Wang Yunhe’s move caught everyone completely off guard. Prior to this, he had never once signaled any intention to touch the military system.

Just as everyone was tangled up over matters of official selection, land consolidation, and examinations, Old Wang was now bringing up military affairs? What was he trying to do?

The Emperor did not immediately express opposition. He said, “Have your subordinate draft a detailed memorandum and present it to Us at leisure.” His gaze swept downward, and he saw that the more cautious officials in the front rows wore expressions of hesitation, but none of them objected outright.

Only General Leng stepped out of the ranks and asked, “With a great enemy at our doorstep, what sort of changes are being proposed?”

Wang Yunhe remained unmoved. “You will all be informed,” he said.

General Leng made to speak again. Marquis Leng gave a soft cough and used his eyes to signal him to stand down. General Leng held his ground, but then Duke Zheng shot him a sharp look, and only then did he return to the ranks with evident reluctance.

Then, Prince Wei stepped forward to say that Prince Qi’s new residence had been completed—was it not time to pick an auspicious date and hold Prince Qi’s wedding? It was a happy occasion that had already been dragged out for over half a year; if they waited any longer, the New Year would be upon them.

The court immediately erupted into lively chatter. The Emperor smiled and said, “Have the Imperial Observatory calculate an auspicious date!” An imperial prince’s marriage had its own set of procedures, and the Ministry of Rites and other offices all became busy at once. Even the Bureau of Attendants had to follow through with its duties—selecting eunuchs and palace maids alike.

The Crown Prince smiled warmly and said, “Second Brother has grown up!”

The morning court ended in an atmosphere of cheerful clamor.

Zhù Ying calculated that she would need to send Prince Qi a wedding gift. She made up her mind not to stand out—she would simply go along with what everyone else was doing and not add any distinguishing touch. She was more concerned about what had gotten into Wang Yunhe. Thinking that Wang Yunhe would first have a private audience with the Emperor, she returned to the Court of Judicial Review first rather than taking on any new cases. She then made her way to the Chancellery to see Zheng Xi.

Wang Yunhe was not there. Zheng Xi was seated with Duke Zheng, Marquis Leng, and a few others, and below them, General Leng was sitting obediently.

When they saw her arrive, Zheng Xi said, “What brings you here? Sit down.”

Zhù Ying took one look at those gathered and, as soon as she sat down, spoke plainly: “What was that all about in court today? Surely you had some wind of it already—is that not so?” How else to explain what he had said to her just yesterday?

General Leng was not well acquainted with Zhù Ying, and he watched her with a touch of wariness. Duke Zheng said slowly, “What wind?”

Zhù Ying said, “The matter Chancellor Wang brought up today—are you all deliberately keeping me in the dark?”

Zheng Xi said, “I truly did not know he would do this!”

“Oh?”

Marquis Leng said, “Hold on, the two of you—which matter are you talking about now?”

Zhù Ying said, “Which matter are you talking about?”

After some back-and-forth, Zheng Xi decisively laid out the backstory: “We were discussing Chancellor Wang yesterday, and who would have thought that today he would raise his hand against the military system.”

Duke Zheng and Marquis Leng exchanged a glance. They had absolutely no desire to see the rules of the military changed lightly. Both families still had influence in the military to this day; otherwise, Zheng Xi’s arrangement of Jin Biao entering the Imperial Guard as an officer would not have gone so smoothly. And General Leng was still actively commanding troops.

If change came, was it not aimed at them?

Duke Zheng said, “How strange! This does not seem like something he would do. What has gone wrong between you?”

General Leng said, “What could have gone wrong? We just drove the northern barbarians back!”

Duke Zheng said, “That is what makes it strange. He wants to make changes, yet he said nothing about how—it is impossible to even wedge in an objection.”

Marquis Leng said, “My only fear is that His Majesty will hear his arguments, agree on a moment’s impulse, and it will become yet another headache. Zichang, what do you think he will say?”

Zhù Ying looked blank. “I know nothing of military affairs—how could I see anything in this? All I can think of is what happened at the last audience: General Leng said that he could see the northern barbarians were probing, that he could tell their military bearing was more disciplined than before. The reverse, then—does it not follow that the barbarians may have also probed us and discovered our weak points? Could that be why Chancellor Wang is taking action? Because otherwise, this is truly not like him at all!”

Duke Zheng’s eyes flashed. “You also think it is unlike him?”

Zhù Ying looked at him earnestly. “It is unlike him. There must be a reason behind it!”

General Leng spoke to Zhù Ying quite directly: “I speak without ceremony, so Chief Justice, do not deceive me. You and Chancellor Wang have always been on good terms. If you have any intelligence, do not hide it from us! Soldiers live and die by the sword; they cannot abide a single grain of sand in their eyes!”

Marquis Leng said, “If you know you speak without courtesy, then why not be a little courteous?” He furrowed his brows and muttered something under his breath, its meaning unclear.

Duke Zheng said, “Sanlang, venture a guess.”

“Me? Guess?”

Zheng Xi thought for a moment and then also said, “Yes, just you—guess why he suddenly became so urgent.”

Although many people could see that Wang Yunhe wanted to change the existing rules, Wang Yunhe knew the weight of his actions and had not come in overturning everything from the start. He had not come out with a complete reform plan all at once, and he had been continuously negotiating with the various factions—rather like a devoted and loyal old steward, endlessly patching things up.

Wang Yunhe’s methods were not drastic either, so much so that Zheng Xi had concluded that Zhù Ying was serving as Wang’s vanguard and had felt compelled to rein her back in. Had Wang Yunhe come out with his full cards on the table, and had Zhù Ying still been throwing herself into working for him, Zheng Xi would not have merely “had a talk” with Zhù Ying.

Zhù Ying said, “Then it must be that he has seen a danger in the military system! Has anyone been asking the General to inquire into the inner workings of the army?”

General Leng shook his head.

Zhù Ying said, “Then let me ask more plainly—how rotten has it gotten inside your army?”

“What kind of a thing is that to say?”

Zhù Ying waved her hand. “He has so many things on his plate—would he bother going out of his way to pick a fight with you? I will simply say what I have observed. His Majesty is uneasy at heart right now. When he arranges for someone to be placed, the court pushes back and drags its feet. As for the Imperial Guard, perhaps only Prince Consort Shi is someone His Majesty truly favors. His Majesty will not decisively oppose this! You need to be honest with me right now. I know there are ghost soldiers on the payrolls, that there is profiteering from military farmland, and so on. Your men—how severe has it become?”

General Leng hesitated a moment, then said, “It can still be managed!”

“Minister of Revenue Dou is frugal, to be sure, but he can still tell what is important. You two fought so fiercely over the disbursements last time—surely it was not just him settling a private grudge?”

Marquis Leng coughed once and said, “They are all just longstanding practices; it has not quite reached that point.”

Zhù Ying thought for a moment and said, “Then I am at a loss. How about this—shall I go and sound out Xian Jing?”

Zheng Xi said decisively, “We must be quick! Otherwise, once His Majesty makes up his mind, it will be too late.”

Zhù Ying let out a sigh. “I will go at once.”

……

Zhù Ying went to the Eastern Palace, where Xian Jing was in the midst of discussing today’s court proceedings with the Crown Prince.

When word came that she had arrived, the Crown Prince smiled and said, “He comes to see you—your face counts for more than mine.”

Xian Jing said, “Your Highness jests. If all the court officials gathered around Your Highness, where would that leave His Majesty? He too is thinking of you.”

The Crown Prince said, “I would guess he is here about today’s court business.”

Xian Jing said, “There is no need to guess—it is certain. He finds himself caught in the middle, and it is no easy place to be. He has the realm in his heart, and yet he also has his benefactor.”

The Crown Prince smiled and said, “To be simultaneously advantaged from both sides and yet pressed hard from both sides—he would be better off simply setting his course and holding to it.”

Xian Jing said, “Indeed. He is a most capable person. If he could settle on a clear course, things would go far more smoothly.”

The Crown Prince said, “Go and see him then. We can continue our discussion afterwards. If there is anything you need me to do, simply say so. Though I fear I am not quite up to dealing with this particular visitor.”

Xian Jing said, “Your Highness speaks too modestly. He is not the sort of person who needs to be ‘dealt with.'”

With that, he withdrew from the Crown Prince’s presence and invited Zhù Ying to take a seat in his own quarters. The two of them entered the room, and the attendants brought in two more charcoal braziers, making the room considerably warmer.

Zhù Ying did not beat around the bush, asking Xian Jing directly: “What was that all about in court today? Do not fob me off—if you do not know the inside story, I will wait and go pay my respects to Chancellor Wang and ask him directly. What he told me last time was not this.” Wang Yunhe had told her he would not bring out a complete set of “reform proposals.” He would simply act, without announcing it. So why had he changed course now?

Xian Jing said, “The moment you get into it—the waters here run far deeper than anyone imagined!”

“Knowing the water is deep and diving in headfirst anyway—with Chancellor Wang’s constitution, one big splash and I fear he will sink straight to the bottom.”

Xian Jing turned serious. “What kind of thing is that to say? Does the Teacher not know it is difficult? Do you know how badly the military system has been degrading? Is Minister Dou really the sort of man who deliberately makes things hard for the troops? Why did he withhold their bonus pay for a full month without disbursing it?”

“The state’s finances should never be this stretched thin!”

Xian Jing said, “Do you understand the military system? I myself did not understand it very well before; it was only because of this recent campaign that I came to understand it a little better.”

“I would like to be enlightened.”

“The soldiery is divided into two kinds…”

The soldiers of this era were of two kinds: standing troops and those conscripted on a temporary basis. The temporary conscripts were easy to understand—they were simply drafted when the headcount fell short of what was needed. The standing troops were a different matter: they constituted the regular military service, with defined terms of service and certain benefits. Standing troops were in turn divided into two types: border armies and the Imperial Guard—those stationed beyond the capital and those in the capital and its environs. Within this, there was a hierarchy of importance, which was simple enough to understand.

Zhù Ying nodded.

Xian Jing said, “And how do they sustain themselves day to day? There are two parts to that as well…”

First, the court would allocate grain and pay; second, they were given a tract of land to work, mainly for growing grain to supplement their own needs. When she had been in Wuzhou, Zhù Ying had encountered this firsthand. She had gotten along quite well with several of the junior officers; besides growing grain, they had also been growing sugarcane.

Xian Jing smiled bitterly. “Military officers are not like civilian officials—once they take command of a unit, they are loath to move. Frequent transfers of soldiers are detrimental to combat effectiveness. On the battlefield, men entrust their very lives to one another.”

If soldiers and their commanders did not know each other, the troops’ trust in their officers would erode, making them prone to complete collapse at the first defeat.

Zhù Ying said, “True.”

“And so, if they stay in one place long enough, trouble inevitably comes.”

“What sort of trouble?”

“Ghost soldiers on the payroll is the first problem, seizure of land is the second, and then there is also the matter of treating soldiers as private retainers. Can such men still fight for the state? General Leng won this battle, but everyone could see that the victory was peculiar—even he himself said the enemy was merely probing. But look at what he did—once he set out, how much grain and supplies did he demand from the court? Beyond embezzlement, there were also the unspeakable gaps and rotten accounts that were all quietly cleared by this one campaign!”

Zhù Ying nodded. “It truly was a fine opportunity to balance the books.”

“And as for land—when it comes to conscript levies, the concealment of farmland and hidden households goes without saying; you already know that. And as for the military farmland—hah!”

Zhù Ying sighed as well. She understood this. The old military farms in Lufu County before her time—best not to even bring that up. Were there similar situations elsewhere? Hard to say. And then there was the wasteland she had later allocated to newly arrived soldiers to open up for cultivation—who managed the output of all that labor by the troops? The officers, of course. Was that not essentially turning the soldiers into private retainers?

At the time, she had only been focused on Lufu County. Now thinking back on it, if one were to carefully reckon things up, that would not have been the right outcome at all.

The saying “do not meddle in affairs outside your position” means not merely “I bear no responsibility for what is not my jurisdiction,” but also “when you are not in that position, it is very hard to even perceive its problems.”

Xian Jing said, “When everyone can see that the northern barbarians have designs on riding south, how can you sleep soundly? They eat the ghost-soldier pay—how many? We cannot be certain of the exact figure, but consuming twenty percent is no small number. If this goes unaddressed, something catastrophic will follow! They march out and demand grain and supplies; when the battle is done, they hold out their hands for compensation payments. In the past, when the harvests were good, the state could still manage! But the court can no longer let them act however they please!”

Military farmland plus concealed land and hidden households—both legs broken at once! At this point, everything came down to the state’s underlying reserves.

And ultimately, it was simply bad luck. The harvests of the past two years had genuinely been worse than those of many years past. From south to north—the south was a little better, with double-cropping now established; two seasons of harvest always outweighed one in total yield, and the court was actually collecting a little more than before. But the north remained as it had been, and on top of that, disasters had struck. There was still grain in reserve, but the court had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Xian Jing said quietly, “Chancellor Zheng is a clever man, but unfortunately he still has limited knowledge of affairs in the localities. And his family has the kind of background it has—he has old ties in the military.”

Zhù Ying said, “What does Chancellor Wang want to reform? This is so drastic—these people’s tempers, when they flare, are not going to be as manageable as those local gentry who just argue back at you with words. The gentry will at least exchange verbal blows. These men—they can come to actual blows!”

Xian Jing said, “I am afraid the north is going to erupt first—unless the barbarian chieftain dies suddenly, or the barbarian chancellor drops dead without warning. The barbarians mount their horses and become soldiers, dismount and become civilians. At fourteen or fifteen, when our boys here are not yet considered men, theirs are already seasoned warriors. And whatever those people set out to do, they do it fast!”

“What does he want to reform?”

Xian Jing said, “A recruited volunteer army—first train up a crack force, and do not make them farm for their own funds; the court pays them a per-head stipend…”

“That would simultaneously claw back military authority, would it not? Eat at whose table, answer to whose orders. His Majesty must certainly be in favor in his heart. But you are all a bunch of scholars—whom do you intend to carry this out?”

Xian Jing smiled. “The Teacher is not without knowledge of military affairs! In this battle against the northern barbarians, although the results were not fully satisfying, one can still make out one or two emerging talents. Single them out, move them to a different post, and let them be the first to implement this!”

“That is going to mean an arm-wrestling match! Do you think they are stupid?”

Xian Jing waved his hand. “The Teacher will negotiate with Duke Zheng and the others! As long as each family has officers of genuine talent, he will not suppress them!”

Zhù Ying said, “Why did he not first discuss this with them? You have all served in the localities and know the deep-rooted abuses there—you have a sense of proportion. But how much do you actually know of military affairs? Without first gauging the generals’ depths, without first asking after their hearts—you just act?”

“If you tell them in advance, they will certainly refuse to accept it. Or they may smooth things over on the surface, only to revert to their old ways within days, and when the time comes that you truly need them, they will be useless—and who knows how long the wrangling will drag on.

They might also stir up trouble from other directions—matters like land consolidation in the localities—to create distractions that leave one without time for anything else. Strike directly at the heart; let them know the stakes. Only then is there room for genuine negotiation.”

Zhù Ying said, “With a knife already at one’s throat, even a fool knows there is danger—deception will not work. These men—no, never mind them, let me ask you right now: if someone were to submit a memorial—no, rather, if they merely spread some rumors. Minister Chen retired gracefully from office; Minister Liu withdrew to enjoy his leisure; Minister Shi was a chancellor of peace for twenty years. Why is Chancellor Wang clinging to his position and power? How is Chancellor Wang to respond to that? No—he has no one to even answer to! Because no one will confront him directly.”

The ways to make trouble for Wang Yunhe—Zhù Ying could think up quite a few. Others, then, would be even less inclined to show mercy.

Xian Jing said, “I might say—get everything completely ready, then let them suffer a devastating and thorough defeat in battle; after that, they will have no choice but to change, and their opposition will be futile. Kill everyone off in the great battle, and that would spare a great deal of trouble as well! What a fine opportunity to bring in better men in their place! But the Teacher said—that would be exchanging the lives of soldiers for it. After a military defeat, how many of the border region’s common people would be able to survive? Of those who did survive, how many families would be torn apart? How many left with wounds, illness, and disability? How many carried off into slavery?”

“Better to suffer the losses ourselves than to sacrifice the common people and the soldiers,” Xian Jing said slowly. “That is what the Teacher said.”

“Is your intelligence accurate?” Zhù Ying asked earnestly. “The information you have about the military situation—is it reliable?”

Xian Jing said, “Minister Dou is nearly driven to madness, and he is the one who investigated. A large army on the march needs to cook meals, does it not? Regardless of how much grain and money they demanded, the number of people eating is only so many. Send someone along the route asking questions, and you know how many ghost soldiers there are…”

The rest followed from the same logic. On territory under the court’s jurisdiction, people were not deeply on guard against their own side. And Dou Peng was a sharp and capable man with a nose for detail—it had not been difficult for him to find things out. Dou Peng knew the matter was not simple, so he did not openly confront General Leng; instead, he quietly held back things like the compensation payments, while privately reporting everything to Wang Yunhe.

“He really is clever.”

Xian Jing said, “That he was willing to lift the lid on this at all is already saying something—there are far more people who would simply smooth it over and pretend!” As he spoke, he ground his teeth involuntarily. He had previously served in the Ministry of Revenue as well. At the time, there was no minister, and he as a Vice Minister had managed the ministry alone, feeling that he had given his utmost and that results were quite good. Little did he know that the people beneath him had also been pulling the wool over his eyes. Now, looking at the present state of affairs, Xian Jing felt his face could not bear it.

Had Xian Jing encountered this matter himself, he might also have uncovered it. But since he had not encountered it, he had simply not known. Zhù Ying understood this perfectly well, but was in no mood to comfort him. She only said, “This obstacle will not be easy to pass.”

Xian Jing said, “So I must ask a favor of you. I know the Teacher is going to make enemies—can we not help him smooth things over a little?”

Zhù Ying said, “What is there to smooth over? Better to lay the true situation before them openly! Make it plain: it is either ruin and death, or they buckle down and get serious. But from what I can see, it will be difficult.”

Xian Jing said, “Then there is simply nothing to be done. If they must clash, they must clash. At least it will leave one’s conscience clear before heaven and earth.”

Zhù Ying said, “I understand. I will do my best to explain things to them.”

……——

After parting with Xian Jing, Zhù Ying did not go to see Zheng Xi. Instead, she waited and intercepted Wang Yunhe after he had finished his private audience with the Emperor.

Wang Yunhe smiled. “What is it?”

Zhù Ying said, “I have just met with the Instructor of the Eastern Palace. Is what he told me true?”

“What did he say?”

Zhù Ying briefly recounted the problems with the military system. “Duke Zheng and the others were just now in the Chancellery. I should go and explain it to them first.”

“Stand still and do not move. Xian Jing has been foolish! What I should be saying—what can you possibly say in my place?” Wang Yunhe said sternly. “Do not get involved. You have already done more than enough. You need to stay. Only—when the time comes for you and them to part ways, do not be too heartbroken.”

Zhù Ying was stunned.

Wang Yunhe smiled gently. “You, child—your heart is too soft. It needs the years to grind it into a sharp edge.”

Zhù Ying said, “You still think of me as a child?”

Wang Yunhe said, “What did Xian Jing say to you?”

Zhù Ying said, “You want to race against time.”

Wang Yunhe laughed. “Even he misunderstands! I can tell you—I will not move against Duke Zheng, General Leng, and the others right away. With a great battle looming, changing commanders on the eve of engagement is already inadvisable, let alone causing an upheaval of this scale. Even if I do act, I will not move against the border armies immediately! A recruited volunteer force is no more than a trial, and the numbers will not be large. But with this announcement in place, I can pressure them to clean up their own houses! To ensure they can weather the imminent battle.” After the battle is won, then we move.

Zhù Ying’s heart eased. She smiled at Wang Yunhe.

Wang Yunhe stopped smiling. He turned slowly and ambled toward the Chancellery, his stout figure growing smaller and smaller in the distance.

“I will not be heartbroken,” Zhù Ying murmured.

Wang Yunhe returned to the Chancellery to find General Leng and the others still there. Wang Yunhe showed not the slightest awkwardness. He exchanged greetings with Zheng Xi and the others first, then turned to challenge General Leng: “The deep-rooted abuses in the army—what is their true extent?”

General Leng stiffened his neck. “They are all longstanding practices! There is absolutely nothing out of order!”

Wang Yunhe pulled out a small ledger and flung it onto the table. “Is that so?”

Zheng Xi flipped it open and took a look, his brow furrowing immediately. He probed carefully, “This…?”

Wang Yunhe said, “You can no longer afford to muddle through with careless answers!”

Zheng Xi laughed. “You truly are frightening. I had thought you were going to go through with it regardless of the consequences.”

“I have certainly not been trying to frighten you. If you manage it yourselves, so much the better. But once anything goes wrong, it will be impossible to cover up. And at that point, it will not be a question of what I intend to do to you—it will be a question of what the northern barbarians will do to the court’s armies.” Wang Yunhe said coldly. “Yuanguang, you know as well as anyone how the court’s tax revenues have looked these past two years. Can the state still afford to let them go on squandering it like this? If you suffer a military defeat, the common people will suffer needlessly, and I ask you—can you even be certain of saving your own necks?”

General Leng’s neck began to sweat. Under Wang Yunhe’s gaze, his back bent lower and lower until his head finally bowed down entirely.

Wang Yunhe gave a nod to Duke Zheng and Marquis Leng. Zheng Xi also cast a meaningful glance at the two of them, and both men smiled and offered Wang Yunhe a respectful acknowledgment.

The next day, many people waited eagerly to see Wang Yunhe clash with Duke Zheng and his allies. To everyone’s surprise, it was General Leng who submitted the first memorial, stating that after the great battle, he had discovered certain matters in the army that required rectification, and requesting permission to undertake this himself. Otherwise, in the next engagement with the northern barbarians, they were likely to suffer setbacks.

The Emperor approved it.

Though he approved it, the Emperor also—citing the need to “prepare against the barbarians”—issued an edict to form a new army. He bestowed upon it the name “Loyal and Martial,” with funds drawn from the Ministry of Revenue, men recruited from among the civilian population, selected from “good families.” The Emperor would command it directly. The numbers were modest—three thousand men to start, to be trained first.

None of these matters fell under Zhù Ying’s primary duties. It was as though she had taken Wang Yunhe’s words to heart, and she withdrew into quiet patience. The Court of Judicial Review continued its proper work without targeting any particular locality in any exceptional way—after all, a full year had passed, and those who needed to be changed had more or less been changed.

Zheng Xi sought out Zhù Ying again, asking whether Wang Yunhe intended to eventually restructure everything along the lines of the Loyal and Martial Army.

Zhù Ying spread her hands wide. “I truly do not know—I was told not to ask.”

Zheng Xi looked at her. Zhù Ying’s expression was entirely open and unguarded: “I genuinely do not understand military affairs—what is there to tell me? You all handle it. I am going home to sleep. I am done worrying about these wretched things—there is no point.”

Zheng Xi laughed. “How did you suddenly lose your spirit like this? Cheer up! There are still happy events in the palace—drag yourself around looking like that, and people will wonder what grievance you have against His Majesty for marrying off his son!”

Zhù Ying pulled out a rather unconvincing smile. Zheng Xi laughed again.

Prince Qi married the daughter of the old meritorious Wang family, and Zhù Ying attended the wedding banquet in the palace.

Afterwards, a number of regional governors arrived from various places. This year, Zhuo Yu did not come; his superior was not well acquainted with Zhù Ying. But several other officials of southern origins dropped off visiting cards at Zhù Ying’s residence.

What General Leng and the others were doing behind closed doors, Zhù Ying had no way of knowing—but it was entirely true that at certain banquets, idle talk about Wang Yunhe began to circulate. People said that while he appeared to speak on behalf of the people, in truth he was simply gripping the reins of power and refusing to let go. The rumors gradually spread, until even the common idle folk began to hear them.

In the end, Madam Li of Zhù household, mincing meat, cursed as she worked: “Chancellor Wang is such a good man. I could only wish he would go on being Chancellor forever! If someone else takes over, what then? Just to bully the common people?”

Within the capital, it was not easy to fool people—but beyond the capital, who knew how many believed such talk.

The whispers and murmurs did not cease, so that even the southern officials who visited Zhù Ying’s residence could not help but want to know what kind of man Wang Yunhe truly was.