“Huh? Why bring that up all of a sudden?”

Zhang Xiangu was rinsing her mouth when she heard those words — and promptly spat out a mouthful of water.

Xiao Jiang was the sort of person who found it difficult to warm up to others. She was clean in her habits and stayed out of gossip and quarrels; on ordinary days she simply sat to one side doing needlework, reading, or practicing her calligraphy, causing no commotion whatsoever. Perhaps it was the stigma of being a “coroner” — she did not even like to eat meals with everyone else.

Zhang Xiangu had some misgivings at heart, but then she thought: her daughter needed a female coroner, and what could a mother not endure? After living together for some time you got used to it. There was nothing about Xiao Jiang that Zhang Xiangu found especially disagreeable — she washed her own clothes and helped with the cleaning. The little maidservant at her side was even the sort Zhang Xiangu rather liked.

The one thing that needed care was Huajie’s feelings; there was a small awkwardness between the two of them. But Huajie was even more easygoing about it than Zhang Xiangu — it was as though the whole business of “coroner” had never crossed her mind, or as though she had long since forgotten what had passed between them.

The mistress and her maid had been living comfortably in the rear residence, and by now Zhang Xiangu had grown accustomed to having them there.

Having someone undemanding in the house — Zhang Xiangu was quite content with that. The more people, the more lively things seemed.

Xiao Jiang said, “Well, we were always just staying here as guests. The city was a bit unsettled at first and I wasn’t familiar with it, but the yamen has settled down now and things in the city are better too. We’ve been imposing on you for this long — it’s time to move out.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “What are you talking about? If you move out you’ll have to pay rent!”

“I still have some money. Please don’t worry, Madam — I can manage.”

Jiang Zhou wanted to say something but hesitated. Zhù Ying said, “Have you heard something unpleasant?”

The mistress and maid had been slightly off lately; she had noticed, but had not asked — people always have some small secrets of their own, and as long as they do no harm to anyone else there is not much point getting to the bottom of them. Xiao Jiang’s past meant she often ran into awkward situations, and she was also a proud person; it was better not to ask.

Jiang Zhou wanted to speak; Xiao Jiang said, “I hear unpleasant words at any time and in any place.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “Who? Who said something? Who in this household has a loose tongue?”

Xiao Jiang said, “No — it wasn’t from inside the house.”

Zhù Ying nodded to show she understood. The fact that the mistress and maid had been lodging in the rear residence was itself a rather eye-catching arrangement; some gossip behind their backs was inevitable. She just could not take it lightly in case there was more to the situation.

The yamen had only just dealt with the case of Jiaojiao — Jiaojiao was Jing Wu’s kept woman on the side, and she had also had some murky entanglements with the Justice Deputy and the Merits Deputy; the house she lived in had been purchased for her by Jing Wu and the others. And here was Xiao Jiang, living in the rear residence — disabled and older, but still a good-looking woman, and she also served as a coroner. Her servant Jiang Zhou, moreover, looked every bit the part of a female yamen runner.

The gossip had naturally taken on another layer, the speculation growing increasingly outlandish. On the very night that Jiaojiao was attacked in the women’s detention cell, when Xiao Jiang had gone in to examine the “corpse,” she had clearly heard someone mutter in the crowd: “Look at that — that one’s probably no different. Our Prefect…”

When she tried to identify who had spoken, the person was already gone.

Xiao Jiang had felt immediately that something was wrong. By the time she had finished examining the “body,” she had already made up her mind to move out. In these past few days, Zhù Ying had been occupied with purging the prefectural yamen, and Xiao Jiang’s move would also take time to arrange, so she had been quietly packing her room. Now that she could see Zhù Ying’s affairs here were going smoothly, she felt that moving away was also a small contribution she could make to Zhù Ying’s efforts to clean up the yamen — she could not allow people to talk about Zhù Ying behind her back. A strange young prefect arriving in a new place already had plenty of difficulties to contend with; however formidable she was, that was Zhù Ying’s own doing — it was no justification for others to presume upon her. She herself, especially, could not be so self-serving as to drain Zhù Ying of energy that should not need to be spent on her.

Zhang Xiangu said, “Then don’t pay attention to them! We can see plainly what kind of people you are.”

Xiao Jiang said, “The truth is I’ve been wanting to move out anyway. The house is so busy, and having to prepare two extra portions of everything is a constant inconvenience.”

Xiao Ya, meanwhile, was clearing the table. Back in the capital she had regarded Xiao Jiang and her maid with some hostility. Now, having seen that Zhù Ying harbored no such feelings and neither did Xiao Jiang, she had set aside her antagonism and said, “Xiao Ya even helps me with the cooking — it’s no trouble at all!”

Xiao Jiang felt a prickle at the tip of her nose. She said, “It’s something on my own end. To do any work well you have to put in real effort and study it properly. I want to go on working as a coroner, and I can hardly drag corpses home to examine.”

Zhù Ying said, “I think I can piece together the general story. Have you definitely made up your mind to go?”

“Yes.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “The beginning and end of what? It’s just gossip, isn’t it?”

“Not quite,” said Xiao Jiang. “It really is time to leave. And I thought — now that you’re Prefect, it’s probably much harder for you to move around the yamen incognito and keep your ear to the ground, isn’t it? Why not let me move outside, where I can listen for news on your behalf? If there’s ever something real, I’ll come and ask you for help. I don’t want to leave this place either. Without you and this yamen behind me, there isn’t another place that would want a female coroner like me. But this situation is like the melon field and the plum trees — to do things properly, it’s better not to leave anyone a handle to grab.”

Zhù Ying said, “If you’ve made up your mind, do as you see fit.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “Two young women out on their own — what if they run into trouble? And even if there’s no trouble, it won’t be easy to find a place right away. Rent in the prefectural city must be expensive too.”

Xiao Jiang said, “Please don’t worry, Madam. I have money.”

“A woman can never have too much money — it has to be kept in reserve,” Zhang Xiangu said earnestly.

Jiang Zhou said, “Our mistress sold the house in the capital.”

Zhang Xiangu was stunned: “What? Then what will you do in the future?”

Xiao Jiang was quite breezy about it: “The future? There will always be a way. I’m already getting on very well now.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “What kind of thing is that to say? Everything was looking up and now you go and do this — those gossiping women are truly insufferable!”

Jiang Zhou seized the chance to lodge another complaint: “Men said things too!”

“Xiao Ya!” Xiao Jiang bowed to each person present in turn. “Thank you all for looking after us these past days. I’ll pack up over the next day or two, find a place, and move out as soon as possible.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “Where will you move? I need to know.”

Xiao Jiang said, “All right.”

She dipped in another curtsy and led Jiang Zhou out.

Zhang Xiangu felt deeply unsettled: “She’s not such a disagreeable person — her temper is just not very lovable. Who has she ever offended? San’er!”

Zhù Ying said, “I know — I’ll go have a look.”

Zhang Xiangu heaved a long sigh, and Huajie said quietly to comfort her, “As long as she stays in the prefectural city and keeps working as a coroner, we’ll still see her often. Little Zhù will make arrangements too.”

“Those gossiping tongues are absolutely hateful!” Zhang Xiangu fumed. “Ah well, let’s go and look in on them.”

“Godmother?”

“Hmm — she doesn’t know that San’er is… We can’t go on being in the same room together for too long. It doesn’t look right.” Zhang Xiangu said under her breath.

The two of them went to Xiao Jiang’s guest room and found that several bundles and trunks had already been packed. No one in the household entered Xiao Jiang’s room — she and her maid always kept it themselves — so this was the first Zhang Xiangu knew that Xiao Jiang had already been preparing. Since it was summer, the heavy quilts and winter clothes had all been bundled together.

As Jiang Zhou poured tea, she said, “That Jiaojiao is absolutely hateful! Prefect Zhù started hiring female officials to give people a path forward, and she had to go and dig a huge pit across that path for so many people! She had a man to support her — she could have just gone on taking his money. What gave her the right to do what she did and make trouble for everyone else?”

The more she thought about it the angrier she got. Xiao Jiang had not had it easy to get where she was today; since they had all come to live together with the Zhù household, Jiang Zhou had watched it all unfold before her eyes. From cautiousness to happiness — nothing showed on Xiao Jiang’s face, but privately she would wipe the furniture twice in a single day, carefully dusting and arranging everything, adding all kinds of small ornaments, embroidering orchid leaves on the sheer curtain. She had made the room spotlessly clean and would even sit smiling at the swing frame.

And now all of it was going to be gone! Just like that, leaving!

She could not blame the Zhù family — even Huajie had accepted them both with great magnanimity and grace. Jiang Zhou’s resentment fell squarely on Jiaojiao. She had done just fine for herself and walked away, leaving a mess behind — what right did she have to make others bear the consequences?

Jiang Zhou wanted to persuade Xiao Jiang not to go. But Xiao Jiang said, “One shouldn’t cling to things one shouldn’t cling to. What we’ve had has already been very good. The Prefect has helped us enormously; we should help the Prefect in return. We can’t become a handle for others to use against her. Even though most officials are neck-deep in filth, the Prefect must not get tainted by any of it.

“Besides, we still have great things to accomplish! How can we let people say that we only shine because we’re leaning on the Prefect? We came here to help, not to cause trouble. As for Jiaojiao — we can’t really blame her. How hard it was for her! We both found a way to live only because we met the Prefect. One person with a hard life shouldn’t condemn another.”

She understood all the reasoning; Jiang Zhou simply could not swallow this breath of resentment. Xiao Jiang called out to her sharply, her expression turning stern. Jiang Zhou fell silent with aggrieved reluctance.

Zhang Xiangu came in and watched quietly for a while, feeling heartsore. She said, “If I’d known it would come to this, I never would have gotten into all that business in the first place! All that fuss and effort, all those quarrels — and after going through all of it we finally managed to get somewhere, and now there’s this new turn, for what? Life was going along so well, and suddenly we can’t even live together anymore.”

Zhù Ying turned and noticed them. Xiao Jiang offered them seats; Jiang Zhou hurried to pour tea. Zhang Xiangu said, “I just wanted to have a look — don’t go to any trouble. Oh dear, what is all this?”

Zhù Ying said, “When it gets dark in a room you have to light a lamp — isn’t that right? Otherwise you can’t see.”

Zhang Xiangu nodded, not understanding why she was asking this. Zhù Ying pointed at the shadow cast by the teacup beside her: “Light a lamp and there are shadows.”

She spread her five fingers over the flame, and the room suddenly darkened. “Shadows are black too — but do we avoid lighting the lamp just because of its shadows? We still need the light, don’t we? The lamp has to be lit. All right, stop being upset. Take your time packing — there’s no rush on the house. I’ve already had some residences in the yamen repaired. Supervisor Zhang has his lodgings sorted; Xiao Jiang and her maid do work for the yamen, so the yamen will also provide them with quarters. It won’t be as big or as fine a location, but it is on the yamen’s register, so you’ll be living with peace of mind. Deputy Xiao Wu and Commissioner Peng Si will be looking after the property — once you’ve moved in, if anything needs repairing, or if you go now and find something needs to be changed or some furniture added, just tell them.”

Jiang Zhou no longer felt like being angry.

Xiao Jiang said, “Thank you, Prefect. But I — I am not on the yamen’s register. I dare not accept what I’m not entitled to. If you want to help, then I ask you to put pen to paper: Xiao Ya has been my person — I want to give her her freedom papers. If you think she can still be of use, then take her into the yamen as an employee.”

“Mistress?!”

“Back in Fulu County she was never an official yamen runner or a prison warden — she participated as a helper in the capacity of my servant. And I myself was never a proper coroner either; I was an apprentice helping out. At the time no one pressed the point on that, but it’s better to be careful from here on.”

Zhù Ying said, “You two discuss it among yourselves. Once you’ve decided, I’ll give my approval.”

Zhù Ying finished speaking and rose. She said to Zhang Xiangu, “Let them get on with it — shall we go back?”

Zhang Xiangu replied awkwardly, “Yes, yes.”

Watching the three of them leave, Jiang Zhou said, “Mistress! Why are you driving me away? If I leave, what will you do?”

“Leaving? And where would you go?” said Xiao Jiang. “I should have thought about your future a long time ago. Once you have your freedom papers you can work as a yamen official. Don’t you love solving cases? This way, in the future, when you catch criminals and there’s a corpse, I’ll come and examine it for you.”

Jiang Zhou was uncertain whether to believe her. Xiao Jiang smiled, fetched a basin of water, and wiped down the furniture once more. The bamboo pieces were worth almost nothing — the cheapest furniture she had ever seen — yet for some reason she could not quite bring herself to part with them.

After moving out, I’ll have some bamboo furniture made too, Xiao Jiang thought.

……

Zhang Xiangu tossed and turned all night — one moment cringing with shame at some of her earlier wariness toward Xiao Jiang, the next worrying about her safety living alone outside; then circling back to thoughts of her own daughter, and steeling herself: San’er cannot afford to make a single misstep. It really is better not to give people something to talk about!

And then she found she could sleep even less.

Zhù Ying, as usual, ate well and slept soundly. The next morning she rose early, and both Xiao Jiang and Jiang Zhou were summoned to the front yamen to receive her instructions.

After the thorough reorganization, the yamen had taken on a fresh, orderly air. The moment Zhù Ying arrived, everything below quieted down. The main business today was still reviewing old matters — while waiting for the Board of Revision and the Ministry of Justice to re-examine the cases, certain affairs needed to be put in order, so that once the documents arrived from the capital, the two offenders could be dealt with.

The heads of all Six Departments stood ramrod straight. When Zhù Ying had finished giving her instructions, she added, “The women’s detention cell also needs to be put in order.”

Some people could not help a small inward grumble — when it came to the women’s cell, there was Jiaojiao and her backers, and the female coroner…

Zhù Ying said, “And not just the women’s cell. I intend to add several more female yamen runners; when women defendants appear before the court, female runners will maintain order.”

Department Head Wang said, “Understood. Should the same examination questions be used as the ones you posted before, Prefect?”

Zhù Ying said, “Of course.”

She also raised another matter: “The yamen should also have a proper female coroner.”

Everyone was surprised: “A female coroner?” They all turned their eyes toward Xiao Jiang, who went rigid where she stood. People were wondering: was this a pretext to send the lame woman back to her room openly, sparing everyone the gossip, while a replacement was found? That would make sense — the Prefect still clearly cared about appearances.

Zhù Ying said, “Among the original six female wardens, not a single one knows how to examine a corpse — that won’t do. Xiao Jiang, I am putting them all under you. Start by having them help dissect a few bodies; once they’ve learned the basics, they’ll serve as this prefecture’s female coroners. Female corpses must still be examined by female staff.”

Xiao Jiang was nudged by Jiang Zhou before she snapped back to attention: “Understood.”

Zhù Ying said, “Shortly there will be reported cases of hangings, drownings, deaths in childbirth, and the like — take them along to observe. After a few of those, when it comes time to look at violent deaths or decomposed bodies, they won’t be as terrified.”

One of the female wardens nearby was already trembling. One of them was pushed forward, and she gathered her courage: “Prefect, Mistress Jiang is already a coroner. We… we don’t really need to…”

“Who said she’s a coroner?” Zhù Ying said. “She’s a Daoist nun — haven’t you seen what she’s wearing? I have merely invited her to assist because she has some knowledge of the matter. Are you, as yamen employees, the sort who shrinks from hardship and danger? What kind of example is that? Dismissed! This afternoon you all report to the mass graves.”

Xiao Jiang lowered her head and dipped in a curtsy. Jiang Zhou also kept her face down. Neither dared let herself laugh out loud.

Zhù Ying gave her instructions and left. Xiao Jiang promptly set about preparing the paperwork for Jiang Zhou’s emancipation. Although the household registration was under the capital’s jurisdiction, this matter could still be handled through an exchange of local documents. Once Zhù Ying approved it, Jiang Zhou could register as a female yamen runner. Jiang Zhou was literate — that requirement she would pass. The girl’s background was fully documented with official records going back years, so she was entirely within regulations. Xiao Jiang, on the other hand — if someone looked into her background closely, she could no longer conceal it. But now that Zhù Ying had described her as a Daoist nun with proper ordination papers, she could maintain a connection to the yamen in an unofficial capacity.

The two of them did not move out immediately. The selection of female runners began unfolding quickly. Xiang An had been given her status directly by Zhù Ying and was different from the others; she moved about under her elder brother’s wing and generally appeared in the guise of Zhang Xiangu’s companion and bodyguard. The few stray comments that came her way were easily dispatched by Xiang Le.

After a few days, the selection at the yamen was concluded. Jiang Zhou passed the examination; another candidate who was chosen was the daughter of a small shop in the city; after her, a girl from a farming family in the countryside on the outskirts — perfectly sound-minded, with no particular outstanding quality, but strong enough. The examination was fair.

When Zhù Ying was about to designate Xiang An as the head of the female runners and female wardens, she found her nowhere nearby. She turned to ask Xiang Le, but he was not there either. She said, “Strange — their leave should be almost up by now.”

Gu Tong said, “I saw the two of them going out again just the day before yesterday; I also heard something about them wanting to rent a place, though I’m not sure what that was about.”

Zhù Ying said, “Send for them both.”

Ding Gui said, “I’ll go!” He had been mingling more and more with the yamen runners; this was a job for dispersing people to search.

Before long, Xiang Le came hurrying in. He entered the door and apologized at once: “Prefect, I’m sorry I returned late!”

Zhù Ying said, “Today isn’t your father’s death anniversary, is it?”

Xiang Le was puzzled: “It certainly is not.”

“Then who were you paying respects to?”

Xiang Le was startled: “How did the Prefect know?” He glanced at Ding Gui, who immediately protested, “It wasn’t me who told the Prefect! — Wait, are you suspecting me of informing on you?”

Zhù Ying said, “The smell of incense smoke and paper-money ash on you. When you pray to the gods you don’t use paper money.”

Xiang Le filed that lesson away, then said, “I was offering respects to my martial arts master.”

“Your master?”

“Yes — our late father hired an instructor to teach Third Sister and me some basic martial arts; the master also helped escort the family trading expeditions on the side. As he grew older and could no longer travel, our late father gave him some travel money, and his senior disciple escorted him home. A few days ago my elder brother sent a letter saying the master had passed away, and that the senior disciple has come seeking us. Not finding us at home, she had someone bring her here to see us.”

After returning from He Dong County, Xiang Le had been keeping watch on the Justice Deputy. He was still at his post when Lai San entered the women’s cell to commit the assault; that was when he relayed word for his sister Xiang An to go report to the rear residence — but at the time he had not found her. He had thought his sister was slacking off at her duties and was ready to give her a stern talking-to. But it turned out Xiang An had weighty matters of her own — she was with the senior disciple of their late master, the older martial-arts sister of the two siblings.

Zhù Ying said, “Has she settled in properly now?”

“She’s staying at an inn for now; we’re in the process of finding a short-term rental. Our master had only this one daughter. Since she’s come seeking us, we can’t just leave her to fend for herself.”

“A lone young woman — will she be safe?”

“Perfectly fine,” said Xiang Le. “Elder Martial Sister’s martial arts are superb — far beyond mine.”

Zhù Ying said, “Better than you?”

Xiang Le gave an embarrassed laugh: “I only know a few showy moves. Elder Martial Sister truly inherited Master’s true teachings.”

“Still, be careful. She’ll need a livelihood.”

“Yes. After the period of formal mourning passes, there’s also a need for escorts on the family’s trading routes. But she’s a young woman on her own, and isn’t known to people — others won’t be willing to take her in just like that.”

“Then let’s leave things at that for now.”

“Yes. I’ll call Third Sister back — she’s been hovering around Elder Martial Sister too much.”

Zhù Ying said, “I was just about to summon her.”

Xiang Le then asked what the matter was; Zhù Ying said, “She’ll be the head of the female runners.”

“She’s so young — how will that work? The others will probably refuse to take orders from her,” Xiang Le said, thinking it over carefully. Unlike the male runners, whom Zhù Ying had already put in order, having Zhù Ying personally work to bring the female runners in line for Xiang An’s sake was not very realistic; the female wardens were all older than Xiang An and would not submit.

Zhù Ying said, “She was able to manage affairs on commercial expeditions — she has the head for it. She’s also literate and can handle accounts. So it’s her.”

Among the female officials, the majority could not read. Previously there had been only Jiaojiao — and two who were near-blind to propriety — and among the newly recruited, Jiang Zhou was likewise only half a step clear. The others were even further behind. Xiang An could manage, write, and calculate; she could handle both requisitioning supplies and assigning tasks without requiring Zhù Ying to organize things for her in fine detail.

Xiang Le promptly thanked Zhù Ying on his sister’s behalf and rushed off in a flurry to fetch her.

Xiang An had been busy these past few days settling in Elder Martial Sister. Her master’s daughter had just lost her father and come seeking them; Xiang An understood this deeply. Although the master had died of natural causes at an old age — unlike her own father, who had been killed by others — both of them had lost their fathers, and Xiang An understood Elder Martial Sister’s situation better than most. She was the one who had insisted Elder Martial Sister stay with them; with a few days of leave on her hands, she had been arranging housing and the like for her.

Elder Martial Sister felt very apologetic, saying, “I don’t need anything grand — just somewhere with a bed.”

Xiang An had first settled her at an inn, but then felt that an inn with people coming and going was not very suitable for a woman alone — nor was it a good place to burn paper offerings for the deceased.

The two were in the middle of talking when Xiang Le arrived to notify Xiang An.

Elder Martial Sister said, “Go — I have a place to stay now.” Her father had been a martial arts instructor; for those who practice martial arts but whose family is not wealthy, life tends to be rather lean. “Poor scholars, wealthy fighters” is often little more than a jest — to achieve anything in martial arts, to have real strength, you have to eat well, rest well, and the training frequently leads to injuries. As he had aged, her father had been plagued by ailments, which was why he had taken on the work of teaching a wealthy family’s children. Ordinary people’s lives are always drawn tight.

After leaving the Xiang household, his ailments had worsened. Elder Martial Sister spent all the money the Xiang family had given on her father’s medical treatment, and after paying for his funeral there was practically nothing left. She had no choice but to try seeking out the Xiang family.

Hearing that her junior martial sister had obtained a yamen position, Elder Martial Sister was happy for Xiang An and urged her to go quickly.

Xiang An had no choice but to run back to the yamen, first to thank Zhù Ying, and then to register with another of the Ministry Heads, noting that she was now the head of the female runners. Gossip is always hard to stamp out; Xiang An was truly nothing like the alluring Jiaojiao, and Xiang Le’s fists were quite solid. The Ministry Head said not a single superfluous word and processed everything immediately.

The next morning, Zhù Ying announced that Xiang An would serve as the head of the female runners, and simultaneously restated the regulations from her days at the Court of Judicial Review: “One man and one woman are not to be alone together in a closed space; doors and windows must remain open if both are present.” And so on.

……

Affairs within the yamen continued to be handled. That day, the official gazette brought her a piece of news — whether good or bad remained to be seen: the new county magistrate for Fulu County had been assigned.

The court had designated the new county magistrate — a young man, with no detailed biography given in the gazette. Working out the timeline, he would arrive even later than Supervisor Zhang. Her memorial to the capital was still on the road; even if there was a reply, it would not come until next month.

Having finished reading the gazette, Xiao Huang came to report: “The magistrate of Nanping County, Magistrate Guo, requests an audience.”

Zhù Ying said, “Does he have business? Show him in.”

She received Magistrate Guo in the administrative office. He came in carrying a document. When Zhù Ying entered, he immediately clasped his hands in salute; Zhù Ying invited him to sit and asked his business.

Magistrate Guo said, “I have a matter, Your Excellency, which requires your order before I can proceed.”

“What matter?”

Magistrate Guo said, “I have long admired Your Excellency’s accomplishments in educating the people and cannot help but wish to follow your example. I understand that Fulu County, through Your Excellency’s benevolence, has had literacy steles erected. I also wish to erect stone steles throughout Nanping County. Unfortunately, the stonecutters in our county are somewhat lacking in skill, and I hear there are fine stonemasons among the convict laborers’ camp — for this I must ask for Your Excellency’s order.”

Southern Prefecture had previously had no choice but to manage the convicts serving exile sentences on Fulu County’s behalf; there were plenty of vicious felons among them, but also capable people. Magistrate Guo needed stonecutters for his steles and wanted them quickly in order to demonstrate his loyalty to the new Prefect. Since Nanping County’s stonemasons were insufficient, he was applying to Zhù Ying to have others transferred in. Hadn’t they said Fulu County had some?

Asking the Prefect’s permission early was also a way of showing willing compliance.

Zhù Ying said, “I see. How many are you planning to erect? How do you intend to go about it?”

Magistrate Guo handed over the document in his hand: “Please look this over, Prefect.”

Ding Gui accepted it and passed it to Zhù Ying. Zhù Ying read it over and said, “Isn’t this rather rushed?”

“I only regret that it’s already late,” Magistrate Guo said sincerely. “I’ve been too slow-witted to have thought of this myself. Now that I’ve seen Your Excellency’s method, it’s already been far too long a delay; all I can do is try hard to catch up.”

Zhù Ying said, “Don’t be in such a hurry — take your time. You’re also having far too many steles made. How many townships does Nanping have? How many villages? Ten days to finish? That’s far faster than I managed back then!”

And there was something else suspicious — over a hundred sets of steles required an enormous amount of labor and materials. Even if stonemasons were conscripted as corvée, there was plenty of room for all manner of irregularities.

Magistrate Guo thumped his chest and assured her, “We can finish on schedule!”

Zhù Ying said, “You have a draft text?”

“Ah… I sent someone to Fulu County to make rubbings of some of them…”

Zhù Ying did not wish to arrange every last detail for those below her, but Magistrate Guo seemed unlikely to take advice. She could only say, “This is the handwriting of a literary master of the realm — how can it simply be carved in any slapdash way? Wait for me to find the original text and we’ll make proper arrangements.”

“Yes.”

“Leave the document here for now. We’ll also be going together to see the Governor, and we can discuss this on the way.”

“Yes.”

“I know better than most how complicated local affairs can be, and the last thing I want to do is add extra trouble to the counties. Put your mind at rest. In a couple of days the other three county magistrates will all have arrived; we’ll have a talk together first. This matter can be raised then as well.”

“Yes.”

Magistrate Guo had no certainty in his heart. He wanted to consult Department Head Wang, but then remembered hearing that Wang seemed to have fallen out of favor; he restrained himself from going to Wang’s door. He waited anxiously for the arrival of the other three county magistrates.

……

On the thirtieth day of the sixth month, everyone was to assemble at the Governor’s residence. This tradition had begun under Governor Lu and had not been changed under Leng Yun’s tenure. Though he always grumbled, “Such a bother,” he had never once said not to come — so everyone continued to follow the old practice.

The four county magistrates also followed the old practice of first visiting the prefectural yamen to see the Prefect, and then accompanying her together to the prefectural capital to meet the Governor. The yamen’s own officials would put their heads together and align their accounts, so there would be no contradictions when they reached the Governor’s residence that would leave everyone embarrassed.

Within a few days, all four county magistrates had gathered and came to the prefectural yamen to pay their respects. Zhù Ying received them in the small reception hall — two on each side: Guo and Wang on the left, Guan and Mo on the right. County Chief Mo sat at the very last seat.

Zhù Ying said, “We’re all familiar faces by now. In the past, Governor Qiu presided over these meetings; now I’m doing my best to fill the role.”

The four went through a round of flattery. Magistrate Guo said, “Even when Governor Qiu was here, so many things depended on Your Excellency. Now that you’re in charge, we have nothing to fear when we go to the prefectural capital to face any difficulties!”

Magistrate Guan resented how fast his mouth was — he himself was supposed to be the Prefect’s former subordinate, so why had that man gotten in there first?!

They voiced their agreement, and Zhù Ying said, “We are all officials serving far from home. Looking out for one another along the way is only natural. As long as you still remember that I am not someone who is all pleasant words and no substance, that will do.”

“We wouldn’t dare.”

Zhù Ying said, “Before we go to see Governor Leng, let’s go over this prefecture’s various affairs. Who would like to start?”

Magistrate Guo spoke first, recounting how he had remedied injustices in old cases and shown compassion to the poor, then moving on to agricultural matters — the crops were growing well, and so forth. The other three counties reported in turn, then each mentioned their difficulties in turn: Magistrate Wang still cared most about winter wheat; County Chief Mo asked when the new county magistrate for his county would arrive; Magistrate Guan was most concerned about irrigation and the question of府 school enrollment slots.

Zhù Ying said, “Very well. Let’s take these one by one. Magistrate Guo has already discussed with me the matter of erecting literacy steles.”

County Chief Mo silently cursed, “Sycophant.”

Zhù Ying led them all into the adjacent room, where the Six Departments were gathered, with a map spread out before them.

Zhù Ying said, “First, the literacy steles — they should certainly be erected, but there needs to be coordination. There is only one master text, and the number of skilled craftsmen is fixed. They should work through the counties in sequence. I’m not impressed by rushed work that lacks craftsmanship. Fulu County’s steles are all up now — don’t be stingy with the craftsmen.” She then assigned work schedules to all four counties: no rushing, following the same schedule as Fulu County had used, or even allowing a few extra days — and anyone who finished too fast would be penalized, because she required quality. In terms of terrain, all four counties in Southern Prefecture had quarries; they were each to prepare their own stone material.

With that matter settled, Zhù Ying had them look at the map. The main topics were two: water conservancy and roads.

She went through how each county should coordinate and divide the work, pointing and indicating along the way. She did not directly assign specific engineering tasks to each of the four — rather, she defined each segment clearly, especially the areas at county boundaries, and set the engineering standards. Boundary zones were always the most troublesome: sometimes, through sheer mutual finger-pointing, neighboring counties could each have well-maintained roads within their own territory while the shared stretch at the border was so rutted you could not put a foot down.

Magistrate Guo glanced at Magistrate Wang and thought: they all say you’re guileless, but it seems you’ve been playing the fool! No wonder you ran around so eagerly inviting the Prefect to come to your county! He had served as Fulu County’s magistrate and then administered Sicheng County — he would naturally know those two counties’ situations inside out, and it was not surprising that he should know something about Nanping County too, since he had lived there. But how did he know He Dong County in such detail? Had they not said he was in secluded retreat at a temple? Secluded retreat and still knowing all this — surely you told him!

Zhù Ying had by now said nearly everything she needed to. She said, “Each county must be careful to spare the people’s strength and must not pile on levy after levy.”

“Yes.”

“After the autumn harvest there is still winter wheat; the days available for engineering work are limited, so everything must be arranged well. If any of you feel there is something unsatisfactory in my arrangements, please raise it.”

All ten people raised no objections. Qi Tai said, “The calculations have all been done.”

That sent a chill through those who heard it. When Zhù Ying “calculated accounts,” it was a genuine reckoning.

Zhù Ying said, “As for winter wheat — I am anxious too. But the more anxious one is, the steadier one’s hand must be. For now, protecting the rice harvest comes first. After the autumn harvest there will be a levy on grain; when you escort it here, I will distribute the wheat seeds. There will likely also be questions at the Governor’s residence about the autumn yields. I will say this plainly now — no one among us should speak in half-truths. The reality is that there has been layer upon layer of levies. This year I will not add extra, but you must meet your quotas. Everyone should have a clear idea of where things stand. As for the actual allocations by county, we’ll sort that out after returning from the Governor’s. And for winter wheat, Fulu County…”

County Chief Mo quickly said, “This official has already prepared the seeds — enough for our own county. And after what we need… there should be a bit left over to hand in as well. But at that point, it will be the county magistrate who handles the report.”

“Guard them well.”

“Yes.”

Zhù Ying said, “You have all traveled a long way, so rest today. When Governor Leng asks his questions, you will have answers to give.”

“Yes.”

All four returned to the inn to rest. Magistrate Wang, Magistrate Guan, and County Chief Mo each had gifts sent over separately. Zhù Ying inspected the gifts carefully and had someone check what gifts they had sent to others. She calculated to herself: the gifts, while not cheap, were not outrageous — within the means of a county magistrate’s salary, and most likely not the result of excessive exploitation of the people.

The next day, Zhù Ying did not immediately take them to the prefectural capital. Instead, she took all four of them to the prefectural school. She had previously promised to give a lecture there, and today she was making good on it, bringing the officials along with her.

The府 school students were simpler souls than these officials. Some were sad for Jing Wu’s sake because they had been on good terms with him; others clapped and rejoiced. Zhao Zhen in particular was elated — he had been looking forward to this day for a long time. Before this, he had been boasting to his classmates at the府 school about Zhù Ying’s greatness — boasting to such a degree that Zhù Ying, hearing it, had not known she was supposedly so remarkable. She had no choice but to endure Zhao Zhen’s boundless faith in her.

Zhao Zhen also introduced his classmates and fellow townsman from the county school, Gu Tong — who was now an official! The府 school students were a mixture of envious and indifferent. Southern Prefecture was remote, but府 school students still carried more pride than county school students. Every year the府 school managed to send two or three students on to the prefectural capital or the capital itself; over the years a handful of graduates had even obtained official posts, though none of high rank. Jing Gang had come out of this very府 school, made his way to the capital, sat the examinations, and been assigned an official position.

Before all of this, Jing Gang had been a role model for many府 school students.

They both admired Zhù Ying — so young and already risen so high — and felt that dealing with the Jing family this way was perhaps not very lenient. Yet no one could find any fault in the judgment; Jing Wu was a student, and it turned out he had kept a mistress and given away his wife’s jewelry to her — a failure of personal virtue. Not giving him another chance seemed… debatable.

Each carrying some uncertainty, they came to welcome Zhù Ying.

Zhù Ying had promised to give a lecture and would not go back on her word. She had a good sense of the scholarship level in the prefecture by now — higher than Fulu County, but still within her own ability to handle. If the National University had asked her to lecture there, she would not have had such confidence.

Because of her extraordinary memory, she quoted from the classics and histories fluidly, examples flowing naturally. And because she had actual experience as an official, her understanding of Wang Yunhe’s textual commentaries was far more profound than the students’ rote memorization, and far exceeded what the scholars could offer with their lifetime of poring over books.

Half a day later, the lecture was done. The府 school students were nodding their heads repeatedly, and several turned to glare at Zhao Zhen: he’s from the Legal Studies track?!

Zhù Ying finished the lecture, then encouraged the students, and finally said, “Next month’s examination will be presided over by me personally. Those who place first will receive prizes.”

Zhao Zhen hadn’t been lying after all! The students were satisfied.

Only then did Zhù Ying lead the county magistrates out of the府 school, with everyone’s luggage and attendants, setting out from the prefectural city toward the prefectural capital.

Two of the four county magistrates had heard her lecture before. After a few words of praise for the Prefect’s continued brilliance, they began negotiating with Zhù Ying. County Chief Mo, with a new county magistrate’s arrival imminent, had less heart to fight for his county and simply expressed his own loyalty to Zhù Ying. Magistrate Guan pressed for considerably more — on roads, for instance, he wanted He Dong County to take on less of the share. He also asked again about student enrollment slots.

Zhù Ying said, “I am thinking: each county gets a guaranteed minimum of two slots; Nanping, as the seat of the prefecture, gets four. That’s ten slots. The remaining thirty will be competed for by examination across the prefecture on individual merit. For the guaranteed slots, the candidates must pass a basic classical examination — anyone filling the quota with the unqualified will be penalized.”

Magistrates Wang and Guo were hearing Zhù Ying’s lecture for the first time. Both were educated men and were still turning it over in their minds, savoring it — and then suddenly saw these two making demands! They quickly tossed aside their admiring thoughts of “the Prefect’s learning is really quite good” and rushed in to compete!

Magistrate Guo said that as the prefectural seat, Nanping County deserved priority treatment — the funds and grain allotted to them should be more generous. Magistrate Wang said, “Year after year you get the larger share — leave some for the rest of us!”

They began to squabble, no different from the wrangling Zhù Ying had done at the Ministry of Revenue.

They were still arguing by the time they reached the prefectural capital. The party took lodgings at the guesthouse. Zhù Ying sent someone to present a calling card and gift to the Governor’s residence; County Chiefs Mo and Guan, being sharp, followed along with her gifts. Magistrates Guo and Wang saw this and rushed to follow suit; watching the gifts enter the Governor’s residence, they then worried that the Governor might credit everything to Zhù Ying and not realize they had sent anything. Their hearts fluctuated wildly.

They did not know that Leng Yun did not pay much attention to their gifts anyway. He summoned Zhù Ying to his residence, and his very first words were: “Hey — your county magistrate has died.”

“What? The Fulu County magistrate? The one who died on the road?”

Leng Yun patted his chest. “Yes. Died of illness. This autumn I’m not going to the capital myself — I’ll let the Deputy Governor make the trip instead!”