By the time Zhù Ying came out of the Zheng household, it was already dark.

Thoughts of every kind kept surfacing as she walked, while the people around her quickened their steps — curfew was approaching. Zhù Ying did not run. She still carried a pass that Wang Yunhe had written for her some time ago; she always brought along the most recently signed one, since those kept best and were easiest to slip past a checkpoint with a casual wave.

But the pass was never needed. At the last possible moment, she stepped through the ward gate.

Back home, Hua Jie, Zhang Xiangu, and Zhù Da were all waiting in the west wing. The moment they saw her, all three rose at once. “What happened? What happened? How did it go?”

“Everything is fine. Chief Zheng has taken responsibility — I only have to investigate the case. Let us tell Nanny Du to set out dinner.”

Zhang Xiangu and Zhù Da were relieved. They did not fully understand the workings of the Court of Judicial Review, but with someone taller holding up the sky now, their daughter would be safe from harm — that was enough for them to be happy. They did their best to sound meaningful as they added, “You had better work well for Chief Zheng from now on!”

Zhù Ying nodded.

They called out for the table to be set in the main hall, and at dinner, Zhang Xiangu complained about Li Ze — a man in mourning, turning up uninvited at other people’s homes. Zhù Da said, “That young master has no sense at all. I never see him helping you with anything — he just comes running whenever he wants something done! What did he want, anyway?”

“Nothing in particular. And I did nothing for him.”

“Quite right!” Zhù Da said. “You are a donkey — how many millstones can you turn?”

Zhang Xiangu gave Zhù Da a firm grind of her heel under the table. He yelped in pain. Hua Jie, watching Zhù Ying’s face, thought: She is not pleased. Something is off — she does not look happy at all.

Hua Jie thought she might not have much to offer, but she could still lend an ear after dinner. Zhù Ying’s troubles were not easy to speak of, but having someone willing to listen was something. She followed Zhù Ying into the west wing after the meal, under the pretext of going over the household accounts together.

Zhù Ying was sitting at her desk in the north room. When she saw Hua Jie come in, she rose to greet her. “A’Jie? I am all right. Did I not say so? Chief Zheng has taken the matter in hand.”

“There is no such easy bargain in this world,” Hua Jie said. “You must be doing something for him in return. Is it a difficult thing? Is it still the case?”

“On the way back, I was thinking about what it means to follow the great and simple path,” Zhù Ying said.

“Oh? Are you talking about something scholarly?”

“Wang Yunhe’s choice was truly right,” Zhù Ying said. “Consider: if you are simply upright, you only need to act according to what is real. You do not have to wonder who belongs to whom, whose face to save, or whether some favor you offered has now gone sideways through no fault of yours — leaving you blamed for something you did not do wrong. You do not have to fear giving offense, and worry about how to smooth things over afterward.

To walk the straight road is the most convenient thing in the world. And yet clever people always want to take shortcuts — attaching themselves to some patron!”

“But you had no choice.”

Zhù Ying looked at her calmly. Hua Jie understood — had Zhù Ying not known this all along? She burst into tears.

“Stop crying,” Zhù Ying said. “If you cry, Nanny Du will assume I have been unkind to you. Sometimes the way she looks at me — as though she suspects I am not a decent person.”

Hua Jie laughed through her tears. “Nonsense. She adores you — she thinks you are a wonderful person!”

Zhù Ying just shook her head.

“What now, then?” Hua Jie asked.

“In for a penny, in for a pound — I am already on the boat. It would hardly make sense to jump overboard now.”

“The case?”

“Still mine to investigate.”

Hua Jie sighed. After a long moment, she asked slowly, “That young woman — did she truly murder her… husband?”

“Most likely.”

“An old man like that,” Hua Jie said, restraining herself, then saying it anyway, “and he had to defile a young girl. Well, the dead are the dead. Though really, that old coffin of a man — how much longer could he have lasted?”

Hua Jie rarely spoke harshly. That she did so now showed how truly angry she was. “I am still investigating,” Zhù Ying said.

“Oh?”

“Since I am going to investigate, I will uncover the full truth. I will have to leave the capital before the New Year — ideally, a round trip of about two weeks.”

Hua Jie was alarmed. “Are you trying to work yourself to death?”

She did not know all the details of the case, but she had heard bits of it during idle conversations with Fu Xiao Niangzi at Cihui Temple. The location of the incident was nearly a thousand li from the capital — a two-week round trip, including both travel and investigation, would be punishing even for someone made of iron.

“I will change horses along the route without changing rider,” Zhù Ying said. “Two or three hundred li a day, with sleep at night — I can cover the distance in four days.”

“You…”

“I cannot be away from the capital too long. And staying there too long would serve little purpose anyway — anything that can be discovered, the local Governor has already largely uncovered.”

“I hate that I cannot help you,” Hua Jie said. “And we do not have others to depend on at home. Shouldn’t you — gather a few helpers? I mean the kind you can truly trust with your heart.”

“I will bring Xiao Tao with me this time.”

“Him…”

“Hard to say — what makes someone this loyal? But if he is useful, that is enough. You know my situation — it is different from others’. I would rather tire myself out than be careless. So I cast a wide net and earn goodwill. The household — I am leaving it to you.”

“You have my word.”

——

The next day, Zhù Ying arrived at the Court of Judicial Review to find the Left Rectifier already raring to go. Though the clue about the “eldest grandson” was still only suggestive, it was his discovery, and he was eager to follow it further.

Zhù Ying gathered the Left Rectifier, Bao the evaluating official, and Hu Lian, and said, “I need to ask a favor of you all.”

They all said, “Just say the word.”

“There is a case at hand, as you all know,” Zhù Ying said. “I want to see it resolved before the New Year, yet I am constantly occupied with other things and have piled up too many commitments. So I need to ask you all to take some of it on.”

“Without question,” said Hu Lian.

Zhù Ying delegated the routine Court affairs to Hu Lian. “It was already you handling most of this, Old Hu — it was I who intruded. There are a few items still in progress, mostly dispatching supplies; a bit tedious.”

“Playing the generous benefactor?” Hu Lian said. “I am delighted!” He took it on.

To the Left Rectifier, Zhù Ying said, “The prison — keep a close eye on it, Old Zuo.”

The Left Rectifier started. “Wait — you stay here while I hold things down — and you go out to investigate? I thought this was supposed to be a combined approach? There is no need for you to go in person yet — and moreover…”

“I will explain the rest in a moment,” Zhù Ying said.

“All right.”

To Bao the evaluating official, Zhù Ying said, “There is also something I need your help with, Brother Bao — you and I will leave the capital together.”

“A smokescreen?”

Zhù Ying gave a nod. Bao thought to himself: though Old Hu was only joking, working alongside little Zhù had always brought good fortune. He agreed readily.

Hu Lian had wanted to listen in while they discussed how to handle the case, since producing an outcome that would satisfy all parties was going to be genuinely difficult. But almost immediately someone came to report to him, and Zhù Ying pointed at him and said, “He is the one you need.” Hu Lian had no choice but to go.

Zhù Ying went over things with the Left Rectifier and Bao. “I have seen Chief Zheng,” she said. “He said one thing: make it an airtight case. So I have to go in person.”

Both men nodded. “Old Zuo,” Zhù Ying said, “the prison stays as it is — keep close watch. No unnecessary contact between the women on the female ward and the prisoners.”

“I have been meaning to ask you — why?”

“Bi Shi’s pregnancy — either she arranged it herself, in which case her cunning is more than the female guards can handle. Or she was violated, in which case her situation is one most people would find it difficult not to pity once they heard it. Whether from misplaced sympathy or simple manipulation, there is a risk that information about the outside world gets passed to her — which would compromise the interrogation. And interrogating Bi Shi must be handled with the utmost caution. She has already been questioned countless times. Our only advantage is that she knows nothing about us.”

The Left Rectifier, seasoned official that he was, grasped the point immediately. “Understood.”

Bao the evaluating official said, “This would have been a minor matter, originally.”

“That is exactly it,” the Left Rectifier said, throwing up his hands. “Discovering the pregnancy aboard the prisoner transfer — in any other case, with any other person, this would have been counted as shrewd foresight on Zhù Ying’s part. But as things have turned out, it has caused nothing but trouble…”

“What is done is done,” Zhù Ying said. “Brother Bao — we select a few people and announce that we are leaving the capital. I will go ahead quietly with one person to scout things out; you take your time and follow.”

Bao the evaluating official immediately said, “Understood! We each have our own tasks to carry out.”

“Exactly.”

“Wear thick clothes on the road,” the Left Rectifier urged. “Winter wind on the journey — nothing short of a fur coat will do!”

“No hurry,” Zhù Ying said. “I will first look through an old file, and then we will go question the male prisoners together.”

“Come along, then.”

——

Bi Shi was central to both cases — but where had Bi Shi originally come from?

Zhù Ying took the Left Rectifier and Bao to look up the case file of Bi Shi’s father, Bi Luo. The offense Bi Luo had committed was not small, yet not so grave either. If it had been truly grave, he would not have been the only one to die — his family would not have been left unharmed. But if it were truly minor, he would not have died at all. The charge on record was that he had acted on Gong Jie’s instructions to accumulate wealth and manage affairs on his behalf. Many officials had handled such tasks — not necessarily because they were Gong’s true loyalists, but perhaps as a transaction, or simply because they could not afford to refuse.

So Bi Luo’s household had been confiscated, and Bi Luo himself had committed suicide, but his wife and children were left unharmed. His suicide note stated that he had been foolish for a moment, and had not dared to defy Gong Jie, and had no choice but to offer his death as an apology.

Zhù Ying then looked at the attached account ledger — the inventory of items seized — and noted the name of the official who had carried out the confiscation. Signed at the bottom: Shào Shūxīn. She mentally calculated the figures, made an internal note, and then said to the Left Rectifier and Bao, “Let us go question the prisoners.”

The three of them went to the Court of Judicial Review prison. Zhù Ying asked to see the head steward.

The head steward had previously been subjected to torture and had not yet fully recovered, though his sons and grandsons had already healed.

“Are your injuries serious?” Zhù Ying asked first.

The head steward was startled. “Is it this old man Your Honor is asking about?”

At this time, when an official interrogated a defendant in a serious case and the testimony was unsatisfactory, striking the accused twenty times with a paddle was standard practice.

If a convict had been sentenced to exile and was brought to their place of banishment, they could expect forty to sixty blows of the “commanding rod” upon arrival — this, too, was standard practice.

So for most people, avoiding a lawsuit was preferable. And the authorities particularly despised litigation brokers.

Not being beaten was therefore a pleasant surprise.

“Of course,” Zhù Ying said. “You are not feverish — your mind is clear, I trust?”

“Yes, yes — this old man truly does not know who harmed the master…”

“If you knew, what use would I be?” Zhù Ying said. “Old man, the concubine presently in custody differs considerably in age from the deceased. Why did your master choose to marry her? And even if he was going to remarry, why choose the daughter of a former acquaintance? It hardly sounds proper.”

The head steward hastened to explain. “Your Honor! All of this was arranged by the late Madam. From her youth, Madam was renowned for her virtue. The master had five children; the latter two were born of concubines, yet Madam took care of all of them exceedingly well, including the concubines themselves. When Madam fell gravely ill, she feared that after her passing there would be no one to properly care for the master, and so…”

“With five children, how could there be no one to look after him?”

The head steward smiled obligingly. “Your Honor has not yet married, I take it? However devoted the children may be, nothing compares to having a woman by one’s side for proper care. Who else can sleep right there through the night attending to him? Madam truly had only the most virtuous intentions! Besides, the young gentlemen of our household all serve as officials away from home — the young ladies have all married and moved away.”

The Left Rectifier said, “Strange — surely bringing in a concubine would have served the purpose?”

“A wife truly cares for your wellbeing; a concubine cannot match that. Their positions differ, and with different positions come different motivations. Moreover, the household requires someone to manage the inner affairs. And a companion to an elderly man deserves a proper standing.”

It took the head steward’s explanation before the Left Rectifier, Zhù Ying, and Bao — three plain, unassuming officials — began to understand the ways of grand households. Not only would they take a young wife to attend to the elderly master, lest his death during mourning period interrupt a son’s official career — Li Ze had even sent his own eldest son back home specifically to attend upon his grandparents.

“Why was it this particular young woman chosen?” Zhù Ying asked.

“When she was in Madam’s company, she was attentive and considerate. Madam always wanted to give the best of everything to our old master.”

Zhù Ying asked further about Bi Shi’s background. The head steward said, “She comes from the family of an old acquaintance of the master — when that acquaintance fell into legal trouble, his whole family came to depend on our household. Her family’s property was confiscated, and our household took pity on them. Madam often called her to be a companion, and seeing she was thoughtful and capable, with a pleasing temperament and appearance, Madam asked whether her family would be willing. Madam gave her mother a substantial betrothal gift — a proper engagement. She also promised her brothers the opportunity to study at the household’s school.”

“The young Madam was also educated and cultivated.”

“She was.”

“So you believe it was an accidental death?”

The head steward waved both hands emphatically. “This old man would not dare speak carelessly — I would not dare. I never personally witnessed anything. Every time I saw her, her attendance was flawless in every respect.”

Zhù Ying asked about Li Ze and his wife, and the head steward said, “Both are solid, worthy people.”

She asked further about Li Zang’s other children, and the head steward said, “All of them are filial and good. At times, spirited — but without any ill intent. I know they wish to find the culprit who harmed their father. Who would not want justice for a parent’s death?”

“How was the estate divided?”

“They did not quarrel over the estate at all!” the head steward said with a proud lift of the chin. “The master had long since made all arrangements for his affairs. The children accepted his arrangements completely. The eldest branch oversees the ancestral rites and therefore receives a larger portion; all other sons share equally; the daughters were also left bequests. And with great foresight, the master added a clause: if any descendant were to be convicted of a crime, that person’s share would be converted entirely into land for the ancestral rites — it would not be divided among the siblings.”

Furthermore, each of Li Ze’s brothers and sisters was already comfortably situated in their own right.

“In your view, who do you believe is the culprit?” Zhù Ying asked.

Tears ran down the head steward’s face. “This old man does not know.”

The Left Rectifier said sharply, “Bi Shi herself has admitted to increasing the dosage. You have said yourself that Li Zang showed no signs of distress beforehand. Is that not murder?”

“This old man was not present at the time,” the head steward said. “How could I dare make accusations against the mistress?”

He was actually an honest man. “We cannot help it — the case is not yet closed,” Zhù Ying said. “You will have to bear with us for a few more days here.”

“I would not dare to object,” the head steward said, his expression momentarily wavering. The Left Rectifier said, “If you have something to say, say it!”

“Our young mistress,” the head steward said, “has she truly been dishonored? You must not let those animals go unpunished!”

“We will investigate,” Zhù Ying said. “Every culprit will be found. — By the way: how much in goods did Bi Luo send to the Li household?”

The head steward’s face went pale. “I know,” Zhù Ying said.

“The household was not concealing confiscated property!” the head steward hurried to clarify. “It was all ordinary gift-giving between acquaintances. Bi Luo greatly admired the master and benefitted greatly from his guidance.”

“I understand. Go and rest, old man.”

Watching the old man’s stooped figure retreat, Bao the evaluating official let out a low whistle. “No connection to begin with — cultivated entirely through money. Some kind of ‘old acquaintance’ that was…”

The three then called in the head steward’s sons and grandsons — the middle-aged man and the young man who had been brought along as part of the escort. Their accounts differed little from the head steward’s, except for one thing: “We did not usually serve the master up close. That day, we truly did not see the new mistress administer any poison.”

When asked about the Li household, they too said everyone was a good person. Not only were the Li Zang couple good people — every member of the household was good. If there were any disagreements, those were disputes between good people, and involved no wrongdoing.

After the questioning, it was not only the three interrogating officials who were stunned — even the prison guards were biting their fingers in disbelief. “Do they even realize that if Bi Shi is not the culprit, then the most obvious suspects would be them?”

Using a slave to harm a master was not merely an offense punishable by beheading. Though the law specified the punishments of strangulation and beheading, in practice such cases tended to invite harsher unofficial penalties. Using a slave to harm a master was the sort of thing most likely to inflame those in power — if the Emperor was displeased, one might face being cut in two at the waist or dismembered. And yet with all that at stake, they still would not speak ill of Bi Shi.

The Left Rectifier said, “Accusing a mistress — a subordinate accusing a superior — is also generally not looked upon favorably. Though, given that a wife is subject to a husband — a wife harming a husband does carry its own charge…”

“Let us also question the escorting constables,” Zhù Ying said. In the Court of Judicial Review’s method of interrogation, the basic five observations of the tongue — appearance, complexion, gaze, voice, and words — were foundational. Judged by her own eye and experience, Zhù Ying found no deception whatsoever in the entire group of grandparent and grandchildren.

——

The constables had certainly exhausted their luck for eight lifetimes — what was supposed to be a routine assignment had them on the road for over a month, and by the calendar, the crime had nothing to do with them. But they were detained regardless!

The one responsible was Zhù Ying! This resentment had been suppressed at first, but was now only growing. Zhù Ying paid their frustration no attention and asked them, in a matter-of-fact tone, why they had said the Li household was a complete mess.

The constables thought: Of course it was a mess — old man dies out of nowhere, what else would it be?!

But aloud they said: “An old coffin marrying a young wife — isn’t that mess enough? What respectable elderly man does a thing like that?”

“Who else, besides him?”

“None of them are decent people! The old woman who died — she spent every day burning incense and chanting prayers, and every year we had to go and drag in tenant farmers who couldn’t pay rent. Brought in and given twenty blows first thing — squeeze out the last drop of them, then pretend to forgive the interest. The interest has been rolling over so many times — the land around the prefecture is almost all theirs now!”

As for Li Zang, he let his wife handle all of that while he played the carefree gentleman of leisure.

And now and then, when out on the road, if he caught sight of a pretty young maidservant, he would ask whether she would like to come work in his household.

His sons were posted as officials far away, and the constables had not seen much of them over the years. But they did know that Li Ze had once stayed home to attend to his grandparents. Back then, his wife could not bear children, and she arranged a concubine for him — but Li Ze, out of tenderness for his wife, arranged to use only a maidservant, and once the child was born, he had the mother quietly sent away in a distant arranged marriage. The day she was sent off, her weeping could be heard the entire length of the street. That was about twenty years ago.

Recently the household had seen two funerals and one wedding — the place had been quite a spectacle. Both funerals had nearly fallen apart: the grandson nowhere to be seen, brothers and sisters coming to blows, even hiring their own physicians and coroner to examine their father’s body!

Truly, a family of respectable people!

The constable finally spat in fury: “And they didn’t even trust our magistrate!”

This tone, Zhù Ying realized, was nearly identical to how Zhang Bàntóu and the others had spoken of Wang Yunhe. She asked, “Your Governor — is he a good official?”

“Of course! His Honor would never wrong us!”

“The official document should be in his hands by now. You will be on your way home before long,” Zhù Ying said. Then she and the Left Rectifier and Bao departed.

Standing outside the gates of the Court prison, Zhù Ying suddenly smiled. The Left Rectifier asked, “With testimony like this, how can you smile?” If the head steward’s account was true, then there was no villain. If the constables’ account was true, then there was no hero. Either way, the case was extremely difficult to handle.

“I have a sense of things,” Zhù Ying said.

“What sense?”

“Have Wu Xiang and Cui Jiacheng do one thing — cover the doors and windows of the cells holding the maids and servants with black cloth and board them shut. Not a sliver of light to get through.”

“What?”

“When I return, you will understand.”

“Done!”

Then Zhù Ying handed the affairs of the Court prison to the Left Rectifier and went with Bao to see Zheng Xi, who designated nine clerks to travel with them. Zheng Xi asked, “Do you have any confidence?”

“A little.”

Zheng Xi signed the official documents for her. “Go. And there is no need to hurry back. Two weeks, two thousand li round trip — you…”

Zhù Ying laughed. “I thought only old men were supposed to nag.”

“Get out!”

Zhù Ying left.

Of the nine clerks, Zhù Ying had specifically included Xiao Tao. Xiao Tao was greatly excited. “Chief Zhù, we are on a big case, aren’t we?”

“We are going to suffer!”

“I do not believe you!” Xiao Tao said.

And it was not only him who disbelieved her — nobody did, for Zhù Ying had treated them all remarkably well throughout the year. Even now, before they had left the capital, she had already taken the group to draw on public funds to purchase fur coats and other cold-weather gear. Not yet out of the city and already receiving fur coats — how could they call that bad?

Bao the evaluating official shook his head at Xiao Tao.

Once out of the capital, they reached a relay station twenty li along the road. Zhù Ying said to Bao, “We part ways here. Xiao Tao — you come with me. You had better be able to keep pace.”

Xiao Tao stared. “Wh — what do you mean?”

“You can ride a horse,” Zhù Ying said with certainty. Xiao Tao’s family was among the better-off ones among the clerks — he had his own home, was married to Old Wu’s daughter, and had the means for a small hobby, such as riding. He even kept his own horse.

It was only at this moment that Xiao Tao understood: the generosity shown by Chief Zhù was not free — one had to work for it!

Zhù Ying took Xiao Tao and, bearing the urgent-business placard of the Court of Judicial Review, changed horses at every relay station without pausing herself. On the first day alone they covered over a hundred li, and only when it was fully dark did Zhù Ying stop with him at a small relay station. Xiao Tao looked ashen. “You — you don’t mean we are traveling at night too?”

“We do not.”

Xiao Tao was relieved, and more or less crawled off his horse. As a sixth-rank official, Zhù Ying was not entitled to a private courtyard, but in this small and lightly-staffed relay station, she was given three rooms, along with hot water and a hot meal. She said to Xiao Tao, “Go eat, soak your feet, and sleep. Early morning travel tomorrow.”

Xiao Tao remained seated on the ground, not moving. “Tomorrow…”

Zhù Ying took a small box from inside her robe, had the relay station steward steep some hot water, and said, “There are ginseng slices in here. Take two to chew.”

Xiao Tao thought: This woman is truly trying to kill us. Or me, at least. Not me too!

And Zhù Ying truly did push them both to the very edge. Four grueling days they rode, and at the very gates of the city it began to snow. Xiao Tao vowed, “I will never ride a horse again as long as I live!”

“Then you will have to crawl back to the capital.”

Xiao Tao’s face was bone white.

The two entered the city against wind and snow. It was already dark, the city gates beginning to close, and the streets were nearly empty with everyone rushing home. Xiao Tao resigned himself to his fate. “I will go to the Governor’s residence to present your card.”

“No — come with me. First, the Li household.”

“What?”

Zhù Ying took out a piece of jade and said, “Take this, go and ask to see the Li household’s eldest Madam — that is Li Ze’s wife. Tell her that Bi Shi is three months with child. Tell her to keep the household affairs in order; Li Ze is in the capital working to resolve matters. He came in such haste that it was inconvenient for him to send his own people; this jade piece is your proof. The Madam may have a message for you to bring back — if so, relay it to me. Do not write anything down. You must go now and not stay in the household. Have you memorized all of that?”

Xiao Tao stared blankly.

“Cover your head — do not let anyone see your face. Wear your fur coat inside out. Do not use your official plaque. Keep your voice low and gruff. Understood?”

Xiao Tao’s mouth fell open.

“You have been riding day and night, four days straight, to rush this news back. If she does not believe you, she may wait a few days and watch the official bulletin. On the day we set out, the bulletin carried a notice: Censor Zhang heading south. If the matter is delayed because of that, it will not be your fault.”

Xiao Tao scrambled to his feet, pulling up his hood. “I’ll go now!”

“Ride your horse! And meet me at the Governor’s residence once you are done.”

“Yes!”

Zhù Ying tied her own horse outside the Governor’s residence, drew her cloak close, and followed Xiao Tao’s footprints until she reached the outer wall of the Li household, then silently scaled it. The local Governor had been thorough in his investigation, and the case files were well-organized: where Li Zang resided, where Li Zang’s eldest grandson resided, how they had come to the scene — all of it was documented.

Li Zang’s children, having come home for the funeral only to find themselves entangled in a lawsuit, were all still staying in the household.

Zhù Ying had sent Xiao Tao to bluff Li Ze’s wife, while she herself hoped to test Li Zang’s other children — but eavesdropping on them meant waiting who knew how long in the bitter cold. Instead, she followed one of the servants delivering a meal and arbitrarily chose the room of Li Ze’s youngest sister. She waited until the servants had finished delivering and departed. The inner room had drawn its curtains against the cold, and she stood outside and said in a low voice, “Someone has gone to see the eldest Madam — a message from the capital that Bi Shi is three months with child. Whether it is true or not…”

Someone inside barked, “Who is there?”

Zhù Ying naturally gave no reply. Inside there was a sound of sharp alarm, and the food went untouched. A voice said, “Go — summon my brothers and sisters. Tell them I have urgent matters to discuss!”

Before long, the four siblings had gathered. Zhù Ying, keeping her distance to avoid discovery, could not make out the first few lines. Then a male voice said, “That vile woman! So there really was a lover! Poor Father — oh… oh…”

Li Ze’s youngest sister broke into loud sobs. She thought of her father, who had taught her to read and write, who had arranged a fine match for her — she herself had children now, nearly old enough to marry — and yet her father had died under such mysterious circumstances!

Inside, they began berating Li Ze — calling him a fool. If he had not intervened, Bi Shi would have been sentenced to death long ago. What pregnancy would there have been? She would already have been executed after the autumn. All that talk of “face,” “face” — and now look — face stripped entirely bare! A block of wood!

They recalled their parents in better days, teaching them to become officials, to be decent people, arranging their marriages and seeing to their households — one harmonious family! Until that little vixen came along!

The four of them conferred and resolved to go confront their eldest sister-in-law. And — where was their eldest nephew? How could he not come out? Zhù Ying tracked them from a distance as they made their way to Li Ze’s wife. By then Xiao Tao was already gone. It was not long before raised voices erupted from within, then were quickly hushed.

Shortly after, a servant left and came back escorting a young man. Zhù Ying quietly shifted into the shadow of the wall. The young man entered and bowed to his uncles and aunts — he was, in fact, the missing eldest son of Li Ze. Li Ze’s wife said, “It seems you all have to know.”

The curtains were drawn down entirely inside — nothing was visible. The voices dropped further. Zhù Ying shifted closer but caught only sounds of weeping. When the young man emerged, the quarrel resumed inside — still between “keeping family disgrace private” and “not letting the culprit go unpunished.” Nothing new.

The voices of those in the “not letting the culprit go unpunished” camp grew louder. “Is it not already public?” they said.

Li Ze’s wife seemed to tire out as well; Zhù Ying could not make out her words. After a while, the group dispersed. Those in the “catch the culprit” faction walked out still grumbling: “That boy does at least have a conscience — his nerves are just too brittle.” “Brittle? He has simply gone mad!”

Zhù Ying listened for a while longer but heard nothing in the way of secret plots or hidden revelations — only Li Ze’s wife pressing to find out who had “been gossiping.” The snow was still falling, and she dared not wait any longer. Taking advantage of the household’s distraction and the servants’ neglect, she slipped back over the wall. In moments, the snow covered her footprints entirely.

——

When Zhù Ying reached the Governor’s residence, Xiao Tao was already there, stamping his feet to keep warm.

Xiao Tao’s hands were numb with cold, and he was very nearly frozen solid — nose, tears, and all. “Where did you go?”

“What did she say?” Zhù Ying asked.

“When she saw the jade,” Xiao Tao said quietly, “she said: ‘Understood. Tell Master Li not to worry — I will look after things at home. I will also take care of our son. The family temple has been prepared. When the young mistress returns, she will be sent there for quiet retreat.'” He returned the jade to Zhù Ying. “She said I was to bring this back. Where did you get a piece of jade like this? Very effective.”

Acquired along the way, of course. Zhù Ying kept that thought to herself.

“Why so many questions? Go knock on the door!”

Xiao Tao rapped the door of the Governor’s residence. At first there was no response; he gave it a few firm kicks before a voice called from inside, “Coming, coming — who is it?!”

“People from the capital!” Xiao Tao said.

With Xiao Tao along, there was always someone to handle the running and the talking.

The local Governor’s name was Dou — a man in his forties, which indicated a career that had gone reasonably well. From his handling of the case, it was clear that his success had been earned through genuine ability.

Governor Dou looked puzzled. “Visitors from the capital at this hour? The Court of Judicial Review? This quickly?”

After exchanging names with Zhù Ying and introducing themselves properly, the Governor said, “So you are Clerk Zhù.”

“Oh?”

“The formal response sent back by the Court of Judicial Review — it was very well reasoned,” said Governor Dou. From time to time, any prefecture would have matters requiring the Court of Judicial Review’s attention; those that fell into Zhù Ying’s hands were handled with particular care, leaving a strong impression on Governor Dou. He cited a specific case Zhù Ying had reviewed; she said modestly, “I am embarrassed — Your Honor’s handling of the Bi Shi case, in this subordinate’s view, was also very well reasoned.” She recited two passages from Governor Dou’s own verdict.

The two of them had found their common footing.

“What brings Clerk Zhù here?” the Governor asked.

“Bi Shi is three months with child,” Zhù Ying said.

Xiao Tao had been off to one side working out the knots in his legs, and he watched as the expression on Governor Dou’s face became, in an instant, that of a King of the Underworld. He froze, unable to continue his leg-rubbing. Zhù Ying remained composed. “Which is why I hurried here.”

Governor Dou said in a low voice, “Your foresight puts me to shame — had I only thought to put female guards in place earlier.”

“We have already sent an official communication about that matter. I have not come for that purpose — I am here about Bi Shi. What is the full story?”

Governor Dou said, “Li Zang was also a local figure of note. When he died with none of his children nearby — only a small grandson — it was only right, as the local official, that I go and pay my respects. I happened to glance into the coffin and noticed signs consistent with poisoning. What is more — while offering my condolences and exchanging a few words with the woman, I noticed her expression clearly lacked any trace of genuine grief. Of course, sometimes the death of a husband brings nothing but relief. But…”

“I understand. The anxiety of someone concealing something is different from the anxiety of someone who has lost a loved one. And the joy of an unexpected gift is different from the satisfaction of a reward that was earned.”

“Li Zang held official rank during his lifetime,” Governor Dou continued. “He could not simply die without a proper accounting.”

Because Governor Dou had acted promptly and placed the Li household under control, Bi Shi had had no time to prepare. Her only defense had been to claim “accidental overdose of medication.”

“She regretted it the moment those words were out of her mouth,” Governor Dou said with a smile. “But it was too late — she had no choice but to continue with the accidental-intake story.”

The smile faded, and he mentioned the sadness of Li Zang’s grandson — after learning of the family’s terrible secret, the boy had been somewhat mentally unhinged.

“Could he possibly be the one who…” Zhù Ying began.

Governor Dou shook his head. “No. He could not.”

He had evidence to support this. Li Ze’s eldest grandson had been opposed to his grandfather’s remarriage. He had proposed giving Bi Shi a generous dowry and arranging a proper marriage for her — but when this suggestion was rejected, Li Ze’s grandson, though still living in the household, had been going outside each day to pay his respects rather than entering to see his grandfather. This detail had no bearing on the case, and reporting it would have damaged the young man’s reputation — after all, a grandson who would not face his grandfather, whatever the grandfather’s conduct, only cast shame on someone.

Bi Shi: she had purchased arsenic in small quantities at separate times, and then the old man had died of arsenic poisoning. She could not account for where the arsenic had gone. Rat poison? Where were the dead rats? As medicine? Medicine required other ingredients to be mixed in; yet there was no evidence of other materials being prepared. Surely she had not simply poured raw arsenic into the old man’s mouth as a “treatment.”

Governor Dou had also investigated the arsenic accounts — the pharmacy had records to prove them.

Zhù Ying asked further about the Li household’s affairs, but the account she received was the same as from everyone else: the eldest wanted to preserve the family’s face; the others wanted to find the true cause of their father’s death. The Governor, beyond this, knew about the Li family’s landholdings and properties — there was no dispute over assets. Li Zang had held no hereditary title; there was no question of succession.

“What of Bi Shi’s family?” Zhù Ying asked.

“Weeping. Grieving for Li Zang, and insisting their daughter was wrongly accused. They are wearing mourning for Li Zang as well. Bi Shi has had no contact with them for quite some time.”

If not for this murder, the Li household would have been universally praised as a model family — father kind, children filial, brothers harmonious, servants loyal. Before taking in Bi Shi, the husband and wife had been devoted to each other. Not only were they good to their own family, they were generous to the poor and suffering beyond it.

Only Bi Shi was the villain.

Governor Dou was firmly convinced that Bi Shi had murdered Li Zang, and produced the coroner’s report. “While the sons had not yet returned, I took advantage of the situation — they had only a young widow and a child to contend with — and had the body examined.”

Otherwise family consent would have been required. Bi Shi, at the start, had tried to obstruct it.

“The mother and brothers of Bi Shi?” Zhù Ying asked.

“Crying injustice. Saying it was fate. ‘That is just her lot in life,’ they said.” Governor Dou clearly harbored contempt for Bi Shi, but even as he said those words, a touch of sorrow crept into his voice.

“The prisoner was caught without the act being witnessed,” Zhù Ying said, “yet refuses to confess — there are precedents for that. The human evidence and material evidence are effectively in place. What remains is motive. Did she say anything?”

“Nothing. A mismatched marriage of old husband and young wife — that is motive enough in itself,” said Governor Dou. He asked whether Zhù Ying wished to view the body; he could arrange it. Though it was buried, with Li Ze away, his younger brothers wished for the truth — they would surely agree.

“Yes.”

Governor Dou arranged for Zhù Ying and Xiao Tao to rest, and assured Zhù Ying: “Bi Shi’s pregnancy — someone from within the guard must have done this. They were already under custody at the time! I will find out the truth before you leave. I give you my word.”

“There is no need to hurry before the official document arrives.”

Governor Dou’s face turned iron grey again. “I am in a hurry.”

“Then I leave it in your capable hands.”

——

Xiao Tao, finally permitted a peaceful night’s sleep without fear of being made to ride at dawn, was so moved that he shed two tears, and fell asleep without even washing his feet.

The next morning he was woken by Zhù Ying bright and early. “Come. We are going outside the city.”

“Chief, can I return your fur coat?” Xiao Tao said mournfully.

But Zhù Ying was in good spirits. She took Xiao Tao to the outskirts of the city to dig up Li Zang’s grave.

The four children of the Li family were entirely in favor of it. However unwilling they were to have their father disturbed, they were even more determined that the murderer be brought to justice. Governor Dou had detected their father’s suspicious death and exposed the fact that he had been murdered; they trusted Governor Dou. Now the Court of Judicial Review had come in person to conduct its own review — clearly the case was being taken seriously.

Two of the sons were also officials, of higher rank than Zhù Ying — and yet they were perfectly courteous toward her, bearing none of the volatile anger evident when they had quarreled with their eldest sister-in-law the previous night.

Zhù Ying took the opportunity to exchange a few words with them. The two sons said, “Mother was simply too good — she took everything upon herself, arranged everything perfectly. Father needed someone to attend to him, certainly. But why did it have to be Bi Shi?” The two daughters said much the same, and added one more point: “Eldest brother and sister-in-law are absolutely insufferable.”

Zhù Ying asked, “Is there anything Bi Shi could have gained from killing your father?”

“Who can know the heart of such a vicious woman? Perhaps she was in love with a young man,” the two daughters speculated.

“Were there any missing valuables in the household?”

“She had not yet managed to run,” they said.

“How did your eldest brother and his wife get along with Bi Shi?”

“What getting along?” all four of them said, watching the servants work all the while. “We were all away as officials — and one day we come back to find a new mother. Eldest brother and his wife accepted it, no less. Said they had a family temple all ready for the new bride, since keeping a young woman in the household after the fact would cause talk. Young wives cannot be expected to stay confined forever.”

Zhù Ying waited as they pried the coffin out, drew out the nails, and pushed back the lid. A faint smell of decay rose from within. Her knowledge of post-mortem examination was not sophisticated, but arsenic was a common enough poison — Coroner Yang had spoken of it in considerable depth, and she had learned from that.

“It is arsenic, without question,” she said.

Governor Dou said, “A silver needle test was done. It was ingested.” He tested again with a silver needle to demonstrate it had not been introduced after death.

Zhù Ying examined the body. Though far from fresh, Governor Dou’s conclusions were sound.

Governor Dou handed the reburial back to the Li family to manage, and he and Zhù Ying each offered incense. Zhù Ying said, “I should be heading back, I think…”

“Not yet! I must give the Court of Judicial Review a proper accounting,” Governor Dou said.

“Perhaps we can wait until the official document arrives…”

“Stay another two days — just two. If I cannot find the answer in two days, you are free to leave, and I will call it my own failure.” He pressed her to stay.

“As you say,” Zhù Ying said.

Governor Dou smiled. “After the journey, you deserve a rest as well. Look — your young man can barely walk.”

Xiao Tao was leaning on his knees, bent double. Zhù Ying said, “Very well — we will stay two days and take a rest before heading back.”

Even during those two days she was not idle. Wrapping herself in a robe, she slipped quietly out the back gate and crouched in the streets to listen to gossip. Along the way she even asked a roadside fritter-seller for the recipe. She heard all manner of opinions about the Li family — great philanthropists, certainly not typical of people like themselves. When natural disasters struck the locality, Li Zang had even lent his voice to petition the court for relief, to reduce the rents and levies. A fine son of the locality!

She also heard opinions about Bi Shi. Some suspected a lover. Some called her cold-hearted and wicked. Some said, “Put a young wife with an old dying man — can you, in good conscience, say that is right?” A small minority thought she had been wronged, for she “had no family backing — with her husband gone, what could she do?” There was sympathy for her mother and brothers too — people said the mother was a plain, quiet woman who rarely left the house. Bi Shi’s brother also had a decent reputation; this young man had been killing himself studying in order to rebuild the family’s fortunes.

After two days of listening, nothing new turned up. Zhù Ying located where the Bi family was now living — it turned out to be more spacious than her own current dwelling in the capital, with maids, menservants, a cook, and house boys all present.

With that knowledge, Zhù Ying had few reservations about them. She brought Xiao Tao and knocked directly on their door. As expected, the family said they had no grievance against the Li household whatsoever. Bi Shi’s mother said, “This house was arranged by the first Madam — how could we bear any resentment?”

Bi Shi’s brother said, “I know what you are thinking. But… she was asked before she agreed. Chief, when two parties are too unequal, and the times were truly desperate, she — a young girl, unprotected — was no better than meat in a wolf’s jaws. She had no choice but to marry Master Li. If the Li family will no longer have her, send her back to us. We will provide for her. Whatever comes — the family bears it together.”

His mother said, “The Li household never treated her poorly in any way. Master Li was of that age — she truly had no reason to do this.”

Bi Shi’s brother gave a pointed cough. Zhù Ying pretended not to notice and asked about the maidservants.

Bi Shi’s mother wiped away tears. “All her maidservants came from the Li household. Our family had long since fallen into ruin; the few servants we still had were sold off along the road and could not be brought to the Li household as part of her wedding retinue. Even the maids provided for show at the wedding ceremony were purchased in advance by the Li household.” She began to weep more heavily, remembering a particular servant who had accompanied her for part of that journey.

Zhù Ying offered a few words of consolation, then said abruptly: “Your daughter is with child — three months.”

The expressions of the mother and son showed genuine surprise. After the initial shock passed, the startled look did not remain fixed on their faces — it faded quickly and naturally. This was the look of someone truly surprised. Those who sustain a fixed expression of shock are, in most cases, feigning it. Zhù Ying inwardly sighed: it seemed they did not know.

“Govern yourselves wisely,” she said.

The mother and son still wished to ask something, but Zhù Ying had already left.

That evening, when she returned to the Governor’s residence, Governor Dou had two men dragged before her, beaten to a pulp. Governor Dou’s skill at investigation was not poor — but he could not entirely forego convention either. He would have a suspect beaten first, then proceed to careful interrogation and evidence gathering.

He was furious, and rightly so — having been placed in custody of Li Zang’s young wife, he had taken great care to arrange the guards, being pressed by Li Ze at the time. He had believed that posting at least two guards per shift would be reliable — yet both of them had gone wrong together.

Zhù Ying asked, “What exactly was the situation at the time?”

“She seduced me!” one of the guards said.

Zhù Ying rolled her eyes. Governor Dou said in disgust, “Answer properly!”

“It’s true — she seduced me! She said her foot was twisted and asked me to come help her up…” And one thing had led to another, with him supporting her and then being asked to massage the injured spot.

Zhù Ying covered her ears.

Governor Dou shouted, “Why did she not call for someone else?”

Zhù Ying put her hands down. Expressionless, she said, “Speak plainly — how many times did you take advantage of her.” Even if she had led the most sheltered life imaginable, she knew that children did not come from a single encounter. That was precisely why the incense at the shrines to the God of Progeny burned as steadily as it did.

Governor Dou was angrier than ever. He prided himself on keen perception — and yet this had happened right under his watch. He cursed under his breath: Base clerks deserve to die! Then continued: Shameless woman, sinking to this level.

“There are also good men among them,” Zhù Ying said. “It is the same kind of people who do the work of your investigation, after all. Your Honor, I will be taking my leave. The confessions?”

“Wait!” Governor Dou produced an official document, deputized his own constables, and arranged for them to accompany Zhù Ying back to the capital.

Xiao Tao looked at Governor Dou with profuse gratitude, thinking: This official is a truly great man! I will not have to ride four days straight going back!

Zhù Ying asked the Governor for two carts, loaded the prisoners into them, and set off at a steady pace of several dozen li a day. On the road, they encountered Bao the evaluating official’s group, and within a little over ten days the combined party reached the capital.

——

When Zhù Ying returned to the capital, it was already the beginning of the twelfth month. Without stopping to go home first, she brought the prisoners directly to the Court prison.

The moment she entered the Court of Judicial Review, colleagues surrounded her with enthusiasm.

Since Zhù Ying’s departure, everyone’s days had felt off in some way they could not quite name. Hu Lian himself had been uncomfortable. He had tended to the superiors well enough, but had no energy left for those below. He had not taken any of the lower staff’s allocations — yet they still felt that things were not as thoughtfully arranged as usual.

Seeing Zhù Ying, Hu Lian gleefully tossed down the account book he was reading. “Here — it is all yours, take it!”

“I need to question the prisoners first!”

Hu Lian was utterly crestfallen. “What?”

“We can hardly spend New Year with this hanging over us, can we?”

Zhù Ying gave a brief report to Zheng Xi and proceeded straight to the Court prison. Now, at last, she could summon the female prisoners.

The maidservants had been kept in darkened cells until they were nearly out of their minds. Even their childhood embarrassments had come pouring out. The only useful piece among all of it was one sentence: “All the arsenic was given to Madam. She kept it in her dressing box. She said it was for preparing medicine. When the old master passed, Madam packed up her valuables, but nothing was taken out of the household — no one was permitted to go in or out. We did not harm the old master! We would not dare accuse the Madam!”

The only one still holding firm was Bi Shi herself.

“The child is my late husband’s,” Bi Shi said with a light smile. “That night, I dreamed of my late husband. He said to me: ‘You have been wronged. It seems my descendants cannot be relied upon — so let me give you a child, to be your support in the days ahead.'”