After taking up his post, Chen Meng had ordered notices posted encouraging citizens to bring suits, having longed for people to come forward with complaints, so he could display the manner of his administration as the capital prefect.

Now a case had come, and Chen Meng the Capital Prefect’s face had turned green.

The defendant, Yu Qingtuan, was a person of some small reputation. The charge was seizure of farmland by force — a matter that formed a rather ironic contrast with the slogan of “suppressing land consolidation” championed by Yu Qingtuan’s faction.

The area inside and outside the capital prefecture yamen was surrounded by crowds of idle onlookers who had come to watch the proceedings. Chen Meng accepted the complaint, and first asked the plaintiff to explain the circumstances.

Seeing Chen Meng accept the complaint, the plaintiff kowtowed repeatedly and cried out “Righteous judge!” Then he proceeded to relate his experience: “A little land left behind by my ancestors — it counted as our family inheritance, and we tended it diligently and never slackened. Who could have known that misfortune would fall from the sky — that official Yu Daguanren took a fancy to my family’s property and sent men to tell me he wanted to buy it. How could I agree, my lord? Your honor, since my family’s land was occupied by the princess’s household, my family of twelve is left with only forty acres of poor farmland to live on. A whole family’s food and clothing…”

The watching crowd began to murmur: “Why is there a princess mixed up in this?”

Chen Meng’s face remained expressionless as he raised his right hand and cut off the plaintiff: “Which princess?”

The plaintiff had no choice but to start over: “My family’s numbers had grown over the generations, and the forty acres inherited from our ancestors were not enough. My husband and wife, with our four sons, opened up a new stretch of wasteland. Before the land was fully cultivated and before we had a chance to register it and pay taxes on it, it was first taken by Prince Lu. Later, after Prince Lu’s fall from grace, Great Justice Zhù Ying had the fields returned to us. We had barely had time to warm them in our hands before Princess Anren’s household occupied them.”

Chen Meng’s eyes flickered, and he looked down at this unfortunate soul. Two pieces of land in total — one seized by Princess Anren, the other strong-armed into a sale by Yu Qingtuan at a below-market price. With a household of more than a dozen mouths to feed, no wonder they had come to file a suit.

Chen Meng felt himself to be equally unfortunate. Beyond Yu Qingtuan, Princess Anren had now been dragged into the matter — and the citizens who had come to sit in on the hearing of the case had heard every word. A righteous official who could face anyone openly — such a post was clearly not easy to hold!

The plaintiff below was still looking up with eyes full of expectation. Above him, Chen Meng had already fallen silent. The two looked at each other for a long time, and the hopeful light in the plaintiff’s eyes began to slowly dim.

Chen Meng drew a deep breath and ordered men to go to Yu Qingtuan’s household and bring the man in for questioning. The plaintiff’s heart rekindled with hope. Chen Meng, however, said: “Dismissed — the case will be heard again once the accused has been brought in.” He ordered a record made of the plaintiff’s home address.

After the plaintiff’s family left, Chen Meng summoned the constables and ordered them to quietly follow the plaintiff, and watch whether there was anything suspicious behind the plaintiff’s story. He had a nagging sense that something was off with this plaintiff — if you were going to accuse Yu Qingtuan, then accuse Yu Qingtuan. Why drag Princess Anren into it as well? Was there some scheme at work?

He himself then went to attend to other business. Before long, a manager from the Yu household arrived. Seeing Chen Meng, the Yu household manager did not dare put on airs, and knelt to state his case — saying that a bill of sale had been signed. Chen Meng ordered the plaintiff brought back to confront his account.

In the hall, the plaintiff wept and cried out to heaven: “Who would willingly sell off their ancestral property? After the princess’s household took my other piece of land, this one was my lifeline — how could I have wanted to sell it? They forced me. They said — if I did not sell, they would haul me before the authorities!”

It was unclear exactly what crime he had committed that would send him before the authorities, but cases of people being thrown into prison for no apparent reason were not uncommon. Once in prison, what would become of you depended entirely on your fate. With that in mind, they had sold the land.

It was better to beg for food than to lose your life, was it not?

The Yu household manager was not to be outdone: “My lord, this scoundrel was surely put up to this by someone — he means to frame my master!”

Seizure of farmland was a common enough thing, and Chen Meng had not fully believed the Yu household’s words. But the plaintiff’s opening statement had named Yu Qingtuan in his complaint, yet his testimony had then dragged Princess Anren into it — which was somewhat suspicious. Chen Meng ordered both parties detained, and sent men out to investigate further.

Investigation took time, and there were no results today. As darkness fell, Chen Meng returned home.

Chen Fang and his wife had already left for his posting, and at home there were only Chen Meng, his wife, and a few other children. He reprimanded his second son Chen Mei briefly: “Fooling around, playing the clown — what sort of behavior is that?”

Chen Mei was not intimidated by him, and said with a laugh: “Father, I am actually very good — if it were the Ruan family…”

“What about the Ruan family?”

Chen Mei was the son of a Prime Minister’s grandson and a capital prefect, and the people he generally associated with were of comparable backgrounds. He grinned and shared what he knew of the “inside story”: “Ruan Xiu is fighting with Yu Qingtuan over a maidservant! He lost the fight and is furious, so now he’s paid someone to report Yu Qingtuan!”

Chen Meng’s interest was immediately piqued: “How do you know this?”

“He was drunk and said it himself.”

“Tell me in detail.”

Before this incident, there had already been a conflict between Yu Qingtuan and Ruan Xiu. Ruan Xiu had wanted to buy a beautiful maidservant, but since he had no real say in his household, money was a bit tight, and he could not make up his mind on the spot. A slave trader could not afford to hold out waiting for one buyer and miss other sales, so the trader went on to offer her to others. By chance, Yu Qingtuan had taken notice.

Yu Qingtuan was nothing like Ruan Xiu — not a wastrel with no authority in his own household. When he found something suitable, he decided on the spot and closed the deal. By the time the still-vacillating Ruan Xiu came back to buy, he was told Yu Qingtuan had already taken her. Ruan Xiu, who had been only half-decided until then, was immediately consumed by a burning competitive spirit.

The two families clashed, and Ruan Xiu came off the worse. He filed the defeat under Yu Qingtuan’s account. Yu Qingtuan was not afraid of him and paid him no mind whatsoever.

Ruan Xiu could not swallow this humiliation. He produced some money, found the victims, and instructed them to go and accuse Yu Qingtuan.

Chen Meng asked his son: “And what of Princess Anren?”

“What has Princess Anren got to do with this?” Chen Mei also blanked for a moment. “Let me go and ask around some more.”

“Go, and look into it carefully — be sure not to be noticed.”

Chen Mei laughed: “I won’t. Once Ruan Xiu has had a few drinks, he starts putting on a mysterious air, and before long his whole act collapses — if you don’t even engage with him, he tells you everything himself.”

Chen Meng said seriously: “It is precisely because of that, the more likely you are to believe what he says when he acts mysteriously — and once he starts deliberately lying, you’ll take it as truth and make a mess of things.”

Chen Mei shrank his neck and honestly agreed.

Although he had sent his son out as a spy, Chen Meng had not been idle himself — he still sent constables to continue gathering information.

Two days later, both sides had results. Chen Mei came back to say that Ruan Xiu had no knowledge of Princess Anren’s involvement, and had only been targeting Yu Qingtuan. The constables, after their rounds of inquiries, had found that it was indeed true that someone had given the plaintiff money — and that the plaintiff’s family had indeed owned two pieces of land. The combined blow of Prince Lu’s one cut, Princess Anren’s one cut, and finally Yu Qingtuan’s one cut had left the plaintiff’s household unable to sustain itself. The conflict between Ruan Xiu and Yu Qingtuan was also established fact, with witnesses to confirm it.

Chen Meng therefore called the plaintiff in for another hearing. The plaintiff said: “A kindhearted person saw how destitute my family of young and old had become and gave me a few strings of coins. Now that my breath had been caught, naturally I want to recover my ancestral property! What happened to my family’s land is real.”

“Were you instructed to accuse Yu Qingtuan? Were you instructed to accuse the princess?” Chen Meng asked carefully.

A flicker of blankness crossed the plaintiff’s face, and he said: “I only accused him. The princess’s household occupied my land — that is also true. Your honor asked about the case, and I spoke from the beginning. Prince Lu and the princess both occupied my land!”

Chen Meng had also investigated the transaction between the plaintiff and Yu Qingtuan. Without illness or disaster, with a family to feed, the plaintiff had suddenly sold farmland that was his only means of survival — and not to his own kinsmen. Nothing about it made sense. Then there was the price — it was considerably below market rate, and the plaintiff also reported: “They did not give us that much money either.” By the way, he also reported that the Yu household had concealed farmland from the registers.

One wave had not yet subsided when another rose. Chen Meng felt acutely how poor his luck was, and had no choice but to send more people to investigate.

In truth, there was no need — in his heart he had already made his guess, and eight parts of the plaintiff’s complaint were likely true.

Outside the hall, the onlooking citizens were murmuring to each other. Inside the hall, the officials did not dare let out a single breath — everyone could see their superior had run into trouble this time. Those who had made their living in the capital prefecture were not fools — one look and they understood the situation was somewhat perilous.

A few sharp-minded clerks had their minds working at full speed.

How to rule on the case itself was actually simple — as long as one still had a conscience, the conclusion was plain to see. The difficulty was not the straightforward charge of land seizure. The difficulty was that the case had produced a case within a case. The business of the maidservant did not need to be dealt with. But what of Princess Anren?

At this moment, no matter what reason one gave for ruling against someone from a particular faction, one would be suspected of acting against that faction. That alone might have been manageable. But in the course of the hearing, Princess Anren had also become entangled. With her granddaughter as the Crown Prince Consort, one feared this might be some scheme targeting the Crown Prince.

In order to establish authority and build trust at the initial hearing, he had allowed citizens to listen in — and now both Yu Qingtuan and Princess Anren were implicated. If in the end only Yu Qingtuan were punished, it would balance on paper. If Princess Anren were not punished, Chen Meng’s credibility would be destroyed. In this patch of territory under his jurisdiction, his reputation would be finished entirely.

Standing up to Princess Anren when one had a righteous cause was perfectly within Chen Meng’s capabilities — but he hesitated to move against something he might inadvertently harm.

Everyone was waiting for Chen Meng to deliver a conclusion.

Chen Meng was no longer the ignorant young man he had once been. He calmly ordered the constables to continue their inquiries, then declared the session dismissed, and had the plaintiff’s family settled near the yamen.

He was waiting — waiting for Yu Qingtuan’s response. In his heart, Chen Meng held Wang Yunhe in considerably more esteem than he did Zheng Xi. He was willing to give Yu Qingtuan a chance. If it could be avoided, he did not want to embarrass Yu Qingtuan and Xian Jing.

Zheng Xi had already set an example. Surely they could learn from it, however imperfectly? Zheng Xi had handled that business with absolute elegance — bringing Zheng Yan to the capital prefecture in person and settling the matter there.

Chen Meng sighed inwardly: the older generation all hoped to have a son like Zheng Xi.

After leaving the hall, he also had a card sent to Luo Sheng — delicately suggesting that Luo Sheng persuade Princess Anren: settle the matter quickly, return the fields. You are not short of those few dozen acres. Give them back, and I will close the case. I will not even aspire to the name of an unbending, righteous official. Just do not drag the Crown Prince and his consort into it.

Chen Meng felt he had done all that could be done in all decency.

……

He had not anticipated that after even the morning court session the next day had passed, and he had deliberately dawdled on his way out, neither of the two had made a move.

What he did not know was that Yu Qingtuan’s household had sent a manager to handle the matter, thinking it settled — this was how wealthy households always operated. They had a signed bill of sale, after all, and the purchase had not been made by force.

Luo Sheng’s side was even harder. He had received the card the previous evening quite late, and had tried to persuade his mother through the night.

But Princess Anren gave him one line in return: “What? Return it?” She was actually laughing from sheer fury. “Who started all this? Was it not some person or other who went out and ranted raving nonsense? Just tell him to shut his mouth — would that not solve it? Does Chen Meng not know how to do even that? Sending me a card about it — is he trying to extort me?!”

Luo Sheng was stunned by his mother’s tirade, and said: “Now is not a time to cause trouble. And besides, the Emperor has already gifted you a great many estates and properties.”

“Those were the Emperor’s gifts — is that the same thing as this? If the Emperor gave you something, does that mean what you originally had should be handed away? What kind of reasoning is that? A’Yun has not grown up yet, the Eastern Palace already has several children, the Crown Prince’s inner chambers are full of favorites — with your temperament, after I am gone, will A’Yun be able to depend on you?”

Luo Sheng said: “Quiet! How can you speak of the Crown Prince having many favorites? Those words damage the Crown Prince’s reputation.”

The Crown Prince’s concubines were not many, and he had not taken the initiative to hold selections for himself — the women assigned to serve him had been arranged by the Emperor and Empress, and none of them had yet been given official ranks and titles. Princess Anren’s words, Luo Sheng felt, were simply wrong.

Mother and son argued themselves further and further off the original point, until the real matter at hand had been argued entirely away.

Chen Meng returned to the capital prefecture, where the constables had gone out to gather information and had not yet come back. He waited patiently, attending to various administrative matters in the meantime. He waited an entire day, and not a single one of them came forward.

Chen Meng’s temper began to rise.

When he returned home, Chen Mei brought back more intelligence from his investigations: “Father, the plaintiff in that case is a thoroughly unlucky fellow. When Ruan Xiu gave him money and told him to accuse Yu Qingtuan, he had no idea that the man’s other piece of land had been taken by Princess Anren — it was simply a coincidence. He was chosen because of the large size of his household.”

Chen Meng said: “I see — then the princess has only herself to blame.”

“Father?” Seeing Chen Meng’s expression darken, Chen Mei also wiped off his own look of reflection.

Chen Meng said: “What Minister Wang did was difficult! It is easy to stand up without fear of the powerful and without yielding to private interests in one case. It is the doing so for an entire lifetime that is difficult! If one does it only once and then follows private interests in everything else, one has already fallen into the second tier — and a person’s spirit and vitality are then utterly gone!”

Chen Meng harbored deep resentment toward these two for cornering him into a position where he had no choice but to take sides.

Fine work you two have done! I sent cards to both of you — and you treated my words as air, did you? And Yu Qingtuan — does the man have no idea what he has done? How dare he sit on the court criticizing others? He is nothing but a parasite!

Chen Meng said: “Bring my horse.”

“Where are you going?”

“To your uncle’s household.”

Chen Meng stormed over to Zhù Ying’s household in one breath. Zhù Ying’s household had just finished dinner and seen off the day’s guests — for today the Zhù household too had had visitors. Yang Jing had come.

This gentleman had brought only a few servants into the capital. His wife and children were all at home — he was not worried. The older ones were grown, and the younger ones, left at home, his wife could teach.

He had come to find Zhù Ying today to discuss matters of the Directorate of Education. His plan was to divide the students in the Directorate into two categories: those who had entered through hereditary privilege, and those who had entered through examination. They would be treated differently. Those who had entered through privilege could of course also take examinations — those who did well would be treated the same as examination students. Those who did not do well would not be expelled because of their status, but would be placed under strict management and sent home when they came of age.

Those who had entered through examinations were the ones he planned to invest more effort in — he wished to provide better conditions for these students, with better lodgings, food, and daily necessities. And when selecting officials, the Directorate would give priority recommendations to these good students.

Improving conditions required money, and he also wanted to provide some students — the truly poor ones, not merely the “sons of impoverished scholars” — with additional stationery and books.

Zhù Ying managed the money.

Although the Emperor had given his word, this was ultimately the Ministry of Finance’s work. Once the people handling it wanted to make things difficult for you, they could produce eight hundred reasons to justify withholding your funds — and none of them would be just empty words.

Yang Jing was no fool, and had come to sit at the Zhù household for this reason, bringing a modest gift, words sincere and earnest. By this point Zhù Ying had already learned more of his background — someone of her sort simply would not have known. Liu Songnian had departed too quickly and had not had a chance to brief her. Yang Jing was a person of considerable reputation in scholarly circles.

With Yang Jing having paid a call, Zhù Ying would of course have him stay for a meal.

Yang Jing said calmly: “Then I shall impose upon you.”

The meal was excellent enough that both Zhù Ying and Su Zhe sat scooping rice with a bowl in hand, their eyes on Yang Jing’s face, able to eat two extra bowlfuls. When Yang Jing finished, he also praised it: “The flavors are fresh and delicious.”

“Ha — when ingredients are fresh, however you prepare them, they taste good.”

Yang Jing’s face gave a faint twitch, and he said: “That — is not necessarily always the case. The food in this household is genuinely good.”

Then he returned to the subject of the Directorate of Education. Zhù Ying actually welcomed this, and said: “That can be done. Bring me a figure.”

Yang Jing said: “It goes without saying that I will be imposing upon you again in future.”

Zhù Ying said: “Why not give me a total figure? Coming time after time is terribly inconvenient.”

Yang Jing said: “Affairs must be attended to one by one — I also do not know how much will be needed. Within two years I will settle the arrangements, work out the monthly and annual expenditures, establish those as fixed precedents, and then you will no longer be troubled by me. I am aware that in recent times floods and droughts have been constant, and the Ministry of Finance has been overburdened — I ask you to bear with me for a while.”

Zhù Ying said: “What kind of talk is that? The Ministry of Finance is here to do real work, and what you are doing is real work.”

Yang Jing clasped his hands in a courteous bow, and politely took his leave.

No sooner had he gone than Chen Meng arrived.

Zhù Ying said: “Oh dear — have you eaten?”

“I ate myself full on frustration,” Chen Meng said.

The attendants cleared away the remains of the meal and brought tea and refreshments for Chen Meng. Zhù Ying sat facing him and asked: “What is the matter?”

Chen Meng looked at Zhù Ying with earnest eyes and said: “I am going to speak to you plainly now. Two factions struggle for power in the court — what are your thoughts? I have no wish to deal with them.”

Zhù Ying asked again: “What is the matter?”

Chen Meng drew a deep breath and laid out everything of the past few days in full.

Zhù Ying said: “I had heard a little of it. The business with Princess Anren — I knew about that, and was wondering how to let you know. This matter is genuinely difficult. I count myself fortunate to no longer be in the Dali Court — if I were there and ran into something like this, I would also be in an impossible position. Not that I would be afraid — but it is somewhat difficult. You are different from me — you owe them nothing.”

“And you owe them nothing either! Zheng Xi has not done all that much for you! What you have paid back these years is already more than enough. As for Minister Wang — his kindness to you was genuine, and you have repaid it already. If you feel any lingering debt, show consideration for his children and descendants. It has nothing to do with anyone else.” Chen Meng spoke earnestly.

Zhù Ying said: “What is it you intend?”

“An old man stands straight and sits upright. We are court ministers — must we spend our time acting as lackeys for others? You find it hard to break decisively with the Seventh Son of Zheng Xi — but that man has some sense about him, which makes him a hundred times better than Yu Qingtuan. You are under no obligation to him either!

As for the rest — what need is there to get ourselves tangled up in it? Given what you and I command today, to protect ourselves is more than sufficient.

Your one weakness is your origins, and that matter — does Zheng’s seventh son have no responsibility in it? If you were still an evaluator at the Dali Court, your origins could be used to put you back where you started. You are already Minister of Finance — the Emperor would be the first one not to let you go!”

Zhù Ying said: “You and I?”

Chen Meng raised his head with pride: “Are you and I afraid of them? Do not push me too far!”

Zhù Ying said: “Agreed!”

“Ha! Given your origins, the fact that you made it to Minister is because you earned it through merit and were better than all of them — I am the son of a Prime Minister… Wait — you agreed?”

Zhù Ying said: “I said, agreed.”

Chen Meng stared at her for a long moment, and then suddenly said: “Good! Let us go and find Minister Shi.”

Zhù Ying said: “It would not be fitting for me to go. Given my ties to Minister Zheng, I should not be the one to go lobbying others. You go on your own — my position will not change.”

Chen Meng said: “You are right — I was not thinking. I will go alone.”

He went straight away that same night to pay his respects to Shi Kun. Shi Kun was about to retire for the night, and his son Shi Jixing had come out first thinking something had happened, and asked what the matter was.

Chen Meng laughed: “I suddenly thought of the elder uncle.”

Shi Kun, wrapped in his outer robe and supported by his eldest son, came out and asked: “Has something happened?” His mind had already rapidly turned over all matters of importance — the greatest of all would be the Emperor’s sudden death. He was a little tense.

Chen Meng said: “There is a case.”

He relayed a brief account of what he had told Zhù Ying, and concluded: “What does Your Honor think?”

Shi Kun said: “Factional strife is no good thing, but for you to simply stand by and do nothing is probably impossible — it is never a matter of the east wind overpowering the west, or the west overpowering the east. They will not be able to coexist.”

Shi Jixing said quietly: “Even coexistence is out of the question?”

“Even worse!” Shi Kun said gravely. “The thing to fear is not difference — it is when two sides are evenly matched and the fighting drags on without end, consuming all the finest talent! Minister Wang’s thinking was for the good of the realm, but the people who carried out the work were not equal to the vision — and so it was bound to fail. He did everything he could; his students, and the students of his students — he cultivated a new generation. It was those people who let him down. To hope that everyone under heaven would be like him — capable and loyal — is impossible. And Zheng’s seventh son… the nation has come to this pass, and hoping things could be as they were before is equally impossible. His side has even fewer people capable of getting things done — and a whole pack capable of doing harm.”

Chen Meng was stunned: “Then must we help one of them?” Have I done wrong? If I was wrong, would Sanlang have gone wrong alongside me? That should not be. Chen Meng’s thoughts raced.

Shi Kun said: “Help which one?”

“What?”

A faint smile appeared on Shi Kun’s face, revealing the manner of a man who had been Prime Minister for twenty years: “Hold steady! Entering the fray now means going out to slaughter each other — what kind of vanguard soldiers do you want to be? Stand firm, and when the right moment comes, act — press down one side, and then go do something of benefit to the nation.”

“The right moment?”

Shi Kun said: “You are asking me? I have not seen it yet. The pair of you — keep your calm!”

Chen Meng thought: this is far more vague than what my own father would have said.

But with Shi Kun’s attitude stated clearly, Chen Meng’s mind was at ease. He left the Shi household and went again to Zhù Ying’s household, and relayed what had been said: “What is the right moment?”

Zhù Ying said: “When the nation is in peril, or when both sides have mutually exhausted each other, or when they have already shed blood and thrown all decorum aside.”

Chen Meng said: “Let us hope it does not come to that.”

“Then it will be a prolonged standoff.”

“That works. Ah, I must get back — what an exhausting day!”

……——

The next morning, Chen Meng had still not waited for either side to come to him. He decided to act decisively — he first ruled on Yu Qingtuan’s case.

He began by exposing the fact that Yu Qingtuan had concealed farmland from the registers, and ordered him to either return the land to the hidden tenants, or register it properly — whatever portion exceeded the tax-exempt threshold was to be taxed, and back taxes paid.

On top of that, he ruled on the charge of seizing farmland. The evidence of the forced purchase was somewhat thin, but Chen Meng reasoned by logic: could a man who hid farmland from the registers claim he had bought other land fairly? Would a man with only enough land for subsistence, without encountering any great disaster, suddenly sell his ancestral property? Who did they think they were fooling?

Chen Meng found that Yu Qingtuan had indeed been in the wrong, and ordered the land returned, with an additional payment equivalent to one season’s harvest as compensation.

Then Chen Meng impeached Princess Anren! He accused her of insatiable greed — the Emperor had already bestowed gifts upon her beyond counting, and still she stripped small commoners of their means of survival! She was truly unworthy of the late Emperor and all the imperial ancestors!

The court erupted in a roar.

Chen Meng felt the exhilaration of a man who had nothing left to lose.