Zhù Ying glanced at this young man and packed every word he was about to say right back into his stomach.

The single lead rider was only a scout. He let out a sharp, sustained whistle. Not far away, the path they had come from returned the whistle, and immediately after, the sound of hoofbeats intensified sharply.

“Precious Blade’s” expression also changed. He let out his own whistle, and among his followers, beyond those already gripping blades, others now produced bows and arrows.

Zhù Ying turned her head toward the approaching path. Su Mingluan’s people were also coming forward, banners flying.

Chou Wen and Senior Sister Hu were the quickest to react among those at Zhù Ying’s side — they urged their horses forward and angled themselves to interpose between Zhù Ying and “Blade Brother.” Zhù Ying raised her hand. Both Chou Wen and Senior Sister Hu, keeping Zhù Ying in their peripheral vision, saw this and hesitated.

“Blade Brother” said to Chou Wen: “Well — protecting someone else.”

Chou Wen gave a cold snort and did not answer him.

Zhù Ying leaned forward and gave her horse’s neck a few light pats, then swiftly and lightly dismounted. Amid the startled cries of Gu Tong and the others, she began walking forward at a measured pace. On the other side, the people behind “Blade Brother” had their weapons aimed at her, their faces taut with tension.

“Blade Brother” frowned and watched as Zhù Ying closed the distance between them. They had already drawn quite close for the sake of conversation. It was just a few steps, and slow as Zhù Ying walked, she was in front of him in an instant. Everyone held their breath.

Zhù Ying stopped three paces from “Blade Brother” and said: “Losing one’s composure is no good.”

“Blade Brother” held her gaze — two people, four eyes, neither shifting. His eyes were wide open. Zhù Ying could see his nostrils flaring, his breathing rapid. Zhù Ying herself was composed — she blinked when she needed to blink. Her back was straight, her expression relaxed, even faintly looking bored.

Senior Sister Hu’s hand moved to the pouch at her waist. The other side had not yet loosed a single arrow, nor made any further shouting.

The two of them stood there only a short time before Su Mingluan arrived.

Hearing the whistle, she had left the wagon train behind and ridden out personally with twenty capable young men at her side. From a distance, she had seen two groups of people, and all manner of thoughts swirled through her mind. She had known long ago that Zhù Ying could not use the entire official apparatus to support her in warring against every tribe to expand her power. Yet when she learned that Zhù Ying might also be building up other tribes, she found the feeling somewhat unpleasant.

Her guess was being confirmed before her eyes. In the distance still covered while galloping, Su Mingluan strained to suppress her various thoughts, doing her best to remain calm and think through what she should do next. Throwing a scene and making demands were out of the question. Threats would not work either. Offering still greater benefits was something she could barely stomach. So there was only one option: deal with the matter as it stood…

But when she actually arrived and saw the scene in front of her, she froze: “Godfather?”

She had run through many scenarios in her mind during the approach — what if Godfather and the Liji people were getting on famously; what if Godfather was wearing his usual expression as if nothing had happened, greeting her and introducing her to the Liji people as though it were the most natural thing in the world. All of this was exactly the sort of thing Godfather was capable of. Godfather never panicked in the face of trouble.

Standing here now, Su Mingluan realized that her understanding of this young Godfather of hers was still far too shallow — and yet, thinking further, she realized it was somehow entirely consistent with what Zhù Ying would do.

Zhù Ying turned her head slightly: “Here already?”

Su Mingluan kept a wary eye on “Blade Brother” and said: “I was on my way to pay my respects to Godfather, and unexpectedly encountered you here. Godfather, what is this…?”

Among her contingency plans, she had even considered “loudly rebuking the Liji people, provoking them into showing disrespect toward Godfather, making it impossible for Godfather and the Liji to coexist peaceably.” But Zhù Ying’s positioning now caused her to abandon that plan.

Although Su Mingluan made no further aggressive moves, her escort was no trifling matter. The moment they saw the situation, blades were drawn and arrows nocked. The Liji people, seeing this, tightened their grip on their own weapons by another degree.

When they moved, Zhù Ying’s people — whether battle-hardened people like Chou Wen, Senior Sister Hu, and Xiang Le, or the constables and white-uniformed officers — also took up their weapons. In the prison cart, the criminal shifted, and was immediately jabbed in the abdomen by a constable’s rod: “Be still!”

In the seven years Zhù Ying had been here, her constables had finally begun to show the faintest trace of having “long dwelt among the various non-Han peoples, gradually taking on their ways” — their faces were grim and fierce.

Everyone had stopped even cursing. Every throat had gone dry, yet no one dared cough for fear that the slightest sound might set something dreadful in motion.

The only truly relaxed person in all this was, perhaps, Zhù Ying. She noticed a young man in the Liji ranks wearing a keenly eager, conspiratorial expression, with a faint curl of unpleasant intent in his smile. His throat quivered a few times, his shoulders gave a slight roll, and his eyes swept left and right.

Zhù Ying suddenly let out a quiet laugh: “Keep an eye on the one with the flower behind you! Don’t let him make a fool of himself.”

As she spoke, she tilted her chin, pointing in “Blade Brother’s” direction.

“Blade Brother” could not help but glance back, and looked straight at a young man with a small flower tucked into the headband wrapped around his temple. The young man’s plan was: “This official, with his delicate pretty face, has been putting on such airs — he must just be a decorative figurehead. I’ll give him a good scare, make him look like a fool, and he won’t be able to put on this brave-hero act in front of us anymore.”

His plan was simple — the sort of prank young men often played. Suddenly stomp the foot and release a startling “hah!” while giving a sweeping threatening gesture, or suddenly raise your hand in a striking motion. Enough to make someone jump; a timid person would cry out, and even a bold, quick-reacting person would immediately drop into a fighting stance. At that point, the prankster would pull back his hand, making the other party look as if they had overreacted and were just a coward. The prankster could then share a laugh with his companions and mock the other party.

Just being a nuisance, in short.

But Zhù Ying had seen right through it.

The young man had absolutely no idea how she had figured it out. His intention hadn’t quite been reined back in time, and in front of nearly two hundred people from three different parties — under the head chief’s direct gaze — he found himself actually going through with the performance he’d been rehearsing in his head. His foot stomped down with a thud, his mouth let out a “ho!” and his blade swept forward, then was swiftly brought back halfway.

He had performed the full “intimidation routine” in public.

“Pfft—” someone couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing. Then the Southern Prefecture side, and the Asu side, both broke into laughter. “Blade Brother” brought his riding crop down across the flower-wearing young man’s body: “Get out!”

“Blade Brother” himself was drenched in cold sweat. He breathed deeply several times before turning back to look at Zhù Ying with heavy eyes. Just now, if that fool behind him had actually provoked something, it would have been a minor matter for the Prefect to look bad — but the Prefect’s people, believing that he had ordered an assassination, would have erupted in a brawl with no hope of resolution! He glanced at Su Mingluan again. That bird would certainly not have let such an opportunity pass.

Su Mingluan found herself somewhere between disappointed and relieved. She breathed out a long exhale and called out again: “Godfather.”

The laughter gradually subsided. Zhù Ying was still standing three paces from “Blade Brother.” The tension closed in again. The horses pawed the ground restlessly, people pulled taut on their reins.

Only Zhù Ying remained as she always was — casually: “All right, everyone stop putting on that useless display! Stand down. Come, bring things out.”

She turned back and looked. The constables and white-uniformed officers had indeed not responded yet. Zhù Ying said: “Why are you all standing there gaping? Little Sister — come.” She also tilted her chin toward “Blade Brother.” Both Su Mingluan and “Blade Brother” watched each other warily, their bodies in defensive postures, and also dismounted from their horses.

The constables stirred into action.

From one of the carts they began unloading things. Su Mingluan was somewhat familiar with what came next. “Blade Brother” watched — some of the items he recognized, others he didn’t. He saw them first lift down several coils of rope, which they straightened out, then drove stakes into the ground, roping off a section of the open area. The stones and debris on the ground were picked out. From the cart came several large felt rugs, laid out to create a few seating areas. A large folding screen was carefully lifted down from the cart, one panel at a time — it appeared somewhat heavy. Once unloaded, it was set up behind the main seat and assembled. The frame was made of bamboo, and in the center were several painted panels. “Blade Brother” examined them — they seemed to depict lively scenes from prosperous lowland cities. He had wariness toward the lowlands, but the lowlands’ fine goods were things he had encountered. Just as the women of the Asu family always had a few pretty lowland-style ornaments in their jewelry boxes.

Then tables were brought out, and the wooden resting-frames that lowland people liked to lean against were placed behind the tables.

Zhù Ying beckoned the two of them: “Since we’ve all come — sit down and have a chat for a while. It can’t be that you two have had many chances to meet face to face, can it?”

“Blade Brother” and Su Mingluan exchanged a glance and each took a seat on the guest side, to the left and right and below the main position. The constables then began setting out tea, along with refreshments and fruits. Neither of them had any appetite. Each had their own calculations.

“Blade Brother” thought to himself: This Prefect is better than the officials who came before. Looking at his manner with this woman, he doesn’t seem particularly biased toward her. That’s a good sign.

He made a signal to someone behind him. That person went back to a horse and returned with several water-skins. “Blade Brother” said: “We Liji people never eat or drink at someone else’s expense for nothing. If you can drink it, drink our wine.”

Gu Tong swallowed with a gulp in his throat. He gritted his teeth and went forward to accept the wine-skins, saying: “Teacher cannot drink wine. I will drink on his behalf — and I do not mean that we suspect you of poisoning it. Chou Wen, please say this for me.”

Chou Wen didn’t know why the Prefect couldn’t drink wine, but he was very much in agreement with Zhù Ying not drinking this wine, and quickly translated.

Su Mingluan said: “I was on my way to pay respects to Godfather to begin with, and this is convenient timing — I also have a few things.” She had come down the mountain with wild game and live animals as well, along with mountain delicacies and fresh-picked mountain produce. Her followers also presented these.

Zhù Ying said: “Hold off on all of this for now — I can see that neither of you has any real appetite.”

She then said to “Blade Brother” in the Liji language: “I can drink wine. Whether the others can handle it, I couldn’t say.” She had noticed that the Liji and Qixia people could, at least partially, understand each other’s everyday speech.

Gu Tong was greatly distressed. Under Zhù Ying’s pointed glance, he could only grit his teeth. With a mournful expression, he poured a bowl for Zhù Ying. On the other side, “Blade Brother” poured himself a bowl as well. He looked at the bowl in front of him — a lowland porcelain bowl, which was fine, and not too small. Su Mingluan’s side also had their bowls filled. Zhù Ying raised her bowl and drained it. “Blade Brother” and Su Mingluan followed suit, displaying their empty bowls.

Zhù Ying set her bowl down and began peeling an orange. “Do either of you still have any appetite?” she asked.

Su Mingluan said: “With Godfather here, I could not only eat but sleep soundly if I wished to.”

“Blade Brother” said: “Hmph! Don’t pretend to be bold.” His manner toward Zhù Ying had softened considerably, and he said: “Prefect — now that we’re all sitting down, does that mean we’re starting to talk?”

Zhù Ying popped a segment of orange into her mouth and chewed: “Mmm. As well we might — since we’ve run into each other, let’s talk. You two — how long have you been at this, fighting like this? Has it made either of you better off than before? Or has it just left more orphans and widows on both sides?”

This is bad! Gu Tong covered his face.

Chou Wen drifted quietly to his side and asked in a low voice: “What’s wrong with the young gentleman?”

Gu Tong said in despair: “Once Teacher has had wine, he cannot control what comes out of his mouth. Whatever the other party most wishes no one to know — that’s exactly what he’ll say. When he’s drunk, he only tells the truth.”

Chou Wen thought: That can’t possibly be right.

Both “Blade Brother” and Su Mingluan’s expressions had gone somewhat dark. Zhù Ying said to Su Mingluan: “You didn’t need to rush over here to my side like this. After all these years, have you never seen how I conduct myself? No — it’s because you also have the whole Asu family on your shoulders, so everything must be thought of in terms of the worst possible outcome. That’s very good — it means you’re being responsible to your people. But still, it was rather obvious! Is this the necessary path to the prefecture city? I said — you don’t let me down, I don’t let you down. Why are you still carrying on like this?”

Su Mingluan murmured assent.

Zhù Ying then said to “Blade Brother”: “Everyone says you’re a rude and blustering man, and you’ve certainly presented yourself as reckless. But ever since we first met — not counting that time outside her stronghold — you haven’t done or said anything truly discourteous. You understand perfectly well! You are also afraid — afraid that I’ll give her grain and weapons, afraid I’ll help her. If I do, your tribe will suffer.”

“Blade Brother’s” expression shifted slightly, and the people behind him were already visibly indignant.

Zhù Ying turned to Gu Tong: “Bring more wine.”

Chou Wen, hearing her switch effortlessly between three languages, thought to himself: This person, when apparently drunk, is sharper than most people are sober.

Zhù Ying said: “People have their own thoughts and I don’t require you to think as I do at every turn. Since arriving in Southern Prefecture I’ve been hearing about old grievances. You are wary of the official authorities — that is precisely the correct way for people to think. If you had forgotten everything, I would be wondering how you’d survived to the present.”

“Blade Brother” said: “You are a person who tells the truth.”

Zhù Ying said: “Of course. Her father was still alive when I said it, and I said it then: I will not help one side wipe out the other. I say the same thing today. Those who do such things always find another method to wipe you out too. I have any number of ways to make the two of you bleed each other dry — but I will not do it. If I don’t do it, then why do you keep doing it to each other? Does your hatred between yourselves run deeper than your hatred of the lowlanders? And this practice of living human sacrifice — that’s also strange. What is the reasoning behind it?”

Neighbors of the same kind coexist with a certain rivalry, and different tribes in the same region had something of that dynamic too, though it was never quite so simple or absolute. This kind of relationship couldn’t be explained in a few words, so “Blade Brother” answered only the second question: “The sky gods favor such offerings.”

“I don’t,” Zhù Ying said. “Do you? Come home and suddenly find someone has laid a table full of human heads for you, stacking new ones when the old ones rot. That’s a rather peculiar god.”

“Blade Brother” was speechless. It was very hard to explain further to Zhù Ying — it was their custom, was it not? And there was also the practical necessity behind it.

Chou Wen was in agreement with Zhù Ying’s stance, yet he felt a certain unease, sensing that Zhù Ying raising this now was very ill-timed.

But then Zhù Ying’s words took an unexpected turn: “Let me instead propose a reconciliation for the two of you. All these years, the Asu family has taken many of your people, and you have cut many of the Asu family’s heads.”

Both Su Mingluan and Chou Wen thought she was about to say “stop hurting each other” — words that would put them in a difficult position.

Zhù Ying continued: “Exchange them then — return the remains of those already sacrificed. What do you say?”

Su Mingluan was somewhat moved. “Blade Brother” was also considering. What each of them was weighing was their respective people. If there had been no sacrifice, how could their own authority be guaranteed? But if it was simply an exchange of “what had already been used” — that was not necessarily out of the question. “Blade Brother” glanced at Zhù Ying again and thought: I truly cannot afford to let her stand on the Asu family’s side. And what she’s asked isn’t overly unreasonable.

Su Mingluan thought: The blood is already spent — recovering some of the skulls in exchange would not be a bad outcome.

She said: “Since Godfather proposes it, I naturally have no objection. However, the bodies are all in a valley.”

“Blade Brother” also said: “The heads are piled in a pit — the bodies are not all there either. If you want them, you may have them.”

Zhù Ying said: “Good. Then let us discuss the arrangements.”

This exchange had been Zhù Ying’s intention from the beginning — using remains for remains as a starting point to ease tensions between the two tribes. Su Mingluan’s side had performed blood sacrifices, and once the blood had been drained, the bodies had no further use. If the heads of one’s own elders could be recovered, that would be a good accounting to give one’s people. The likelihood of Su Mingluan agreeing to this proposal was fairly high.

And once Su Mingluan agreed, if “Blade Brother” did not wish to be caught in a pincer attack from two sides, he would also have only one choice but to agree. Of course, Zhù Ying did not want to drive anyone to a corner — if the other party chose to fight to the death and drag the ordinary people of Southern Prefecture into suffering, that was not what she wanted either. So the Liji side could not be the first to hand over the human heads.

The exchange would present some complications. For instance, as “Blade Brother” had mentioned, “the bodies are not all there” — because they did not always bring an entire old man back to be killed on the spot. Sometimes they would raid another party and cut off the head of a heavily bearded man, carrying it back while leaving the body. The bereaved family could only take the body and bury it with a wooden head carved as a substitute. On occasions of especially grand ceremony, a living old man would be taken and killed on the spot. Chou Wen’s grandfather had been one such victim, sacrificed to make up the numbers for a major ritual.

After the heads were used, they were not simply discarded, but piled and buried in some location, with no special care taken — because new sacrificial offerings would always come. Su Mingluan’s side was similar: the bloodless bodies were of no interest to the Asu family and had been cast into a valley, where wolves and wild dogs would scatter them. Even those not yet decomposed had been knocked about.

Zhù Ying said: “Since I have raised this matter, let me serve as witness for both your families. Each of you select trusted people — ten, or twenty — and I will lead them to collect the remains. First, Liji people will go to the Asu stronghold; then the Asu family will go to the Liji stronghold. Is that acceptable?”

Both “Blade Brother” and Su Mingluan agreed.

Zhù Ying also raised the matter of the route. If a large quantity of remains were to be transported through the lowlands of Southern Prefecture, that would not be acceptable — the lowlands did not permit living human sacrifice. For this reason, she was willing to put herself to some extra trouble and accompany them along mountain paths, passing through Asu County and through the mountain ranges to reach the Liji people’s stronghold.

“Blade Brother” and Su Mingluan had no further objection to this.

Zhù Ying said: “Very well — that’s settled. We’ll rendezvous here again on the next full moon.” She needed to return and handle some spring planting matters. Su Mingluan looked as though she still had things to say to her, and Zhù Ying also needed to reassure Su Mingluan, then return to see to other business at the prefectural office. Both parties likewise needed to return and make arrangements with their own people — this all needed time.

“Blade Brother” said: “I don’t need to wait for the full moon.” He had been seen straight through by Zhù Ying, and he was indeed worried that the lowland authorities would build up Su Mingluan. He was very much afraid that the two of them would join forces against him, and his tribe would suffer. In recent years, watching a woman holding the Asu household together and managing it more and more prosperously — he was envious. The more the Asu family flourished, the more the Liji people could not help but feel unsettled.

And then he had heard that this Asu woman had been given an official position. “Blade Brother” had coveted that too. He had cursed Su Mingluan thousands of times in his heart as a “traitor” and a “spineless coward,” yet inside he could only regret that the “traitor” had not been himself. He had spoken tough words, and on testing the waters, found that Zhù Ying harbored no particular hostility toward him. He had also cooperated readily with the matter of catching the criminal.

If he had not run into Su Mingluan today, “Blade Brother” had even been thinking of asking Zhù Ying why she had given Su Mingluan an official position, and whether people of his tribe might do the same.

He glanced at Chou Wen, then at “Wolf Brother,” and thought: Not today — but in a few days I’ll ask. And if I can’t ask, I’ll send someone to ask.

Zhù Ying rose and said: “You still need to go back and have a proper talk with your wife! If you don’t talk to her properly, you’ll get hit again.”

“Blade Brother’s” upper body went red to halfway down. He couldn’t help reaching up to touch his neck: “Wh-wh-who… who’s been hit?”

Gu Tong said urgently: “Quick, Teacher is leaving! By all means, don’t start revealing people’s private embarrassments to their faces! Stick to the proper business — speaking the truth about proper matters is fine, but men’s private affairs… oh? How did Teacher know? Was it Chou Wen who told her?”

Chou Wen recoiled under his gaze, shaking his head — why on earth would he say such a thing?!

Zhù Ying had worked it out herself. But she didn’t say how she had worked it out — she only stated the conclusion, and left it slightly ambiguous. That tended to make an impression on people.

Gu Tong and the others scrambled, also explaining to “Blade Brother”: “Teacher’s wine has gone to his head! That’s why I said I’d drink on his behalf. Once he’s had wine, he tells the truth.”

“Blade Brother” flew into a fury and vented it at Gu Tong: “What truth?! Who’s been hit?!”

Su Mingluan folded her arms: “Won’t even admit it. Not much of a man.”

The two sides quarrelled over this for another round, and seeing that it was getting late, they finally dispersed.

…

Zhù Ying sat astride her horse and breathed out a cloud of wine vapor, saying to Su Mingluan riding beside her: “Governing a county is both easy and difficult. If you only care about your own comfort, it’s easy — at most, everyone despises you and wishes to resist you. If you wish to look after everyone, then it’s difficult — sometimes you have to swallow grievances yourself. And yet — all that boundless glory, people respecting and fearing you, following your word in all things, a single sentence deciding life and death — isn’t that also a great joy?”

Su Mingluan said carefully: “I am still feeling my way.”

Zhù Ying said: “You are already doing very well. Yes — I will not exclusively support any single party. You and the Liji people aren’t really so bad with each other, are you? If you interact privately, it’s not as though you draw knives on sight, is it?”

She had seen this long ago. If it were truly that way, wouldn’t there be fighting every single day? When she had been in Fulu County, she had only encountered that one incident. Most of the time the two sides were relatively peaceful.

Su Mingluan said: “We do fight when we meet.”

“Mm. Sometimes it’s about survival, sometimes about greed.”

Su Mingluan said: “That’s true.”

“If we could survive together, and when greed arises, not be so brutal about it — that would be good,” Zhù Ying said slowly.

“That is very difficult.”

Zhù Ying said: “And yet both have survived to the present. Anyone who disrupts your lives makes it harder for all of you to live well — your respective forces are both too weak.” This was always her manner. Today she had borrowed the wine to say what needed to be said plainly to Su Mingluan. Whether unifying or otherwise, the more prosperous lowlands were very difficult for them to seize. All they could do was circle within the mountains. To develop further, they needed a relatively peaceful environment.

Su Mingluan sighed: “Yes.”

Zhù Ying said: “If you want to govern a larger area, you must first be able to govern what you have in hand. Even the court cannot oversee every action in every place. Mountain roads are even less navigable — first govern well what you hold. Look: the counties within Southern Prefecture — that’s how it will be between you and the Liji in the future. The principle is the same. Land and population are limited; but wealth can be unlimited. I can govern what you can’t reach; I’ll bring it peace.”

Su Mingluan walked and conversed with her all the way, and by evening they had sought lodging in a village. That night, Su Mingluan lay awake, tossing and turning, unable to sleep for a long time. Zhù Ying’s meaning was plain — she wanted to bring the Liji tribe within the court’s reach as well. Su Mingluan was no longer the sole beneficiary, but this was a reality she had no power to change. She needed to find her response to it as early as possible, and ensure that she could claim the greatest advantage for herself within this plan.

The next morning, Zhù Ying was back to her usual manner, with far fewer words.

Zhù Ying looked over Su Mingluan’s gifts, praised Su Mingluan for governing her territory well, and also gave her some news about Su Zhe’s studies. By the time they reached the prefectural office, the two of them had finished their exchange, and what they presented to the prefectural officials was an image of perfect harmony.

Zhang Jiong and the others saw that Zhù Ying had gone out and returned with a Liji-captured fugitive in the prison cart, and beside her on horseback rode the female county magistrate of Asu County. They clicked their tongues in admiration.

Su Mingluan’s arrival meant Su Zhe could take a holiday to spend time with her mother. She brought out her schoolwork to show Su Mingluan. Su Mingluan was genuinely concerned about her daughter’s studies and went through the workbooks one by one. She also saw some of Su Zhe’s notes, and one question in particular caught her attention: “Is it truly that there are no fox immortals?”

Su Mingluan said: “Is it something you want to believe in?”

“Would it exist just because I wanted to believe in it?”

Su Mingluan was still a believer herself. She said: “It’s just this particular one that was false.”

She stayed at the prefectural office for three days, during which she had another extended conversation with Zhù Ying. Zhù Ying, without the wine, spoke with a somewhat more diplomatic touch, telling Su Mingluan: “Look — how things are among the counties of Southern Prefecture now, that’s how it will be between you and the Liji eventually. The same principle throughout. Land and population are finite, but wealth can be infinite.”

Seeing that Su Mingluan still had doubts, Zhù Ying said: “I hope that in Su Zhe’s eyes, there is the whole world. She cannot fix her gaze only on the single Liji tribe. Even within Asu County — next door is the Suoning family, then there is the Huapa, then the Xika, the Jima. Are they not all there? Without a broad perspective, you cannot even do small things well.”

Su Mingluan said: “Only it is difficult.”

Zhù Ying smiled: “Then — will you do it or not?”

“Right now, I still want to. I will go back and prepare for the exchange. Godfather wants to abolish living human sacrifice, doesn’t he? That will be even more difficult.”

Zhù Ying said: “It is not abolishing sacrifice — simply establish a new set of rites, just as we have written historical epics.” This was perfectly simple to her. To say nothing of court ritual and protocol, she herself could devise a new set of shamanistic ceremonial rites without any great effort. It was simply a matter of gathering people together, having them believe in something. If the ceremony was there, if enough people were present and the atmosphere was right, nothing was an obstacle.

And a deity is a remarkably elusive sort of existence. You believe in it, and it exists. People can always find words to explain a deity’s behavior.

Su Mingluan’s eyes lit up: “Godfather — I have something more to ask of you.”

The constant practice of seizing people for blood-letting was genuinely troublesome. She needed more young, able-bodied laborers, not sacrificial offerings worn away from her supply. In times of plenty, they could still be sustained. Life in the lowlands beckoned to her, and having more strong young people was always an advantage. When lean years came and reduction of the population became necessary, there were plenty of ways to achieve it!

She decided to extend her stay and spent more days there, drafting revisions to the sacrifice rites and bringing each draft to discuss with Zhù Ying.

Zhù Ying was glad to see the Asu family’s old customs changed, and when she had the time, she would discuss and review these with Su Mingluan.

During this period, Master Tang again asked Xiao Wu for money. Xiao Wu again came to her to complain, and she again allocated funds to Master Tang. This expenditure could not be cut. In her spring planting plan this year, she had designated a portion of the land for sugarcane. If Master Tang had not found a better method for producing refined sugar crystals by the time the sugarcane was harvested, the profit from this crop would be very low.

Zhù Ying also sent instructions to Fulu County to have some thin-walled coffins made to order.

By the time Su Mingluan had finalized the new ritual rites and made a plan for how to gradually and progressively reform the ceremony, spring planting had already begun. Su Mingluan bid her farewells to Zhù Ying, said goodbye to her daughter, and headed back up the mountain to prepare for spring planting.

…

Zhù Ying, for her part, issued the spring planting tasks to each county and arranged the sugarcane cultivation. When the timing seemed right, she assembled the same party as before and once again headed to the agreed-upon meeting place.

She arrived two days before the fifteenth. She was not in a hurry, and spent the time making a circuit of nearby villages to check on the spring planting situation. Sicheng and Fulu County had inherited methods she had left behind — at spring planting time, the official authorities acted as guarantors for renting out draft cattle. Nanping and Heping still had no such arrangement; those who had cattle handled things themselves.

However, Zhù Ying had, in the name of the prefectural office, established a rental scheme for the new farming tools. Even in this “borderland” area, people had rented new farm tools. Zhù Ying specifically asked about the rental fees, inquired about last year’s harvest, and then asked about unoccupied land.

The two days passed quickly. The Asu family and the Liji people both arrived. The Asu family had not sent the young man in the blue-bordered clothing from last time — he had kept himself out of sight — and instead it was another of Zhù Ying’s students, one called Su Deng. The Liji contingent was led by “Blade Brother” with “Wolf Brother” alongside. On seeing “Wolf Brother,” Zhù Ying said: “It’s you?”

“Wolf Brother” and “Blade Brother” were of the same tribe, cousins at some remove. “Wolf Brother” himself, having a living father, had no interest in seeing his father offered up as a sacrifice, and was willing to make this trip for “Blade Brother.” Not for any other reason: “Wolf Brother’s” father had a degree of status, and the higher the status of the sacrifice, the greater the sincerity it demonstrated. The sight of what had happened to Chou Wen’s family had been what drove father and son down to the lowlands in the first place. If this one condition could be removed, that would be truly wonderful.

Zhù Ying first went with both of them and Su Deng toward Asu County. “Wolf Brother” spoke some Southern Ping dialect, and Gu Tong kept him company and chatted with him along the way. Gu Tong understood Teacher’s intent thoroughly, and spoke to “Wolf Brother” of all the advantages of Asu County. The cave-master had become county magistrate, a rank of regular sixth grade, with the right to submit memorials to the court — as important as the best county magistrates in the lowlands! And lowland county magistrates came in different grades, you know.

Gu Tong also went on at length to “Wolf Brother” about all manner of things regarding the Asu family: how it was still the same original head chief governing, how the officials were also chosen by the head chief themselves — you only needed to report to the court for approval — and those officials also had official ranks! The court issued official robes and official seals; salaries they managed on their own — the court didn’t manage how heavy a tax they collected, so you only needed to pay a token amount each year. And the laws could also be negotiated.

And then, there were the trading markets. Even before Su Mingluan became county magistrate, there was already a trading market. Back then it could only be barter for mountain goods and such. Now even salt and iron were available for limited trade, and grain too could be traded up to a certain amount…

If you were to test Gu Tong, he might not have been able to say quite so much. But when he thought of how everything he was describing was something his Teacher had accomplished, he had endless things to say. They passed through one place after another, and he had something to say about whatever they saw. To his credit, “Wolf Brother” was patient and willing to listen, and though he knew Gu Tong was exaggerating, looking at the new look of the prefecture city, he had to admit there was some truth to it.

Before Gu Tong had finished his full speech, they had already passed from Nanping County into Sicheng County. The people of Sicheng County, hearing that Zhù Ying was coming, had left their spring plowing to stand at the edge of the fields and watch her pass. From Sicheng County into Fulu County was a different scene again. The local gentry of Fulu County missed Zhù Ying greatly and could barely contain their desire to put their children in her hands.

Zhù Ying drew them out with a few words: “Just have them sit the examinations.”

The gentry then said: “But you could also recommend them directly, Prefect — we only have two places per county, isn’t that a bit too few?”

They were referring to the prefecture school. In the past, when there were none at all, there was nothing to wish for. Now that it was truly possible to send children to study, and though it could not be guaranteed that any particular child would become an official, the hope was visibly increasing — who would not compete?

Zhù Ying smiled but said nothing. Recommendation to the prefecture school was not even a guarantee of an official post, let alone a recommendation to the National Academy. Securing an appointment was a matter for the Ministry of Personnel, which also involved recommendations and hereditary positions and all sorts of routes. Students at the National Academy who became officials directly on account of their student status were relatively few, and each time a selection process was involved. If they truly wanted to compete for that “quota,” it was exceedingly difficult.

She glossed over all of this and simply said: “Study hard — that is what matters.”

The gentry nodded along: “Yes, yes.” Their mental abacuses were already clicking at full speed.

Zhù Ying made a brief stop at the Fulu County seat and collected the coffins she had ordered. To call them coffins was something of an overstatement — they were essentially large wooden boxes.

She proceeded directly to Asu County, where, guided by Su Deng, they arrived at a certain valley. Zhù Ying first ordered that a sacrifice table be set up with some incense, candles, and fruit, and that some medicinal herbs be burned to drive away miasma. Once all of this was done, she said: “Let us begin.”

She ordered her people to bring out a quantity of cloth bags, and observed that “Wolf Brother’s” side had also brought cloth bags. Zhù Ying said: “If you don’t have enough, I have more here.”

She also ordered that brush and ink be brought out, ready to label the bags.

“Wolf Brother” shook his head: “It’s already difficult to tell who is who.”

Zhù Ying smiled: “We can at least distinguish male from female. Xiao Jiang.”

What a fine opportunity for practical experience! How could she not have brought the coroner along? She had left the male coroner of the prefectural office with Zhang Jiong, and brought Xiao Jiang herself.

Xiao Jiang stared at the pit full of bones: “Prefect?”

Zhù Ying smiled: “Come then. In the prefecture city you rarely get to see male remains.”

Due to the great passage of time, the bones here had accumulated layer upon layer and could no longer be sorted. Some not yet fully decomposed could be tentatively identified by the ornaments and accessories on the body — but those that were older showed no such clues. Bones were incomplete, and some bones had disintegrated along with everything else. Moreover, not all of those who had come to an end here had been killed by the Liji tribe. “Wolf Brother” picked through to the number he still remembered, and once the bags were filled, he considered his task complete. Zhù Ying had them lay the bags one by one into the coffins — one coffin could hold several bags. The filled coffins were all handed to “Wolf Brother,” who accepted them without demur and had his people carry the coffins to the road and slowly begin transporting them.

Zhù Ying looked at the remaining bones and said to Xiao Jiang: “Continue piecing them together. I’ll leave the bags for your use.”

Xiao Jiang said: “Prefect, are you truly going to that place where you’ve never been? Is it safe?”

Senior Sister Hu said quietly: “I’ll be there.”

“Commander Mei should have been asked to send an escort,” Xiao Jiang said.

Zhù Ying said: “He’d be scolding me already without that — don’t worry. I wouldn’t do something I don’t feel confident about.”

“Without any hostages, how can you be sure?” Xiao Jiang muttered under her breath.

Zhù Ying said: “Their whole tribe is the hostage.”

She entrusted Xiao Jiang and the others to the care of the Asu family’s matriarch, and then with Su Deng, “Wolf Brother,” and Chou Wen, set out toward the Liji stronghold. All the way, she carefully memorized the routes, the mountains and rivers, and estimated distances.

In a straight line, this stretch of road was not very long. Down in the lowlands, it would have taken two days. But it took them a full five days!

The rough map she had in hand was, she discovered, practically useless — the wretched thing had no elevation markings. The difference in distance between going around a mountain and cutting straight through it could be doubled. She had no choice but to commit everything to memory, planning to correct the map when she returned. She thought to herself: If I get the chance, I absolutely must travel deeper into the mountains on my own to take stock of more ground — these few routes alone are not enough.

Wisps of mountain mist often arose. “Wolf Brother” said: “A little further to the west, the mountains aren’t quite so tall, and the population there is also a bit denser.”

Zhù Ying nodded.

After several days of travel, the Liji stronghold came into view. Zhù Ying asked “Wolf Brother”: “The Qixia are divided into several groups — I’d expect the Liji are as well? Which group is this?”

“Talang. Precious Blade is the cave-master of Talang,” “Wolf Brother” said.

Together they looked toward the front of the stronghold, where a main road led directly to the Talang stronghold.