Hua Jie had been watching Lu Danqing’s expression closely. Lu Danqing did not break down in tears or make a scene, which in fact worried Hua Jie. In Hua Jie’s decades of experience with life, the deeper the grief, the harder the tears come. If there were a moment later when it could burst out, that was better. But if it were held in indefinitely and allowed to settle in the heart like sediment, that would be bad. This kind of deterioration was not necessarily physical — it could be of the spirit. One could simply “break.”

But Lu Danqing, after a dazed moment, said, “My father was not particularly good to me.”

Hua Jie signaled to the young medical apprentice to come and help remove the teacup near Lu Danqing’s hand, in case she knocked it over in an inattentive moment. The apprentice had barely stepped forward when Lu Danqing added, “But he was not bad to me either.”

The apprentice stood still for a moment, glanced at Hua Jie, and then gently and quietly took the tea things away.

“Isn’t that just how life is — neither good nor bad?” Lu Danqing said. “That was about the extent of what he was capable of.”

She talked on, a little scattered. As a chieftain, Lu Guo had been no better and no worse than other chieftains. His foresight was not impressive, but in crucial moments he had possessed the miraculous ability to bend, to make himself pliable, and in the end he had caught the tailwind of Wuzhou and ridden it forward — his village and his family had all benefited, going along with the tide. Many children by now had no memory of the “Suo Ning” family. The whole household owed a debt of gratitude to Lu Guo’s good sense.

As a father, Lu Guo could not be called either competent or incompetent. As a daughter, Lu Danqing had been someone Lu Guo seemed never to have given much thought to in terms of her future, preferring instead to find her a family to marry into. And yet he had been “willing to be persuaded” — he had listened to his niece Su Mingluan’s advice and released Lu Danqing onto a path of her own. But after Lu Danqing had returned to Wuzhou, he had set about trying to claim a share of the territory his daughter had staked out. Lu Danqing might well have ground her teeth in resentment behind his back more than once.

But all of that was over now, with his death.

Hua Jie listened in quiet stillness. Even with drums and horns sounding in full force outside to greet the imperial envoys, the space around Hua Jie remained a place where one could feel calm and settled. She did not press Lu Danqing to hurry, only sat quietly beside her.

Lu Danqing wiped her eyes, a little embarrassed. “I am somewhat sad, and yet not particularly sad.”

Even to a gentle elder like Hua Jie, that was the full extent of what she could bring herself to say. The darker thoughts lodged deeper inside, Lu Danqing had no wish to let Hua Jie see. She pressed on ahead: “The imperial envoys have arrived; everyone is outside. You should go too.”

Hua Jie said, “It is not such a great matter. Xiao Zhù and your cousin and the others have all asked me to stay and keep you company.”

“But it is a great matter.”

Hua Jie shook her head. “You stay here at the residence for now. Since the envoys have come, there will be some days of ceremony at least. You can take that time to think about what you want to do next. Your father passed too suddenly to wait, and the funeral has already been held. Your household is otherwise peaceful. Your eldest brother has received the seal of authority. If you have no objection, I can arrange a carriage and attendants for you to go back and pay your respects. Or if there is something else on your mind, just say it.”

Lu Danqing lowered her head and thought for a moment, but said nothing.

Hua Jie patted the back of her hand, and then called for water to be brought so she could wash her face, and had food brought so they could share a meal together. When Lu Danqing had eaten her last spoonful of rice, she had already regained her composure. “Is my lord at leisure? I have some matters from the capital that I need to report to her.”

“You…”

“It is all right. When you have not seen it happen in front of your eyes, it doesn’t quite sink in yet. I may need to make a trip back soon — but the official business should be handed over first.”

Hua Jie sent someone to inquire at the front of the house. Word came back that the envoys had already been escorted to the guest lodgings to settle in, and the welcoming banquet had not yet begun. Lu Danqing immediately said, “I will go!”

When she arrived at the study, Zhù Lian and the others were all there, each face carrying a hint of joy. This included her own brothers. Just a short while before, Chen Fang and Wang Yunzhi had arrived at the residence and been extraordinarily cordial. First, Zhù Ying and the others paid their respects to the envoys and inquired after the Emperor’s health. And then Chen Fang dropped all ceremony and presented himself properly with the deference owed to a nephew.

He did not call her “Aunt” — that had been set aside. He called out instead with one voice: “Auntie.”

It was an entirely fresh form of address, and it left everyone blinking in surprise. Chen Fang smiled a clever smile. “You married my aunt, so naturally you are also my aunt. There are rare times in life when one must embrace a little convenient confusion.”

He then moved to pay his respects to Zhang Xiangu and the others, but was restrained by Wang Yunzhi: “We have just arrived and are here on an official commission. Would it not be better to wait until the official business is concluded before we renew personal ties?”

He was only the deputy envoy, but his point was well-taken. The problem at the moment was that there was quite a great deal to proclaim — beginning with Zhù Ying and working through all the Annan officials and their appointments, plus the honours and titles for each official’s wife and mother, and any other relevant relations. The matter of who would succeed the recently deceased Lu Guo had not yet even been submitted for approval, so that would be left out.

All of this could not be done in half a sitting. If they tried to read it all out in one go, it would run past midnight.

Zhù Ying therefore had Zhao Su escort the two men to the guest lodgings to settle in first, and the full proceedings would be set aside for the following day — an entire day devoted to getting it all done. Wang Yunzhi agreed to this.

The remaining people gathered in the study to discuss what came next. They needed to decorate the hill-fort city overnight. Zhao Su and Zhù Lian would be responsible for hosting the two envoys — a significant mark of attention. The Xiang family, uncle and nephew, would be responsible for the decorations. Zhù Ying would invite Chen and Wang to go on a “hunting excursion” after the proclamation was read. Lin Feng would make the travel preparations. And so on — all relatively straightforward.

At the end, Zhù Ying added one more remark: “We are at the final step now. Everyone keep your focus and see this through to a proper conclusion.”

Everyone gave their assent and withdrew, leaving only Lu Danqing behind. Lu Danqing rose and called out, “My lord…”

Zhù Ying said, “You are back. Did A’Jie speak with you?”

“Yes. I would like to go back and have a look, bring some things to West Prefecture. I…”

“Fine. Then we will move house together.”

Lu Danqing steadied herself and began reporting on the situation in the capital. Zhù Ying listened to it all, then said, “Very good. Tomorrow you have your own matters to attend to — once you have received your official appointment documents, I will arrange for people to escort you home.”

Lu Danqing gave her assent. Seeing that Zhù Ying had no further tasks to assign her, she had no wish to linger, and immediately took her leave. She was staying inside the residence, in quarters near Su Mingluan and her daughter. She had only walked a few steps when she found Su Mingluan standing there waiting for her. The two cousins, separated by a decade in age, walked together in silence for a while, until Lu Danqing made conversation just to break the quiet: “Where is Little Su Zhe?”

“Her? She is in West Prefecture right now, working with Wu Ren to oversee the construction,” Su Mingluan said. “And you?”

There had been a kind of defiance in her since childhood, really — looking at her cousin Su Mingluan and thinking: why should she be the one who gets to be a chieftain? These years that restlessness remained, yet it was no longer fixed on that one small village. Lu Danqing smiled. “I want to follow my lord to West Prefecture.”

Su Mingluan said, “That is sensible. Staying home and butting heads with your eldest brother would be a waste of your time.”

“Well…”

Lu Danqing did not attend the evening banquet. The banquet was lively nonetheless. Su Mingluan had no particular reservations, and Lu Danqing’s eldest brother also stayed away out of a sense of propriety.

Chen Fang was in fine spirits. This errand had been planned out perfectly; he was in no rush at all. He had heard his younger brother Chen Mei speak of Wuzhou before and had long wanted to see it for himself. To have carved out such a quietly remarkable enterprise in the midst of these mountains — Chen Fang found it deeply impressive. And looking at this banquet, with its harmony between those above and below, he found himself moved. “This is what it means to have the hearts of high and low in accord!”

The manner in which people related to one another in Wuzhou felt comfortable to him — not like the capital, where rules existed but something essentially human had thinned out. His late grandfather had once told him: all things become bad when pushed too far; no rules is unacceptable, but too many rules and the person inside the rules dies.

Wang Yunzhi said from nearby, “Indeed. Working together through hardship makes even bitterness taste sweet.”

Zhù Lian rubbed the tip of his nose. The banquet tonight was light on seafood, but mountain delicacies were genuinely not in short supply — many ingredients that in the capital would command a thousand in gold had been brought to the table. Wang Yunzhi still found it “bitter.”

Everything else aside, all went well. Every official present could speak the official language; whether or not the pronunciation was standard, Wang Yunzhi could make out most of it. There were women officials dining at the table, and Wang Yunzhi raised an eyebrow, but then remembered “barbarian customs” and chose to respect the local ways — and in any case, these women did not make themselves disagreeable. They had nothing in common with the idealized standard of “gentle and refined feminine grace,” and not one of them was a great beauty, yet none of them made any deliberate show of coarseness to distinguish themselves from ordinary women, or affected manly gestures and behavior.

Rather like… Wang Yunzhi glanced at Zhù Ying, seated at the head of the table.

Seeing a few of the people’s conversation growing more intent and private, Wang Yunzhi said, “We have been generously hosted this evening. Tomorrow there is still an important matter to attend to, so I will take my leave now rather than intrude further.”

Zhù Ying accordingly brought the banquet to a close.

Wang Yunzhi and Chen Fang returned to the guest lodgings. Chen Fang felt vaguely uneasy. Though he was older, Wang Yunzhi was younger — he already had children, while Wang Yunzhi had only just married. Youth did not mean impulsiveness, but Wang Yunzhi’s temperament had the potential to interfere with their plans going forward. Chen Fang said to Wang Yunzhi, “Shall we have a talk?”

“Certainly. Please, go ahead.”

The two went to Wang Yunzhi’s room. His servants brought out hangover soup. Chen Fang drank half a bowl and could not stop praising it.

Wang Yunzhi also drank half a bowl, and waited for Chen Fang to speak.

Chen Fang did not stand on ceremony. “So — what do you make of Wuzhou?”

“It seems very fine,” Wang Yunzhi said. “If you are asking about that Prefectural Governor Zhù — she also seems very fine.”

“Do you not feel that she has deceived the court?”

Wang Yunzhi considered for a moment. “I had never met her before. She also never told me she was male. When I met her, she was simply as she is. You may rest assured: the court has already issued its public judgment, and I would certainly not act to interfere with that.”

He had never met Zhù Ying before, had no prior dealings with anyone on Zhù Ying’s side, and therefore had no particular direct impression, nor any sense of having been deceived.

Chen Fang said, “I was worried you might have difficulty adjusting to the frontier.”

“To have built a barbarian territory into this — that is no small achievement. As for those who hold the lofty positions at court — hm.” Wang Yunzhi’s tone was dry. “She alone, of all of them, still remembers the aspirations of our forebears. I know she must have her own interests in mind — but so what? The court has not suffered any loss at her hands. It is the others, really — hm.”

Chen Fang did not follow that last part, but stayed with the first half. “My mother and father raised me, my grandfather opened my mind. But if one speaks of guidance in official matters and the lessons of how to conduct oneself — that role was taken up by this elder before us.”

Wang Yunzhi thought privately: your grandfather, rather than entrust the family business to his own son, chose instead to leave the most demanding and important undertaking to a “family associate” — now there was a man of extraordinary wisdom. He said vaguely, “There was that matter of the assumed identity, which is a blemish. Otherwise she could well have risen far higher.”

“Would the court ever have agreed to let a woman be an official and govern Annan? The court only knows to wait until a woman has already governed Annan, and then come to ask for the formal recognition.”

Wang Yunzhi looked at him. Chen Fang said quietly, “In today’s court, people who actually get things done are altogether too rare. It is a great pity.”

“So it is.”

Chen Fang was reassured, and went contentedly off to sleep. The next morning, Zhù Ying had worked through the night to prepare everything, and the decorations were all properly in order. They were different from the style of the capital, however — certain patterns, colors, and object designs bore a distinctly southern character.

At this point Wang Yunzhi did not find fault. He and Chen Fang both changed into formal robes, with a long line of porters behind them, carrying a row of chests. For each person, there was a document of official appointment, an official seal, and dress uniforms. For people like Zhù Ying and Zhang Xiangu, exact measurements were on file, so their garments had been made to fit. For others, such as Jiang Wan, bolts of fine silk were given, for them to have their garments made themselves.

As a result there were a great many items, and distributing them all took considerable time.

The two men took turns with the work. The incense in the incense burners was replenished several times over, and finally — it was all read out.

Inside and outside the hall, a cheer went up. Apart from Zhù Ying and those close to her, quite a number of able-bodied men from Zhù County had taken part in the western campaign, and some households had talented students who had rendered service during the campaign and received official appointments — the cheers were entirely heartfelt.

With the incense altar cleared away, everyone moved into the main hall to be seated.

Chen Fang first asked that Zhang Xiangu and Hua Jie be brought forward to receive his greeting, and he performed a younger-generation’s bow to them, presenting gifts on behalf of his parents. He also exchanged greetings with Hou Wu, Xiao Jiang, and others, calling them “old acquaintances of the capital, senior in years.” Zhou Wan found herself rather confused, privately thinking: I don’t really know you all that well! And Du Da Jie also found it strange — why had he brought his own servants along?

When the greetings were done, Zhang Xiangu exchanged a few words of small talk with Chen Fang. Zhù Ying was just about to open the feast when Wang Yunzhi rose to his feet, walked to stand squarely before her, and bowed to her twice, with great solemnity.

Zhù Ying said, “What is this for?”

“For the words you spoke up on behalf of my late grandfather. I thank you.”

Everyone was taken aback. Zhù Ying had almost forgotten this matter herself, and quickly helped him up. “What I did, I did according to my own conscience. Whether or not you thanked me, I would have done the same.”

“Regardless of who did it — when we who are descendants receive such a kindness, we must give thanks.” Wang Yunzhi said.

The two exchanged pleasantries and then sat down together.

Chen Fang then said, “It was the late Wang Chancellor who, all those years ago, recognized my aunt’s talent with a discerning eye and allowed her to govern Annan. Thirty years of accumulated effort have brought us to this moment. If only the late Wang Chancellor could see all this — how wonderful that would be!”

It was a prepared speech. Zhù Ying said, “I know what you are about to say. In those days, Grand Chancellors Wang, Chen, and Shi all knew of this matter. Today those men are gone, but you are still here. As long as you are not afraid of hardship, I am just on my way to West Prefecture — you are welcome to travel along.”

Chen Fang and Wang Yunzhi were naturally both willing.

The date of departure was then settled.

On Zhù Ying’s side, the decision to move house had long since been made — she had even planned to move in spring, and had arranged for several main rooms to be built first for temporary habitation while the rest were constructed gradually. Now, because of the funerals, some time had been lost. West Prefecture’s walls were already finished, and the surrounding wall for the governor’s secretariat compound had most likely been enclosed as well by now.

An auspicious date was selected by checking the almanac — the sixth day — and the party set out westward. Su Mingluan, Lang Kunwu, and the other chieftains and county magistrates of the Outer Five Counties also joined the traveling party.

By now the rainy season had passed. The green wheat was slowly turning golden — a scene of abundant richness. Chen Fang was a careful observer, and the more he looked, the more he noticed that from east to west, the crops were noticeably thinner and less evenly cultivated; the irrigation channels and water wheels also grew sparser and more scattered, and the great majority of them appeared to be newly constructed.

That day they lodged at Zhù Chonghua’s place. Zhù Chonghua had arranged everything with care and precision, which in the eyes of Chen Fang and Wang Yunzhi was simply unremarkable. But Chen Fang noticed Wang Yunzhi picking up a cup with a peculiarly shaped design and flicking at a little spear-tip ornament hanging from the cup’s ear. “Now this is distinctive,” Wang Yunzhi said. “I have never seen anything like it in the capital.”

Wang Yunzhi agreed he had not.

Zhù Chonghua said, “Each village has its own style. You have things here that you do not have there, and we have things here that you do not have there.”

Wang Yunzhi found this sharp-looking woman actually quite endearing, and smiled, putting the cup back down.

Chen Fang seized the opportunity to make a case to Zhù Ying: “Auntie, West Prefecture is already very far from Wuzhou, and communication with the outside mountains is so difficult. Would it not be better to open an additional post road directly from West Prefecture to the capital, for the convenience of all parties?”

Zhù Ying smiled and asked, “Who put you up to this?”

Chen Fang said, “I thought of it myself.”

Having established their prepared signals, the two exchanged a staring contest. Zhù Ying rubbed her chin and said, “Tell me tomorrow.”

Chen Fang was in no hurry, and Wang Yunzhi also felt the proposal, while sensible, was probably not very likely to succeed.

Yet unexpectedly, the very next morning at breakfast, Zhù Ying said to Chen Fang, “I have thought it over, and your suggestion has merit. However, while I have authority to speak for Annan in this matter, you cannot speak for the court. It will require careful deliberation over time.”

“Pffft—” Wang Yunzhi sent a mouthful of pheasant broth shooting out through his nose.

Chen Fang said, “Then we will submit a memorial to the court.”

“Fine. Send someone who knows what they are doing to negotiate the engineering — not some person who has no idea what they are about and only knows how to engage in factional squabbling,” Zhù Ying said with cutting sharpness. “This is a good undertaking, but I know the court — there are always those who accomplish nothing while managing to ruin everything. You two—”

Her voice suddenly softened. “Anyone you know who has the ability to get real work done but keeps being targeted — you can write out a list. While there is work to be done here, until the road is finished, they will all be safe. Better that they not be destroyed by factional infighting.”

Chen Fang immediately straightened to attention. This was not part of their planned exchange.

The party pressed further west, and very soon a vast open plain came into view. Everyone’s spirits lifted at once. Zhang Xiangu poked out half her body from the carriage: “Oh! Oh! Oh! How wonderful!”

Jiang the widowed matron and Du Da Jie quickly pulled her back inside. “If you want to look, wait until the carriage has stopped — you can look all you like then.”

From the moment they reached the plain, Zhang Xiangu had not stopped talking. Du Da Jie was excited herself, yet still had to hold Zhang Xiangu back and urge her to rest earlier. Zhang Xiangu said, “You do not understand — this place truly is like home. Not mountains, mountains, and more mountains.” Du Da Jie made no objection. She was a person from the capital region, and the plains around the capital were flatter and more expansive than Zhang Xiangu’s old hometown — she too was very glad of it.

And this place was different from the mountains in yet another way: the dampness was considerably lighter, and it was not as oppressively hot as Fulu County and the like. Zhang Xiangu managed to sleep an extra half-hour each night.

When they arrived at West Prefecture, it was a great walled city — and not only Zhang Xiangu, but Chen and Wang themselves were astonished. “This is what West Prefecture is like?”

Zhù Lian modestly said, “The construction was rough and hasty. At the moment, only the city walls are done properly; the interior is still quite basic, with houses still being built.” He did not actually know what the interior looked like, but reciting the expected words could not go too wrong.

Su Zhe then led a welcoming party out to meet them. Her complexion had turned slightly sun-reddened, and she said to Zhù Ying with delight, “My lord! What perfect timing! The new residence was completed just yesterday!” The main construction consisted of a city wall, a granary, and the governor’s secretariat — these three had been finished first, and Su Zhe was quite pleased with herself. She led the way in through the gates. “The rest is still in progress! It is not the right season to transplant flowering plants — that will have to wait for spring.”

She chattered on, while Chen Fang and Wang Yunzhi took their time looking around. They found that within the walls was indeed one enormous construction site — but with excellent order. Already the rough shape of two main roads running north-south had taken form; using these two roads as central axes, the entire city had been laid out like a chessboard, each section designated for a different purpose. There were quarters where the workers temporarily lodged, houses in the process of being built, enclosures for livestock, and different groups of craftsmen working in separate designated areas.

Su Zhe first invited everyone into the residence to rest. The main gate was freshly painted, carrying the faint scent of new timber and fresh lacquer. Zhang Xiangu took one look and fell in love with the place immediately. She turned to ask Zhù Ying, “We are not moving again after this, are we?”

“No more moving. This is where we will live from now on.”

Zhang Xiangu happily called out to people to start unloading the carriages. “Where do I stay?”

The other large houses in the city were still being built on either side. For the time being, Chen Fang and the others moved into the governor’s secretariat residence — the Zhù household was small, and there was room enough.

Wang Yunzhi settled in his things, found the courtyard rather bare and uninteresting, and invited Chen Fang to take a walk through the city together. Chen Fang was also curious, thought it over, and said, “We should tell Auntie first before going. The construction sites are chaotic — if we have no guide, we might get lost.”

The two found Zhù Ying as she was watching workers hoist a plaque into place above the entrance of a building.

Wang Yunzhi said “Oh?” Chen Fang asked, “What is it?”

Wang Yunzhi pointed at the plaque, inscribed with the characters “Ri Zhi” — “Daily Learning” — and said, “The calligraphy looks familiar.”

“Yes. The late Grand Chancellor Wang wrote it.” Zhù Ying said.

While Wang Yunzhi studied the calligraphy, Chen Fang told Zhù Ying their wish to take a walk around. Zhù Ying said, “Go ahead. Find Little Su Zhe and have her find someone to guide you. I need to go see how things are being settled in the back — I will not go with you.”

The two went off and looked at everything. They had both served in local postings. Wang Yunzhi’s experience was more limited, but Chen Fang’s eye was a perceptive one, and looking carefully, he found that the planning and coordination here were sensible in every regard. He knew Zhù Ying had only recently conquered this territory, and that in such circumstances the most difficult thing was to govern the original inhabitants — keeping them without grievances, without disorder.

Zhù Ying’s approach was to disperse and divide — preventing people of the same status from forming excessively large cohesive groups, and encouraging intermarriage between peoples. This was combined with a relatively fair manner of treatment, and the tactic of keeping everyone occupied.

Both men nodded in approval as they observed.

Chen Fang pointed at one building and said, “What is that place?”

Of everything, what had progressed fastest, after the governor’s secretariat, was the school.

Entering the school, the first thing Wang Yunzhi saw was a craftsman chiseling at a stone. He inquired and learned that the stone was quite large; if it were carved to completion and then transported, it might be damaged on the way. So the raw stone had been brought directly to the school grounds, and while people were working up on the roof overhead, the chiseling carried on with a tap-tap-tapping sound below.

They were carving the literacy stone tablet.

Wang Yunzhi, in his heart, held genuine admiration for Zhù Ying.

With a domain of this scale and power, she still had not forgotten her roots. Chen Fang had proposed the road — that was something Wang Yunzhi had not anticipated. And yet Zhù Ying had actually agreed to it!

Wang Yunzhi turned this over in his mind, then said quietly to Chen Fang, “The Elder Liu said: assuming a name not one’s own as a public official is admittedly a fault, but to open up new territory and expand the frontier is a virtue that outweighs the flaw.”

Chen Fang turned his face to look at him. Wang Yunzhi averted his gaze, looked up at the sky with a rolling of his eyes. The sky was an intense, saturated blue. Wang Yunzhi whistled softly, clasped his hands behind his back, strolled over to the stone tablet and studied it slowly. Then he suddenly said, “The craftsmanship is not very good. It no longer looks like the Elder Liu’s calligraphy.”