“When did you start speaking with such a barbed edge?” Leng Yun muttered, stepping inside with Zhù Ying.

Zhù Ying raised an eyebrow and shot a glance at Li Yanqing, blocking the words Li Yanqing had been about to say in his attempt to smooth things over. Li Yanqing turned away and looked at Leng Yun instead — this gentleman seemed entirely unaware, as if the words just spoken had not come from him at all.

Li Yanqing had no choice but to offer the niceties himself: “Congratulations, Prefect.”

His tone carried just the faintest thread of admiration and respect. From the moment Zhù Ying had set off a thunderclap in the court assembly several months ago, she had not stopped generating incident after incident, and yet with every incident, she had climbed one more step upward. Like a mischievous child who suddenly leaps from a high platform with a bang — just when you go to catch her, she bounds up three steps in quick succession and lands on another high platform entirely.

The last time Li Yanqing had seen Zhù Ying, she had been Chief Minister, her rank higher than his. After all this turmoil, several months later, they were meeting again, and Zhù Ying was about to don the purple robe once more — still higher than him.

Li Yanqing did not know how to aptly characterize the whole affair, and could only tell himself: the gulf between the immortal and the mortal is vast, and a mortal who cannot fathom the workings of an immortal should stop trying — just live one’s own life conscientiously, do what one can, and leave the rest to fate.

It was also for this reason that he was quite worried Leng Yun might provoke Zhù Ying’s anger. Even if Leng Yun had once been Zhù Ying’s superior, given what had happened, it was genuinely uncertain whether Zhù Ying would continue to follow officialdom’s conventions and show respect to a former superior. He could only keep a close eye on Leng Yun.

Leng Yun remained as nonchalant as ever and said to Zhù Ying, “You have given the Council of State quite a lot of grief.”

Zhù Ying replied, “I have neither embezzled nor abused my office. I have not been negligent and brought harm to the people. How could I have brought them grief?”

Leng Yun said, “You are truly gifted at playing innocent. Not only can you play a man — you can play a fool too. You have stirred up this earth-shaking affair, and yet you act as if nothing happened? First there was one uproar, the Council doing everything in its power to suppress it — and just when the noise died down a little, you gave them something new to deal with, setting another group of pedantic scholars arguing, until even His Majesty was displeased. The Council had to counsel from above and rebuke from below; once things quieted a little, then you came at them with this!”

Zhù Ying said, “Very well — from now on when I expand the imperial territory I simply will not report it to the court, so as to spare them the annoyance. I will just arrange things myself. How does that sound?”

Leng Yun’s whole body flinched. By this point the party had already entered the main hall, and Leng Yun, shaken as he was, nearly tripped over the threshold. Zhù Ying reached out and caught him by the forearm; Li Yanqing, having recovered from his own shock, rushed to help steady Leng Yun as well. Leng Yun said warily, “What are you doing?”

Zhù Ying pulled him inside and said, “Sometimes I truly cannot tell whether you simply do not take what I say seriously, or whether you have a poor memory. I said it long ago — I intend to expand westward. A twenty-year strategic plan, laid down and committed to. Did everyone take it as idle talk?”

Leng Yun let out a breath, and spoke with earnest patience: “The court is still arguing amongst itself and has no energy to spare for dealing with you right now. As for you — you have labored hard for thirty years, long separated from your parents. It is time to be at your parents’ side and enjoy some days of family reunion.”

As they spoke, they gestured to each other to sit, taking their seats across from each other at the upper end. Zhù Ying said, “That is only natural.”

Leng Yun asked, “How are the two elders? At my age you understand — with parents, each meeting may be one fewer. Be with them more.”

He had actually turned solicitous and earnest. Zhù Ying thought of Leng Hou and felt a pang of feeling, saying, “Your own elders have all passed on. The household now depends on you to hold it together, and yet you have run into turbulent times — it will be taxing from here on.”

Leng Yun was a little moved, but affected a casual air: “With Seventh Zheng at the front bearing the brunt, I need only watch from behind. Should Xian Jing and his sort want to move against me, it is not that easy.”

Zhù Ying said, “If you grow weary of managing court affairs, attend to your household more — have a chat with your brothers. That is also a good use of time.”

Leng Yun blinked and laughed: “Understood! You really are born to worry! Well, what do you say — shall we get the official business done first?”

Li Yanqing found this superior of his truly unreliable. He had been sent partly because Leng Yun had experience in the south and could strike up a rapport with Zhù Ying, but looking at it now, the rapport was being struck in a perfunctory and offhand fashion, and even the official business was being handled with breezy indifference.

Zhù Ying had already agreed: “As you wish.”

Leng Yun said, “That is more like it! Oh, come now — I have not seen your parents in quite some years.”

The investiture ceremony was simple yet solemn. Zhù Ying ordered the residence gates thrown open wide; inside, “officials” had gathered; outside, onlookers from among the people. In the space of half a year, the court’s envoys had come three times. Zhù County was far from the throne; the people had little interest in imperial commands, but they cheered loudly for Zhù Ying.

Then came the conferment of honors on Zhang Xiangu and Zhù Da. The two of them had previously received their titles because Zhù Ying had been elevated to the purple robe, which had been taken away less than half a year ago — and now it was returned to her, so the titles were granted again.

Leng Yun watched as Zhù Da was carried out and exclaimed in surprise: “What has happened here?”

Li Yanqing thought to himself: They had suspected that Zhù Ying’s parents were already gone and that she had concealed the news of their deaths — they had guessed wrong.

Zhang Xiangu said, “Lord Leng?”

Leng Yun said, “It is I. What has happened to the old master?”

Zhang Xiangu said, “Old age, old illness.”

Leng Yun nodded. “Then he must be well looked after!”

Zhang Xiangu said, “I am watching over him.”

Leng Yun then produced the letters of appointment for the other officials, all given in accordance with the list Zhù Ying had provided.

Zhù Ying smiled faintly: “The court has been generous.”

Leng Yun personally proclaimed only the edicts for the three members of the Zhù family; the letters of appointment were all turned over to Li Yanqing to handle. The procedure was: Li Yanqing first read out the edict or official document, then distributed the letters of appointment.

Li Yanqing called out names, and one by one each person as named stepped forward to stand in line. Wuzhou had originally been under loose governance; after being elevated to upper prefecture status, more deputy positions became available as well. Zhù Ying had Zhao Su appointed as Wuzhou’s deputy prefect — a rank of fourth degree from the top — a promotion for him!

Both Leng Yun and Li Yanqing knew Zhao Su and both felt: this young man had sharp wits and knew how to navigate the world.

What remained for Li Yanqing was nothing but one shock after another. He had mentally prepared himself — he knew every locality had female supervisors, like those in the two river prefectures. But when names were called and Xiang An, Wu Ren, Zhou Wei, Zhù Wen, and other women stepped out one by one, he was startled all the same.

The court’s long-standing practice had not yet changed — letters of appointment did not indicate gender.

Then there were people like Lu Danqing — gone to Gan County, also a woman, simply not present.

Li Yanqing finished reading all the names and, when distributing the letters of appointment, handed each man’s document with both hands gripping firmly. Starting with Xiang An, he extended only his index and middle fingers — four fingers in all — to pinch the document, holding it out to Xiang An so as to avoid any inappropriate contact.

By the time he had finished presenting everything, he was drenched in a cold sweat.

Leng Yun turned to Zhang Xiangu with a laugh: “That is all settled now — the official business is done. Let us relax! Is there anything fun to do here?”

Zhang Xiangu said, “The New Year is coming soon — there will be temple fairs! Juggling acts, offerings to the gods, everything. All the strongholds will have them; even people from the smaller strongholds will come to ours. Very lively! Every household will bring out their wine, and pigs will be slaughtered too!”

Leng Yun said, “Going back now means I would spend the New Year on the road. Let me stay here with you, Old Lady, for the New Year — will that do?”

Zhang Xiangu glanced over at Zhù Ying; Zhù Ying gave a small nod. Zhang Xiangu smiled and said, “How wonderful!”

Zhù Ying said, “Let me first see them to the guest lodge to rest. The journey has been a long one, and the official business is concluded — time for rest.”

Leng Yun said, “Good! Old Lady, I will come to call on you in a day or two. The others speak a language I cannot follow.”

Zhang Xiangu smiled pleasantly: “That would be delightful.”

Leng Yun beckoned to Li Yanqing, and together with Zhù Ying they went to the guest lodge.

……

Outside the Zhù residence, Leng Yun began looking this way and that. Li Yanqing said, “I wonder what local specialties are to be found here?” and explained that he had a young daughter at home who was very curious, and he wanted to look around so he could tell her about it when he returned.

Leng Yun and Li Yanqing had come with a mission: to foster goodwill, and also to probe for information.

Chen Mei had reported back tactfully, but the message had come through: Zhù Ying had put on a full show of goodwill — acknowledging the legitimacy of court appointment — in order to exchange it for official recognition from the court. Should the court play hard to get, she would simply stop acknowledging it.

This matched Chen Meng’s assessment.

Both times, it had been the Chen family making contact with Zhù Ying. The Emperor and Zheng Xi both wanted to send another person to independently verify the situation. Zhù Ying was too adept at stirring things up, and Chen Mei was still young — what if he had been deceived? The lightest suspicion was that he had been fooled by Zhù Ying; they had actually shown him restraint by not suspecting him of conspiring with foreign peoples.

Leng Yun might be an old libertine, but Li Yanqing was a steady and decent man.

Zhù Ying seemed not to notice any of this and merely told Li Yanqing, “The mountain roads are not convenient. The postal road you traveled on the way here was newly built this year, and that is the only decent stretch of it. Going anywhere else to look around would be rather inconvenient, but inside the city is perfectly fine. There is a commercial district here, and also a marketplace…”

From the Zhù residence to the guest lodge was not a long distance, and they arrived quickly. Li Yanqing asked Zhù Ying, “Prefect, are there interpreters available?”

Zhù Ying pointed to her own attendants: “They are all people I brought back from the capital.” Then she indicated two male attendants — one each to serve as translators for Leng Yun and Li Yanqing — and arranged that that evening the Zhù residence would host a banquet, inviting both of them to dinner.

Leng Yun agreed cheerfully.

The guest lodge was small but fully equipped. Li Yanqing said to Leng Yun, “This does not look like a place established in half a year. Having this kind of preparation in place over ten years ago — Zhù Zichang’s foresight runs very deep. It sends a chill down the spine.”

Leng Yun nodded. “That is true. But, hmph, deep in the mountains, a palm’s-width of land — that is all it amounts to.”

There was reason in what he said. The mountain terrain was poor, and the city was no larger than a county seat — it did not look particularly threatening. Li Yanqing exchanged a few more words with Leng Yun, and found this superior of his entirely ignorant of Zhù County’s affairs. Li Yanqing had served in a local post himself; after observing Zhù County, he found that the people here lived very well. Though they were mountain folk, there did not appear to be any beggars on the streets.

Of course, when local officials received envoys and superiors from the capital, they generally arranged for the more presentable residents to be placed in the foreground and hid away the poor and ragged and disorderly, while also sweeping the streets clean. But Zhù Ying — she was not going out of her way to please the court, so there was no reason for her to go to such lengths.

Li Yanqing took note: the people inside the Zhù residence did not dress in robes heavy with embroidery, including Zhù Ying and Zhang Xiangu themselves. Though they wore silk, it did not trail the floor, nor was it cut wide. The common people outside the residence had patches on their clothes, but their garments were otherwise intact — and their complexions were not sallow or sunken. Most had a bit of flesh on their cheeks, the mark of people who could eat their fill on ordinary days.

Leng Yun did not seem to have paid attention to any of this.

In that case, nothing more could be done. Li Yanqing sighed and decided he would simply rely on his own observations.

At dusk, someone came from the Zhù residence to extend an invitation. The two men changed clothes and gladly went to the banquet.

Less than a bowshot’s distance from the Zhù residence, they saw a dozen or so large carts making their way into the residence. Li Yanqing looked at the men beside the carts — sun-darkened, reddened skin with a touch of roughness — and asked, “Where have you come from?”

To his surprise, the man understood him: “The salt works.”

Li Yanqing said, “By your accent, you sound like someone from the north?”

“Yan Prefecture.” The man grinned, showing his teeth.

Li Yanqing was left speechless.

Leng Yun said, “What were you saying to him?”

“Nothing important. Let us go.”

……

The Zhù residence was hung with lanterns and decorations, and Leng Yun was very satisfied.

The decorations in the residence were on account of the approaching New Year and had nothing to do with welcoming him. The same was true throughout the entire city.

Huajie and Zhou Wei were in conversation together. Fu Niangzi and Cihui Convent were both on Huajie’s mind, and since Zhou Wei had come from the capital, Huajie often spoke with her. Huajie was naturally gentle, and Zhou Wei was far from home; she naturally felt close to Huajie.

Zhou Wei was saying, “Celebrating New Year in the capital they also decorate, but it is a bit different from what we have in our residence. Theirs is more refined. But I think ours looks more pleasing.”

When the two men arrived, Zhù Ying extended a warm welcome.

Leng Yun and Li Yanqing could not understand the local dialect, and many of those present sometimes let slip the local dialect, or even the languages of the various tribes. Zhù Da appeared, drank two cups with Leng Yun, and then withdrew. Zhang Xiangu sat for a while; not being particularly fond of socializing with officials, she slowly made her way to the residence gate and stood outside the entrance watching the lanterns on the street.

Leng Yun had no choice but to converse with Zhù Ying. Then he noticed two young girls at Xiao Jiang’s table shamelessly flirting with Xiao Jiang, and his eyes went wide in astonishment — his voice even cracked as he asked, “What is happening over there?”

Zhù Ying said, “Those are her daughters.”

Leng Yun said, “Good, good. You — truly no children of your own? Would you not bring them out to meet me?”

“There they are — children.” Zhù Ying tilted her chin toward those seated below.

Leng Yun said, “Who is asking about adopted ones? I mean your own, blood-related.”

“None.”

“When you are older, who do you plan to pass this entire enterprise to? Will everything be registered in the official census? The court sends someone to take over? Then you had better be careful — do not spend a lifetime serving the court and end up with no proper outcome for yourself. Have a good son, bring him out early, cultivate him well — that is the only way to protect your legacy.”

Zhù Ying glanced at him. Leng Yun said, “What are you looking at me for?”

Zhù Ying said, “The way you said that — rather old and weary-sounding.”

Leng Yun had gone out of his way to say something earnest, only to have this handed back to him. His nose was very nearly twisted sideways in irritation. He said, “I am good-heartedly trying to advise you, and you make fun of me — fine! I wash my hands of it!”

Zhù Ying simply kept on smiling.

Leng Yun changed his tone again and asked with curiosity, “You — perfectly fine as you were, why did you leave the capital? I made inquiries and found that you had not a single flaw to exploit.”

Zhù Ying said, “Can I not just say I was tired of it?”

“Hmm? What is there to dislike about the capital? You had already become Chief Minister — below only one, above ten thousand. With power in your hands, what aspiration could you not realize? Even expanding territory, securing your name in history — the whole realm would be far stronger than this wretched mountain territory of one prefecture.”

“A mess of confusion — what good is it?” Zhù Ying said. “Surely you do not think that if someone above says something, those below will carry it out exactly to one’s intention, do you? You could not actually think that, could you?”

“That was never a problem for you. You could handle it. Fine, leave the capital aside — here in this place, do you think these capable people of yours are all of one mind? No petty scheming behind the scenes? No jockeying for power and profit? Do you not have to deal with all of that as well? You cannot be so naive as to think otherwise.”

Zhù Ying said to Leng Yun with sincerity, “Human hearts are complicated everywhere. In the capital, every moment I had to exert a part of my mind to conceal my true self. Now I do not. Oh, and also — in the capital, facing the current Emperor, you must not only guess at what is on his mind, you must also supply everything his mind cannot conceive of, fully and without gaps. He says a word about elevating the rear palace rank, and it must be done grandly — the Ministry of Revenue then has to squeeze out funds for it. Now I am enormously at ease.”

Leng Yun clinked his cup against hers and, leaning close, said quietly, “You just think too much. His realm, his money — if it runs out, just tell him so directly. Why carry all his worries for him? Hmm? This is not wine.”

Zhù Ying said, “When I drink wine I make trouble — you would be the one in danger.”

Leng Yun pulled his neck in, turned, and went to talk to Li Yanqing.

Li Yanqing had just been in conversation with Zhao Su and had not managed to draw anything out. He was chatting with Xiang Yu when Leng Yun interrupted, leaving him no choice but to attend to this superior.

That night the banquet ended very late; both Li Yanqing and Leng Yun had drunk quite a lot. The following day they woke up late; Leng Yun clutched his head and drank his sobering broth while saying to Li Yanqing, “What did you make of it all?”

Li Yanqing said, “Governance is excellent. It is a pity she is a woman and cannot stand in the court. But in this remote and desolate place, she has truly found her field to deploy her talents. Were she to come to the capital, she would be wasted — in a distant mountain outpost, she is in exactly the right setting.”

Leng Yun put down his bowl, yawned, and said, “Very well then. Let us finish out the New Year here and be on our way. Language is a barrier — you cannot get a single useful word out of anyone here!”

Li Yanqing said, “I will go have a look at the city. Will you come?”

“Why not.”

The two men changed clothes, brought their servants, and called for the interpreters. Li Yanqing asked the interpreter, “Where is the marketplace?”

“Just ahead. Please follow me.”

The marketplace was the first thing to be built when the estate was established, and it occupied a large area. With the New Year approaching, it was crowded. Leng Yun said, “Why is the market already open in the morning?”

The interpreter said, “Our rules here are different from those outside. Outside, markets open in the afternoon. Ours is not like that. Our place thrived because of this marketplace — merchants coming in from outside come to trade, and their time here is only a few days. Why would they waste half a day?”

Li Yanqing spotted an ironsmith’s shop and asked, “Do you sell iron implements here? I lost my paper knife on the way — can I find one here?”

“You would have to ask the shop owner.”

Li Yanqing struck up a conversation with the ironsmith, asked to see his skills, and praised his craft: “In the prefectural towns outside this would be excellent work. Even the iron shops in the capital would not be much better. Is the skill passed down through your family? And this iron — where does it come from?”

The ironsmith suspected nothing and replied cheerfully: “The family craft was not particularly strong — I later studied under a master. Iron? Some is brought in by merchants, and that Jima household over that way also has iron…”

Li Yanqing then saw all manner of workshops and shops. Wuzhou naturally had sugar, paper, and similar goods. Li Yanqing then spotted a salt shop. Looking at the price posted on the water-board, he was greatly taken aback: “This cheap?”

A man who appeared to be the shop manager smiled and said, “Yes. We have our own salt, and the Prefect has fixed the price — selling above it is not permitted.”

The interpreter laughed and scolded: “You are trying to trick him again!” Then he explained to Li Yanqing that this was officially operated salt.

Leng Yun was very interested in a silver shop. The ornaments inside had a distinctive flair; Leng Yun picked up a ring, feeling as though he had seen it somewhere before but could not quite recall where.

The shop owner did not rush him, letting him stand there in a daze, keeping only an eye on his own goods to make sure they were not pocketed.

Leng Yun was still thinking when suddenly a hand passed before him — on it sat a silver ring of exactly the same kind.

That was it! Leng Yun remembered now. He reached out to grab that hand; the hand nimbly pulled back: “What do you think you are doing?”

Leng Yun stepped back, and saw Zhù Ying standing before him, the hand with the ring raised and curled into a fist. Leng Yun asked in return, “And what are you doing?”

Zhù Ying raised her other hand to show him: “Shopping with my mother.”

Zhang Xiangu could not bear to let go of her daughter’s hand, and smiled: “Old age makes one love liveliness.”

“Ah, I see.” Leng Yun said. He turned to the shop owner and pointed to a tray of rings: “Wrap up all of these. Send the bill to the guest lodge.”

Zhù Ying said, “Do not count mine.”

Leng Yun looked at her with contempt: “Such cheapness! I can afford it.”

The two were still bickering when someone came from the residence to find Zhù Ying: “Prefect, some people have come from down the mountain — they say they have come to… pay New Year’s respects.”

Leng Yun asked with curiosity, “Who is it?”