The cheers outside continued, the crowd had yet to disperse, but Zhù Ying and Chief Secretary Zhang had already stepped into the inner courtyard, with Zhù Ying taking the lead toward the document office.

Ding Gui darted forward in a single bound to push the door open for her, then stood with his hands at his sides by the doorway. After both Zhù Ying and Chief Secretary Zhang had entered, Ding Gui went to fetch tea.

Gu Tong followed a step behind and to the side of Zhù Ying, his heart brimming with glee. Walking into the document office, he saw Zhù Ying seat herself behind the writing desk while Chief Secretary Zhang stood before it. He took a couple of steps forward, wanting to stand by his teacher’s side to fill out the scene — but Zhù Ying extended her index finger and made a small spiral in the air at him.

Was she telling him to leave?

Gu Tong pointed at himself. Zhù Ying nodded. Gu Tong put on a pleading expression; Zhù Ying glanced at him, and Gu Tong slouched out in dejection, looking back three times with every step, deeply lamenting that he could not witness this particular exchange.

He did not go far — he ducked to the side of the doorway, intending to eavesdrop.

Ding Gui came carrying tea. He was about to ask something when Gu Tong raised his index finger: “Shh…” He glanced down. Two cups of tea!

Ding Gui entered the document office without a sideward glance, set one cup on the writing desk, then placed the second on the small side table beside the chair, tucked the tray under his arm, and stood to one side, pretending he did not exist.

Zhù Ying waved him off as well. Ding Gui was deeply reluctant: I have to leave too?

He carried his tray out with a drooping head, turned and pulled the door shut behind him, and then he too did not go far — he and Gu Tong both pressed their eyes to the crack in the door to peep inside.

Within the document office, Zhù Ying pushed a stack of case files forward across the desk and said, “These are all cases you adjudicated previously — twenty-two in total. Seventeen are without fault; only five have flaws.”

Chief Secretary Zhang said, “That is this subordinate’s failure of oversight.”

“The Chief Secretary is a shrewd man. How could he have failed to notice?” Zhù Ying said. “You and I both came to this post from the position of county magistrate, so we know what things are like at the lower levels. I will spare us the pleasantries. To have handled so many cases in such a short time, and with so few errors — the Chief Secretary has found his method. You are more capable than many in this prefectural office.”

She then drew out several files from among them: “Besides the cases we just discussed, here are four more. I expect the Chief Secretary already knows which cases these are?”

Her eyes rested on Chief Secretary Zhang with an even, unwavering gaze, blocking every word of deflection and self-reproach that had been on the tip of his tongue.

Chief Secretary Zhang was silent for a moment, then said, “Yes.”

Zhù Ying did not ask for his reasons. Instead she said, “Sit — no need to keep standing.”

The tea had already been set out. Chief Secretary Zhang steadied himself and sat down. Zhù Ying said, “Here is how I intend to handle these cases…”

Chief Secretary Zhang listened as she explained them one by one — four problematic cases in all, along with the Zhang wealthy-household case, five in total. Zhù Ying explained to him what she planned to overturn in each ruling. The approach was broadly similar to the Zhang wealthy-household case: she would investigate certain details he had deliberately left unexamined, and then revise the verdicts accordingly.

All five were handled with exceptional propriety.

Even if I had applied myself seriously, I could not have managed this. A trace of discouragement stirred in Chief Secretary Zhang’s heart, followed by a flicker of envy — and at last these feelings distilled into a quiet, private reflection: Under a superior of this caliber, no matter how well one performs, it will never match his thoroughness and precision. One can only find another path. At least I have made a name for myself in this prefecture — I will not be left to languish in obscurity for years, waiting for someone to toss me scraps. He deliberately kept others out of the room to speak with me alone; he clearly means to spare my dignity — not by much, but the gesture is graceful. That he could rise to such a high position at his age is clearly no accident.

Having obtained what he sought, Chief Secretary Zhang knew when to stop pressing: “Your Excellency is far more accomplished than this subordinate. I am ashamed — though I too have been tempered by years in local posts, I cannot compare to Your Excellency. I will follow your lead in all things.”

Zhù Ying tapped the four case files and said, “For these, I will not hold a public hearing. Once the verdicts are written, just send them directly to be carried out.”

Chief Secretary Zhang said, “This subordinate is ashamed — Your Excellency is occupied with so many affairs and must still clean up after this subordinate.”

Zhù Ying said, “The Chief Secretary is too courteous. The Chief Secretary is a man of clear understanding. Right now it is the autumn harvest season, followed by the grain tax collection, and after that the planting of winter wheat — you and I still have a great deal to do. I hope the Chief Secretary will not lose heart over a single matter. Southern Prefecture may be remote and impoverished, but precisely for that reason it offers ample room to accomplish things. I hope the Chief Secretary will exert himself.”

Chief Secretary Zhang said, “This subordinate is ashamed — I fear I may make errors and fail Your Excellency’s trust, giving people cause to say Your Excellency lacks the ability to judge men.”

Zhù Ying asked, “Does the Chief Secretary intend to stand aside and do nothing?”

“Ah… that, of course not…” Chief Secretary Zhang was not entirely sure of her meaning, and was a little worried this superior was digging a pit for him. His small scheme in adjudicating cases had already been seen through — this should be a moment for both sides to step back, reach a tacit understanding, and settle matters: he would behave himself for a while, and Zhù Ying would acknowledge the reality that the prefecture had a Chief Secretary. That was how things ought to go. If his superior harbored resentment, that was another matter entirely.

Zhù Ying said, “Good that it’s not! Though the prefectural office has no land or population directly under its control, there is still a great deal to be done. First there is the tax collection — let us put our heads together on how to manage it. The autumn harvest this year should be quite good; there has been no rain so far, and if it stays clear for another half-month the harvest will be secure. The difficult part is how to collect without harassing the people. The Chief Secretary surely knows — the court takes one part, but the people below dare to take three, keeping two for themselves while remitting one. And when the people complain, they call it all government exploitation. That cannot stand. What does the Chief Secretary think — do you have any good ideas?”

He is actually asking for my counsel? Chief Secretary Zhang was greatly surprised. He looked at Zhù Ying and could not possibly think this superior had been frightened by the move he had made, and would henceforth consult him on everything. That was impossible. Zhù Ying held the evidence against him; if she chose to make an issue of the cases, even seventeen correct judgments meant nothing when five were wrong — and one could be made into a great matter to make him suffer. Let alone five!

He had planned his defense when he made those judgments — what was there to fear? He had been speaking up for the people, though in his haste he had acted poorly. He had acted with good intentions and produced bad results; he would admit the fault. At that point, the common people would only sympathize with him. And yet, for some reason he had no idea why, he no longer wanted to antagonize this superior at all. Several competing thoughts spun constantly through Chief Secretary Zhang’s mind.

Zhù Ying asked, “Chief Secretary?”

Chief Secretary Zhang was afraid one ill-chosen word would give her something to seize on, and vaguely asked, “This subordinate has only just arrived and is not yet familiar with how the local taxes are levied and collected. What is Your Excellency’s intention?”

Zhù Ying said, “The only option is to make an announcement first. We must keep the autumn harvest stable — anyone who causes trouble, I will deal with them.”

Zhù Ying’s approach was still the same method: publicly announce the court’s tax collection policies to the people. The court’s prescribed levy amounts, plus the additional assessments that prefectures, departments, and counties were permitted to impose — these figures had all been calculated, and the people would be told plainly: this is what you pay. Not a coin more. But a proclamation alone was useless — there had to be a guarantee! A guarantee that the prefectural office would act as the people’s advocate.

The figures had already been calculated by Qi Tai. Now Zhù Ying needed a person to hold the fort — Chief Secretary Zhang.

Since you want the reputation of caring for the people, come and watch the floor yourself, and keep the petty officials from squeezing the common folk.

Zhù Ying said, “There is no need for the Chief Secretary to go down to the villages in person — there is really no need for the prefectural office to send people to the villages at all. The Chief Secretary need only preside here at the prefectural office with responsibility for this matter. If anyone comes to make a report, please investigate and clarify the facts. What do you say? I trust the Chief Secretary will get to the truth and handle things fairly. I will announce this first thing tomorrow morning.”

“This… I am willing to share Your Excellency’s burdens.” Chief Secretary Zhang accepted with considerable reluctance.

Zhù Ying smiled and said, “Now that is the right spirit! The Chief Secretary is in his prime, at the height of his productive years — you ought to be doing more. After the autumn harvest there is still the winter wheat, water management, road repairs, and other matters. We shall be busy indeed!”

Chief Secretary Zhang said awkwardly, “This subordinate will do this one task well first — if Your Excellency finds it satisfactory, then assign the next.”

Zhù Ying smiled. “Very well.” She raised her teacup in gesture toward Chief Secretary Zhang; he made a show of drinking a couple of sips — whether any actually went down was unclear — then set down his cup and made to take his leave.

Zhù Ying walked him to the door: “Do take care, Chief Secretary.”

“Please do not trouble yourself to see me out, Prefect.”

Outside, Ding Gui and Gu Tong snapped instantly upright, standing in the corridor on either side as if they had never been eavesdropping at all, like a pair of statues.

“You two — come in.”

Gu Tong was furious!

Seeing there was no one else in the room, he muttered under his breath, “Teacher is far too kind to that man! He… he clearly…” Gu Tong had never encountered such a person in all his life, and was too angry to find the words.

Zhù Ying said, “He has a sense of proportion. Don’t you make faces at him.”

Gu Tong huffed and grumbled. Zhù Ying said, “If you have the energy to gripe here, you’d be better off going home to see if dinner is ready. Keep this up, and I’ll make you go light the fire for Du Dajie.”

Gu Tong said, “If Du Dajie keeps this busy, dinner won’t be…”

Zhù Ying said, “Go, go — go out and order food from somewhere.”

Gu Tong walked out with a pout.

For dinner that evening, Su Mingluan still ate at the Zhù household. The two of them had been out strolling for most of the day and had watched a court session on top of it, both thoroughly entertained. Su Zhe had not quite understood everything, but Su Mingluan, though not expert in the law, had grasped the brilliance of how Zhù Ying had handled the affair. She was moved to reflect: One would first have to think of it, though. Her resolve to entrust her daughter to Zhù Ying grew all the firmer.

At dinner, Gu Tong — not being in the best of spirits — did not recount the day’s events with his usual animated gesturing. Zhang Xiangu asked first: “Did you adjudicate cases today?”

Zhù Ying nodded.

Zhang Xiangu said, “Were you fining a gambler and a gambling-house owner? Du Dajie came back and gave me only half the story. How was it decided?”

Zhù Ying had Gu Tong tell it. Gu Tong recounted the day’s events in a flat tone, but as he talked he gradually forgot the vexation that Chief Secretary Zhang had caused him, and his voice grew animated again. Zhang Xiangu had questions about things she did not understand, and Zhù Ying would explain them.

Zhang Xiangu hated gambling most of all. In the past she had restrained Zhù Ying from gambling; now, hearing that someone had been gambling, she made an unusual intervention in official affairs, saying to Zhù Ying, “Well done! People like that deserve heavy punishment! Next time you catch any of them, don’t go easy, don’t find it tiresome — make sure every single one gets beaten!”

Zhù Ying smiled. “All right.”

They asked about Chief Secretary Zhang, and Zhù Ying said, “The cases he adjudicated were already far better than many others. Year after year, when cases are reviewed — not just from the lower courts, but even those that reach the Court of Judicial Review — there are always piles of flawed ones. Still far better than someone who takes bribes, or even someone who doesn’t take bribes but sides with the wealthy out of sheer habit. Isn’t that right?”

Gu Tong said, “The wealthy household never fed him at their table.”

Zhù Ying said, “Two people once told me separately about ‘harmonizing yin and yang.’ I was young and didn’t understand then, but watching what they actually did, I thought: what harmonizing? They were just muddling things together. Now it’s my own turn. On one side are the people; on the other side is the land — they have to be reconciled. It’s not easy. I dislike overcorrection, but what Chief Secretary Zhang did — for someone newly arrived in a place, it’s the simplest and quickest method. One must acknowledge he is genuinely clever. Ah Tong — since you look down on him, when it’s your turn, don’t do things his way.”

“I definitely won’t be like him!” Gu Tong declared.

Zhù Ying smiled. “Eat your dinner.”

She was still a little troubled — she still didn’t know how to raise a child. Su Zhe seemed to have settled in a little more compared to before; at the dinner table she spoke more, and even discussed plans with Su Qingtian, saying, “Tomorrow I’m going to go play with Auntie.”

Su Qingtian said, “Go ahead.”

Su Mingluan planned to stay in the prefectural city for three more days before returning — three days would be enough for a thorough look around the city. The remaining affairs she would leave entirely to Su Qingtian; she could not be away from the stronghold too long. The Asu County government was also newly established, with any number of matters waiting for her. She had already submitted her memorial and needed to be back at the stronghold when the imperial rescript arrived. She would not have much time with her daughter — these few days she spent with Su Zhe were especially cherished.

Zhù Ying also had her own affairs to attend to. She planned to use these few days to review her previous plans for tax collection, construction projects, and winter wheat planting, trying to plug as many gaps as possible. She was no longer personally handling these tasks herself, and the scope of work was far larger than it had been in Fulu County — the plans had to be airtight. She would also need to conduct spot-checks!

On the second day, Zhù Ying arrived at the prefectural office early as usual, and as usual held a brief morning gathering to assign the day’s tasks.

The officials all knew about the previous day’s events. If some still felt that the Jing Wulang and Jiao Jiao cases had been perhaps somewhat harsh on Jing Wu, the Zhang wealthy-household and Zhang hoodlum cases had given the entire prefectural office a far deeper understanding of Zhù Ying. Formidable!

Li Sifa and others felt a particular satisfaction, casting sideways glances at Chief Secretary Zhang: Let’s see what you do now. Heh!

With Zhù Ying’s abilities, making things difficult for Chief Secretary Zhang would be the simplest thing in the world! This Chief Secretary who had given them all such a hard time would finally taste some suffering.

But Zhù Ying began: “Today we continue the gambling cases. Li Sifa, keep making arrests. If there are further leads on gambling dens, report those to me as well. The gamblers are detestable, but their family members are innocent — if we can save even one person, we save a life.”

Li Sifa answered repeatedly and launched into vigorous flattery.

Zhù Ying said, “In addition, several cases still have unresolved points; I will be reviewing them and will need people for that, so don’t take everyone away.”

“Yes!” Li Sifa answered even more loudly, and cast another glance at Chief Secretary Zhang.

Zhù Ying then discussed a few internal prefectural office matters: since the autumn harvest had begun, the storehouses should be inspected again; vehicles, horses, and laborers would need to be arranged for the upcoming grain transport to the departmental capital.

These requisitions were drawn from the four counties below; repairs to the storehouses and such were particularly the responsibility of Nanping County, since the prefectural office was located there and there was no escaping it. In exchange, places like Nanping County usually received some additional compensation — in taxes and the like. Of course, Nanping County also benefited from the opportunities that came with being the prefectural seat.

Zhù Ying also sent Xiao Liu to invite Magistrate Guo for a meeting later.

Xiao Liu agreed straightforwardly.

Zhù Ying said, “Chief Secretary.”

“This subordinate is here.”

“The autumn grain taxes: the Chief Secretary will preside over this matter and give me a final total. The prefectural office will first send people to make another round of announcements about the tax levy. Everyone else — carry on as before. Very well, that’s all — dismissed.”

This arrangement struck everyone as extraordinary. That’s it? He’s not going to get squeezed? And he’s even being given a plum assignment? Did he somehow win? It didn’t seem like it — the evidence of his mistakes had all been found!

Quite a few people who had noticed signs of discord between the chief and deputy officials were muttering privately.

Zhù Ying turned to Xiang An: “Open the prefectural gates, bring in the defendants! Li Sifa, stand by!”

Chief Secretary Zhang was caught between two impossible positions and felt thoroughly uncomfortable. He sighed inwardly: You’re ruthless.

For a moment he could not tell whether to feel glad or troubled.

That day, Zhù Ying pulled four more names out of the stack of evidence. The constables were limited in number and had other duties; they could not be committed entirely to this one case, so the judgments and punishments were being carried out in batches. Some of the victims who were not in the county seat still had to be sought out in the countryside. These people had been ruined by gambling — their fields long gone. They might not even be around during the autumn harvest; if they could find work as day laborers bringing in the rice harvest, they were the lucky ones. Some had likely turned to theft, requiring Li Sifa to hunt them down across the countryside.

Never mind Li Sifa’s burst of energy — Zhù Ying meanwhile went back through the other cases herself. She had only given them a quick look earlier; now, with Li Sifa off handling the gambling cases, she reassigned Xiang An and Xiang Le each to a case for preliminary investigation before judgment. Once those two were done, Li Sifa’s work on the gambling cases should be finished too, and then the final case could be taken up.

Magistrate Guo was also summoned.

Magistrate Guo entered the prefectural office with considerably smaller steps than before, shuffling in, and stood before Zhù Ying with his hands at his sides, a picture of obedience!

In the past, when he said things like “someone this young has already accomplished so much and risen so fast, she must have extraordinary qualities,” it had been half courtesy and half resignation. In truth, he had not been especially fond of this former colleague turned superior — had even found Zhù Ying a bit given to stirring things up, less easy to manage than old Prefect Qiu. Not until yesterday, having witnessed the entire proceedings, did he feel that there was truly no comparing himself to her.

When Zhù Ying summoned him again now, he came with the attitude of an ordinary student going to see a top examination passer — unusually obedient.

In the document office, he bowed respectfully, his manner ten times more sincere than before. This made Gu Tong wonder whether Magistrate Guo had also committed some illegal act and was afraid of being found out.

Zhù Ying said, “Sit.”

Magistrate Guo sat on only half the chair and, cupping his hands, said, “I wonder what instructions Your Excellency has for this subordinate?”

Zhù Ying said, “I’d like to discuss something.”

“I wouldn’t presume — please instruct me, Your Excellency.”

Zhù Ying spoke with him about the allocation of vehicles and horses for grain transport, as well as the labor for repairs to the storehouses. Magistrate Guo was sweepingly agreeable: “These tasks have typically fallen to Nanping County in past years. This subordinate will make proper arrangements.”

Zhù Ying said, “See that it is done properly.”

“Yes.”

Zhù Ying also raised the matter of more public announcements about the tax levy. Magistrate Guo said quite frankly, “Your Excellency, the county and the prefecture both have mouths to feed. Revenue from the public fields alone is not quite enough; some additional levies are necessary. And no matter how much extra money you pay the officials, it won’t compare to what they can pocket on their own.”

Zhù Ying said, “The additional pay I give the officials is enough for them to live comfortably. But for those who are insatiably greedy, it makes no difference. If they refuse to take the hint, the hint will no longer be given. As for this matter — Chief Secretary Zhang will be presiding over it.”

Magistrate Guo’s heart gave a small lurch: “Him?”

Zhù Ying nodded. “I have already spoken with him; he will have a sense of proportion. If you feel there is something improper about him, you may also come and tell me. I will judge the matter impartially.”

“Yes.”

Zhù Ying went over the winter wheat planting, water management, and road matters with him again. Since Nanping County was not only governed by itself but also hosted various prefectural projects within its boundaries, things needed to be pinned down more precisely. Magistrate Guo also reported on the progress of the literacy steles — a certain number had been erected, with a certain number remaining, a projected completion date, and so on; the literacy songs had also begun to spread. Zhù Ying listened attentively to all of it, occasionally asking questions, and the two of them held a brief discussion on new problems that had arisen in implementation and how to solve and prevent them going forward.

When the meeting concluded, Zhù Ying offered a few words of praise and encouragement to Magistrate Guo. Magistrate Guo left the document office and turned to look at Wang Sigong.

Wang Sigong had witnessed plenty since Zhù Ying’s arrival — none of his previous superiors had been as relentlessly active as this one. Yet she funneled all that energy not toward harassing the people but toward exhausting the officials! The remarkable part was that she could actually make it work. Wang Sigong had been considerably quieter of late.

Magistrate Guo pushed open the door and came in; Wang Sigong rose to greet him. In terms of rank, Wang Sigong was slightly below Magistrate Guo, but as a prefectural official, Wang Sigong was usually the more forceful of the two in their interactions.

Magistrate Guo asked Wang Sigong quietly, “The Prefect and the Chief Secretary — have they made peace?”

Wang Sigong gestured toward the door: “Did you hear those howls? Like ghosts wailing and wolves crying! You tell me if that counts as making peace. For my part, I can’t say.”

Magistrate Guo sighed in admiration. “I am well and truly impressed by our Prefect! I advise you to set aside whatever schemes you were hatching earlier.”

“What schemes would I have?” Wang Sigong denied everything in one breath.

Magistrate Guo smiled. “The Chief Secretary is no match for the Prefect, you know. Using a mistake against someone rather than using their merits — brilliant! Though most people would still not dare use someone’s mistakes so boldly. Only she could do it.”

“You’ve had a change of heart?”

Magistrate Guo said, “What choice do I have? Take this affair — if my own county deputy had done the same thing, I would have been at my wit’s end! Chief Secretary Zhang had already gathered all the goodwill, and the chief official was left up on the wall with nowhere to go. In such circumstances, an ordinary person’s best efforts can only achieve ‘neither losing nor winning’ — you cannot afford to offend the wealthy household, yet you cannot completely ignore the resentment of the common people. To claim both sides, expose the Chief Secretary’s shortcomings, and yet not excessively censure him — that’s extraordinarily difficult! If it were me right now, I could only admit defeat and look for a way to recover later.”

Wang Sigong also sighed. “Neither of us can match her.”

Magistrate Guo, being a chief official himself, felt this far more deeply than Wang Sigong. “How on earth did she think of turning the case to such clever account?! With that one move, she made the chief official’s position manifest again, exposed the Chief Secretary’s failings — and even more brilliantly, her own prestige now surpasses the Chief Secretary’s. To put it plainly: if the Chief Secretary performs well going forward, it is proof of her keen eye for talent, giving a flawed man a second chance. If he performs poorly, she has the leverage to act, and once again it proves her wisdom — the fault falling on the Chief Secretary.”

The two of them expressed their admiration for a time, and both declared that they had completely forgotten about the time they had secretly conspired to dig up dirt on the Prefect. No — they had never conspired about any such thing. They had always been wholeheartedly devoted to assisting the Prefect; if they had not done well before, it was a lack of ability, not a lack of goodwill. Now, one ear obedient and working, one ear learning and improving, both quietly going about their assigned duties.

Magistrate Guo’s abilities were just barely adequate; asking him to think beyond his brief might be too much, but now that he was applying himself in earnest, he performed somewhat better than before.

Meanwhile, the day of Su Mingluan’s departure finally arrived — the harvest season had begun on the mountain too.

Zhù Ying said, “The moment the imperial court sends a reply, I will forward it to you immediately.”

Su Mingluan said, “Thank you, godfather.”

Then she stepped back and bowed deeply: “Godfather, I am entrusting my younger sister to your care.”

Zhù Ying said, “Isn’t this something we settled long ago? Why are you bowing like this again?”

Su Mingluan bowed again earnestly, then lifted her face with heartfelt sincerity: “Because I know that Godfather will not raise my daughter into an embroidery maid, or some kind of demure, accomplished wife who knows nothing beyond the household. When I was young, my father and mother loved me so dearly — and yet they had no intention from the start of training me to be a chieftain. I took a long and roundabout road afterward… I do not regret having her with her father; I only have some lingering regret and unwillingness.”

She bowed once more and rose.

Then she called Su Zhe over: “Come, bow to A’Weng. While I am away, you listen to A’Weng. If what A’Weng says differs from what I have told you, ask A’Weng why first, and let A’Weng explain the reason.”

Su Zhe bowed obediently. Zhù Ying said, “I will do my best.” She did not know how to raise a child — but teaching a reasonably bright one ought to be… possible?

Su Mingluan gazed once more at the plum-blossom training stakes in the courtyard. In their few days together she could feel that Zhù Ying harbored no discrimination against her daughter, had not treated Su Zhe as a “girl” — she had treated Su Zhe as a “boy.” Zhù Ying did not mind Su Zhe’s curiosity about the training stakes, did not mind Su Zhe asking about the case, did not mind Su Zhe asking questions that “boys” asked. It was not even “encouraging a girl” — it was a complete and natural acceptance that Su Zhe simply was the way she was. Zhù Ying set no limits on Su Zhe.

It seemed there was nothing that could surprise Zhù Ying.

Su Mingluan was thoroughly satisfied. She steeled herself, gathered Su Zhe into her arms and held her fiercely, then set her daughter on the ground and walked away without looking back.

Su Zhe called out “A’Niang” from behind and ran a few steps forward. Her small mouth crumpled. Zhù Ying thought: This is bad — she’s going to cry!

Su Zhe gave two small sobs, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, then wiped her nose, and gradually returned to calm. On her face, Zhù Ying saw a certain look of premature composure — of a child who had learned to be good. She took Su Zhe by the hand and said, “Let’s go wash your face first.”

Su Zhe was very obedient. She washed her face, sat down in a chair and began to practice her characters. After writing for a little while, she put the brush down — she looked like she wanted to play. Zhù Ying said, “Go on then.”

“What?”

“If you want to play, go play.”

“A’Niang said that when I’m with A’Weng I should apply myself to studying, not think about playing.”

“When you’re with me, I have the final say.”

Su Zhe shook her head, looking puzzled. She switched from the Fulu dialect into the Qixia language: “But didn’t I come here to learn things?” Then she clapped her hand over her mouth.

Zhù Ying also switched to Qixia: “What is it?”

“A’Niang said that when we come down the mountain we should speak the mountain-below language, preferably Mandarin.”

“That doesn’t mean you should forget what you knew before.”

Su Zhe asked, “Why? If I want to manage the stronghold well, I need to learn the things from below the mountain.”

“To manage the stronghold well, you have to talk with the people you govern, and listen to the people you govern. If you can’t even understand what they say, you won’t be able to govern them.”

Looking at her expression — as though if she played for a while she would come back repenting — Zhù Ying took her outside. The two of them sat on the doorstep, watching Shitou and Hammer running wild in the courtyard. Zhù Ying did not talk to her; Su Zhe watched quietly for a while. After a time she said, “A’Weng, I want to learn the skills that Elder Brother Xiang and Elder Sister Xiang showed the other day!”

“It’s hard work.”

“Can I not?”

“You can — you’ll have to get up early to practice.”

“Wonderful!” Su Zhe said happily.

Su Zhe was still very young — her characters were not fully learned, and she had not fully mastered the language. Zhù Ying had her focus first on speaking and writing, making a point each day of chatting briefly with her. Su Zhe also began learning martial arts from Xiang An; the child turned out to be willing to endure hardship and could hold her stances. Seeing that her character studies were not falling behind, Zhù Ying let her be.

Now that the autumn harvest was being overseen, the grain taxes were being watched, and the child had found her way into play — Zhù Ying finally had a hand free to invite Huajie on a visit to the Imperial Physician — no, to the Academy Physician.

Huajie said, “Wait a little longer — I’m just about to hire some help. Better to settle things at home first.”

“Really? You can still hire people at a time like this?” It was the harvest season, and there were few people available for other work.

Huajie said, “Yes! It’s all arranged — four women servants: two to work indoors, two in the kitchen. That way Du Dajie can free up her hands too.”

“What sort of people?”

“I asked Xiang An to make inquiries, and they’re good people. As it happens, one of the cooks has a connection to you.”

“Oh?”

“Remember the gamblers you punished the other day? You also redeemed some wretched people who had been sold — one of them is the cook.”

Since she was not spending her own money, Zhù Ying was extravagantly generous, spending the gambling-den owner’s money freely. Even where a gambler had died, if it was found that his family members had been sold by him while he was alive, Zhù Ying ordered their redemption too. This cook was one of those redeemed women; she had been resold once and ended up working in a wealthy household’s kitchen, with a passable hand at cooking. Nothing compared to the chefs trained in great noble households, but for Southern Prefecture she was considered quite good.

The other cook was not a stranger either — she was the daughter of the former prefectural office canteen head chef. As Huajie put it, she came from known stock. And Su Zhe’s own maid was also a capable young woman: the last time Su Zhe had eaten fish and found it delicious, the maid had borrowed a stove and produced a fish of nearly the same flavor — so she could pitch in to help on occasion too.

The food problem at the Zhù household was finally solved, and Du Dajie also breathed a sigh of relief.

As for a personal maid — Huajie felt she herself could keep Du Dajie company, while Zhang Xiangu needed a sturdy female servant. The last need was one more woman to do rough work like tending the fire. These two were relatively easy to find. The first had already been planned by Gu Tong long before — he had long thought the Zhù household needed more servants, and had painstakingly selected a few candidates, but Huajie and Zhang Xiangu had rejected every one. Instead they asked him to find a reliable widow.

Huajie reasoned: she herself was a widow, and if not for the Zhù family, her future would have been uncertain. Since she was hiring people, she would favor those in more difficult circumstances. A widow without children had it hardest. In the end, a widow who ran a daily stall selling drinks outside one of the Southern Prefecture meeting halls was chosen.

With this example in mind, even for the fire-tender, Huajie hired a widow too. She had meant to hire one, but when she went to assess a candidate, she encountered a widow being sold off by her late husband’s family. Huajie had no choice but to buy her outright.

Zhù Ying said, “Fine — get their rooms ready. Du Dajie moves in to stay with you, and they will start out in the side courtyard. It’s close to the kitchen, and they can keep an eye on the fire.” Better for them to live farther away at first, while she had the chance to assess their character and reliability.

“All right.”

Over the next two days, the four women servants arrived one after another at the prefectural office’s rear courtyard. Counting them up, three of the four were widows.

The first to arrive was Qiao’er, daughter of the canteen head chef. The chef personally carried her luggage over to deliver her. She had been hired by Huajie at a monthly wage of two hundred coins — high pay — along with seasonal clothing provided. She brought her own bedding; she was seventeen years old, neat and clean. She had come intending to work for a couple of years and save up a better dowry for herself. Zhù Ying noted she did not look much like the chef — that cook was a fat man with a wide face and big ears, while this girl, though rosy-cheeked, was nowhere near as plump.

Next came the newly-redeemed Widow Lin. Her gambler husband was dead, making her a widow. She was around thirty years old, with a few wrinkles on her face already. Her hands were somewhat roughened, but her nails were trimmed neatly, and her clothes and shoes and socks were all clean. Her bedding was a small, worn roll.

Zhù Ying had them first demonstrate their cooking — Widow Lin was stronger in local dishes, while Qiao’er besides local dishes also knew some from other regions. The officials of the prefectural office came from all over the country, and a cook had to adapt to the palate of her employers; Qiao’er had learned a portion of this from her father as well.

Whether meat or vegetables, the flavor was good.

Widow Zhao, the fire-tender, was silent and taciturn — sallow, thin, short. A widow in such circumstances had a hard life; even a sharp-tongued woman could not stop others from taking advantage of her, and one who never spoke had it even harder. She had no bedding, only a tattered bundle.

The last was the Widow Jiang recommended by Gu Tong — in her twenties, tall by Southern Prefecture standards, quick and capable, with quick hands and a quick tongue. She had a thin set of bedding.

Zhù Ying, seeing them assembled, first saw to it that each of them was outfitted with complete bedding. The four women servants fell into three categories: the cooks at two hundred coins a month, considered high wages, with four seasonal sets of clothing provided; Widow Zhao was bought outright, to be provided with four seasonal sets of clothing and a small monthly allowance — Huajie initially set it at fifty coins. Her situation was somewhat similar to Du Dajie’s in the early days: without an official patron, she would easily be resold by her late husband’s family or her own family.

Widow Jiang was currently a hired worker, at a hundred coins a month, plus four sets of seasonal clothing, with meals and lodging included.

The division of duties was now clear: the cooks were responsible for feeding the whole household of over ten people, as well as keeping the kitchen and related areas clean. Widow Zhao, besides tending the fire, also swept the courtyard. Du Dajie had the lighter role — keeping Huajie company, and cleaning Zhù Ying’s room and her own. Du Dajie’s monthly wage was raised to three hundred coins, which felt quite comfortable compared to the five hundred coins a year she had originally earned when she first came to the Zhù household.

Widow Jiang was responsible for cleaning Zhang Xiangu’s quarters and washing all the household laundry.

Su Zhe came with her own maid. The front courtyard tasks and heavy physical labor were handled by the male servants.

At dinner that evening, Gu Tong let out a long breath. “Teacher’s household finally looks respectable! Before, it was nothing like a fifth-rank official’s household — no one would believe it if you told them!”

Everyone laughed.

Gu Tong still felt the women servants were too few — Su Zhe had three attached to her, and Zhang Xiangu and Huajie were no less valued, yet they had no personal attendant maids to speak of. Du Dajie was fine — a longtime loyal retainer — but having no nimble young maids was still a lamentable gap.

Zhù Ying said, “It’s quite good this way.”

With the household settled, Zhù Ying invited Huajie to go together to the Academy of Medicine.

The Academy of Medicine currently still had several vacant positions. Zhù Ying was not in a hurry to fill them; she had already assigned the quota of places to each county. Over the coming months, she planned to cut the rolls further through a few monthly examinations, so as to more easily consolidate a selection from students across all four counties at once. The academy had forty places — was Jing Wulang really the only one who had entered through the back door?

She did not believe it.

But today she was going to see the Academy Physician.

The Academy Physician had ten students — male students, of course. When Zhù Ying arrived with Huajie, the Physician was a little surprised: Why bring a woman into the school?

Then he got a proper look at Huajie and remembered — this was the Prefect’s elder sister, widowed in her family home, often out dispensing medicine to the poor. A decent person, kind in manner. The Physician himself sometimes took students out on charitable rounds of treatment. In this profession, apart from natural ability, what elevated one’s skills was experience — one had to practice.

The two parties exchanged greetings, and Zhù Ying said, “Physician, please don’t stand on ceremony. I am here today to ask a favor.”

The Physician hastily replied, “I wouldn’t presume. What are your instructions, Your Excellency?”

Zhù Ying said, “I have come for my elder sister’s sake. There are certain ailments she wishes to discuss with the Physician, and also some questions about texts she has been puzzling over — I hope you will enlighten her. You two talk.”

With that she went and sat to one side, watching Huajie discuss things with the Physician. Having lived alongside Huajie for so long, she had absorbed some knowledge of medicine by proximity, but had never made a deliberate study of it, nor had she ever treated a patient. So she did not interject.

Huajie politely sought the Physician’s guidance, and the Physician was actually somewhat flustered. The students stood around watching.

Zhù Ying heard Huajie describe a symptom to the Physician. The Physician said, “Due to uncleanliness.”

Huajie said, “But this is a symptom that only appears after childbirth!”

The two talked past each other for quite some time. Zhù Ying could already tell that Huajie was getting a little annoyed when she said, “But the patient is in pain.”

“There’s nothing without pain in that business.”

Zhù Ying pressed her palm to her forehead and said, “All right — this argument won’t be settled in a moment. Let’s leave it here for today. You two can go on debating, but people are about to come and watch the spectacle from outside. Physician, I apologize for the disturbance. A’Jie, shall we go home and come back again after thinking it over?”

Huajie’s face turned faintly red. The Physician, feeling both chastened and vaguely affronted, cupped his hands and said, “It is this student’s lack of skill.”

Zhù Ying said, “Now that is a student’s kind of remark. A man of insufficient skill still running a school, still doing charitable rounds? Your skills are fine.”

She then chatted idly with the Physician for a while about what ailments were most common in the local area, before leaving with Huajie.

Huajie said, “It clearly isn’t what he said! I thought it was my own inadequate skills, and consulted him wanting to find a way to ease the patient’s pain — but he thinks it’s not worth much concern… It clearly hurts!”

“Then it hurts. Follow your own experience.”

“But I’m dealing with human lives! What if I treat one patient wrong and someone dies — how could I be so cavalier? Or what if there’s another cause?”

Zhù Ying said, “I wondered what you had been fretting about these past few days — so it was this! He doesn’t have a woman’s anatomy. The patient has it, you have it — he can’t understand it better than either of you. Even the most skilled male physician cannot experience gynecological illness.”

“Can I really trust myself?”

Zhù Ying poked her own ribs: “When I was little and we had nothing to eat, my mother would say: once you fall asleep you forget the hunger, and she’d hustle me off to bed. But hungry was hungry — you could knock me out and I’d still wake up from hunger. Trust what you feel; trust what you’ve seen and done. Hunger is hunger, pain is pain.”

Huajie met her eyes, and her gaze grew resolute. “All right.”