Captain Xiao and Captain Zhang stood shoulder to shoulder. The two of them had agreed to take turns spending the night at the Four Barbarians’ Lodge, with both present during the day. On occasions when the foreign envoys took up residence, the two were required to appear and put on a face.

Their role today was simply to stand there like a pair of imposing door gods — the actual presenting of faces would be left to the people from the Court of Dependencies. Should the foreigners prove “discourteous,” they were to display the heroic spirit of men from the central plains and not allow the foreigners to run rampant. To that end, both men had donned their armor, pressed their hands to their sabers, puffed out their bellies, and widened their eyes a few degrees more than usual.

Yet the moment they caught sight of the foreign envoy, their eyes went even wider — and their imposing air diminished by several notches. This was the foreign envoy?

When envoys from outside the realm entered the capital, officials along every stretch of the route would dispatch escorts to accompany them in relay all the way to the city, where they were handed off to the people from the Court of Dependencies. Zhù Ying led the reception party; the outgoing escorts introduced both sides to each other, and Zhù Ying then exchanged salutes with the foreign envoy.

As the foreign envoy drew closer, Zhù Ying’s eyebrow twitched ever so slightly. The man wore a single white, brocade-trimmed foreign robe embroidered with blue patterns. His frame was tall and slender; even dressed in winter clothes, he showed not a trace of bulk, and his bearing was far more pleasing to the eye than Kun Da Chi’s. A few steps closer, and his features came into focus as well.

He bore no particular resemblance to Liu Songnian, yet he shared something of Liu Songnian’s refined air — fair-faced with a beard, his gaze bright and piercing, his glance vivid and full of life. He appeared to be around forty, that age when power, wealth, and learning have accumulated in abundance yet old age has not yet begun to make threats — composed and steady without seeming stiff. He showed neither the haggard weariness wrung out by hardship nor the arrogant condescension of a man drunk on his own success.

He raised a hand and performed the salute customary among his people. His fingers were long and lean with a wiry strength; he wore a large ring cast in the shape of a wolf’s head on one of them, which, rather than detracting from the beauty of the hand, actually made the fingers appear more elegant by contrast. One could easily overlook the calluses scattered across those hands.

In every respect, he had the bearing of a cultivated scholar-gentleman.

Both parties had brought interpreters, and they exchanged greetings through them. The man had already given prior notice to the Court of Dependencies: this person was the national chancellor of his people, and his name was Lei Li A Tu — which in translation meant something like “a blue felt tent.”

After the interpreter had finished conveying the pleasantries, Lei Li A Tu smiled and said, “For the Deputy Chief to be so young — the central lands are truly teeming with talent.”

He spoke the official tongue more fluently than even the students Zhù Ying had taught in Wuzhou! Zhù Ying had been studying the foreign language for only a few months and could catch snatches of what he said, but she was nowhere near as at ease in it as he was in the official tongue.

She had walked too many roads at night and finally run into a ghost.

Zhù Ying smiled and said, “The National Chancellor flatters me. There are brilliant talents aplenty under heaven — I am merely among the most ordinary of them. The lodgings have all been arranged. National Chancellor, please, this way.”

Lei Li A Tu said, “I thank the Deputy Chief for the trouble.”

Those behind him — whether vice-envoys or attendants — all took their cues from his movements. The party made its way toward the lodgings, and throughout the journey Lei Li A Tu looked upon the street scenes of the capital with admiring eyes, pausing now and then to ask Zhù Ying about various things that made the city distinctive. His command of the official tongue was almost entirely without accent, and his vocabulary was precise — not a single chengyu or classical allusion misused. There was not a gap in their conversation through which an interpreter could have inserted so much as a word.

Upon reaching the lodge, the Liaison Officer came out to receive them. Zhù Ying first accompanied the envoy to his quarters and had tea and refreshments brought. Host and guest sat down, and Lei Li A Tu began by offering congratulations on the investiture of the Crown Prince: “I heard on the road of the Crown Prince’s investiture, and my joy knows no bounds.”

Zhù Ying thanked him on behalf of the court, then gestured toward the Liaison Officer and said, “Should the honored envoy need anything, simply tell him. Lodge matters are his to handle; what lies beyond his handling, he can relay on your behalf.”

Lei Li A Tu expressed his thanks, and Zhù Ying added, “The honored envoy has come from afar and must be weary. I will leave you in peace to rest — I shall trouble you no further.”

Lei Li A Tu said, “A moment, Deputy Chief.”

“Is there something else the National Chancellor wishes to say?”

Lei Li A Tu smiled. “The investiture of the Crown Prince is a great occasion — surely far weightier than the matter of envoys. Once we part today, I expect you will have important business to attend to. I have a few matters to raise; why not address them all at once so that our affairs may be settled clearly? Would that not be more convenient for you?”

Zhù Ying blinked. “Please, National Chancellor, speak.”

Lei Li A Tu gestured to someone behind him, and a person stepped forward bearing a scroll of paper sealed with lacquer.

He had altogether a few matters to raise: “I have brought the state letter — when might I have audience with His Imperial Majesty?” “Now that there is a Crown Prince, might it be possible to meet His Highness the Crown Prince?” “I have come also for an additional urgent matter, which concerns the trading post — our country has suffered poor harvests in recent years, and I wonder whether we might purchase some grain?” “Furthermore, there are matters along the border — might I speak with someone versed in military affairs?”

Zhù Ying said, “The National Chancellor has quite stumped me. Allow me to inquire with the Chancellor of State on your behalf.”

Lei Li A Tu then produced bolts of silk and valuables; Zhù Ying declined them, saying, “This is simply my duty.” Lei Li A Tu replied, “I trouble your lodge and feel uneasy in my heart.”

Zhù Ying said, “If the National Chancellor cannot rest at ease here, then I have failed in my duty. Please rest at ease. I will go report now.”

“Much obliged.”

Zhù Ying then turned to the Liaison Officer and the other lodge staff: “Come here, all of you — take stock of the goods.” She called the Four Barbarians’ Lodge staff together, beginning with the Dian Ke Cheng, and gave them instructions: “This foreign envoy is no ordinary man — receive him with care. Do not set any covert watches on him. When speaking in the envoy’s presence, mind every word!”

“Yes!”

The Dian Ke Cheng said, “It is rare to have such an envoy come. Change his clothes and you genuinely could not tell him apart from anyone else.”

“Then you had better not blink and let him actually change his clothes and slip away.”

The Dian Ke Cheng tucked in his neck: “Yes.”

Zhù Ying said, “If he asks about anything in the court — anything at all — you are not to open your hearts and bare everything to him!”

“Yes.”

Zhù Ying also instructed the Liaison Officer to draw an extra allocation of writing materials and ink: “Go and give them to him — that is what you are to present as your gift.” Seeing that the day was growing late, she quickly left the Four Barbarians’ Lodge and made straight for the Princess Yongping’s residence.

……

Luo Sheng had not yet come home. Princess Yongping received Zhù Ying first, and smiling, asked, “You were all going to see Er Lang today — how did it go?”

Zhù Ying said, “His Highness the Crown Prince is doing well. There is a small complication at the Court of Dependencies.”

“Oh? How so?”

“A formidable figure arrived today — the foreign envoy is their national chancellor, and he is quite formidable.”

Princess Yongping said, “If even you say he is formidable, then he must truly be formidable.”

Zhù Ying smiled a little. “It is not that he cannot be handled, but I’ll need to prepare carefully. Before long, I may need to ask Lord Luo to come along and call upon the two Chancellors.”

Princess Yongping said, “Is it that serious?”

Zhù Ying thought for a moment and said, “It is better to be prepared than not, and it does no harm to mention it to Your Highness. The foreign peoples are to the north, and the northern regions have seen poor harvests in recent years — this year cannot be called prosperous either. The foreign peoples share a border with the north, and they too must suffer the hardships of the weather.”

“I know this — whenever something goes wrong for them, they start raiding the borders again. What a nuisance.”

“Scattered reports have already been coming in.”

The two exchanged a few more words before Luo Sheng returned. He nodded to Princess Yongping, then said to Zhù Ying, “They told me you had come. How did things go today?”

Zhù Ying said, “The foreign envoy will not be easy to deal with. He raised several matters the moment we met and laid out a clear agenda for us — we must discuss this.”

Luo Sheng said, “Very well.”

Princess Yongping said, “Let us talk over dinner.”

The three of them ate together, and Zhù Ying went through Lei Li A Tu’s various remarks and mannerisms one by one. She then asked Luo Sheng, “There has never been any mention of such a national chancellor before — a figure of this caliber and no one ever brought him up! His identity is confirmed as genuine; it has already been verified that he is not a merchant or similar person passing himself off as something else. This is truly suspicious.”

The Court of Dependencies might look harmless, but it did make an effort to keep track of some intelligence regarding the tributary states — especially powerful forces like the western frontier peoples and the foreign peoples to the north, particularly after Zhù Ying had taken her post. The routes were long, and information passed from mouth to ear might have been garbled along the way, but a national chancellor who had never been heard of before — that was peculiar. Someone around forty, not from the Khan’s own clan, who could rise to become national chancellor — no simple figure.

Princess Yongping asked, “Can a foreign land truly have such a person?”

Zhù Ying said, “He is exactly that.”

Luo Sheng said, “Then what is to be done?”

Zhù Ying said, “This man genuinely has the talent of a chief minister, and the foreign peoples should not be taken lightly. Nor should this be publicly broadcast. It would be best to quietly inform His Majesty and the Chancellors. There is also another matter: governors from the various regions are arriving in the capital, and most will bring tribute scholars with them. These men of letters will gather together — it is an ideal time for building reputations.”

Luo Sheng said, “What does that have to do with us?”

“If Lei Li A Tu were allowed to mingle repeatedly with these scholars — tsk! I do believe no one would betray the country, but what he might glean from these men is another matter entirely. Who knows how much intelligence he has already gathered on his journey here.”

Luo Sheng said, “Chancellor Shi is on night duty today — let us go see Chancellor Wang.”

“Very well.”

The two finished their meal quickly and went to call on Wang Yunhe.

Wang Yunhe’s spirits had been quite good these past few days: the Crown Prince had at last been installed. The Emperor was still being difficult, and one could see his wariness and displeasure toward the “Crown Prince.” But what of it? Could he really depose another one?

Wang Yunhe was in the rare pleasure of flipping through a leisure book when the doorman reported that Luo Sheng and Zhù Ying had arrived. Wang Yunhe said, “It must be Sanlang stirring up trouble. Show them in.” He tossed the leisure book aside, turned to the bookcase, and pulled out a hand-copied volume — its cover bore the title Notes on a Mission to the Foreign North. He flipped through two pages and put it back.

When Zhù Ying and Luo Sheng arrived, Wang Yunhe said, “Sit.”

The three sat down. Luo Sheng was a little tense — most people were quite careful around this Chancellor. He glanced at Zhù Ying and noticed that she, as ever, showed no change.

Wang Yunhe said, “What brings you?”

Luo Sheng said, “Y-yes, a small matter at the Court of Dependencies. Z-Zizhang, you explain.”

Zhù Ying then recounted the day’s events for Wang Yunhe in full, exactly as they had happened. Back at the Princess’s residence she had not gone into such great detail; now, hearing her describe things so precisely, Luo Sheng felt many of the fine points seemed unnecessary and feared Wang Yunhe might grow weary of listening.

To his surprise, Wang Yunhe listened attentively throughout. When she finished, he said, “This person was truly never heard of before. The matters he raised — report them to His Majesty tomorrow; the Secretariat will find time to discuss his affairs. As for the Four Barbarians’ Lodge: keep a close eye on him.”

Zhù Ying shook her head slightly. “I have already given instructions. But they will likely be useless — that man is not stupid; he can draw out a great deal of information without any visible effort. The instructions I gave now are no more than an act of conscience. Chancellor, permit me to make clear: neither trade nor border military affairs fall within the Court of Dependencies’ jurisdiction. When the court sends people to negotiate with him, it must on no account be anyone picked at random — they must be astute and capable.”

Wang Yunhe nodded. “It seems this man is no simple figure.”

“Indeed.”

Wang Yunhe said to Zhù Ying, “That you went to the Court of Dependencies does seem, after all, to be a fitting assignment.”

Zhù Ying smiled. “When His Majesty asks, I tell him: I am not choosy about my work — give me the task and I will do it.”

Wang Yunhe then said to Luo Sheng, “You are sincere in your dealings with others — when meeting the foreign envoy, do not be too soft-hearted.”

Luo Sheng said, “Yes.”

Wang Yunhe looked at Zhù Ying once more and said, “While this foreign envoy certainly warrants attention, you must not neglect the others.”

Luo Sheng had already obligingly responded, “Yes.”

Wang Yunhe thought to himself: it seems I shall have to meet this foreign envoy in person. But with Luo Sheng present, he did not linger further in conversation with Zhù Ying, and raised his teacup to signal. Luo Sheng and Zhù Ying, reading the gesture, took their leave.

……

The following morning, Wang Yunhe and Luo Sheng raised the matter of the foreign envoy at the morning court session.

The Emperor had barely survived the ordeal of installing the Crown Prince and had no desire to receive a foreign envoy again in full court so soon. He said, “Let the Secretariat manage the matters he raised first.”

Wang Yunhe bowed and accepted the order. After the court dispersed, he summoned Zhù Ying and Luo Sheng to the Secretariat. He handed over the affairs to Shi Kun and said, “I am going to take a look at that man.”

Shi Kun fixed his gaze sharply on Zhù Ying. “You are confident in your assessment?”

Zhù Ying said, “Even if he is not the one calling the shots, someone shrewd and capable must be advising him.”

Shi Kun nodded. “More or less.”

It was something of a rarity for Wang Yunhe to go to the Four Barbarians’ Lodge in person. Zhù Ying’s brow furrowed slightly; she thought to herself: the situation in the north must be worse than imagined, or he would not come personally to the Four Barbarians’ Lodge.

This touched on negotiating terms. For someone like Kun Da Chi, it was the Court of Dependencies that would first have a conversation with him. Now that Wang Yunhe had made his move, Zhù Ying did not think two Chancellors would come down personally simply because she had said a word.

Luo Sheng had already spoken his astonishment aloud: “Why should a Chancellor need to come in person? This seems rather too…”

Wang Yunhe said, “You do not know — the Secretariat has been sitting on a number of military dispatches.”

Ah! The pieces clicked into place for Zhù Ying. That explained it! No wonder the northern regions’ single drought had prompted so many large-scale transfers of grain from the south! Even accounting for existing shortfalls, it would not warrant such an elaborate operation. They had been remarkably good at keeping it hidden. No wonder there had been so many troop movements! Every previous arrangement now had more than sufficient reason behind it, and the Court of Dependencies’ earlier weak state was indeed ill-suited to manage any of this.

Her mind was turning at full speed, and then they arrived.

Lei Li A Tu was not the fidgety sort, unlike Kun Da Chi. Not only could he sit still himself, he also kept his attendants in order and made no move to provoke the western frontier peoples over matters of precedence. The Four Barbarians’ Lodge was a picture of quiet and harmony.

Captain Zhang and Captain Xiao stood up even straighter. The Dian Ke Cheng, shaking with a mixture of nerves and excitement, greeted Wang Yunhe with a stammer — and still managed to squeeze in a compliment: “A man who truly knows what he is doing. Next to him, the western frontier lot look practically like monkeys.”

Wang Yunhe, with a benevolent smile, said, “Is that so? Then I had better meet him.”

On Lei Li A Tu’s side, hearing movement from this direction, he stepped out of his quarters. He had changed into a pale purple outfit — still a foreign-style robe, embroidered with yellow patterns — and his bearing was genuinely of a piece with the celebrated refined gentlemen of the capital. The only difference was that the capital’s refined gentlemen, when wearing foreign-style robes, never carried their ornaments and accessories as authentically as he did. Wang Yunhe looked at him once and felt that Zhù Ying had been seven or eight parts correct.

The two sides met. Zhù Ying made the introductions. In the presence of Wang Yunhe, Luo Sheng simply kept his mouth shut and let Wang Yunhe take the lead. Even had he not chosen silence, Luo Sheng would have struggled to find anything to say. Zhù Ying had not exaggerated — this foreign envoy-chancellor genuinely made one feel, on meeting him, as though bathed in the warmth of a spring breeze!

And then, a scene occurred that left Luo Sheng even more speechless. Wang Yunhe stepped forward two paces, clasped Lei Li A Tu’s hands in his own, and said, “The National Chancellor’s bearing and manner make me feel utterly inferior!”

Heavens above! Luo Sheng gave a start and looked at Zhù Ying. Zhù Ying’s face still carried a trace of a smile, but it too had gone slightly rigid.

Wang Yunhe! What manner of person had he not seen? And still he reacted like this? Lei Li A Tu was impressive, certainly, but this was a man who looked upon Old Liu every day! Did Zheng Xi fall short in appearance or in ability? Every year among the officials who received promotions, there were always a few of striking appearance and fine bearing — but no one had ever been greeted so extravagantly!

He had never looked at Xian Jing with such a fond, gentle gaze!

In broad daylight, this old fox really was…

No wonder he could become a Chancellor!

He must be scheming something! The foreign envoy’s visit must have a deeper purpose!

On the other side, Wang Yunhe had already fallen into conversation with Lei Li A Tu, who produced some of his own poetry and asked Wang Yunhe to comment on it. Wang Yunhe praised it lavishly, then turned on Zhù Ying: “You — why have you put no effort into this? After you finished memorizing the rime dictionaries, what else did you do with yourself?”

Zhù Ying readily admitted the fault: “I am too prosaic.”

Lei Li A Tu immediately praised Zhù Ying for her young talent and her ability to carry great responsibilities with apparent ease: “She is nothing like those who only know how to follow fashionable cultural pursuits for show.”

He kept Wang Yunhe’s company in conversation for a while, then raised his difficulties: “My country, though it has a sovereign lord, nevertheless…”

The foreign peoples were nominally one nation, but in reality their arrangements were even less unified than a feudal enfeoffment — the Khan’s control over the various tribes was not particularly strong. Thus, those who raided the border each year were not necessarily acting on the Khan’s orders. When the Khan’s own clan was powerful, the various tribes were more obedient. When his strength weakened, people vied for position. The current Khan was not weak, but it did not help that all the tribes needed to eat.

The north had suffered drought, and each of the foreign peoples’ tribes was having an even harder time of it. Some among the foreign peoples were semi-settled and farmed for a living; when the weather was bad, they turned to raiding. And so Lei Li A Tu hoped to obtain some grain in exchange for goods, to relieve the immediate crisis and maintain stability along the border.

“It benefits both of us.”

Wang Yunhe sighed. “The common people suffer so. Hmm — and how much do you need?”

Lei Li A Tu said, “As much as possible, naturally.”

Wang Yunhe said, “I will have them deliberate on it. If the honored envoy has any matter, he may at any time have someone relay it to Sanlang. Sanlang, you are to serve as the liaison.”

Zhù Ying, keeping her gaze demurely downcast, said, “Yes.”

Lei Li A Tu was greatly pleased. “Many thanks to the Chancellor.”

Wang Yunhe smiled serenely and said, “I have other matters. Let them keep you company.”