Zhù Ying arrived at the imperial city early. Today’s situation was slightly different from usual.

On account of the mass brawl, the court was short quite a few officials. Luo Sheng was one of them — he was not dismissed; he had been granted sick leave and told to go home and recuperate properly. Luo Sheng genuinely needed this leave. His injuries were not what one would call severe, but he was certainly not mobile, and after the medical officer examined him, once the Princesses back home summoned an imperial physician to examine him as well, the imperial physician — under the Princesses’ concern — could not help but say he needed at least a month’s rest.

Then there was Shen Ying, who was less injured than Luo Sheng but whose injury was in an unfortunate place — his face was visibly marked — and it was not seemly to go out. The medical officer gave him seven days of recuperation leave.

Now the Court of Foreign Affairs had only Zhù Ying left to manage things. She had no choice but to arrive early.

This matter was also connected to the current state of court sessions. Court sessions had already been largely cancelled, and Zhù Ying did not need to attend the morning assembly today at all. But with Luo Sheng absent, if there was any matter touching on the Court of Foreign Affairs, someone had to be there to report. Her rank was insufficient to step in directly and substitute for the superior before the Emperor. She could only arrive early and wait to see how things developed. The court session might not summon her, but if she was summoned and was not there, there would certainly be trouble.

Zhù Ying watched the Chief Ministers and Secretaries and the like make their way toward the great hall, then quickly headed to the Court of Foreign Affairs.

After the grand drama of the previous day, many people had come to the imperial city early to keep their ears to the ground — no one dared to be negligent. The Court of Foreign Affairs, apart from Luo Sheng and Shen Ying, had everyone present.

They looked at one another and smiled. Zhù Ying said, “Good — since everyone’s here, let’s get started. Oh — has everyone eaten?”

The Court of Foreign Affairs had its own meal arrangements and generally didn’t manage breakfast; Zhù Ying had changed that when she came. Since Luo Sheng, Shen Ying, and Zhù Ying herself all ate at home before court, while Deputy Administrators Ruan and Wang were better fed at their own residences, this had always been a benefit for the junior clerks.

The clerks smiled and said, “We’ll go and prepare it now.”

Zhù Ying said, “Go ahead. Oh, Old Wang — one thing.”

Deputy Administrator Wang hurried over. “What are the Magistrate’s orders?”

Zhù Ying said, “Where are the tablets we keep here?”

Since there was Zhù Ying, the Court of Foreign Affairs naturally did not lack for all manner of conveniences for its own people — a supply of spare tablets among them. Junior officials didn’t attend court regularly; if they occasionally needed one, they might not be able to find it. The Court of Foreign Affairs had a supply. The materials were nothing precious — mainly bamboo and wood — just something to make do with.

Deputy Administrator Wang said, “Still in the storeroom.”

The storeroom clerk came forward. “Does the Magistrate need a tablet? I’ll go and get it.”

“I’ll get it myself. Are there still spare tablet pouches?”

“Yes, sir.”

Zhù Ying said, “Let’s go.”

To the storeroom they went. Zhù Ying walked to the shelves; the clerk opened a box revealing a dozen or more tablets inside. He wiped the tablets clean with his sleeve one by one and passed them to Zhù Ying. Zhù Ying picked each one up, hefted it, gave it a few practice swings in the air, and selected two. She also chose a tablet pouch, stuffed the tablets inside, and hung it at her waist.

Deputy Administrator Wang asked in surprise, “What are these for, Magistrate?”

Zhù Ying had her own ivory tablet; why she would want these extra ones was baffling.

Court officials going to attend a session would use their hand tablets to jot down things they might forget; when there was too much to fit on one tablet, they’d bring several more and carry them in a pouch. There was nothing unusual about having extra tablets and a pouch — the unusual thing was who was asking for them.

Zhù Ying’s memory was famously excellent, and beyond that, the affairs she was currently responsible for were not so tangled and manifold that a single ivory tablet with a few reminder characters on it wouldn’t be sufficient.

Zhù Ying said in a measured tone, “I have a use for them.”

In the imperial city, carrying weapons was not permitted. If another situation arose where she had to act, she needed something ready to hand.

Patting the tablet pouch, Zhù Ying’s mood brightened considerably. “Come with me.”

The two went to Zhù Ying’s room. Tea had already been poured. Zhù Ying sat down casually and said, “You know about yesterday’s events?”

Deputy Administrator Wang came from a decent background and was not poorly informed. He gave a pained nod; he wanted to say something but was afraid of saying the wrong thing and could only make vague sounds in his throat.

Zhù Ying said, “There are bound to be people who come out badly from this — where someone falls, someone else rises. They may be in crimson and purple, but you might not be able to rise that high. Even so — what if the sequence of promotions proceeds in order and a slot opens up for you?”

Deputy Administrator Wang’s heart pounded chaotically; he went red in the face. “Magistrate?!”

He stood up.

Zhù Ying pressed a hand downward to settle him. “Getting all worked up — that’s not like you. This isn’t something I can decide, either — I’m just giving you a heads-up. Whether it happens or not is not in my hands. Here’s what we’ll do: go back and think it through — your evaluations over the years, what notable things you’ve done, what contributions you’ve made — make a list. As long as there is word from above, I’ll put your names all forward together. Do what lies within human effort, and leave the rest to fate — wealth and rank are in Heaven’s hands! As long as there’s an opportunity, let’s give it a try.”

Deputy Administrator Wang, at a pace he himself had not noticed was rushed, said, “Thank you, Magistrate!”

They had been left feeling somewhat hopeless about Luo Sheng. This Prince Consort was not a bad person; he never gave them a hard time in their evaluations and would always say a good word for them if asked. Approach him directly and he would help. But for him to see the small signs and anticipate ahead of time, thinking through things on their behalf and making arrangements the way he just described — that had almost never happened. Deputy Administrator Wang hadn’t even thought of it himself: that the mass brawl at court could actually have a positive effect on his own future. At a time when everyone else was thinking “is war about to break out,” “what should I do,” and “if I back the right side maybe I’ll rise” — Zhù Ying was already thinking about pushing their positions up right now.

Zhù Ying said with a laugh, “I only have empty promises to offer — don’t go counting on me.”

Deputy Administrator Wang said quickly, “I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.”

Zhù Ying said, “You are a young man of good upbringing — perhaps you have your own channels for advancement. But in my experience, when you’re putting in your time waiting for seniority, if someone gives you a lift at the right moment, even if this particular time it doesn’t come through, at least people know your name — maybe next time the opportunity will find you. The Court of Foreign Affairs is not a place where you can display great ability. If you want to be comfortable, it’s not bad here either. But if you want to go further, there’s no better chance than a vacancy opening up right now. I know your family surely has capable people — you can go back and consult with them. If you think it’s not a good idea, treat what I said as if I never said it. In any case, whatever the Court of Foreign Affairs needs done — it’s all prepared for you here.”

“Yes, yes — oh, no, no — I mean, thank you very much, Magistrate, for the guidance.”

“Go and prepare.”

Deputy Administrator Wang left with a thousand expressions of gratitude.

Zhù Ying then said to Xiao Huang, “Go and invite Deputy Administrator Ruan over.”

Deputy Administrator Ruan had been guessing what Zhù Ying and Deputy Administrator Wang were doing; he still wanted to maintain his dignity and couldn’t bring himself to eavesdrop, so when Xiao Huang came to invite him, he hitched up his hem and practically broke into a sprint.

When he arrived before Zhù Ying, the tea had already been replaced with a fresh cup. Zhù Ying said, “Sit.”

Deputy Administrator Ruan sat down, and Zhù Ying first asked him how many years he had been at the Court of Foreign Affairs, how long he had held his current post, and so on. All of this was written in his record; Zhù Ying had long known. Deputy Administrator Ruan still answered it over again honestly.

Zhù Ying repeated to him the same things she had told Deputy Administrator Wang. Deputy Administrator Ruan reacted in much the same way as Deputy Administrator Wang. That he was willing to stay and make do at the Court of Foreign Affairs indefinitely — that was utterly impossible.

With so many positions suddenly opening up at once, it truly was a rare opportunity. As Zhù Ying had said — even if this time it didn’t come through, having your name forwarded meant you were at least ahead in line compared to those who hadn’t thought of it.

Zhù Ying similarly asked him to draft a summary of his record and achievements, which she would ultimately write up as a covering recommendation; if there was an opportunity, she would submit it.

She was thirty-three years old now, at the fourth rank lower grade — the tier at which one simply had to wait out the time. There was no rushing it. With a supervisor like hers above her, she was likely to stay at the Court of Foreign Affairs for a few more years. So she set about gradually replacing the staff below with people of her own choosing. Though Wang and Ruan got along tolerably well with her, they were still a step removed. Sending them on to better positions was ideal; if not, it was still doing them a favor, and it would deepen the goodwill between them, making future dealings carry a little more human warmth.

Whether it succeeded or not, she would not go out of her way to run around on their behalf. They each had their own connections, didn’t they?

Of the two, she more hoped to transfer Ruan away — because Ruan handled some personnel-related matters, and having that position held by someone of her own choosing would be more advantageous.

She was making her calculations quite clearly, when suddenly from outside there came a eunuch running up: “His Majesty summons the officials.”

Zhù Ying handed him the teacup and asked, “Has Prince Consort Luo been informed of his sick leave?”

The eunuch was still catching his breath; he drank half the cup and said, “That’s precisely it — once they knew, they said being short of people was unseemly and ordered everyone summoned!”

Zhù Ying was startled. “His Majesty has recovered? He can see again?” As she said it, a smile appeared on her face.

The eunuch said, “How could that be?”

The Emperor couldn’t see for himself, but Lan Xing and the others could. Even if no one told the Emperor, as long as he mentioned a name casually and the person hadn’t come, he could easily discover it that way.

The eunuch finished the tea and carefully set the cup to one side. “Magistrate Zhù, shall we be on our way?”

Zhù Ying gave Xiao Huang a look; Xiao Huang passed over another red envelope. The eunuch was embarrassed. Zhù Ying said, “Take it.”

The eunuch accepted it and bowed. “Magistrate, please.”

Zhù Ying said to Xiao Huang, “No need to stand around waiting on me here either. I’ll give you the day off — go and see Old Huang.” Old Huang was on duty at the Court of Final Adjudication — a post one didn’t leave until death — and as it happened, the Court of Final Adjudication was handling cases.

——

Zhù Ying and the young eunuch walked toward the great hall. Along the way, she saw several other unfortunate souls making their way there as well. As they walked, the young eunuch told Zhù Ying in a low voice — that morning when the Emperor went to court, he was already in a foul mood. Lan De had been unlucky enough to accompany the Crown Prince father and son early in the morning. They had first waited outside the Emperor’s bedchamber, then accompanied the Emperor to court. Lan De went in to announce them. The Emperor asked him a few things; there was nothing wrong with what Lan De said in reply, but the Emperor had him dragged out and given twenty strokes of the rod, and then ordered him to kneel outside the bedchamber.

“He still hasn’t been told to get up. Fortunately it’s summer — if it were winter, on a stone like that…”

Zhù Ying asked, “What did he say in reply?”

The eunuch said, “He just reported some day-to-day matters of the Eastern Palace — that Prince Qiyang had been injured, and that the ladies of the Eastern Palace had cried.”

Zhù Ying heard that Lan De’s answers had genuinely had nothing wrong with them. She asked, “And did His Highness the Crown Prince go to court?”

“Yes.”

When she arrived at court, the Crown Prince father and son were present, as were the various princes. But today was not a grand court session, so the number of officials who could attend was limited in the first place. Yet the Emperor had suddenly flown into a rage, demanding, “Where has everyone gone?”

Lan Xing replied, “Everyone is here.”

The Emperor said, “Nonsense! Something doesn’t sound right! How few people are there?”

Lan Xing reminded him that today was not a grand court session. The Emperor said, “Go! Summon everyone!”

Wang Yunhe then asked for guidance: should those who were injured and unable to move about freely, such as Luo Sheng, also be summoned? The Emperor said, “Summon everyone who has entered the palace today!”

Thus Zhù Ying and the others were summoned.

At the gate of the great hall, people could only exchange meaningful glances; they dared not make a sound, and then fell into line and filed in one after another. Entering the hall, they found that the Crown Prince and all the princes were already in their places. Everyone fell into their ranks and cried out the ten-thousand-year salute. Lan Xing called for them to rise.

Zhù Ying rose and took her place in the line with the rest.

The Emperor’s face was grave. “Begin!”

An official in a blue robe stepped forward and announced, one item at a time, the punishments settled on the previous day. First came the punishments for the princes; the princes offered their confessions on the spot, the Prince of Lu even delivering his self-criticism in person. The Crown Prince also stepped out to offer his self-criticism.

Then came the punishments for the officials.

Zhù Ying listened carefully — she herself had no punishment. But at the very end, along with everyone else, she knelt. From every mouth came the wail: “Your servant deserves ten thousand deaths!”

The Emperor said coldly, “False words! Who can die ten thousand times?”

Then came the reading of the edict Liu Songnian had drafted, and everyone was roundly cursed in person all over again. Zhù Ying heard the phrasing and was amused — the tone was rather familiar.

The officials kowtowed repeatedly. Zhù Ying earnestly performed her part in the scene as well, not daring to drop a single required “ten thousand deaths.”

After the Emperor vented, the court session still did not end; each office had to report its various affairs in sequence.

The Six Ministries and the Nine Offices of Surveillance each had their order of precedence, with the Metropolitan Prefecture and others in addition; every report was met with one round of criticism.

This time Zheng Xi was not spared either. The Emperor’s reasoning: “If they were seizing people’s fields and property, how did you, as Metropolitan Prefect, fail to discover it?”

Zheng Xi offered his apology.

The Deputy Chief Justice fared even worse. The Emperor had previously replaced an entire round of senior officials, and the Chief Justice was someone he had considered reasonably trustworthy — yet this man had very quickly joined the fray. The Emperor considered him “impure,” and the Court of Final Adjudication’s handling of the previous day’s “case” was also caught up in the Emperor’s displeasure.

In the court above, everyone felt imperiled.

When it came to the Court of Foreign Affairs, the moment Zhù Ying opened her mouth, several people who knew her well — Wang Yunhe, Shi Kun, Liu Songnian, Zheng Xi — sensed something off. Liu Songnian’s ear gave a sharp twitch — the way Zhù Ying spoke had changed!

The voice was still the same voice, but her pace, intonation, emphasis, and phrasing had all shifted subtly. It was not her usual way of speaking.

The foreign kingdoms had no major recent developments. The Office of Ceremonial Affairs under Shen Ying’s management had attended several funeral ceremonies. This was extremely difficult to report, because the Emperor was getting on in years, and who could say how he would react to news of this nature.

But Zhù Ying knew how to report it. She picked first the cases of two people who had “died at a ripe old age” — both over ten years older than the Emperor. She then spoke of the posthumous honors accorded to them, and steered the conversation toward Shen Ying and Luo Sheng. This would prevent the Emperor from forming any unwelcome associations. An elderly man does not particularly like to hear bad news.

As the Emperor listened, he remarkably did not scold a single word — he only found fault with one thing: “And what were you up to?”

Zhù Ying said, “Overseeing the irregular foreign envoys and merchants in prolonged residence. Some with unclear identities — tidying those up.”

The Emperor nodded. “Stay on top of it.”

“Yes, sir.”

Liu Songnian fixed his eyes on Zhù Ying. After she finished her report, every one of her movements was a fraction heavier than before — when she flicked her sleeve, it carried a gust of air; her footsteps were audible with more distinct weight. Some might think she was unaccustomed to appearing before the Emperor and had grown tense. But Liu Songnian narrowed his eyes.

Zhù Ying stepped back into her place, knowing she had cleared this hurdle.

The moment a person can no longer see, their hearing becomes acutely sensitive. No one can explain exactly why, but it is simply fact. For sounds from the outside world, a blind person develops judgments and preferences different from those of a sighted person. And at the same time, the mind becomes more alert, reacting more readily to external stimuli. In common parlance: easily startled.

This was especially true in the early days of blindness.

As time passed, things would improve somewhat. But the Emperor did not appear to have adapted as quickly as she had — perhaps because of his age — and seemed to be especially sensitive about this matter of having lost his sight.

In truth, if he could bring himself to relax even a little, by now he had had enough time to feel out the patterns and manage simple activities.

When everyone had gone through the process, the Emperor at last issued orders to the Chief Ministers and the Ministry of Personnel and other offices to coordinate and fill the vacated posts as quickly as possible.

——

Zhù Ying left the great hall and was caught up with in two or three steps by Xian Jing.

Zhù Ying smiled at him. Xian Jing said, “And yet you didn’t even get two words of criticism.”

Zhù Ying said, “What sort of thing is that to say?”

The two 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 city, 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 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 slowly. Before they had returned to their respective offices, they saw two young eunuchs half-carrying Lan De out of the palace, drawing many glances.

Zhù Ying deliberately slowed 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 and had an extra layer of connection to Zhù Ying, which made his manner with her less restrained.

Zhù Ying let her smile fade and used 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. He had indeed been deliberately exaggerating when he gave his answers — to help the Eastern Palace. He had been thinking: how can I paint the Eastern Palace’s situation as pitiable, to win His Majesty’s sympathy and expose the princes’ wrongs?

He stared blankly at Zhù Ying 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 autumn sorrows. 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 told Wang and Ruan to hurry with their preparations. For this matter, the Ministry of Personnel was the critical player. Zhù Ying herself was not planning to go and lobby the Chief Ministers directly.

The person she intended to arrange for was Zhao Su.

She had previously reviewed Zhao Su’s record — it was solid. Zhao Su had already completed one full term and his evaluation was satisfactory. If she were to work through the Ministry of Personnel’s connections on Zhao Su’s behalf, she was willing. Wang and Ruan were each capable people with their own resources; their families would support their promotions.

If two positions could open 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 exchanges with others. Her reach did not extend to the high ranks of crimson and purple, but she could already manage the lower grades of blue and green.

Personnel transfers involved circulating word to the various offices and soliciting opinions and evaluations. The Court of Foreign Affairs was willing to give Wang and Ruan favorable recommendations, and was willing to accept someone sent over in return. Wang and Ruan’s families also had their own connections to call upon.

No great obstacle there.

She picked up her brush and began drafting materials on Zhao Su, intending to compare notes with Wang and Ruan once they had finished their own documents, then go together to the Ministry of Personnel.