“Uncle!” Su Mingluan and Lang Kunwu both cried out at the same moment.

The mountain sparrow’s father-in-law folded his arms, leaned back in his chair, and watched the proceedings with studied composure. From the corner of his eye he was watching Zhù Ying to see what her reaction would be.

Zhù Ying said nothing. Lu Guo and Xi Jin each glanced at their own nephew, then turned back to look at Zhù Ying with a touch of expectation. “Your Excellency, this is a good deal for everyone!”

Su Mingluan said, “This isn’t right.”

Lang Kunwu also said, “This isn’t a good idea.”

Xi Jin turned to Lang Kunwu. “What’s not good about it? Everyone gets something out of it! Weren’t you quite willing last time?”

Lang Kunwu’s true thoughts were not easily said aloud — the situation was different now. To begin with, their territories didn’t even border each other. Xi Jin and Lu Guo were neighbors of the Yi Gan family; going after the Yi Gan family would mean Xi Jin and the others gaining land and extending their power further and further. The stronger they grew, the shorter he, Lang Kunwu, would look. It was not the same game as joining forces with Zhù Ying to move against the Suoning family.

Lu Guo also asked his niece, “Your family received so many strongholds, and yet you block others?”

Su Mingluan was not entirely without desire for it herself. Half the Suoning family had solved one of her enormous problems — her elder brother Su Feihu. She still hadn’t fully absorbed even that half of the Suoning territory; the method of play had changed and she now had to find a way to govern these places directly, which required people and time. Even if there were to be action, it was not now.

She said to Lu Guo, “I’m not blocking Uncle’s good fortune. Does Uncle think that shedding blood with the Yi Gan family right now is a good thing?”

“Why not?”

Su Mingluan said, “Even if you win, can you govern what you take? If you can’t, they’ll turn into mountain bandits and poisonous snakes lurking in the grass, biting whenever they get the chance. We’ve only just settled down. Don’t you want to keep living peaceable days?”

Lang Kunwu immediately backed this up. “Little sister is right! We used to not be afraid of fighting, and of course we’re still not afraid now — but it wouldn’t be worth it.”

The mountain sparrow’s father-in-law simply watched Zhù Ying. Zhù Ying returned his look and gave him a small nod — she too had no wish to take up arms against the Yi Gan family at this moment. What Su Mingluan had said was also one of the reasons she herself held.

Zhù Ying asked Lu Guo and Xi Jin, “Is the court powerful?”

Both men nodded. Their old grievances were still there, though held back — precisely because they had seen the extent of the court’s territory, its population, and the majesty of the imperial capital. Now their proposal was partly in hopes of borrowing Zhù Ying’s prestige and the court’s power.

Zhù Ying said, “The court, with all its strength, still accepted my suggestion of frontier pacification rather than sending out armies again. Is that not so?”

Lang Kunwu gave an uncomfortable cough.

Zhù Ying said, “I have always put this reasoning plainly. If the Suoning family had been willing to cooperate, I would have agreed to that as well. But they were greedy, and greed is a bad thing. You and the Mountain Sparrow” — the mountain sparrow’s father-in-law gave a dip of acknowledgment at being named — “are the elders here, and you still remember something of what came before. In the past, it was common for officials to win over one family while striking at another, or to play them against each other. I have never done that, not once. I did not do it before, I do not do it now, and I will not do it in the future.”

Su Mingluan relaxed into a smile, remembering how, years ago, the Asu family had come to a magistrate of Fulu County suggesting they team up to attack the Talang family.

Lu Guo’s and Xi Jin’s expressions both darkened. Su Mingluan and Lang Kunwu felt all the more reassured. The mountain sparrow’s father-in-law finally spoke: “Your Excellency is right! How could we go around bullying people without cause? We’re not mountain bandits!”

Su Mingluan immediately said, “Of course we’re not mountain bandits. If we push them into becoming mountain bandits, there won’t be a day of peace in any of our strongholds.”

Lang Kunwu said, “He’s gone off to find his in-laws among the Xika anyway. We’d have no way of knowing what’s waiting for us if we really marched against him. The Xika have gold and can buy many things.”

With everyone opposed, Lu Guo and Xi Jin had no choice but to fall silent and sulk.

Zhù Ying said, “I have no desire to resort to armed force. I have done my best to resolve the old grudges between your various families. That is how I have always operated.

Anyone who challenges me or makes unreasonable demands of me — I will absolutely not agree to that. But if they were to challenge either of your families in the future, we would not sit back and watch. That’s how it is among family. If in the future the Yi Gan chieftain decides to let bygones be bygones, we can all go back to the old arrangement and treat each other the same as before — after all, he and your two families are of the same tribe. Peace is good for business.”

Su Mingluan and Lang Kunwu each persuaded their own uncles. Lu Guo and Xi Jin were given enough of a face-saving way down to stop pressing. Xi Jin said, “Then we’ll defer to Your Excellency.” Lu Guo followed with a nod of his own.

Zhù Ying said, “In fact, there are bound to be people among the Yi Gan family who are unhappy. Having the cave chieftain Yi Gan keep them under his own control and not releasing them to cause us trouble — that’s quite convenient.”

Su Mingluan noted this remark in her heart, finding it wonderfully apt: if you scatter a handful of sesame seeds on the ground and try to pick them up one by one, the effort is exhausting. Sweep them into a pile and you can grab them all in one handful.

The mountain sparrow’s father-in-law said, “He’s a coward — not worth wasting our time on. If they provoke us, we take action then. Your Excellency, you haven’t been to the market in half a year. Shall we go have a look?”

Zhù Ying smiled. “Why not.”

The group rose. Lu Guo and Xi Jin felt the discussion had been unsatisfying and declined to go. Zhù Ying went along with the other three.

The market was lively. Zhù Ying and the others made one round of it and called it done. They had not come here to browse the market; it was more to give Lu Guo and Xi Jin a little time to recover from the embarrassment of the moment.

They had not gone far when Su Mingluan pointed to a stall selling silver ornaments and said, “Seeing this makes me think of my brother — he went off to check on his stronghold. I should say a few words to him. Adoptive Father, I’ll go find him.”

Zhù Ying said, “Talk to him properly.”

“Yes.”

Zhù Ying also glanced at that expanse of glittering wares. The area where the Suoning family had held territory had silver mines in it — some of which she had received a share of. Silver was a fine thing! She picked up a few silver hairpins to examine. Each piece had something in common with the others yet was distinct in its own way. She bought a whole box of them on a whim, paying with a slip bearing her personal seal and the amount filled in.

The villa itself bought and sold goods and kept reserves of money. The stall keeper could take her slip to the villa to exchange it for cash.

Seeing it was no small purchase, the stall keeper selected a handsome wooden box with a small copper clasp for her, and as he packed the hairpins in it he said, “All my pieces are the finest quality. Since you’ve bought so many, let me add these two as a gift.”

He took out a small square of patterned cloth, wrapped a pair of earrings and a ring inside it — both silver, both in a plain, unadorned style.

Zhù Ying slipped the ring onto her finger, tucked the earrings into her sleeve, took the box, and asked Lang Kunwu, “Aren’t you taking something home?”

Lang Kunwu said, “Not these — I buy better ones when I go further out. You should buy better ones too.”

The stall keeper was furious but did not dare show it.

The mountain sparrow’s father-in-law laughed and shook his head, pulling Lang Kunwu away. “Come, come — I’ll tell you, you want the good ones and the simple ones both…”

And so the group parted ways.

Zhù Ying pocketed her things and walked back to the side mansion. At the entrance she found Steward Yuan busy directing people to sweep and tidy. He hurried to bow to her. Zhù Ying said, “Arrange a few sharp-eyed people to keep an eye on what Lu Guo and Xi Jin are up to. Don’t let them be bored to the point of causing trouble.”

“Yes.”

Zhù Ying brought the box of hairpins of various lengths into the rear courtyard. When she arrived and took a look, Zhù Da had gone off to the little temple again. She left the earrings with Zhang Xiangu and set aside two hairpins for her as well. The rest she tossed into her own room, then called for Hou Wu. “Old Hou, your work has arrived!”

Hou Wu gave an unusually ingratiating smile. “Heh heh, Your Excellency wants me to lead troops?”

Zhù Ying smiled. “That’s right. You know the defense steward Zhù soldier?”

“That young fellow is a good one!”

Zhù Ying said, “Then take him with you and drill the able-bodied men of the villa.”

Hou Wu rubbed his hands together and gave a deliberate cough, assuming an air of authority. “When it comes to other things, old Hou is no good. When it comes to leading troops, that’s a different matter! Back in the day, those raw recruits they patched together — among all the officers, my men had the fewest deaths!”

Zhù Ying asked, “How many men can you lead?”

“One or two hundred, no problem! I’ve led more than that before — back then…”

Hou Wu’s mouth, once opened, could not be stopped. He recounted many stories from the old days.

“That time I was originally leading ten men. The officer was standing too high with his armor on — someone shot him down. I could see that without anyone taking charge, we’d fall apart. If the troops scattered and I got swept up in the rout, my own life might not be saved either.

So I stepped up! I told them we can’t fall apart — we had to avenge the officer! And the men steadied themselves — hundreds of them! I led them following the original formation we’d been given, I led them well, and we won that battle!

The general promised at the time to make me an officer…” And then how he’d been demoted again because he had offended some young lord, and so on.

Zhù Ying asked, “And how long did you serve as that officer?”

“Er… half… half a month…”

Zhù Ying thought to herself: So he never really did. The result of the commendation couldn’t have come down in half a month, meaning in that half-month Hou Wu was probably only a temporary arrangement the general had made out of necessity. He had also rendered real service and been formally appointed afterward when the commendation came through.

Weighing his overall performance, Zhù Ying thought a few hundred soldiers was probably an exaggeration — but one or two hundred he likely could handle.

Hou Wu let out a sigh. “It was this mouth that ruined me. My name was on the list going to the Ministry of War — and then it was crossed off.” And from there, his luck kept sliding downward.

Zhù Ying said, “Start drilling for now.”

“Right! In less than three months I’ll have them transformed! Last year I wasn’t being serious about the training!”

“The difference is already showing. Now that you’re being earnest, I want to see results in three months. Once you’ve done well, then we can start bringing in conscripts from each stronghold to rotate through the training.”

Hou Wu’s eyes lit up. “That’s right — those little strongholds can’t have nobody managing them either!”

“Then go pick something from the storeroom — a weapon you like.”

“Yes!”

Hou Wu left in high spirits.

Zhù Ying turned back to sorting out the various arrangements for the “villa.” Land and housing systems were now in place; next came establishing various workshops. Beyond that was the matter of “villa” management itself.

The model of the “steward” position needed to change. She decided to follow the structure of a lowland government office. “Officials” would be selected through a formal process — including the management of the smaller strongholds below — everyone would need to be at least a little literate, with the minimum requirement being that they could recite the literacy primer by heart.

That required the little school. She said to Hu Shijie, “Madam Hu, call your disciples here.”

“Yes.”

The “disciples” in question were the male and female guards she had previously brought down from the villa — all of them had some ability in official language and could recognize a number of characters. Zhù Ying assigned them a task: “Start by teaching the people in the side mansion.”

The guards and servants within the side mansion were not well positioned for learning. Their official language was particularly poor. She needed to get them up to speed first. Otherwise, with Zhù Da and Zhang Xiangu living at the side mansion and relying mainly on Xiang Le and Steward Huang to translate, things became rather difficult.

Schedules were immediately drawn up. Guards rotated through shifts, and those not on duty all attended lessons. The children of the villa were included too — it would clearly not work during busy periods like planting and harvesting, but whenever there was a lull, they also attended.

The “stewards” were not to be replaced for now. She would wait until standout talents emerged from this group, and then make substitutions.

Zhù Ying also reviewed her income and began drafting a budget of income and expenditure. She wanted to put the “officials” on the same footing as a lowland government office — drawing fixed salaries. Only then could she hold them to a higher standard. Otherwise, someone like Steward Huang, who still took on carpentry apprentices and ran his own workshop on the side, had no reason not to skim a little off the top when dispensing wages.

The man still had to eat, after all.

For the five mountain counties: she needed to keep a closer eye on Lu Guo and Xi Jin. Zhù Ying planned to have another talk with Su Mingluan and Lang Kunwu. She wasn’t afraid of shrewd magistrates — what she feared was a fool.

Things were dealt with one matter at a time. Zhù Ying’s days at the villa were very full.

In the evenings, Zhù Ying hosted a farewell dinner for Su Feihu. Lu Guo and Xi Jin drank quite a lot; Lu Guo took his nephew by the hand and said, “Your luck is really something — getting a stronghold that big…”

Su Feihu and Su Mingluan were both a little embarrassed. Su Feihu had failed to inherit his father’s position — was that supposed to count as good luck?

The mountain sparrow’s father-in-law murmured to Lang Kunwu, “Keep an eye on your uncles.”

Lang Kunwu said, “Don’t worry — I’ve got them.”

The two, father-in-law and son-in-law, exchanged a glance, then both squinted over at the drunk man making a spectacle of himself.

Soon Su Feihu was feeling the drink himself. Su Mingluan said, “Brother still has a journey tomorrow.” And with that, everyone dispersed.

The mountain sparrow’s father-in-law gave his son-in-law a meaningful look. Lang Kunwu nodded and followed him to the mountain sparrow’s father-in-law’s room.

The oil lamp’s light danced on both their faces. Lang Kunwu said, “Don’t worry, father-in-law — the uncles are just talking. They only have a temper with bondspeople. When Your Excellency didn’t move, they still allowed themselves to dream a little. But after Your Excellency wiped out the Suoning family, they’ve been very well behaved.”

The mountain sparrow’s father-in-law said, “He just has no brain! Don’t take after him!”

“How could I?”

The mountain sparrow’s father-in-law was still not at ease. He said, “Even if your mother pressed you to help, you must not get involved! Two fools who don’t understand!”

“Hm?”

The mountain sparrow’s father-in-law had been watching with a cold eye for quite some time now, and he thought Lu Guo and Xi Jin were fools!

He had been worried for quite a while now!

The mountain sparrow’s father-in-law said, “This villa — first a market, then a stone-built settlement, then a whole crowd of people came, and then you saw what happened when the villa and the Asu family divided up the Suoning family’s territory. My heart was in my throat the whole time!”

“I also never expected it could be finished so cleanly and swiftly. I’ve never heard of any family collapsing so fast before.”

The mountain sparrow’s father-in-law said, “You still don’t understand! The villa’s population keeps growing — so does its land! Have you ever seen a festering sore on someone’s body? Leave it alone and it just keeps rotting wider! If Your Excellency keeps using the villa to push outward and throw her weight around, I’m not sure she wouldn’t eventually turn to us as well. Officials from the lowlands aren’t all formidable — I’m not afraid of others, but I am afraid of Your Excellency.”

Lang Kunwu broke into a cold sweat. “Surely not? Adoptive Father is not that kind of person!”

Then he added, “You said something about festering sores?”

The mountain sparrow’s father-in-law said, “A person can be good while an affair still goes badly. She didn’t keep pressing; it’s not a festering sore. She returned that stone before — she is someone who keeps her word. Today she said: if no one provokes her, she won’t move against them. I believe that. And I am glad to have her as a ‘pacification overseer’ rather than a ‘conqueror.'”

Lang Kunwu said, “Father-in-law, you should have said that last part first. You had me worried for nothing.”

The mountain sparrow’s father-in-law said, “Watch your uncles — don’t let them do anything stupid. If they keep on being this foolish I won’t be able to hold my patience with them! Your Adoptive Father is a good person, not a pushover. Anything they dare to test with her — they have no idea what they’re dealing with!”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

Zhù Ying stayed a full half month at the side mansion before bringing people back down. Zhù Da and the others remained at the villa. Hua Jie, however, brought Zhù Qingjun and the other students back down with Zhù Ying — she still had students at the foreign academy to attend to.

By the end of this half month, spring planting was thoroughly finished. Hua Jie also had to resume teaching. Xiang Le went down the mountain with Zhù Ying. Hou Wu and Du Dajie remained in the mountains. Du Dajie was a little reluctant to be parted from Hua Jie, but she knew the side mansion needed someone, and she specially instructed Zhù Qingjun: “Stay with the Eldest Madam and remind her not to stay up too late.”

Zhù Yin and the others remained at the side mansion. The guards selected during the same period as Zhù Yin were taken back down the mountain by Zhù Ying. Traveling with her were also twenty young men and women between the ages of twelve and thirteen, chosen from the villa and various strongholds.

After coming back down the mountain, Zhù Ying handed the guards over to Hu Shijie to manage, gave Xiang Le leave to go home, and then attended to affairs in the prefecture. During the period she had been away, everything in the prefecture had been normal. Vice Prefect Zhang, without Su Feihu around, felt somewhat more comfortable — no more need to send people to watch lest that hunt-loving man go galloping through the grain fields.

Zhù Ying specifically called Craftsman Peng of the Works Bureau to stay behind. “How is the carving of the woodblocks coming along?”

Craftsman Peng said, “They’re nearly done. The literacy primer has fewer pages, but the medical text has quite a few more — so more woodblocks are needed. It’ll probably take until next month.”

“Don’t rush the carving in a way that ruins the blocks — I can wait until next month.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be waiting for your good news.”

Craftsman Peng stood to attention. “I will not fail this commission!”

Zhù Ying smiled.

She then summoned Xiang An and asked about the various workshop situations.

Xiang An produced a small booklet. Zhù Ying said, “Get ready — I have some people here. Take them to the various workshops and have them work as apprentices. Put them in the little school near the foreign academy. Arrange for Xiao Yu and Xiao Lian to go there too, and teach them a bit of official language. From now on, they’ll spend their days learning their craft at the workshops and their evenings at the little school continuing to study official language and writing.”

Xiang An said, “Yes.”

Zhù Ying finally let out a long breath and asked, “Your brother has gone home to prepare for a potential match — what about you?”

Xiang An paused, then unconsciously began rubbing the hem of her robe. “I don’t want to marry! And there’s no suitable man willing to marry into a wife’s family right now. I’ll keep an eye out. Your Excellency, I’m very well off at the sugar mill! Oh — there’s a little girl there who’s quite sharp too!”

“Oh?”

Xiang An’s heart eased slightly. “Her name is A’Jin. A small laborer at the sugar mill. Quick to learn, sharp and clever. She’s a native of Nanping, and her family is large — she’s the eldest, fourteen this year, with five younger siblings.”

“Fourteen…”

Xiang An quickly said, “I’ve already spoken with her parents. Her father has signed a contract with me — no need to worry she’ll suddenly be spoken for. Even if she were, I have priority.”

“Have you arranged for her future?”

Xiang An said, “If things go well for me, they’ll go the same way for her. And if she finds her own path in life, she can’t just dust off her hands and walk away, either. Your Excellency, I…”

Zhù Ying said, “If you want to keep at it, keep at it. Before long, I have other things to hand over to you.”

“Yes!” Xiang An’s answer was loud and clear.

Zhù Ying laughed and waved her hand. “While you’re at it, go check on Jiang Teng and bring her a message from me.”

Xiang An hurriedly asked, “What message does Your Excellency wish to send?”

“Ask her whether the manuscript is ready.”

“Yes.”

The manuscript in question was the coroner’s handbook Zhù Ying had asked Jiang Teng to prepare. Since Zhù Ying had mentioned it, she had been paying close attention and revising the manuscript again and again, and had drawn quite a number of illustrations — but kept feeling dissatisfied. The result was never quite right.

Hearing from Xiang An, she felt a small wave of panic inside, though her face showed nothing. “I’ll go report to Your Excellency myself.”

She looked a little worn. Though she had hired a wet nurse to care for the children, coming home after work in the evening she inevitably found herself interrupted by the children. The two children were growing bigger day by day and getting better and better at crying and fussing. This made it very difficult for her to do careful proofreading and revision at home; over the past several months she had only managed to make corrections in scattered pieces.

She had put it off as long as she could, and now she had no choice but to pack up the last uncopied draft, steel herself, and bring it to the prefectural office.

Early the next morning she went to the morning meeting with her bag on her back.

Zhù Ying did not single her out but said, “The new county magistrate of Fulu County should be arriving today. If no one has other business, this evening let’s give him a welcome banquet.”

Jiang Teng sighed inwardly. This evening — and yet she still had to hand over her “homework” to Zhù Ying during the day.

Jiang Teng restored her face to its usual cool composure, and with an anxious heart waited for the morning meeting to end before going to the main office to explain: “It — it’s still being revised. Not yet copied out in fair.”

Zhù Ying said, “Oh, then I won’t press you — get it done on your own timeline. Can you have the revisions finished by the end of the sixth month?”

“I can!”

“Good. Get it done.”

“Yes.”

She hurried the manuscript home and locked it away in the cabinet. She tidied up and told the nursemaid she would be home late that evening. Though she wasn’t entirely sure why a county magistrate’s arrival required her to attend the dinner as well, she was genuinely glad to be included in such a gathering. Zhù Ying’s dinners were, as always, free of entertainers. There was wine, there was music and strings — which was perfectly fine.

Jiang Teng sized up the new county magistrate and tried to assess what kind of person he was.

Chi Ming was young by official-world standards, with a decent appearance. Nothing obviously bad was apparent at first glance. Zhù Ying offered a single remark that put Jiang Teng at ease: “I asked Prefect Lu for a capable person, and Prefect Lu recommended you.”

Jiang Teng nearly laughed out loud. Naturally the Prefect would have made her own selection.

Chi Ming also had the same thought. He quickly recalled his previous meeting with Zhù Ying — the mission with the sealed boxes. He hurriedly rose. “I am grateful for Your Excellency’s regard.”

“Remember Prefect Lu.”

“Prefect Lu has always shown great concern and guidance — I would not dare forget.”

“Please, sit.”

Jiang Teng didn’t drink wine, but found the scene before her quite amusing. She smiled, and her gaze met that of Hua Jie across the table. Hua Jie was also smiling, and the two of them exchanged a laugh.

Zhù Ying was reasonably satisfied with Chi Ming. She did not personally escort Chi Ming to Fulu County, but sent Ding Gui to “accompany” him. She herself made another trip into the mountains in the fifth month to “visit family.”

Because it was a “family visit,” Zhù Ying did not bring merchants into the mountains this time. Without merchants, the pace was fast, and they reached the villa in three days. She stayed half a month at the villa, personally overseeing the construction of workshops and other affairs. When the half month was up, she came back down.

So it went, back and forth, until the end of the seventh month. When she came down from the mountains, she received an urgent official dispatch from the capital — the Council of State and the Ministry of Finance told her in terms that admitted absolutely no negotiation that this year all taxes within her jurisdiction were to be paid in full, including the winter wheat tax. Not only paid in full, but a portion of Wuzhou’s existing reserves was also to be requisitioned and shipped north by boat after the autumn harvest.

She had previously negotiated terms with the Ministry of Finance: the winter wheat was on a five-year exemption, and some areas were still within the tax-exempt period. That was now void. Then there was the sugar tax — terms had also been agreed upon previously — and now the court was imposing a temporary additional levy, one extra tenth.

Zhù Ying quickly flipped through to the end, where a single reason was given: the northern territories had suffered drought.

Zhù Ying let out a soft breath and said to Ding Gui, “Go invite the Vice Prefect.”