Li Chi watched Little Zhang Zhenren’s hesitating, about-to-speak-but-not expression, and couldn’t help but smile.

“What is it? A grown man, acting so coy.”

Li Chi asked this with a laugh — and somehow those words were exactly what unlocked Little Zhang Zhenren.

“Your Majesty also says I am a grown man — yet this grown man doesn’t know how to win a young woman’s heart.”

He recounted from beginning to end the story of his master’s mockery of him. Li Chi listened and laughed heartily.

He had never imagined that Little Zhang Zhenren — grown as he was — could still be jealous over a small child. And not even a child yet born.

Li Chi laughed. “This is something I cannot help you with, either. I have no idea how to win women’s hearts.”

Little Zhang Zhenren said, “But Your Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress are so deeply in love. How can Your Majesty claim not to know how to win a woman’s heart? I see Her Majesty smiling radiantly every day — if she were not happy and content, how could she be so?”

Li Chi burst into laughter again. This Little Zhang Zhenren had just paid him an oblique compliment, and it did indeed feel thoroughly satisfying.

Li Chi said, “I truly have no talent for winning women’s hearts. I only know how to win the heart of one woman — the Empress. Women of this world are many and all different, so I truly cannot help you. Go and ask around.”

Little Zhang Zhenren produced Yu Jiuling’s list. “They can’t help me either — they only give me things like this.”

Li Chi took the list, looked it over, and his expression turned stern.

“How can you be shown something like this? This is the sort of thing that corrupts impressionable minds. Consider it confiscated.”

Li Chi locked the list in a drawer, clearly with no intention of ever returning it.

Little Zhang Zhenren blinked — with a feeling of having never intended to steal a chicken, yet somehow still losing a handful of grain.

“Little Zhang Zhenren.”

Shen Ruhan said with a gentle smile, “Let me offer you a suggestion.”

Little Zhang Zhenren’s face reddened. Shen Ruhan wanted to help him — but Shen Ruhan was herself a woman. And such a beautiful woman at that.

“In this world, most people still favor sons over daughters.”

Shen Ruhan spoke in a calm, measured tone. “Little Zhenren has a Heavenly Master’s Daoist temple here in Chang’an. You could announce publicly that every few days the temple will open a free school for women — welcoming anyone with a desire to learn, regardless of age.”

Little Zhang Zhenren froze. “This…”

Shen Ruhan said, “If the Daoist priest can show the world that women are not lesser people — before long, many young women will come to admire the Zhenren’s learning and character…”

Li Chi watched Shen Ruhan with the expression of a big sister luring a little wolf cub — and she truly was winning him over.

“This makes sense…”

Li Chi said from beside them, “Shen Xiansheng’s words are sound. If the temple opens its doors every few days to teach, charges no fee, and even provides meals — women too may study, learn reason, and become wise. And in the future, among the academies, there should also be women serving as teachers, educating students for Great Ning.”

Li Chi looked at Little Zhang Zhenren and said, “If your women’s school is well run, I will even ask Her Majesty the Empress to visit occasionally and lend you her prestige.”

Little Zhang Zhenren’s eyes grew brighter and brighter.

“Your Majesty makes good sense; Shen Xiansheng makes good sense. I shall go and begin preparing — thinking through what to teach.”

Li Chi said, “The matter of establishing the school in the temple — leave that to me. I’ll have someone arrange it. Your priority is to go and raise the silver for me quickly. That is what truly matters.”

Little Zhang Zhenren scratched his temple in embarrassment. “I will obey.”

Li Chi said, “No matter what trade a person is in — as long as they can fund children’s education, the public school may bear their name. I don’t mind if today a Zhang San School appears and tomorrow a Li Si School — the more such schools there are, the happier I will be.”

Little Zhang Zhenren bowed. “In this matter, I have some skill.”

Li Chi said, “You already have an approach?”

Little Zhang Zhenren said, “Your Majesty is also quite good at this, actually… It’s fairly simple — one argument should do the trick. Something like: ‘Such-and-such, your past business dealings have accrued some bad karma, and in the second half of your life you may face hardship — but if you do more good deeds, those hardships can be offset, and especially with something like funding education, establishing one school can cancel out ten years of misfortune…'”

Li Chi raised his hand and clapped Little Zhang Zhenren on the shoulder. “I rather think you might be more like my master’s true disciple.”

Little Zhang Zhenren: “…”

Li Chi said, “If we’d had you back then, the three of us together could have stirred up quite a legend in the northern frontier.”

Little Zhang Zhenren said, “We might also have been chased down and killed…”

After some idle conversation, Shen Ruhan and Little Zhang Zhenren departed one after the other, leaving only Li Chi and Yan Xiansheng in the study.

Yan Xiansheng glanced toward the door, then lowered his voice to Li Chi and said, “Your Majesty — the matter of Xu Ji is better dealt with sooner rather than later. He already shows signs of factionalism and corruption. Great Ning has only just been founded, and if a powerful minister corrupts the court, the longer it is left, the harder it becomes to handle.”

Li Chi shook his head. “I rather feel — the longer, the easier to handle.”

Yan Xiansheng startled, unable for a moment to follow Li Chi’s meaning.

Li Chi smiled. “I have already thought through how to handle this matter. Leave it alone for now. Xu Ji handles state affairs with rare competence — large and small matters, he manages them all quite well. Let him continue for the time being.”

Yan Xiansheng had been on the verge of further remonstrance, but seeing that Li Chi had no wish to continue discussing this man, he found it difficult to press further.

After taking his leave from the Weiyang Palace, Yan Xiansheng did not return home. Instead, he went to Director Gao’s residence.

He was led by a servant through to the rear courtyard, where he found Director Gao, Old Zhang Zhenren, and the Long-Browed Daoist — the three elders — occupied with something.

Coming closer, Yan Xiansheng could see: the three elders were making toys for a small child.

One had to say — the things these three elders were making were truly dazzling.

A small wooden horse on wheels: sit on the horse’s back, press down on the stirrup-like pedals, and the wooden wheels would turn and roll forward.

And a painted rattle: give it a spin, and it not only rattled — the painted panels changed as it turned.

At this moment, those three elders were crafting a carriage in the likeness of the Divine Eagle.

And a rather lifelike one at that.

The Divine Eagle lay to one side watching — seemingly even it understood who this carriage was being made for, and grasped the gravity of the occasion. It lay there motionless, performing its duties as a model with full dedication.

When Yan Xiansheng arrived, those three elders gestured for him to find a seat and make himself at home.

Yan Xiansheng asked if he could help with anything, only to receive a round of scorn from the three elders.

They told him he was good for nothing but growing vegetables.

Yan Xiansheng’s expression said: you are all my elders, you have the final word.

Director Gao glanced sideways at Yan Xiansheng, continuing to paint the wooden carriage. “Are you troubled by something you can’t quite decide?”

Yan Xiansheng shook his head, looked around — no one else was present — and sighed again.

“Today I raised the matter of Xu Ji with His Majesty. The man already shows signs of factionalism, so I counseled His Majesty that an early decision is better than a late one. If it drags on, Xu Ji may grow strong enough that he becomes entrenched.”

Director Gao listened, was quiet for a moment, then set down his paintbrush.

He turned to face Yan Xiansheng. “As to Xu Ji’s signs of factionalism — do you think you were the only person to bring this to His Majesty’s attention?”

Yan Xiansheng said, “Naturally not only me. The officials of the Censorate would appear to have raised it with His Majesty several times as well.”

Director Gao said, “So — what does that represent?”

Yan Xiansheng was uncertain how to answer, and after some deliberation offered tentatively, “It represents that Xu Ji’s conduct has already reached the point where he barely bothers to conceal it?”

Director Gao shook his head. “What it represents is very simple — it is precisely what you just mentioned: that the officials of the Censorate have also submitted memorials.”

Yan Xiansheng didn’t follow.

Director Gao smiled slightly. “The Censorate officials noticed it, so they submitted memorials to His Majesty. You noticed it, so you counseled His Majesty. Do you suppose others couldn’t see it?”

Yan Xiansheng replied, “The whole court, naturally, is watching.”

Director Gao gave a sound of acknowledgment and continued, “Since the whole court is watching, in what direction do you think this will develop?”

Yan Xiansheng replied, “If His Majesty continues to take no action, more and more people will gravitate toward Xu Ji’s side. At that point, the court’s power will no longer be the court’s power — it will be Xu Ji’s private power. Even now, many have already attached themselves to Xu Ji’s faction and go about boasting of it. And equally, many who have not entered his faction have been sidelined and harbor deep resentment.”

Director Gao said, “And further along?”

Yan Xiansheng thought, then said, “Further along, Xu Ji’s power will overshadow the court. Even officials at the local prefectural level will all be his students and disciples.”

Director Gao: “Will there be those who remain unmoved — who neither seek to curry Xu Ji’s favor nor fall in with that crowd?”

Yan Xiansheng said, “There certainly will be — and not a small number. Quite a few are already discussing the matter.”

Director Gao: “And you still don’t see it?”

Yan Xiansheng froze again. He thought: what should I be seeing?

Director Gao had, after all, served as a high official in the Chu court, and his understanding of official circles ran far deeper than Yan Xiansheng’s.

He smiled. “You earnest, pigheaded creature — I told you at the Four Pages Academy that your thinking was too rigid, and you always refused to accept it.”

He explained carefully. “Suppose it really does unfold as you say — His Majesty takes no action, and more and more court officials seek Xu Ji’s favor. This is not a bad thing. And those who refuse to be contaminated will thereby be distinguished and separated out — that is not a bad thing either.”

Director Gao smiled and asked, “His Majesty told you — the longer, the better?”

Yan Xiansheng nodded. “Yes — I said sooner is better; His Majesty said later is better.”

Director Gao: “Then it is indeed later is better.”

Yan Xiansheng still wanted to ask more, but Director Gao had already picked up his paintbrush and returned to painting the Divine Eagle carriage.

Old Zhang Zhenren looked at Yan Xiansheng and smiled. “Your mentor is unwilling to spell it out for you, but I am an old Daoist with fewer such scruples — I can speak plainly.”

He looked at Yan Xiansheng. “When you urged His Majesty that sooner is better — you were thinking these people should all be dealt with, were you not? Either expelled from court, or arrested and imprisoned.”

Yan Xiansheng said, “Is that not the right thinking?”

Old Zhang Zhenren shook his head. “From your position as a subject, that is perfectly right thinking. But His Majesty is not thinking that way. His Majesty doesn’t want to expel them, and doesn’t want to arrest them.”

Old Zhang Zhenren smiled, then turned back to painting the other side of the carriage.

—