The first to arrive was Zhao Su. In the command yamen he had only a few familiar faces and had not yet been assigned specific duties. After distributing the gifts, with nothing else on his hands, he came before Zhù Ying once more.

Zhù Ying was very busy. As concurrent holder of four commissioner posts, her power was great and her workload was correspondingly immense. As the autumn harvest drew near, various signs also suggested that the northern barbarians would soon come south again on a plundering raid, making the pressure bearing down on Zhù Ying — who had little understanding of military affairs — all too easy to imagine.

Seeing Zhao Su arrive again, Zhù Ying said: “Good timing — sort through these.”

Zhao Su took hold of the pile of miscellaneous dispatches even as he said: “I thought I was brought here to handle the education and transformation of the barbarians.”

Zhù Ying said: “Say what you mean plainly.”

“Was I not brought here specifically to stir up discord between the barbarian overlord and the other tribes? That I can do!”

Zhù Ying said: “Have you started doing it yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Then do this first.”

“Ah.”

As they spoke, Chen Fang, Zhuo Que, and others arrived as well. Zhù Ying pointed at the table again: “Get to work.”

A good stretch of work went by, until the sky had gone dark and candles were being lit. Only then did Zhù Ying say: “That’s enough for today.”

The evening banquet was Zhù Ying’s welcome feast for Zhao Su. Luo Sheng arrived a little early. Zhù Ying first introduced Zhao Su to him, and Zhao Su stepped forward to bow. Luo Sheng helped him up, and said to Zhù Ying: “I’ve met him in the capital before — a truly distinguished-looking young man. People say he has inherited seven parts of your true teaching.”

Zhao Su said: “This junior is still far behind my adoptive father. To have inherited three parts would ensure I want for nothing in this lifetime.”

Zhù Ying said: “A few days apart and you’ve sweetened considerably — you’ve been sneaking sugar behind our backs.”

Su Zhe burst out laughing and made a face at Zhao Su. Zhao Su felt not the slightest embarrassment and replied with perfect composure: “I’ll keep right on sneaking it going forward.”

Shortly after, Zhù Qingjun, Xiang An, and the others also arrived, along with Jing Gang and others. Xiang An was supported by a maidservant, her walking somewhat unsteady, and her left arm was suspended in a sling at her neck.

Zhao Su asked: “What happened to Third Lady?”

Xiang An smiled: “I made a fool of myself and caused a delay.”

Zhù Qingjun said: “It was I who…”

Xiang An said: “You were holding steady at the front, and I was safe and secure at the rear — and ended up injuring myself.”

The two of them had always been well matched as a pair: Zhù Qingjun charging at the front, Xiang An ensuring logistics from behind. As chance would have it, Zhù Qingjun — who darted about everywhere and occasionally killed enemies — had not so much as received a scratch beyond mosquito bites. It was Xiang An, delivering grain, who had encountered an ambush a few days earlier. It was a small raiding party of barbarian cavalry, the grain stores were not significantly damaged, but Xiang An was injured.

Zhù Qingjun blamed herself deeply, feeling it was due to her own negligence in allowing barbarian riders to slip through southward. She had tended to Xiang An’s injuries and accompanied her for every meal.

Zhao Su said: “When two armies are at war, danger is everywhere. You both need to take care of yourselves.”

Before long, Wen Yue also came rushing over. The group was complete.

During the meal, when Luo Sheng noticed that no one had raised the subject of Zhao Su’s official duties, he was about to bring it up himself, but then heard them speaking only of affairs in the capital. There was grief over Marquis Zheng’s death coming too soon, and relief that Zheng Xi had not gone into full mourning.

Luo Sheng offered a candid observation: “With Seventh Young Master still here, we can carry out our work here in peace. What I fear is that if a different person takes over, we might have to change our entire approach.”

Zhù Ying said: “Quite so. Changing course mid-way really does put people in a difficult position. The way things stand now is much better — it doesn’t waste effort.”

Luo Sheng waited until the banquet was over, then deliberately lingered, his eyes glancing toward Zhao Su repeatedly. Zhù Ying caught his meaning, kept everyone back, and then gave Zhù Qingjun and Xiang An a meaningful look.

All of them stopped and followed Zhù Ying to the study.

Zhù Ying invited Luo Sheng to take a seat; only then did the others dare sit down.

Once seated, Zhù Ying and Luo Sheng exchanged a glance. Luo Sheng made a “please, proceed” gesture, and Zhù Ying said: “A few days ago, the Royal Consort and I discussed a certain matter that we need you all to carry out.”

Zhao Su said: “Whatever the two of you instruct, this subordinate is at your disposal.”

Zhù Qingjun and Xiang An sat quietly. It was plain that Zhao Su, summoned all this way from the capital, was the main person for this task, while the two of them were to assist.

Zhao Su already knew the general picture, having also received a request from his niece Su Zhe. Thus when Zhù Ying repeated a summary of what was required, he showed not the slightest sign of surprise.

After patiently listening through it a second time, he said simply: “This subordinate will do his utmost.”

Zhù Ying said to Zhù Qingjun and Xiang An: “You two are more familiar with conditions in the north at present. Tell him the details in a moment.”

She also had Zhao Su spend the next few days first getting an overview of the situation, and then they would determine a specific plan.

Luo Sheng said: “If we don’t inform Marquis Leng about this, won’t he be displeased? Or could we end up duplicating efforts? But if we do tell him, there is also the risk of the intelligence leaking, and we don’t know whether he would object.”

Zhù Ying smiled: “Of course we will make things clear to him. Everything you are worried about — none of it matters. Have you forgotten who the current Director of the Office of Foreign Reception is?”

“Leng — oh!”

Zhù Ying pointed to Zhao Su: “Did I transfer him all the way here merely to give him an opportunity? If we are going to act on the Royal Consort’s behalf, we must do things with care — best to make few enemies.”

A look of gratitude appeared on Luo Sheng’s face: “Ziqiang has been most thoughtful.”

Zhù Ying pushed another stack of materials to Zhao Su and asked him to commit them to memory. As Zhao Su accepted them, he said: “This matter does genuinely require the cooperation of Marquis Leng as well. With him personally commanding the main army at the front, there is simply no way to go around him.”

He already had a preliminary plan taking shape in his mind, and it did indeed require Marquis Leng’s cooperation. Generous gifts of gold and silk to the rebel tribes had been something Marquis Zheng had already arranged while still alive — the purpose being to let people see tangible benefits. But tangible benefits alone were not enough; one could too easily come to be seen as a soft touch. It appeared Marquis Zheng had not yet had time for the next step — and so that next step would fall to him.

For example, treating captured prisoners from different tribes differently. Deliberately letting slip provocative remarks in front of prisoners to be carried back to their people — playing out something like the scene of Jiang Gan stealing the forged letter in the old tales.

With the army split into two routes, each wanting to distinguish itself. Marquis Leng and Zhù Ying had a good relationship, but that did not change the fact that his subordinates also wanted merit, and Marquis Leng had to secure achievements for those under him as well — a degree of competition was inevitable.

Whether Marquis Leng cooperated or not would produce completely different results. Bringing Zhao Su over here also meant bringing the Office of Foreign Reception into this. If Zhao Su achieved something, the Office of Foreign Reception could take credit too — and its Director, Leng Yun, the very son of Marquis Leng, would also naturally share in the glory.

Luo Sheng had, over the past few days, come to think he had already understood the plan: Zhù Ying was naturally helping him get involved, while also giving Zhao Su an opportunity — a mutual benefit. And so Luo Sheng had accepted the plan Zhù Ying had laid out for him. Only now did he realize that Zhù Ying had even calculated Marquis Leng’s likely reaction into her thinking.

Being connected to the Office of Foreign Reception meant it would be far easier to obtain battle reports from Marquis Leng!

Luo Sheng was also now fairly confident in handing things over to Zhao Su to execute, but he still assured Zhao Su: “Whenever you need me to appear in person, just come and find me.”

Zhao Su said: “In the next couple of days this subordinate will try to draft a plan for the Royal Consort to review. But there is one thing…”

Luo Sheng asked: “What is it? Whatever lies within my power, speak freely.”

Zhao Su said: “I’ve brought only a few minor officials with me, so I’m rather short-handed, and have no deputy either. The thing is — could Su Zhe be placed under my direction? If a stranger were sent, we wouldn’t be familiar with each other, which would be a nuisance. That girl is my junior, and if I need to scold her for something, she won’t hold a grudge. It makes things much more convenient.”

Luo Sheng said: “Ziqiang, what do you think?”

Zhù Ying said to Luo Sheng: “Would he be thinking of sidestepping the command yamen and acting independently? I’ll hand these two troublesome characters over to the Royal Consort — do put in the effort to guide them.”

Zhù Qingjun and Xiang An glanced at each other with a slight smile, both saying: “Whenever Elder Brother wants to know anything, just ask us. Little Sister is lodging close to us, so passing messages is extremely convenient.”

Zhù Ying said: “Very well. It’s settled.”

Zhao Su noticed that Luo Sheng had a slight air of wanting to speak with Zhù Ying alone, and said to Zhù Qingjun and Xiang An: “Shall we go and look in on Little Sister? She must be growing impatient waiting.”

After the three of them left, Luo Sheng’s expression became more open and sincere. He said earnestly to Zhù Ying: “Thank you.”

Zhù Ying said: “This is all for the court and the people — you’re being too formal with me.”

“You need not have gone to so much trouble, and even if you had, you needn’t have made it so that I was the one to formally request and submit memorials — this was you giving me an opportunity. Dull as I am, I’m not so ungrateful as to fail to understand that. To be honest, at present I also need to make some real contribution.”

Zhù Ying said: “Everyone has ambitions — who doesn’t wish to accomplish something great? Marquis Zheng was past seventy and still harbored limitless aspirations. You are still young — why should you feel ashamed of having great aspirations?”

“A father cannot help but want to give his children something to be proud of!” Luo Sheng said. “When the late Emperor gave A’Ni in marriage to Yaoshi, how overjoyed the family was! It was A’Ni’s blessing, and also our family’s blessing. When the late Emperor passed, it was A’Ni becoming the Crown Princess that allowed the family to maintain the dignity of what it once had. For a daughter to be married off — how could she be as free as she was at her parents’ side? She is not to be left enduring hardship all on her own. And yet there is nothing I can do. When I saw that His Majesty intended to send someone to the Northern Territories, I volunteered — and here I am, doing the legwork, nothing more. I truly envy you: whatever the circumstances, you can always find a way to shine. I lack that kind of wisdom. Ziqiang, your friendship — I’ve taken note of it.”

Zhù Ying waved her hands repeatedly: “You flatter me too much. We just need to do the work well — that will satisfy everyone. And that will make me happy. I would much rather spend my energy on getting things done than on scheming against others.”

“Absolutely, absolutely!”

The two of them exchanged a few more courtesies, and Zhù Ying walked Luo Sheng out.

……——

The next day, Zhao Su and Su Zhe went to call on Luo Sheng, then came back to the command yamen. Their working space was still within the yamen.

Su Zhe dragged Zhao Su around until they had picked a set of three rooms, which she directed servants to sweep and clean. Zhù Qingjun and Xiang An were both resting in the yamen and came over to help, carrying over materials and documents and deliberately assigning their own trusted attendants to stand guard, getting the whole framework set up.

As Zhao Su went through the documents, he said to Su Zhe: “I brought two interpreters with me. What about your barbarian tongue — shall you study it with them?”

Su Zhe said: “Barbarian tongue? Qingjun has already sorted that out for me! Xiao Feng!”

Zhao Su watched as a little girl came running in, and asked: “Who is this?”

Xiao Feng came forward with stiff formality and gave a bow: “Good sir, young lady.”

Su Zhe said: “She knows the barbarian tongue and the official tongue as well — Qingjun found her for me.”

“Ah, very good. In fact I was just going to mention — since you are all women, certain things will be more convenient.”

“Hmph! What of it, that I’m a woman? I’ve always studied and done things alongside men, and even if a whole room were full of men, nobody is going to push me out!”

Zhao Su raised his hands in surrender: “Who said anything about pushing you out?! Adoptive Father looks out for you, your mother has only you, and when have I ever demanded that you follow any so-called ‘rules’?”

Su Zhe brightened: “Exactly! Xiao Feng, come, let’s see how this sentence is said.”

Xiao Feng said carefully: “Young lady, I… I cannot read.”

Su Zhe made a sound of surprise.

Zhao Su said: “And where do you think you are — Wuzhou?”

Su Zhe said: “That doesn’t matter. When I want to know something, I’ll ask you to translate it on the spot.”

“Yes.” Xiao Feng bowed her head even lower.

Zhù Qingjun said: “Goodness, we’ve all been so busy we forgot about that. Never mind — I’ll find you a literacy primer. There’s plenty of idle time when everyone else is busy; use the quiet moments to study.”

Su Zhe said: “There’s nowhere to print them here in the Northern Territories. Where will you find one?”

Xiang An smiled: “Everyone carries them with them, not willing to throw them away. We can borrow one — or if not, copy one out. A single copy is all it takes.”

In the one year Zhù Ying had been here, it had been a tense year with no time or energy to promote literacy. Nothing more than haphazardly setting up literacy stele at village entrances and on street corners, with attendants casually singing the literacy songs.

For this reason, the literacy rate in the Northern Territories was now lower than that of old Wuzhou.

Zhù Qingjun said: “That will do then. Come, these next couple of days I’ll teach her to sing the songs.”

Xiao Feng murmured: “I — I’d rather not study, if that’s all right.”

Zhù Qingjun said: “It’s not difficult.”

Xiao Feng kept shaking her head. Only after Zhù Qingjun pressed her several times did Xiao Feng finally say: “You’re good enough to give me a wage to earn. I have to support my family — I have no spare money or free time for that sort of thing.”

Xiang An said: “I’ll give you a set of writing supplies — doesn’t that cover everything? Without being able to read, you earn less than others. That’s settled.”

Hearing this, Xiao Feng immediately agreed and thanked her with great warmth.

At that moment, an attendant came in: “The Commissioner summons everyone for a briefing!”

Su Zhe asked: “Does that include us?”

“So it was said — military report.”

The group exchanged glances and hurried over.

……——

Dozens of people from all levels of the command yamen stood in close rows before Zhù Ying. Zhao Su and the others arrived and quickly found their positions.

Su Zhe had Lin Feng to her side, and Zhao Su had Chen Fang beside him. Chen Fang said to Zhao Su: “It concerns Marquis Leng.”

“Thank you.”

Once everyone was assembled, Zhù Ying still said nothing for a while. Then Luo Sheng came rushing in.

Luo Sheng asked: “Ziqiang, what…”

Zhù Ying said: “Sit. I’ll explain everything at once.”

With Luo Sheng’s arrival, the battle report from Marquis Leng’s side was also announced — Marquis Leng had sent word that his forces had engaged the enemy in battle!

Zhù Qingjun’s brow furrowed, and she stepped forward: “Commissioner, the intelligence I gathered was that the barbarian Chancellor’s attack on Marquis Leng’s eastern route was a feint, and the real objective was our western route. I stand by every word.”

Su Zhe said: “There are so many barbarian tribes — the ones attacking Marquis Leng may not necessarily be the barbarian Chancellor’s forces.”

Zhù Ying said: “Regardless of whose forces they are, we need to start preparing ourselves now! Troops that are already moving are like water — wherever there is no dam, that is where they will flow. Zhao Su, Su Zhe — your work must not be delayed either.”

“Yes.”

“Qingjun, you can no longer rest.”

“Yes — I’ll head north right away.”

Zhù Ying also assigned Chen Fang and others to supervise the autumn harvest, and dispatched Clerk Bao and others to transport grain and provisions. Then there was Xiang Le and others, sent out to give special attention to the veteran soldiers on the reclaimed farmlands.

After that came written orders to every prefecture and county, commanding heightened vigilance. The standing prohibition against privately increasing taxes was reiterated.

Orders went out one by one, and Zhù Ying also felt a private sense of puzzlement — why had it been Marquis Leng who was struck first?

What she did not know was that Marquis Leng had not been struck at all — he had been the one to strike first.

Upon receiving her alert — stating that the barbarian Chancellor might be conducting a feint, and requesting that Marquis Leng prepare himself, and that if she could not hold, she would ask him for reinforcements — Marquis Leng, being a general of great experience, did not relax his vigilance simply because “feint” had been mentioned. On the battlefield, the situation can change in an instant; whoever seizes the opportunity is the one who wins. Marquis Leng without hesitation ordered his forces to muster and prepare for battle, and dispatched roving cavalry to probe the barbarian positions.

If the barbarian Chancellor had massed his main forces on the western route — did that not mean the eastern route was now empty?

If not now, when? Was he truly to sit by and watch the barbarian Chancellor and his “Crown Prince” go after Zhù Ying? Whether Zhù Ying could hold out was yet unknown — he could not take that risk!

He had effectively turned what was the hollow side of his own position into the substantial side, by taking the initiative to strike. In doing so, he could also relieve some of the pressure on that newcomer Zhù Ying, sparing himself the indignity of having to come to her rescue.

But all of this was Marquis Leng’s improvisational response to the situation as it developed. He himself had no way of knowing, before the battle was over, how large a force the enemy had committed on the other side. The message he sent to Zhù Ying was simply: fighting has broken out here on my end.

The command yamen was set into motion. Zhù Ying supplied provisions to Marquis Leng on one hand, while also putting the western route on a state of readiness on the other. General Ye moved his forces northward, with the three thousand new recruits trained by Wen Yue marching behind him.

On the border, Yao Jingxia and others were also busy helping the common people bring in the harvest before the fighting could reach them.

Zhù Ying could not leave the rear. One or two setbacks at the front were not of great consequence, but if this year’s autumn harvest were disrupted, the trouble that followed would be very serious indeed.

By the ninth month, a victory report arrived from Marquis Leng’s side: the barbarian forces had been repelled, and moreover this battle had been fought outside the territory’s borders — over eight hundred enemies had been killed, a respectable achievement.

Zhù Ying’s western route, however, had suffered a setback.

Leili Atu was a shrewd and resourceful man. After first suffering a reversal at Marquis Leng’s hands, he quickly adjusted his strategy — first reversing appearance and reality himself, meeting Marquis Leng head-on and gaining a win over him in return. Then, taking advantage of the moment when Marquis Leng had withdrawn to regroup, he reversed appearance and reality again, pulling forces away to strike at Zhù Ying.

He also directed the troops of subordinate tribes to fill the eastern route and wear down Marquis Leng.

Since Zhù Ying was not at the front lines in person, word spread among the frontline soldiers that the barbarians’ main push was on the eastern route, and some degree of complacency crept in. After Leili Atu shifted to the western route, he first sent small units to engage General Ye and the others, allowing himself to be defeated repeatedly — to lull General Ye into lowering his guard. Five engagements, five small defeats.

General Ye’s vigilance inevitably slackened, and then Leili Atu drove his main army southward in a great charge! General Ye’s soldiers fought with everything they had, barely holding back the assault, but at the cost of losing two-tenths of their strength — narrowly avoiding a complete rout.

It was only because Yao Jingxia, led by Zhù Qingjun, struck at Leili Atu from behind that disaster was averted. Leili Atu’s rear held no great stockpile of grain or supplies, and neither Yao nor Zhù showed any mercy — they burned his rear supply point, a small earthen fort. Yao Jingxia, following the enemy’s own example, also set fire to a wide stretch of crops outside the fort that had not yet been fully harvested.

He was not entirely satisfied: the crops were not fully ripe, and did not burn as well as he’d have liked.

Both Yao and Zhù claimed their share of kills and captives.

Unable to advance and with his rear cut off, Leili Atu had no desire to keep fighting. Rather than turning east, he withdrew further west.

When the battle was over, Leili Atu’s losses were substantial, and Zhù Ying’s side had also suffered a significant setback. The outcome was mixed on both sides. Compared to Marquis Leng’s achievement, the fact that Zhù Ying’s side had let the enemy all the way to their doorstep was, frankly, not a pretty picture. Marquis Leng had won the first clash with Leili Atu, and in the subsequent engagements his opponent had been the less elite forces of various lesser tribes — he had won battle after battle, accumulating over two thousand additional enemy killed.

On Zhù Ying’s side, the total enemy killed was less than a thousand, while General Ye’s side alone had suffered close to a thousand dead, with several thousand more wounded. That they had not routed entirely was thanks to the thorough preparations Marquis Zheng had left behind.

When Zhù Ying convened a meeting of her headquarters staff, every military officer entered with head hanging low.

Wen Yue’s face was full of fury: “I only curse that my new recruits are not yet battle-ready!” Sending green troops into the field was asking for trouble — either they did not know how to take cover, or they panicked and ran. The casualties among them had been considerable. He himself had also taken a scratch on the face.

General Ye gave a self-critical assessment: “It was my negligence. He tricked me again — the same trick of feigning small defeats to draw the enemy in deep.”

Zhù Ying said: “At least we did not lose a single city to their attacks. On the contrary, we were the ones who destroyed one of theirs.”

Zhù Qingjun’s unit had won the distinction of “first to breach the walls” thanks to their speed and agility, and Yao Jingxia and the other local northern soldiers, who bore a blood feud with the barbarians, had killed a great many of the enemy. Even General Ye was not entirely without gains.

It had been a setback, but it could not be called a defeat.

Zhù Ying said: “Those who were killed or wounded — see to the bereaved families and the injured. Those who distinguished themselves — record their merits. Hold every post and camp. No slackening!”

“Yes!”

……——

After everyone dispersed, Zhù Ying called Zhao Su and Su Zhe to the study.

Zhù Ying spoke first: “This won’t do. Wen Yue’s new recruits are not yet ready. General Ye is in better shape than before, but still needs time to recover. Something must be done — we need to buy some time.”

Zhao Su said: “I’ve already made contact with the Xida tribe! They have no wish to fight the court either! Leili Atu keeps pushing them to the front line — they have long been dissatisfied!”

Zhù Ying said: “Oh — set that aside for now.”

“What?”

“The Xida and related tribes were always weak to begin with — they can’t stand up to the barbarian overlord either. Keep that line open for now, treat it as a quiet piece kept in reserve,” said Zhù Ying. “How many sons does the barbarian overlord have? And brothers? Do you know?”

“His brothers were all put to death years ago — he left only two nephews alive, both too cowed to make any move. As for sons, he has more than ten; four have now grown into adulthood, all with a degree of courage and ability… Ah!” A light suddenly ignited in Zhao Su’s eyes.

Zhù Ying let out a cold laugh: “Infighting within the household — now that would be interesting! I refuse to believe they can work together in perfect harmony.”

Zhao Su said: “I’ll go through the prisoners, then contact Marquis Leng to see if they captured anyone from units under other princes’ command.”

When it came to fighting, Zhù Ying was no expert — but she had more than enough cunning to deploy.

With Zhao Su and Su Zhe given their direction, they went off to get busy.

Left alone, Zhù Ying began writing the battle report.

She could not write that they had suffered a setback. She had to write that General Ye had maintained high vigilance, and after five consecutive victories had exercised caution — and had not, as in the previous case of Leng Pinghui, been counterattacked and had four cities taken in a row. She had to write that they had held their own cities, that their own autumn harvest had not been disrupted, and moreover that they had seized one of the enemy’s positions and driven the enemy into retreat!

She had to recommend Zhù Qingjun and Yao Jingxia for merit, and formally request a captain’s rank for Zhù Qingjun.

Arrangements had to be made for bereaved families, and for replenishing troop numbers.

Zhù Ying stayed busy for over half a month before all of these matters were settled.

At this juncture, the value of having Zheng Xi’s support became clear. Every request she submitted was secured on her behalf. Zhù Ying had not asked the court for more grain or provisions, had not asked for relief subsidies for the Northern Territories — and on the contrary had begun to replenish the storehouses to some extent.

The autumn wind began to turn cool. On the border, those tending their flocks pricked up their ears.

With the autumn grain now in storage, experience suggested that the northern barbarians might mount another major assault, seeking to plunder winter supplies.