Wu Xiang knocked on the door, and from inside came a chorus of commotion: “The young lady is back!”

Wu Xiang’s father had been a sixth-rank official during his lifetime, and though he had served for many years, he had not accumulated a great deal of family wealth. There was a modest courtyard, twenty mu of land outside the city, a modest set of furnishings, three female servants, and an elderly gatekeeper. The old gatekeeper had accompanied Wu Xiang back and forth for several days, but today she went alone without him — he returned to his post at the gate.

Inside, Wu Xiang’s mother and the three female servants had been anxiously waiting.

At the sound of the knock, the household stirred with the same kind of excitement that had once greeted Wu Xiang’s father returning from duty. Three years had passed, and the Wu household was receiving an official again.

The Wu family’s house was their own, but it had only a single-entrance courtyard — much like the current Zhù household. The moment Wu Xiang’s certificate of appointment arrived, her mother had moved of her own accord into the west side room, shifted the servants to the east side room, and installed Wu Xiang in the main room. By the time Wu Xiang had a chance to raise any objection, her mother had already completed the entire rearrangement.

With only a single entrance, there was no inner gate to stand at for the formal “receiving” — you simply stood in the doorway of the main room and saw your daughter standing at the front gate in her pale blue official’s robe. Wu Xiang’s mother’s eyes grew damp.

Old Gatekeeper Jia said: “Young Miss, Madam has been thinking of you all day!”

Wu Xiang’s mother said: “You child — why did you insist on not letting Old Jia walk with you?”

When Wu Xiang’s father was still alive, it had not been Old Jia who accompanied him out, but a nimble young manservant. After her father’s passing, that young man had gone to seek his fortune elsewhere.

Wu Xiang gave Old Jia a nod, then said to her mother: “Even Young Official Zhù doesn’t have a personal attendant. What need have I to put on such airs? From what I could see today, Young Official Zhù is a genuine person — we really don’t need all these formalities. Old Jia can stay at home perfectly well.”

Her mother promptly sent her back to change clothes and began fussing about, saying: “The grain vouchers have been exchanged, and I’ve straightened everything up at home. What about having little Ling’er dress as a book attendant to accompany you? You’ve only just gone to the Court of Judicial Review — how could you already know what kind of person Young Official Zhù is?”

Wu Xiang said: “His reputation speaks for itself.”

Her mother said, as she followed her into the main room: “People’s talk of him runs from good to not so good — it’s hard to be certain.”

Wu Xiang said: “Mother, why are you saying things like this?”

“I was just saying…” Her mother looked uncertain what to do with her hands.

Wu Xiang changed out of her official robe and put on her everyday clothes, then said: “Let’s write to the family back home — let them know we won’t be going back.”

“All right.”

Wu Xiang said to the maidservant attending her: “Sort out what I’ve brought back.” She also sent her mother’s maid to help, then drew her mother down to sit with her, saying: “Don’t look like that. I know.”

“Know what? You’ve never been an official before — how could you know how to conduct yourself as one?”

Wu Xiang said, with a helpless expression: “You had a previous husband — my uncle. That’s why our family left our hometown to come to the capital. After Father passed, you didn’t want to go back — and you wouldn’t let me accompany his coffin home either. Father is still kept at a temple, not yet buried. I know all of it. You always thought children too young to understand, but whenever you spoke, I was listening.”

Her mother became even more unsure of herself.

Wu Xiang said: “It’s all in the past. From now on, let us two live well together, you and I. You go on as you always have — and now you have me to depend on.”

Her mother, who had suppressed so much for so long, finally released it and wept openly: “What kind of life is this that we’ve ended up with?”

Wu Xiang waited for the weeping to pass, handed her a handkerchief, and the maids brought tea. Her mother moistened her throat and said: “Tell me — what are your plans now? You’re a girl…”

Wu Xiang said: “Whether I’m a girl or not, I’m now an official, and that means I can protect you. If you don’t want to go back, then we don’t go back. As for them — they took so much of the family property and still weren’t satisfied. Before, I was constrained by my position and had no grounds to dispute anything with them. Even with Father’s written arrangements, I could only hold onto this house and those few acres of thin farmland. But it’s different now.”

Her mother drank half a cup of tea and let out a long breath. “We can’t go back to the old home now — we’ll make a proper life for ourselves here in the capital. Your current superior…”

Wu Xiang said: “I’ve only just arrived at the Court of Judicial Review — I still feel my way around in the dark. In the women’s ward, there are two wardens. The other one is already thirty, and understands people and situations better than I do. Between us, we supervise eight female constables — and though they’re all women, there are some thorny characters among them. As for the superiors, it’s hard to say. From the ninth rank, how many people can you even meet? But the regulations Young Official Zhù has established seem to be there to protect everyone — I only worry that some people won’t recognize good intentions.”

Her mother asked hurriedly: “How so?” And then added: “I may be just a woman who’s stayed at home, but I spent many years at your father’s side — I’ve picked up a thing or two.”

Wu Xiang said: “Well, it’s the first time any of us has done something like this.”

She herself was making this official foray for the first time. The novelty was real, and the pride was real too; when the certificate of appointment arrived and she went to burn incense before her late father’s tablet, the feeling of determined spirit had been genuine. But now that actual work was beginning, she was slowly coming back to earth. She began telling her mother about Cui Jiacheng, and about the eight female constables under their supervision.

Wu Xiang’s mother was herself an official’s wife — sixth rank — which meant not only that she outranked Zhang Xiangu in terms of status, but that she was also considerably more familiar with the workings of official life than Zhang Xiangu. She was forty years old this year, three years older than her husband would have been, and the two of them had leaned on each other through the years since their arrival in the capital. She would not claim to be especially shrewd or capable, but among sixth-rank official wives, she was at least not below average.

Listening as her daughter described the regulations Zhù Ying had established for the Court of Judicial Review, she said: “Now there is a person who understands what they’re doing. Not yet twenty years old — what a formidable figure!”

Then, hearing about the Court’s supplementary allowances, she said even more emphatically: “Ah, serving as an official — your own ability only counts for so much. What truly matters is having a good superior. Someone like Director Zheng you’d have no way of getting close to anyway, but Young Official Zhù is the one who brought you in. Isn’t that your natural patron relationship? He is practically your teacher already.”

And with that, the advantage of being an official’s wife began to show: “Don’t rush. Though there is a difference between male and female, and you can’t simply go running to his door. But I can! This is exactly what family members are for! I’ll get myself ready and pay a visit to his mother in a day or two.”

Wu Xiang said: “I’ve heard he doesn’t accept gifts at all — they say he’s very clean-handed.”

Her mother smiled: “I’ll only be talking with his mother.”

Wu Xiang said: “Let’s wait a little — I want to get a clearer picture of things inside first before we do anything.”

“Oh? Is it a colleague, or —?”

Wu Xiang said: “I can’t read the colleagues yet, but those constables have been there for quite a few days already — some of them are strong-willed types, and some are the local variety who know everyone and everything.”

Her mother said: “Then we divide our efforts! You handle your side, and I’ll handle mine. We mustn’t let anyone else get there first. As for those thorny ones — if you can’t win them over, you should have them sent away far enough… Oh, wait… if Young Official Zhù is the one who brought them in, you can’t just send them away on your own…”

Wu Xiang said: “Mother, you’ve thought about this the wrong way. I’m only a prison warden right now. Has anyone ever heard of a woman serving as prison warden? This is already beyond all convention — Mother, do you really want me to rise the same way Father did? We need to stay steady for now.”

Her mother paused: “Ah, I hadn’t thought of that. Yes, steadiness first. I’ll simply pay one visit to his mother. Let’s find out where he lives. And I ought to quietly look into the backgrounds of those eight constables too — knowing what we’re dealing with is better even for staying steady. It’s far better to have these things in hand than not.”

The Wu mother and daughter were familiar enough with official world customs. Cui Jiacheng returned home with no one to consult — she was entirely on her own, making every decision herself. Unsure how much further contact with Zhù Ying was appropriate, she sent her son instead — a boy of twelve: “Go and find out where Young Official Zhù lives. And find out about that constable named Che as well — she’s from the capital.”

She also mulled over what Zhù Ying might need her to do.

Zhù Ying did not need them to do anything in particular. As long as the two prison wardens were steady in the women’s ward and did not cause trouble, that was sufficient. She simply let the two new officials find their footing with the eight constables who had already been in place for some time, and left them to work it out.

She herself still had a pile of things to attend to!

The female court clerk and female constable affairs had kept her very busy of late, and now that they had finally concluded, she needed to write a summary for Director Zheng to review, and another for Wang Yunhe. A separate memorial for the Emperor also had to be written. Whether the Emperor would read it was another matter — but she had to write it. She also wanted to write it, since it served both as a summary and as a record, capturing the various problems she had encountered in carrying out both selections, and providing fixes for them.

The pulse-taking issue, the penalties for abandoning one’s post, and so forth.

She first brought everything to Director Zheng for review.

After reading it, Director Zheng said: “Why have you become so earnest about all this? How many female officials could there possibly be in need of selection? Still — the thinking is thorough.”

Zhù Ying had worked out further improvements to the preventive measures against abandoning one’s post. There would be no more polite document slips and generous travel allowances — anyone who sat the examination, received a ranking, and then withdrew would have their guarantors penalized along with them. Making a game of the court — indeed!

When it came to the conventional civil examination, those who passed the presented scholar examination but chose not to take office were still relatively common, and the court did not pursue them particularly harshly. It only punished those who had been placed on the candidates list, been assigned a post, and then selected out of appointment based on finding it too remote, too poor, or too troubled a posting. This was because the court needed to “recruit talented men” and had to maintain the goodwill of the scholar class.

But the court had no need to win over the hearts and minds of women. Those who wished to serve were welcome; those who did not could leave. There had never been any intention of providing them a proper stage to begin with.

So Director Zheng did not find the preventive regulations Zhù Ying had written to be overly harsh. He only said of her: “Such an incurable worrier! Wang Yunhe will be delighted now — saves him from falling into that pit himself!”

Wang Yunhe was considerably older than him — addressing him by name like that was somewhat discourteous — but Zhù Ying behaved as if she hadn’t heard it. From Wang Yunhe’s remarks, she understood that he intended to promote this system to other prefectures throughout the country. She was willing to write up her experience for that purpose. As for Director Zheng’s one slight rudeness, she took in the comment as though it hadn’t reached her ears at all.

With Director Zheng’s approval, Zhù Ying made a clean copy of the summary and submitted it as a memorial, then wrote up a set of procedures to give Wang Yunhe. The Metropolitan Prefecture’s own selection was about to begin.

With Zhù Ying having gone first and cleared the path, Wang Yunhe was able to proceed with considerable ease. His reputation had already stood above Zhù Ying’s — yet without that dismissal fund Zhù Ying had provided, Zhù Ying’s reputation climbed a little higher still.

What surprised Zhù Ying entirely was that Wang Yunhe struck gold this time!

When Zhù Ying and Deputy Director Yin had issued the announcement to the wider public, people had still been uncertain how to respond. By the time the Court of Judicial Review formally finalized its appointments and Zhù Ying completed the follow-up arrangements, and the Metropolitan Prefecture issued its own public notice, the number of people in the entire metropolitan region who wished to apply had actually grown!

Women with circumstances like Ji Sanniang’s had apparently become unremarkable in the new pool — she failed to pass again.

Zhù Ying learned about Wang Yunhe’s remarkable find only when Hua Jie mentioned it in passing at home. She had no particular desire to go and get acquainted with that person, but she did say to Hua Jie: “If you sat the examination, I’m sure you would pass.”

Hua Jie said: “What nonsense! I don’t have the learning for it — they say the successful candidates have broad mastery of classical works. That’s beyond me. But… well…” She hesitated, then brought up Xiao Jiang. “We ought to find a way to thank her.”

Zhù Ying said: “We’d need a pretext and the right moment. You can’t just go over and say ‘you informed on people perfectly, here is your reward.’ That might work with someone else, but not with her.”

Hua Jie said: “It really is a pity for her.”

Zhù Ying said: “How is Miss Fu doing?”

Hua Jie said: “I was just about to mention it! The women’s ward at the Court apparently has some liveliness to it.”

Zhù Ying asked: “What do you mean?”

“The supervisors arrived after those they’re supervising — rather like taking a concubine first and then a principal wife. How could there not be trouble? And several of the constables you selected have quite a lot of spirit and drive.” She was more invested in the matter than Zhù Ying and ticked off, one by one, the women who shared the ward with Miss Fu. Her conclusion was that Constable Che was merely a little impulsive, while Constable Zhou was genuinely very competitive.

Zhù Ying listened with “mm’s” and nods. Hua Jie asked: “Don’t you intend to do something about it?”

Zhù Ying truly had no desire to get involved, and said: “Let them sort it out themselves. I’m not their nursemaid!”

Hua Jie laughed: “True enough. As long as they don’t bring trouble your way. If trouble does come, there’s no reason to keep tolerating it then.” In her heart, Hua Jie still harbored a quiet hope that the women who had been selected would all be steady and hardworking, grateful and generous — best of all, a source of support and credit for Zhù Ying.

From what she could see, someone like Miss Fu — staying clear of disputes and simply trying to do the work well — was already quite good. As for those with competitive natures, Hua Jie deeply hoped their quarreling would not spill over and affect Zhù Ying.

She began to worry. She made a private resolution to keep an eye on these women through Miss Fu, so that their behavior would not end up creating trouble that came back to Zhù Ying.

Zhù Ying was unaware of this concern in Hua Jie’s heart. In her own view, it was not a significant matter — she could handle it. It was now the end of the tenth month, and she received word sent by Director Zheng’s messenger: I don’t summon you, and you stop coming to the manor altogether?

Zhù Ying promptly made her way to the Zheng manor.

Director Zheng was already quite indulgent toward Zhù Ying — he had always been rather accommodating toward capable people. Zhù Ying had wanted to arrange for female court clerks and constables, had made a sound case for it, had actually accomplished it, and had shown, tangibly, that her ability to manage affairs had improved — including making connections with the Ministry of Personnel and even attaching herself to a Deputy Director under Minister Zhong’s nose.

Director Zheng had therefore waited until Zhù Ying completed this major undertaking before summoning her for a proper “conversation.”

Zhù Ying stood in Director Zheng’s study. Director Zheng looked at her with a most deliberate expression. At the Duanwu banquet, Zhù Ying had been seated at the very last place — that was because, in Director Zheng’s eyes, she was the most uncertain quantity among all those present. Several plans he had made for her had not followed the paths he intended: first, he had thought to keep her as a clerical administrator, then he thought to have her sit the scholar’s examination — but in the end, he could not prevail over her and she sat the examination in legal studies instead.

In his father’s presence, when Lord Zheng said he had gotten lucky in finding Zhù Ying, and when Minister Chen and others praised him for “finding good talent,” Director Zheng felt not only pride but a lingering unease — whether a talented person was truly outstanding was not the key question. The key question was whether they would follow his direction and remain under his control.

Was Zhong Yi some exceptionally talented person? No — his ability was ordinary, barely above mediocre. Yet the Emperor would regularly pull him up to a high post, simply because Zhong Yi was exceptionally compliant with the Emperor’s wishes. However inconvenient he might be to work with, the Emperor felt secure using him.

By comparison, Zhù Ying was capable and had handled many matters for him well, yet she always seemed to maintain a certain distance. Director Zheng had no desire to give up so promising a candidate for cultivation, but before genuinely investing in her advancement, certain things had to be said clearly — and Zhù Ying had to answer clearly.

Director Zheng said: “Sit.”

Zhù Ying sensed acutely that the atmosphere was not quite as usual. She thanked him for the seat, but rather than settling in with her customary ease, she sat very properly upright.

Director Zheng said: “You!”

Zhù Ying said: “You seem to be…”

Director Zheng asked: “Is everything on your plate wrapped up?”

“What I had prepared to do is all done. What are your instructions?”

Director Zheng shook his head and said: “Can I not talk with you without having something to tell you? Why is it so difficult to see you these days?”

“How could that be?” Zhù Ying said at once. “Shouldn’t I finish the proper business you’ve assigned first, before we can chat?”

Director Zheng asked easily: “Always so busy — have you hired your household servants yet?”

He had already asked this once before. Zhù Ying said: “Not yet. My father has been urging me too, and the more he urges, the more cautious I become. You know how my family is…”

Director Zheng nodded, indicating he understood. Zhang Xiangu was a little impulsive, and Zhù Da’s judgment frankly left something to be desired — who knew when either of them might slip up, which called for care.

Director Zheng said: “Your household really is too modest! I’ve heard you’re still renting? Why haven’t you purchased a proper residence? Is the money I’ve given you not enough, or have your share of the accounts not come to enough either?”

Zhù Ying said: “Are you telling me to embezzle from you, or to siphon public funds from the Court of Judicial Review? Or perhaps…”

Director Zheng said: “Don’t dodge the subject! Being openly clean-handed to a fault will make people think it’s an act. Even Wang Yunhe — what is rightly his, he accepts without demurring!”

“Director Wang…” Zhù Ying’s expression became a little difficult to read. “Who could find fault with him? Even if he accepted what was his due, he’d still be a fine person. And even if I still have no house of my own to this day, I am still just an ordinary person. The two of us — our natures are not compatible.”

“Oh?”

Zhù Ying had already understood what Director Zheng meant. She looked at him with candid steadiness, and said: “Director, unless a person has truly lost their reason, everything they do has an internal logic. Some people do things in order to gain something; why can’t others do things in order not to lose what they already have?

I did not come to where I am easily. If I want more, I must first hold steady what I have. I was once a wandering shaman, and before I met you, I was scheming over how to scrape together twenty strings of cash to open a tea stall and eat my fill and sit in the sun. I am not deliberately playing poor — I simply don’t want to get too greedy and choke on it. What I have now is already very good. I only want to live comfortably. I don’t want to throw my life into some idea on a page the way Director Wang does.”

Director Zheng said in irritation: “That’s all the ambition you have?”

“Not at all! I have thought about it — I absolutely cannot let myself be subject to someone like Zhou You again. I want the higher ranks, and I want a better life. Before I came to the capital, I thought I was smarter than anyone around me. Coming to the capital, I discovered that fools cluster here, but so do the capable. You don’t lack for someone to do your bidding — it certainly isn’t only me. You have given me a great deal already. Without having met you, I might have my tea stall by now — but I wouldn’t have what I have today. I cannot put everything edible into my mouth at once.”

“Hmph!” Director Zheng looked at her sidelong. “Clever words.”

Zhù Ying smiled: “Is this what you call clever words? I make my living with my tongue — if I wanted to flatter you, I wouldn’t speak like this.”

Director Zheng asked: “Then how would you speak?”

“In a way that you couldn’t quite detect,” Zhù Ying said with a face of perfect sincerity, “unlike now, where I say things that you’re not quite sure whether to believe. Try listening to this: of all your kin, they are your bonus. Does that sound like something said to coax someone?”

“Nonsense!”

Zhù Ying shrugged: “I didn’t grow up reading about loyalty, filial piety, chastity, and righteousness.”

But you are genuinely good to your Hua Jie, and you’ve gone out of your way for that hopeless father of yours, haven’t you? Director Zheng said to himself.

Director Zheng said: “If you have time for this kind of talk, you must not be busy enough! The Court of Judicial Review’s affairs — do not let them slide!”

“Yes.”

“Doing one thing well is not difficult. The difficulty is doing all things well. One day of competence is not difficult — the difficulty is year after year, day after day. Time reveals a person’s true character. Growing too quickly without a solid foundation invites disaster. At the Court of Judicial Review, don’t fix your eyes only on what’s directly in front of you. Look outward too — and don’t just look outward to the Metropolitan Prefecture! Among the many offices inside the imperial palace, when you deal with them, is it only dealing with them?” Director Zheng spoke with earnest patience. “When you think about things, try to think from the perspective of someone in my position.”

Zhù Ying couldn’t help laughing: “That would be a Court of Judicial Review warden speculating about what a Court of Judicial Review Director might be thinking! Like a pauper saying the Emperor chops firewood with a golden axe.”

“Mm?”

Zhù Ying said: “Yes.”

Director Zheng sighed: “You’ve already risen fast enough! For now, remain in your current post as Deputy Warden and take a broader hand in overseeing the various affairs of the Court — to lighten my load so I can attend to other matters.”

“Yes.”

Director Zheng seemed to fall into reflection, and after a short pause said: “Your rank will nominally remain the same, but bear this in mind. The honorary official ranks I have been accumulating for you — when they reach the fifth regular rank, remember to remind me. Your best course at that point is to seek an appointment in a regional post. You are still young; there is plenty of time to gain more experience out in the world first, and then we’ll see what suits you best. From this point forward, you must apply yourself more.”

He had originally thought that Zhù Ying’s career path would be difficult given that she had not come through the conventional scholar’s examination. But watching her performance in the past year and more, and especially this past year, he began to feel that someone of Zhù Ying’s ability — given the right guidance — might not be bound by the usual conditions of official entry. And Zhù Ying was more than ten years his junior…

There was no one better suited to his hand, nor of whom he had more thorough knowledge. Before he committed to fully investing in her, Director Zheng had to be sure she was reliable. Today’s conversation left him reasonably satisfied. What he had always called Zhù Ying’s “uncontrollability” was less a matter of “disloyalty” than of the fact that his plans for her had consistently failed to keep pace with her growth. Well — he couldn’t fall behind again now, could he?

Director Zheng thought: Zhù Ying was in truth a person of genuine ambition — just cautious about it.

Very well, then. There was still a long road ahead.

He said: “Guard against complacency and impatience.”

“Yes.”

“Go and get yourself a proper residence.”

Zhù Ying said: “Director, if I had wanted to arrange a home of my own, I could have managed it more or less last year. It’s just that nothing would be as convenient as now. Please give me two more years — in two years, I’ll have a proper place together, and in those two years, I absolutely will not neglect anything here.”

“Go.”

“Yes.”

Zhù Ying emerged from the Zheng manor with a most peculiar feeling in her heart. From the way Director Zheng had spoken, he intended to help her past that particular barrier — the fifth rank.

The fifth rank was a threshold where countless officials’ careers ended. But for now, she still had to pull the plow for Director Zheng. She estimated that the Court of Judicial Review was in for another wave of activity over the next two years or so…

Director Zheng was also interesting — giving her this sort of advance notice. She wondered whether he had had a conversation like this with old Wang when discussing his retirement.

Zhù Ying also had no intention of breaking with Director Zheng. As long as he remained as he was, she had no reason to leave the ship. Wang Yunhe was a good person and a good official — but Zhù Ying had no intention of wearing the same pair of trousers as him, figuratively speaking. The distinction was clear to her: the suggestion she had given Miss Fu about “mutual aid” — if it were ever found out, Director Zheng would not do anything to her for it. Wang Yunhe would eat her alive.

That was the difference between Zheng and Wang, and it was also the “incompatibility of nature.”

She walked slowly home, and at the gate, Du Dajie opened the door. Zhù Ying suddenly asked: “Has anyone unfamiliar come by?”

Du Dajie said: “A Lady Wu came.”

Zhù Ying raised an eyebrow and looked toward Hua Jie, who came walking over. Hua Jie said: “She says she’s the mother of Warden Wu. She came using her own visiting card, requesting to see your mother.”

Zhù Ying said: “Ah!”

Zhang Xiangu also came out and said: “Goodness — gave me quite a fright! She’s rather different from the official ladies we’ve met before, isn’t she?”

Zhù Ying went inside to change clothes, and the two followed, recounting how Lady Wu had come, bringing four types of gifts. Zhang Xiangu said: “All the airs of quality about her. She nearly asked me to be her auntie — but how could I dare adopt relatives so freely these days?” Hua Jie said: “She came to smooth the path for her daughter.”

Lady Wu also had the surname Zhang, and after exchanging a few words with Zhang Xiangu, had tried to claim her as an aunt. Zhang Xiangu, who used to call constable captains “big brother,” now no longer dared adopt as a niece a noblewoman of higher rank than herself.

She said: “She’s forty! About the same age as me! And she looks younger than I do — how could that possibly work? How could that possibly work?”

Zhù Ying said: “Whether or not you want to adopt her, that’s entirely your choice. But, big sister — her background is not simple.”

“Oh?”

“She’s forty? Wu Xiang’s father, if he were still alive, would be only thirty-seven this year. Think about it — Wu Xiang was able to sit the examination, which means the mourning period is already over. How young was he when he died? And he had already reached the proper sixth rank. Had he lived, with every chance of reaching the fifth rank before forty — either this woman wore him out, or both husband and wife were truly exceptional people, and he simply died too young by fate. The fact that she came to our home and found a way to approach my mother — at the very least, she is no simpleton.”

Hua Jie said: “You’re from the sixth rank. You still need to make it to the proper sixth rank as a substantive post, and that will take some time. It’s still only because you were involved in a major case, combined with your early start in office, and Director Zheng’s careful cultivation. If he had started as an official in his twenties, his rate of advancement might not have been worse than yours. And Wu Xiang…”

“Yes. Capable parents can produce ordinary children. But Wu Xiang doesn’t seem to fall into that category. As for the women’s ward, she ought to be able to manage her half of it. She may lack experience, but the matters of the women’s ward aren’t overly complicated — she should be able to handle it.”

Hua Jie was pleased: “That is very good news!”

Zhang Xiangu said: “Goodness — hearing you talk like this, there really are a great many capable people in this capital!” She had always thought her child had no equal, and the sudden news that Wu Xiang’s father had also been quite remarkable came as a genuine shock.

But still… hmph! His daughter isn’t as capable as mine! My daughter became an official through her own ability, and his daughter had to be brought in by mine — otherwise she’d never have gotten the post at all!

Zhù Ying and Hua Jie watched her drift off again into some private reverie and exchanged a smile. Hua Jie said quietly: “The gifts — I looked them over. Not too fine, not too sparse — precisely calibrated so you can’t very well refuse them.”

Zhù Ying said: “Use your own judgment.”

Because of Lady Wu’s visit, Zhù Ying turned her attention toward the women’s ward for a moment.

The next day at the Court of Judicial Review, she was looking through official documents when she came across one announcing that a female prisoner was to be escorted there. It was a rather troublesome case: the prisoner was a woman of some background, and the deceased was her husband. She was a second wife; the children of the first wife had accused her of murdering the man. She had protested her innocence. Strangely, the eldest son of the first wife maintained that she was innocent.

It had the appearance of a case of “family shame not to be aired publicly,” yet her husband had been a retired court official — the matter could not simply be glossed over. The local governor had ruled against her.

This woman, along with her ladies-in-waiting, was to be escorted to the capital for re-examination.

Looking over this case, Zhù Ying felt like rolling her eyes. The man was dead. However cold the weather, and however long the trial had dragged on, the corpse would have been decomposing by now — there was no chance it could be transported all the way to the Court of Judicial Review for examination. The retired official had returned to his hometown at retirement, which meant the scene of the incident was there as well — so what use was there in bringing the person to the Court of Judicial Review?

Were they going to beat a confession out of her?

Still, the case had to be received. She sent word to the women’s ward: clean out the cells. The intake of prisoners was about to begin.

Two junior clerks took the notes she had written and went to instruct the women’s ward to prepare two types of cells: a private cell for a titled noblewoman, and a communal cell for the ladies-in-waiting.

The female wardens and constables were facing their first intake of prisoners, and everyone was quite tense.

Wu Xiang and Cui Jiacheng conferred and agreed that once the prisoner arrived, both would rotate in leading the night watch. Wu Xiang said: “I have no children at home, so I’ll take the first night watch.” Cui Jiacheng said: “My children are old enough to manage, but you still have your mother — don’t let her worry. I’ll take the first shift.”

The two were in the midst of politely deferring to each other when Constable Wu suddenly broke in with a small smile: “Neither of you need argue. I’ve checked — for the Court of Judicial Review’s cells, unless it’s a severe prisoner, the two of you aren’t required to stand night watch. We can rotate among ourselves. A case like this doesn’t rank as severe here.”

Wu Xiang and Cui Jiacheng said: “Is that so?”

Neither of them had any experience, and they were somewhat uncertain. Cui Jiacheng said: “Even so, this is the first case we’ve handled — however minor it may be, to us it is a significant matter. Better to take it seriously, even if it means more work. This case gives us a chance to test ourselves on a smaller scale before the day arrives when we have a truly difficult case and find ourselves in a panic.”

Wu Xiang added: “Exactly. Let’s use this smaller matter to rehearse, so we’re not caught scrambling later.”

Constable Wu felt a slight awkwardness. Cui Jiacheng said: “Constable Wu has been attentive. You know the workings of this place better than we do — there will be many things we’ll need to ask you in the future. Since we are all women here, things are already harder for us than they are for others. We absolutely must be more careful — please help keep an ear to the ground for us.”

Receiving this small reassurance, Constable Wu said: “I understand.”

Assignments were distributed, and everyone set about sweeping and cleaning. With no separate janitorial staff, the female constables did it themselves. Wu Xiang and Cui Jiacheng, determined to do things well, also ordered the prisoners’ bedding brought out of storage to be aired in the sun. They worked themselves into a flurry of activity, and the place wasn’t finally ready until it was time to leave for the day.

No prisoner had yet arrived. They each went home as usual. Once home, they told their families: “Prisoners are coming — I’ll be on night watch soon.”

Their families had mixed responses — some worried, some asked about safety, some asked whether they ought to bring an extra blanket. Constable Che, who had no family to speak of, had no one to report to. Miss Fu entrusted her son to a familiar Buddhist nun, asking her to look in on the child when the time came, and promised to bring the nun some sweets in return.

Only Zhou Wan’s father said: “Is it the second wife of Old Official Li?”

Zhou Wan had not been looking at him — she had been talking to her mother. She turned: “How do you know?”

Her mother said: “What way is that to talk to your father?”

Zhou Wan’s father said: “When she is brought in, send a maid over to that other manor to tell me. I have something for you to do.”

Zhou Wan gave a cold laugh: “I knew it — whenever there’s some benefit to be had, they never think to come here. But the moment something useful is needed…”

Her mother’s mood also darkened, though she still scolded her daughter: “Don’t glare at your father like that.”

Zhou Wan’s father said: “It was you who begged me — said ‘if she passes and becomes a constable, she might be useful to the household, useful for gathering information, she’s willing to sit quietly on the side as a spare piece on the board’ — and I found her a guarantor because of that. And now she wants to kick away the bridge she crossed on? Unfilial creature!”

“The filial one is at your outside household, is she?” Zhou Wan said coldly.

“That boy!” her father said furiously. “So you really deceived me! Don’t think that because you’re in the Court of Judicial Review, I can no longer govern you! Even a proper official can be dismissed for defying their parents — let alone a servant girl like you!”

Zhou Wan said: “What brother? There’s no need to keep reminding me you’re still a bondservant yourself! Still a bondservant, and already keeping a second household and raising bastard children!”

“That is a second wife! You go and talk to her!”

Her mother was full of bitter grievance. She herself was no fool, but had the misfortune of not having raised sons to adulthood. Her husband wanted a son; she had thought about adopting a nephew, but he wanted one of his own blood. He wanted her to discipline their daughter, so she had no choice but to say quietly to Zhou Wan: “Don’t bring this up here! Agree to it for now, and we can talk it over privately later!”

Her father, impatient, said: “Tell her — if she can be talked into being sensible, she works properly. If she won’t work for the household, she can come home and find herself a husband as soon as possible, rather than staying here stirring up trouble!” And with that, he left in a sweep of his sleeve.

Her mother spat in his direction once he was gone, yet still urged her daughter: “The stronger do not fight the immediate adversity! Just agree. Not for the sake of that wretch — but we still can’t afford to offend the household. Though they say we’ve been given our freedom, we still depend on them for a better life. That woman — that woman is nothing. But you really do need to have a brother of sorts from your family’s side…”

“Disgusting!”

Her mother cursed her husband, cursed “that woman,” called the bastard child a “wretch deserving an early death” — and at the same time urged her daughter to listen, and when that failed, turned to scolding the daughter: “Your wings are hardened, but a pair of wings without a son attached to them is worthless. If you were a son, your father wouldn’t be keeping a mistress — and you wouldn’t still be giving me this face to look at!”

Zhou Wan was so angry she could barely eat her meal, and could barely sleep at night. She arrived the next morning at the Court of Judicial Review with dark rings under both eyes.

Wu Xiang and Cui Jiacheng made another round of inspection of the cells, which suggested they intended to supervise the cleaning daily until the prisoner arrived. The female constables were being run off their feet. Constable Che didn’t mind in the least — she was doing very well here. Her house had been repaired, a few rooms had been rented out, and the copper coins were coming in steadily. She was in exceptionally good spirits. She cared nothing about the male clerks of the Court keeping their distance from them. She ate well, slept well, and felt deep gratitude toward Zhù Ying in her heart. Wu Xiang and Cui Jiacheng’s high standards struck her as being for the sake of the Court’s reputation, and she threw herself into the work with even greater energy. Seeing Zhou Wan nodding off to one side, she couldn’t help saying: “Stop sleeping! This position we have isn’t easy to come by! Without Young Official Zhù, we’d never have gotten a post like this — we mustn’t let Young Official Zhù down! Young Official Zhù says that since this is our first time supervising female prisoners, we have to be thorough, thorough, and more thorough, and must not give anyone cause to find fault with us…”

Zhou Wan said coldly: “I passed this on my own merits! What does it have to do with anyone else? Why are you all so keen to fawn on a man? Taking his every word for scripture?”

The women’s ward fell silent — the silence of death.