The mountain villa in summer was considerably cooler than the settlements below, but Chen Mei had absolutely no desire to enjoy the coolness. He wished he could cover a thousand li in a single day — blink his eyes and be back in the capital, and have this whole affair settled as quickly as possible.
Leaving the study and returning to his quarters, he found his attendants and servants all waiting anxiously. As an envoy from the “outside world,” he had not been arranged into Zhù’s own residence, but was instead lodged in a quiet and comfortable guest house.
The official escorts and Chen family servants surged toward him from both sides: “My Lord!” / “Second Young Master!”
“My Lord, what does Zhù… ah… what does all this mean?”
“Second Young Master, come inside and have some cold drinks! Your back is soaked through.”
Chen Mei gave a self-deprecating smile. “No wonder I thought it was so refreshing when the wind blew just now. Come inside and we’ll talk.”
Once inside the main room, servants rushed about — helping him change clothes, wiping away sweat, and bringing wet towels. The attending official asked quietly: “Did things go smoothly?”
Chen Mei pressed a wet cloth over his face. His voice came out somewhat muffled: “We set out first thing tomorrow morning! We must be quick!”
Everyone was startled. Some cast wary glances toward the door; others looked ready to bolt for their weapons. Chen Mei snapped, “Look at yourselves — what a spineless display!”
“Then what does My Lord mean, exactly?”
Chen Mei said, “We are carrying out business for His Majesty. How could we afford to dawdle? Getting back to make our report promptly is what matters!”
Both groups, hearing this, let go of every other concern. Only one thought remained: Right! Let’s get out of here quickly!
This miasma-ridden land was not to be taken lightly. The locals all said it was much better than it had been twenty years ago, and indeed it had seemed not entirely dreadful — yet it still left one unsettled.
They began packing through the night. Chen Mei said, “Keep it quiet. Pack up and then sleep. She is the kind of person — if she truly wanted to detain us, none of us would be leaving. But having agreed to let us go, she won’t go back on her word.”
Everyone recognized the truth in this and moved with slightly more composure.
Chen Mei himself did not sleep particularly well. He wasn’t worried about his safety — it was what awaited him after returning to the capital that troubled him. The capital was very turbulent. The minds in the Grand Council were not of one accord either. Since the establishment of the Grand Council, the chancellors had never once truly been united, and if they ever were, the Emperor would have reason to be alarmed.
But in the past, many of those conflicts had been manageable, adjustable. Now it was different. Xian Jing and Zheng Xi had brought their rivalry into the open. The troubling part was that, because of Zhù Ying, Zheng Xi was publicly suspected of being an accomplice, and Chen Meng too was under suspicion of having provided cover for her.
And now Zhù Ying wanted to be Governor of Wuzhou — and she was dictating terms! She wanted an elevated rank!
Chen Mei could not begin to imagine the uproar that was coming.
The court could refuse, of course. But if they failed to satisfy Zhù Ying, who could say what she would do next? And Chen Mei was well aware that if they allowed Zhù Ying to grow stronger unchecked, the court would find it even more difficult to control her in the future. An independent power base of considerable size that lay beyond imperial reach was not, by any measure, a good thing for the court.
He could even guess what proposals certain factions at court might put forward.
Encirclement? Subjugation?
In the darkness, Chen Mei’s face revealed a wry smile. Wuzhou’s geography — how would one even march an army in? This was the first time in his life he had seen a place like the “Thread of Sky.” Trying to force an army through there…
Chen Mei let out a long sigh and tossed and turned in his bed.
The following morning, the moment a rooster crowed, Chen Mei rolled up and out of bed. The attendants also rose one by one. The guest house staff had nearly finished preparing breakfast, and upon seeing him up, smiled: “My Lord, just a moment — it’ll be ready shortly.”
Chen Mei said, “No rush.”
In the time it took for that exchange, the meal was ready. Chen Mei also asked the guest house staff to pass a message to Zhù Ying — he intended to depart first thing this morning and needed someone from the mountain settlement to act as his guide down. The staff agreed and said, “Eat your meal first, My Lord. I’ll go and request guidance at once.”
Everyone ate in a somewhat distracted state. Much was left in the bowls. Chen Mei set down his chopsticks, and at that moment Zhù Ying arrived with Zhao Su and others.
Chen Mei went out to meet them in the courtyard and called out politely: “Uncle.”
Zhù Ying paid no attention to his form of address and said, “Leaving already?”
“Yes.”
“The same two will see you out of the mountains. I’ve had some local produce prepared — take care on the road.”
“Thank you, Uncle.”
Chen Mei was intent on returning to the capital as quickly as possible and had no wish to carry extra burdens. Traveling light was best.
Zhù Ying had already opened the cases for him to inspect. The items prepared were nothing lavish — some homespun cloth, some sugarcane paper, some sugar, along with a few objects that had a local character. Two large crates were enough to hold it all.
Zhù Ying said, “Bring them as tribute for His Majesty.”
Chen Mei had no choice but to agree to take the things along.
Zhù Ying said, “After you return to the capital, you and your family won’t have it easy. Take care of yourselves.”
Chen Mei murmured his acknowledgment.
Zhù Ying said, “Right now in the capital there must be plenty of people who resent me. But even though I’ve left, they’ll still direct their enmity toward southerners. After the factional strife between Xian and Zheng at court, His Majesty surely won’t want to see yet another divide — this time between northern and southern scholar-officials.”
Chen Mei drew a sharp breath, then smiled bitterly. “And you say you don’t have everything calculated in advance.”
Zhù Ying said, “I have a letter here. Take it to His Majesty.”
Chen Mei accepted it in both hands at once. “Please don’t provoke His Majesty again. He’s young — he can’t withstand your style of counsel.”
Zhù Ying said, “Nothing of the sort. When you get back, if there’s anything, blame it all on me.”
Chen Mei’s heart was a tangle of feelings — some resignation, some envy that Zhù Ying could say such things with such ease. He looked down at the letter in his hands. It was actually a proper letter, not a memorial. In the company of Zhao Su and Su Zhe, he left the villa.
The two crates weren’t too large. He found several bamboo panniers and distributed the contents across them, loading them onto the horses, which saved a considerable amount of time.
As their group passed through the “settlement gates,” they saw a large number of people carrying an enormous rectangular stone, tied with red ribbons. Chen Mei asked, “What is that?” — surely it wasn’t also something he was meant to carry back?
Zhao Su laughed with pleasure. “Now that the county has been officially established, this is a county town — of course a new plaque must be hung!”
Out came the plaque reading “Zhù Family Estate,” and up went the one reading “Zhù County.” In addition, the workshops were still working in haste to produce boundary markers for the county borders.
Chen Mei said, “In all she does, Grandmaster is always swift and methodical.”
Su Zhe said, “You’re still calling her ‘Uncle’?”
Chen Mei smiled and did not answer that question.
……
Magistrate Xu had been waiting for Chen Mei until the days felt endless. A lookout runner spotted a group descending from the mountains in the distance, called out to confirm their identities, and then sprinted off to report the news. Magistrate Xu flung down his fan, and he and Adjutant Pang both mounted their horses and rode to the crossroads to welcome them. Only when they saw Chen Mei safe and unharmed did they feel composed enough to exchange greetings with Zhao Su and Su Zhe.
Zhao Su said, “With the Prefectural Governor to escort you from here, the two of us may return and make our report with peace of mind. Thank you for your trouble, Governor.”
Prefectural Governor Xu exchanged a few polite words as well and asked Zhao Su what his plans were going forward. Zhao Su was a native of Fulu County; even though he had resigned his post, his rank was still quite elevated for this region. Zhao Su said, “I have come back to be at my parents’ side. I shall abide by all laws and regulations, and the Governor need not concern himself on my account.”
Magistrate Xu didn’t entirely believe this, but was somewhat reassured nonetheless. He bid farewell to Zhao Su and Su Zhe and, with Adjutant Pang, escorted Chen Mei toward the prefectural city.
Along the way, Magistrate Xu proposed arranging some sightseeing in the local area for Chen Mei.
Chen Mei said, “I carry the Emperor’s commission and must return to the capital. We will speak again when the Governor visits the capital, and I shall be the one showing hospitality then.”
Magistrate Xu had not yet managed to present his gifts, and quickly said, “At the very least you must go to the prefectural city first and change horses at the relay station.”
Chen Mei agreed. They pressed hard on the road that day, and just as the city gates were about to close, they rushed through into the prefectural city. After a night’s rest at the relay station, Magistrate Xu had people deliver the prepared “tribute” to the station as a send-off for Chen Meng — or rather, for Chen Mei. Compared to Zhù Ying’s offerings, the gifts that Magistrate Xu had prepared were genuinely valuable, very much in the manner of the gifts Zhù Ying herself had once sent to the Zheng household long ago.
Chen Mei accepted them as well, requisitioned additional horses, and set out promptly.
Traveling day and night, he made it back to the capital in only twenty days.
Upon arriving in the capital, his first duty was to make his report. He entered the city as the sun was just beginning to tilt westward, and the Emperor had only just found a moment to brood in private — he had just concluded another argument with Xian Jing. Xian Jing was still demanding a reinterpretation of the classics, and the Emperor simply refused. Although he was furious with Zhù Ying, Zhù Ying had been right: if the Emperor could not firmly control the core principles of any new interpretation, then a reclassification of the classics would be handing the officials a tool to manipulate the sovereign.
On the other side, Zheng Xi and Chen Meng had quieted down, but not entirely. Because Zhù Ying’s matter had come to light, the Xian Jing faction felt vindicated — believing that all loyal and upright officials in the realm now resided among their own ranks. There were already those calling for Xian Yujing, Huo Yu, and others to be recalled, and for certain officials “suspected” of having protected Zhù Ying to be demoted to the provinces.
Zheng Xi and Chen Meng, of course, refused to go along with this. They turned around and had the proponents of the proposal themselves demoted and sent away. This in turn provoked an even louder wave of protests: How could the guilty party be more arrogant than the righteous?
With both factions squabbling, the Emperor’s days had become very uncomfortable as well.
Chen Mei arrived at an unfortunate moment — walking right into the line of fire. The Emperor asked with poorly concealed irritation: “Is she feeling very pleased with herself?”
Chen Mei showed no change in expression and said, “Whether it be thunder and lightning or rain and dew, all is the grace of the sovereign. She can only feel gratitude.”
“Hmph! What did she say?”
Chen Mei presented the letter and added: “The mountain wilderness offers little to give. These few humble objects are offered as a token of sincerity.”
The Emperor was somewhat curious and ordered them brought forward. When the items were displayed before him, there were no auspicious omens to speak of, nothing of particularly great monetary value, and nothing with any symbolic significance. His expression darkened: “Is that all?”
Hao Dafang said carefully, “Your Majesty, the Chancellors have arrived.”
Chen Meng, naturally, had been paying close attention to his son’s return and had followed not far behind. Xian Jing, upon hearing of it, also wished to inquire about the situation in Wuzhou. Zheng Xi, seeing this, had to come as well — Zhù Ying had unquestionably been brought to the capital by him, her household registration had been handled by him, and everything related to her was something he had to monitor closely.
All three arrived at the same time, just as Chen Mei reached the main point: “The county magistrates of Wuzhou jointly petition the court to appoint a Prefectural Governor.”
The Emperor asked in surprise: “They even know to request a governor?”
Chen Meng said, “That region has always been a tributary territory. The governorship of Wuzhou has previously been held in name only by Your Majesty. Now that Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, the post of Governor of Wuzhou is indeed vacant.”
Xian Jing said, “Could this not be Zhù Ying pulling strings behind the scenes?”
Chen Mei said, “The five county magistrates jointly nominated her.”
The Emperor’s expression changed violently. “She!”
Chen Mei offered Zhù Ying’s letter and then said, “Wuzhou is remote and its resources are meager. From what I observed upon entering Wuzhou, there is not even a Prefectural Governorship building. Each county governs itself independently. The title of Governor is, at present, an empty one. It would do no harm to grant it to her — by doing so, she can push westward and check the Western Tribes.”
The phrase “check the Western Tribes” had been raised many times of late, and the Emperor’s ears had nearly grown calluses from hearing it. He asked skeptically: “She causes me difficulty at every turn. Can I still trust her?”
Zheng Xi, at this point, finally spoke, calmly and deliberately: “Your Majesty, the court has held Wuzhou for no more than twenty years. Before that, these people were outside the sphere of civilization. Whether or not you trust her, there is no loss to the court either way. If she truly can check the Western Tribes, the court will be spared some trouble.”
Xian Jing said, “She concealed her true nature for thirty years — what an unfathomably deep character. If a county magistrate’s appointment confines her and prevents her from acting further, then so be it. But if the court now grants her the title of Prefectural Governor, I fear she will cause a great upheaval. That is not a woman who knows how to keep her place!”
Chen Meng said, “Very well — don’t grant it. And then what? What is the meaning of five counties jointly nominating her? It means they follow her lead. If she simply does not seek the court’s conferral, does the land and population she currently holds diminish by a single fraction? A conferral means she still acknowledges the court as the legitimate sovereign authority. Without a conferral, the court does not recognize her — but will she then continue to recognize the court? Will the mountain peoples recognize the court? How did the mountain peoples come to submit to the court in the first place? Because of her.
Do you think she is the kind of person who will let herself be pushed around? Do you think of yourself as a mother-in-law, and her as your daughter-in-law? Do you expect that for the sake of a single word of praise — ‘obedient’ — from you, she’ll do whatever you ask and endure whatever grievance you impose?
For the sake of your pride alone, you would have the court sacrifice the entire strategy of using her to check the Western Tribes.
Your Majesty: of all the regions in the realm, Wuzhou is the one whose civilization has taken root most recently. Without someone to keep order there, the mountain peoples will certainly cause unrest in every direction, and the surrounding prefectures and counties will have no peace.”
Xian Jing said angrily, “Is the court helpless without her? Must we simply submit to her extortion?”
Zheng Xi said coolly, “Ordinarily we could handle it well enough. The trouble is that your disciples have gone biting and charging about like rabid dogs and wild boars, stirring up endless complications, leaving everyone too occupied to deal with anything else. If you’d rather — you handle it.”
Xian Jing sidestepped that final question and countered: “Those are the pillars of the state. What do you mean by shaming them like this? Not one woman has ever come out of my circle of students. Perhaps my students should withdraw — and you could invite that woman back into the Grand Council?”
The Emperor felt even more stifled and irritated. He asked, “Is there no other way? Even if her request must be granted, it cannot simply be done with such complete compliance, surely?”
Zheng Xi said, “Your Majesty’s meaning is that we should make things difficult for her in some way? Your Majesty, I will not dare claim I can read people anymore. What I will say now is this — she is a person of decisive action. If the court stalls, what she will do next is beyond my ability to predict.
Or perhaps the court might send troops to intimidate her? But Wuzhou’s miasma and pestilence are such that soldiers massed outside the Wuzhou mountains would lose a tenth of their number to illness before they even began. Then there is the matter of supply lines. This time, there is no longer a Zhù Ying to budget and calculate every detail — what it would cost is simply unimaginable. The court can certainly fight if it is determined to, but this person has many hidden refuges. She would most likely simply retreat into the deep mountains and establish a new stronghold.
As for driving a wedge between her and her allies — the mountain peoples who could jointly nominate her as Governor are people who trust her. The tactics of sowing discord are not likely to be effective here.
Conferring the appointment is the more cost-effective choice.”
Xian Jing said, “Why do you two hold her in such fear? Why do you protect her at every turn?”
Chen Meng said, “I am protecting the realm. Years of floods, droughts, and civil unrest — one in the north, one on the western frontier. You want to invite another in the south? Are there any capable generals left? Think carefully before you answer. The opponent would be Zhù Ying.”
The Emperor swallowed a bellyful of fury and said through gritted teeth, “Is this truly how it must be?”
Zheng Xi said, “Your Majesty, the south is nothing more than a minor skin ailment, separated from us by three thousand li of mountain and pass. What deserves attention right now is the civil unrest closer to hand. Even if one wishes to act against her, one must first stabilize the heart of the realm before attending to the branches at the periphery. Furthermore, the more resolved Your Majesty is to discipline her, the more important it is not to alarm her. Leave her to it and see — if she proves useful to the court, it can be counted as her meritorious act of redemption. If she is defeated by the Western Tribes, one envoy is all it would take to deal with her. There would be no need to mobilize a large force.”
This was sound reasoning. The Emperor’s irritation settled slightly. He said, “Very well, we shall act according to your counsel.”
The frustration bottled up in the Emperor had now lodged itself in Xian Jing’s stomach. He said, low and resentful, “One can only hope this will not prove to be nurturing a tiger.”
Chen Meng said, “Either you deal with her right now, or you leave things as they are. Since a decision has already been made, once we walk out that door, no one is to complain. We must at least keep up appearances — composed and magnanimous. A mother-in-law who allows her daughter-in-law to manage the household while she is still living is not a disgraceful thing. What is disgraceful is making a scene about it, letting everyone know you’ve been overruled by your daughter-in-law.”
The Emperor said, “Draft the edict, then.” He waved them all out and, once alone, took out the letter and read it slowly.
Zhù Ying’s letter was written in a reasonably courteous manner. She explained to the Emperor why she had fled custody — “each seeking only to survive,” was all it was. She then recounted her dealings with three successive emperors, affirming she bore the current Emperor no hostility, and noting that she felt a twinge of guilt for having concealed her true nature from him all these years.
She then laid out again in some detail her proposed plan to attack the Western Tribes from a flanking position. The Western Tribes, unlike the northern peoples, were not divided — and for that reason they would pose a serious threat sooner than the northern peoples would. Because she felt she owed the Emperor something, she had decided to help him check the Western Tribes — a small repayment, she wrote, for the acquaintance between them.
The Emperor finished reading and was not sure whether to be angry or to laugh. He crumpled the letter and threw it to the ground. Reconsidering, he called to Hao Dafang: “Pick it up.”
……
Chen Meng and Zheng Xi had won the argument, but neither of them felt particularly good about it. Both men understood clearly that if they were now to pile on and further damage Zhù Ying, they would be admitting that everything they had done before was gravely wrong — especially Zheng Xi, whose association with Zhù Ying went back so many years.
In the midst of factional strife, how much blood would he have to bleed to extract himself from it? Only by letting this matter blur into something that could not be clearly labeled as an “error” could both men extricate themselves.
Zheng Xi laughed at himself: “To think I’ve actually begun to feel grateful that Zhù Ying is capable enough to have secured her own escape, and that she truly went to Wuzhou and the mountain peoples there truly follow her.”
Chen Meng still had the document on his mind. He said, “If you want to deal with her, it’s difficult, yes — but it’s not as if there are absolutely no options. It’s simply that for the sake of the realm, you will have to bear the criticism.”
The two exchanged a glance and smiled.
Chen Meng returned home early, pulled his son aside, and demanded a full account of the mission. The first thing Chen Mei produced was the document. Only then did he describe his meeting with Zhù Ying, and after that, his observations of Wuzhou.
Chen Meng listened carefully and said, “You are still young.”
Chen Mei said, “Yes. I always thought of Grandmaster Zhù as warm and approachable, capable and dependable. This trip taught me how formidable she truly is.”
“Warm and dependable — that was because she had never before been directing herself against you.”
“Yes.” This entire trip, he had been the one running the errand. The topics had been set by Zhù Ying, the rhythm had been guided by her.
Even the document had been returned voluntarily by her. Chen Mei quietly added that final thought to himself.
Chen Meng said, “The next trip will also be yours to make. Go with humility and ask her guidance sincerely…”
“Yes.”
At that moment, the gatekeeper came to report: a woman had arrived carrying Zhù Ying’s calling card and was requesting an audience.
Chen Meng said, “Show her in.”
Another woman!
The visitor identified herself as “Su Qingtian” and said she was the person in charge of the Wuzhou Association House. When she stepped forward, she appeared to be a middle-aged woman whose manner of dress was largely indistinguishable from that of the capital’s own ladies.
Su Qingtian greeted both men with easy assurance, then said, “Our teacher instructed me before her departure that after the court had conferred the county magistrate appointment, there was something that needed to be conveyed to Chancellors Chen and Zheng.”
Chen Meng asked, “Teacher?”
Chen Mei asked, “What is it?”
Su Qingtian said, “Yes — when she served as magistrate in Fulu County, our teacher taught many of us a great deal. I wonder if Chancellor Zheng might be invited to come here? If I were to go to the Zheng residence, I’m afraid I might be turned away at the door.”
Chen Meng said it was no such thing, while at the same time asking what the matter was.
Su Qingtian said, “When our teacher was serving as Minister of Revenue, she worried there might be an emergency requiring funds or provisions, and so she set aside a reserve for such purposes. The locations are all marked on a map.”
The Minister of Revenue had been Zheng Xi’s cousin, and this was not something that could be concealed from him. In this way, Su Qingtian coming to the Chen residence was, in effect, a show of closer goodwill toward Chen Meng.
Chen Meng sent someone to invite Zheng Xi over. Zheng Xi assumed he was being called to discuss the matter of the conferral, and only upon arriving discovered that Zhù Ying had left behind this additional move. He was privately startled, but outwardly exclaimed, “How many more surprises does she have that we don’t know about?”
He then amiably asked Su Qingtian about the location of these reserves.
Su Qingtian produced a map and a ledger corresponding to the stored provisions on the map. She said, “Our teacher asks that both of you use these provisions well, for the benefit of the people. The message has been delivered, and the items have been handed over. I won’t trouble you further.”
Zheng Xi suddenly asked, “What arrangements has she made for you and the others like you?”
Su Qingtian smiled. “You jest, my Lord. What arrangements do we need? As long as our teacher is well, we will be well. And if anything happens to us, our teacher will avenge us.”
Zheng Xi was speechless.
Chen Meng said, “Who knows what she’s been working on behind the scenes.”
Zhù Ying, meanwhile, was wandering about aimlessly. She had estimated the positions Chen Meng and Zheng Xi were in with something like ninety percent accuracy — positions which she herself had been instrumental in creating.
She didn’t even bother with her old silk robe but simply threw on a plain cotton one and went out, distributing a little candy to the children. With a blade at her side, she strolled at an easy pace toward the city gates to go and see how the crops were coming along. In no time at all, she had wandered her way down to the ridge of a field.