“Oh? Is that so? What else are people saying out there?” Zhù Ying asked, feigning keen interest, with not a trace of anger—bearing no resemblance at all to the person described in the rumors as someone very close to Wang Yunhe.

Those who did not know her well could not detect the slightest flaw; those who did know her well had mostly met Wang Yunhe too, and their hearts were full of bewilderment.

The man now sitting in Zhù Ying’s reception hall was a certain Regional Governor Fang from the south, who had no connection to Wuzhou whatsoever and shared no ties with any of Zhù Ying’s various networks. It was simply that he had heard some rumors, and reasoning that his home district was nearly two thousand li from the capital and qualified as “southern” in the court’s geographic planning, he had presented his visiting card and come calling of his own accord.

Today was his third visit.

On his first visit, he had waited in the Zhù residence, and Zhù Ying received him politely. They exchanged pleasantries, and he arrived bearing a gift. His stated reason was gratitude to the Court of Judicial Review for not causing difficulties over a case in his prefecture—the case had had its flaws, but the Court had issued a detailed and specific written response, and upon retrial it had passed quickly.

Governor Fang said, “It was thanks to the Court’s written document that I was able to hold my ground. I had sensed something was amiss with the case, but dared not bear the consequences of investigating further.” This was yet another story about “a retired elder’s family”—the elder naturally hoped to “keep family disgrace from spreading.” Yet the matter had already caused a considerable commotion, and the governor knew there was more beneath the surface but had no means to conduct a thorough investigation.

The Court of Judicial Review’s official document had given him a legitimate reason to investigate.

Zhù Ying accepted some of his gifts and sent him off with four gifts in return.

On his second visit, the two of them were considerably more at ease with each other. Governor Fang came ostensibly to seek guidance, having heard that Zhù Ying had also served in the south; he wished to ask Zhù Ying’s view of “southern people.”

Zhù Ying’s reply was: “People are neither north nor south—all are children of the same realm.”

Now it was the third visit. Governor Fang, by his own efforts, had concluded his negotiations with the Ministries of Revenue and Personnel, and with his official business complete, he sat at leisure chatting over tea with Zhù Ying. Present as company was Zhao Su. That day, he and Xiang An’s younger sister had come to visit Qi Tai, bringing the baby along; the grandparent and grandchild were enjoying familial warmth in the other room, while here they spoke of the various small pieces of news circulating through the capital.

The capital’s small talk, of course, Zhù Ying already knew about. Zhù Qingjun was gradually growing more familiar with the capital; compared to the deep familiarity Zhù Ying had built from nearly ten years of navigating its streets in her own youth, it was still a step short—but she was well on her way.

What Zhù Ying wanted to know was the gossip about Wang Yunhe circulating around Governor Fang.

Governor Fang said, “It is just that sort of thing. Looking on with cold eyes, I can see that Chancellor Wang’s position is not favorable! What a pity—to have spent a lifetime being a good man, and to tarnish one’s reputation at the end. What a shame, what a shame!”

“Is it really such a shame?”

Governor Fang said, “Chancellor Wang has always been fine—when I met him, he was never harsh with me. And he has never been seen to abuse his power in the past. But rumors have been spreading recently, and he has been Chancellor for a very long time! Counting it up, the Chancellors of the late Emperor’s reign each wielded power for no short span. For the moment I cannot work out whether he acts more for his own sake or more for the state’s.”

Zhù Ying said, “Ideally it would serve both public and private interests at once. Then we would all be more at ease. The world is full of people who care only for themselves and not a whit for others.”

Governor Fang said, “That is true.”

Governor Fang also made an arrangement that when the next snow fell and the red plum blossoms were in bloom, he would rent a garden in the capital and invite Zhù Ying for drinks. “There are also some fellow provincials—they all wish to pay their respects to you, only they are too shy. They have put me up to hosting as an invitation on their behalf.”

Zhù Ying smiled. “That is far too kind of you! I must certainly reciprocate. And as it happens, I have a few young people here with me—all scholars from Wuzhou.”

“How splendid!”

Zhù Ying smiled and saw him out. Governor Fang said, “Please do not trouble yourself further.” Zhao Su took over from there and accompanied him to the main gate. Governor Fang took a few extra moments to chat with Zhao Su; Zhao Su gave him his own calling card, Governor Fang exchanged cards with him, and then he swung up onto his horse and rode off into the cold wind with a spirited air.

Zhao Su returned to the reception hall to find Zhù Ying tapping the table with a finger, deep in thought. He stepped forward and murmured, “Chancellor Wang’s position is indeed unfavorable, and yet he has always been steady and methodical in his actions. Some have suffered losses, others have gained—and there are those in scholarly circles who speak on his behalf as well.”

Zhù Ying said, “Of course there are. But unfortunately, their voice is not large, and they are easily misled by others. Think about it—are there more people in this world who have met him, or more who have not? More who have worked alongside him, or more who have never dealt with him? In this matter, he is truly going to suffer some loss. The good news is the situation has not yet deteriorated beyond recovery.”

Zhao Su asked, “At the very worst…”

Zhù Ying shook her head. The time for that had not yet come.

Zhao Su said quietly, “What a pity—Chancellor Wang has indeed held power for too long.”

Zhù Ying glanced at him and said, “Our people should not comment on this matter while outside.”

“Understood.”

Zhao Su finally asked with lingering concern, “Godfather, will Chancellor Wang be able to live out his days in peace?”

Zhù Ying said, “He himself does not care about that.”

“But…” Zhao Su said two words and then fell silent. He still cared, just a little. He had been sharp-witted since childhood, but the first collection of writings that had opened his eyes to a wider world had been brought to him by Zhù Ying—and it had been written by Wang Yunhe.

He had not much believed in “gentlemen” before. Even acknowledging Zhù Ying as his godparent had been largely a matter of weighing interests; as long as Zhù Ying gave fair value, he had been willing to serve. It was only through years of companionship that he had come to place far more trust and reliance in Zhù Ying. Zhù Ying had two people in the capital whom she was particularly close to—Zheng Xi and Wang Yunhe—and the two were completely different.

One could not help but compare. Over twenty years, he had also come to understand clearly the distinction in how Zhù Ying treated these two men. At first, judging by the relative weight of the gifts she sent each of them, he had assumed she was closer to Zheng Xi—give more to those you are closer to; that was the most basic logic. But now, even as Zhù Ying still sent generous gifts to the Zheng household and bantered freely at the Zheng residence, in Wang Yunhe’s presence she maintained a measured deference.

He still felt that his godparent was, at heart, closer to Wang Yunhe.

Godfather—was she not worried? Or did she have some other plan in mind?

Zhao Su did not dare press. In his judgment, he could see the dangerous path Wang Yunhe was walking, and of course he also understood the benefits that path held for people like himself. Wang Yunhe and his godparent aligned on certain things; in contrast with Zheng Xi, they were on different roads.

The situation was complex and perilous, and what he thought in his heart could not even be spoken aloud to his own wife. His godparent’s foundations in the capital were also quite slender; he could not carelessly speak aloud twenty years of careful observation and put Godfather on guard against others.

This vast game of chess—he was not yet qualified to compete in it. But if there were an opportunity to put forth a little effort, to lend some assistance, he was willing to work for his godparent. What did it matter to be from the south? Had a daughter of the Liao people not already stood within the walls of the imperial city?

Zhao Su’s chin lifted slightly.

……——

Yet Zhù Ying maintained her silence.

She continued to attend to affairs, continued to go to banquets, continued to make regular calls at Minister Shi’s household, and continued to visit Liu Songnian for free meals. But she no longer readily expressed opinions.

Among close acquaintances, the others—including Liu Songnian—equally said nothing whatsoever.

Minister Shi was tending flowers at home. When Zhù Ying called on him again this year, she found that he had built a large hothouse on the grounds of his residence.

Zhù Ying smiled and said, “I do not know much about flowers; in the south I was mostly eating fruit. If I may be candid, my parents found the south’s hot and humid climate difficult to bear. I took steps to have a mountain retreat built for them to escape the summer heat. But the abundance of fruit and vegetables in the south is truly something they had never been able to enjoy before.”

“Mm, southern fruit transported to the capital is never as fresh and fragrant as something picked straight from the branch—no matter what one does. My eldest son once ventured quite far away, and when he returned he said the same: melons and fruit available at one’s destination are sweeter and more fragrant than those shipped to the capital. Lychees in particular—even by relay horse they turn with the journey. Fuzhou mandarins hold up tolerably well, and only because they are not particularly perishable.”

The two of them talked on about food and drink and leisure for quite a while. Minister Shi had already heard from his son that the Court of Judicial Review had not taken any extra action. But he could see clearly enough—the previous round had already been concluded.

Was this a period of rest?

Minister Shi said little, only watching and waiting. Between Duke Zheng and Chancellor Wang, there had been no open confrontation. Though there were tensions, they were being bridged. That was a sight Minister Shi was glad to see. As for whether they would ultimately fall out completely, Minister Shi preferred not to think about it. As long as he could keep his son from rushing into the fray, the Shi family would remain stable for now.

Minister Shi went on expressing nostalgia for the fruits of the south at great length. Zhù Ying thought: there are actually ways to do it, but they are laborious and wasteful—if it became a habit, it would be an offense. I am certainly not going to arrange that!

She kept him company in his nostalgia for a good while, then went home and sent two crocks of lychee honey to Minister Shi. In return, she received a handwritten thank-you note from him.

Zhù Ying casually tossed the note into a box for safekeeping.

Only Chen Meng grumbled a little: “Why does Chancellor Wang put himself through this? Have the realm in your heart by all means—but you have to actually be able to carry it. I truly do not want to see him end badly. If he retired now, his reputation would still be better than my late father’s. Had he retired even earlier, he might have been someone everyone praised as a near-saint. And you would have been spared having to put up with this friction from both sides—Chancellor Zheng is not an easy man to deal with.”

Zhù Ying smiled and said, “I am a servant of His Majesty—who could give me grief?”

Chen Meng said, “All right, I concede—will that do? I hear a few new people have been admitted into the court. How are they?”

What he meant by “the court” was the group who attended the regular morning audiences—those clad in the scarlet and purple robes.

“Nothing worth mentioning.” Zhù Ying curled her lip.

“You must not be too dismissive of them! People like them may not occupy two lines in the history books, but when they stand before us, do you and I not still have to receive them with smiling faces?”

Zhù Ying said, “I understand what you mean—but truly, nothing worth mentioning. They have no distinctive character as people, and as for their conduct in office… it is no surprise to anyone. Even their corruption lacks imagination. If recorded in the history books, it would all just be routine, unremarkable entries.” She was bored to the point of looking forward to Chen Meng and Luo Sheng coming back!

Chen Meng said, “I would wager that the people who will one day make things difficult for Chancellor Wang will come from among these very people.”

“That there will be such people is certain. But Chancellor Wang is not standing alone, is he?”

Chen Meng said, “By rights, the realm is due for a thorough tidying up—but who ever said it was easy? Take a household: originally run by an old madam. She dies, a new daughter-in-law comes to manage the house—surely she must sweep out some of the old furniture? Except that our present Emperor…”

Zhù Ying said, “How long has His Majesty been on the throne?”

“Long enough to make one anxious. He lacks ability, while Chancellor Wang has ability—so His Majesty simply needs to give Chancellor Wang his backing. Yet I fear even his backing is not very firm, and he may turn his attentions elsewhere. Chancellor Wang wants to accomplish things, and for that he must hold the Chancellery. And that invites rumors. These rumors—I refuse to believe there is no one behind them.”

Zhù Ying said, “The Son of Heaven has all under heaven at his disposal—what emperor hangs himself from a single tree?”

“Then Chancellor Wang is in danger?”

Zhù Ying said, “I do not know. We will simply take one step and see what the next brings.”

Chen Meng looked at her seriously. “Neither of them has any real connection to us! Do not go burying yourself into the bosom of either one. I have watched Zheng the Seventh’s relationship with you from the very beginning—he is not exactly a good man! He is merely somewhat better than my muddle-headed uncle, that is all. And you still have parents! Ah—take a concubine. Put down roots, branch out. You have spent half your life toiling away, doing nothing but worrying for others—best not to end up with nothing to show for it.”

“I know, I know! Madam Chen!”

Chen Meng said, “I am giving you good-natured advice and you make fun of me for it!”

Zhù Ying said, “I know you mean well. I have my own plans.”

Chen Meng urged, “Whatever help you offer Chancellor Wang, there must be limits! If Zheng the Seventh decides you are a traitor, he will not hold his hand. It is truly infuriating! Why does he have to press people like this?”

After Zhù Ying left, Chen Fang, who had been quietly listening the entire time, carefully asked his father: “Father, is Uncle Zhù going to help Chancellor Wang? Will he suffer for it?”

Chen Meng said, “Everyone says he is ruthless and iron-willed—but actually, he is the biggest softie of them all. He sees things clearly, but he cannot bear to watch others suffer. When it comes to making friends, though, this is exactly the kind of person worth befriending. Those with hearts too hard—they are no good.”

Meanwhile, voices in scholarly circles in defense of Wang Yunhe had gradually begun to rise. There were indeed some people like Zhao Su who felt that Wang Yunhe’s actions were for the best. Among them were no shortage of intelligent men. Some came out to expose those who were “petty men” unwilling to see a gentleman vindicated.

Others said that Wang Yunhe was over sixty but not yet seventy—what did it mean to call that “clinging to power”? By that logic, should every court official over seventy go home and mind their grandchildren? If we are going to say that, let us say it of everyone equally!

Still others turned their criticism toward Duke Zheng and his associates: Duke Zheng’s son was nearly fifty years old—and the Duke was still holding a position among the Three Preceptors and Three Companions? Still holding a nominal post in the Crown Prince’s establishment?

Duke Zheng was also being criticized, but he was perfectly steady.

Regardless of what was said outside, he simply summoned Zheng Xi: “They stir up the trouble, and my old hide gets the insults! I have done nothing to Wang Yunhe! Tell me—what am I supposed to do?”

Zheng Xi offered reassurance in a soothing tone: “Since they are the ones who stirred it up, they certainly will not sit by while others twist the story sideways. You need not be anxious, Father. We need not act—others will do it more fiercely.”

Duke Zheng muttered, “What does Wang Yunhe want? At his age, has he revived the ambitions of his youth?”

Zheng Xi smiled. “These Confucian scholars—their ideals are always with them. It is only that for some, they are genuine, while for others, those ideals are merely a stepping stone to rank, privilege, and reputation. What does it matter which is which? Use what is useful; as for what is of no use, do you still keep it around and revere it?”

Duke Zheng said, “He… is a bit of a pity.”

Zheng Xi said, “I understand. He has spent a lifetime in service; stepping down in good time would be good for him too.”

……

Zheng Xi’s read proved accurate. Before he had even said a word, yet another version of the story began circulating in the capital—Wang Yunhe had been Chancellor for twenty years; the realm knew his fine reputation well. Whatever he wished to do, he did; leaning on his status as a senior official of the previous reign, he used his power to overawe the Emperor. Everything under heaven came down to his word alone.

People only knew there was a Chancellor Wang—they had forgotten there was an Emperor.

This too contained a kernel of truth. The new Emperor was indeed not a decisive man; even the business of replacing old officials with new ones had been carried out without any clear principles. When he first ascended the throne, all the court officials had, by tacit agreement, been inclined to ask him to “reign without governing.” That had been the shared understanding at the time—everyone had had a hand in it—yet now it was all being laid at Wang Yunhe’s door.

The first to bring this news to Zhù Ying was not Zhao Su and others who moved among the scholarly community, nor the new acquaintance Governor Fang—it was Zhù Qingjun.

Zhù Ying asked earnestly: “People on the streets are actually saying this?”

Zhù Qingjun said, “Yes. And they also say Chancellor Wang understands affairs better than His Majesty.”

That is not a good sign at all, Zhù Ying thought.

She kept her composure, and said to Zhù Qingjun, “Do not go spreading talk like this.”

“Yes. Our people would never dare gossip carelessly.”

This rumor was far more dangerous than the previous one! Even within scholarly circles, people could not help but reflect—it was genuinely true that Wang Yunhe seemed more capable than the Emperor. Once that thought took hold, one would fall into a trap.

Zhù Ying let out a quiet sigh. She said to Zhù Qingjun, “Find a reliable person, and put it out that this is because His Majesty holds the late Emperor in his heart—it is an expression of filial devotion!”

Zhù Qingjun said, “Three years without altering the father’s ways?”

Zhù Ying nodded.

Zhù Qingjun said softly, “But… it is almost three years now. Does this not mean preparations should be made to suggest that changes might follow?”

“Let us get through the immediate crisis first!” Even the most dim-witted of emperors would not tolerate anyone challenging his position as lord of all under heaven. And the more mediocre the ruler, the more anxious he would be about it.

Zhù Qingjun slipped away quickly. Rather than seeking out the characters in the streets, she simply wrapped herself in a dark robe and made her way to the outside of a teahouse, crouching among the cluster of servants there. Taking advantage of a moment when the servants were themselves gossiping and opining on worldly affairs, she scattered the “filial piety” version of the story among them. By the time anyone looked for her again, she had already vanished without a trace.

Zhù Ying strongly suspected that rumors of this sort would not take long to reach the Emperor’s ears. But if the Emperor heard it and said nothing, it would be very difficult for others to find an occasion to speak in defense of Wang Yunhe before him.

This matter, Zhù Ying also found troublesome.

As the twelfth month arrived, reports of snowstorm disasters came in from many localities—”livestock frozen to death without number, tens of thousands of homes collapsed under the weight of snow, a certain number of commoners frozen to death.” Other localities reported no snow at all, and the local officials were worried it might affect next year’s harvest.

None of this could be concealed. Wang Yunhe and Zheng Xi submitted several memorials reporting disasters together, and when the Emperor read them, his face immediately fell. Wang Yunhe also memorialized requesting prompt disaster relief: “With the cold and frozen ground, any delay will mean more deaths from freezing and starvation.”

The Emperor said glumly, “Have the relevant ministries draft a plan.”

Wang Yunhe accepted the task, and after deliberating with the Ministry of Revenue, they also proposed reducing and exempting certain taxes and levies for the disaster-struck areas.

The following day, when the plan was reported to the Emperor in court, the Emperor suddenly choked with emotion: “When the late Emperor was alive, the weather was auspicious and the harvests were plentiful. Since my accession, disasters have come one after another. Can it be that my virtue is lacking? How will I face the late Emperor in the afterlife? How will I face our Founding Emperor and the Imperial Ancestors?”

At these words, not a minister could remain standing. They knelt together in unison: “The fault lies with us, your servants.”

Zheng Xi said, “How could this be His Majesty’s fault? The blame lies entirely with us ministers for failing to harmonize yin and yang, causing Heaven to send down its warning.”

Zhù Ying’s heart gave a sudden lurch.

How long had Zheng Xi been Chancellor? Harmonize yin and yang? Was this not forcing Wang Yunhe to resign—or else sit there having his clinging to power confirmed?

Zhù Ying took a deep breath and was about to rise to speak. Her motion was halfway complete when the person beside her, Grand Astrologer Lu, swiftly caught her arm and hissed in a low voice, “Don’t throw your life away.”

Then a voice rang out from behind: “What does this have to do with the Chancellor?”

Yu Quan!

Yu Quan spoke with measured authority: “In the world there is yin and yang, the four seasons, day and night—these are all the natural order of things. There is no sun without night, no spring without winter. The late Emperor enjoyed the autumn harvest, while Your Majesty has simply encountered the cold of winter. What does this have to do with virtue?

The heavenly way is constant. To endure through the winter and see the dynasty’s prosperity continue—that is Your Majesty’s great achievement, and what would the late Emperor or the Founding Ancestors and Imperial Ancestors possibly have to reproach you for?”