The scraping of the Imperial Guards’ boot soles as they ran, the sharp sound of armor shifting with their movements, the heavy rhythmic breathing of the guards — all these sounds were woven together as they charged into the hall, and the brawlers started pulling apart and retreating to either side.

Shen Ying, as the one who had “started it all,” had taken two blows to the face as well. Yu Qingtuan was young with quick legs — not only had he dodged in time, he had also managed to kick several people in the chaos while coming away without a scratch.

The Imperial Guards separated the fighters. The Emperor sat with a cold face and said, “Disgraceful! Censor-in-Chief!”

Grand Censor Wang stepped forward. “This subject is present!”

The Emperor pointed at the people below and asked, “What is to be done about this?”

Grand Censor Wang did not answer himself but named a Supervising Censor to respond. According to the regulations, each name would be recorded and each person penalized. The censor shielded his own colleagues and also cleared Shen Ying’s name, determining that those two had only been “debating a matter” and were not at fault. The fault lay with those who had resorted to physical force. The recommendation: follow the precedent from last time’s court brawl.

Last time it had been purple-robed officials brawling — the penalties had been limited and not deeply damaging. Most had written letters of apology and been done with it, and it hadn’t stopped them from continuing to hold important positions. If the current offenders were treated according to the old precedent, most of them today could escape consequences. The mix of colors below was different this time — crimson was mixed with quite a number of green and blue.

One group of purple-robed officials, penalties limited. Not a single one today.

The Emperor said angrily, “Knowing the rules and willfully breaking them — can that be pardoned?!”

Grand Censor Wang proposed that all these individuals be suspended from their duties for reflection.

The Emperor considered that Yu Qingtuan had also gotten in some kicks and should go home to feed himself. Grand Censor Wang said, “Your Majesty — censors cannot be punished for their words.”

This statement received immediate widespread agreement. The Emperor couldn’t well insist: “Go home and reflect on yourself!”

Grand Censor Wang then asked, “And how long should they reflect? There’s no logic to keeping them home forever.”

The Emperor could only name “one month.”

With Yu Qingtuan’s case as the reference, none of those who had actually brawled could receive a lighter penalty than Yu Qingtuan. Grand Censor Wang said, “Those who used physical force shall be demoted one rank and sent home to study.” Three months.

The Emperor said, “So be it.”

He looked down and felt a wave of discouragement. He couldn’t help thinking: when the late emperor sat in this seat, did he see things like this? How did he manage?

He thought for a while and found that in his memory, by the time he was old enough to remember, the late emperor had already essentially controlled the court — at least things had never been this chaotic. Not until the late emperor’s final years of blindness.

The Emperor said, “Dismissed.”

Ministers walked out in clusters of two and three. Some who had come off worse in the brawl could still be heard calling out to their opponents from afar: “We’re not done — I’ll take you on properly!”

“Come on then — name a place! Let’s continue this!”

Then each was called back by their own superiors and scolded into silence.

Zhù Ying saw the situation, exchanged a glance with Lin Zan and Shi Jixing, and the three led the Court of Judicial Review’s staff out at speed.

Back at the Court of Judicial Review, Zhù Ying convened a brief morning meeting. Court business was far less than it had been during the Prince of Lu case. Zhù Ying began the work of reviewing old cases. “Don’t let things pile up — otherwise when there’s another major case, we’ll be in chaos again. Each of you take on a few prefectures and counties and review them.”

“Understood!”

Zhù Ying also had Lin Zan manage the day-to-day affairs, and then called Shi Jixing aside for a detailed conversation.

Shi Jixing thought to himself: is the Court of Judicial Review about to have another major matter? He hadn’t heard anything — his father hadn’t mentioned it either.

The two went to Zhù Ying’s room and sat not in the main hall but on the side couch facing each other. She said, “The formal report on the Court of Judicial Review that the Emperor requested — it’s been submitted.”

“Yes — and there has been no word of any displeasure from the Emperor.”

Zhù Ying said, “Write another one — not for submission to the Emperor. Write it for yourself. Write it and read it yourself: the Court’s functions, its various categories of business, all of it should be tallied up in your head. Work through it yourself, carefully and honestly — don’t pad it with material from the compendiums.”

Shi Jixing was older than her but spoke with perfect courtesy. He asked, “What does my lord mean?”

“The one for the Emperor has been submitted. What about our own understanding? Look at what happened at court today! This won’t settle down in under a year. The Court of Judicial Review cannot stay above it all, and as Deputy Chief Justice, you need to be reliable. Also take some time to look through some recent cases and some major cases from previous years. The extra work now will save trouble later.”

Shi Jixing said, “This subordinate understands.”

Zhù Ying had him drink some tea, and Shi Jixing went off to get busy. Zhù Ying moved to the writing desk, pulled out a sheet of paper, and filled it with circles — a name written inside each one. She marked the positions each person had taken during the brawl. Anyone not blind could have picked out certain things from that confrontation — especially the brawl itself, where each person’s position revealed the degree of closeness and distance in their relationships. No one dressed in purple had taken the floor, and among those who had, it wasn’t simply two large factions against each other — there were several distinct blocs: those of the late emperor’s faction, those of the current Emperor’s faction, the Crown Prince faction, the “old establishment” faction, the literati faction, and independent figures — all with their various sub-groupings intersecting with regional and hometown networks.

Zhù Ying considered herself an independent figure.

And there were still the surviving sons of the late emperor, the Prince of Lu excepted — their power bases were largely intact, and they represented yet another force.

When the late emperor was alive, the factions were just factions. Now they had all broken through the surface and become entrenched power centers.

Wang Yunhe, if he steeled himself and relied on his prestige and methods, could perhaps consolidate power and bring things under control quickly. But if he did that, he would no longer be Wang Yunhe. He would have to maintain the Emperor’s dignity while simultaneously getting things done — which meant going slowly.

Once there was friction, the censorate would be very busy, and the Court of Judicial Review would not be idle either.

The best solution was for the Son of Heaven to rouse himself, cultivate his own power base swiftly, and be capable of overawing all factions regardless of which camp they belonged to.

Zhù Ying crumpled the paper and burned it.

——

After lunch, the Court of Judicial Review received an unusual visitor — Grand Censor Wang.

Grand Censor Wang oversaw the censorate but had a genial manner. He came smiling. “I’m old — I sleep little. My apologies for intruding — I hope I haven’t disturbed your rest, Zi-zhang.”

Zhù Ying smiled. “I was just fretting about having no one to talk to — please, come in.”

The two sat down. Grand Censor Wang looked around the room. “Your office looks refreshingly tidy, Zi-zhang.”

Zhù Ying said, “Just got it sorted out — it was a mess of case files before this, chaos everywhere.”

Grand Censor Wang said, “The Prince of Lu case was handled so urgently, and yet it had to be resolved swiftly — you’ve worked hard, Zi-zhang.”

“Everyone has been busy this period — I’m not the only one. Grand Censor has also had a demanding time.”

“Oh, I was quite untroubled before — but soon enough, that will change. You handled the first half; I handle the second.”

“Oh dear…” Zhù Ying said.

Grand Censor Wang nodded. “The Court of Judicial Review’s cells — leave me some room. I need to lock people up.”

Zhù Ying said, “How many do you need? You can’t lock up everyone at once — the stir would be too great, and it would be too conspicuous.”

Grand Censor Wang said, “Slowly does it. Some places are near, some far — even when people are arrested, they’ll arrive at different times depending on the distance. Male and female cells — leave three to five rooms each.”

Zhù Ying said, “Done. Leave it to me.”

Grand Censor Wang also said slowly, “There will also be some good openings. If Zi-zhang has anyone in mind, don’t miss the chance. I have my eye on one — does Zi-zhang have a candidate?”

Zhù Ying said, “You go ahead and handle your affairs.”

“Oh, come now — better if we coordinate to avoid overlap. Zi-zhang’s thoughts?”

Zhù Ying said, “By all means.”

Grand Censor Wang said, “After the session today, the Emperor summoned me and gave me three names — told me to have people investigate whether there were any improprieties. I still remember those people — they appear to have been affiliated with the Prince of Lu.”

Zhù Ying said, “The Prince of Lu case has already been filed and closed. At my end it’s done — and now it’s moved to yours.”

Grand Censor Wang smiled and said that he had his eye on a prefecture five hundred li away and wanted to arrange for his own son to go there. Zhù Ying said, “Congratulations in advance — when the time comes I’ll just show up at your residence for the feast. I don’t drink, but the food had better be good.”

“But of course!” Grand Censor Wang said. “I’ve already dispatched several people out of the capital to make arrests. This needs to be coordinated with the Ministry of Personnel. Zi-zhang — will you come along?”

Zhù Ying smiled. “I’d welcome nothing more.”

The two went to the Ministry of Personnel together. The weather was warm and comfortable now, the sunlight falling pleasantly on them as they walked. Grand Censor Wang said, “I only hope things can settle down sooner.”

Zhù Ying said, “However much commotion there is, it won’t be as troublesome as the end of last year.”

Grand Censor Wang said, “Better than the worst doesn’t mean good enough. And — the Emperor’s sons will be grown soon.”

“The Crown Prince’s position was established early — no cause for worry there.”

“At your age, Zi-zhang, such steadiness of character is rare indeed.”

Zhù Ying said, “I’ve known since I was young — anxiousness changes nothing.”

Exchanging remarks in this way, they arrived at the Ministry of Personnel. The Ministry of Personnel was quieter than before, but its atmosphere was somewhat tense. Zhù Ying knew this was because Minister Yao himself felt insecure. Minister Yao was truly the late emperor’s own man. Unfortunately, the late emperor was dead. Those who were now most anxious were people like him.

Seeing Grand Censor Wang and Zhù Ying with their unhurried air, Minister Yao in his heart even felt a flicker of envy. Grand Censor Wang was like Zheng Xi and the Zheng Marquis — only slightly connected to the late emperor, yet possessed of considerable standing in his own right. Zhù Ying’s background was complex, but she had certainly played a role in the current Emperor’s accession and was one of the newly risen figures.

Both were more at ease than Minister Yao.

Minister Yao had been deeply anxious for months and had been doing his best to leave more routes of retreat open for his own people.

The three met, exchanged pleasantries, and then Grand Censor Wang stated his business.

Minister Yao smiled and asked Zhù Ying, “What personnel will be shuffled around next — I may not necessarily know, Grand Censor Wang might know, but by now you certainly do.”

Zhù Ying said, “His Majesty said that matter is already in the past.”

Minister Yao said, “The matter is past, but what about other things? One cannot simply wipe the slate clean of every crime committed because of the treason charge, can one? That would mean treason has benefits — surely that’s undesirable? What needs to be asked must still be asked.”

Zhù Ying said, “I also don’t know which individuals His Majesty will hold to account. The files are already sealed. But I think — who was close to the Prince of Lu, who moved in his circle — that’s something everyone has observed.”

She named a few individuals briefly.

Both Minister Yao and Grand Censor Wang nodded. Grand Censor Wang continued, “Such fertile territories — to have let men like these run them, truly a burden on the people and a waste of court resources. Good officials who understand the people’s needs should be installed as soon as possible.”

The three then divided up the vacancies among themselves. Getting everything was impossible, but the three of them completed a round of coordination. Zhù Ying had not originally planned to reach out right away — but now she named one county: earmarked for Gu Tong.

This county was somewhat closer to the capital than Young Wu’s post, a high-rated county. She said to Minister Yao, “This one.”

Minister Yao said, “Very well.”

All three were reasonably satisfied, and each went their separate way.

……

Zhù Ying returned to the Court of Judicial Review’s prison cells and ordered that three to five rooms be cleared out in both the male and female sections, with the furnishings prepared, to be placed at the censorate’s disposal.

No prisoners had yet arrived, but her transferred students had.

This batch were all early graduates of Fulu County’s official school, scattered across the provinces as county deputies, chief clerks, county sheriffs, and the like — grinding away at seniority through hard toil. Once inside the system, eighth and ninth-rank officials had a difficult time even finding the door to the Ministry of Personnel — most at that level could only curry favor with the prefectural administrator’s office.

When they were still commoners, seeing an official — any official — seemed extraordinary. Once they became officials themselves, they discovered that in the official world, this rank was nothing but small fry.

Yet to abandon the post was also a great pity — it truly did have its advantages. A man of ambition building a career was a hundred times better than dying obscurely in some village.

So they struggled in this limbo, occasionally thinking of Zhù Ying who had once elevated them. But they were too far away, and the immediate superiors overseeing them were the local prefectural and circuit officials.

Then suddenly — the Emperor became the late emperor, the Crown Prince became the Emperor, and everyone felt unsettled.

Even more suddenly — the Court of Judicial Review had transferred them in!

The four dared not dawdle. They handed over their official documents, took a receipt, packed their bags, and set out for the capital overnight. The four had different distances to travel, and they arrived at staggered intervals.

The first to arrive was Zhao Zhen. Zhù Ying had transferred him in as chief clerk — Senior Seventh Grade, a solid promotion. He had traveled the whole way in high spirits and arrived at the capital. He went to Zhù Ying’s old residence only to find Qi Xiao Niang living there. The two knew each other — Zhao Zhen had a servant open up the luggage and separate out a gift for Qi Xiao Niang.

Qi Xiao Niang said, “All of these gifts are for my lord — why give me a portion?”

“Come on! When I heard you were all in the capital too, I prepared your share from the start. It’s not much — don’t laugh at the meagerness of it.”

Qi Xiao Niang said, “Then I’ll accept it. My lord has moved to a new residence — I’ll have someone take you over.”

“Excellent! Thank you, sister-in-law!”

Qi Xiao Niang said with mock reproach, “Everyone says you’re an honest man — how did you get this glib tongue too?”

Zhao Zhen said, “Three thousand li from home!” Even Zhao Su had become adorable!

He went on to the Zhù residence. The people there all recognized him, and there was another round of joyful reacquainting. By the time Zhù Ying returned after the working day, Zhao Zhen rushed forward to pay his respects: “My lord! I’m here!”

He immediately explained, “The Court of Judicial Review is inside the Imperial City — I don’t know my way around and didn’t recognize the roads. I was afraid of making a fool of myself in front of people. I didn’t intentionally neglect my duties.”

Zhù Ying said, “Then stay here tonight, and go with me tomorrow. Zhao Su is also in the capital — you’ll see him tomorrow.”

“Understood.”

That evening, Zhao Zhen sponged a meal at the Zhù residence. Just as dinner was served, Zhao Zhen said, “When I saw in the official gazette that my lord had risen to head the Court of Judicial Review, I only regretted being too far away to come offer congratulations in person. Now I finally have the chance!”

Zhù Ying said, “No need for empty formalities among us. In a few days, a few more people will be arriving one after another. Going forward you’ll all be colleagues — you must support each other.”

Zhao Zhen asked who they were, and Zhù Ying told him. Zhao Zhen exclaimed with delight, “Boyhood classmates from school! A pity I wasn’t at the official school for very long — afterward I parted ways with them. When I first arrived at the prefectural school, the students there even looked down on those of us from Fulu County. Back then I missed home terribly. But things turned around! You came, my lord! And I knew — wherever you are, I’ll prosper.”

“Don’t celebrate too soon — working under me means working diligently.”

Zhao Zhen slapped his chest in promise: “Whatever you say, I’ll do!”

Then, very carefully, he said, “My lord, it’s just that…”

“What?”

“Gu Tong — how is he doing?” Zhao Zhen said. “Among our school friends, he was the most talented. Before — he was doing pretty well too, wasn’t he? That…”

Zhù Ying said, “You still think of him.”

“Schoolmates — we grew up together too.”

“Ah — this time there’s nothing for him.”

Zhao Zhen didn’t press the question. He had mentioned Gu Tong, and his lord had always had her own plans. If there were no arrangements now, then the timing wasn’t right. At worst, he could bring up Gu Tong again later.

Compared to Zhao Su, Zhao Zhen had always preferred Gu Tong more.

After dinner, Zhao Zhen was brought to the study. Zhù Ying was far more familiar with the Court of Judicial Review than with any other institution — she could navigate it with her eyes closed. Zhao Zhen was the chief clerk — going strictly by his job description, he could function like a puppet, but Zhù Ying told him to “keep his eyes open for everything.”

Zhao Zhen said, “I’ll write down everything I handle each day.”

“Now that’s more interesting. The previous chief clerk is being promoted and assigned externally — while he’s still at the Court of Judicial Review, complete the handover with him tomorrow.”

“Understood. I’ll ask him for guidance.”

Zhù Ying also asked, “Where are you planning to live?”

Zhao Zhen said, “Prices are high in the capital and the stipend isn’t large — I don’t want to think about buying a house just yet. I’m thinking of checking whether there’s lodging at the guild hall to rent long-term — if not, I’ll impose for a while and then slowly find a room to rent.”

From what he knew of Zhù Ying, wherever she was, her people’s lives were never difficult — there would certainly be some supplemental allowance. With the stipend plus allowance, one could rent decent quarters and save a bit.

Zhù Ying pulled open a drawer and took out a string of keys wrapped in paper. “The Court of Judicial Review has arranged lodging specifically for out-of-town colleagues. Take the key and keep it safe — the address is written on the paper. You may live there. When the other three arrive in the next few days, take them over.”

Zhao Zhen was overjoyed. “Understood!”

“Zhang and Fan at the Court of Reception are lodging in the Court of Reception’s quarters — not far from yours. They’re all from the same hometown — have Zhao Su take you to meet them.”

“Understood!”

“Go rest.”

“Understood!”

The next morning, Zhao Zhen appeared with two dark rings under his eyes. Officials in the capital rose especially early, and the entire Zhù household revolved around Zhù Ying’s schedule — when Zhù Ying had to attend court, she was among the earliest risers of all officials. Zhao Zhen had been too excited to sleep the night before, and had barely drifted off when the great bell of the bell tower rang out. He hastily stuffed some breakfast into his mouth, bleary-eyed, and followed Zhù Ying toward the Imperial City — the horizon had barely begun to lighten.

At the outer gates of the Imperial City, Zhao Zhen rallied with sudden energy. The Imperial City! He had arrived!

Xian Jing and Zhù Ying were neighbors, and today he saw her bringing someone along and asked, “Who is this?”

“New chief clerk. Zhao Zhen. Pay your respects to Chamberlain Xian.”

Zhao Zhen hastened forward to bow. Xian Jing said, “Mm — fine looking young man.” It was merely a passing comment — Xian Jing knew Zhù Ying’s character: protective of her own, so he gave a casual word of praise.

Zhù Ying asked, “Where is Yu Qingtuan?”

Xian Jing said, “Home studying — a good chance for more mental exercise.”

“Sometimes it has nothing to do with the mind — more to do with where your loyalties lie,” Zhù Ying said.

“Tsk tsk tsk — vulgar.”

“Please—” Zhù Ying brought Zhao Zhen to the Imperial Guards and introduced him.

Zhù Ying was on very familiar terms with the Imperial Guards — a familiarity that had deepened with genuine feeling. Previously the relations had been outwardly civil; now there was more genuine warmth.

During the Prince of Lu case, the assassins had been executed, the traitors among them had been put to death, but as for the Imperial Guards — she had only taken Zhou You and a few ringleaders for execution. The ordinary soldiers she had not detained at all. She had raised a hand and let General Ruan sort them out himself, without even contesting General Ruan’s authority over them.

When the case was closed, she had also spoken a few words on their behalf, saying the soldiers had been following orders from their superiors, and that obeying superiors was the very essence of what the Imperial Guards were asked to do — so the ordinary soldiers should not bear primary responsibility for the treason case.

In the end, this group had their lives preserved. The Imperial Guards were all deeply grateful.

She entrusted Zhao Zhen to the Imperial Guards. Captain Li looked at Qi Tai beside her — by now a familiar face, widely known to be utterly harmless. No wonder, with him available, she still needed to entrust Zhao Zhen to them. Captain Li said, “My lord, rest easy — he’s in my hands! I guarantee both of them will be safely delivered to the Court of Judicial Review!”

“Hand him to the Deputy Director — he knows what to do.”

“Understood.”

Zhù Ying said a few more words to Qi Tai and Zhao Zhen, then let Qi Tai accompany Zhao Zhen.

Zhao Zhen, a country boy in the big city, found everything in the Imperial City new and astonishing. The Imperial Guards didn’t mock him — they helped him through the procedures, then took him to see the Deputy Director.

The Deputy Director said, “Are you Zhao Zhen?”

Zhao Zhen said, “Yes — this is he.”

The Deputy Director said, “Don’t be nervous — at the Court of Judicial Review, think of it as your own home.”

They went through the handover, then did the rounds to meet the colleagues. Qi Tai had Niu Jin help Zhao Zhen get settled.

The Deputy Director said, “Strange — by now they should be back. Why is there no sign of anyone? Surely they haven’t started fighting again at court?”

Niu Jin also said, “That’s right — otherwise why haven’t our lord returned? Could it be there’s been a fight up there again?”

“A fight… a fight?!” Zhao Zhen said. A brawl at court? Simply beyond imagining!

The Deputy Director said, “The Deputy Chief Justice and the others are back — why is there no sign of our lord?”

Zhù Ying, Lin Zan, and Shi Jixing were very easy to pick out — Zhù Ying in purple, the other two in crimson. From a distance: two patches of red.

……

Zhù Ying had been held back by the Emperor.

After the session ended, the Emperor kept her and the chancellors back together. Zhù Ying had mentally run through several possible reasons and waited for the Emperor to speak. The Emperor first discussed a point of national policy with the chancellors, but he did not raise the matter of granting the second prince a title. He did raise the question of tightening discipline. The chancellors all agreed.

Then the Emperor said, “With Luo Sheng on mourning leave, there is only one Deputy Head left at the Court of Reception — how can that be sufficient? A replacement must be found promptly. Do any of you have a recommendation?”

Liu Songnian said nothing, affecting the air of a man who had already retired and didn’t wish to be bothered. Shi Kun was about to speak when the Emperor suddenly asked Zhù Ying, “You came from the Court of Reception — what do you think?”

Zhù Ying said, “The Head of the Court of Reception is an important figure in the nation.”

“Name someone.”

“First, the person must have hands-on experience and a sound reputation. Second, the person must have a dignified bearing and proper conduct — able to display the nation’s grandeur before foreign envoys. Third, their background must also be respectable.”

“Then who?”

Zhù Ying thought for a moment and said, “This subject can only speak to those I’ve worked alongside. In my estimation, Leng Yun might be suitable.”

Wang Yunhe furrowed his brow slightly, then relaxed — this candidate was neither spectacular nor objectionable, and would pass fairly easily.

The Emperor asked the chancellors, who all said, “Acceptable, more or less.” The Emperor privately had his own son-in-law in mind, but no one named him, and so it was dropped.

The Head of the Court of Reception was settled. The Emperor also asked about the candidate for the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Xian Jing had gone to the East Palace, leaving the Court of Imperial Sacrifices vacant. Shi Kun recommended a man — Prefect Lu.

Prefect Lu had held the prefect’s position for over twenty years and had consistently performed well.

The Emperor asked about Prefect Lu’s career history, and Shi Kun outlined it. The Emperor was unaware of the history between Zhù Ying and Prefect Lu, and didn’t ask her — he asked Shi Kun, “Would Mu Chengzhou not be suitable?”

Shi Kun answered, “Mu Chengzhou has not yet mastered practical affairs — it might be better for him to start in a deputy position.”

The Emperor grudgingly nodded, then proposed to have Mu Chengzhou serve as a vice minister in the Ministry of Personnel. The chancellors fell silent for a moment. The Emperor shifted his position on the throne. The chancellors reluctantly agreed.

The Emperor said, “Then so be it.”

——

By the time Zhù Ying returned to the Court of Judicial Review, the sun was already high. She convened a brief morning meeting and introduced Zhao Zhen to everyone. Then she let each person go back to their own work.

Zhao Zhen was full of enthusiasm — going through the handover, tidying up his office, building rapport with colleagues.

By the end of the working day, everyone had a favorable impression of him — they thought he seemed an open and honest person. And when it emerged that he was from Jiyuan Prefecture, quite a few people gave a knowing “oh” and understood his background.

The second day happened to be a rest day — no need to request leave. Zhao Zhen stayed overnight at the Zhù residence and the next day began moving in. Once moved, he went to pay a call on Zhao Su, and in the afternoon went to the guild hall and booked a few rooms with Nanny Wang: “They don’t know my lord’s address in the capital and haven’t been to the old residence — I figured they’d be likely to come here.”

Nanny Wang smiled. “If they’re staying long-term I can’t manage that — but just a few days for lodging, no need for all this money. We’re fellow countrymen — would you pay for it, and I couldn’t?” She firmly refused to accept it.

Over the next half-month or so, the remaining three arrived one after another — all making their way to the guild hall first, with Nanny Wang sending word to Zhù Ying and Zhao Zhen. Zhao Zhen met them, first brought them to pay their respects to Zhù Ying, and then took them through the procedures and to the lodgings. These three held a somewhat lower rank than Zhao Zhen — all were evaluators.

Once everyone was settled, Zhù Ying chose a day and hosted a banquet at home, inviting all those who had come from Wuzhou and were now serving in the capital. Including Su Zhe and Lin Feng, the household was filled with great cheer.

Zhù Ying’s “own people” at the Court of Judicial Review were growing, and the censorate had also put three people into the borrowed prison cells. Once inside, those three never came out — and from those three, additional subordinate officials were implicated for corruption, bribery, and other offenses in their respective jurisdictions.

Grand Censor Wang had carved out a county magistracy vacancy for Zhù Ying, and Minister Yao had raised his brush and filled it in with Gu Tong’s name.

Zhao Zhen, hearing this news from Zhao Su, thought: my lord always has things planned out!

Outside the Zhù residence, people began appearing at the gatehouse on a regular basis now. Those who had come from Wuzhou would occasionally stop by the house. Zhao Su came most frequently, bringing Zhù Ying amusing tidbits about Leng Yun and Shen Ying. His smiles had perceptibly increased.

On this particular day, however, a stranger arrived at the house — bearing Gu Tong’s visiting card.

The household received the card and had the visitor wait at the gate for some time. Once Zhù Ying returned, she saw him before eating. This man was in his early twenties, with a hint of an accent in his Mandarin, wearing a silk robe, and looking as though he had no shortage of food or comfort.

He introduced himself as “tribute scholar Zhuo Jue.” It turned out he was a tribute scholar selected from Prefect Lu’s prefecture, registered in the county under Gu Tong’s jurisdiction. He had arrived in the capital at the end of last year, and Gu Tong, thinking of the difficulties of his journey to the capital, had given him a visiting card.

“Prefect Gu said I could use the card to request lodging at the guild hall — the people there know the lay of the land. He also gave me a visiting card, saying that if I encountered any real difficulty, I could come here and seek my lord’s help. I had not wished to trouble my lord — but unfortunately, after the late emperor passed away last year, the examinations were also canceled, and in the spring this year there is still no news.”

Zhù Ying said, “Indeed — both sittings were canceled. Are you currently staying in the capital to continue your studies while waiting, or are you looking to secure an official post?”

“This junior has been impudent — even to speak of seeking a post, I must first further cultivate myself, before I dare say such a thing presumptuously.”

Zhù Ying said, “Then why not first stay on here. As soon as the Ministry of Personnel opens any selections, I’ll let you know. Letters of guarantee and recommendation — I’ll arrange them for you.”

Zhuo Jue was overjoyed and prostrated himself on the ground. “Many thanks to my lord.”

The Ministry of Personnel did indeed have some selections coming up in the near future, but they were not publicly announced to all under heaven. The reason, again, came back to the Prince of Lu case. Even though “all others shall not be questioned,” in daily life it was common knowledge who was whose man. With the Prince of Lu fallen, many whose backing had evaporated were being quietly settled by their own colleagues. There were also a few timid souls who, afraid of implicating their families, had ended their own lives. Once dead, the account was settled.

The Ministry of Personnel needed to fill these vacancies — but without openly broadcasting it to the world, only within a limited circle of those in the know. Zhù Ying happened to be one of those who knew.

Zhuo Jue was soon provided with letters of guarantee and went to the Ministry of Personnel to be selected. With the circle of those in the know being small, he was selected for a minor post of Junior Eighth Grade.

Not long after, it became known among many southern scholars in the capital that there was a Grand Lord Zhù who had deep feeling for the south — she had once served in Wuzhou — and who was willing to cultivate those of their kind.