The Bureau of Guest Reception director’s expression turned quite unnatural.

When a superior says “distribute some benefits to those below,” it is the person who executes the order who decides how it is done. For instance, in distributing goods, he could take a cut, pad the accounts — spend a hundred, report two hundred, and the extra hundred would vanish quite naturally from the ledger. It could be used to fill old holes, or tucked into one’s own pocket.

When a superior says “call someone to audit the accounts” — everything changes entirely!

The Bureau of Guest Reception director, though he lacked the family background of Luo Sheng, Director Wang, or Assistant Director Ruan to serve as a backstop, was still a man capable of holding his place in the Court of State Ceremonial. For Zhù Ying to audit his accounts — whatever her true intentions — calling in Qi Tai right there in front of everyone made it appear, in others’ eyes, as if she had lost trust in him, Director Ke. This was a seizure of power.

The Bureau of Guest Reception director, who had already been prepared to concede ground, stepped forward again when he saw Xiao Huang go to fetch Qi Tai. He said: “The Bureau of Guest Reception can handle this matter itself. Registrar Qi carries important responsibilities and ought not to be taken away. I will bring the accounts to your lordship for review tomorrow and have the funds ready in full.”

Zhù Ying said: “He merely keeps the seal, checks the records for errors and omissions. Your affairs are the real business of the Court of State Ceremonial. Let him do it.”

The Bureau of Guest Reception director was full of suppressed fury that he dared not vent. He glanced at Zhù Ying, and saw only the same warm and amiable expression as always. Yet this person struck with real ruthlessness! Quietly and without warning, she had swooped on the Hall of Foreign Nations, and now was moving on to the Bureau of Guest Reception. The next step…

The Bureau of Guest Reception director was struggling to decide, so preoccupied that he failed to notice how the Bureau of Guest Reception’s two assistant directors were looking at him.

Qi Tai had arrived quickly.

Since coming to the Court of State Ceremonial, Qi Tai had not been in his element — he was not good with people and spent every day cooped up in his own room. Zhù Ying had finally called for him!

Qi Tai’s face showed the faintest trace of a smile. That faint smile, in the eyes of the Bureau of Guest Reception director and the two assistant directors, took on a different flavor entirely — the three of them all simultaneously cursed him inwardly: Lackey!

Zhù Ying said: “Let the several of you go over the accounts together.”

Qi Tai was a straightforward sort — he stared directly at the Bureau of Guest Reception director.

Seeing that things could not be turned back, the Bureau of Guest Reception director had no choice but to say with ill grace: “Follow me, Registrar.”

Zhù Ying said: “Bring them here.”

The Bureau of Guest Reception director ground his teeth and grudgingly said: “Yes.”

He turned and walked away, his steps quickening as he went. Back in his own working room, he nearly tripped on the threshold — he turned and kicked the threshold, and cursed under his breath. Seeing him like this, the clerks on duty in the room dared not come forward to fawn on him, and poured his tea and stepped back to one side.

The Bureau of Guest Reception director was truly furious. He even slammed his tea cup. Then he still had to search for the account books. Once he had found one, he tucked it into his sleeve, then retrieved another one and called a clerk to carry it.

This clerk was the one who ordinarily kept the accounts for him — someone who was, in a loose sense, his trusted aide. He took it with both hands, looking at him with a questioning glance: “Your Excellency.”

The Bureau of Guest Reception director said: “Follow me! Be sharp about it.”

The two went to Zhù Ying’s room. The Bureau of Guest Reception director said: “This is Di Gaoming — he handles the Bureau of Guest Reception’s accounts. Registrar Qi may ask him whatever he needs.”

Di Gaoming had come without expecting to have his accounts examined. When he suddenly heard the Bureau of Guest Reception director sell him out like that, his thought was: Director Ke is truly a bodhisattva — how am I supposed to know what kind of “sharp” you meant?

Di Gaoming extended his hands and passed the account book forward.

Qi Tai was composed now. He did not rush to take it, but glanced at Zhù Ying instead. Zhù Ying only kept smiling at the Bureau of Guest Reception director. The director had no choice but to fish out another account book from his sleeve.

Zhù Ying smiled, and without giving Qi Tai any instruction, Qi Tai settled without moving. The Bureau of Guest Reception director grew agitated: “That’s really all there is!”

Zhù Ying flipped the cover of the one he had placed open and closed it again: “What is put into my hands, I acknowledge — it gets a clean slate in my hands. Whatever was not put into my hands, you will have to carry yourselves from here on.”

The Bureau of Guest Reception director was still hesitating when one of the assistant directors could hold out no longer. He said quietly: “The Hall of Foreign Nations, because it receives guests from all directions, has some additional income and expenditures — I did not know your lordship would be reviewing the accounts today and did not bring those records. I will go back and fetch them now.”

Zhù Ying nodded and said to Qi Tai: “Begin.”

Di Gaoming, though he did not understand the full picture, had a bone-deep instinct that something was wrong. He looked at the Bureau of Guest Reception director in a panic. Everyone before him was an official — not to mention the deputy chief, even the Bureau of Guest Reception director and the others were not people he could afford to offend. When gods battle, mortals suffer — and he was unfortunately that mortal.

He had done quite a few things on behalf of the Bureau of Guest Reception director, things that made him something of a trusted aide, a confidant who shared in the benefits during ordinary times but had to do the dirty work when called upon — and when trouble came, it was the confidant who caught it first.

Di Gaoming sincerely hoped Zhù Ying meant what she said about giving things a clean slate. But the Bureau of Guest Reception director had said: “That’s all there is.”

Rubbish! You have another one in your sleeve! Di Gaoming cursed inwardly but dared not make a sound.

Zhù Ying said: “Good — you say so, and I believe you. Then let us begin.”

Qi Tai began turning through the accounts. The Bureau of Guest Reception director was meanwhile turning through an invisible private account in his own mind: that young fellow’s surname is Liu, isn’t it? And there is one called Ding Gui apparently at the Hall of Foreign Nations — they’ve been playing the role of informants! If I don’t make them taste a little bitterness, they’ll think everyone in the Court of State Ceremonial is a fool!

The Court of State Ceremonial’s accounts were not something that could be reconciled in a moment. By the time of the communal meal, one account book was still not finished. That afternoon, one of the assistant directors of the Bureau of Guest Reception brought over another account book.

Qi Tai had worked through the whole day and still had not finished reconciling, but he had identified several irregularities and pulled out several pages of falsified accounts. Zhù Ying picked up the account book and in one motion tore out those pages. She said to Xiao Huang: “Deliver these to Director Ke.”

After Xiao Huang left, Qi Tai was about to speak. Zhù Ying raised his brush: “Never mind — I have the figures in my head; I will write them down for you. It won’t interfere with reconciling your final total.”

Not long after Xiao Huang left, the Bureau of Guest Reception director came back with him.

Seeing Zhù Ying, he once again presented another account book: “My lord, please forgive me — I was afraid of delaying your lordship’s affairs. When I went back I searched again, and here — there is one more.”

Zhù Ying asked: “Everything that was missed is all in this one?”

The Bureau of Guest Reception director said quickly: “Yes.”

Zhù Ying said: “Thank you.” Xiao Huang took this new book and passed it to Qi Tai’s table. Zhù Ying invited the Bureau of Guest Reception director to sit: “Leave these trifling details for them to busy themselves with — let us work out together how to distribute this money.”

The Bureau of Guest Reception director said: “We have given out some in the past. We have our own revenues, and we distribute two shares. The Bureau of Rites gets one share as well — don’t let their plain appearance fool you, my lord; they have something put aside too.”

Zhù Ying listened to several open secrets, and after he had finished, said: “There is the poor man’s way of living, and the well-off man’s way of living. The Bureau of Guest Reception does better than the Bureau of Rites. How was it distributed before?”

“By rank,” said the Bureau of Guest Reception director. “When your lordship was at the Court of Judicial Review, everyone envied it. When I entered the Court of State Ceremonial, I still heard some old-timers talk about those days.”

Zhù Ying said: “Every office has its own such traditions — it was not something I invented.”

“Your lordship did it best.” The Bureau of Guest Reception director added a small bit of flattery.

Zhù Ying said: “It merely requires pairing it with developing new revenue streams. They are all small matters — there may seem little difference whether one does them or not, but they reveal whether the people doing the work are attentive. Now that we are inside the imperial city, the things we accomplish here will not go unnoticed.”

The Bureau of Guest Reception director murmured his agreement, then asked: “The Court of State Ceremonial is also to develop new revenue streams?”

New superiors come, and most will find ways to make inquiries — he had also found out a little about Zhù Ying’s past. But once Zhù Ying started managing things, his own power would contract, and whatever the gains would be was uncertain; the losses, however, were immediately in front of him. The Bureau of Guest Reception director was not without some resistance to this.

Zhù Ying said: “Of course. But first let us look at the accounts — what is in the ledger should also be in the treasury. Correct?”

The Bureau of Guest Reception director’s tone turned slightly sour: “This is the Bureau of Guest Reception’s own accounts — they are quite accurate.”

Zhù Ying smiled: “Then let us take a look at how the payments at each level are made.” She pulled out a sheet of paper listing the allowances and benefits for each rank of official and clerk in the Bureau of Guest Reception, and asked the Bureau of Guest Reception director whether it was accurate.

The Bureau of Guest Reception director nodded with resignation: “That is exactly how it is.”

Zhù Ying said: “Let us adjust it.” She had spotted the problems in the list at a glance. The cash payments were one thing, but distributions in kind were the real issue. The person in charge of distributing, such as the Bureau of Guest Reception director, could use the occasion for their own private benefit as well as the public’s. For instance, distributing goods: he could take a cut, pad the accounts. Spent a hundred, claimed two hundred — the extra hundred vanished from the ledger quite naturally. It could be used to fill old holes, or pocket. A hundred items distributed — he could skim off the top, pad the ledger. Spent a hundred, claimed two hundred — some clerks’ households had no use for certain items. Add a kickback, add a false entry, and the small treasury got another layer of skin peeled off.

Zhù Ying crossed out several items and added a few new ones, then added more in cash and invented some new categories of payments. For instance: the Emperor’s birthday — the Court of State Ceremonial was delighted, so they distributed money and spread good fortune.

Having drawn up the list, she then summoned the two assistant directors of the Bureau of Guest Reception to be informed of the matter. The assistant directors looked pained — this was a small treasury they had built up together, and now the new superior was using it to win favor. Not only that, but Zhù Ying specifically assigned Xiao Liu and Ding Gui to “assist in overseeing the distribution.”

The Bureau of Guest Reception director smiled stiffly: “Those two…”

Zhù Ying said: “Let those two handle it — we still have real business to attend to.”

The Bureau of Guest Reception director had no choice but to ask: “What business does your lordship mean?”

Zhù Ying said: “Two matters. All three of you go home today and each think it over. I want to see your thoughts tomorrow. First, when foreign nations come to pay their respects at the New Year, how are they to be received, and what important matters require attention. Second, how we are to develop new revenue streams.”

“What?”

Zhù Ying stroked the cat with an unhurried air: “I spent your private savings — if I don’t bring in some lasting income, you’ll all be cursing me the moment you walk out that door, won’t you?”

“We would never dare, we would never dare!” All three swore up and down. “Your lordship is so considerate of us — we are full of gratitude; how could we possibly grumble?” Their actual thoughts were: I’m cursing you in my head right this moment.

Yet the word “revenue streams” gave them a lift of the spirits. By reputation, Deputy Chief Zhù “in younger years” had been a remarkably skilled hand at managing finances.

Zhù Ying said: “Then let us stop here for today.”

“Yes.”

……

In the days that followed, Zhù Ying met twice more with these three, both times after working hours when the three came together to Zhù Ying’s residence.

The Zhù residence’s appearance, compared to the grand mansions they had seen before, was plain almost to the point of austerity. Yet the Zhù residence’s servants were all young and capable, not particularly tall, but every one of them bright-eyed and alert.

Arriving at Zhù Ying’s study, they saw several pieces of calligraphy hanging on the walls — none of them works by historical figures; all were the output of living persons of the present day. New people, new works, combined with the interior furnishings, suggested that the Deputy Chief was still on the road of building up her household. The three of them thought privately: she had served in official positions for all these years — could this really be all the wealth she had accumulated? It must be a deliberate show.

But when they looked carefully at the signatures on the calligraphy, they found she had collected the brushwork of every Chief Minister of the past twenty years. One entire wall was hung with a scroll of ink bamboo painted by Liu Songnian. This gave them a sense of far greater consequence than hanging works by historical figures would have — and the weight of the study’s owner made itself felt without any need for ancient names.

Yet Zhù Ying herself was very easygoing. Holding down the tabby cat whose paw was about to reach for the inkstone, she said to the three: “You’ve come. Sit.”

The three of them — the Bureau of Guest Reception director, and the two assistant directors — had not come without a measure of probing. The Bureau of Guest Reception director spoke first: “We have thought it over at length, and feel that real business cannot be delayed. Tomorrow after tomorrow — how many tomorrows are there? Do things now while you can.”

Zhù Ying gave a nod. The Bureau of Guest Reception director then laid out their proposals. First, to formalize the use of the “small treasury” — the three of them had carefully worked out the largest possible share of allowances and goods to go to this Deputy Chief. Second, for revenue streams: simply take stock of shops and warehouses and collect rent. Third, for receiving foreign envoys — this was still to be handled by the Hall of Foreign Nations, and would require requesting funds from above.

Conventional and steady.

Zhù Ying said: “Measured and balanced — excellent.”

The Bureau of Guest Reception director also smiled: “I have long wanted to set things in order, but had never encountered an understanding superior to give guidance. How fortunate that your lordship has come.”

Zhù Ying said: “In the affairs of the world, it is a virtue to be comfortably ambiguous. Do the important things; small things are fine to let slide. Once foreign envoys arrive, we will have no leisure at all — while there are still few people here, let us first set our own household affairs in order. First: clear the old accounts. For long-standing debts — I will smooth them over.” These included various crooked dealings the three of them had carried out under the shelter of the Court of State Ceremonial’s prestige — participating in the trade of foreign nations’ goods and accepting certain favors.

The three of the Bureau of Guest Reception all expressed their thanks together.

Zhù Ying continued: “As winter approaches, the year’s evaluation will begin again. What is the point of just writing up a report on our own and submitting it to the Ministry of Personnel? Only if I manage the Bureau of Guest Reception well will I be able to speak to the Emperor.”

One of the assistant directors of the Bureau of Guest Reception hastened to ask: “What does your lordship mean?”

Zhù Ying’s gaze turned very cold, sweeping across all three, finally coming to rest on him, and she said: “Were you sleepwalking at the Hall of Foreign Nations that day? Whether it is foreign envoys or not — the principle is always the same: peace and prosperity above all, and that means peace first. Allowing foreign guests and foreign merchants to gossip freely — what kind of order is that? I am putting it plainly here! The Court of State Ceremonial — whatever private arrangements you have among yourselves I do not care about. Foreign guests, foreign merchants, envoys from the four foreign nations — they are not permitted to have any connection whatsoever with any prince!”

Foreign envoys all stayed in the Hall of Foreign Nations both for the convenience of receiving them and the convenience of keeping watch on them. The treatment was good, but the appropriate vigilance was not lacking either. When foreign envoys went out, people would follow, openly or discreetly. When Su Mingluan and the others had come, Zhù Ying had been one of those accompanying them.

The three all answered in agreement.

Zhù Ying said: “I am saying this only once. Anyone who breaks my rules — I will hunt them down to the ends of the earth.”

The Bureau of Guest Reception director at this point was quite frank and direct: “Your lordship’s words sell us short — who among us would put their hopes in foreign envoys to accomplish something?”

Zhù Ying said: “That is best. Get the rules worked out promptly — before the evaluation report is submitted, put on a proper show. Do you know what kind of show?”

The Bureau of Guest Reception director did not dare show off his own cleverness and humbly asked for instruction: “We ask your lordship to explain.”

“Those who fight well win no fame for wisdom, win no glory for courage,” said Zhù Ying. “To relieve His Majesty of burdens is not as good as leaving His Majesty nothing to be burdened by.”

She lifted the tabby cat into her arms and said: “Look at this cat. When it is not comfortable, I groom its fur — it can feel the comfort. Why does it feel comfortable? Because it first felt discomfort! It can feel the difference!”

The point was a little roundabout. The three of them thought it over, and then connected the cat to the Emperor. The three exchanged a glance: right — it is His Majesty who sent him here!

They set aside their various private thoughts and went about doing what Zhù Ying had assigned. On the surface, the Bureau of Guest Reception looked the same as before — doing whatever needed to be done. The matter of developing new revenue streams was also not urgent. They again sorted through the enterprises and goods connected to foreign merchants and reported them to Zhù Ying. Zhù Ying made further adjustments from these — the Bureau of Guest Reception, treated as a whole unit, was simplified and streamlined to be clear and orderly. The Bureau of Guest Reception’s entitlements increased; what the foreign merchants paid out actually decreased.

Under the pretext of “inspecting the Hall of Foreign Nations in preparation for envoys,” Zhù Ying gathered the Bureau of Guest Reception staff at the Hall of Foreign Nations.

The gates closed. The distribution of supplements began. This small treasury was distributed only to Zhù Ying and the officials and clerks of the Bureau of Guest Reception. Zhù Ying sat at the head, the Bureau of Guest Reception director and the two assistant directors to either side, and Ding Gui and Xiao Liu helped with the distribution.

A name was called, a share delivered. Zhù Ying watched the expressions and movements of the clerks and officials below in relation to Ding Gui and Xiao Liu. In places like this, the “superior’s trusted attendants” tended to be both resented and feared — it was easy for them to be left isolated. Zhù Ying had deliberately put these two in charge of distributing the benefits precisely to whittle away at that estrangement.

When the distribution was done, everyone gave their thanks together. Zhù Ying said: “Let’s get the unpleasant part out of the way first so we can get along well afterward. Just a few words. First: as long as I am here, the benefits going forward will only be more.”

A round of cheers rose from below.

“Second: once you have the benefits, don’t go showing off. Keep quiet and prosper. If it gets out, it will be bad for everyone.”

A burst of laughter rose from below: “Yes.” Everyone looked at this young superior who sat there cradling a tabby cat, and felt that Zhù Ying was simply wonderful — so sensible, so attentive to their interests, so easygoing, and a cat-keeper too. How could anyone like that be a bad person?

“Third: be obedient.”

“Of course — we naturally listen to your lordship.”

Zhù Ying said: “Let us all just keep quiet and not stir up trouble. When the envoys arrive, trouble is even less tolerable. Loose on the outside, tight on the inside — keep that in mind yourself. No one is permitted to eat at the trough and bite the hand that feeds them. Once out of these gates, everyone else is an outsider — no one is to let any foreign envoy stretch a hand where it does not belong! Don’t let envoys and foreign merchants put their tongues where they should not or reach their hands into places they should not. Keep your own mouths shut about what goes on here — not a single word about Bureau of Guest Reception affairs is to leak outside.”

Zhù Ying laid out her requirements slowly.

Having received their benefits, the officials and clerks all agreed. The dynasty’s own subjects, whether petty officials or common people, had genuinely little interest in entangling themselves with foreign nations.

Zhù Ying said finally: “Don’t stir up trouble, and you’ll draw your current salary for a lifetime — a steady flow. Stir up trouble, and someone might offer you a bribe that matches a lifetime’s earnings — but only if you have the life to collect it, and can pass it down to your children. These words, I say only once. Whoever breaks my rules — I will bring them in to face justice, no matter where they go to heaven or earth. Whatever you cannot handle yourselves, come and report to me — I will take it on.”

A chill passed through everyone’s hearts, and all said: “Yes.”

Zhù Ying smiled again: “Good. Everything that needed saying has been said. Open the gates — back to work.”

The Bureau of Guest Reception also grew quieter.

……——

At the winter solstice ceremony, Zhù Ying and the others again followed the Emperor out beyond the city walls.

When they returned from outside the city, the Court of State Ceremonial entered the season for evaluating each person’s performance over the year. The Bureau of Guest Reception director drafted the ratings and brought them first to Zhù Ying. She looked them over and saw that the ratings for each person were at middling or above. She picked up her brush and struck through all the ratings, pushing each person’s original assessment up a notch. For those it was genuinely not appropriate to rate any higher, she simply added a few more commendatory words to the concluding remarks.

The Bureau of Guest Reception director said: “This… my lord, isn’t this somewhat improper?”

By procedure, the two bureaus were to report to the two assistant directors, who would verify and then bring the results to the deputy chiefs, after which the chief would sign, and finally the matter would be submitted to the Ministry of Personnel for the record. The Bureau of Guest Reception director had brought this directly to Zhù Ying partly out of private calculation — by placing himself below Zhù Ying in this way, any objections from Assistant Director Ruan would have to be directed at Zhù Ying instead.

But taking it directly to Assistant Director Ruan would put the Bureau of Guest Reception director in the wrong.

Zhù Ying said: “Copy out another original and give it to him. This copy I’m keeping.”

The Bureau of Guest Reception director pointed at the places Zhù Ying had altered and asked: “Then those…”

Zhù Ying said: “Is he in a position to decide the matter on his own?”

The Bureau of Guest Reception director could not help saying: “The likes of us are fortunate indeed to have encountered your lordship.”

“I’m fortunate to have met all of you as well. Take it to him.”

Assistant Director Ruan changed only one or two people’s ratings, then brought the documents to Zhù Ying. Zhù Ying returned the Bureau of Rites’ list: “I have had little opportunity to observe these people — it would not be appropriate for me to comment. Take it to Deputy Chief Shen.”

She then revised the Bureau of Guest Reception’s evaluation again. Before Assistant Director Ruan, the two bureaus now showed ratings at different levels. Compared side by side, the Bureau of Rites’ ratings now appeared low by contrast. Those who knew the situation would say Zhù Ying was looking out for her own people; those who did not might assume Assistant Director Ruan was making things difficult for the Bureau of Rites on purpose.

Assistant Director Ruan hesitated.