Zhuo Jue knew that there was a layer of distance between himself and the people of Wuzhou origin in the Zhù household, and his heart held a degree of unease when he came — but come he did.

The opportunity was rare, and he felt he should seize it.

From a distance he had seen Zhù Ying walking into the Zhù household, and saying something to the two women. Perhaps it was partly the influence of a certain “southern tribal custom” — the Zhù household was willing to entrust important matters to women, not the inner-chamber kind, but matters that required going out in public. The capital’s gossip said that Zhù Judicial Review had civilized the tribal people and been civilized by them in return.

But what did that matter?

None of it was anything Zhuo Jue cared about.

Zhuo Jue was not made to sit waiting in the gatekeeper’s room — this was perhaps the treatment that “southern scholars” could receive at the Zhù household. When he heard the commotion, he came out of the small receiving room himself and walked straight up to Zhù Ying with a bow. “Patron.”

Zhù Ying said, “Come inside and talk.”

The two of them sat down in the hall. Before Zhù Ying could speak, Zhuo Jue said first, “It’s nearly the year’s end — everywhere is busy. I should not have come to disturb you, but today on the road I encountered a person, and I felt it would be best to tell you.”

Zhù Ying had done something she’d been meaning to do that day, and was in good spirits. She smiled. “You needn’t be so stiff — what is it?”

Zhuo Jue was no less respectful for it, and said, “Yesterday on the road I heard a familiar regional accent and couldn’t help but strike up a conversation. I discovered it was a distant clansman uncle of mine…”

……Told in reverse order……

Zhuo Jue had indeed met with this clansman uncle the previous day, but yesterday was not the first time they had met.

Their first meeting had been about a month earlier. Zhuo Jue had been walking along at the time. Though the weather was cold, the city was getting livelier and livelier. Since the previous year’s New Year celebrations had been disrupted, this year he wanted to go out and buy some novelty items. Travel between south and north was inconvenient, and sending someone personally to deliver things home was difficult. But through gradually growing acquainted with Zhao Zhen and others, he’d learned about a guild hall trade route that made one or two trips a year — things could be sent along with them. His home was at a midpoint on the road between the capital and Wuzhou, so he could pay the guild hall a little extra to have things carried back, and in the same way report his well-being to the family.

The only inconvenience was that his budget was very tight. The life of an ordinary low-ranking capital official was straitened — he was no exception. Fortunately the family had modest landholdings, so he could even ask the guild hall people to bring a little money back from home on their way…

Ugh — thinking about it like that, Zhuo Jue felt his face grow warm. This kind of life would probably have to go on for a few more years. In times like these, ordinary people’s advancement was getting harder and harder.

While browsing about, a thread of a familiar regional accent drifted into his ears. He glanced over and saw a middle-aged man, followed by a young manservant. The manservant had a quick mouth — he’d also struck up a word with the other manservant. “You folks from the south?”

Both sides were speaking in dialect, and they instantly felt a closeness. The two masters exchanged names as well, and after doing so, Zhuo Jue discovered this person was his distant, distant, distant-branch clansman uncle. Distant enough that they were not even from the same county — the Zhuo clan had been divided long ago into five branches, Zhuo Jue’s branch in one place, while this man was from the neighboring prefecture. He was now a Regional Adjutant in a certain prefecture, by the name of Zhuo Yu.

Zhuo Yu had previously not known there was a Zhuo Jue among the clan, while Zhuo Jue had a vague memory of Zhuo Yu’s name. This was because at ancestral ceremonies, outstanding sons of each branch would be mentioned. Zhuo Yu and Zhuo Jue’s branch were very distant relatives, so Zhuo Yu came up relatively rarely.

The two of them came together on the spot, and Zhuo Yu — knowing that for southerners, advancement and promotion were less smooth than for northerners — was curious how Zhuo Jue had managed to make it to the capital as an official. Generally speaking, small-fry from southern backgrounds found it easier to take up minor posts in various localities.

Zhuo Jue also wanted to sound out this clansman uncle — to see whether he had any noteworthy connections behind him. If not, he might test the waters and ask whether the man could be brought onto the Zhù household’s ship. In official life, it wasn’t easy — their southerners had always been pushed to the margins in court, and needed to stick together. Zhù Judicial Review was not of southern origin, but she did look after southern scholars, and those around her were all southerners.

The two men — an uncle and nephew who had only just met based on a family tree — quickly found things to talk about. Zhuo Yu took Zhuo Jue back to his lodgings, and uncle and nephew began to chat. On their first meeting they only traced the family genealogy, spoke of homesickness, and shared some stories from their early years. At the end, Zhuo Yu and Zhuo Jue had a meal together, and Zhuo Jue took his leave.

A few days later, Zhuo Jue brought a few gifts and called on Zhuo Yu, treating him to a meal in return.

Over the meal they talked only of gossip from the capital, while Zhuo Jue also asked his uncle a little humbly for guidance on the ways of officialdom. Zhuo Yu had climbed to adjutant by his own abilities.

Zhuo Yu gave him some rough guidance: “Don’t muddle through in a daze — there is no such thing as guaranteed promotion just because you handle the matters before you well.”

Zhuo Jue also took this in, and asked about Zhuo Yu’s travel schedule home. Zhuo Yu said, “I’ll go back after New Year.”

Zhuo Jue said, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to come again in a few days to ask for guidance — when would you have time?”

Zhuo Yu named a day. “I have a performance review scheduled at the Ministry of Personnel. After that.”

Zhuo Jue made note of the day and wished Zhuo Yu every success.

Once the review was over, Zhuo Jue called again, only to find that while Zhuo Yu’s face did not show it much, there was a worry in his brow that would not disperse.

Zhuo Jue got in first with a show of concern for his clansman uncle’s review in the capital. “Was everything in order, uncle? I’ve heard that Yao the Secretariat Director and Deputy Director Mu have been at odds — that he looks for what you find good, just to pick out faults. Heaven be thanked that uncle came through all right.”

Zhuo Yu said, “It wasn’t Yao, it was Mu.” Just that one line, and he would say no more, instead asking about Zhuo Jue’s own situation.

Zhuo Jue said, “My position was recommended to Zhù Judicial Review by Gu Tong, who was formerly Chief Registrar and has now been promoted to County Magistrate. The Judicial Review arranged my post. At the Ministry review, ordinary people won’t make trouble for me.”

Zhuo Yu’s movements showed he found this information very interesting. Zhuo Jue noticed, but Zhuo Yu did not speak first, so Zhuo Jue also remained vague. The two of them then privately assessed various officials in the various ministries — which ones were clear-minded, which ones befuddled, which ones were merely strict, and which ones were deliberately making things difficult.

Zhuo Jue then let it slip as if by accident that Zhù Ying was also on familiar terms with Secretariat Director Dou from the Ministry of Finance, at which point Zhuo Yu grew even more interested.

Finally, Zhuo Yu let out a sigh: “Ah — how fortunate you are! Nothing like me.”

“How could I compare to you, uncle?”

“You can’t! When I sat the examinations I passed the presented scholar degree, and I was also fortunate to have a mentor take me under his wing. But the misfortune was that my mentor passed away young, and from then on I became a tree without roots.”

Zhuo Jue followed along, “What a pity. Had it not been so, you would not still be an adjutant now.”

“You don’t understand. Never mind the various factions and parties in court — for us southerners, we can only serve as the border of whatever pattern they’re weaving, and never the center of things. We have no one to speak for us.” Zhuo Yu said.

Zhuo Jue said, “Indeed — there’s no one to put in a word for us.”

Zhuo Yu gave him a sidelong glance. “You, young man, have people aplenty to speak for you — Zhù Judicial Review, right? I’ve half a mind to present myself at her door. Don’t sit in good fortune not knowing it’s fortune.”

The bait was taken. Zhuo Jue hesitated briefly, then said, “Does uncle mean this sincerely? Or are you just saying it?”

Zhuo Yu said, “Every time I come to the capital I have to keep smiling and taking people’s criticism — how could I say it insincerely?”

Only then did Zhuo Jue carefully say, “Then I’ll be shameless and make an introduction on your behalf? I don’t know whether it can be done — but if it can, at least we’d have someone who could put in a word for us.”

Zhuo Yu said, “If it can be done, I will certainly thank you for it.”

And he then showed the gifts he had brought to the capital.

……End of reverse chronology……

Having reported back to Zhuo Yu, Zhuo Jue came to the Zhù household.

In speaking to Zhù Ying, he also left out half — his own calculations went unmentioned, and he spoke only of Zhuo Yu’s difficulties. “When the immortals above fight, the little demons below suffer — one can only pray to the bodhisattva for protection.”

Zhù Ying said, “It is difficult for local officials.”

The central government had tremendous headaches with regional “feudal lords,” and yet when immortals like Yao and Mu fought, that was also enough to give local officials a bitter time.

Zhù Ying asked further about the prefecture where Zhuo Yu was posted. Zhuo Jue quickly produced Zhuo Yu’s calling card, which listed his current position — Regional Adjutant in such-and-such prefecture. Zhù Ying ran a quick mental scan of what she knew of that prefecture. As far as she knew, the cases from that area were on the whole clear and reasonable.

She said, “All right — I’ll have a talk with him. If he’s competent, there’s no reason to make things difficult for him.”

Zhuo Jue was overjoyed. “I’ll go back and tell him right away.”

Zhù Ying said, “No need to rush — you’ve come out in the bitter cold to make this trip. Have something hot to eat before you go.”

She kept Zhuo Jue for a meal, and all of Zhuo Jue’s five internal organs felt warmed through.

……

Zhuo Jue had brokered the connection. The next day, Zhuo Yu prepared a gift and, accompanied by Zhuo Jue, came to pay his respects at the household.

Zhù Ying received him very warmly in the hall for a detailed conversation.

Zhuo Yu opened his mouth first by praising Zhù Ying’s remarkable record of governance during her local postings. Hearing the phrase “remarkable record,” Zhù Ying caught a faint flavor of Gu Tong in it, and understood that this was a phrase that had traveled from Gu Tong to Zhuo Jue and then been passed on to Zhuo Yu.

She said modestly, “Not at all — I merely did my duty.”

“How many in the world can manage even that?” Zhuo Yu said, and then spoke of how he and some acquaintances had been rebuffed at the Ministry of Personnel.

Zhù Ying said, “I happened to speak with Secretariat Director Yao recently. He told me that your prefecture had quite a good year.”

Zhuo Yu smiled bitterly. “The misfortune is that I never got to see Secretariat Director Yao — I first ran into Deputy Director Mu.”

Zhuo Jue also spoke up on Zhuo Yu’s behalf, and added, “For us southerners, entering officialdom was hard enough to begin with. Now, without you, Patron, there’s not even a place to go and voice our grievances. We southerners are counting entirely on you!”

Zhuo Yu also said, “When things don’t go well, the Prefect Governor reprimands me on top of it all. Bitterness!”

The uncle and nephew — one bitter, then the other bitter — and Zhù Ying said, “It is indeed difficult out in the regions. When I used to run to the capital myself, I spent time queuing at every official residence handing in calling cards.”

She said, “This way — tell me the details of your situation, all of it, and I’ll see what can be turned around.”

Zhuo Yu reached into his sleeve and produced a notebook. “Everything under review is in here. Beyond that there’s also…”

The three of them talked for just under half an hour. Zhù Ying found he was well prepared; Zhuo Yu for his part was astonished — this person truly understands local affairs. There are details of minor business I have never paid much attention to, and she knows all of them.

He was questioned until he was sweating through his clothes.

Zhù Ying finally said, satisfied, “Good, I understand now. Tomorrow I’ll speak with the Secretariat Director — you wait for word.”

Zhuo Yu expressed his boundless gratitude, and he and Zhuo Jue both took their leave.

Back at the household, Zhù Ying turned the matter over in her mind. She had heard clearly the meaning behind what uncle and nephew were saying — the southern officials in the court had not formed a cohesive force, and were looking for someone to speak on their behalf.

That was not necessarily out of the question.

The following day after morning court, Zhù Ying went first to speak with Secretariat Director Yao. The Secretariat Director said, “National Uncle is causing trouble again, I presume?”

Zhù Ying could see that his nerve had stiffened — she knew Secretariat Director Yao must be getting on well with the Emperor. The current Emperor was far easier to deal with than the late Emperor had been. She smiled. “That I don’t know. These are the points he found fault with — what do you think?”

Secretariat Director Yao sneered. “What’s to look at? Which prefecture doesn’t have a few small deficiencies? If he wants to use this to block people, then I’ll find several dozen prefectures with the same deficiencies and lay them all before the Emperor! Will the Emperor really be as foolish as him?”

Zhù Ying said, “Brilliant. Ah — but be careful. If it reaches that point, it becomes very ugly, and the Secretariat Council will inevitably reprimand both sides.”

You say I’m unfit; I’ll take that same measure and apply it to everyone — so everyone comes up unfit. Who can’t back down then?

Secretariat Director Yao said, “No fear!”

“I am in your hands.”

“You and I are brothers — why so formal?”

“Then I’ll wait for your good news.”

“Don’t worry — I’ll take care of it.”

Zhuo Yu had his matter sorted within a couple of days and came again to the Zhù household to give thanks. Zhù Ying said, “It’s all for the greater good of the court.”

Zhuo Yu said carefully, “There are also two others of my fellow countrymen in the same situation who would like to pay their respects to you.”

“Oh? And what sort of men are they?”

Zhuo Yu produced the calling cards of the two people and spoke many good words on their behalf, then presented a gift list.

Zhù Ying smiled. “They can’t be thoroughly second-rate and expect to slip through!”

“We would not dare. Think of it this way, Patron — southerners have so little to rely on to begin with. I, by fortunate circumstance, encountered you. Truly second-rate men would be drowned before they could ever get to stand before you.”

Zhù Ying said, “I understand — you all wait for word.”

Zhuo Yu was delighted. “Thank you so much, Patron!”

Zhù Ying said, “I haven’t said it’s certain.”

Zhuo Yu offered compliments: “As long as the Patron has agreed to hear us out, we are already more grateful than words can say.”

……

Zhù Ying did not go straight to Secretariat Director Yao again. She waited two more days — and then word came from Wuzhou!

Wuzhou’s grain and tax were submitted under the adjacent Jiyuan Prefecture. The performance reviews for Wuzhou officials also followed a different process from the regular prefectures and counties — even if unsatisfactory, the court generally wouldn’t interfere. But Su Mingluan and the others had still submitted a New Year congratulatory memorial, and dispatched a messenger to bring it the whole way.

Traveling with the messenger were also some New Year goods packed by the estate’s household for Zhù Ying. Though she had said no need for funds, Zhang Xiangu had still put together several large trunks of things and had Zhù Wen bring them all along.

Zhù Ying had the household sort through the goods, then herself tucked the congratulatory memorial under her arm and went to the Eastern Palace.

The Eastern Palace at this time had only the Crown Prince’s household. The Crown Prince’s family was very simple — on the surface just the young couple, with the Palace Advisor’s office, and all the rest palace maids and eunuchs.

Hearing that Zhù Ying had come, the Crown Prince was surprised. He was in the middle of talking with Xian Jing, and the two exchanged a glance. The Crown Prince said to Xian Jing, “Judicial Review rarely involves herself in affairs — why has she come to the Eastern Palace today?”

Xian Jing said, “She is not that kind of person. She must have proper business.”

The Crown Prince said, “Would the Palace Advisor see her with me together?”

“Very well.”

Zhù Ying went before the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince asked her to sit, and Xian Jing said first, “A rare guest indeed.”

Zhù Ying said, “I come on public business for the court — what do you mean ‘guest’?”

The Crown Prince asked, “What business? Is there some case? Should this not be reported to the Secretariat Council or to His Majesty? How is it that you report first to me?”

Zhù Ying said, “It concerns Wuzhou. Your Highness previously held the remote governorship of Wuzhou. They have sent official documents to you again, so I am forwarding them. Su Zhe is residing in my household, so I brought them along.”

The Crown Prince still cared about Wuzhou and asked what the matter was.

Zhù Ying said, “Two things — one is theirs, and one is something else I have in mind.”

Xian Jing interjected, “Speak of the one you have in mind first.”

Zhù Ying said, “The Crown Prince’s remote governorship of Wuzhou seems somewhat inappropriate. Let us not prompt the court above to notice — they might then appoint some unknown person to hold it remotely instead.”

The Crown Prince nodded sincerely. “That is right and proper.”

Zhù Ying then said, “Wuzhou is a loosely governed territory, and its officials are not reviewed in the same way. Even if found wanting, the court generally leaves it alone. But Su Zhe somehow heard that the Ministry of Personnel’s reviews were especially difficult this year and mistakenly thought Wuzhou was also being reviewed, and has been fretting over it.”

Xian Jing smiled. “You’re using one matter to speak of another, as usual. That girl Su Zhe is sharp as a needle — she can’t be ignorant of the internal details of a review. Would you not have told her? You must be using her as a vehicle to speak of something else. Who are you pleading for?”

“Who I’m pleading for matters less — what’s true is that Deputy Director Mu should not be driving fish out of the shoal.”

Xian Jing dropped his smile. He and the Crown Prince exchanged a look, and both turned serious. The Crown Prince said, “He’s — ugh!”

Zhù Ying said, “Serving one’s sovereign conscientiously is correct — unlike us, who have all turned into old hands. But there should be a loosening of the grip — close enough should be enough.”

The Crown Prince said, “I’ll go and have a talk with him.”

Zhù Ying left all the Wuzhou documents behind. Seeing that Xian Jing was present before the Crown Prince, she decided the matter of Wang Yunhe was not for her to say more about right now. She had accomplished what she came for, and she left.

……

When one sends the Crown Prince to manage his maternal uncle, it is more effective than anyone else. Within a couple of days, everyone who had passed through the Ministry of Personnel was saying that Deputy Director Mu seemed to have had a change of heart.

Zhù Ying heard this and gave a light smile.

She finally had time to compile a summary of the Court of Judicial Review’s year of affairs, and to prepare the performance evaluations for the officials and staff, in preparation for sealing the office records before the New Year.

This year again she had no duty shifts — Zhao Su and Zhao Zhen had both assigned themselves shifts for New Year’s Eve. Qi Tai was as serene and at ease as ever, only asking that Zhù Ying invite Lady Qi to spend the New Year at the Zhù household, saying that his son-in-law was on duty and leaving his daughter alone at home made him uneasy.

Zhù Ying therefore had Hu Shijie go and bring Lady Qi over to stay temporarily at Qi Tai’s room in the household.

New Year this year again was much like the last — except that the guests were a few more, those who sent gifts were a few more, and the gifts were a little more generous. There was not much else that was different.

The household was kept busy. Zhù Wen had returned from the estate, bringing ten more people with him — five men and five women. Arriving in the capital just in time for the busiest season, they were dazzled and overwhelmed from the moment they arrived.

Zhù Ying had thought to ask Zhù Qingjun also to help settle these nine newcomers, but to her surprise Zhù Qingjun was busy every day going about the capital in plain dark clothing with her hair dressed simply, with no time to spare.

On the eighth day of the new year, Zhù Ying returned from the Court of Judicial Review to find Zhù Qingjun just arriving back from outside. She spotted Zhù Ying from a distance and came running. “Patron!”

Zhù Ying said, “Being busy actually makes you more lively.”

Zhù Qingjun was a little pleased with herself. “Of course! It’s not as if I’m sickly!”

Zhù Ying could hear that she was still stinging over the fact that she’d fallen ill the moment she arrived in the capital. She smiled. “Good.” She noticed something wrapped in Zhù Qingjun’s hand but didn’t ask.

Zhù Qingjun, feeling the glance sweep past her, instinctively started to hide the package behind her back. Zhù Ying pointed at her. “Caught! At the very moment when you most feel like hiding something — that’s precisely when you shouldn’t. The more natural you act, the less attention you draw. I won’t ask what you have.”

Zhù Qingjun’s face flushed pink. “Oh!”

And she quietly rejoiced to herself: It’s a birthday gift for you — if you’d asked, that would have spoiled it!

Zhù Ying’s birthday fell on the seventeenth day of the first month — the last of the three nights of the Lantern Festival when the curfew was lifted. She and Su Zhe and the others had been secretly planning, feeling that Zhù Ying had been utterly run ragged this year, and deserved a proper birthday celebration.

Zhù Qingjun had no private savings — every day she went out and gathered a little here, a little there. Having lived in the Zhù household for a long time, she also understood Zhù Ying’s habits. She wanted to make her a robe — one to wear going out, that would let her dress as an ordinary common person. She felt that was what Zhù Ying would want.

During the days, Zhù Qingjun was busy; at nights, she huddled together with Su Zhe in whispered planning. They waited eagerly for the seventeenth of the first month, hoping to hold a family banquet.

On the fifteenth day of the first month, Zhù Ying reminded everyone to be careful when they went out to see the lanterns.

Su Zhe suddenly thought of something. “Wait — that’s not right! In other households, when they celebrate a birthday, there are so many guests! Why can’t we do it up properly?”

Zhù Ying said, “There’s no need for all that now. We’ll have our own family celebration in a couple of days. If we invite all your uncles and the rest, it won’t be a small gathering!”

Su Zhe grumbled quietly, feeling that Zhù Ying was being shortchanged.

Zhù Ying smiled and let it pass.

This year there was no pressing business that needed to be handled under cover of a birthday banquet — better to save the household a little money.

On the seventeenth day of the first month, she returned home early, changed into new clothes, and Zhao Su and the others all arrived — including Zhuo Jue and Zhuo Yu. Zhuo Yu had no choice but to prepare another birthday gift; seeing that this “grand birthday” was not much of a grand occasion, he inwardly sighed.

Guests and host took their seats. Zhao Su was about to offer the first toast when Zhù Wen came running from the gate. “Patron! Patron Xian from next door has come!”

Zhù Ying said, “His legs are quick!”

She smiled and went with Zhao Su and the others to welcome him. Zhuo Yu also couldn’t stay seated, and followed in the rear with Zhuo Jue.

They had barely reached the entrance when Zhù Ying’s eyes narrowed slightly, though her feet didn’t falter even for an instant. “Xian Elder Brother. And this person is…?”

Behind Xian Jing, plain and unmistakable, followed the current Crown Prince. The Crown Prince wore everyday clothes, looking every inch a wealthy young gentleman. A smile was on his face as he took in the sight of Zhù Ying’s modest birthday gathering.