The Prefect who had accompanied Zhù Ying spoke in a low voice: “The barbarians harassed us repeatedly, accomplishing nothing each time, and everyone grew complacent. After the imperial army retreated in defeat, the barbarians came surging through.”

“How did they assault the city?” Zhù Ying asked.

The front-line military dispatches had been vague, and Zhù Ying knew only a general outline — a ruse of the fatigued soldiers — without knowing the details.

The Prefect said: “They appeared suddenly, and with siege equipment. It was only afterward that we learned they had tricked their way through the first city gate — once inside, they seized the city’s armory, captured craftsmen, and from that point had everything they needed.”

Zhù Ying did not know much about military tactics, but even she could tell this was no poor stratagem. First the ruse of the fatigued soldiers, then after the imperial army retreated in defeat the barbarians hastily disguised themselves as imperial soldiers. The beacon fires were lit, and the following cities were put on alert — so they built siege equipment and stormed those by force.

Whoever conceived this plan had a head on his shoulders. And the key was that they had actually pulled it off — success made it a good plan.

Zhù Ying asked: “Who is in charge here now?”

Of the four sacked cities, not a single principal official remained serviceable. The one who had been gravely wounded had died in the intervening days; three of the four were dead, and the fourth was whereabouts unknown — some said he had fled. In any case, he was gone.

The Prefect said: “The surviving officials and clerks have been holding things together. I also dispatched people from the prefecture — but the prefecture needs people too, and after I submitted the report upward, I could only wait and hope the court would come quickly to deliver the people from their suffering. Fortunately, you have come.”

The four northern prefectures did not sit in a straight line but were pieced together. The most unfortunate of the four, the one closest to and sharing the most border with the barbarian territories, had three of the four sacked cities within its area. The Prefect’s surname was Wang — this very one standing before her now — and he was from the same family as the current Censor-in-Chief. After meeting Zhù Ying, he wept like a man in utter misery. How many large cities could a single prefecture hold? To have three seized all at once!

He was also the one among all present who asked most urgently and earnestly about provisions and grain.

Zhù Ying asked: “The barbarians have not returned since they left?”

Prefect Wang said: “No. Since the barbarians plundered and then retreated north, the imperial army in these days has also regrouped and rallied — presumably the barbarians do not dare come south again.”

That was rubbish even he himself did not believe as he said it — they had won, not lost, so why would they not dare?

“Let us enter the city,” Zhù Ying said.

As they drew close to the city, a figure in blue-green official robes appeared leading a group of people out to meet them — the local assistant magistrate had come out with the city elders.

The one currently in charge of this city was this very assistant magistrate. The wound on his head was not yet fully healed. He came forward with a mournful face and said: “My lord! We have at last been waiting for you! Our prefect died for his country!”

On seeing the ceremonial procession they had already prostrated themselves. Zhù Ying dismounted and helped the assistant magistrate to his feet, then helped each of the elders rise in turn: “I have come too late. The imperial army suffered a setback, and yet you all held fast to your native soil — you are all people of loyalty and righteousness.”

The assistant magistrate and the elders all began to sob. Some of them had lost relatives in the disaster and ground their teeth in their desire for vengeance. One young man said: “My lord, if you will only give the order, I will summon my clansmen and brothers to slaughter barbarians and avenge my father’s death!”

Zhù Ying said: “Let us go inside and speak properly.”

Zhù Ying had seen too much suffering in her life; her heart had long since become still. Yet a city after it had been sacked was yet another kind of suffering.

It was not desolation, not a place “emptied of people” — there were still people there. On this stretch of earth, people showed a tenacity quite unlike any other.

This was a city of moderate size — not as large as the prefectural seat, but its walls were thick and tall, well built at the time of construction, a qualified border city. The city had been looted, and yet a portion of the residents had survived. Every household wore white mourning cloth, every gate displayed white banners. People’s faces showed complex emotions — terror, fury, grief, and much that could simply not be believed.

The party entered the city. The official hall had been half burned down, and quite a few buildings inside the city had been destroyed by fire. They managed to seat themselves in what remained of the offices. The accompanying soldiers could not be quartered there, and had to borrow the barracks of the garrison troops.

Zhù Ying said to the assistant magistrate: “Where are the local officials? Have them all summoned.”

She had brought only about a hundred people in total, most of them illiterate soldiers. Even if she had come with two hundred, it would not have been enough. And she could not stay in a single city indefinitely — she needed to put the existing officials to use.

While the assistant magistrate went to gather people, the young man of the Yao surname who had been introduced earlier raised again his earlier request for revenge on behalf of his father. Zhù Ying said: “Your time to contribute will come — rest for now.”

Zhù Ying also summoned the local garrison troops. The garrison was also badly depleted, with shortfalls not yet made up. There was no general — the officer currently in command was a captain, limping along with the aid of a staff, helped over by a small soldier. Jin Liang, seeing this, let out a long sigh.

The captain saluted Zhù Ying: “My lord, as I am armored, I ask your pardon for not performing the full courtesy.”

Zhù Ying said: “You have held the city for the nation — you have worked hard. Please be seated.”

The captain’s face was ashen with exhaustion. Zhù Ying indicated for Jin Liang to question him. Jin Liang said: “Border posting is harsh — when I was young and followed the Prince in taking the south, this was also a difficult place. Decades have passed, and it is still this difficult. At least the Prince is already on his way — he will arrive before long.”

The captain noticed his rank insignia, then listened to what he described of his experience, and his tone softened considerably. He said: “Is it Prince Zheng? Wonderful — at last there is someone to lead us.”

Jin Liang then asked about how many soldiers remained, how the defenses were currently arranged, whether General Leng and the others had been in contact with him, and how they were deployed.

The captain answered everything. His men had been badly mauled — only a few hundred were left. General Leng had sent someone to liaise and had also conscripted some able-bodied young men, leaving behind mostly the old, weak, sick, and disabled. Beyond that, grain supplies were nearly exhausted.

The captain said: “The barbarians plundered once and burned once — and after they left, the granary doors were smashed open, and the common people had another go at the city’s grain stores. Now there is almost nothing left. They came in and set everything on fire — the prisoners in the jail also broke free and added to the chaos! That we have managed to barely maintain order is heaven’s blessing.”

Jin Liang asked: “Were your grain supplies unable to get through either?”

The captain said miserably: “Everything fell into disarray — no one could find anyone. Where were you supposed to look? My lord, I am not talking nonsense: without grain, my soldiers will turn into bandits. Can you stifle a living man with a need to relieve himself? They have blades in hand and empty bellies — you can want them not to plunder, but it simply cannot be done.”

Zhù Ying gave a slow nod, then asked the young man of the Yao surname: “Are you willing to work for me?”

Young Man Yao said: “So long as I can avenge my father! I will serve at your command.”

Zhù Ying said: “If you want revenge, you must first keep the home safe. Help me resettle the displaced people, and I will write you a letter of recommendation to Prince Zheng.”

The young man was overjoyed: “Many thanks, my lord!”

Zhù Ying then examined the county’s records, only to find the old files burned into disorder. She went to the granary — only some grain trampled into the dirt remained. These people had not lied — they truly had been plundered terribly. Zhù Ying also immediately requisitioned labor to repair the granary, preparing to take in whatever grain survived in the surrounding countryside.

Prefect Wang said: “I fear… there will not be much.”

Zhù Ying said: “I have a plan.”

True, much had been burned — but some still remained, enough to temporarily stave off starvation.

Zhù Ying first addressed the elders: “At this time of grave crisis we must all endure hardship together! Those of you with sons and younger kin — send them all to me. Go now and bring them here.”

The elders looked at one another. Young Man Yao spoke first: “I will go call for people at once!”

The others responded: “Yes!”

“Do it quickly.”

“Yes!”

They hurried off.

Zhù Ying then looked over the people the assistant magistrate had brought — about ten or so in total, every one of them run ragged and harried. Normally these people had their petty extortions and skimmings off the local population. Now the city had fallen; some had lost family members, some had seen colleagues killed, and all had developed a shared loathing for the enemy.

Both the principal and deputy heads of the city had died when the city fell. Those remaining now were living through a torment worse than death by the day. To flee — they feared the court’s punishment. To stay — the situation was impossible to manage, and the barbarians might return at any moment.

Zhù Ying first reassured them: “The court has been informed. Prince Zheng is leading troops here. The urgent task is pacification — we must allow the people outside the city walls to take refuge inside.”

“We have already allowed them in — only the city lacks grain.”

“I understand.” Zhù Ying said.

She looked these people over, then said: “Those who are literate, step forward!” And divided them into two groups.

Before long, the local gentry families arrived with their sons and nephews, breathless from running. The sons and nephews of gentry families were, as a rule, more likely to be literate than ordinary commoners.

Zhù Ying needed them just at this moment. She paired them with the local officials and parceled them out under the direction of Su Zhe and the others.

Zhù Ying said: “Su Zhe — post pacification notices, announcing my arrival. Chen Fang, Xiang Le — take the literate ones and tally the household registers, settle the commoners. Zhù Qingjun, Lin Feng — clear the streets; do not permit anyone to rob and plunder in the confusion. Captain — reinforce the city defenses against another barbarian attack. Xiang An — take charge of the grain stores. Assistant magistrate — gather the city’s able-bodied men; the captain will send soldiers along; recover as much grain as possible. Zhuo Jue — send a dispatch to General Leng. These soldiers here — he must manage them. If he cannot, I will contact Prince Zheng…”

Hearing her giving orders, Prefect Wang and the captain both relaxed somewhat. Prefect Wang still felt a twinge of unease inside: he had not seen any carts loaded with relief grain following the heavenly envoy! How was this going to work?

Yet Zhù Ying had already turned toward the gentry families with an expression of melancholy gentleness: “In this time of crisis, I must ask the esteemed elders for their understanding, to relieve this disaster.”

The elders hastily said: “We dare not refuse. It is also a matter of protecting our own homeland.”

Zhù Ying said: “Very good. The court’s provisions and grain will take some more time to arrive — let us first get through the immediate crisis. There is still some unharvested crop surviving outside the city…”

Zhù Ying’s intent was this: rather than first collecting and then distributing, she would divide the surviving, not-entirely-burned fields into plots. When tallying household registrations, each household, according to its number of members, would be assigned a number of plots — go and harvest them yourselves, quickly. Pay a fixed portion of each plot’s yield into the government stores; the rest was yours to take home. The question of whose land it was would no longer be raised — if others starved to death, no one would be left to defend the city, and having fields would do you no good when the barbarians came.

The ones with the most land were still the local gentry clans — so they needed to negotiate with them.

The elders exchanged glances. One middle-aged man of stout build spoke up with passion: “The barbarian invaders have come south — how could we remain at ease? It is only a single season’s grain! I still have some fields that fortunately survived; I collected some of the harvest a few days ago, and had already intended to help my clanspeople and neighbors with it. Now I put it entirely at your lordship’s disposal — and I will contribute another two hundred shi of stored grain!”

This was a man whose family had a solid earthen stronghold out in the countryside. He did not normally live in the city; it was only after the disaster that he had come into the city to check on things. His stronghold was not on the barbarians’ route and was for now still intact.

Zhù Ying said: “Truly a man of loyal will! I will memorialize on your behalf — the court will remember your loyal and righteous deed!”

Then, one by one, more people stepped forward.

The matter of provisions and grain was temporarily resolved.

Zhù Ying could not linger too long in one place. Very soon, seeing that the various affairs in the city were running on track, she recruited several young men from each of the local gentry clans’ families, gathering a total of twenty; half were deployed in this city’s affairs, each temporarily receiving a single assigned post in the offices. The assistant magistrate was temporarily elevated to the rank of deputy magistrate, and apart from judicial and merit posts, the remaining posts were temporarily filled by sons of the local great clans.

Then she withdrew the people she had brought with her.

The remaining ten she took with her as part of her escort.

She then visited each of the remaining three cities in turn and did the same in each.

By the time she had passed through all four cities, her party had grown by forty young men from the northern territories — every one of them literate, and skilled with horse and bow.

The son of that stout middle-aged man — Zhù Ying had originally intended to leave him in place, but the middle-aged man would not hear of it and gave his son to Zhù Ying to “lead her horse.” Zhù Ying could not very well have this young man named Qiu Yiming actually lead her horse, so she attached him to the escort.

By this time, Prince Zheng had also arrived at the front line, taken charge of the defenses, reorganized the imperial army, and began to allocate supplies and provisions, gradually stabilizing the battle line.

Zhù Ying at last breathed a sigh of relief. She dispatched someone to convey her respects to Prince Zheng, while she herself turned and headed back to Prefect Yang’s territory — she needed to begin setting the northern territories in order.

Prefect Wang had accompanied Zhù Ying for the better part of a month and, though he admired her thoroughness, was still puzzled inside: She looks like a county magistrate, not a heavenly envoy!

What had she come here for? Was this what she was supposed to be doing? Surely she was supposed to take charge of the overall picture?

He then looked at Zhù Ying’s attendants — not one of them showed the slightest doubt, as though all of this were perfectly ordinary.

The forty local young men were even more remarkable in their reaction — they had never witnessed the “grand scope” of someone who “holds the world in his breast,” and they only found Zhù Ying clear and orderly; the respect in their eyes grew steadily deeper.

A county magistrate? Being a good county magistrate was already something.

They were all still young, and even the most worldly-wise among young people still had much curiosity in their eyes. They followed Zhù Ying all the way as the party rode south toward Prefect Yang’s territory.

Zhù Ying treated them just as she treated Su Zhe and the others — she could call every one of them by name, knew every one of their backgrounds, and if they had questions she answered them. When explaining things to Su Zhe and the others she did not keep the new arrivals out. How to draft official documents, the relationships between the various levels of the court — such basic common knowledge Zhù Ying offered freely as she spoke.

The young men of the north all found her approachable and easy to speak to.

The return journey moved at a faster pace. Prefect Wang accompanied Zhù Ying’s party to the boundary of his prefecture, then asked: “My lord, the provisions and grain…”

Zhù Ying said: “Wait for my official document.”

“Ah… yes…”

Parting from Prefect Wang, Qiu Yiming gathered his courage and posed a question: “My lord, the north has suffered disaster, followed by military plunder. Will the court not give any relief? How will this be managed?”

Zhù Ying said: “You take a basin to carry water, and the bottom of the basin has a hole. Do you first patch the basin, or first fill it with water?”

“Patch the basin.”

“So then — let us go patch the basin.”

When Zhù Ying brought the party back to appear again before Prefect Yang, the weather had already turned cold, and the whole party had put on their thick clothing. Xiang An, along with Su Zhe and the others, had already begun preparing winter garments — the northern cold came on with particular speed.

Prefect Yang, seeing Zhù Ying return, felt at once pleased and disgruntled. Pleased because the headquarters was in his territory, so he was in the advantageous position nearest the water. Disgruntled because having such a figure perched overhead was uncomfortable.

But Zhù Ying only smiled and said: “Thank you for putting up with me. I will not impose for very long.”

Prefect Yang hurriedly said: “I dare not say otherwise.”

He had already prepared the headquarters. Though the north spoke of poverty, the headquarters had been furnished rather well.

Zhù Ying said: “There is no need for so much trouble — I have brought many people, and servants can be dispensed with. Just tell them where to buy provisions, and that will be enough. Let us see to proper business.”

Prefect Yang hurriedly said: “Very well!”

Zhù Ying said: “Tomorrow, shall we take a turn?”

Prefect Yang was startled: “Another outing?”

Zhù Ying smiled: “Yes! Prefect, change to a good horse. Let us go and have a look down below. I come as Pacification Commissioner and Inspection Commissioner both — if I report back to His Majesty that ‘all is well,’ I dare say even you would not believe it. But I do not want to stir things up excessively. Even when action is needed, it is best not to make a great commotion of it. You have not been at your posting very long — many things cannot be laid at your door. What do you say?”

Prefect Yang’s cheek twitched: “I shall do my part to serve you.”

“I have no worries,” Zhù Ying said with a smile. “We depart tomorrow.”

The next day, Zhù Ying set out with a small, light retinue — Chen Fang, Qiu Yiming, and the others — and took the road northwest. Along the way she also picked up the local county assistant magistrate and spent two days reaching Old Man Zheng’s place.

Old Man Zheng’s estate was a scene of peace and quiet. The tenant farmers on the estate were frightened by the large cavalcade and came running to warn the master: “Trouble! Officials have come again!”

When Old Man Zheng and his sons were trembling as they came out to receive them, Zhù Ying was standing outside the door of a tenant farmer’s house, smiling and asking: “Might you allow me a drink of water?”

The current Old Man Zheng was the filial son who had previously filed the complaint. With his father gone, he was in his forties yet had already graduated to the title of “Old Man.”

Old Man Zheng came forward trembling. He did not recognize Prefect Yang, but he recognized Zhù Ying’s student, and went first to pay respects to the county assistant magistrate.

The student was surnamed Gu, a member of Gu Tong’s own clan, and said in a low voice: “Do not be afraid — this is Grand Master Zhù, an excellent person!”

Old Man Zheng came and bowed. Zhù Ying helped him up: “You have suffered.”

Old Man Zheng burst into tears: “My lord! My lord! My lord!”

Zhù Ying took the opportunity to request a meal inside this tenant farmer’s house. Old Man Zheng said: “Please do come to my humble home — though the fare is simple, the space is at least a bit larger.”

He looked with pleading eyes toward Assistant Magistrate Gu. Assistant Magistrate Gu acted as though he had not seen it, and instead looked eagerly to Zhù Ying for instruction.

Zhù Ying said: “Send the others to his place — I will eat right here.”

Since she would not leave, no one dared leave either. Chen Fang watched his Uncle Zhù go directly toward the family’s kitchen, lift the lid of a pot, and look inside.

A pot of thick watery porridge, with a few dried vegetables thrown in. The barbarian upheaval had driven everyone to hastily harvest what they could, and now that autumn harvest was complete, people were eating thin again.

The old man of the household wanted to slaughter a chicken, but Zhù Ying said: “No need.”

She rolled up her sleeves and ladled out a bowl of mixed-grain gruel — not a trace of salt, with an extremely coarse and rough texture. Zhù Ying picked out a bit of wheat grain, some broken bean pieces, and some other things she could not quite identify. There was no side dish either, not even a bit of pickled vegetables.

When she had finished eating, Xiang An came with a money pouch to settle up with the family. The old man would not accept it, and looked over at Old Man Zheng: “Landlord…”

Zhù Ying said: “No need to ask him. Do not refuse payment — I will give you the equivalent in grain and wheat.”

That night she stayed at Old Man Zheng’s house. She said nothing — it was as if she were not there as a Pacification Commissioner but as a county magistrate conducting a private inspection.

Assistant Magistrate Gu found the whole scene intensely familiar. The feeling of being far from home was instantly soothed, and he slept very soundly.

The next morning, Zhù Ying dragged him along. They wandered east, wandered west, and eventually made their way to a certain village. Zhù Ying asked: “Is this the place?”

“It is,” said Assistant Magistrate Gu.

Zhù Ying said: “Then today, let us eat here.”

Assistant Magistrate Gu said in a low voice: “This is the poorest place.”

“I can see that.”

The houses in this village were even more rundown than the houses of Old Man Zheng’s tenant farmers. At one house near the entrance to the village, a family was eating. Zhù Ying dismounted, walked slowly over, and asked if she might share their meal.

The old grandmother of the household knelt and said: “Sir, please do not mock us — what could we possibly have that is fit to offer you?”

Zhù Ying took out a handful of coins, placed them on the table, and helped her up: “Truly — I only want to eat this.”

The old grandmother lowered her head, looked at the dull gray discs on the plate, and said: “Oh, let me go slaughter a chicken.”

“No need,” Zhù Ying said.

She crouched down beside the old grandmother’s table and picked up one of the flat cakes.

The size of a palm, rough to the touch on first contact — pressed from wheat bran mixed with something else she could not identify. At least this was dry food. Zhù Ying opened her mouth and bit down. It scraped her mouth, scraped her throat, scratched all the way down her gullet as it slid down. Chen Fang was quite curious and leaned in, also picked up one of the cakes, bit into it in imitation of Zhù Ying — and his expression immediately became quite extraordinary.

The old grandmother raised a large rough ceramic bowl, filled with thin gruel, nearly all water, clear enough to see one’s reflection: “Drink — drink some porridge with it.”

Zhù Ying finished eating one flat cake without changing expression. “Are there more? Give them a share as well.”

The old grandmother was so frightened she could only do as she was told, holding out the plate of flat cakes in both hands. Su Zhe took one with complete composure, handed one to Zhù Qingjun, and as she passed it along she ate — bit down without a moment’s guard and let out a sound with her mouth.

Zhù Qingjun also bit into hers and said: “Wheat bran, is it? Before, what I ate was mixed with rice husks.”

Zhù Ying gave a quiet sound of acknowledgment, then said to Prefect Yang: “Finish eating it. Then we start from this county. Who collected the taxes, how much was collected, whether anyone skimmed from what was due — investigate! The registered commoners are eating worse than the unregistered households — that is truly an achievement worthy of being presented to the court with pride!”

The north had reported disaster, and the court had reduced and exempted taxes. If they had been implemented according to proper procedure, surely people would not still be eating like this right after autumn harvest! Where had everything gone?!

Prefect Yang glanced at Assistant Magistrate Gu.

Zhù Ying said: “No need to look at him.” She pointed at Assistant Magistrate Gu: “Investigate clearly, then summon Old Man Zheng to my headquarters for me!”

“Yes!”

Zhù Ying visited only these two places before returning to headquarters. Three days later, Assistant Magistrate Gu arrived at headquarters with two clerks under escort, bringing Old Man Zheng with him.

The headquarters was a lively scene at this point — Zhù Ying had sent out official dispatches summoning the officials of this prefecture and the Prefects of the neighboring prefectures.

Assistant Magistrate Gu had been somewhat apprehensive, but the moment he saw Zhù Ying seated above, his courage came flooding back. He loudly reported his findings: “Investigation shows that such-and-such clerk embezzled such-and-such amount… and such-and-such other clerk altered documents and privately added to the tax levies…”

Zhù Ying then asked for evidence. Assistant Magistrate Gu presented it item by item.

The clerks cried out in protest of their innocence: “It was the former county magistrate who said the tax quota could not be reduced — he was the one forcing us…”

Zhù Ying asked Assistant Magistrate Gu: “How much property does he have? What of it can be accounted for? What of it is unclear in origin?”

The clerk’s face went white as ash. Assistant Magistrate Gu smiled: “Your subordinate has evidence for all of it!”

Zhù Ying said: “Very good. Hang them up.”

Assistant Magistrate Gu stared blankly as her finger pointed toward the flagpole outside. Zhù Ying glanced at Xiang Le, and Xiang Le also blanked for a moment.

Zhù Ying said: “Those two — hang them up there! Hang them by their necks. Those who would not let commoners eat, they need never eat again. I have not even stuffed husks into their mouths!”

Xiang Le said: “Yes!”

Zhù Ying turned slowly to the officials assembled in the hall below. “The registered commoners live on grain husks and dried vegetables — or rather, on wheat bran with no vegetables. And the annexed tenant farmers can still get a hot meal. How is anyone supposed to trust in the court? That this situation has arisen is a failure on all our parts. Beginning now, it must change.”

She pointed to Assistant Magistrate Gu: “You bear responsibility for this as well. In recognition of the fact that you were previously only a county assistant magistrate and could not make decisions on your own, the matter is set aside for now. You are hereby temporarily acting county magistrate — go and do your work properly. I want the real situation. Fail me, and you will answer for it together!”

“Yes!” The assistant magistrate answered with exceptional vigor.

Zhù Ying then invited Old Man Zheng to come forward and personally moved a chair over for him, asking him to be seated: “You have been wronged. Annexation of land is not right — but the officials who failed to look after the commoners are in greater error! The court has no intention of treating the gentry harshly, and the gentry must not fail the court’s expectations.”

Old Man Zheng immediately rose to his feet and bowed deeply: “I dare not, I dare not. This commoner has committed offenses — this commoner has committed offenses.”

Zhù Ying pressed him back down into the chair and said to Prefect Yang and the others: “When His Majesty sent me here, I said — I cannot go empty-handed. The rent and taxes of the northern territories this year are to be exempted — they will not go to the court. How they are arranged must follow my guidance. Those who can get things done — let us get them done together. Those who cannot, there will be a change of personnel.”

She smiled and gestured toward the forty young men she had brought from the northern territories.