“Ah? Ugh… ooh…” Lin Feng’s throat suppressed three sounds, and in the end swallowed them all. He looked down to see half a foot pressing down on his toes.

Su Zhe didn’t move a muscle, but squeezed a single word through her teeth: “Uncle.” Her foot pressed down on Lin Feng’s toes again.

Lin Feng’s teeth-grinding was even louder than hers. “Get your foot off! I’m not an idiot! Even without you stepping on me, I wouldn’t have said anything!”

Su Zhe withdrew her foot.

Among those at the Zhù household — Su Zhe and Lin Feng had seen the Crown Prince before and recognized him. Su Zhe heard Lin Feng make a sound and feared he might blurt out the Crown Prince’s identity. Looking at the Crown Prince’s appearance here, traveling incognito — he might not necessarily wish to be recognized publicly. If the Crown Prince wished it, there would be time for the whole household to offer a proper formal greeting later.

Lin Feng only felt aggrieved. He had been startled, but surely he also knew when and when not to run his mouth!

The two of them exchanged a couple of curt hisses, while on the other side the Crown Prince was already making his own introduction — saying he was Xian Jing’s “informal student”: “Since there is no curfew tonight, I have come to pay my respects to the teacher, and followed the teacher here.”

Xian Jing turned back to those behind him. “Bring it up. And as for you —” He looked at Zhù Ying. “—you do your birthday so quietly, and if my ears weren’t sharp you’d have slipped past me again.” A servant brought up a birthday gift, which the Zhù household’s people accepted.

Zhù Ying said, “Please come in. It’s not any milestone birthday — no need to wear out your good fortune.”

In the Zhù household there were also people who had not seen the Crown Prince, and they were already guessing who he was. Zhuo Yu, however, was full of doubtful suspicion. He had seen the Crown Prince during court sessions, though at a distance, and the Crown Prince had not been wearing this kind of clothing. He seemed vaguely familiar somehow — though he didn’t dare say so. He looked more carefully, and suddenly thought he had guessed it.

Watching the way Xian Jing and Zhù Ying moved around this young man who had given no account of his origins — a clear pattern of “deferring.” Then this person’s standing must be extraordinary. Taking everything into consideration, Zhuo Yu’s suspicion deepened.

When seats were arranged a little while later, Xian Jing was clearly the “honored guest” of the day, yet he also first looked to the young man. After the young man conceded quite graciously, Xian Jing rather stiffly took the upper seat. Looking again at Zhù Ying — she too was being exceptionally deferential. Zhù Ying was always deferential, but today’s deference had an extra quality to it.

Xian Jing, feeling he had carried the whole thing off quite naturally, commented first on Zhù Ying, “This birthday of yours, and not a drop to drink.”

Zhù Ying said, “I can’t drink. But if you want to drink, I do have good wine here. I received it after returning to the capital — two-year aged!”

Xian Jing laughed heartily.

The wine had just been poured when another guest arrived at the gate — none other than Liu Songnian.

Even the Crown Prince couldn’t help but stand up. The reaction from the Zhuo clan’s uncle and nephew as they rose could only be described as flailing.

Liu Songnian had not expected it either — he’d strolled over on a whim and walked into such extraordinary luck!

The group looked at one another. The Crown Prince used his eyes to send Liu Songnian rapid signals. Liu Songnian said, “Quite a lively gathering!”

Before the words were done, Jin Liang and his wife arrived too. Zhù Ying gestured toward Zhù Qingjun, and Zhù Qingjun hurried forward to take Jin Da Niang Zi’s arm. “Lady Jin, aren’t you going to watch the lanterns?”

Jin Da Niang Zi also didn’t recognize the Crown Prince, nor did she recognize Liu Songnian, and she took Zhù Qingjun’s arm and said to Zhù Ying: “That annoying eyesore of ours is on duty today, so his father and I are leaving him at home and coming on our own to join in the fun.”

They had hesitated for a while — deciding thirty-five was not such a small birthday and they really ought to come. But they were also a little worried. Jin Da Niang Zi knew, on one hand, that the Zhù household had no female family members, and on the other hand she knew Zhù Ying would certainly not ignore them — but such a grand scene would split her attention between them, which was purely adding to her trouble.

In the end Jin Liang settled it: “If we don’t go, won’t that distance us even further?”

So the couple had come after all.

Jin Liang recognized the Crown Prince’s face and was about to pay his respects, and he also wanted to praise the Crown Prince for honouring a worthy man with his presence — and Zhù Ying for having such distinguished company — but Lin Feng at his side was frantically signaling to him with his eyes.

The eye-signals hadn’t finished before Chen Meng and his son arrived! Father and son were in mourning, but they felt they were close enough to Zhù Ying that not coming would be standoffish.

This way, several different groups had converged in the Zhù household into a complete hodgepodge — none of them had anything to do with one another.

Chen Meng and his son recognized the Crown Prince; the Crown Prince gave a slight shake of his head, and the two understood at once and said nothing. Chen Fang thought to himself: Is there anyone here who doesn’t know who you are?

He complained inwardly while keeping his mouth shut.

The group looked at one another, which amused Liu Songnian greatly — he had been thinking of leaving the moment he saw the Crown Prince, but now he stayed instead. “How interesting.”

Zhù Ying said, “As long as you’re entertained.”

Liu Songnian’s remark broke the ice, and the Crown Prince dropped his air of reserve too, saying, “I thought I was the only one who had slipped out to enjoy myself — I didn’t expect you were out as well.”

Liu Songnian said, “It was dull elsewhere.”

Several different groups knew none of the others and had nothing of any intimacy to say. Liu Songnian, Jin Liang, Chen Meng, and the rest had come to celebrate Zhù Ying’s birthday — so they simply treated it as a proper celebration and chatted casually. As for what the Crown Prince and Xian Jing had intended to do — Liu Songnian didn’t particularly care.

Liu Songnian asked Xian Jing, “Hasn’t your teacher given you a mountain of things to do? You’re not helping him?”

Xian Jing answered respectfully, “My teacher has his own affairs. When he needs me, it goes without saying that I am at his disposal. But I also have my own responsibilities — my proper duties must not be forgotten.”

On the other side, Lin Feng was much more relaxed. He shook out his stepped-on foot and went over to pour wine for Liu Songnian. Liu Songnian said, “Such haste.”

Lin Feng was not at all afraid of him — his skin had been toughened thoroughly by a stint under Liu Songnian’s supervision, no matter how briefly. “My foster grandfather’s household has only someone rash like me — please bear with us.”

Xian Jing glanced downward and said to Zhù Ying, “Your household has a great many young people.”

Zhù Ying said, “The way you say it, you make it sound as though we’re all old. At twenty-some years old, you would never have said such a thing.”

Chen Meng said, “We’re not old at all! Among the people in court, we’re still considered young.”

They talked for a while about young and old, and then Chen Meng asked about the identities of the several people arranged in front of Zhù Ying. The Crown Prince also looked over with interest.

Su Zhe and Lin Feng the Crown Prince had seen before; Zhao Zhen and Zhao Su he had some knowledge of; the others had no particular reputation. The slightly more prominent among them was Zhuo Yu. Zhuo Yu had initially thought the occasion’s scale wasn’t grand enough, but now he was increasingly certain — that young man was the Crown Prince.

He feigned not having recognized the Crown Prince, performed the full courtesy of an official introducing himself, and while ostensibly addressing Chen Meng, he was clearly also speaking for the Crown Prince’s ears. He had also calculated that he was at Zhù Ying’s birthday banquet, so he should not try too hard to stand out. The passage of speech came out as though he were addressing the court in a formal memorial.

Zhù Ying pointed at Chen Meng and said, “Today you are all my guests, and in my house, toward him you needn’t conduct yourselves as though meeting a great dignitary.”

Everyone laughed.

In the midst of laughter, Zhù Ying turned to ask Liu Songnian whether he had brought a gift, and Liu Songnian said, “Have you no shame?”

Zhù Ying said, “This is my shame — being able to take an advantage when it presents itself is the very definition of ability! Hand it over!”

The Crown Prince watched these two with such ease, then looked at Xian Jing. Xian Jing shook his head at him, and the Crown Prince continued to look on with a smile. He took in everyone present, then thought about how if Zhù Ying had wanted to invite guests she certainly could have had many more. Today only these few had come. How many had sent gifts without appearing in person — who could say?

The people who had come were also interesting — looking at the scene, those who had arrived after himself and Xian Jing were all uninvited guests. Then those already present must have been the ones Zhù Ying had called.

Southerners?

The Crown Prince felt he was seeing something.

So the Crown Prince continued to look on — like an unsophisticated young man brought by elders to a banquet, watching and saying nothing. He noticed that between Zhù Ying and Liu Songnian going back and forth, the atmosphere loosened. Then Chen Meng joined in, and the group of young people there also relaxed. It had to be said — this was itself a kind of skill. Who had ever said Liu Songnian was cold and aloof? That depended on whom!

Before long, Zhao Zhen was telling Chen Fang about things from Wuzhou, and also about how Gu Tong had once jumped over a wall on his own and run to the county yamen to claim a teacher. This drew in Zhuo Jue, who also talked about his own origins, and about encountering Zhuo Yu on the street by a familiar accent. All who heard it found it at once unexpected and entirely natural.

The Crown Prince inserted a remark: “It must be fate. But all your official speech is quite good.”

Xian Jing smiled and said to the Crown Prince, “As for the others I cannot say, but these young ones — the ones from Wuzhou — Zǐzhāng put real effort into that in his time. He even went to trouble Chief Minister Liu about it. The Chief Minister’s mouth was impatient, but when Zǐzhāng sought him out to write phonetic literacy songs, he did not refuse.”

Su Zhe then offered Liu Songnian a round of praise, speaking of the literacy songs’ value: “What do those classical essays amount to? How many people have even read them? Nothing like our literacy songs — an entire prefecture knows them. The more people know something, the more people remember it — that’s what lets it be passed down.”

Zhuo Yu found his opening and said, “For us southerners, learning the standard official language has always been difficult — in the past it was entirely a matter of one’s own luck. How I wish I had encountered a diligent official like Zhù Patron in my younger years.”

This sparked Chen Meng’s conversational enthusiasm, and he spoke of governing a region: “I have considered myself quite capable, and yet I have still not been as attentive as Zǐzhāng. She carries the world and the people in her heart — that is the true practice of the sage teachings. A person — what they spend their thoughts on shows clearly in everything they do.”

Chen Fang recalled that his grandfather had said much the same during his lifetime. He suddenly thought of his grandfather and felt a pang of grief.

Zhù Ying said, “You’re saying all this just because today is my birthday — you’re flattering me deliberately. I’m doing nothing more than doing well whatever I’m told to do. It’s hardly as miraculous as you all make it sound. Can we change the subject?”

She had originally wanted to eat a meal with the southern scholars, talk about something light — no need to discuss any serious business, just a simple gathering. Then these people had come one after another, and all she could do was keep company with the elder guests, while Zhao Su came over to talk with the southern scholars. The younger ones chatted among themselves but also kept half an eye on the elders’ table.

Chen Meng asked, “Change it to what?”

Zhù Ying had Zhù Yin go and prepare the arrow-tossing game. “Shall we have a round?”

“Yes!”

The atmosphere grew lively again. Zhù Ying pointed at Jin Liang. “Today is my birthday, so I won’t play — Elder Brother Jin, you go in my place!” She also brought out prizes, and was laughed at by Chen Meng: “It’s your birthday and you’re providing your own prizes! Let me do it.” He unclipped a jade pendant at his waist to serve as the prize.

The young people gathered around. The Crown Prince also tossed a few arrows — one struck the side of the jar and fell to the ground, while the rest went in. He removed a hairpin from his head and added it as a prize: “My hands are out of practice — I concede defeat.”

Now that he had offered a prize, the young officials who had been planning to hold back started throwing in earnest.

Jin Liang quietly grew competitive too, and declared, “I am playing in place of Zhù Patron — I cannot lose! Though as for the prize, I won’t take it — I’m keeping company with you young folks.”

The Crown Prince found this amusing and looked at him again; then, resuming his seat, he heard Xian Jing say to Zhù Ying, “I was just going to say this birthday of yours is rather dull — you don’t drink, and your household has no female musicians. Fortunately there’s this game to play. In my view, there ought to be a troupe of female musicians.”

Zhù Ying said, “I can’t follow those performances, and I don’t know enough about them. All the chirping and chattering gets on my nerves.”

The Crown Prince chimed in, “I heard Lan De say that even when he went south to see you, you had neither female entertainers nor official courtesans — that you’d already released them all. He said you had no appreciation for such pleasures.”

What Lan De had privately said to the Crown Prince was, “At first I thought he was just putting on airs, but then I heard that guests who visited him were treated the same way, and even back in the capital he’s the same — he genuinely has no appreciation for such pleasures.” A palace eunuch commenting that a court minister had no appreciation for pleasures — the contrast was so striking that the Crown Prince had remembered it particularly clearly.

Xian Jing said, “To think he wasn’t even struggling financially then.” Levying tax on courtesans was one of the government’s significant sources of revenue. That Zhù Ying had released the official courtesans and still managed to hold everything together — this was a skill Xian Jing genuinely admired. Mentioning it brought back memories of his days in the Ministry of Finance, and Xian Jing gave a quiet smile.

Zhù Ying said, “It’s nothing particular. I simply thought — a place that allows women to be turned into prostitutes is not fit to be called a place of good living.”

Xian Jing went momentarily still.

……

Though Zhù Ying’s birthday banquet had no wine and no musicians, after a round of games it was still lively enough. Xian Jing and the Crown Prince did not dare stay too late. After the Crown Prince lost his hairpin, Xian Jing found the excuse of worrying about his elderly mother at home and took the Crown Prince away.

Outside the Zhù household, the Crown Prince looked back at this relatively plain gate and façade. Xian Jing said, “I hadn’t expected his birthday to be done like this. Thinking it over carefully — it’s exactly what he would do.”

The Crown Prince said, “There is something in it.”

Xian Jing, worried by the number of people on the streets, insisted on personally escorting the Crown Prince back to the palace. The Crown Prince also wanted to continue their conversation, so both of them got into the same carriage.

The Crown Prince spoke first. “Just now I saw many young people. Should the court not continue to rotate in new people?”

Xian Jing gave a bitter smile. “It must happen.”

He was a little worried about Wang Yunhe. Wang Yunhe was also not young, and had been Chief Minister for quite a long time.

The Crown Prince said, “Replacing them will not be easy, I imagine?”

Xian Jing said, “Who would say otherwise?”

The Crown Prince said, “There will always be new people who need to be placed. In recent days, the old retainers from the Prince’s residence mostly hold high positions of little substance. The few who hold real power — when my father wants to accomplish something, he always faces constraints. An emperor without freedom of movement — how can that be right? There will have to be a passing of the old and entering of the new.”

Xian Jing said quietly, “Then there is no choice but to let the late Emperor feel a little wronged.”

The Crown Prince, in the light of the carriage lantern, looked at Xian Jing.

Xian Jing said, “Some of the late Emperor’s old retainers are simply too old — they should be allowed to retire and enjoy their days. Some, though younger, are of no use. They occupy high positions thanks to the late Emperor’s favor, but during the palace crisis not one of them was any use at all — truly a poor return on the late Emperor’s trust. The useless ought to be cut away; only those who serve a purpose should remain. As long as they serve a purpose, their age is beside the point.”

The Crown Prince laughed. “Palace Advisor, why do you contradict yourself?”

Xian Jing said, “‘New and old’ and ‘young and old’ are not matters of age — they are matters of the heart. A man in his early twenties who clings to convention can have a spirit full of age and decay. The Grand Duke met King Wen of Zhou at eighty years old and only then had his ambitions fulfilled — is he new, or old?”

The Crown Prince smiled. “You are speaking of Chief Minister Wang, I think. I have observed some signs of his inclination toward change.”

Xian Jing said sincerely, “Yes.”

The Crown Prince said, “But I fear it won’t be easy. Even without my father blocking him, there are plenty of others who will. Things done below with too much urgency have already driven someone to his death — that is also not something the Grand Duke would have done.”

Xian Jing said, “The full truth is not yet known. And even if there is a slight flaw, we cannot wait any longer.”

The Crown Prince only smiled and said nothing.

Xian Jing said quietly, “Chief Minister Wang is not doing this for himself. If it were for himself, his reputation has already reached the pinnacle of what a minister can attain. Anything further he does — if it falls even slightly short of perfect, it can only diminish him. And yet he still does it! He does it for the realm, for His Majesty, and also for Your Highness’s future.”

“What reasoning is this?”

Xian Jing spoke slowly. “Your Highness reads history — in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which person do you like the best?”

The Crown Prince hesitated a moment and said, “There are so many tangled ones — I couldn’t say offhand. But I used to be rather fond of Zhuge Liang.”

Xian Jing said, “I rather admire Lu Su.”

“Why?”

Xian Jing said slowly, “Lu Su dared to speak plainly, and Sun Quan was willing to hear him — and did not take offense at Lu Su’s directness. ‘What those men just said, Your Lord, is greatly mistaken. People like myself may submit to Cao Cao — we can return to our home districts, and over time our rank and titles will not be lost; we can at minimum still be prefectural governors. But if Your Lord surrenders to Cao Cao — where will you go? Your rank will not exceed a marquis, your carriage no more than one, your horse no more than one, your retinue no more than a handful. How could you ever again call yourself lord of the south? The intentions of these men are each for themselves alone — you must not listen to them. Your Lord should quickly decide on the great plan.'”

The Crown Prince’s brow furrowed deeply. He had come out of the palace today only to “take a look around” and maintain a bond with his Palace Advisor. At Xian Jing’s home he had heard it was Zhù Ying’s birthday and went along to join the fun. This person Zhù Ying — called upright yet slippery; called slick yet capable of doing real work.

Empress Mu had put it well: for a person of real ability, using the title “Crown Prince” or making a few promises would not win them over. One had to put in genuine effort, not just words, and not expect an immediate return. Something like Liu Songnian’s loyalty to the late Emperor — it had grown from a bond of feeling built over time. Better to maintain a middle distance, and warm that relationship slowly — one would know a person’s true heart over time. So today he had been quite relaxed in his mind.

He had not expected that with the birthday feast already eaten and done, on the journey back Xian Jing would lay all this on him!

Xian Jing continued, “The realm has been at peace for a long time. It looks like blossoms in full bloom — but in truth we have already reached a point where change can no longer be postponed. A few years ago, one bad harvest in the north, and the Secretariat Council had no choice but to redirect the southern granary reserves northward. Why? It should never have come to that! A pillar — appearing thick and solid, already riddled with rot inside.

Your Highness participates in court deliberations, and you know: since the final years of the late Emperor, not only have disasters grown frequent, but the neighboring peoples beyond our borders have also been unsettled. If no change is made now, when the situation becomes unmanageable, there will be those who come to level the wealth for Your Highness. What will you do then?

It is said that ministers conceal things from His Majesty — yet northern border raids, famine in the north, floods in the rivers, accumulated corruption creating enormous holes — each and every one, which is restful? Which does not require the court to pour in grain and silver? Where does the grain and silver come from? The tax revenues of the regions all depend on the diligent management of local officials.

Your Highness — the realm is the realm Your Highness will one day take into your hands. You cannot look on as it decays beyond salvation. When you do receive it, what do you intend to do?”

The flame of the candle flickered brightly in Xian Jing’s eyes. The Crown Prince looked into his eyes, and slowly nodded.

Outside, they had finally arrived at the palace gate. Xian Jing descended from the carriage first, helped the Crown Prince down, and watched the attendant eunuchs and guards escort the Crown Prince into the palace.

Xian Jing let out a long breath, pulling his cloak tighter around himself.

Today, he had planned to go to Zhù Ying’s birthday celebration, and while there to talk with Zhù Ying about supporting Wang Yunhe. Then unexpectedly the Crown Prince had come to his home and insisted on going along. He had not planned to persuade the Crown Prince today — but the words had led to words, and he had said all this. He did not regret it.