The man sent from the prefect’s residence spoke impeccable official speech. Xiao Wu, talking with him, felt as though a weight had been lifted from his whole body. His tone grew familiar as well. “What’s your name, friend?”

“Lu. Lu Second.”

“Elder Brother Lu Second — this way, please.”

Lu Second was soaked in sweat. He straightened his jacket at the door and walked in properly to bow to Zhù Ying. Zhù Ying saw he was a man of about thirty, neat and tidy-looking. She first said, “You’ve had a tiring journey,” then asked him the purpose of his visit.

Lu Second said, “The Prefect says that Lord Zhù having just arrived may not be familiar with certain customary practices. Our lord is not one who simply sits elevated in the prefectural seat — he regularly comes out on circuit. Furthermore, it is established practice that all county magistrates in this prefecture report in person to the prefect’s residence once every six months. Half a year has nearly passed, and the various county magistrates are due for this visit. The Prefect therefore specifically sent me to inform Lord Zhù, so that your lordship may keep track of the dates going forward and not miss the appointed time.”

When Zhù Ying heard “the Prefect says,” she visibly straightened up, then only after Lu Second had finished speaking did she allow herself to relax slightly. She said, “The Prefect is truly thoughtful — the prosperity of the prefectural seat is not without reason.”

Once the official business was done, she said to Lu Second, “You’ve come a long way and truly have been put to great trouble. Please go rest and have some tea and a simple meal. It’s not early anymore — stay the night here and return tomorrow. There’s no hurry.”

Lu Second said, “This is within the scope of my duties — I don’t deserve such praise, my lord. I’ll take my leave.”

Xiao Wu went after him: “Elder Brother Lu Second — this way.”

Cao Chang stepped forward to pour cool tea for Zhù Ying and asked quietly, “Sanlang, shall we pack the luggage? Today’s already the twenty-fifth day of the sixth month.”

Zhù Ying had not been among the first group to leave the capital. She had been further delayed on the road by the case, then taken the detour back to her hometown. After that she had pushed and hurried to reach her posting, and had now been wandering around Fulu County for the better part of half a month. In the blink of an eye, half the year was gone.

Zhù Ying set down her teacup and said, “Of course.”

The six-monthly meeting was scheduled for the thirtieth day of the sixth month. The journey from the prefectural seat to Fulu County was several hundred li. If she didn’t want to be riding in a mad dash, she had to set out tomorrow!

Zhù Ying downed half a pot of cool tea and went to the rear to discuss things with the family.

Zhù Da said, “The Prefect’s summoning her — how could she not go? When are you setting out?”

Zhù Ying said, “Tomorrow. I’ll take Xiao Wu and Cao Chang. Hou Wu has good instincts — he’ll stay to watch the house.”

Zhang Xiangu immediately said, “No! How can you…”— travel with two male attendants?

Huajie was quick. She interjected, “Perfect timing — Fulu County is too small and doesn’t have everything I need. I’m running short of embroidery silk. I’ll go with Little Zhù, and Nanny Du can come along too. That just leaves the trouble of asking Qi Tai’s daughter and Adoptive Mother to manage the household.”

Zhang Xiangu let out a breath of relief. “Oh, thank goodness — Huajie, thank goodness for you.”

Huajie smiled. “We’re all family.”

Zhù Da’s thoughts stirred a little — he also felt a bit like going to the prefectural seat for another look. The county of Fulu was small enough already, but the incomprehensible dialect was what really chafed. The prefectural seat’s dialect was also hard to understand, but there were people who spoke official speech, and traveling merchants, so it was at least more comfortable than Fulu County.

Zhù Ying said, “If Father wants to go, you can go on your own, slowly. I have to be there on the exact day and can’t wait for you.”

Zhù Da said, “Then I won’t go.”

Zhù Ying didn’t try to persuade him. Zhù Da was like this — he had no real ability to make trouble. Zhang Xiangu said bluntly, “You can’t even understand the speech here, and you want to go where? “

Zhù Da said, “You can’t either!”

The two squabbled again. Zhù Ying and Huajie had already gone to prepare the gifts. She had no grand gifts to present the prefect this time — just some local mountain products and game, a few pheasants and some dried mushrooms. She also prepared a gift for Lu Second.

Huajie said, “The public fields aren’t in your hands, the taxes aren’t coming in properly — what do you plan to do about this…”

Zhù Ying said, “No hurry. I have a plan.”

Gifts prepared on this side, Xiao Wu finished settling Lu Second in and came back to call for Zhù Ying at the inner gate. Zhù Ying came out and asked, “Well?”

Xiao Wu said, “Sanlang — the visitor means no good! According to Lu Second, the half-yearly meeting does indeed exist. Lu Second also made a point of urging: be respectful, and then more respectful still. The Prefect says whatever he says, you just listen. Whatever he tells you to do, you do it. If his temper is good, your life goes smoothly. But from what I can hear, the Prefect doesn’t sound like an easy person to deal with. Or perhaps — he’s specifically targeting you. You’re newly arrived; a superior always has to show you a little color…”

Zhù Ying said, “Understood. You go rest too.”

The night passed without incident.

……

The next morning, Zhù Ying rose early, dressed and groomed herself neatly, then packed her change of clothes. Huajie came with Nanny Du and took her bundle. Zhù Ying rode horseback; Huajie and Nanny Du rode in a cart; Xiao Wu and Cao Chang took turns driving, the luggage loaded on the cart.

Lu Second rode ahead to lead the way.

Xiao Wu and Cao Chang drove at a flying pace. Huajie and Nanny Du inside were jostled considerably.

Finally, on the evening of the twenty-ninth day of the sixth month, they reached the prefectural seat and lodged at the post station overnight. Huajie and the others settled in at the post station. Zhù Ying, taking Cao Chang and Xiao Wu with them carrying the gifts, rushed to the prefect’s residence while the curfew had not yet started to deliver the calling card and gifts.

The prefect’s residence accepted the card, and word was sent from inside: “There’s official business tomorrow. I won’t be seeing anyone tonight.” The gifts, however, were accepted.

Zhù Ying took no offense and said politely as ever, “Then I’ll come for your instruction tomorrow.” She took Wu and Cao and left again.

Wu and Cao were privately indignant. Even in the capital, when Zhù Ying had called on the Prime Minister himself, she had never been turned away at the door like this! They both silently cursed as they walked, and wanted to let their displeasure out — but this was the prefectural seat, and it wouldn’t do to say anything. They were both grinding their teeth, faces scrunched.

Back at the post station, Huajie had already found Zhù Ying’s clean change of clothes and had the food laid out. “Come, eat. After dinner get to bed early. Tomorrow may not be easy.”

Zhù Ying said, “Good.”

She wasn’t bothered by the Prefect’s attitude toward her. Below the Prefect there was still the circuit prefect, and below that the county magistrate — such a difference in rank. A senior official being somewhat casual was normal. It would be unnatural for every superior she met to deeply appreciate her, protect her, and want to advance her like Wang Yunhe did. Surely she couldn’t expect to meet one esteemed official after another, all of them remarkably fond of her?

She was completely unaffected. Tired from several days on the road as well, she went to bed early that night and slept soundly.

As she drifted off, the Prefect Lu was meeting with a visitor.

Though this man sat below Lu Prefect, two guards with faces full of menace stood behind him. He asked, “My lord Prefect — five days have gone by. Can you find the item or not? If you can’t find it, we’ll look ourselves. We don’t want to disturb the honored Lord Lan Monitor, after all.”

The Prefect said, “Zhù Ying, who saw through Yao Chun — you certainly know of her. She’s just taken up the post of Fulu County magistrate, and should be on her way now for the half-yearly meeting. I have ordered her to search for the item and solve the case on your behalf. Is that not reassuring?”

“Her? Zhù Third? Oh my — she’s Counselor Zheng’s person. And you can actually get her to do what you say.”

The Prefect stroked his beard with dignified restraint. “I am now her superior.” Let the man be whoever’s person he wanted — how could a subordinate refuse to listen to a superior?

“If you can command him, then congratulations to you. He alone has handled so many affairs for Counselor Zheng! A biological son could hardly do more. Then I’ll await the good news. Farewell.”

“Safe travels.”

The Prefect saw the visitor out, then summoned Lu Second and asked, “How did you find Zhù Ying on your journey?”

“Someone who knows all the proper courtesies, by the look of it.”

The Prefect smiled faintly. “Good then.”

Lu Second glanced carefully at the Prefect and said under his breath, “She… is Counselor Zheng’s person, isn’t she?”

The Prefect said, “Enough of that talk.” He thought to himself: And so what? She’s now my subordinate, and I’ll use her as I would any other subordinate!

He was well aware of Zhù Ying’s background. Zhù Ying was Zheng Xi’s person — so what? He had no intention of fighting Zheng Xi for her! He simply wanted Zhù Ying, as his subordinate, to be obedient and responsive to his commands like all his other subordinates. Zhù Ying had something of a fierce reputation for handling criminal matters, but based on his observations and probing, she was like a hunting eagle — ferocious when tearing into prey, but docile and compliant toward the master who held the leash around her neck.

People with homes and families to care for, people who had brought their parents and household all the way to their posting — people who cared for their families were always fierce toward outsiders and gentle at home. This was why the state preferred to conscript men with solid family backgrounds: they were reliable.

The Prefect had already arranged certain additional duties for Zhù Ying, and had decided that tomorrow he would school her into falling in line and obeying him properly.

……

The next day, Zhù Ying arrived at the prefect’s residence on time, having left all her attendants outside the main gate. When she arrived, many others had already come. Some had residences right in the prefectural seat and weren’t staying at the post station at all. Among those she spotted at the prefect’s residence was her own immediate superior — the acting deputy of the southern circuit prefecture, who had broken his own pattern and come today fully and properly dressed.

Zhù Ying greeted him. Her superior said, “Good — a young person with vigor. When you see the Prefect in a moment, don’t contradict him.”

Zhù Ying said, “Yes.”

The Prefect governed four circuits. Zhù Ying’s superior was an acting deputy; the others who had come were the circuit prefects. He sat at the end of the senior officials’ seats, and below him came all the county magistrates. The ranking of county magistrates followed its own logic: it was determined by the status of each county — the county magistrate of the county in which the prefectural seat was located took first place among the county magistrates, followed in order by superior counties, middle counties, and lower counties, adjusted further by tax revenues, geographical importance, and whether the magistrate had the Prefect’s favor, among other factors.

Zhù Ying was perceptive and moved of her own accord to sit at the very last seat.

After the Prefect arrived and swept his gaze across the room, he saw Zhù Ying and said, “Why are you sitting all the way back there? Come up here and let everyone get acquainted!”

Zhù Ying rose and gave a bow: “This subordinate is young and newly arrived — it’s only right to defer to the last seat and learn from my senior colleagues.” The county magistrates also yielded to her. The county magistrate of the prefectural seat’s county, Magistrate Miao, said, “Come, come — the Prefect is calling you up, come and sit!”

He smiled pleasantly, thinking to himself: You can only get properly reprimanded if you sit closer up front.

A newcomer was certainly going to be reprimanded. There was no way around that.

After much deferring back and forth, Zhù Ying was yielded up into the group of superior-county magistrates, where she still took the last seat among them. She also noted down the names and faces of the three circuit prefects and thirteen county magistrates.

Everyone sat. The Prefect, Lord Lu, began his address. He first went over the situation for the first half of the year — saying the first half overall had been good, relatively peaceful, with few serious criminal cases, all of which were the result of everyone’s effort. Then his tone shifted, and he went on to mention certain shortcomings. Such as: the roads in two counties had been damaged by heavy spring rains and repairs had been too slow, and so on.

Then came individual reports.

First the circuit prefects, then the county magistrates. Zhù Ying listened as they reported string after string of figures, committing them all to memory. Before long it was her turn. She had only just arrived and had barely completed the handover, so all she could report was: “This subordinate has only just arrived and barely completed the handover. The population of Fulu County is such-and-such households, the fields are such-and-such in area…”

When everyone had made their reports in turn, Lord Lu began his evaluations. Zhù Ying listened as he reviewed each circuit’s affairs, pointing out several problems — cases that hadn’t been resolved in time, certain areas where tax arrears needed to be urgently collected, and so on. The officials below all assented obediently. A few offered brief explanations, such as: “It’s already been fully paid — the road was impassable and it was delayed by two days in transit. There was no shortfall. Next time I’ll set out two days earlier.”

When it came to Fulu County, Lord Lu said, “Fulu County was once a superior county — how has the household count fallen so far?”

“In response to my lord, this subordinate has just arrived and is still making inquiries…”

“Being new is not an excuse. Now that you have arrived, you must do your duty properly. Don’t be like your predecessor — not managing affairs from the county office and instead running off to the circuit prefecture city to ‘convalesce.’ Your Fulu County — how many years of accumulated tax arrears are there?! What is your plan for filling this shortfall?”

“Yes. There are some long-standing old debts…”

“You’ve already completed the handover — how can you keep making excuses?” Lord Lu said sternly. “They must be paid up in full!”

Zhù Ying thought: Who exactly do you think you are? I’ve been giving you face, haven’t I?

She had gotten some sense of the situation in Fulu County, of course she understood the household count no longer matched a superior county’s numbers. The reasons she also understood — on one hand, registered subjects and ordinary people had fled; and on the other hand — take one look at County Magistrate Wang and it was obvious. When the court itself stopped bothering, you couldn’t stop people from going to shelter under wealthy households, could you? This was what was known as “hidden households.”

There were two ways to deal with this situation. The first: simply accept the reality and submit a memorial to the court honestly, requesting that Fulu County be reclassified to middle or lower county in accordance with actual household counts. The obvious benefit was apparent: it would no longer need to pay taxes or meet conscription quotas calculated on a superior-county basis.

The second: work through the hardship, clean up all the mess left by who knows how many previous magistrates, conduct a search for hidden households, recruit fleeing residents back, and fill the actual household count to match the registered figure.

Zhù Ying planned to execute the second option.

The reason was straightforward. With the first option — once a superior county was downgraded, all the ranks and quotas for county officials and various positions would be reduced. If it could stay as it was, better to keep it that way. Moreover, she had come to this place to accomplish something. If governance went well, the household count would inevitably increase. At that point she could then apply to be re-elevated to superior county status?

In principle, yes. In practice, going through that process would mean a back-and-forth shuffle. The Ministry of Personnel would be furious. Once the Ministry of Personnel grew unhappy, future complications would multiply. And when the county was downgraded, who to dismiss and who to keep would itself create turmoil within the county. So she had simply written a few letters to the capital, privately explaining the actual situation, and told them she would quietly correct it on her own — “making Fulu County’s name and reality match” — without giving the court additional headaches.

Going with the second option meant she would work very hard for it, and that she’d be taking the short end of the stick. Because turning a middle county into a superior county was in itself a demonstration of ability and achievement. Choosing the second option meant she would be forfeiting that portion of her credit.

But who didn’t clean up after their predecessors? County Magistrate Wang had been transparent enough in the handover — she had known even then that there was some padding in the figures. The problem was that she hadn’t been able to count every household at the time. All of it was old stale accounting.

Choosing to do the hard work herself was one thing. The Prefect’s attitude was what put Zhù Ying in a bad mood!

Zhù Ying said, “Why bother filling it at all? Submit an honest memorial to the court and have it downgraded to middle county, or middle-lower county, as appropriate. As an official governing on behalf of the people, this subordinate dares not deceive the court or obscure the emperor’s view. Once it’s reported, neither you nor I need trouble ourselves any further over this matter. We start from the beginning.”

A sharp intake of breath ran through the room. Everyone stared at this reckless young official. Some stole glances at Lord Lu — his face had turned an iron grey. The acting deputy of the southern circuit coughed softly twice, trying to get Zhù Ying to quickly admit her mistake. Zhù Ying had absolutely no intention of being any more polite to the Prefect.

The Prefect Lu was of the Chancellor Shi Kun’s faction — not an inner circle member, but close to him. Zhù Ying, on the other hand, had been brought in by Zheng Xi and was also on good terms with the Chen and Wang factions. The Prefect Lu wanting to put her in her place? What a joke.

Zheng Xi kept telling her to “get lost” here and “get lost” there. But he gave her a proper household registration and identity, gave her the opportunity to study and take examinations, and provided protection all the way so that a person born of a charlatan family could become a sixth-rank official at twenty. The “getting lost” had been well worth it.

Chen Yuan had protected her on multiple occasions. Wang Yunhe had given her even more guidance. Neither man had ever spoken a harsh word to her.

Who exactly did Prefect Lu think he was?! She had no intention of relying on Prefect Lu to advance her career! She had already given this Prefect ample face — waiting at the gate when told to wait, accepting being turned away without complaint, receiving not a single benefit before getting this dressing-down? A dressing-down she could accept if it was warranted — Wang Yunhe had pointed out her faults and shortcomings plenty of times, and some of it she disagreed with, such as the claim that women couldn’t be officials. But Wang Yunhe had never pinned someone else’s old stale accounts on her and demanded she settle them!

Zhù Ying’s face showed complete indifference. Her superior’s face had mentally cursed her ancestors eight generations back. He said, “What nonsense! Who taught you this?”

Zhù Ying said, “Lord Lu, the Prefect.”

Lord Lu’s nose nearly twisted with rage. The well-trained hunting bird he had planned to use had suddenly gone berserk — that was a shock even to the Prefect. “When did I ever say such a thing?”

“You said I could write to the capital and not let those connections go cold. What good thing can I write about from this posting? When sent out of the capital, you write about affairs at your posting, naturally.”

The Prefect’s eyes went wide. “You would write…” He stopped half-way, suddenly grasping what she was implying. “You haven’t sent the memorial yet?”

“I’ll write it tonight when I get back,” Zhù Ying said.

The Prefect drew a long breath and said, “You! Let this matter rest for now — we’ll think of another way.”

Zhù Ying was not fooled in the slightest. She said, “My lord — this subordinate is newly arrived. Whatever is found must be reported promptly. It can’t be delayed. Drag it out past the autumn grain collection, and there’ll be another year’s tax shortfall. Old debts unresolved, and you want me to take on new ones? What daily interest rate is that? I couldn’t pay it back, and I’d be reduced to robbery. And then when someone asks why my governance has been so poor, I’d just be transferring blame to my predecessor — and that charge would stick. I’d be buried in it.”

The county magistrates were all shaken by her. A county magistrate openly contradicting a prefect right to his face — that was either sheer recklessness or the confidence of someone with powerful backing. Thinking of Zhù Ying’s background — perhaps she wasn’t sent here as a punishment, but genuinely sent here to be tempered?

They were all somewhat uncertain.

The acting deputy of the southern circuit was even more alarmed and hurried to say, “Zhù Ying! Do not rashly provoke the Liao people!”

Reminded by him, everyone became alarmed too. Hadn’t some fool done exactly that before, causing decades of unrest?

Magistrate Miao, on the best of terms with the Prefect, said, “Lord Zhù, be careful what you say! A superior county magistrate is from the upper sixth rank; a middle county is the upper seventh rank; and a middle-lower county is only the lower seventh rank. Don’t act out of pique!”

Zhù Ying said, “I’m not acting out of pique.”

Everyone held their breath. The Prefect’s expression had become very dark, while Zhù Ying’s face bore a single line in large letters: “What exactly can you do to me?”

The Prefect had his own calculations. With subordinates he had only a few moves — beat them with a stick and offer a small sweet after, and from his experience, several consecutive beatings followed by half a sweet worked even better. Officials in public service — who didn’t have their own strengths? Either they had a good father, or a good patron, or a good brain.

None of them were easy to handle, and being a superior took effort too! People all thinking different thoughts didn’t make for internal harmony — you had to get minds aligned, effort focused in one direction, all listening to a single superior’s overall direction. Only then could work be efficient, only then could surprises be avoided.

Being a superior — was it easy?

The Prefect was not without experience with people who defied him. In the end he had always managed to press them into compliance. But someone who had started courteous and then turned insolent without the slightest warning — that was his first time encountering this.

More critically, the person from Lan Xing’s household had come again, cheerfully asking, “Well? How’s it going?”

The Prefect wasn’t afraid of one single steward, but he couldn’t entirely ignore Lan Xing. Lan Xing bore the title “Inner Chancellor” — not a chancellor exactly, but someone who spent day and night at the emperor’s side, with plenty of opportunities to put in a word!

The Prefect couldn’t admit he hadn’t managed to get a grip on Zhù Ying. He forced himself to say, “There’s still some local business to settle. She’s newly arrived and still has matters to attend to. Once that one task is done, your affairs won’t be neglected.”

“Then… fine.”

Left alone to worry, the Prefect thought and thought, and the next day still appeared as if nothing had happened, summoning all the circuit and county officials again to another meeting, laying out tasks for the second half of the year. The biggest matters for the second half were the autumn harvest, the collection of land taxes, and then the prefecture’s delegation to the capital for the “annual accounting” — the performance evaluation.

The Prefect also harbored wariness toward Zhù Ying as a thorn in his side. He was considering writing to Chancellor Shi Kun, hinting vaguely at Zhù Ying’s insubordination, hoping to have her transferred away. He’d even support transferring her to a position as a capital-area county magistrate — let’s see whether Zhù Ying was more formidable or the powerful figures of the capital!

For now, though, he wore a benevolent expression and announced he would apply for a reduction and remission of Fulu County’s delinquent taxes. Zhù Ying thought to herself: As if I need you for that.

She also said politely, “I wouldn’t dare trouble my lord. I’ve already made arrangements. A subordinate’s duty is to spare the superior unnecessary exertion.”

The Prefect, seeing her completely impervious to all approaches, hastily concluded the half-yearly meeting, and after dismissing everyone, held Zhù Ying back for a private conversation. The circuit and county officials exchanged glances as they filed out, all with their own thoughts.

Zhù Ying stayed behind, still entirely courteous. The Prefect indicated she should sit, and she sat up perfectly straight. The Prefect cut straight to the point: “The household matter — I’ll handle it. You take care of something else first.”

Zhù Ying said, “What kind of task?”

“A theft case.”

“Oh?”

The Prefect said, “Lan Xing sent people to purchase sea pearls. A price was agreed and payment made. The seller, however, took his own life, and the pearls have gone missing. Find those pearls and return them to their rightful owner.”

Zhù Ying thought: There you go with the nonsense again. What do you mean “a price was agreed and payment made”? What I heard in the streets was nothing like that. The streets were all saying they forced him into the sale — threw down a few coins and demanded the seller hand over the pearls. The seller had rather die than comply, and swore they’d never find the pearls. They even searched his corpse and still found nothing.

She kept her face impassive and said, “This subordinate is not in the relevant position and dares not overstep my authority.”

“Hmm?”

Zhù Ying became even more polite. “This subordinate is a stranger here — unfamiliar with the people, the language not yet fluent, and the local customs and habits still unknown to me. How could I investigate a case? Words that have passed through a translation already taste different. That would not be convenient.”

The Prefect paused. Zhù Ying said, “My lord ought to ask the people in the streets.”

The Prefect frowned and asked, “That would actually work?”

Zhù Ying said, “It’s at least a lead. As long as the thing still exists in this world, it has to be somewhere — it’s not here, it’s there. It doesn’t have legs. It has to come back to some person in the end. And the person would have to be someone familiar with the local streets. As to exactly where — that’s not something this subordinate could know.”

Seeing the Prefect deep in thought, Zhù Ying seized the moment to take her leave, leaving the Prefect to whatever headaches were coming to him.

The Prefect couldn’t satisfy the person from Lan Xing’s household either, and could only dispatch a squad leader to continue questioning people in the streets. Lan Xing’s people said, “We thought a prefect could be counted on. Turns out even he can’t move a single county magistrate.”

The Prefect was furious. He picked up his brush and wrote to Chancellor Shi Kun, requesting that Zhù Ying be transferred away. Then he summoned Lu Second and said, “Go to Fulu County one more time. Bring the Fulu County deputy magistrate and registrar to me.”

On that side, Zhù Ying returned to the post station. She knew she had definitely offended the Prefect this time, but she wasn’t afraid. As for Lan Xing’s people — she was even less afraid of them. Huajie asked, “Are we going back today or tomorrow?”

Zhù Ying said, “The day after tomorrow.”

“What else do you have to do?”

“Treasure hunting.”

“What treasure has you this absorbed?”

Zhù Ying said, “Want to know? Come along and see.”

“All right.”

……——

The two of them wore light, casual clothes, stepped into wooden sandals, and headed out. Huajie carried a parasol to shade herself from the sun, holding it up high to shade Zhù Ying as well. Zhù Ying was considerably taller than her — taller than many of the men in this southern area too. She took the parasol from Huajie’s hand and held it over her. “Short one. It’s too much effort.”

Huajie gave her a look. “Just because you’re tall. Come on, move.”

Zhù Ying led her through seven turns and eight bends to an inn. The atmosphere there was strange — lively in the sense that people were murmuring in hushed voices everywhere, yet not quiet at all, given the considerable number of people.

Huajie said, “What is this place?”

“Where the pearl seller was staying.”

Pearls were precious, but the pearl divers and the first-hand sellers rarely earned much. It was like the dried mountain herbs that the Left Chancellor had once gone to purchase — at the place of origin, the price was always cheap. Once out of the source region, things would sell at ten or a hundred times the price. The pearl divers had no share in that.

This pearl seller had come on his own. He needed to go to a centralized pearl market where the best appraisers would set a fair price. Otherwise, who would know if the goods were genuine and up to standard?

The seller had brought large, high-quality pearls that happened to catch Lan Xing’s interest, as he was arranging a wedding for his son. Someone was sent to purchase them. Then things went wrong.

Zhù Ying wanted to find the pearls and ideally restore them to the seller’s surviving family.

Huajie said, “I knew you’d be kindhearted.”

“I’m just bored,” Zhù Ying said.