Zhù Ying had just returned home from the Court of Foreign Affairs when the calling card was pressed into her hands at the very door. Any other calling card might have allowed for a guess or two, but Liu Songnian’s card was genuinely strange.
What was strange was not the “come over” but the “let’s have a talk.” Since the previous year, whenever she visited Liu Songnian at his residence, the two of them would sit across from each other in silence — neither particularly inclined to speak. Sometimes she would arrive without even sending a card first and head straight to his house. Liu Songnian’s cards to her were sometimes entirely blank with just a name on them, and when she saw them she simply went over.
He had never once said “let’s have a talk.” The two of them had, for the most part, stopped talking much at all.
Zhù Ying replied at once: “I’ll go right away.”
She returned to her room to change clothes, picked up her blade, mounted her horse, and rode with Hu Shijie and a few others toward Liu Songnian’s residence.
Since becoming Chief Minister, Liu Songnian had lost some of his former ease; officials came calling from time to time, and students seeking introductions came as well. Liu Songnian could no longer send them away as he once had, but he would outlast them — wearing most of them down until they gave up. Within the scholarly community, people felt he exuded some indescribable quality.
When Zhù Ying arrived at Liu Songnian’s residence, it was even quieter than usual. From the gate she was led straight to a small waterside pavilion. Liu Songnian had already changed out of his court robes and sat on a couch in a scholar’s robe; not far away, coils of dried mugwort were smoldering away. The summer days were long, and the light was good. Liu Songnian gestured to the seat across from him. Without ceremony, Zhù Ying hiked up her hem and sat on the couch, set her blade to one side, poured herself a cup of tea, and topped up Liu Songnian’s cup for good measure. She drank and regarded him.
Liu Songnian said, “Even the imperial relatives treat you with deference — why are you staring at me?”
Another person might not have known what he was talking about, but Zhù Ying said, “Ah? Oh — all my past supervisors have treated me rather well.”
“I’m talking about Princess Anren.”
“Isn’t that my supervisor’s mother? That’s also the supervisor’s household.”
“Nonsense.” Liu Songnian delivered this clean verdict.
Zhù Ying smiled and poured herself another cup of tea. “So you didn’t call me here for a talk — you called me here to scold me.”
“When has Princess Anren ever looked favorably upon anyone below her?” Liu Songnian said coldly. “She’s going to send you things — you’d better be careful.”
“Is she really that formidable?”
Liu Songnian nodded. “When has she ever cared whether the people below her were happy about anything?”
Zhù Ying said, “With such a glowing assessment of her from you, do you really need to worry that I can’t see clearly?”
Liu Songnian looked at her coolly. “She is an imperial relative!”
“I am the Court of Foreign Affairs’s Deputy Director, subject only to the court. But human relations and courtesies must still be maintained, surely?”
Liu Songnian said, “Where there are human courtesies, there is the risk of softening.”
“I have no heart,” Zhù Ying said.
Liu Songnian made a contemptuous sound. “You wouldn’t be scheming on behalf of that foolish Luo Sheng and landing him in a dangerous situation, would you?”
His tone was light, but his expression had turned dangerous. There were many clever people, and Zhù Ying was not the only one. But Zhù Ying was the type who genuinely acted on things. The way she sometimes operated was not purely for self-interest — there was a tiny thread of misguided soft-heartedness woven through her, even more so than Wang Yunhe in that regard. Luo Sheng was too close to the palace; Liu Songnian had no choice but to keep close watch on her.
Zhù Ying said, “Absolutely not.”
“May I say one more thing?”
Zhù Ying flopped backward in an exaggerated sprawl. “Are you asking me?”
Liu Songnian exploded: “Get out!”
Zhù Ying said, “You summon me all this way and don’t even feed me?”
Liu Songnian said, “If you want to keep eating well, you’d better be cautious around the Eastern Palace too! I should have blocked the appointment of Prince Qiyang as nominal governor of Wuzhou from the start.”
Zhù Ying said, “Well, it wasn’t blocked.”
“Get out.”
Zhù Ying said, “You’re still worried about the Eastern Palace, aren’t you? Things are complicated enough already — the realm can’t endure another deposal. Right now it’s about who can avoid making fewer mistakes. When I see Prince Qiyang, shall I mention something?”
“Go, go, go.”
“Really no food?”
Liu Songnian said, “Fine, eat, eat — someone come! Set out the meal!”
The meal was laid in the waterside pavilion — no music, no wine. Liu Songnian ate little and slowly; Zhù Ying ate a great deal and quickly. Seeing that she still had an appetite, Liu Songnian gave a faint smile. “You still need to keep an eye on the Court of Foreign Affairs. His Majesty doesn’t expect Luo Sheng to be able to steady things during a dynastic transition.”
Zhù Ying swallowed the food in her mouth and said, “When everyone keeps to their proper place, a person like him who governs without interference is adequate. The trouble is that the capital is full of shrewd individuals — and you certainly know that. There have been more and more such people over the past few years. People’s hearts are like stomachs — eat enough and they gradually stretch to hold more. Everyone says military merit is the highest distinction, but I’m not so sure.”
Liu Songnian said, “That’s not something for you to worry about. Look after yourself.”
“Understood.”
Liu Songnian was still not at ease. “Remember what you said — don’t go adding flourishes where none are needed. The Eastern Palace is inside the forbidden precincts and will be in no danger.”
“Good.”
“Princess Anren, Princess Yongping, and even Luo Sheng — none of them are the Eastern Palace, and none of them are Prince Qiyang.”
“What do I care who she is? My loyalty is to His Majesty alone.”
Liu Songnian said, “I’ll take you at your word.”
“Name one instance where I didn’t keep my word.”
Liu Songnian was unaffected. He asked seriously: “You won’t take action, will you?”
“Correct.”
This time Liu Songnian truly smiled. “Eat and then get out.”
——
The following day, the approval came back smoothly. Zhù Ying said to Luo Sheng, “The approval has come down. I’ll arrange for them to go to the Eastern Palace tomorrow. Prince Qiyang has not, after all, had experience with local administration; there are some matters I’ll still need to explain to His Highness.”
Luo Sheng said, “Good, good — thank you for the trouble.” He wanted to bring up Princess Anren’s matter again but didn’t know how to broach it, and could only watch as Zhù Ying turned and went back to whatever it was she was always busy with.
What kept Zhù Ying occupied were the affairs of the various foreign delegations. The trading market in the north had opened, and more intelligence was coming in. Zhù Ying had people stay alert and gather information, and vaguely heard that the Khan had summoned young men from various tribal groups to the royal court, with talk of redistributing pastureland and the like. At the same time, the Western frontier remained relatively stable; it was reported that Kun Da Chi had returned to the Western frontier’s capital city.
There were other scattered bits of intelligence as well, and Zhù Ying dealt with them one by one. Shen Ying had an errand that day — gone in the morning, back in the afternoon — and Zhù Ying left the imperial palace after the midday meal.
She first went to check on the location Su Zhe and the others had selected. The building was somewhat run-down and could not be used as it was; renovations were underway. After that, she went to the Metropolitan Prefecture Office.
The Metropolitan Prefecture Office had just resumed work after its noon break. The guard at the gate was fanning himself with a cattail fan; when he heard someone coming, he hastily hid the fan behind his back. When he saw who it was, he brought the fan back out again. “Magistrate Zhù, you’ve come?”
Zhù Ying said, “I have. Is the Metropolitan Prefect in?”
“He’s resting in back.”
“Oh.” Zhù Ying dismounted and walked straight inside. She had timed it well — she waited until now, so that by the time she arrived, Zheng Xi should have woken up.
The timing was just right. Zheng Xi had just finished washing his face and came walking out just as she arrived at the door. Zheng Xi said, “Something to discuss?”
Zhù Ying said, “A small matter.”
“Come.”
The two went to the study and sat across from each other. Without waiting for Zheng Xi to ask, Zhù Ying took out a sheet of paper and handed it over: “Tea grown in Wuzhou isn’t quite up to the standard of tribute tea, but pressed into tea bricks it tastes excellent brewed as milk tea. They’ve come up from Wuzhou and brought me some — I’ve already sent two baskets to your household to enjoy. This is the recipe. I find it best served cold, though some people’s stomachs are delicate, and for them drinking it warm is better.”
Zheng Xi took the paper and glanced at it. “Just for this? You came all the way from the palace?”
Zhù Ying said, “There’s something else.”
“Hmm?”
Zhù Ying said, “You and Princess Anren’s family — there’s nothing else going on there, is there?”
“What do you mean?”
Zhù Ying said, “Before, she came to your household to urge you to push me on something — but for this current matter, I’d imagine it wasn’t something you sanctioned?”
“What matter?”
Zhù Ying said, “She held a birthday banquet, and you were there too. After you all left, the Princess called me over and told me of something wonderful — she wants to act as my matchmaker.”
Zheng Xi’s composure was excellent. Even at this, he did not curse, and said only, “There’s no match she could arrange that I couldn’t have proposed to you directly.”
Zhù Ying said, “I thought as much.”
Zheng Xi laughed. “So there really are things even you can’t endure.”
“My father and mother haven’t made any arrangements, and you haven’t taken it upon yourself to put in a word, either. I had no idea there would still be someone presuming to manage the affairs of my household.”
Zheng Xi laughed. “You don’t seem to fear her.”
“That’s not quite how I’d put it. I am terrified of her — she is of the former Emperor’s bloodline. Even if she were the mastermind in some affair, should it come to light, she might escape with her life. The accessories who were coerced would likely have nowhere to be buried. I wouldn’t dare take that risk. Even you, I imagine, wouldn’t dare listen to her, would you? Give me an honest answer: what exactly is your relationship with the Eastern Palace?”
Zheng Xi raised his eyes and looked at her. Zhù Ying said candidly, “Princess Anren still hasn’t figured it out — her whole family hasn’t quite figured it out. It’s exhausting. I’d also advise you not to entangle yourself with her in the big matters. The way I see it: if you think it looks feasible with the Eastern Palace, why don’t we just speak with the Eastern Palace directly? Prince Qiyang married young — what’s done is done. We need to think about what path lies ahead. You are a kinsman by marriage, but your affinity sits behind the Princess in order of precedence — you can’t only relate to the Eastern Palace through her, can you? That would be nonsensical.”
Zheng Xi said, “Today His Majesty just issued an edict posting A’Chuan to the position of Court Diarist.”
Zhù Ying sighed. “His Majesty truly loves his son. He gives all the finest people in the realm to the Eastern Palace — and then, once he’s given them, starts to feel he’s given too much.”
“Hush —”
“Aren’t you doing the same?”
“Don’t speak carelessly.”
Zhù Ying said, “All right, I won’t say that. Let’s talk about the Princess. Can we give her a good shove off the proper stage of affairs? I only need a nod from you.”
Zheng Xi said, “What are you planning to do?”
Zhù Ying said, “Tell Prince Qiyang again about the foolish things Princess Chenyi the Dowager Consort did in her time — tell him that the more one does, the more mistakes one makes. What do you think? I’m bringing the Wuzhou people to see Prince Qiyang tomorrow, and there’ll be an opportunity. If you have no other plans, it’s also better right now not to let A’Chuan get too close to Prince Qiyang. He is the Eastern Palace’s Court Diarist, not Prince Qiyang’s personal official. When identities shift in the future — when father and son are Emperor and subject — don’t let A’Chuan suffer the same misfortune you did. In any case, I’m sure to offend Princess Anren — might as well have all the difficult words come from me.”
The Court Diarist was an official position of the Eastern Palace, ranked as the sixth-rank upper grade, whose duties were to attend upon and remonstrate with the Crown Prince, review and correct memorials, and record for posterity any actions of the Crown Prince that merited historical notation — these records were sent to the History Bureau at year’s end. Zheng Chuan was Zheng Xi’s legitimate eldest son, the legitimate grandson of the Zheng Marquessate — he was entirely deserving of this position. It was plain for all to see: the Emperor still cherished the Crown Prince, and was filling the Eastern Palace’s ranks for him. In terms of ages, with the Emperor advanced in years and Zheng Chuan still young, at the sixth rank upper grade — in a few years when the Crown Prince ascended the throne, Zheng Chuan would have a ready promotion to the fifth rank lower grade and could put on the crimson robe. Without needing to accomplish a single political achievement.
Back in the day, Zheng Xi had served as Administrator of the Eastern Palace by the Emperor’s appointment as well — the Emperor had loved the former Crown Prince so dearly that he gave him his finest nephew. And yet, what was the result?
Zheng Xi asked, “How will you account for yourself at the Court of Foreign Affairs?”
Zhù Ying said, “I’m doing it for his own good. Since he excels at governing without interference, he might as well carry it through consistently. I’ve always looked to my supervisors, not their mothers and wives. Who is principal and who is secondary — I can still tell the difference.”
Zheng Xi said, “Good. Oh — and though Princess Anren overreaches, I have no intention of prying into your personal affairs either. You’re not young anymore — you should think about extending your line. Your household is already thin on members. Setting aside any talk of filial piety, I’ll say just one thing: marriage joins two families. Without children, how will you conduct yourself? You can’t rely entirely on your students forever! Your students have their own clans and in-laws too! If you wait much longer, it will become a problem.”
“Fine — I’ll go home and think about how to handle it.”
“When you’re at the Eastern Palace tomorrow, if it’s not convenient, don’t force anything. These people — their temperaments may not be as pleasant as all that.”
“Understood. Oh, and I sent a basket of that tea to Guangning Prefecture as well. This batch here is yours to keep.”
“You’re always so thoughtful. Off with you.”
“Yes, sir.”
——
The next morning, Zhù Ying reported in early. When Luo Sheng came down from the court session, looking at his expression, it seemed the Emperor had not been particularly hard on anyone today — which meant everyone’s mood should be reasonably good.
Shen Ying spoke first about his own matter of attending a funeral, and Luo Sheng said with indifference, “Guanghua, you handle it as you see fit.”
Zhù Ying then reported to Luo Sheng about bringing the people to see Prince Qiyang. “Prince Qiyang holds nominal jurisdiction. We’re managing the succession of all these families, and I’ll bring them to pay a visit to His Highness.”
Luo Sheng asked with concern, “Is there anything troublesome about this?”
“Not at all — it’s routine. Today I’ll take the opportunity to lay out the full situation of Wuzhou for His Highness, so we won’t have to make repeated trips to the Eastern Palace going forward. Then — shall I go?”
“Oh, right, go ahead.”
Zhù Ying left the palace, collected Su Zhe and Lin Feng, and headed to the Eastern Palace. The path had already been cleared through prior application, and they reached the Eastern Palace without difficulty. The moment Zhù Ying stepped through the gate of the Eastern Palace, she heard a voice: “Third Brother.”
Zhù Ying looked up. Zheng Chuan, dressed in a blue scholar’s robe, tall and straight as a green stalk of bamboo, stood ahead with a smile. “I have been waiting upon the Deputy Director’s arrival for quite some time, by order.”
Zhù Ying looked him over with a smile. “I haven’t seen you in a few days and you’ve grown even taller.”
Zheng Chuan said, “I passed the age of growing years ago — how could I still be getting taller?”
He was indeed taller than Zhù Ying now; she had to tilt her head up to look at him. The two exchanged a glance. Zhù Ying said, “Were you summoned by His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Not quite — it was His Highness Prince Qiyang.”
“Oh.”
The two arrived together in Prince Qiyang’s “main hall.” For once, Lan De was absent, as was Du Shi’en; only a few of Prince Qiyang’s own close attendants were present.
After the formalities, Su Zhe and Lin Feng once again played mute. Prince Qiyang and his attendants did not think much of it. Though Su Zhe was a girl, since it was “their custom,” she was simply treated like any ordinary child of a foreign chieftain. Courtesy was fully extended: a seat was offered, fine tea was set out. Prince Qiyang also spoke gently to put them at ease and asked whether they had been comfortable during their time in the capital.
Su Zhe said, “I’ve been here before — I’m used to it.”
Prince Qiyang then said to Zhù Ying, “I am unable to go out freely from the palace. If they have any needs, I hope the Deputy Director will take care of things for them. You have always had a connection to Wuzhou.”
“Indeed.”
Prince Qiyang asked, “What is this provincial hostel business about?”
Zhù Ying produced a booklet. “It was a small idea of mine back in the day — it’s all written here.” An attendant took it and passed it to Prince Qiyang, who received it with care. “If there are things I don’t understand, I’m afraid it won’t be easy to seek guidance.”
Zhù Ying said, “Then let me give you a general overview first?”
“I would very much welcome that!”
Zhù Ying glanced at Zheng Chuan. “Was the Court Diarist sent here to Your Highness by His Highness the Crown Prince?”
Prince Qiyang blinked. Without waiting for his answer, Zhù Ying spoke with deliberate gravity: “How can that be proper? This is not good for either of you. The Court Diarist is an official of the Eastern Palace — he is not His Highness’s personal official. His Highness ought not to command the Eastern Palace’s officials at will. And the same applies to you, Your Highness — without the Crown Prince’s directive, without the Office of the Crown Prince’s Administration making the assignment, how can you arbitrarily place His Highness in a position of impropriety?”
Zheng Chuan said, looking a little aggrieved, “Is it really that serious?”
Zhù Ying said, “Go out and accept your punishment from His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Zheng Chuan glanced at Prince Qiyang, rubbed his nose, looking aggrieved, and called out again, “Third Brother.”
Prince Qiyang said, “The fault lies with me — I was not careful. Please do not blame him.”
Zhù Ying said, “I still ask that you step out.” Then she turned to Su Zhe and Lin Feng: “You two, please step aside as well.”
The moment Su Zhe and Lin Feng heard this, they rose from their seats immediately. Prince Qiyang, with no other recourse, nodded to Zheng Chuan, and the three of them withdrew together.
A flicker of displeasure crossed Prince Qiyang’s heart, followed quickly by puzzlement: Something isn’t right. What is Zhù Ying’s relationship with Zheng Xi? It was precisely when others avoided the Zheng family that Zhù Ying went out of her way to visit. She shouldn’t be treating Zheng Chuan this way. Even if she were courting a good name, cutting into Zheng Chuan seemed unexpectedly out of character for the Zhù Ying of legend.
Zhù Ying looked at Prince Qiyang, her eyes full of sincerity and concern. “I have a connection to his father. In his father’s time, he served as Administrator of the Eastern Palace under the former Crown Prince, and was later, unfortunately, removed from his position. Does Your Highness know of this matter?”
Prince Qiyang nodded.
“If someone of such rank — the son of a princess, in the Administrator’s position — could not escape humiliation when within the Eastern Palace, how much more cautious must all others be? It is not that the Eastern Palace is a bad place, but that one must be exceedingly careful within it. That matter has long passed; here and now it can be spoken of. In those days, Princess Chenyi the Dowager Consort acted on her own initiative and had her own family serve as intermediaries to speak on the former Crown Prince’s behalf — and what came of it? Without the skill to take on a task, one should not reach for it. Those who don’t understand should not be allowed to interfere. Dragging things down like that — no one could carry such a burden. His Majesty truly wished to cherish the former Crown Prince, but when he saw what his son and daughter-in-law were doing behind the scenes, he could not help but grow cold.”
Her eyes never left Prince Qiyang as she drove each word into his heart one by one: “Let the right people do the right things, at the right time, and in the right way.”
Prince Qiyang slowly nodded. “Wuzhou — I hope the Deputy Director will explain it to me. I heard they’ve newly established a prefecture, and now counties are to be carved out of it as well? So quickly?”
“Ordinarily it wouldn’t be so fast. But there are exceptions — when His Majesty and the Chief Ministers feel it should move quickly, it can move very quickly.”
Prince Qiyang nodded, then asked about the previous Regional Inspector of Wuzhou. Zhù Ying said, “He was too impatient — he wanted to show how capable he was. I ask that Your Highness keep this in mind: in many situations, having no faults is itself an achievement. This is a contest of who makes fewer mistakes. No mistakes, and everything can go on as before — people live in peace and contentment. The moment someone grows eager to show results, and things go wrong, it is a complete reversal of direction — no one will reward you for it. Conducting affairs is the training of the mind. Keep a steady head. There is no need to gamble.”
Her gaze was intense and fixed on Prince Qiyang; the Prince’s eyes contracted, and meeting her look, he gave a deep nod.
Zhù Ying then told Prince Qiyang about various other matters in Wuzhou, and spoke of Jiyuan Prefecture as well.
By the time she finished, Prince Qiyang’s mind felt open and expansive. Then Zhù Ying poured a bucket of cold water over him: “Your servant takes her leave — Your Highness should also go and explain yourself to His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“What?”
“His Majesty is a father; His Highness the Crown Prince is also a father. One should not take proximity for granted and become disrespectful. If the Crown Prince privately commands a court official, is that a small matter? The same applies to you. Your servant came to see you through an official document submitted through proper channels. And you? The imperial household has no private matters; the imperial household has no small matters. How glorious was the former Crown Prince in his time? Yet a single misstep, and he too faced punishment.”
“Understood.”
“The Chief Ministers and many of us do not wish to live through upheaval again. Please — you must take good care of yourself.”
Prince Qiyang stepped back two paces and bowed deeply. “Thank you.”
Zhù Ying hurried to move aside. “Your servant takes her leave.”
——
For a full month thereafter, Prince Qiyang did not return to the Court of Foreign Affairs, which left Luo Sheng pacing anxiously in circles, worried something had happened to his daughter in the Eastern Palace. With great difficulty he found an opportunity after court had dispersed and sought out Prince Qiyang.
Prince Qiyang said, “Yi grows a little older each day — she should start adjusting to living properly within the Eastern Palace. And if I kept bringing her to the Court of Foreign Affairs, along the way I would inevitably encounter officials from various ministries and bureaus and have to exchange pleasantries — and in others’ eyes, that might give rise to talk. If that were to upset His Majesty, wouldn’t that be an act of unfilial conduct? I was thinking that from now on, I’ll bring her out once a month. What do you think?”
Luo Sheng could not think of a counter-argument and said, a little awkwardly, “Yes, yes, that makes sense.”
The matter could not be faulted, yet Princess Anren went into the palace to tell the Emperor about it, only to find that at that very moment the Emperor had just been hearing from the Prince of Lu, who said that Prince Qiyang, under the pretext of taking Luo Yi out for some fresh air, was actually cultivating relationships with court officials — truly a passionate devotion to the realm’s affairs. The Emperor’s mood greatly improved, and he proceeded to give Princess Anren another scolding.
Princess Anren was bewildered, but dared not quarrel with the Emperor, and after leaving the hall cursed the Prince of Lu roundly: “That little wretch doesn’t have a shred of human decency!”
She went home and the more she thought about it the angrier she got, and then crossed over to Princess Yongping’s residence to discuss with her daughter-in-law how to bring a complaint against the Prince of Lu: “Isn’t there always some Censor accusing me of being rude? And what about seizing other people’s land and fields? I see he’s done plenty of that himself! Accuse him!”
Princess Yongping, however, said, “Father’s illness comes and goes — we can’t afford to upset him further. Father has always been fond of him; if his temper were to flare, we can’t be sure who would bear the punishment.”
Princess Anren said, “Are we just supposed to take this lying down? Let them wait — once my Yi becomes Empress…”
Princess Yongping hurriedly stopped her. “You must not say such things carelessly.”
Princess Anren fumed until she had a headache, and since she could not very well curse at her niece, she went home and took it out on her husband.
The old Prince Consort, having been scolded for nothing, was in no small degree of disgruntlement himself. He found a clansman who was an official, and had a memorial written. He did not dare name the Prince of Lu — but he impeached the Prince of Lu’s eldest brother-in-law. The charges were corruption and abuse of authority, accepting bribes, and associating with criminal elements.
At the next court session, with officials of the fifth rank and above all present, the matter was brought out into the open.
It happened to be the sixth month, and Zhù Ying was waiting for the formalities to conclude so she could return to the Court of Foreign Affairs and escape the heat, when she heard someone in court lodge this impeachment. Needless to say, it had not gone through the Office of Chief Ministers. Had it gone through the Office, the Chief Ministers would most likely have handled it privately and would not have brought it out to inflame the situation further. She raised her eyes and glanced upward; the Emperor’s face was largely obscured by the hanging bead curtains and not clearly visible.
Before the Emperor could speak, the Prince of Lu’s eldest brother-in-law stepped forward — wailing his innocence on one hand, and on the other declaring: “The Crown Prince Consort’s brother does the very same thing! Why isn’t that called corruption?”
A roar went through the hall — things were far livelier now.
The Crown Prince swiftly stepped out to beg forgiveness; the Prince of Lu also knelt, albeit without much enthusiasm. Prince Qiyang looked at Zhù Ying with the thought: that really did come true.
Not only did Prince Qiyang kneel — he also spoke up: “Your Majesty, this matter should be carefully investigated. Neither of them is by nature greedy or tyrannical; it is quite possible that the talk circulating in the streets is mistaken.”
The clansman of the Luo household was not happy about this — if everything was false, what did that make him? He had put himself forward for nothing. He had to insist on his position: the Prince of Lu was arrogant, and his brother-in-law was of the same stripe. He stiffened his neck and pointed at Prince Qiyang’s maternal uncle: “If you’re going to investigate me, you had better investigate him first!”
Prince Qiyang’s uncle was not about to admit anything: “And are you so clean?”
The Censors stepped out to restore order and commanded both sides to be silent. But the Censors’ appearance made things worse — the Prince of Lu spotted one who had previously impeached him. The Prince of Lu raised his fist and threw it at the Censor’s face. The Censor ran to dodge, and the Prince of Tang ended up being the fish caught in the net. The chaos spread to encompass all the princes — not one of them could stay out of it now.
Since the death of the former Crown Prince, the various princes had been contending with one another for years, their accumulated grievances running deep.
The court erupted into chaos. Even with Wang Yunhe’s considerable prestige, he was unable to stop the Prince of Lu and the others. What had begun as quarreling had turned into shoving and striking. The Prince of Lu’s brother-in-law shoved Prince Qiyang’s maternal uncle; the uncle’s temper flared and he lashed out with a kick, but caught his own robe hem and tripped himself. Luo Sheng was a good-natured man — seeing this, he hurried to help steady his relative. Out of nowhere, a fist from the Prince of Lu’s direction came swinging in, and Luo Sheng caught a blow as well. He lurched as he tried to regain his footing, staggered several steps, and finally tilted sideways, colliding with Prince Wei standing not far away.
Some of the senior officials remained composed, but old and not very vigorous, they were ultimately unable to suppress these men.
The younger ones had largely lost their heads and were joining the fray in succession. Among them were military officers, but these military men were somewhat below the caliber of the founding dynasty’s military meritocracy; there were a few who could fight, and they stood to one side with their arms folded. Some did enter the fray, only to be matched against opposing military men in individual combat.
Some had initially resolved to stand aside and watch, willing to absorb a blow or two rather than enter the melee. But then some of their own relatives, clansmen, or fathers and sons joined in, and they had no choice but to come to their aid.
Swaths of crimson and purple went flying everywhere. Zhù Ying carefully stepped back, guarding against stray blows, and leaned against a pillar, taking note of who was fighting with whom. She watched Luo Sheng get hit twice more — fortunately he was still relatively young and hadn’t gone down. Zhù Ying shrugged and inched a little further in, and suddenly felt someone at her side. She turned her head and found herself looking at a white-and-gray beard — Marquis Leng. The two exchanged a smile: so you’re hiding here too.
Elsewhere, Zheng Xi saw that things were going badly, glanced up at the Emperor, and saw that his uncle’s face was ashen, a storm coalescing around him. Zheng Xi let out a great shout: “Everyone, stop!”
Still no one listened.
Without the Emperor’s command, not even the Imperial Guards dared mount the hall. Prince Qiyang shielded the Crown Prince, and had taken two punches to the shoulder himself — his eyes were swimming with flashes of gold, furious as he tried to figure out who had hit him. Zheng Xi hurried over to help, and the two of them flanked the Crown Prince and helped him up — the Prince of Lu appeared quite intent on taking the opportunity to beat up the Eastern Palace father and son. If the Crown Prince were struck, things would be catastrophic.
From overhead came a flying tablet, and Zheng Xi could see it was about to hit him; he had no choice but to bow his head and take it on his hat. “Crack” — no pain on his head, and the hat did not fall — Zheng Xi looked over to see that Zhù Ying had caught the tablet with one hand.
Zhù Ying tucked her own ivory tablet into her waistband. Using the pillar for leverage, she vaulted over, casually catching the flying tablet, and gripped it firmly, deflecting to the left and right, swatting away the flying hats and tablets that came streaming in. She launched a kick that sent an unidentified red blur stumbling to one side.
Only then could Zheng Xi and Prince Qiyang support the Crown Prince and get him to the Emperor’s side, where the eunuchs under Lan Xing’s command had already formed a tight ring around the Emperor.
Zhù Ying stuffed the tablet into Zheng Xi’s hand, and with a quick step oiled her feet and slipped back to her strategic spot by the pillar. Zheng Xi gripped the tablet and looked over — she had scooped up the finally-collapsed Luo Sheng along the way, hauled him to the pillar, and was tidying his appearance. By the time Prince Qiyang and the Crown Prince looked over, Zhù Ying was standing there tapping her ivory tablet against her left palm in a leisurely manner, for all the world like a pampered young nobleman out admiring the flowers. Father and son looked to their own people — each was being singled out and chased by opponents, and none could reach them.
Liu Songnian suddenly barked: “Protect the Emperor!” The Imperial Guards came rushing in from outside, and that was what finally put an end to this farce.
When everything had quieted down, everyone belatedly felt a chill of fear, and stood there silently trying to straighten disheveled robes as best they could.
The Emperor enunciated each word with cold deliberateness: “We have no need of protection! We are not dead yet!”
The sons and grandsons continued to beg forgiveness. The Emperor said, “Get out.”
——
When the Emperor finished laying out the punishments, he had the Chief Ministers and the Ministry of Personnel work together to fill the vacancies as quickly as possible.
The Chief Ministers and Yao Zhen stepped forward in acknowledgment. Only then did the Emperor declare the court session closed.
——
After leaving the great hall, Zhù Ying was caught up to in two or three steps by Xian Jing.
Zhù Ying smiled at him. Xian Jing said, “And yet you didn’t even get scolded.”
Zhù Ying said, “What sort of thing is that to say?”
The two of them walked and talked. Xian Jing asked about Luo Sheng’s condition; Zhù Ying said, “He’s not lightly injured — it’ll be some days before he’s back.”
Xian Jing lowered his voice. “A blessing in disguise — saves someone from trying to borrow his path all the time…”
Zhù Ying knew he was complaining about Prince Qiyang. There was no shortage of mediocre people in the imperial court, but neither were there few sharp ones. Those with clear eyes could see that Prince Qiyang was making the rounds on behalf of his father. But having contact with him at this juncture carried considerable risk, and people like Xian Jing were not in favor.
Zhù Ying said, “Now we see who can hold steady. I think he’ll manage.”
“I just worry that someone will provoke him and he won’t be able to hold back.”
“He won’t go that far. Just now he handled himself quite well.”
The two walked on, somewhat slowly. Before they had returned to their own offices, they saw two young eunuchs half-carrying Lan De out of the palace, drawing many glances.
Zhù Ying deliberately slowed her pace a touch. Xian Jing said, “Isn’t that the one His Majesty sent to the Eastern Palace…? What happened to him?”
He also slowed his pace.
Lan De was being watched by so many people, and felt mortified — sore and exhausted and furious, his face flushed red. He heard Zhù Ying’s half-familiar voice: “What’s happened here?”
He said, with a trace of complaint: “Aren’t you right there looking at it? How should I know?!”
He had a hand in the palace sugar procurement, which meant he had an extra layer of connection to Zhù Ying, and spoke to her without much ceremony.
Zhù Ying let her smile fade and raised her tablet to tilt up his chin: “When you were answering, there were other thoughts in your mind, weren’t there?”
Lan De was struck as if by lightning, thoroughly shaken. When answering, he had indeed been deliberately exaggerating, in order to help the Eastern Palace. He had been thinking: how can I make the Eastern Palace sound pitiable, to win His Majesty’s sympathy and highlight the princes’ wrongs?
He stared at Zhù Ying blankly as she was already walking away unhurriedly, tablet in hand.
——
When Zhù Ying and Xian Jing had walked a good distance away, Xian Jing said, “Such a person is deplorable — and yet pitiable.”
Zhù Ying said, “It’s high summer, and you’ve started lamenting wilting spring flowers. Missing something you can’t see?”
“Pfft!”
Zhù Ying smiled. “Be ready — there will be vacancies to fill.”
Xian Jing said, “What? Are you looking to move up?”
Zhù Ying said, “It’s not my turn.”
Xian Jing thought for a moment and said, “As for me now, I’m also…”
Zhù Ying said, “Just speaking offhandedly. I keep feeling something is about to happen — for instance, I for one would not want certain people who cause me trouble to rise too quickly. I imagine plenty of others think the same way I do.”
Xian Jing smiled. “It’s not up to them.”
The Court of Ceremonies was now in sight. Xian Jing said, “The Court of Foreign Affairs now has only you to manage things — get back and get busy.”
The two parted ways. Zhù Ying returned to the Court of Foreign Affairs and at once informed Wang and Ruan to hurry with their preparations. For this matter, the Ministry of Personnel was the key. Zhù Ying herself was not planning to go and lobby the Chief Ministers.
The person she intended to arrange for was Zhao Su.
She had looked over Zhao Su’s record earlier — it was solid. Zhao Su had already completed one term and his evaluation was satisfactory. If she were to work the Ministry of Personnel’s connections on Zhao Su’s behalf, she was willing to do it. Wang and Ruan were people with their own resources; their families would support their promotions.
If two positions could be freed up, she hoped to hold one for Zhao Su. The other she could use to negotiate with Minister of Personnel Yao, or work into a chain of mutual arrangements with others. Her reach did not extend to the higher ranks of crimson and purple, but she could already manage the lower grades of blue and green.
Personnel transfers would involve circulating word to the various offices and soliciting opinions and evaluations; the Court of Foreign Affairs was willing to give Wang and Ruan good recommendations, and was willing in turn to accept someone sent over. Wang and Ruan’s own families also had their connections.
No great difficulty there.
She picked up her brush and began writing up materials on Zhao Su, intending to compare notes once Wang and Ruan had finished their own documents, then go together to the Ministry of Personnel.