The shock was too much. Hua A’Jie and Zhang Xiangu had heard Zhù Ying’s words and had no idea how to respond. Zhù Ying finished combing her hair, set her gauze cap on her head, adjusted it in the mirror, and said, “Let’s just go on living the way we always have. If I don’t tell you, you can’t eat or sleep properly and you worry every day. Now I’m telling you — but don’t repeat it to anyone.”

This time Zhang Xiangu knew how to respond. “Does that even need to be said? Whoever takes out their life-saving treasure to show to people is asking for it to be taken from them.”

Zhù Ying was struck speechless, and her mind filled with images of all the ill-fated creatures in stories who had done exactly that.

She said, “A’Jie, take Lingdang with you for a few days. She can’t speak smoothly yet. Once she learns to talk, we’ll figure out the rest.”

Hua A’Jie said, “Fine. Tomorrow I’ll take her to the foreign-learning school — I just don’t know whether she’ll be able to keep up. If a student can keep up right from the start, things go smoothly after that. If she can’t keep up at the start, she’ll fall further and further behind and lose the heart to learn. It’s like walking a long road together — if she can match our pace from the first day, she’ll be fine…”

Zhù Ying lifted her foot to leave and set it back down, listening while Hua A’Jie shared many thoughts from “her teaching experience.” She laughed and said, “The doctor is right — I know nothing of these things myself.”

Hua A’Jie said, feigning exasperation, “There you go again!”

Zhù Ying had never been good at teaching young children. She left that entirely to Hua A’Jie and said simply, “I’ll eat a bit late tonight — no need to wait for me.”

She had only just come back, and there was quite a pile of official business backed up. Though Chief Deputy Zhang had handled many things, he had kept all the files in order for her to review.

Going to the front office, she sat down, and the seat’s staff reported one matter after another in sequence. Nothing major had happened. Whether it was Wang, Li, or any of the others, or Little Wu, Qi Tai — everything was proceeding as before, nothing new. Peng Shi-shi, however, brought something to report: “Prefect, the woodblock engravers have completed the work. Here is a sample copy.”

The literacy song was not long. Both masters had divided up the work among their apprentices, and by the time Zhù Ying returned, the work was already done and the sample copies had been printed. The paper was locally made in Wuzhou. The cover was of Zhù Ying’s choosing — it had to carry Liu Songnian’s original calligraphy style. The woodblock masters had done their utmost to replicate his style of characters, and the result was quite convincing. It was a cover of the slightly thick blue commonly used for books, bordered with a white frame, printed with the three characters “Literacy Song.”

Opening the first page: in the center, the three large characters of “Literacy Song” in vertical format, with two rows of smaller text slightly below on one side — “Composed by Liu Songnian, Compiled by Zhù Ying.” Both individuals’ official titles were printed out, so-and-so official, so-and-so honorable — Liu Songnian’s title being the longer one, Zhù Ying’s the shorter. Both were printed with complete clarity.

Then came Zhù Ying’s preface, laying out the origins of the literacy song. Below that was “Chapter One.” Zhù Ying turned through the pages one by one, checking for any erroneous characters. She turned to the last page, where a newly added afterword had been appended.

Having read through all the characters and found nothing amiss, she smiled and said, “Very good.”

Peng Shi-shi took the opportunity to ask Zhù Ying to visit the printing workshop the next day, and also mentioned, “The masters have also made a request — they say only the printing work remains. If there is no other work, they would like to settle their accounts and return home.”

Zhù Ying said, “We’ll discuss it when I see them tomorrow.”

“Understood.”

Zhù Ying set the book aside to keep.

The school’s affairs were as they had always been. The head of the school reported that the local gazetteer was finalized and the manuscript submitted. This one was thicker, and Zhù Ying couldn’t read it through immediately — she set it aside to review later. The foreign-learning school had a few more matters, but Chou Wen also reported back that things were manageable.

Zhù Ying said, “I’ll send a few more students to you. Come by tomorrow and we’ll talk. Are there still fights in the school?”

Chou Wen said, “There are — no injuries so far. A heavier course load would help.”

“Good.”

Then came the several students.

Zhao Zhen and Jing Sheng’s survey was only half complete, but looking at the census registers they had submitted, the work was done with considerable thoroughness. Zhù Ying paid particular attention to the population figures. The number of people who had moved from Hedong County to Nanping County was not very large, and mostly comprised men — some had come with their families, but the majority had come to work. Adding up the numbers, this population loss would not yet cause any significant impact on Hedong County.

Zhao Zhen said, “I also asked those whose families they hadn’t brought with them. Some owed rent or taxes, some owed debts, and some had left their land with the family to farm while they came out to try their luck. They came here partly to eat, and partly to save up money to pay off their accounts. The officials of New Nanfu are truly incompetent! They know nothing but squeezing the people dry! All for the sake of building their new administrative seat. What’s needed is a capable and good official to replace them.”

Jing Sheng glanced at him and thought to himself: You are being rather naive. The Xinnan Prefecture officials have done nothing out of the ordinary. They dispatched labor as required and imposed no extraordinary additional levies. The Xinnan Prefect hadn’t even begun to enrich himself. Replace them with someone else and things might not be better.

He didn’t refute Zhao Zhen to his face, but reported what he himself had found — things like sugarcane cultivation and so on: “The spring planting has been completed. No encroachment on common farmland has been found in the areas surveyed.”

Fang Sheng and Wang Sheng both had things to say as well. They were a few years older, with sons already in school and some family assets. They generally moved in circles of minor local gentry, with clan connections. Neither was shy about it: they started from their own families and worked outward in their investigation. They had learned that some merchants had started purchasing land and establishing themselves as landowners while continuing their merchant work.

“Consolidation?” Zhù Ying asked.

Wang Sheng said, “Not aggressive yet. The largest single transaction was between major households. They are also recruiting labor to open wasteland, apparently intending to plant sugarcane.”

Zhù Ying said, “You’ve worked hard — but there’s more still to be done.”

All four said, “Understood!”

In the days they had been working together, they had found opportunities to talk, and Zhao Zhen had dropped enough hints that all of them now had somewhat different hopes for the future. Full of energy, they prepared to continue their fieldwork the next day.

All the official business was reported and done with, and the group departed one by one.

Chief Deputy Zhang watched the backs of the departing group with a cheerful look and said, “To be young is a good thing!”

Zhù Ying said, “You sound rather old when you say that, Deputy.”

“I can’t compete with all of you — I really am getting old.”

Zhù Ying said, “Before putting on scarlet robes, your age didn’t seem small. Once you’ve put them on, you’re considered young again.”

Chief Deputy Zhang waved this off, and with a hint of laughter in his voice said, “I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare. I thought I’d noticed early, but now that Zhao Zhen and the others have reported, I realize the prefect had already seen it. The Xinnan Prefecture — tsk — they really are not up to the mark. To think that Hedong County has fallen into such hands — it makes the heart ache.”

Zhù Ying said, “I imagine the court has its own reasons for separating out Hedong County.”

Chief Deputy Zhang thought to himself: What reasons could there be? It’s simply… isn’t it?

The two exchanged a few words idly. Chief Deputy Zhang said, “With the prefect back, I can relax.”

Zhù Ying said, “Absolutely not — with you here I am truly at ease. In the future the affairs of the seat will still need the deputy’s great care and attention.”

They traded courtesies for a moment, and then Zhù Ying asked about Chief Deputy Zhang’s family. She learned that his son was studying at home and would soon be going to the Imperial Academy. Zhù Ying said, “The Wuzhou guild hall in the capital receives people from time to time. Letters can be forwarded through them. This year I go to the capital; next year you and your son can meet in the capital.”

Chief Deputy Zhang said with a smile, “Finally I won’t have to spend my days fretting from across the mountains and rivers about whether that useless boy is getting into trouble.”

They chatted a while longer, and then Chief Deputy Zhang made the excuse of needing to write a letter home and excused himself.

Zhù Ying took two books, several official documents, and the official gazettes that had arrived during the days she hadn’t been able to receive them up in the mountains — all of it she brought back. She put the official documents in the study, then tucked the literacy song under her arm and walked to the back quarters.

There were still three students at home to tend to!

Neither Zhù Lian in the study nor Su Zhe and Lang Rui in the rear courtyard were anywhere to be seen. Zhù Ying asked, “Where is everyone?”

Hou Wu came forward and said, “Young Mistress Su and Young Master Lang are at Old Madam’s. Everyone is there looking at the new little miss who just arrived. Our Lian and Young Xiang — along with Third Young Mistress — haven’t come back yet. They went to look at the new site, and they’ve been coming back late every day for a while now. Prefect, about that little miss — how should the household gate rules be arranged?”

Zhù Ying said, “She stays with A’Jie for now.”

“Yes.”

Zhù Ying said, “In a few days more people will arrive at the house. You go ahead and take them under your wing first.”

Hou Wu asked, “What kind of people? What do you want me to train them to be?”

Zhù Ying said, “People I brought back from the mountains.”

Among the slaves of the various strongholds, some had stayed in their original places, and others had gone to the mountain estate. Among these, some had seen Zhù Ying’s side bring Lingdang with her and had wanted to follow Zhù Ying as well. Zhù Ying had an eye for people, and while managing matters at the mountain estate had quietly looked things over and selected a number of individuals.

She had brought back twenty in total — ten men and ten women, ranging in age from the early teens to thirty. The inner quarters of the seat had not been fully prepared and could not yet accommodate so many people at once. For now, they were temporarily housed on a side street behind the seat in a set of rooms. Five men and five women were each given a group leader for the time being — they would study some language, and at the same time begin tidying up some rooms in the seat. Language learning didn’t need anyone else to manage for the moment: among them was one person who already knew the lowland dialect.

Hou Wu thought to himself: Better set the rules right from the start. I’ll supervise them personally!

When Zhù Ying finished telling him, Little Wu slipped over. Little Wu came running over purely to curry a bit of favor. He asked after Zhù Ying first, then said things like how Wuzhou city was getting better and better. Zhù Ying listened patiently until he was done, then asked him a few things about the seat’s affairs. Feeling he had received important recognition, Little Wu went on to talk about Zhang Xiangu and Zhù Da’s daily anticipation of Zhù Ying’s return.

Zhù Ying also told him he had worked hard and to go rest.

Seeing that Xiang An hadn’t come back yet, she asked Ding Gui to keep watch at the door, and went herself to the rear quarters. She was hungry and wanted to eat.

The rear gate was latched. Zhù Ying knocked twice. Hu Shijie came running to open it. “Prefect? They’re all at Old Madam’s, talking.”

“Let’s go and see.”

The two went to the outside of Zhang Xiangu’s room, from which came a great deal of chatter and noise.

Lingdang was somewhat at a loss. She had never before encountered this kind of bustling warmth on her own behalf.

Ever since she had encountered this “new master” — this “Prefect” — almost everyone around her had suddenly become friendly. Even the Asu family chief’s daughter, who had just been talking to her in the manner of a “master,” was speaking to her quite politely now. In the mountains there hadn’t been many people who paid attention to her, and that she could manage. The warmth that had started just now had made her cautious.

She was still wearing the clothes she had come down from the mountain in. Hu Shijie was a person at Zhù Ying’s side, and said she’d find her clothes — and people had turned out a great many fine garments. Coming down the mountain, Lingdang had ended up with a large bundle of several changes of clothing. Hu Shijie had been thorough: she had sorted out garments of different weights, both thick and thin. Along with bedding salvaged from the chief’s house, a pretty cosmetics case that had turned up in the search, and a mule to carry it all — it had all come down the mountain.

In the mountains it had been “Master Hu” looking after her. The two had made do together in the strongholds, both staying next to the “Prefect’s” room — but with proper beds. At the “mountain estate,” a man called “Second Young Master” had arranged for her to share lodgings with some maidservants.

Just now she had been handed over to a “Du A’Jie” by Master Hu. She had been given a room of her own — a life that only existed in dreams was right before her eyes. In her memory, perhaps only during this stretch of time had she been able to eat her fill.

Nothing felt quite real. She didn’t know what she should be doing. In the strongholds, she had been able to do some odd jobs for the “Prefect.” Here, if she wasn’t quick about it, someone would have already swept the room for her.

That was strange.

She decided the best thing was to stay quiet for now and listen to what others said. She couldn’t understand much of it, so she smiled at an old grandmother. The old grandmother took her hand and gave her good things to eat. The Asu family chief’s daughter and the Talang family chief’s son also spoke to her, and she could say a bit more to those two. The Asu family chief’s daughter was very sharp.

The Asu family chief’s daughter also wanted to ask her about the Suoning family. Lingdang said, “The Suoning family is gone. The cave-chief’s head was cut off by the master.”

Su Zhe and Lang Rui both heard this and were delighted. “That person was very annoying!”

The three of them quickly fell into conversation. From time to time Su Zhe would translate things for Zhang Xiangu. Suddenly, a voice from outside said, “This lively? What’s going on?”

Movement stirred in the room. An “Old Master” who had barely said a word also spoke up: “Third?”

Zhù Ying strode into the room. Zhang Xiangu’s first question was: “Have you eaten?”

Xiao Jie immediately said, “It’s all on the stove — I’ll go get it!”

Zhù Ying sat down beside Zhù Da. Jiang Guafu and Lin Guafu shifted a small table over. The food was quickly set out. Zhù Ying also asked, “How are the others eating — Third Young Mistress and the rest?”

Xiao Jie held up a food hamper coming in: “I left some for them.”

Zhù Ying ate while saying, “Let Lingdang stay with us for a while. A’Jie, you’ll take her to the foreign-learning school first to study language.”

“Fine.”

Zhù Ying then switched to Qixia and said the same to Lingdang, adding: “Learn as quickly as you can.”

Lingdang thought to herself: It looks like they want to keep me. Then I absolutely must study hard. If I’m sold or given away in the future, I’ll have one more skill to survive on; I might suffer a little less. If I can run away, I’ll be able to run farther. If I’m not sold or given away — that would also be very good, and knowing more would be useful regardless. He has been good to me, so I will repay him well.

She agreed earnestly.

Hu Shijie said, “This is wonderful! Once you’ve learned to speak, we’ll be able to have a real conversation!”

Hu Shijie had taken a liking to this spirited little girl, but communication between the two of them had been genuinely difficult. Hu Shijie only knew simple Qixia, and Lingdang only knew simple official language — the two of them had mostly been gesturing at each other.

Zhù Ying had noticed this too, and told Lingdang to go and rest first. She then asked Du A’Jie, “Is she all settled in?”

Du A’Jie said with a smile, “She is.”

Du A’Jie only knew basic Qixia. She had found one of Su Zhe’s small maidservants to act as interpreter, and only then managed to make all the arrangements clear to Lingdang. These details Du A’Jie did not bother Zhù Ying with — she just poured Zhù Ying another bowl of hot soup.

Lingdang took up residence in the prefectural seat from that time onward. She quietly returned to her room, rolled a few times on the bed, then curled up tightly in the bed and pulled the blankets in close around her — supremely comfortable. If her mother were holding her, it would feel just this comfortable. She opened her mouth wide and cried as hard as she could, yet somehow no sound came out — only tears flowing in a stream. At some point, she had cried herself out. The tears suddenly stopped. She wiped her face, fumbled in the dark for the handkerchief Hu Shijie had given her, and wiped away all the tears and snot. She lay there, and slept.

The next morning, early, Lingdang was awakened by a sound. She scrambled up at once, hurriedly put on her clothes, and folded the blankets. She had never had blankets before — this skill she had learned only since coming under the Prefect’s care, with Hu Shijie teaching her how.

She opened the door and found that Du A’Jie had already come out from the room next door. Seeing her, Du A’Jie said, “You’re up?”

Lingdang nodded and said, “I can help with work.”

The door to the main room also opened, and that “Great Lady” emerged.

After Hua A’Jie had begun teaching at the foreign-learning school, her Qixia and Liqi languages had made great strides, and she had also learned a good amount of the Huapa language. She said to Lingdang, “Wash your face and rinse your mouth first. After breakfast I’ll take you to school.”

“School?”

Hua A’Jie said, “Right — a place to learn skills.”

Fair enough! Learn more skills and you have more ways to survive — Lingdang was happy to agree.

There was a large vat in the courtyard. Du A’Jie scooped water from the vat. Lingdang went and got her own washbasin too. She did not dare go into Hua A’Jie’s room — experience had taught her that a master’s room could not be entered freely. People who went in got beaten, and if anything went missing the slave would be blamed and would have a very bad time of it.

Even though the Prefect had said there would be no more slaves in the mountain estate, caution was still best. The Prefect’s family members treated people well. But she had also known some masters who smiled at you pleasantly one moment and turned on you the next. Looking around today, the place she stayed hadn’t been cleaned by anyone else — maybe someone had helped when she was newly arrived, and after that it would all be her own work. This actually relieved her.

A little water went up her nose while washing her face. She got out her handkerchief again to wipe her nose. “No spitting on the ground, don’t wipe your nose on your sleeve” — Hu Shijie had told her this. Using the water still in the basin, she washed the handkerchief clean, draped it over the washing-stand to dry first, and after breakfast would come back to collect it.

Hua A’Jie watched this child spinning around like a little top and thought: I absolutely cannot let things go wrong with this one the way they did before, something that made Little Zhù’s life more complicated.

She resolved to bring this child up properly. Whether bright or slow, the child had to be taught to be clear-minded and decent.

Hua A’Jie went back to her room, turned out a book bag fully equipped with paper and brushes — prepared for Lingdang — and then very carefully took out a book. This was the one Zhù Ying had given her to read the previous evening when they were alone together after dinner.

A book!

Hua A’Jie opened the cover. Her finger traced lightly over the characters “Prefect Zhù, personal name Ying” on the first page. She thought of what Zhù Ying had said the previous evening: “The paper — I can now make it. The books — I can now print them. When might both our names be printed here together, so I might bask in a bit of your glory too?”

Hua A’Jie blinked her eyes hard. A grand masterwork was beyond her ability to write — but she wanted to share what she had learned from years of practicing medicine and spread it wherever it might reach. If even one person read it and that spared a little suffering, it would be worth it. So many gynecological conditions were not in fact difficult — they were only neglected because of shame in speaking of them. But having a book printed — that had never occurred to her before. Now such an opportunity was lying right in front of her?

Hua A’Jie quickly set the literacy song textbook on the table and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. She tidied everything back up. Du A’Jie came in with breakfast. Breakfast was not always taken together — Zhù Ying and Hua A’Jie needed to be in the front offices; Su Zhe, Lang Rui, Zhù Lian and the other children could sleep a little later; Zhù Da and Zhang Xiangu’s schedule was not fixed.

Hua A’Jie had the two of them eat breakfast, then told Lingdang, “Wait for me to come back and we’ll go to school. This is your book bag — take it with you. I’ll tell you some of the school’s rules on the way.”

Lingdang looked at the book bag, not knowing what it was for. In her entire life she had never seen one. The whole Qixia tribe, before recent times, had only a handful of people who even knew what a “book” was.

She examined it, then slung the bag over her shoulders, tucked her handkerchief safely inside, and watched Hua A’Jie walk out the door. She hurried to follow. Du A’Jie stopped her: “In a moment I’ll take you to wait at the door over there — you don’t need to go now.” Lingdang guessed that Du A’Jie was something like a manager in the household, looked at her gestures, and did as Du A’Jie said.

Du A’Jie went in to tidy Hua A’Jie’s room and pour out the leftover water from the basin. Lingdang fetched a broom from the courtyard and started sweeping. By the time Du A’Jie had brought the basin back out, she had already swept half the path.

Du A’Jie liked the look of her too. She spoke knowing it wouldn’t be understood, saying: “First we go to pay our respects to Old Madam, and then you go to school.” She finished and immediately realized she had wasted her breath.

However clever Lingdang might be, she still didn’t know what “going to school” meant. She decided to just pretend she understood for now.

Finally, Du A’Jie brought Lingdang and handed her over to Hua A’Jie. Then she trotted off to pay her respects to Zhang Xiangu — she would rather clean every single room in the house by herself than try to wrangle a language-barrier child anymore.

Hua A’Jie had walked regularly for a long time, but after starting to teach at the foreign-learning school and needing to bring teaching materials along, she had gradually switched to traveling by cart, with the seat’s attendants driving her to the foreign-learning school.

Hua A’Jie brought Lingdang into the cart. Lingdang sat in it quite uneasily and said quietly, “I can walk alongside.”

Hua A’Jie said, “Just sit.”

Lingdang thought to herself: Am I like Black-Skin next to a master now?

Black-Skin had been the chieftain’s slave — but unlike the others. That one didn’t have to do hard labor, didn’t wear shackles, usually wasn’t beaten, and was given good things to eat.

Hua A’Jie for her part had already categorized Lingdang as a “prospective student.” The previous evening she had had a long talk with Zhù Ying. Beyond the matter of printing books, Zhù Ying had also told her that now that printing was possible, literacy would be more easily spread, and she would do her best to give more people the chance to learn a few more characters. Whether boys or girls — whoever could be of use was fine. Including Lingdang — just as Xiang An managed her small apprentices, they would start by doing work and getting by, and then whoever stood out would be pulled forward for further advancement.

Zhù Ying had entrusted the education of these young girls to her. “I, a thirty-year-old prefect, going about without reason and keeping a whole bunch of little girls always at my side, personally selecting and educating them — wouldn’t Minister Wang be summoning me for a talk? This can only be entrusted to you two first. Do a rough screening of a group of people. They’ll be useful at the mountain estate in time, and useful in Wuzhou too.”

Hua A’Jie felt the weight of this responsibility keenly. She reached out and smoothed Lingdang’s clothes, saying, “You are now a student. A student is…”

The cart arrived at the foreign-learning school. Lingdang’s head was full of information she had been trying to absorb, and she made her own conclusion: it was like being an apprentice! That’s a good thing. Then let’s study!

The two got out of the cart. They immediately drew attention. People came to greet Hua A’Jie and also asked who Lingdang was. Even Chou Wen was roused — he and Su Deng came running over. Neither of them had seen this little girl when they were at the prefectural seat for morning meetings!

Chou Wen looked at Lingdang’s clothes and his brow creased first. Lingdang’s frame had expanded by one layer from a month ago — still thin, but better than skin-and-bones. She was clean and tidy. But none of that stopped the two of them from being suspicious about Lingdang’s background. She had the look of someone recently rescued from the streets who hadn’t been in better circumstances for long.

Waif or no waif — the clothes weren’t right.

Chou Wen asked, “Doctor, this is…?”

Hua A’Jie said, “A new student.”

Chou Wen asked, “What kind of student?” Taking in female students was difficult. Beyond those sent by the various divisions, Hua A’Jie cast her net widely. Yet there were still some families where even free tuition wasn’t enough — daughters and wives were needed at home to do work, and without someone to do it, that simply wasn’t viable either. Chou Wen had nothing against female students, but he was somewhat resistant to someone who had come down from the mountains and still looked like a mountain person.

Chou Wen said, “The clothing…”

Hua A’Jie said, “It can be sorted out gradually.”

Chou Wen nodded. “I have no wish to interfere with the doctor.”

“I know.”

Chou Wen made a note of this matter. When Su Feihu and his two sons arrived, he handed the school over to Su Deng to run the class, and took the excuse of making up lessons for Lang Rui to go to the prefectural seat himself. His actual intention was to see Zhù Ying and lay out his concerns properly.

As it happened, Zhù Ying had only just returned and had a packed schedule. When he arrived at the prefectural seat and asked for her, Hou Wu said, “First to the printing workshop, then to the paper workshop. Oh! There’s also official business here at the seat! She should be back for lunch.”

Chou Wen steeled himself and decided to teach class first. As he was about to step off, he stopped and asked Hou Wu, “Old Wu — you look very pleased. Is there good news?”

Hou Wu said with a grin, “There is one good thing! Once you’ve seen the official gazette you’ll know. “

“The prefect has received another commendation?”

Hou Wu said, “It isn’t the prefect — but it’s connected to the prefect. The prefect’s godson, the young Master Zhao who’s studying in the capital, has passed. The Ministry of Personnel has already assigned him a post!”

Chou Wen couldn’t hide his envy. “The one who went to study in the capital!”

“Right!” Hou Wu said with great feeling, “When he first came under the prefect’s wing, he had such a gloomy look — like he was plotting something. Who would have thought that…”

“Old Wu, you again…” Du A’Jie managed four words before trailing off, and Chou Wen and Hou Wu performed a mutual dispersal.

Lang Rui was not exactly unruly, only somewhat mischievous — Chou Wen could still manage him. The morning passed quickly. At noon, Zhù Ying returned. Seeing that Chou Wen hadn’t yet left, she invited him to stay for lunch. Zhù Ying herself didn’t drink, but provided a little wine when she had guests for a meal.

With a bit of wine loosening his tongue, Chou Wen said to Zhù Ying, “Prefect, I saw a little girl today that the doctor Zhu brought.”

“Oh, let her go and learn. Did anyone at the school object?”

“It’s not someone else. I noticed her clothes haven’t been changed yet.”

“Hmm?”

Chou Wen said, “It would be best if everything could be changed out. The prefect is different from others — you treat the mountain tribes well, and you of all people would know that there are good people and bad people everywhere.”

“Don’t assume that mountain people are all unsophisticated. Some are, but not everyone is.” Slightly emboldened by the wine, and with something on his chest he had been holding back, he laid it out plainly and also pointed out certain calculations made by cave-chiefs, saying, “Don’t think they’re all without cunning either. They play their tricks too! Prefect, don’t let a heart full of sincerity face everyone without reserve. Keep a little back.”

Those who came down from the mountains were young students, to be sure, and it was also true that learning would be useful when they went back to their strongholds. But people kept a hand in reserve up there. For example, between two brothers, one might be sent down the mountain while the other stayed home — not a genuine “submission to civilization.” Hua A’Jie didn’t know the mountains very well. Chou Wen had rolled around in the strongholds himself.

Chou Wen had once wanted all mountain people to come down and accept “civilization.” Recently, with more outsiders arriving in the city, he had also begun to feel that accepting large numbers of outsiders might disrupt local society as well — caught between two concerns, neither could be properly addressed. He had thought on it for a long time, and took this opportunity to advise Zhù Ying: “Those who’ve come down from the mountains are precious — we must let them be able to go back and hold their ground in the strongholds. At the very least we can’t have students who’ve only learned to speak, with everything else unchanged.”

Zhù Ying had listened to all he had to say. “When that child grows a bit, the clothes she has now won’t fit anymore and she’ll naturally get new ones.”

Chou Wen understood something. “Prefect, I spoke out of turn.”

Zhù Ying said, “Your heart is in the right place. It’s just that you can’t swallow a fat person in one bite — if you force food into someone’s mouth, they’ll refuse to eat.”

“Understood.”

“Teach the language and writing first. Everything else after.”

“Understood.”

The two talked until the meal was finished. Chou Wen apologized again for the presumption of disturbing her, and Zhù Ying said, “What of it? Your heart is sincere.”

Chou Wen felt entirely at ease. He also indulged in a small bit of flattery: “Because the prefect treats people with genuine sincerity. I have never met anyone as perceptive as you. Ever since you’ve been here, everything is better — not only do the people live in peace and contentment, but people’s character is growing more upright too, and the thieves and robbers in the streets have greatly decreased…”

“Bang bang bang!” The drum outside sounded. Chou Wen choked on his next word. The striking of the drum — someone had come to petition the court. There was a case!

The prefectural seat’s staff ran outside and came back to report to Zhù Ying: “Prefect, it is a matter from Nanping County.”

Chou Wen’s face twitched. Zhù Ying said, “Mm — a case handled clearly and fairly for the first time is also not bad. This would be Magistrate Mo’s first case since taking up his post, wouldn’t it?”

An attendant bowed. “Yes.”

“Go listen, then come back and tell me.”

“Understood.”

Chou Wen took his leave sheepishly. Zhù Ying said, “You’ve already had some wine — come, I’ll have someone see you home safely.”

After Chou Wen left, Hou Wu came slipping out: “Heh heh… Prefect…”

“If you’re curious, go and listen.”

“I’ve just never seen Magistrate Mo decide a case. He used to be nothing but a yes-man.”

Zhù Ying clicked her tongue at him twice.

Hou Wu gave his own mouth a light smack, and trotted off as well.

A short while later, he came trotting back, limping slightly — yet swift as ever.

Zhù Ying had only read halfway through the gazetteer. “What’s happened now?”

Hou Wu said, “Someone else got pulled in. It’s that great lady the doctor is teaching — Lady Wang! The defendant is a fortune-teller — an absolutely wretched fraud! Deceiving people out of their money. The plaintiff saw through him and brought him to court to be charged. Magistrate Mo gave him a good beating but he’d only admit to this one charge. Magistrate Mo then had his property searched, and a good deal of money from various sources turned up, so he wanted to charge him as a robber. Only then did he confess that some of that money was given to him by Lady Wang — in exchange for doing ceremonies to change her daughter’s fate. I heard it and thought something was off, so I came hurrying to tell the prefect.”

“This is trouble. Go — tell Old Mo to suspend proceedings.”

“Right? A girl from a good family, having this gossiped about in public — what will her prospects be?” Hou Wu said as he ran back out.

After a while, Magistrate Mo and Hou Wu both returned. Zhù Ying asked, “How are things?”

Magistrate Mo said, “I heard something about a young miss and quickly ordered the person taken down, saying I needed to question more of the aggrieved parties. Then I saw Old Hou arrive, and I knew I’d done the right thing. The young miss’s situation is difficult enough already — without knowing the full truth, the matter should not be spread around. Correct?”

Zhù Ying asked, “What do you plan to do?”

“First have a word with Lady Wang herself. If it’s confirmed, then have the money returned to her in the judgment. Either way, I won’t let that fraud run his mouth in the court. The plaintiff — if he’s telling the truth, then rule accordingly. The common people need to be answered to as well. These monks, Taoists, and fortune-telling types can’t really be banned outright — as long as they don’t go too far, that’s the best one can do.”

Zhù Ying said, “Old Mo, you’ve improved.”

“Near cinnabar one turns red, near ink one turns black — near ink one turns black.”

Magistrate Mo was in high spirits and went to the adjacent room to question the fraud. Afterward, according to what Hou Wu had sniffed out: Lady Wang had managed fairly well all her life. Her son wasn’t a worry about marriage prospects. It was her daughter — already twenty, and every match had fallen through. Lady Wang was anxious. She had also heard from her sister-in-law about a great spirit-medium who was particularly efficacious — the sister-in-law herself had followed the spirit-medium’s counsel and gotten her son a wife.

So Lady Wang went with her sister-in-law to see the spirit-medium. The spirit-medium said today it required paper figures and paper horses as offerings to the gods, and tomorrow said it needed incense and prayer tables. Lady Wang didn’t need to come herself — just give the money to the spirit-medium. It would definitely resolve the inauspicious fate that was blocking her daughter from marriage. Guaranteed.

Bit by bit it had added up to several strings of cash.

Reportedly Lady Wang’s husband also knew about it. Husband and wife had even hosted the spirit-medium for a drink.

Hou Wu said, “If it had actually worked, that would be one thing. But cutting her again and again like harvesting a crop of leeks, and there’s been no sign of a happy event in the Wang family — that fraud is truly hateful!”

Zhù Ying said, “That we know about this is enough — don’t go spreading it around.”

“Yes.”

Zhù Ying herself didn’t bring it up either. A few days later, Hua A’Jie approached her: “Little Zhù — could you do me a favor?”

“What is it?”

“Lady Wang has had a small trouble at home. Her eldest daughter has run away…”