“Not at all — I cannot compare with you.” Zhù Ying said lightly.

Chen Meng said: “Don’t go praising me! Between the two of us — is there any need for such ceremony? That would make things rather pointless.”

Zhù Ying said: “I have fewer people to worry about than you.”

That remark struck Chen Meng straight in the heart. He murmured his complaint: “I never imagined that in the entire Council of State, I should turn out to be the one with the most public spirit. In the years when I first came to the capital and watched Xian Jing, he seemed such an upright and principled gentleman — and now look at him, filled with private calculations. Zheng Xi — what a commanding, far-seeing man of noble bearing he was. I used to think the entire realm resided in his vision. Now he regards kinship alliances and private factions as more important. Dou Chancellor, a man of practical action — but I have noticed these past days he seems to have some intent to withdraw, less forceful than before, as if planning for his future. Look at them…”

Zhù Ying said: “Remove either Xian Jing or Zheng Xi, and the remaining one would immediately embrace the interests of all under heaven.”

Chen Meng raised his hand to his forehead: “You are joking again — how could that be possible? Remove one, and the other would immediately reach for the sky! Right away he would go settling scores with the other faction; before it was done, ten or more people would be dead, dozens exiled, hundreds demoted. The court cannot endure that kind of upheaval now! But if things go on this way, it will only become harder to manage going forward. I dare not even look at Dou Chancellor’s face these days, for fear that the next thing out of his mouth will be a request to retire.”

Chen Meng himself was not a man entirely free of private interest — which Chancellor was there who did not employ some people he knew and trusted? But threading the needle between Xian Jing and Zheng Xi was a considerable feat of skill.

He looked at Zhù Ying again: “We are both in the same situation. Zheng Xi has not been sending you on any fresh errands, has he?”

Zhù Ying said: “What else is there for him to send me on? The Court of Judicial Review is not in my hands now.”

Chen Meng said: “I only worry that when that day comes, if you do not help him go after Xian Jing, he will count it as betrayal. And as for me — if I stay neutral and help neither side, I fear they will not see it as a reason to court my favor by trying to keep me onside, but rather that they will join forces first to push me out of the way.” Saying this, he grew troubled.

Zhù Ying was unperturbed. She turned and offered Chen Meng a suggestion instead: “Why forecast doom before it arrives? Soldiers come — meet them with soldiers; water comes — hold it back with earth. If you want to stand firm between two sides, the people at your command must be capable. Otherwise there are too many vulnerabilities, and nothing can be carried through.”

“What do you mean?”

Zhù Ying said: “There is no time to be leisurely about this any longer — if we do not act soon it will be too late! In the past, when your revered father was still in the Council of State, several Chancellors had the foresight to quietly reserve some promising talent. You and I both know of this. His Majesty is more enlightened than his late father.”

“You mean to recommend these people to His Majesty now?”

“While you still hold the Ministry of Personnel, and are a Chancellor as well, and His Majesty is still young — things are somewhat different from when your father held the Ministry of Personnel as Chancellor. It may be that at some point you will be stripped of that power. Xian Jing and Zheng Xi — which of them does not covet the Ministry of Personnel? You and I both have some public spirit — but mine is not much.

Official careers are difficult; these men have either sunk into obscurity or attached themselves to others. Few have managed to forge their own path. If these men cannot help but attach themselves to someone, I will no longer trouble myself on their behalf. From that point on, everyone will simply deploy their own stratagems.”

Chen Meng thought for a moment, then nodded slowly: “You are right… He and I are the same — we have public spirit, but not much.”

“While the realm has not yet reached the point of being split entirely between Xian Jing and Zheng Xi. Wang Shuliang will soon be out of mourning — with his father’s life’s work left in such a state, he surely cannot be content with it. Then there are Shi Ji Xing and the others — though in mourning now, they are the sons of a Chancellor. How can they simply be driven and deployed at others’ bidding? As long as these men still exist, the situation will not become too dire. And there is His Majesty. Let us make one last great effort.”

Chen Meng said: “Correct — with Wang Shuliang to dilute Xian Jing’s influence. As for Zheng Xi —”

“Chancellor Zheng’s every act of forbearance comes with conditions. If the state thrives but his house falls, then the state is of no use to him. He has no such lofty sentiment.”

“Now, now, now — that day has not come yet, not come yet!”

“All right — not speaking that far ahead. So what about right now?”

Chen Meng said: “On my side I have some people…”

“As it happens, I also know of some people whom Chancellor Wang left behind…”

Chen Meng was deeply moved. Zhù Ying was openly showing her cards and drawing closer to him rather than to Zheng Xi! Placed in the Chen household — as a family friend, an uncle in spirit to Chen Fang. Placed in the Zheng household — as a… former subordinate?

Chen Meng felt an overwhelming urge to go and burn incense before his late father’s spirit right now! When it came to Zheng Xi, he truly was outmatched — it was fortunate that Zhù Ying was here.

The two deliberated until the lamps were lit. Chen Meng said: “Tomorrow I will have the Ministry of Personnel pull the records and review them. Over the next few days I will draft a list! Once the list is drafted, the two of us will discuss it further, refine it to a final version, and then present it to His Majesty together.”

Zhù Ying said: “Good. Also — one more thing.”

“What?”

“You know about the changes at the Imperial Academy?”

Chen Meng gave a nod: “Yang Jing is far more presentable than Xian Jing was! You mean the students he has selected? Pick a day and let us meet with them.”

“Good.”

Chen Meng also asked: “If we proceed this way, will Zheng Xi have objections?”

Zhù Ying said: “Why let him know?”

Chen Meng said: “That will not do, that will not do — his eyes and ears are sharp. His second son is often before the Emperor. If he finds out you concealed this from him and went ahead with it, there will certainly be repercussions. Never mind how well he has treated you in the past — that was because you always kept his interests in mind. Concealing something this significant from him, how could he remain magnanimous?”

Zhù Ying said indifferently: “Then you go alone to present it to His Majesty.”

“Hey, hey — that is not what I meant!” Chen Meng grew a little agitated; a flicker of something from thirty years ago crossed his face.

Zhù Ying smiled: “I know you mean well — and I am spared the trouble of having to manage Chancellor Zheng separately. I have no particular concern about whether it is I who put this to His Majesty in person. Only — when you have your audience, do not forget Chancellor Wang. I beg this of you earnestly.”

Chen Meng became grave: “Agreed.”

Zhù Ying said: “Do not forget about Gu Tong and the others.”

“I remember!” Chen Meng immediately wrote a note on the spot and left it on the table to show he would not forget.

Zhù Ying said further: “And Lang Rui and the others — when they have learned enough…”

“Leave it to me.”

“Good.”

“Have dinner before you go.”

Zhù Ying stayed to dine at the Chen household. Chen Furen and Chen Mei both kept her company. During the meal, Zhù Ying also entrusted Jin Yu, Lang Rui, Lu Danqing, and Su Feihu’s son Su Sheng to Chen Mei’s care. These four would first continue their studies, and when the time was right, Chen Mei would bring them along to make the social rounds.

Though Su Zhe and Lin Feng were also fairly familiar with the capital, Chen Mei — son of a Chancellor — was better positioned to smooth their way in it.

Chen Mei agreed to everything readily.

After that, Zhù Ying had a period of relative calm. In the meantime, quite a few things took place.

First there was Shi Kun’s funeral. The Emperor personally paid a visit. Shi Kun’s sons and grandsons entered mourning, and the Chancellors submitted to the Emperor a list of candidates to fill the vacancies.

This list represented fairly unified opinions among the Chancellors. When the Emperor saw the first name — Yao Zhen — his brow creased slightly, but in the end he agreed. What Yao Zhen had done at the time had put him in an impossible position, but he needed a precedent of sorts, and so there was nothing to be done about it.

The Minister of Rites also changed — it became Yue Miaojun, Zheng Xi’s wife’s elder brother, whose family background in the classics made him a fitting choice. From Zhù Ying’s perspective, what was even more fitting was that Yue Miaojun had a decent relationship with her, and Su Zhe was familiar with Yue Miaojun too. Had someone else — some hidebound traditionalist — taken the position, Zhù Ying would likely have had to find a way to arrange another posting for Su Zhe.

Other officials in the court were also reassigned and moved around. Zhù Ying’s former superior was transferred once more, this time to serve as Minister of Justice. Princess Ming Yi’s husband, Shi Xi, was placed by the Emperor in the Court of the Imperial Clan — Zhù Ying thought he would probably grow old and die in that post.

Chen Meng transferred Gu Tong to the capital, placing him as a Department Director under the Ministry of Justice, directly under the new Minister, Grand Counselor Lu. Gu Tong had followed Zhù Ying from the beginning and his greatest strength was in managing practical matters — in truth, his deepest skill was not in opening up new lands and expanding the tax register, but in investigating and adjudicating cases. Placing him in the Ministry of Justice to stand at the final gatekeeping stage was entirely fitting.

The very day Gu Tong’s transfer order was issued, Zhù Ying submitted another memorial, asking the Emperor not to forget Wang Yunhe’s descendants. Wang Yunhe’s son had been in mourning for three years already, and his grandson had even longer since completed his mourning period.

The Emperor thought of Wang Yunhe, looked at the current Chancellors before him, and was filled with reflections. He had always held Wang Yunhe in affection — more than the late Emperor ever had. He thus appointed Wang Yunhe’s eldest son as Minister of Works, and Wang Shuliang as Director of the Court of State Ceremonial, with other family members also given appropriate placements.

By this point, those Zhù Ying knew at court had multiplied considerably. She had connections across all Six Ministries, and all of the Nine Senior Offices were filled with familiar faces.

Then, as if by some unkind coincidence, several localities reported disasters, and then word came of a band of brigands to the east — all requiring her coordination. She had no time to appreciate her current circumstances and was again swept up in busyness.

Precisely at this time, the Cai Yizhen case was brought to the Court of Judicial Review. With Zhù Ying’s arrangement, the Court of Judicial Review’s people took it up without difficulty. The Court of Judicial Review currently had no senior magistrate, and was being managed by the Junior Director Pei Tan.

Pei Tan took up the matter and spent two months looking into it. Cai Yizhen and his superior and colleagues were all investigated through and through. It was established that the majority of the charges his superior and colleagues had laid against Cai Yizhen were false. These men were either dismissed or demoted. If Cai Yizhen had been made to bear all those charges, the best outcome would still have been suicide.

Now, most of the charges being cleared, he retrieved his life. Only a portion of the charges — such as accepting bribes — did turn out to be true, and he was ordered to hand over the ill-gotten gains. The Ministry of Personnel demoted him in rank, and he started again from the beginning in a minor post.

Just at this time, Gu Tong also arrived in the capital, and Zhuo Que’s appointment came through as well.

Gu Tong came up from the northern region, carrying some thoughts in his heart. He did not enter the capital directly but was stopped at the relay station by Zhù Wen and a group of young men and women.

Gu Tong recognized Zhù Wen. Zhù Wen stepped forward to bow to him, and he quickly reached out and clasped Zhù Wen by the shoulders: “Hey! How is it that you came?”

“The master has moved to a new house — we were afraid you might not find it.”

“Is the teacher well?”

“All is well.”

“Hmm? And these are…?” He looked carefully — he did not recognize Lang Rui and the others very well, but from certain details of their clothing and the small distinguishing features in their appearance he could work out that they were from the south, quite likely even from minority peoples. He saw Lu Danqing and felt no surprise — he looked at her a second time, speculating about what she was good at.

Zhù Wen quickly introduced them, and Gu Tong smiled: “Why, these are all our own people!” Su Sheng and Lang Rui were of a generation younger than him; Lu Danqing and Jin Yu were of the same generation as himself.

Gu Tong also exclaimed at Jin Yu: “I knew your elder brother.”

Zhù Wen said: “Let us go inside and talk.”

The group went into the room. Zhù Wen then told him about the matter of transferring Zhuo Que away: “The master has also made some other arrangements, and will speak to you in person once you return to the residence. Your quarters have been settled — you will be staying at the old house for now, which has been cleaned up and made ready. The Minister of Justice is also an old acquaintance — the Counselor Lu from the old days — so the master says there is no need to worry.”

Gu Tong stood and listened to each item. His heart was utterly at peace. These years outside the capital he had managed his own affairs independently — far from home and kin, he had felt himself standing tall and self-reliant. And now, without even having set eyes on Zhù Ying, hearing only through Zhù Wen the arrangements that had been made for him, he felt as though he had returned to his youth, with something solid at his back.

His nose tingled and grew warm. He said: “I shall follow the teacher’s arrangements in everything.”

The formal business concluded, Gu Tong entertained the group while they ate and chatted, talking casually with Su Sheng and the others.

Gu Tong spoke with all of them in the Wuzhou dialect, and Su Sheng let out a long breath: “It is so much easier to talk this way! The official language is so hard.”

The others felt the same way. The Wuzhou accent in the capital — no one understood it. Among their lessons was the study of the official language, and it was one of the biggest hurdles. Zhù Ying had not immediately sent them out into the city in part because if they were let loose they would be about as useful as mutes.

But the Wuzhou dialect — they all spoke it with tolerable fluency.

The group was nearly twenty years younger than Gu Tong, at the lively and energetic age, and even the boys chattered and chirped away. Some spoke of the city’s pleasures, some of the ways the capital differed inconveniently from home. Then talk turned to horses. Lang Rui said: “Everyone says A’Weng is skilled at riding and archery. When I was small I may have seen it, but I forgot afterward. Coming to the capital and seeing it again properly, I learned it was truly remarkable!”

Gu Tong said proudly: “But of course! The teacher, busy as she is, still finds time to practice. You should not embarrass the teacher either!”

Lu Danqing said: “That we would never do!”

The group rested briefly at the relay station and then all traveled together into the capital. Gu Tong did not go to report to the Ministry of Justice first — he went directly to Zhù Ying’s residence to wait for her. He had long been married, but his wife had not accompanied him to his posting, taking the children home instead to attend to his elders. So Gu Tong arrived in the capital with nothing tying him down, and went straight to the new house to sit and wait for Zhù Ying’s return.

By evening the residence was alive with a different kind of noise and bustle. Su Zhe and the others had also returned — seeing Gu Tong had arrived, Lin Feng jumped up: “Hey! Quick, go invite Brother A’Zhen and the others over.”

Zhù Ying said: “No hurry — let him settle in today. Tomorrow everyone can gather together at once: a welcome banquet for him, and a farewell banquet for Zhuo Que.”

Though the residence was unfamiliar, Gu Tong felt not the slightest awkwardness. After paying his respects to his teacher, he followed at Zhù Ying’s side wherever she went. Zhù Ying smiled: “You are still the impatient one. Come — to the study, let us talk.”

Teacher and student arrived at Zhù Ying’s study, which was somewhat larger than the previous one. Gu Tong said: “The teacher has new books again.”

Zhù Ying said: “Come and read them any time you like.”

“Yes!”

“Sit.”

“Yes.”

The two spoke without much ceremony. Zhù Ying asked: “How does the north fare?”

“If you had recalled me a few months later it would have been better — the harvest at my place was not yet in, and I find myself worrying.”

Zhù Ying said: “If you worry about the harvest, that counts you as a qualified official who cares for the common people. How is A’Lian?”

“Good,” Gu Tong said. “That young fellow has a bit of the look of Zhao Su — those little scheming ways of his at the start, you know! Later, once his horizons broadened, it got better.”

Zhù Ying asked about conditions along the route and about some of the southern officials who had been posted to the northern region.

Gu Tong said: “I was just about to report to the teacher on this. Most are fine — but there are a few who are not quite right, and need to be set straight. It is just as well that it was I who was there. If it had been someone who had not spent long years at a local post, they might have been deceived.”

Zhù Ying said: “The matter has already come to light! There was one who came looking for me — the Jiang’an case. Do you know of it?”

“I saw faint word of it in the official bulletins — does this involve us?”

Zhù Ying said: “Cai Yizhen is a southerner. He found his way here through one Zhuo Que.”

“That Zhuo Que!”

Zhù Ying said: “Hold your anger. He is a southerner, and you are a southerner — mutual assistance among fellow townsfolk is natural feeling. But one cannot take nothing but a person’s place of origin into account and ignore all else. Recalling you to the capital, sending Zhuo Que out — this is part of the reason. He needs to sharpen his eye for people, and you — you also need to see more of your fellow southerners.”

“Yes.”

Zhù Ying slowly laid out the portion of arrangements that concerned Gu Tong. Gu Tong said: “I understand! From the time the teacher arrived in Fuluo County, the aim was never to cultivate useless ornaments — it was to cultivate us southerners into capable people! This is the right path! We southerners must also make something of ourselves.”

“Tomorrow when you meet Zhuo Que, do not let it show on your face. He still has half a month before he leaves the capital…”

“When I arrive at the new office, I will have a few days to settle in. He and I will walk around the capital together, see some fellow southerners.” Gu Tong understood perfectly.

“Good.” Zhù Ying pushed forward a set of keys. Gu Tong took them without embarrassment.

That night, Gu Tong borrowed a room at the Zhù residence, and the next day moved and settled in.

On the third day, Zhù Ying hosted a banquet at the residence, inviting all the southerners in the capital to welcome Gu Tong.

Zhuo Que also received an invitation. Seeing it was Gu Tong who had come, he first prepared a gift and went to the old house to pay his respects — for Gu Tong had been the one to recommend him, and Gu Tong was the proper student Zhù Ying had formally taken.

That evening the two came together to the Zhù residence for the banquet.

The Zhù residence, as always, had no song or dance, yet the occasion was exceptionally lively — all the southern officials in the capital had received invitations. Gu Tong entered and first paid his respects to his teacher. Zhù Ying had Zhao Su and Su Zhe help him to his feet, and from then on Gu Tong stood constantly at Zhù Ying’s side, his back straight as a spear!

Time seemed to have returned to Fuluo County.

Among the guests there were some who recognized Gu Tong, and the majority who did not. Zhù Ying formally introduced Gu Tong to all of them, then gestured toward a seat beside her and let him sit. The seat was above Zhuo Que and the others.

Zhao Su said to Gu Tong: “You have arrived, and A’Que is about to leave — since you recommended him to the capital, the two of you have not seen each other in quite a few years.”

Gu Tong said: “Have you forgotten? We saw each other at Beidi not long ago!”

Others also chimed in to agree.

They reminisced and joked, speaking entirely in dialect. They were from different counties and prefectures of the south, so their dialects were not all the same — but compared with the official language, they were all far more at home.

After three rounds of wine, the gate attendant suddenly came to report: “Master — Chancellor Chen and… a distinguished personage have arrived.”

“What?”

“It is His Majesty…”

The guests rose in haste. Some knocked over their cups in their agitation; some stumbled on their own shoes; some overturned their stools. In the midst of the scramble they formed themselves into line. Zhù Ying led them out to welcome the guests, and there she saw Chen Meng and his son Chen Mei, accompanying the Emperor.

Zhù Ying glanced at the Emperor’s attendants — no one from the rear palace had come along. Very good.

The Emperor was all smiles, his gaze carrying a warmth that almost bordered on the sentimental: “Chancellor Chen was on night duty, and in our idle conversation he mentioned that you were having a lively gathering here today. So we came. No need for constraint!”

The seating arrangements were thus adjusted. The Emperor took the place of honor above, with Zhù Ying and Chen Meng attending below.

The Emperor surveyed the room with an appreciative air: “What a wealth of talent.”

Zhù Ying felt a sudden urge to grumble — she had never been particularly versed in poetry and classical verse.

Chen Meng exchanged a glance with Zhù Ying. Chen Meng had taken advantage of his night duty to privately request an audience with the Emperor and secretly handed him the list that he and Zhù Ying had agreed upon. After much deliberation he felt he could not monopolize such credit alone, and spoke generously of Zhù Ying and Wang Yunhe — and naturally did not forget to mention his own late father and father-in-law.

The Emperor had been heartened, and spurred by Chen Meng, had come to feel that Zhù Ying and Chen Meng were both rare in their kind — one unconcerned with personal glory, the other not swallowing another’s contribution. The Emperor said: “The two of you may truly be called intimates. With such worthy ministers as this, what more could one ask? I shall not fail you!”

Zhù Ying and Chen Meng had no choice but to rise from their seats to receive his praise. The Emperor said: “Sit, sit!”

With an Emperor present, it was impossible to be fully at ease. Zhù Ying calibrated everything with care, introducing Lang Rui, Lu Danqing, and the others. She also rearranged the banquet in the style common to the mountain people — a circular seated gathering with song and dance.

The Emperor was keenly interested and asked Lang Rui and Lu Danqing about their backgrounds. Learning they had come to the capital to study, he said to Zhù Ying cheerfully: “The seeds you planted twenty years ago have now yielded a rich harvest.”

Zhù Ying said: “Your minister has been away from Wuzhou for nearly ten years. What came after was what grew on its own.”

The Emperor was even more pleased, and asked: “Has the Court of State Ceremonial made arrangements for them?”

Zhù Ying said: “They came to call on a relative and are staying together — food, lodging, and everything is more convenient than it would be at the court’s guesthouse. The Court of State Ceremonial is thorough in its care, but cannot replace family. Once Director Wang takes up his post, I will have them go and pay their respects. For now they need to learn the official language first — otherwise an interpreter would have to come along.”

The Emperor gave a nod.

Chen Meng said: “Your Majesty — the hour is late. Please return to the palace.”

Only then did the Emperor take his leave.

The next day, Zhù Ying brought Gu Tong to call on Minister Lu.

Grand Counselor Lu and Zhù Ying had grown rather close in recent years. Now that Zhù Ying had brought a “student” to call, Grand Counselor Lu received them with due seriousness.

Zhù Ying said: “This is a student I took at Fuluo County.”

Grand Counselor Lu, hearing “Fuluo County,” found certain memories surfacing that were not entirely pleasant, and had to wait for two pulses at his temple to settle before he was calm. And yet he was also gratified: “Twenty years — and in those days I would never have dared imagine that the county under my jurisdiction could produce such talents!”

He looked Gu Tong over — bearing upright and presentable. Grand Counselor Lu was a new arrival and had already reviewed Gu Tong’s record and resume. He said to Gu Tong: “This teacher of yours has truly put great care into you.”

Gu Tong said with considerable pride: “To have been accepted as the teacher’s student is the greatest fortune of this official’s life.”

Zhù Ying said: “Say something more practical.”

Gu Tong said: “This is the most practical thing there is. It is because I am your student that I am here today.”

Grand Counselor Lu said: “Good — a man who knows what matters.” Zhù Ying excelled at matters of law and adjudication, and with a student now arrived at the Ministry of Justice, Grand Counselor Lu was firmly resolved to put Gu Tong to full use!

Just as this meeting was proceeding harmoniously, the Emperor and Chen Meng made their move.

It was unclear who had given the idea, but the Emperor, using the pretext of “Shi Kun’s dying memorial,” announced that these were the men “recommended by Shi Kun in his final days” — and with a single stroke, elevated some here and transferred others there, demonstrating a sudden and remarkable familiarity with a whole range of officials!

Xian Jing and Zheng Xi were completely caught off guard.