Having anticipated and prepared for this well in advance, Zhù Ying was not flustered.
She looked at Jin Biao, whose expression was clearly off, and asked, “Where is the courier?”
“He’s… he’s outside.”
“Mm — have him come in.”
“Yes!”
Jin Biao hurried out and hurried back, followed by a familiar face — the son of Lu Chao. Lu Chao and Gan Ze could no longer travel easily these days, but their sons had grown up. The one who had come was the fourth son of the Lu family.
He stepped forward, kowtowed, and, kneeling on the ground, choked out a few sounds before speaking: “My lord! Our household has had… a misfortune.”
Zhù Ying said, “Stand up and speak.”
Jin Biao helped him to his feet. Lu Si, wiping his tears as he spoke, said clearly even through his grief: “The household is currently holding funeral rites. The chief minister has already submitted his memorial requesting mourning leave, but he is still thinking of you, my lord, not knowing how the battle situation stands.”
Though weeping, his account was extremely clear: “The chief minister is worried that once he enters mourning leave, petty men at court will make things difficult for you. He specifically instructed me to come and report. The chief minister also misses you, my lord. You have been at the western frontier for some time now, and people at court have already been saying — how is it that the battle situation was so urgent before you arrived, yet since your arrival, not a single engagement has been fought? Is something being concealed?”
Jin Biao cursed in anger: “Those foul-mouthed…”
Zhù Ying raised a hand slightly. Jin Biao fell silent, seething.
Zhù Ying then gently asked Lu Si, “Is everyone in the household all right?”
“Only sorrowing.”
Zhù Ying also asked about his father and received answers to each question, then finally asked about events in the capital and inquired after Zhao Su, Su Zhe, and the others. Lu Si said, “Official Zhao is greatly valued in the Finance Ministry. Miss Su has our maternal uncle looking after her in the Rites Ministry.”
Zhù Ying then asked about other affairs at court. Lu Si said, “Chief Minister Xian’s people have been utterly insolent!”
Zhù Ying asked everything she needed to ask, then said to Jin Biao, “Take him down to rest.”
Jin Biao seemed to want to say something but could not find the words. Zhù Ying did not react, and he had no choice but to lead Lu Si away. Zhù Ying immediately sent a personal guard: “Go and invite Magistrate Yao and the two generals He and Ye.”
“Yes.”
Then she also wrote a letter and had it dispatched to Young General Leng at the front, informing him of Zheng Xi’s mourning leave.
The personal guard carrying the letter walked out of the tent and ran right into Chen Fang, who had washed his face and returned — once again the image of a clean, capable, handsome young talent. He asked, “Is this a letter being sent to the capital?”
“It’s for General Leng.”
“Oh, then go quickly — be careful on the road, he’s at the front.”
Chen Fang lifted the tent flap and went inside, only to find Zhù Ying writing and sketching again. He made no sound and quietly stood to one side. Zhù Ying put down her brush and glanced at him. “Did you feel wronged?”
“Mm.”
Zhù Ying smiled slightly. “Come take a look.”
Chen Fang walked over and saw she was marking a survey map. He could not help his curiosity: “Is this from new scout intelligence?”
Zhù Ying said, “No — a girl from this area brought it. And yours?”
“Oh!” Chen Fang’s face flushed red. In all the crying, he had completely forgotten about it! He pulled out a small notebook and offered it with both hands: “It’s all here.”
Zhù Ying took it without reading it yet, and instead asked him to recount his experiences along the way and what impressions he had formed. Chen Fang said with some residual resentment, “The ruler of the frontier was close to the front lines; I was not able to penetrate deeply. Observing their troops, they seemed to show signs of fatigue. Within the weariness, however, was a fierce, savage quality. And in their camp I saw… men and women taken captive as slaves…”
His voice dropped. He had clearly seen border people who had been abducted into slavery. “I also saw silk, vessels, and ornaments — by the look of them, those were plundered too.”
Zhù Ying made no comment on this. Trade or plunder — both were possible.
Chen Fang’s observations of the terrain were limited to the narrow strip at the border, but having personally laid eyes on it was still better than not having done so.
The most useful thing Chen Fang said was: “I noticed they had a restless, impatient quality to them — as though they were desperately eager to fight again. They seemed to be quarreling, but the interpreter did not catch what was being said, and I did not dare draw conclusions rashly.”
Zhù Ying nodded. This was consistent with the intelligence she had been receiving. These past weeks she had hardly just been babysitting youngsters here — a constant stream of intelligence had been flowing to her hands. Knowing that the court’s main army had arrived as reinforcements, the western frontier forces were on guard, hoping to strike while the army had not yet fully settled. Now that time had passed with no movement from Zhù Ying’s side, they were at a loss, suspecting a trap. But Zhù Ying’s judgment was correct: she could afford to wait; Kun Da Chi could not. He would ultimately have to force a battle. Even knowing there might be a trap ahead, Kun Da Chi had to fight this one.
Seeing that Chen Fang’s emotions had steadied, Zhù Ying said, “Starting tomorrow, you and Jin Biao will jointly command a thousand troops…”
“Oh?”
Zhù Ying glanced at him. Chen Fang’s face broke into a wide grin: “Uncle dotes on me.”
“Don’t think about going to the battlefield just yet — there is one other matter for you to handle first.”
“Please give your orders, Uncle.”
“You — learn a little of the western frontier language to start with. The next round of negotiations with Kun Da Chi will still fall to you! You were the one I sent. Whatever face was lost, we reclaim it ourselves. When we defeat them, you’ll be the one to go receive the surrender document.”
Chen Fang was so delighted his mouth twisted sideways. Zhù Ying frowned: “What a strange expression.”
Chen Fang let out a “heh heh” — a sound so goofy it made Lu Danqing, who had just entered the tent, stumble backward a step: “What on earth was that sound?”
Another female voice with a local accent followed: “Something human-like.”
Chen Fang’s smile froze on his face. Zhù Ying laughed: “That’ll teach you to pull faces. Go get Jin Biao. Oh — and keep in mind that Chief Minister Zheng is in mourning leave; be careful these next few days if anyone tries to strike up a conversation with you.”
“Tries to talk to me… oh! Yes — I understand.” Chen Fang said, made a bow to Zhù Ying, and turned to leave. He gave Lu Danqing a nod of the head, then paused — behind Lu Danqing stood a plainly dressed woman, her clothing neither quite masculine nor quite feminine, reminiscent in vague ways of the style Su Zhe and the others had adopted in the capital, yet entirely different from Su Zhe’s version. She was also unmistakably local-looking — reddish color high on her cheekbones, an unremarkable face, not very tall.
“Who is this?” Chen Fang asked.
The woman was quite composed, clasping her fists in greeting: “My lord, this subordinate is the prison warden of Shanbei County. Family name Sang, first in the birth order — they call me Sang Da.”
Lu Danqing said to Chen Fang, “A few days ago I went out and passed through Shanbei County and encountered her. She had previously been escorting criminals back to the county when she ran into a small contingent of frontier soldiers. She led the people in resisting them, and afterward returned to her hometown to recruit local militia, keeping an entire area safe and peaceful.”
Sang Da’s face grew a shade redder: “I also had the benefit of the fortified stockades there. Otherwise, it would not have been possible. The people in those parts — they’ve had to fight them off periodically, so they’re prepared. They saw I was an official and were willing to listen to me ramble.”
Chen Fang did not dare leave Zhù Ying sitting inside while he chatted away, and quickly said, “This must be the young lady who brought the new survey map information Uncle mentioned? Uncle is inside — please go in quickly.”
The two women gave him a fist salute and strode quickly to Zhù Ying’s presence.
Chen Fang went off to find Jin Biao. Lu Danqing and Sang Da came before Zhù Ying. Sang Da understood she should keep her head low before a superior, but she still couldn’t help wanting to steal a look at this commissioner. Lu Danqing introduced Sang Da in a perfectly natural manner, and just as Sang Da’s name was mentioned, she was in the middle of sneaking a glance and felt the embarrassed flush of being caught in the act.
The commissioner, however, was warm and genial, showing no displeasure whatsoever and saying nothing about impropriety, but instead asking with a kindly expression: “Is the local people’s spirit always this resilient?”
“It has to be…”
Lu Danqing was caught between exasperation and amusement, and a touch of worry about Sang Da losing her composure. She nudged her arm: “What are you looking at?”
Sang Da turned red all the way down her neck, bowed her head in embarrassment, then couldn’t resist one more quick glance at Zhù Ying.
Zhù Ying remained extremely patient. Her gaze was more indulgent than a mother looking at a daughter, and before that pair of eyes Sang Da blurted out what was in her heart without thinking: “Looking at the commissioner.”
Lu Danqing coughed hard. Sang Da startled, realizing there was a misunderstanding, and quickly explained: “Everyone had been looking forward to the court’s relief forces. I would have looked regardless of who the commissioner was, it’s just that afterward I heard the female prison warden system was something the commissioner had established. That matters a great deal to me.”
She nodded her head emphatically.
Zhù Ying smiled and said, “You also need to work hard yourself. Is there someone to take over the prison?”
“Yes — the women’s holding area still has two female guards, both reliable aunties.”
Only then did Zhù Ying ask about the detailed terrain. In any locality, regardless of the landscape’s differences, the routes suitable for troop movement were generally just a few; one had to ask the local people carefully. Sang Da’s family clan was of middling size locally, with a reasonable number of people, and the fact that she also held a tiny, barely existent official post had helped her gather a group around her.
Her clan had lived there for generations; they knew the terrain well. She could serve as a useful supplement to the formal intelligence from Young General Leng and Yao Chenying. And some of that formal intelligence probably had been gathered from local people like her to begin with.
Zhù Ying chatted with her a little longer. Then word came from outside that Generals He and Ye had arrived. Zhù Ying said to Lu Danqing, “Entertain Sang Da for me.”
“Yes.”
Lu Danqing and Sang Da walked away a little distance before Lu Danqing said in a low, reproachful tone, “Just now, why were you staring like that?”
“I know I shouldn’t have.”
“It’s not that you shouldn’t look — looking is fine — just rein in that expression of yours…”
The two whispered on, with Lu Danqing inviting Sang Da to stay in her quarters. Sang Da asked, “And the two sisters I brought with me?”
“They’re right next door — I’ll have someone send food over in a bit. You can eat together with the others here.”
“And you? Won’t you eat with us?”
“I’ll be at my adoptive father’s,” said Lu Danqing, and sighed. “It would be nice if you could come too. When we used to eat, Little Sister would join us at the table. Ah — if only she could come, but…”
“Little Sister?”
…
Su Zhe was bored in the capital — bored and wanting to berate someone. Not just berate; she wanted to hit someone too!
She sat in silence to one side and watched as Princess Imperial An Ren said icily, “Such a young child, and already learns to compete with her elder brother — what will you be like when you grow up?!”
Yan Baolin clutched her son and knelt on the ground, looking up at Princess Imperial An Ren with a face full of shock and fear, her eyes wide. The little boy in her arms hadn’t yet understood what was happening and, in a soft, childlike voice, replied, “I can recite it — and when I grow up, I’ll know even more.”
Yan Gui hastily covered his mouth: “Your Highness, Sanlang is still young and doesn’t know any better. I will certainly teach him well.”
Princess Imperial An Ren gave a cold snort. “Doesn’t know any better, but knows perfectly well how to show off! That is no way for a younger brother to act! You’re going to teach him? Is this behavior something you taught him?”
Yan Gui shuddered with dread and bowed her head.
Empress Luo said, “Grandmother, this must be an innocent mistake. Yan Baolin — take Sanlang back.”
Yan Gui did not dare linger. She gathered her son and left quickly. The moment she was out of the great hall, tears streamed down her face. What was she to do? The empress was clearly unable to tolerate her son, and he was her hope for the future!
The piercing voice of Princess Imperial An Ren followed from behind: “Common low-born stock, raising children to be competitive and grasping…”
Empress Luo cut her off again: “Grandmother!” Then to Su Zhe: “The matter of the conferment — proceed as we discussed just now.”
Su Zhe said, “Very well.”
Princess Imperial An Ren confirmed once more: “It won’t exceed the established regulations?”
“It will not,” Su Zhe said in a flat, even tone. “The Rites Ministry is the strictest guardian of propriety, and the Finance Ministry has no spare funds.”
Princess Imperial An Ren smiled. “Good — you people understand the rules.”
Su Zhe thought to herself: The one who understands rules the least, in this entire place, is you!
Her face remained composed. She calmly took her leave, having already inwardly cursed Ye Deng, Princess Imperial An Ren, and the emperor thoroughly.
Matters related to the inner palace — Yue Huan had also assigned those to her. First, because she had previously handled them well; second, because as a woman she could move more freely within the inner palace.
The inner palace was about to confer ranks on new consorts again. The Li Baolin who had been elevated to Baolin alongside Yan Gui — even though she had no family background and had not given birth — was now pregnant! The emperor was pleased and promoted her to Cairen before she had even given birth. Consort Zhao Jieyu had fallen ill from the grief of missing her deceased son. In the inner palace, only Empress Luo and Yan Gui were receiving the emperor’s favor; for an emperor, that was considered few. Empress Dowager Mu felt for her son, and worried even more about grandsons. Of three grandsons in total, one had become dim-witted, one had died, and the remaining one was still small, with an unremarkable maternal family. The empress had had no movement these past two years, and one could not simply wait forever. Empress Dowager Mu hoped the emperor could have inner palace women of good birth who were capable of bearing children. Yet with the western frontier still in conflict, a grand ceremony was inadvisable, so she discussed privately with Empress Luo and selected four women from prominent families in the capital to fill the inner palace.
Empress Luo had her grievances but no recourse and could only consent.
In addition to Cairen Li, there were now two Cairen Ye, one Zhaorong Wang, and one Jieyu Zhong. The Rites Ministry had to make preparations again. Fortunately, Su Zhe was being used for this, so it did not consume the Rites Ministry’s particular energy, allowing Yue Huan to focus on the matter of the imperial examinations.
Su Zhe’s burden grew heavier, and heaven only knew — she did not want to shoulder this kind of rotten burden one bit!
Because the Finance Ministry was also causing trouble.
Ye Deng and Cairen Li had not taken advantage of Zhù Ying’s departure from the capital to seize power. On the contrary, they had handed many matters to Zhao Su to handle. When the aunt-and-nephew pair met up, Su Zhe said of those two: “Too crafty. The moment something goes wrong, once Grandfather returns, he can blame it on your head — and then Grandfather would not only be unable to pursue the matter, he’d have to clean up the mess for the Finance Ministry. Their consciences have gone entirely rotten!”
Zhao Su, however, was relaxed about it: “But it means I’m actually managing things, and that’s better than being left on the shelf! If you never do anything, you never make mistakes — but what’s the point of that?”
Even so, Ye Deng had turned around and brought trouble to Su Zhe’s door!
Conferring rank on the inner palace consorts cost money. The inner palace contributed a portion, and then came to the Finance Ministry for some as well.
The Finance Ministry naturally was not about to give it over without a fight!
Ye Deng thought he had a clear read on the situation: his superior was fairly “orthodox” and “old-fashioned,” having no interest in women himself, and only managing the emperor and empress; toward the rest of the inner palace he was fairly “economical.” Whatever the emperor and empress requested could be weighed and partially allocated after some negotiation, but anything more from the inner palace should come from the inner treasury.
And that was the extent of it!
Because he had also discovered that his superior did not like imperious figures like Princess Imperial An Ren.
Ye Deng didn’t like her either — but Princess Imperial An Ren was useful!
When the palace expenses went over budget, arguing with the eunuchs was too much trouble, so he would go pay a call on Princess Imperial An Ren and invite this princess to make a fuss. The Ye family was a great clan; they could get through the doors of a princess’s residence. Through gossip and rumor — even though he was a man — he had heard a little: the Luo family was troubled about the empress having no children, and while others might not mind so much, Princess Imperial An Ren looked at the children of the inner palace consorts without any warmth whatsoever. By extension, she looked at those children’s mothers with open contempt.
Yes — everyone knew a concubine’s children also called the principal wife their mother, but if the principal wife had no child of her own, she had doubts in her heart too.
You want to confer titles on the inner palace? Fine — but for the inflated costs, the Finance Ministry won’t pay! The inner palace said that prices had risen and more funds needed to be allocated. Ye Deng paid no attention whatsoever.
After the back-and-forth quarreling had grown tiresome, Ye Deng ran to Princess Imperial An Ren to pour out his grievances: “The inner palace is so extravagant — what does the empress think about this? The court needs money everywhere right now; for a mere conferment of rank to cost this much — I was thinking, if I submitted a memorial about it, it would embarrass Her Majesty the Empress. Would Your Highness perhaps whisper a word to Her Majesty quietly?”
Princess Imperial An Ren had already been displeased to see so many new additions to the inner palace; now she had received a ready-made pillow handed right to her and rushed into the inner palace to insist — we must be frugal, we must set an example for the realm; one cannot let people say that soldiers at the front lack clothing and food while the inner palace stages grand spectacles.
To this end, she kept a close watch on Su Zhe, terrified that the Rites Ministry might blow the preparations out of proportion!
Su Zhe was picked at relentlessly before Empress Luo, and since Princess Imperial An Ren was not one to choose her words carefully, Su Zhe also came to learn that Ye Deng had been saying the Finance Ministry was short of funds.
What a headache!
Su Zhe found herself missing Zhù Ying, missing the days in the north, missing the time when Zhù Ying was still in the capital — even when she had been doing a thankless job that nobody appreciated, Grandfather had always managed to arrange other things for her to do and things for her to learn.
What a nuisance!
What was Grandfather up to now? Had the letter she’d written been received? With Chief Minister Zheng in mourning leave — what would Grandfather arrange?
She and Zhao Su had sent word to the western frontier the moment they received the news of the death. She was a little worried, afraid that Zheng Xi might suddenly recall Zhù Ying. To go into the field for a campaign — now that she’d already made the trip, she ought to bring back whatever merit she could before returning! This post was not being held for the sake of the Zheng family; why on earth should she…
Su Zhe pushed down her displeasure and went to see Yue Huan. The Yue and Zheng families were connected by marriage, and Yue Huan had been busy these past few days. He heard Su Zhe out on the inner palace matter and said, “Most likely this will have to be postponed.”
Su Zhe said, “Yes. That said, it doesn’t matter much — Princess Imperial An Ren would be only too happy to see the conferment delayed as long as possible. Give her a reason, and she can make the case herself. Tomorrow I’ll go to the Central Palace and say another word about it.”
Yue Huan said with considerable sympathy, “You’ve been worked very hard.”
“This is within the scope of this official’s duties.”
Princess Imperial An Ren was indeed useful: she batted the conferment ceremony back by a full month. And requiring frugality also meant that the prepared items, attendants, and such were all reduced considerably. Those in the Office of Internal Affairs who had been hoping to skim a little off the top gnashed their teeth behind closed doors in silent fury.
When the conferment finally began, Su Zhe participated as a Rites Ministry official. As a woman, she moved about with somewhat greater ease and a somewhat wider range. And then, not paying close enough attention, she was bumped into by a small round bundle — well! Was this not Yan Gui’s son?