Zhù Ying stepped through the gate of her own residence in the capital.

Hou Wu pulled open the door, saw it was her, and turned to shout into the house: “My lord is back!”

The house erupted! A crowd of people came running out.

“Oh my goodness! You’re finally back! Will you actually spare a glance at home this time?” Zhang Xiangu exclaimed in theatrical fashion.

Zhù Ying smiled and looked past her: “Sister-in-law is here? Thank you for your trouble these past few days.”

Jin Elder Sister-in-law lightly nudged Zhang Xiangu and said: “She was just saying a moment ago how worried she’s been with Sanlang busy all these days, and now that he’s back, here she is saying this!” Then she turned to greet Zhù Ying: “Did everything go smoothly today?”

Zhù Ying said: “Everything is fine. Starting today, I’ll be moving back here to stay.”

They walked together toward the inner rooms, settling into the front hall. Zhù Ying took the main seat; Jin Elder Sister-in-law and the others sat below. Zhù Ying asked: “Where is my father?” Zhang Xiangu said: “Him? Without any bridle he’d be wandering all over the place — thank goodness your Jin elder brother has been keeping him company.”

Jin Elder Sister-in-law said: “Our man is another one who can’t sit still — at least they keep each other company when they go out for a stroll. The capital prefecture is being run by Deputy Prefect Pei these days, and he has something of Former Chancellor Wang’s style about him — things are considerably safer.”

Zhù Ying offered no comment on this, but instead said: “Is Jin elder brother on leave today?”

Jin Elder Sister-in-law said: “There’s a happy occasion at our household, so he took a few extra days off.”

“The main day is coming soon,” Zhù Ying said. “It looks like I’ll still make it.”

Huajie said: “I’ve got everything prepared already!”

Zhang Xiangu asked: “What about your affairs? Are you finished? Being busy isn’t so pressing that you can’t find time to toast a wedding banquet.”

Zhù Ying said: “More or less. After today, I won’t have to go pay my respects to the Chancellors every morning. Starting today, I’ll have time to go about and see people.”

Zhang Xiangu was delighted: “Wonderful! You really ought to rest a while!”

Jin Elder Sister-in-law said: “Then I’ll head back first — you two have a proper chat, just mother and daughter. I’ll come again in a couple of days.”

Zhù Ying said: “Safe travels, sister-in-law.”

She saw Jin Elder Sister-in-law out the door, and only then had a chance to turn her full attention to the affairs of her household.

Zhang Xiangu asked: “Are you really free now?”

Zhù Ying smiled: “Yes.”

She pulled out a document from her chest: “Here! The major affairs are settled. I just need to collect my official certificate of appointment, and that’s all. Your and Father’s investiture — once I write the memorial, it can be approved before we set out.”

Zhang Xiangu did not know about the prefecture, so she asked: “What? What certificate of appointment? What’s happening with your father and me?”

Huajie carefully took the document, glanced at it, and cried out happily: “Adoptive mother, Little Zhù has been made a prefect!” Her voice trembled slightly. Zhang Xiangu was equally disbelieving: “What?! What did you say?!”

Zhù Ying said: “Yes, it’s settled. Wuzhou.”

“We won’t be in Nanfu anymore? Then what about…” What about the villa they had worked so hard to build up there?

Gu Tong pressed forward with great interest and asked carefully: “Teacher, where exactly is Wuzhou?”

“Wuzhou encompasses Nanping, Fulu, Sicheng, Asu, Talang, Tian’en, Yongzhi, and Dun County.”

Gu Tong let out a whoop: “Congratulations, Teacher! From this day on — boundless sky and open land!”

Zhù Ying said: “Don’t celebrate yet — there’s still a great deal to be done.”

Zhang Xiangu said: “More?! But didn’t you say you were free now?”

“Freer than the past few days.” Zhù Ying said.

Dealing with the Grand Council had been extremely taxing. Although there were three Chancellors and only one Zhù Ying, even these three were people she could not always get hold of on any given day. As the Emperor’s strength had waned with age, the Chancellors naturally grew busier — even Zhong Yi, who was older than the Emperor himself, and Shi and Wang, neither of whom were young any longer, were perpetually occupied.

She could not make the Chancellors wait for her, so Zhù Ying could only seize whatever gaps appeared to catch one of them. For most of the past half-month, she had not been locked in constant battle over the subordinate prefecture — the greater portion of the time had been spent in “meaningful idleness.”

The Chancellors were not easy to deal with, either. Even Zhong Yi, the least distinguished of the three, was a man of vast experience and wide learning. He had been the one to unearth General Sun, and he held rigidly to the Emperor’s position, which made him in some ways harder to deal with than Shi or Wang. The Emperor did not want to give Zhù Ying the entirety of Nanfu, and Zhong Yi dug in and refused to yield on that point. Zhù Ying had deployed every trick she possessed and still managed to secure only three.

This did not mean Shi and Wang were easy to handle, either. They admired Zhù Ying, but they would not accept her proposals wholesale, nor would they take her blueprints entirely on faith. Zhù Ying had said she needed to build roads and needed Nanfu as a base of support; Shi and Wang demanded at least a rough outline of a viable plan. Then there were the questions of staffing within the new prefecture, of which laws would apply — though the broad principle was “the court stays out,” even so, there was still Nanfu’s existing setup to be unwound, and Zhù Ying needed to produce a plan for absorbing it.

The Grand Council’s initial thinking had been that Nanfu, ceasing to exist, would see its current officials gradually transferred away. Looking at this, Zhù Ying realized that without them, her “prefect’s office” would have no one to work with — only Xiao Wu and Qi Tai would remain. There was simply no way to keep the whole operation running on that. These people had to be retained.

Once retained, there were questions of rank, authority, and jurisdiction. Could Zhang Jiong and the others manage the subordinate tribal counties as she could? They could not. The spontaneous confrontation between Shanque’s father-in-law and General Sun made that clear enough: let the court’s hand reach even slightly further, and these people would simply flee.

If they could not manage the subordinate tribal counties, then in practical terms the jurisdiction of the prefect’s office officials would actually shrink.

There was also the matter of regulations. Court rules dictated that officials could not acquire property, marry, or settle in their posting areas; a subordinate prefecture was different. The subordinate officials’ families were there — you could hardly tell them not to establish homes on their own ancestral lands. If Zhang Jiong and the others were held to the same standard as subordinate territory officials, could they acquire property locally?

Which was why, when the Grand Council had first discussed it among themselves, Zhong Yi’s position had been very well-founded — this hybrid arrangement, neither one thing nor the other, was awkward.

If Zhù Ying objected, she had to produce a plan for the three Chancellors to review. She had no choice but to put forward a “one prefecture, two systems” solution: aside from herself as prefect, Nanfu would remain as it was. Responsibilities unchanged.

Subordinate ranks were generally lower, with considerable inflation. The court gave her Senior Fourth Grade, Lower Class, and she slid gracefully down that slope — she accepted the designation of “subordinate prefect.” Her bottom line was securing Wuzhou; with Wuzhou in hand, she did not care about a slight difference in rank. As long as she could manage Wuzhou with proper authority, that was enough.

She also fought for the officials of the former Nanfu prefectural office to each be promoted one rank — after all, it was a prefecture now. Titles were changed as well; the former marshal was no longer called marshal but was redesignated as a chief administrator, and a long-form administrator position was newly created, along with a prefectural marshal. All six departments gained the designation “affairs participant,” each receiving additional subordinate and clerical positions below. The rank of the academician was raised, and a corresponding foreign studies school was established with equivalent status to the state school. Other clerical staff received proportional increases. More than half of the prefect’s office officials were required to come from among the subordinate tribal counties, with the long-form administrator and prefectural marshal positions to be held by members of the subordinate tribes. The registrar affairs participant and military affairs participant positions were to be filled by formally appointed court officials. Since it was a subordinate territory, the court customarily did not handle personnel affairs there.

From the outside it appeared to be a single imperial edict. Before that edict had come, she and the Grand Council had ground their teeth through countless negotiations. After the edict arrived, came the reshuffling of personnel in her office, and she still had to go to the Ministry of Personnel to work it all out one item at a time. Compared with hovering outside the Grand Council every day, what came next was lighter work, at least.

In the time spent waiting for the Chancellors, she had not wasted a moment — she had secured a name badge for the imperial city and, when she couldn’t get to a Chancellor, wandered the imperial city visiting old friends to renew old ties, arranging dinners to be held once her business was concluded. In this way she had managed not to squander too much time.

Zhù Ying looked at the sky: “Let me freshen up — I need to go to the Hall of the Four Tributaries first.”

……

Inside the Hall of the Four Tributaries, Su Mingluan and the others did not yet know that the Wuzhou matter had been settled. Through the days that Zhù Ying had been grinding away at the Grand Council, they too had spent their time in a state of anxious concern. Zhù Ying came back every evening to brief them on the day’s developments and to ask after their needs and wishes, relaying those promptly back to the Grand Council.

During the days, Zhao Su took them around the capital. The Hall of the Four Tributaries did have staff who spoke the “Liao tongue,” but the “Liao people” comprised nearly ten distinct tribes; the people in the Hall who had access were mostly from the tributary tribes across the river from the Talang household, separated by the barrier of the river — and so the language they spoke was not the same as what Su Mingluan and the others used. Zhù Ying had therefore asked Luo Sheng if Zhao Su could be borrowed from the Imperial Academy specifically to help receive their party at the Hall.

Zhù Ying arrived at the Hall of the Four Tributaries to find they had not yet come back from their outing. She sat in the courtyard waiting. Zhao Su was the first to enter: “I’ll be heading back then — I’ll come again tomorrow…Adoptive father?”

Su Mingluan and the others all came to see Zhù Ying. Su Mingluan said: “Has…has something come up again?”

Zhù Ying smiled: “The edict has come down. Asu, Talang, Tian’en, Yongzhi, and Dun County are to become Wuzhou, and I am to be Wuzhou’s prefect.”

Shanque’s father-in-law asked in surprise: “Nanping, Fulu, Sicheng? Isn’t that Nanfu?”

“Nanfu is no more. Those three counties have been incorporated into Wuzhou.”

Su Mingluan asked: “And how will Wuzhou be governed?”

Zhù Ying said: “Subordinate governance. I am the prefect; I set the rules. The court-appointed officials of the prefect’s office only manage those three counties.”

Su Mingluan’s face relaxed into a smile: “That’s wonderful!” She had spent nearly half a month in the capital and had been out and about for much of it. She had discovered that this court, much like her own village stronghold, had very few female chieftains, and the court had very few female officials. It was said there were two at the Court of Judicial Review — and those were on Zhù Ying’s proposal.

This knowledge had left Su Mingluan uneasy. She had no desire for the court to reach into her “Asu County,” and even less desire for the court’s hand to stretch into this “Wuzhou.” If you let them manage everything, what place would there be for her? Their system of hierarchy meant handing over the Asu household — and that was unthinkable!

She and Shanque’s father-in-law were the two most vigilant people on this trip. Shanque’s father-in-law’s wariness had been roused by the encounter with General Sun and the flood of old memories; hers had been kindled by witnessing firsthand “how hostile the court is toward women holding office.” When Zhù Ying had said “more than half of the prefect’s office officials must come from the subordinate tribal counties,” Su Mingluan had immediately said: “Regardless of sex.”

Zhù Ying had said: “That goes without saying.”

The thing Su Mingluan had been most worried about all along was the arrival of some “orthodox” official from the court. Now, hearing that it was to be Zhù Ying, she could put her mind at ease for the time being.

Su Mingluan said: “Then can we make ready to head home?”

Zhù Ying said: “Not yet — at least another half-month. We’ll be lucky if we can get back in time to plant the winter wheat.”

Su Mingluan asked in surprise: “There’s still more?”

Zhù Ying nodded: “Yes. The appointment and staffing of the prefect’s office — selecting the right people.”

The moment Su Mingluan heard “selecting the right people,” she stopped being in a hurry to leave! Right — the right people had to be selected. Zhù Ying said: “I also have a wedding banquet to attend and some people to see. Would you like to come with me?”

Su Mingluan said: “We follow our adoptive father’s arrangements.”

Zhù Ying said: “Good. I have some household matters to attend to — I’ll be staying home for a few days. Wait for word from me. When you go out, you must always have an interpreter with you. Chowen, travel together with them. Zhao Su, come with me.”

Everyone agreed.

Zhao Su followed Zhù Ying back to Zhù’s residence and received a warm welcome from Zhang Xiangu. He and Gu Tong exchanged greetings as well.

Zhù Ying asked Zhao Su to settle in at home for the time being. She herself took Xiang Le and Hu Elder Sister together to Zheng Marquis’s household to see Zheng Xi — at this hour, he should be home.

Outside the Zheng household’s gate, carriages and horses were lined up in an unbroken stream. Well-wishers and petitioners were all arriving. The doorkeeper at the Zheng household was a new face who found Zhù Ying vaguely familiar but could not quite place her. When Xiang Le presented the calling card and he opened it, he cried: “Ah, it’s Prefect Zhù!”

He welcomed Zhù Ying inside. Walking along, he kept glancing at Hu Elder Sister, wondering: Who is this person?

Hu Elder Sister, unlike Zhù Ying, had grown up as an ordinary girl ought to — she was dressed as a woman, only rather neatly and practically.

They reached the study. Zheng Yi was also in the study. Seeing her, he pointed and said: “You’ve done well! Making us worry for nothing!”

Zhù Ying said: “Forgive me, forgive me — I didn’t dare say anything while it was still uncertain! I was also afraid one of the three Chancellors might let something slip, but they were genuinely reliable — none of them said a word.”

Zheng Xi said: “Why do you think they made it into the Grand Council? No one who can’t keep his mouth shut gets that far. Wuzhou…the name is rather nicely chosen. Pity it’s still from Senior Fourth.”

His gaze on Zhù Ying held both pride and a touch of wistfulness. In her green silk jacket, Zhù Ying’s face had shed its youth without losing any of its vitality. Zheng Xi found that he could no longer recall what Zhù Ying had looked like when she first came to the capital.

Zhù Ying said: “As long as no one has their hand around my throat, it’s fine.”

Zheng Yi burst out laughing: “Duan Lin — ha ha ha ha! I’d love to see his face when he learns you’ve been made Wuzhou prefect!” He imagined with relish the scene of Bian Xing receiving his appointment first, then strutting off to the Ministry of Personnel in high spirits, only to learn that Zhù Ying had already taken three counties and run. What a face that would be!

Zheng Xi said: “Don’t be so pleased with yourself!” Even as he said it, he began to laugh as well.

Zhù Ying also offered Zheng Xi her congratulations and asked about the wedding arrangements, asking if there was anything she should do. Zheng Xi said: “Go attend to your proper affairs. The edict may have come down, but what comes next for you is no light matter either.”

Zhù Ying said: “Surely you won’t begrudge me a cup of wedding wine, my lord? And I can’t very well attend empty-handed.”

Zheng Xi’s face went slightly pale: “You must not drink at the banquet! You are now at a different station. If you drink and say something untoward, it will cause problems. You are a prefect now — everything is completely different from before.”

Zhù Ying said: “Yes. I’m going to see a few people, and then I’ll come back to the household.”

Zheng Xi said: “Haven’t these past few days kept you busy enough?”

Zhù Ying said: “I will definitely be coming.”

Both Zheng Xi and Zheng Yi were quietly pleased. Zheng Yi said: “Keep hovering around here, and be careful someone files another impeachment against you!”

Zhù Ying grinned: “Let them impeach.”

Zheng Yi laughed: “I don’t think they’d dare try that again on you.”

Zheng Xi, seeing the two of them being overly breezy, said: “You two — be more careful, both of you!”

“But we’re right here at your place, Seventh Young Master.”

Zhù Ying exchanged a few words of small talk, and Zheng Xi asked: “Why did you bring a young woman along when you came out?”

Zhù Ying said: “Hu Niangzi is useful in certain situations.”

Zheng Xi said: “You’ve just made a name for yourself. Take care in all things.”

“Yes.” She caught sight of a shadow outside the door and said: “I’ll come again in a couple of days.”

Zheng Xi did not refuse this time, and personally walked her to the study door, offering earnest parting words: “You’ve always done things without needing anyone to worry, yet…your opponents are different now —”

Zhù Ying gave him a long bow. Zheng Xi said: “There’s no such thing as too much caution. Govern Wuzhou well. When you come back after that, you will be entirely different from what you are today.”

“Yes.”

“Go.”

Zheng Yi said: “I’ll see Sanlang out.”

The two walked side by side toward the outer gate. Along the way, the lights burned brightly. Zhù Ying asked Zheng Yi: “Thirteenth Young Master — is there truly nothing more the household needs prepared?”

Zheng Yi said: “If there were, I would definitely tell you. You are different from others.”

Zhù Ying said: “What makes one person different from another?”

Zheng Yi said with great seriousness: “Different is different.”

Zhù Ying said: “It’s time that shows a person’s heart.”

……

Leaving the Zheng Marquis household, Zhù Ying went home first. Jin Liang and Zhù Shenhan had just arrived back as well. Hearing the good news, Jin Liang refused to leave — he said he absolutely had to wait and congratulate Zhù Ying in person.

When Zhù Ying came back, Jin Liang found himself unable to say anything beyond “congratulations.” He looked at Zhù Ying. Though she wore no official robes, the ease and composure between her brows already carried something of the air of a senior court official. He himself had gone gray at the temples and still had not made it to Senior Fifth Grade.

Yet Zhù Ying still called him “Jin elder brother” exactly as she always had, and was sincerely grateful to Jin Elder Sister-in-law for coming over these past few days to keep Zhang Xiangu company and help her socialize. She also proposed getting together for a meal, the same way she always did when she came back — a meal with old friends.

Jin Liang had nothing left to say to her by way of counsel, and this feeling was strange and unfamiliar, leaving him with a hollow sensation. Jin Liang said: “All right. Ah — curfew is coming. I need to be going.”

Zhù Shenhan said: “Then just stay here for the night.”

Jin Liang said: “No, I have things to do tomorrow.”

Zhù Shenhan walked him all the way to the lane entrance, then came back saying: “Why is it that the moment you come back, Jin elder brother acts a bit strange?”

Zhù Ying said: “How is he strange?”

“Are you going to be living here at home now?”

“Yes.”

“Oh. Well, let’s eat first.”

Zhù Ying said: “All right.”

Zhù Shenhan was in good spirits — whenever Zhù Ying was promoted, he rose along with her, and the old honorary title kept gaining more flavor. Though in the capital, where high officials were everywhere, the practical difference was not something he could quite feel — he just saw the rank going up and felt happy about it. He ate his dinner in cheerful spirits and went off to his room to rest.

Zhù Ying, however, did not sleep. She first called Zhao Su into the study. Zhao Su entered and offered yet another round of congratulations. Zhù Ying said: “Well within my expectations — nothing much to speak of. Enough about me; let’s talk about you.”

Zhao Su said hurriedly: “I should be going back to my studies.”

Zhù Ying said: “You’ve been at the Imperial Academy for some years now. Do you have any plans for the future?”

Zhao Su asked: “My adoptive father’s meaning is…?”

Zhù Ying said: “If you were to enter official service, what would you want?”

Zhao Su said deferentially: “That…would also go through the Ministry of Personnel’s selection process.” Students couldn’t simply become officials directly; those who could do so without examination were those with hereditary privileges. He had none.

“Do you want to take the exam?”

“I do.”

Zhao Su calculated his age — without taking the exam soon, he would be overage. He had been at the Imperial Academy for several years. Even Yue Huan had been promoted to sub-director by now.

Zhù Ying asked: “What sort of office do you want to hold?”

“That…might not be up to me?”

Zhù Ying said: “If you want to take the exam, take it. For a recommendation letter, I’ll sign it. For a sponsor, I’ll find one. So long as you can pass, whatever post you want — we’ll work it out together.”

Zhao Su’s mouth moved, and he paused before saying: “Yes.” The exam was not tomorrow — it ran close alongside the Jinshi examination.

Zhù Ying said: “What sort of office do you want?”

You didn’t get to pick your official post. Zhao Su said: “I want…to do practical work.”

Zhù Ying nodded: “Exam first.”

“Yes.”

“Go prepare.”

“Yes.”

Then Zhù Ying called in Gu Tong. Gu Tong was very curious about what Zhù Ying had just said to Zhao Su, but didn’t dare ask and was making rather conspicuous eyes. Zhù Ying said: “What are you staring at?”

“Heh, this study of Teacher’s always astonishes me anew every visit.”

“To business.”

“Yes.”

“You’ve been by my side for some years. It’s time for you to enter official service.”

Gu Tong was startled: “Teacher, you’re sending me away?”

Zhù Ying said: “You came to stay by my side for a purpose — once you’ve learned what there is to learn, mustn’t you have your own ambitions? Go quickly. While I still have business to take care of with the Ministry of Personnel, I’ll handle your matter at the same time.” With the establishment of the new subordinate prefecture, she had earned merit, and Gu Tong could hitch a ride on that.

Gu Tong had never quite thought about this question before. Zhù Ying said: “If you can’t figure it out, I’ll decide for you.”

Gu Tong immediately said: “I don’t want to be like older brother Xiao Wu! Teacher, let me be a county deputy magistrate — no matter how far away! Any distance at all!” Being like Xiao Wu — an official at the prefect’s office — looked glamorous from the outside but had no real substance! Gu Tong had his whole heart set on rising through the counties, just like Zhù Ying. But his starting rank was too low to dare ask for a county magistrate post outright; he steeled himself and asked for deputy magistrate. He felt this was more practical than Xiao Wu.

Gu Tong felt, honestly, that Xiao Wu was of no benefit to the people. He wanted to be an official who was of benefit to the people.

Zhù Ying said: “Fine. Go prepare yourself.”

“Yes!”

Zhù Ying raised one finger to her lips. Gu Tong nodded vigorously — yes, keep it secret. He would definitely not say anything! Teacher had kept something even this big to herself without telling anyone!

With these two settled, Zhù Ying rose and walked toward the inner courtyard.

The lamp in Huajie’s room was still lit. Zhù Ying knocked at the door. Huajie’s voice came from upstairs: “Who is it?” The fat cat downstairs let out a meow as well.

“Me.” Zhù Ying said. She stepped back two paces and saw Huajie lean out from the upper floor.

“Is Du Elder Sister here too?”

“Not here — she had a long day, and she’s in the room behind the kitchen with Lin Niangzi, resting.”

Zhù Ying leapt up to the second-floor gallery. Huajie gave her a look of mild reproach. Zhù Ying pushed open the door and entered the second-floor room. She saw that Huajie had a notebook open on her table and had been writing. She said: “Reading this late at night is hard on your eyes.”

“Two days ago I went to see a Buddhist nun, and she had a folk remedy there — she said it was effective. I wanted to write it down and take a closer look.”

Zhù Ying settled into a chair to one side and said: “As it happens, what I want to say is also related to this.”

Huajie poured her a bowl of tea: “How is it related? To my book?” She felt a little embarrassed — writing a book. What a strange notion. Yet she truly did want to write a medical text.

Zhù Ying said: “Not the book. I want to ask — would you be willing to serve as a medical academician?”

Huajie asked in surprise: “Me? How could I possibly…”

Zhù Ying said: “How could you not? Su Mingluan has already become a county magistrate. The Court of Judicial Review has had female officials for over ten years. Why can’t you be a female academician? The only pity is that it’s only from Ninth Grade, Lower Class.”

Huajie said: “Never mind my own matter — I’m more worried about you. Why are you only Senior Fourth Grade? A prefect should be at least Proper Fourth, shouldn’t she?”

Zhù Ying said: “Because it’s a subordinate prefecture. If it weren’t subordinate, a lower-tier prefecture’s prefect would be Proper Fourth Grade, but then the appointment of officials would be entirely out of my hands. Rank has always been structured so the central court outranks local posts, and registered counties outrank subordinate territories, with subordinate territories being somewhat closer in standing than actual vassal states. And precisely because it is a subordinate prefecture, the appointment of officials is not entirely the court’s prerogative. So I’ll report you as Wuzhou’s medical academician — the court will simply have to accept it.”

“You should finish the important matters first, before arranging things for your own people.”

“Those are all already arranged. Now it’s your turn.”

At one time, everyone had urged her to have attendants, to have a retinue, to have people she could trust. At those times she had always felt the moment was not yet right, preferring to work harder herself. Now she could accumulate people aplenty — not only Huajie, but Xiang An, Xiang Le, Xiao Jiang, and the others too. She was trying, as much as possible, to rely on people who had no strong ties to the court.

Huajie said: “I see. But I…”

Zhù Ying said: “Why are you hesitating now? Without this appointment as medical academician, even if you write your book — who do you teach it to? Even here in the capital, when they held selections for female supervisors, how many women could read? Women who can read, and who are willing to study medicine, and who can actually learn — if we wait for them and their parents to voluntarily want women to study…good heavens. Let me set up a medical academician post and recruit half female students among the medical pupils. I’ll use Wuzhou’s funds to support female physicians. That work can only be entrusted to you. I wouldn’t trust anyone else, and I don’t have anyone else suited for it.”

Huajie’s heart was pounding. She said: “But regarding the household…”

“Once we’re back in Wuzhou, what is there to fear? You’ll be counted as a subordinate prefecture’s academician — different from other prefectures. For the female students, just say they’re being taught women’s medicine. That way, even some fathers who let their daughters learn to read won’t object.”

Zhù Ying said: “Well? My academician?”

Huajie said: “If you report me like this, this will…”

Zhù Ying spread her hands: “This won’t interfere with your healing people, and it won’t interfere with your teaching. Earlier, when I set up the female supervisory post, you said you didn’t want to hold that official position because it would make it inconvenient to travel with me. And you said you had your own work to do. And now? This work cannot be done by anyone but you. Even if I get transferred away later, whether you stay in Wuzhou or not, the seeds will already be planted. Let’s start first. This isn’t me sheltering you, the way those incompetent scions of noble families receive posts on the strength of their ancestors. You have genuine knowledge and ability. Think about it — how many people can you treat on your own? How many could your students treat?”

Huajie finally nodded: “All right.”

Zhù Ying smiled: “Then let’s think of a proper name to report.”

Huajie was suddenly stuck and couldn’t think of one: “You pick a name for me.”

“Zhu Zi.” Zhù Ying said.

“Too grand.”

“I think it’s quite good. Let that be it.”

Huajie gave her an exasperated look but did not argue: “Go to sleep — you have early court tomorrow.”

……

The next morning, Zhù Ying rose early. Xiang Le accompanied her to court as before.

At the imperial city gate, the imperial guard saw her and smiled. Zhù Ying said: “What are you laughing at now?”

Deputy Captain Li said: “Congratulations, congratulations!”

Zhù Ying tilted her head: “No — there’s something going on. I can tell!”

Deputy Captain Li, in a voice barely suppressing his laughter, said: “Look over there.”

Zhù Ying followed the direction he indicated. There, beneath a few still-lit lanterns casting their orange glow, stood Duan Lin, his face dark as iron. Deputy Captain Li whispered into Zhù Ying’s ear: “He and Bian Xing came for their imperial audience to express gratitude…he he he he.”

Zhù Ying cleared her throat lightly: “As they should.”

“Pfft—”

Duan Lin was unhappy; Zhù Ying was not particularly happy either — she had other things to attend to today. The business of the full court assembly had little to do with her. Many people had already learned of her appointment, and of Bian Xing’s appointment too — word had been kept quiet until the day before, when the edicts were publicly issued, and most people only learned of it then. The looks directed at her carried yet another shade of meaning.

“Well done!” Xian Jing said in passing.

Zhù Ying said: “What?”

Xian Jing smiled. He had just been promoted and was in fine spirits. The two of them exchanged a few idle words, and Zhù Ying asked: “Brother Xian — the Ministry of Revenue. Are they short of funds?”

Xian Jing took a wary step back and asked: “What are you up to? When has the Ministry of Revenue not been short of funds?! Wait a moment…”

But he wasn’t the Deputy Minister of Revenue anymore! Xian Jing recovered his composure and smiled: “The current secretary is that gentleman over there. If you want funds, you’ll have to grind him down. But your area has had no disasters, no anomalies, and no construction projects — I doubt he’ll give you any.”

“Just tell me — short or not.”

“The Ministry of Revenue always has too little and never too much. But the accounts I left were rather comfortably in surplus. You have three counties there; the tax revenue hasn’t been in arrears. You can have a conversation with him.”

Zhù Ying said: “Much appreciated.”

“It’s starting.”

Zhù Ying stood through the assembly along with everyone else. After the main court assembly concluded, the Emperor retained a portion of the officials for a small meeting. Zhù Ying saw that Zheng Xi was not among those retained and sauntered off after him to the Ministry of Rites. People watching her along the way found her so self-possessed that no one noticed she wasn’t a Ministry of Rites official — until they were nearly at the Ministry of Rites great hall, when someone stopped and asked: “Hey — who are you?”

Zheng Xi turned to look, saw it was her, and asked: “Why are you here?”

Zhù Ying smiled: “Waiting for you to finish today’s orders, my lord. I still have something to ask of you.”

She now realized that the habit of dragging officials from the office to arrange things had been cultivated in her by Zheng Xi, and she had eventually learned that not every office worked that way — but the habit had taken hold, and she didn’t want to change it.

Zheng Xi added a word or two and they entered the room together. Zheng Xi, not entirely in good humor, said: “Sit. Now you’re done squeezing the Grand Council, you’ve come to assign me work as well?”

A clerk brought tea and refreshments. Zheng Xi received her and they talked while eating. Zhù Ying said: “The matter of the foreign studies school.”

Zheng Xi said: “Mmm, mmm.”

Zhù Ying said: “It needs to be a larger one — forty students, with an academician and assistant instructor, and a medical academician.” Yes — she was placing the medical academician under the foreign studies school, adding another twenty student slots for medical study.

Zheng Xi frowned.

Zhù Ying looked to both sides. Zheng Xi dismissed everyone present. Zhù Ying said: “Physicians are very well received in the mountains — whether they treat people or treat livestock, they move about easily and make friends readily.” She looked around once more, then laid out for Zheng Xi her vision of “carving out one or two prefectures and making them into a frontier bulwark.”

Zheng Xi understood at once: “That way, it makes sense.”

Zhù Ying said: “Then I’ll take that as your agreement?”

Zheng Xi said: “You see farther ahead than most! No wonder the Grand Council agreed.” The conditions Zhù Ying had squeezed out of the Grand Council had been a bit on the excessive side. Even the structural arrangement of this hybrid Wuzhou had no precedent. If it were part of a larger strategy, and she had the track record to back it up, then the Grand Council agreeing to let her try made perfect sense. It seemed what Zhù Ying had shown was only the tip of the iceberg!

Zhù Ying said: “The Chancellors already find me disagreeable as it is, and can’t wait for me to leave — but I still have things to do here and can’t go yet. They’ll be troubled by me a while longer. He he.”

“What things?”

“Officials. I need to build up a roster! Grinding away at the Ministry of Personnel isn’t easy — I’ll also need the Chancellors to put in a word.”

“So far away…” Zheng Xi sighed. Only Zhù Ying would volunteer for such a post; no one else would willingly go that far, and Zheng Xi had no desire to compel his own subordinates either. Once sent against their will, resentment could turn a helper into a saboteur. Otherwise, Wuzhou’s new establishment would have been a prime opportunity.

Zhù Ying said: “Exactly. Which is why I need to go back to the Chancellors.”

With that major matter settled, she was willing to share more with Zheng Xi. She also asked about his son-in-law — what sort of person was he, was the match a suitable one, did she seem happy. Zheng Xi asked with suspicion: “What are you up to now?”

“If she’s happy, good. If she’s not, then we…”

“Out! Don’t go scheming! Come and drink wine at the appointed day.”

Zhù Ying smiled: “Then I’m off to the Grand Council.”

……

She had worked out the Chancellors’ rhythms during the weeks of grinding — at this hour they should be on their way back.

And so, three Chancellors walked back together conversing, and when they looked up they found her standing respectfully at their door once again. Zhong Yi said: “What do you want now?!”

Zhù Ying found the Chancellors tiresome; the Chancellors didn’t find her easy either. She was, by common consensus, the most difficult official any of them had ever dealt with — she always wrote out proposals, and wrote multiple versions in advance, so that no matter what you raised, she had already more or less anticipated it and blocked you off. Dealing with her was not without its merits, but it was exhausting on the mind. Whatever you tried to bring up, she would nail it within range, and she was impossible to divert — half an hour into a discussion she’d be right back at her original point.

Worse still was her sheer audacity. You could tell other officials their horizons weren’t broad enough or that they hadn’t thought things through. Not Zhù Ying — she’d considered the distant question of national security, and the near questions of roads, population, education, geography, all of it. You couldn’t say she was shortsighted. And having anticipated everything, she felt quite free to name her price, forever dancing at the very edge of where you’d lose your temper to push for one more concession.

Zhù Ying said deferentially: “Over these past few days this official behaved without proper decorum. I’ve come to apologize.”

You know the word “apologize”?! Zhong Yi shot her a glare.

“Come in,” Wang Yunhe said. “Don’t stand out here inviting an audience.”

Zhù Ying followed them into the Grand Council chambers.

A clerk brought tea and peered at her with curiosity. Zhù Ying sat with them over tea, then stood up, bowed all around, and said: “This official behaved improperly these past few days. Even though it was in service of state affairs, it was still a great deal of trouble to the Chancellors.”

Shi Kun said: “Say what you came to say.”

Having dealt with her in earnest these past many days, Shi Kun found the situation both vexing and amusing, and was beginning to understand why Wang Yunhe had always championed her.

Zhù Ying reached into her pouch and produced two small paper packets, which she placed before them and opened: “Chancellors, please look.”

The three leaned forward: “What is this?”

Wang Yunhe quickly followed up: “Granulated sugar?”

“Yes. This is brown sugar, and this is white sugar.”

Wang Yunhe said: “Sugar grows in the south. What are you trying to say by bringing this?”

Zhù Ying smiled and asked: “What would you guess — what price do these fetch?”

Wang Yunhe grew serious. He had a thorough grasp of the market prices of grain and salt; sugar was expensive and an important commodity of everyday life.

Zhù Ying asked again: “And what is the market price in the capital? What is the price in Nanfu?”

Wang Yunhe said: “Stop going around in circles. Say it plainly, or I’ll have old Liu come and chat with you.”

The mere mention of Liu Songnian made Zhù Ying… actually, not the slightest bit afraid. She smiled and said: “Brown sugar — my current asking price is one-third of the market price. White sugar — one-half.”

Both Shi Kun and Zhong Yi were equally astonished. Both were men of ease and comfort, yet still possessed a certain base of common knowledge. Shi Kun especially had, like Wang Yunhe, served in local posts and knew more of the hardships of ordinary life.

Zhù Ying said: “I invested heavily in Nanfu to work out the method — and managed to bring the sugar price down. This is only just beginning. If I step away now, all that effort will have been for nothing. My dispute with the Chancellors was not solely over the Wuzhou matter. Give me a few more years, and I will bring down the price of sugar across the empire. Please — do not impose heavy taxes. Low margins, high volume: in the end, the total tax revenue will rise as well.”

Goods crossing checkpoints were taxed; if the old high sugar price were used as the basis for taxation, the price would go right back up because of the tax.

Wang Yunhe stood very still for a long moment, then sighed and said: “Your mother can have sweet and sour fish now. The two of you?”

Zhong Yi thought: So Zhù Ying’s mother couldn’t afford sweet and sour fish before? Right — his family was poor.

To his surprise, Shi Kun also looked blank: “What sweet and sour fish?”

Wang Yunhe did not explain in front of Zhù Ying; instead he said to her: “Bring your sugar — follow me. Gentlemen, this matter should be reported to His Majesty.”

Shi and Zhong both said they would come along.

They left Zhù Ying waiting outside while they requested an audience.

At that hour, the Emperor was in the habit of resting, had just changed his clothes, and was reclining and listening to music. The arrival of the Chancellors obliged him to sit up properly, straighten his robes, and ask: “What urgent matter brings my ministers here?”

Wang Yunhe and Shi Kun exchanged a glance. Wang Yunhe placed the two packets of sugar before the Emperor. The Emperor asked: “What is this?”

“Granulated sugar,” Shi Kun said. “Also called sand sugar. This is brown sugar, and this is white sugar.”

Of course both the Emperor and his Chancellors knew what sugar was, but having it placed before them with such solemnity made them momentarily wonder whether it actually was.

Once they had settled that it was, the Emperor asked: “What is the meaning of this?”

Shi Kun then repeated what Zhù Ying had just said. The Emperor was very interested: “Is that so? That young one — in the past she didn’t seem to make many demands. No wonder she was so insistent on Nanfu this time around.” Zhù Ying had always been the sort to do the heavy lifting and deliver auspicious offerings; she really hadn’t asked for much before.

Upon hearing the Emperor’s word “demands,” Wang Yunhe quickly recounted what Zhù Ying had once said when requesting the Fulu County posting — that “the nation’s last line of defense should not be in the heartland but in the distant frontier.” The Emperor listened and paused for a moment, then nodded: “That speaks from the heart, and she has delivered on it.” His impression of Zhù Ying rose another notch.

Shi Kun said: “She put her heart into it.” No wonder Wang Yunhe had always championed her.

What he did not know was that in Zhong Yi’s eyes, Shi Kun was also one of her champions. Because Shi Kun had asked: “What is this business about the sweet and sour fish?”

Wang Yunhe, quite naturally, recounted the story of the single fish prepared three ways, and the sharp remark that accompanied it.

The Emperor said: “A filial child indeed! Is it really so hard for ordinary people to have sugar?”

Wang Yunhe went on to explain the theory of counting it as taxation.

The Emperor said: “Confer with the Ministry of Revenue and circulate the matter to the various regions.”

“Yes.”

Zhù Ying stood outside being penalized for half a day to no purpose. When the three Chancellors came out, Shi Kun and Zhong Yi looked at her with very odd expressions. Wang Yunhe simply said to her: “Write up your detailed proposal on the sugar tax — come to discuss it in full tomorrow.”

Zhù Ying was overjoyed: “Yes!”

She hummed a little tune to herself and wandered leisurely home. Changed her clothes, went out for a stroll — she needed to scout out a location for a “Wuzhou Guild Hall”!

She looked for quite a while and hadn’t spotted anything promising yet. She thought: if nothing suitable comes up, perhaps rent one of the Court of Judicial Review’s storefronts?

As evening drew near, she timed it just right and headed home, intending to take gifts along to call on Leng Yun. But before she could leave the house, an uproar came from outside; the door was being knocked loudly.

Hou Wu threw open the door and gave a start: “You…”

Lan De said: “Is Old Honorary Madam home? His Majesty bestows a gift of food!”

For some inexplicable reason, the Emperor had bestowed upon Zhang Xiangu an entire table of dishes from the palace kitchens, prominently featuring a fish.

Zhang Xiangu knelt on the floor in a panic, thinking to herself: What on earth is happening?