating and talking of casual things. Chen Meng told the younger ones stories about when Zhù Ying had first come to the capital. Su Zhe said: “Uncle was already so impressive back in Wuzhou! So you were already like this when you were young too?”

“What ‘young’? That’s called ‘back in the day.'” said Zhù Ying.

Su Zhe laughed.

The atmosphere was very relaxed. Chen Meng mentioned offhandedly that he himself had done some foolish things in those days, and Zhù Ying had been gracious enough not to hold it against him. Zhù Ying said: “You’re drunk.”

“National mourning — who would dare to drink?”

Just then Zhù Wen came running: “My lord, someone has come from the Princess An’ren’s household.”

“Oh?” Chen Meng’s chopsticks paused. He said: “The Crown Prince consort’s maternal family, isn’t it? You…”

Zhù Ying waved her hand and asked: “Who came?”

“The household steward.”

“You all keep eating. I’ll go see.”

In her study, Zhù Ying received this steward, who was quite deferential toward her. His expression carried a trace of awkwardness, and he said: “The Chief Justice, the Princess has a matter…”

He produced Princess An’ren’s calling card as proof of his mission.

Zhù Ying said: “You are here to do a job, and I won’t make things difficult for the person doing the job. Please speak plainly.”

The steward relaxed visibly: “The Princess says that the Crown Prince consort’s wedding was rushed, with no time for proper preparation. When the edict is issued for the formal investiture and the palace move, she wants to make a proper presentation.”

“A grandmother’s heart — what can compare to the warmth of a grandmother’s love.”

“Indeed. The Princess has been thinking that she saw a pair of coral trees at the Prince of Lu’s mansion, five feet tall. And there was also…”

Zhù Ying said: “Let me have a look at the list. As for this matter, I will speak with the Princess myself — I won’t make things difficult for you.”

The steward put the list down and felt grateful: “Many thanks.”

Under any other circumstances, the steward wouldn’t have expected such pleasant treatment. But he understood perfectly well that Zhù Ying was different. Zhù Ying’s backing was either Zheng Xi or Wang Yunhe or Liu Songnian — none of them easy to cross. And Zhù Ying herself seemed not particularly easy to cross either.

She didn’t show anger, but she somehow seemed even more formidable than someone who did. The steward was satisfied to have something to report back and quickly took his leave from Zhù Ying’s residence.

Zhù Ying returned to the table.

Chen Meng indicated the question with his eyes but said nothing aloud.

Zhù Ying said: “Has her eye on the Prince of Lu’s valuables.”

“That’s hard to manage!” Chen Meng commiserated. If it were someone like Wang Yunhe, this would be easy — turn her away flat. But Chen Meng knew that Zhù Ying was not Wang Yunhe; Princess An’ren’s son was also Zhù Ying’s former superior. And Princess An’ren was still Luo Hao’s grandmother.

“So why manage it?” Zhù Ying said. “Eat. Drink. Happily prepare to take up the Imperial Stud. Don’t worry about that. Please—”