The Prince of Wei left in a mood of contentment.

An old trick need not be a new one — as long as it worked.

The Prince of Wei was very confident.

When ministers grew strong and overbearing, an Emperor would inevitably think of using “his own family.” Had the late Emperor not been moved by exactly this argument?

The new ruler watched his retreating figure and sat for a long while on the imperial throne without rising. It was only when Hao Dafang came forward to ask: “Your Majesty, the hour grows late — Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is still waiting for you” that he slowly blinked and said: “Oh, yes, all right.”

He made his way composedly to the central palace. The Empress Dowager’s quarters had not yet been renovated, and Empress Dowager Mu had not yet begun to pack her belongings — everything was still as before. She was still waiting for him to come back for dinner.

The Emperor, at the entrance to the hall, shook off his somber mood, stepped inside, and was once again a calm, dutiful son.

Empress Dowager Mu asked, “What business was it? Coming at such a time?”

The Emperor said, “Nothing important.” Seeing that she was about to press him further, he quickly said he was hungry.

Empress Dowager Mu said, “Oh, it really is late! Serve the meal.”

The dishes were all hot. Empress Dowager Mu stopped the Emperor from drinking wine. He said, “Of course.”

When the Emperor was half full, and Empress Dowager Mu saw the tension ease from his shoulders and back, she asked: “Is everything still going smoothly?”

The Emperor gave a nod: “Well enough.”

Empress Dowager Mu said, “Even so, you mustn’t lose sight of things. Your father spent a good half-year worrying about this and that — afraid of the Chancellors seizing power, afraid of the brothers causing trouble.”

The Emperor smiled. “Everything rests with me, Mother. There is no need to worry — just enjoy your days in peace. The western palace chambers have already begun construction — that is where you will live in the future. Go and take a look; anything you want or want changed, have them take care of it.”

“Oh.” Empress Dowager Mu felt a slight wistfulness but restrained herself from raising her family again. Mu Chengzhou would not be coming back anytime soon, but she had other brothers and nephews. Seeing that her son’s spirits were not high, Empress Dowager Mu set the thought aside for now and instead brought up Princess Luo: “She is now the Empress — do not neglect her. When you have a moment, go and speak with her.”

“Mother, I am in mourning.”

Empress Dowager Mu said in mild reproach, “Does your mother not know her own mind? It’s not as though you lack for sons! Encountering such a great event — she is just a child, and her heart may not be entirely at ease. Go and settle her down; it will also help keep the Princess’s household in better order.”

“Princess Anren?” The Emperor named her precisely.

Empress Dowager Mu said, “Princess Anren has never known hardship in her life — her temper is not going to change now. If she does not cause trouble in your early reign, she will already be giving you face. You are the Emperor and you have so many affairs of state to occupy you — can you really spend your energy on all of this as well? Husband and wife are one body: Her Majesty the Empress should take up the responsibilities of an Empress and restrain the outer clan. She is already of age — you cannot go on treating her as a child, and she cannot forever remain a child within the palace!”

Empress Dowager Mu felt a trace of bitterness as she said these words. She had not been Empress for very long herself, and already she had to yield power? Yet she had no choice. If she didn’t move, her son’s entire inner court would remain housed in the Eastern Palace — what kind of manner was that?

If things went on much longer, the ministers would have something to say.

The Emperor said, “Understood. Rest early, Mother. I’ll go and see her.”

He left the central palace and did not go to the Eastern Palace to see Princess Luo. Instead he had Du Shi’en send a late-night supper to Princess Luo in the Eastern Palace. He himself returned to the front hall, to the place where his father and grandfather had once lived, and sat there in deep thought for a long while.

Once, he had listened to his grandfather’s many teachings in this very hall — he had not understood them then, but now they were suddenly clear.

Things that had been opaque to him as Crown Prince were now, at this moment, suddenly transparent. The Empress Dowager, the Prince of Wei, Xian Jing, Zheng Xi — everyone’s intentions were now laid bare to him. Others might have some regard for the public good, but none of them were without private desires as well.

How to maintain a balance among them all?

The Emperor wrestled with the question in his mind.

——

“Hmph! I dare say our new Emperor intends to play at balancing factions — using Xian Jing to check Seventh Brother.”

In the Zheng residence, Zheng Yi remarked with no small amount of mockery.

Zheng Xi had returned early, and having been busy with everything until now, he had at last found an opportunity. He sent out invitations and gathered a few people at his home. With the late Emperor having just passed away, there was no question of singing and entertainment, but as Chancellor, it was perfectly legitimate for Zheng Xi to receive certain court officials at his home to discuss affairs. And so Leng Yun, Zhù Ying, Zheng Yi, Wen Yue, Lord Wang, General Ruan, and others all came. The group was small — counting Zheng Xi’s second son Zheng Shen, seven people in all. No one like Chai Lingyuan who was merely filling numbers; every single one of them could, if pressed, say something of substance.

Seeing Leng Yun at Zheng Xi’s home, Zhù Ying was both surprised and not entirely surprised. The two of them sat facing each other across the table. Leng Yun still wore his air of indifference, listening to Zheng Yi making irreverent remarks about the Emperor behind his back. Zhù Ying felt Zheng Yi had got it right this time, but she did not think the Emperor had what it took to manage this particular collection of formidable characters.

Zheng Xi said, “How can we speak ill of His Majesty behind his back? Xian Jing is an old hand from the Eastern Palace — how could His Majesty fail to show him some regard?”

Leng Yun said, “Keep those polite words for when someone outside asks you. Once Xian Jing is back, the trouble will be back too. How to keep him from making a nuisance of himself? Thirteenth Brother is right — if the Emperor doesn’t want Xian Jing toppled, Xian Jing won’t fall.”

The topic had gone in a circle back to where it started.

Zheng Xi asked Zhù Ying: “Sanlang, what do you think?”

Zheng Yi said, “Don’t bother with him — he’s sharp as a knife when it comes to getting things done, but the moment it comes to these matters he turns vague and soft!” His tone carried only mild reproach; mostly it was helplessness. Zhù Ying was capable, but overly “good-natured.” It was precisely because of that good nature that everyone thought well of her and trusted her. Zhù Ying was a shield — never a sword.

But this time, Zhù Ying actually spoke up. She first said to Wen Yue, “You should not have come today.”

Zheng Xi said, “I asked him to come. I know what you mean — his position is too significant right now, and he needs to avoid the appearance of impropriety. But we have kept too much distance for too long — we needed to meet at least once, to set a general course.”

Wen Yue also said, “Before coming, I already had everything arranged in camp.”

Zhù Ying then said to Zheng Yi, “One Xian Jing is not much trouble.”

Leng Yun grew interested. “This is rare — you actually have an idea? Xian Jing is riding high right now; from his former Eastern Palace faction, once he has them arranged, it’s another great cluster — are you going to go find Counsellor Chen?”

Zhù Ying shook her head. “I have some small matters to discuss with him, and that’s fine. But for something like this, what would be the point of involving him? He already has more than enough headaches. Xian Jing causing trouble for him — that doesn’t mean others don’t also look like headaches in his eyes.”

Leng Yun said, “Fine, fine — we’re all headaches. Happy now? What is your idea then?”

Zhù Ying said, “In truth, as long as the Counsellor relaxes his grip a little and watches with cold eyes, they will fall into internal strife on their own. If you trust me — hold off for now, and don’t move. Xian Jing is no extraordinary talent capable of winning over everyone. Sooner or later, people within his own camp will start cursing him. If the Counsellor is not the type to swallow grievances, a small nudge will do no great harm either. Look at what kind of people Xian Jing has around him — in their mouths, it is all ‘the people and the realm,’ but with their hands it is all ‘private advantage for our house and faction,’ while in their hearts there is, in truth, a genuine strain of upright principle — pointing at rivers and mountains, righteously indignant, as if they will not suffer a single grain of sand in their eyes.”

She raised her left index finger, then pointed her right index finger at it, then at the empty air on either side: “What does ‘upright’ mean? Apart from this one straight path — if you veer half an inch to the left, are you upright? Compared to veering a full inch to the left, the one who veers half an inch is more ‘upright,’ isn’t he?”

She made a sweeping gesture with her right palm through the air to the left side: “That side is a different matter entirely — everything is negotiable there.”

She had spent these days feeling flat and dull, but had also been observing carefully. Zheng Xi’s faction — loosely speaking, call it a faction — nominally consisted of eminent clans, meritorious families, and old aristocracy. In reality, the composition was quite mixed: factions from the reign of the Emperor before last, great clans that had predated the founding of this dynasty, meritorious families whose military achievements had carried down through several generations — all of them could be counted in.

And Xian Jing’s side? Just one word: new. Or rather, comparatively new.

Zheng Xi’s camp had already eaten their fill and their demands were singular and concrete. Their objective was simple: what they already had, they would not give up. That concrete clarity made their goals like a bowl of rice set before you — you just needed to eat.

As for who to listen to — that was also easy to understand. Whoever had the bigger bowl spoke with the louder voice.

This was precisely the weakness of Xian Jing’s camp. They currently possessed too little that was concrete, while their aspirations remained too lofty and vague, and their experience too scant. And each of them carried in their heart their own vision of “the Way” — with the Five Classics laid out before them, who said your reading of them was correct? What if I read them myself and reach my own conclusions?

At a time like this, what was needed was a moral exemplar of great personal power and exceptional ability — someone who could take that mass of high-minded abstraction and fix it to a single point, walking that path without deviation. Wang Yunhe had once served that role. Now Xian Jing was utterly unfit for it. At a moment like this, everyone wanted to be the “founding master,” to establish their own school, to find their own bowl of rice. They would inevitably fracture.

It would be a miracle if it didn’t descend into chaos!

You are a gentleman? I am more of a gentleman than you! Not cooperating with Zheng Xi — does that make you upright? No — I attack Zheng Xi’s errors; that makes me upright! Attacking Zheng Xi’s errors makes you upright? No — attacking the whole person of Zheng Xi is more upright!

Zheng Xi was different — he was, surprisingly, still relatively restrained.

Zhù Ying was willing to bet that though Chen Meng viewed both sides with displeasure, he would manage to coexist tolerably with Zheng Xi going forward — but he might well find himself attacked by Xian Jing’s people. Chen Meng was no saint, but he was among the more functional people available right now.

Therefore, Xian Jing’s camp was comparatively easy to split apart. Splitting and family division follow the same logic — it is easy to fight over the inheritance, to have internal strife.

Zhù Ying’s explanation brought even a look of dawning comprehension to Leng Yun’s face. He laughed and said, “Not bad, not bad! He can’t command respect! Ha ha ha ha! They’re all newly arrived — why should any of them listen to him? Even Wang Shuliang hasn’t jumped out yet!”

Zhù Ying sighed and said, “Not judging by bloodline — that is both a good thing and a bad thing. The good: it allows the more capable to emerge. The bad: everyone thinks they are capable.”

Zheng Yi said, “Sanlang — I don’t mean I don’t trust you. It’s just that sitting still and waiting feels suffocating. I’m too bored — I want to see the look on Xian Jing’s face when they call him a petty man.” As he said it, he laughed aloud.

Zhù Ying made a gesture of invitation. “You go ahead and play — I have a heap of headaches, and in a while I need to bargain with Chief Minister Li over budgets. And then there’s the matter of Princess Anren’s household inquiring again about the timing of the move — tsk!”

Lord Wang glanced at Zhù Ying and thought to himself: young but formidable! Day after day buried in practical work, yet carrying a clear picture in mind all along. He said, “Then let us proceed in this manner.”

Zheng Xi asked Zhù Ying with concern: “With Princess Anren — can you manage?”

Zhù Ying smiled. “When she was the Crown Prince Consort’s grandmother, she was a great deal of trouble. Now that she is the Empress’s grandmother, I need not be so cautious.”

Leng Yun burst out laughing.

Zheng Xi then turned to Wen Yue and urged him to maintain the palace prohibition and monitor the comings and goings of Xian Jing and his associates through the palace gates while he was at it.

Zhù Ying said, “Don’t make it too obvious.”

Wen Yue said, “I know.”

The broad course of action was thus settled. Zheng Xi felt a wave of ease move through him. The most profitable transaction of his entire life had been bringing Zhù Ying to the capital. He smiled and said, “The meal is laid. Stay for dinner before you go.”

General Ruan said, “We are still in national mourning — we should not gather for feasting. After this month, let us speak of it again.”

Zheng Xi had no choice but to let it go.

Zhù Ying deliberately walked out last. The others noticed but found nothing strange in it.

Zheng Xi saw the others out and then spoke with Zhù Ying alone. With only the two of them left, Zheng Xi appeared considerably more at ease. He smiled and asked, “What is it? Having second thoughts? Or are you feeling a pang of regret? Worried that Chief Minister Wang will be grieved in the afterlife?”

Zhù Ying said, “Not him.”

“Oh? Then something must have happened.”

Zhù Ying said, “I don’t want to speak of him.”

“Then what do you want to speak of?”

Zhù Ying said, “You really ought to keep an eye on your nephew. Even without Chai Lingyuan, Xian Jing would have thought to bring Yu Qingquan back — but when Chai Lingyuan commits an offense, there’s yet another mess to deal with after the fact.”

Zheng Xi sighed. “Where there’s a great tree, there are dead branches — when have I not known this? And I fear there are quite a few more of the younger generation who are beyond redemption besides him.”

Zhù Ying said, “If you have a soft spot for those who are unfit, then press them — force them into a position where they have no choice but to improve. That may in fact be a good thing. Even the most illustrious lineage dwindles over five generations; they must ultimately rely on themselves. When Chief Minister Wang was still alive, he spoke of formalizing the civil examination as an established institution. With so many affairs in the intervening years, it was never put into practice. You have long been saying that things cannot continue this way — rather than sighing over it, why not act on it yourself? If you have already done it, what room does Xian Jing have left?”

Since Wen Yue could be his own rival, might not Zheng Xi also surpass the old Zheng Xi?

Zheng Xi said, “I’ll think on it. Oh — how are things in the Ministry of Personnel right now?”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Where did you get that idea? I have no cause to stir up Counsellor Chen.”

Zhù Ying thought for a moment and said, “Counsellor Chen in the Ministry of Personnel is better than most. If you try to place another person inside, it likely won’t be easy. However — there is a vacancy for a Vice Minister right now. If you have it in mind, there is actually one person worth considering.”

“Oh?”

“Do you remember Vice Minister Pei?”

“Pei Qing — what a pity.” Zheng Xi gave a quiet sigh of regret.

“He may be gone, but his son is still here. There is still the bond of old friendship between us. I noticed recently that he has been reinstated and is serving outside the capital; from what I can see in the Ministry of Revenue accounts, he has done well. He is not the type with eyes bigger than his stomach.”

“That is good.”

Zhù Ying said, “Merely a suggestion — if you find it suitable, use it; if not, look for someone else.”

Zheng Xi nodded, and then said, “You are fine in every respect — you are just missing one thing: the right background. If there were a good match, you would have no remaining flaws.”

This was the first time in a long while that Zheng Xi had raised the subject of marriage with Zhù Ying. And indeed, at this point in her life, this was the one thing she lacked. Zhù Ying still had only a loose cluster of comparatively inconspicuous southern officials around her — because her foundations were too thin. If she could borrow the strength of a powerful in-law’s family, within a few years she could be a new Chancellor.

Zheng Xi would also be glad to bring her into the Grand Council. But for now, she still appeared too unsubstantiated.

Zhù Ying said, “Every advantage comes with a drawback.”

Zheng Xi had not yet reached the point where he desperately needed Zhù Ying in the Grand Council to save him. Seeing her politely decline, he pressed no further. Zhù Ying, seeing this, took her leave.

Zheng Xi personally saw her out, and said once more: “Xian Jing is now a Chancellor. Though you and he have had a gentleman’s acquaintance in the past, what comes next may not remain so peaceable — do you have any regrets?”

“Oh — I’ve already made an enemy of him just now.”

“What?”

Zhù Ying smiled. “No matter. I can manage it. When I work for you, I will not bring trouble to your door.”

Zheng Xi was very curious and pressed for details; Zhù Ying only shook her head and said nothing.

Zheng Xi said seriously, “If there is ever a real problem, you must tell me! I still have enough of a backbone for that!”

“All right,” Zhù Ying agreed readily, “if I truly find myself in trouble, I will absolutely not let you stand by and watch!”

Zheng Xi smiled. Though he pressed no further, he was burning with curiosity — just how had Xian Jing managed to make a mortal enemy of Zhù Ying?

Zhù Ying might appear easy-going, but her conduct toward people was always perfectly balanced and gracious. To drive her to the point of actively scheming against someone — that was genuinely rare. Could it be that Xian Jing had betrayed Wang Yunhe?

——Flashback——

The promotions for the old staff of the Crown Prince’s Household Administration lay in Xian Jing’s hands. Xian Jing had not, however, told Su Zhe to go home and find a good husband to marry — but while everyone else received actual positions, Su Zhe was given only an empty title.

This list had to pass through the Ministry of Personnel, which was in Chen Meng’s hands.

Chen Meng — call him meticulous or call him fussy — when it came to “his own people,” his attentiveness tipped into protectiveness. Zhù Ying had brought his eldest son along to the north to gain experience, and had placed his second son before the Emperor — Chen Meng kept all of this in mind.

For Zhù Ying’s adoptive children and students, Chen Meng would always look out for them when he could. So he took Xian Jing’s list and went through it — there was Lin Feng, but no Su Zhe. He flipped to the very end and found Su Zhe’s name there: no actual position. Her grade had been elevated, but the rank given her was that of a court noblewoman, not an official.

Chen Meng felt there was something distinctly off about this.

He didn’t fully understand the situation, and at the time said to Xian Jing, “Let me think it over.”

He then went and found Zhù Ying, asking about Su Zhe’s arrangements: “You have always been attentive to these girls; from everything I’ve observed in your past conduct, this doesn’t seem like something you would have arranged. Has something changed?”

Zhù Ying said, “How could it?!”

Chen Meng said, “I’ll hold this back for a couple of days — you go and have a quiet word with Xian Jing first. He and I have just had a quarrel; I don’t want another one.”

“All right.”

Zhù Ying therefore selected a document and brought it to Xian Jing — Xian Jing had previously served as Vice Minister of Revenue, and dealing with him on this sort of matter was natural. The two of them first discussed the expenditures for the mausoleum and the ceremonies. Xian Jing said, “The routine official business must not be allowed to fall behind because of all this.”

Zhù Ying said, “That I had already thought of. Old Li is handling routine business exclusively; Old Ye is managing these special matters; and I’ve also assigned Zhao Su to Old Ye — he’s younger than Old Ye, so the task of running back and forth to the mausoleum worksite can fall to him. Nothing will be delayed.”

From Zhao Su the conversation led naturally to the southerners who had come with them, people at home in the mountains; it moved easily to Lin Feng and Su Zhe, and from there to a casual inquiry about what arrangements were being made for the two of them: “That way I can coach them in advance, so they don’t embarrass themselves.”

Xian Jing then laid out the arrangements for the two of them, and Zhù Ying said, “How can Su Zhe be classed as a court noblewoman? She is a properly appointed official.”

Xian Jing said, “How would she take her place at court assembly? How would she mingle and conduct official business?”

The two of them locked horns over this. Xian Jing flatly refused to budge, saying it violated proper etiquette. The customs governing official court positions, he said, were not something to be bent. He also turned on Zhù Ying: “With so many great affairs of state, why spend such effort on a woman?”

“What great affairs of state, exactly?”

Xian Jing said with gravity, “How can you still pretend not to know where things stand now? You say you want to accomplish real things — no one is stopping you. But around you, the picture is already being drawn, whether or not you choose to acknowledge it.”

Zhù Ying still hoped both sides could exercise restraint. Xian Jing asked in earnest: “Can those men of no learning, relying on their ancestral favor, really hold their lofty positions for ten thousand generations beyond reach?”

Zhù Ying thought to herself: and do you not also hope that you and those like you can rely on the male bodies you were born with to hold lofty positions for ten thousand generations beyond reach?

She asked with all due courtesy and a perfectly polite smile: “There may be grounds to change that — but why should it be specifically you and yours who take their place?”

This question left Xian Jing driven back hard against a wall with nowhere to go.

Zhù Ying was a decisive person. She no longer tried to persuade Xian Jing. Instead she turned and went to find Chen Meng. Chen Meng was not averse to adding Su Zhe’s name — getting her to stand formally at court assembly was somewhat difficult, but — “She is not that one — what is the word — ah, someone from outside the Ying people? No, from the indigenous people. With a foreign tribal background, it’s actually not out of the question.”

Chen Meng’s bottom line was always remarkably flexible.

——Flashback ends——

Even more flexible than Chen Meng was Zheng Xi.

Chen Meng still needed to discuss Su Zhe’s matter with Zhù Ying; Zheng Xi had not needed to be told at all. The following day, Chen Meng brought the appointments for this batch of the Crown Prince’s Household Administration officials to Xian Jing. Xian Jing quickly scanned through — most of the appointments followed his own recommendations; the few that had been adjusted came with Chen Meng’s explanations and reasoning.

Until he came to a sheet with Su Zhe’s name on it.

He singled it out and looked: Chen Meng had arranged a posting for her in the Ministry of Rites as a Bureau Director.

Xian Jing said, “How can this be permitted?”

Chen Meng said, “Why should it not be?”

The two of them argued. Chen Meng’s arguments were well-grounded: “Her seniority is sufficient — from the south all the way to the north, she has also been through military campaigns. She is conscientious in her work and her background is respectable.”

Except for…

“She is a woman!” Xian Jing said.

The two quarreled back and forth. Xian Jing had the stronger reasoning. Dou Peng was somewhat troubled, for he knew Su Zhe’s background — if one added the element of her tribal origins, the matter was arguably tenable either way.

But Zheng Xi said, unhurried: “The outer court has precedents for appointing female officials, and it violates no law. I say it is fine.” Su Zhe was Zhù Ying’s granddaughter, adopted — what was wrong with that? A special case or two caused no great harm; and Su Zhe was sharp and resourceful.

Zhù Ying had placed Su Zhe in the Crown Prince’s Household Administration, and Zheng Xi and the others had not raised a single word of objection.

Xian Jing asked Dou Peng, “Is that how you see it as well?”

Dou Peng said, “There are so many great affairs I cannot even manage them all.”

Xian Jing said with severity, “The principles of proper etiquette, the order of yin and yang — how can these be confused? Today she serves as Bureau Director, tomorrow as a Minister, and the day after that — are we to let women enter the Grand Council?”

Zheng Xi thought to himself: what nonsense are you talking? She is going back to Wuzhou to inherit the family headship! “Then why not send all the indigenous peoples packing back to Wuzhou right now?”

“Don’t deliberately muddle the issue! I’m speaking of women! Lin Feng and the other men are perfectly fine — why drive them away? That would be alienating border peoples and causing the outlying tribes to lose faith in us!”

Chen Meng said, his tone dripping with meaning: “Oh, so you do understand how hard it was to bring Wuzhou under the court’s fold? And here you are placing your order for what you will and will not accept? If they were that compliant, could Wuzhou still be called a tributary region?”

Xian Jing, fighting three to one, conceded defeat. He thought to himself: I must speak clearly with Zhù Ying! And if she continues to be obtuse, I will make my case before the Emperor!

——Flashback ends——

At this moment, Zhù Ying was before the Emperor.

The new ruler had spent a whole night thinking, and today summoned Zhù Ying.

There was no one else before the Emperor. The new ruler’s expression was grave. Zhù Ying thought to herself: there’s nothing wrong with the Ministry of Revenue — there isn’t!

She stepped forward and paid her respects. The new ruler extended the ritual courtesy of offering her a seat. The two of them sat for a while in silence. Then the new ruler spoke: “In the late Emperor’s final days, I was always here with him — he taught me many things. Perhaps my comprehension was slow, and I could never quite grasp them. I have sought your counsel many times before, and you have always declined to speak plainly. Now the court is in disarray, nothing like what it was in the late Emperor’s time. I know I am not equal to him, but I am still the Son of Heaven — will you still not speak frankly to me?”

Zhù Ying asked earnestly, “In Your Majesty’s view, how do you compare to your grandfather?”

The new ruler looked somewhat awkward and somewhat mortified. “Naturally, I fall short.”

“This minister is not staging a repetition of past precedents for Your Majesty to follow. Since you yourself feel you fall short of your grandfather, why would you believe that your grandfather’s methods, in your hands, would also be workable?”