Huajie was gentle and true to her word. Having said she would give Su Zhe an answer that very evening, she meant to keep her promise. The answer she intended to give was not exactly a lie, but it did contain a small concealment. To that end, Huajie returned to her room and practiced her expression in front of the mirror.

After three rehearsals, she decided she could manage. She was just about to go out and find Su Zhe when Su Zhe arrived together with Zhù Qingjun — the two young women had come to call on Huajie at the same time.

Huajie asked Zhù Qingjun, “Have you seen your teacher yet?”

Zhù Qingjun smiled. “I have seen the lord — and you are also my teacher.”

Huajie looked her over and said, “Go and change your clothes. I have had new shoes made for you — they are comfortable to wear.”

“I will put them on during the New Year.”

“New Year has its own pair.”

Zhù Qingjun noticed that Su Zhe was standing there, neither speaking nor leaving, and followed Huajie’s lead to say, “Then I will go change. Little Sister, you…”

“I will keep Auntie company.”

Zhù Qingjun turned and left. Huajie conveyed to Su Zhe what Zhù Ying had asked her to pass on.

Su Zhe listened and felt the weight lift from her chest. She smiled. “Thank you, Auntie.”

Huajie said, “She has always treated you well. She will not be too harsh.”

Su Zhe shook her head. “That is not what I mean. I was afraid that the family, out of fear and anxiety, would make an even larger mistake. Things have been good between us — why let a relatively small matter lead to one misstep after another? Elder has always been reliable. Since she has given her word, I can set my family’s minds at rest, and we can put this behind us and live well as before. The only thing is that Elder must play the villain — dealing with our uncles on our behalf.”

Huajie said, “She may seem to have had a smooth life that everyone envies — but I know that none of it fell into her lap from the sky. Every mountain was climbed by force; every river was crossed by building a bridge. Only by putting in the difficult work can one make it all look effortless and easy. Your mother and you — do outsiders not also feel that you carry yourselves with an air of confident achievement and brilliant success? Yet how many people can truly appreciate the hardships behind it?”

These words left Su Zhe feeling warm and a little aching in her heart at the same time. She said to Huajie, “I will go tell my mother.” And with that, she all but fled.

Walking back from the inner quarters to the guest room, Su Zhe’s mood had steadied somewhat. She pushed open the door and nodded to Peacock — Su Zhe was already calm enough to speak normally.

Su Mingluan asked, “What happened?”

Su Zhe said, “Elder will not pursue it further — I asked Auntie to inquire.”

Su Mingluan said, “If it was she who asked, then that settles it.”

Su Zhe said, “I know that anything I say now is all hindsight. But going forward, let us rein ourselves in. Elder is a Chancellor — what methods does she not have? She simply does not use them. That does not mean she cannot, and even less that she dare not. It only means we have not pushed her to her limit yet.”

Peacock said, “The fault was mine.”

Su Mingluan waved a hand dismissively. “What applied then does not apply now. When Elder is here, one way of doing things. When she is not here, another way. We worked harder and got more for our efforts — the others were simply coasting on what we produced for nothing. That was simply not acceptable. Remember this: our situation with Elder is different from the others’ situation with her. Elder can afford to be lenient — we cannot!”

Su Zhe said, “I understand. So what comes next? What are you thinking, Mother?”

“Let us watch and see.”

Su Zhe said, “The way Wuzhou is right now — calling it a pile of loose sand would be unfair, but claiming it is one united force would be nonsense either. Poor and remote as it is, the only way to avoid being bullied is to listen as one to someone with ability and vision. During my years in the capital, I watched — there are plenty of fools at court, yet they still manage to suppress all four quarters. It is because they concentrate the strength of the entire realm. Wuzhou can only prosper as a whole before any of us can prosper individually.”

Su Mingluan said, “Your outlook has broadened.”

Su Zhe smiled a little.

Su Mingluan said, “You are still muddleheaded! For Wuzhou to thrive, you cannot let your own household fall apart! If your own standing collapses, what have you left to stand on? These two things — neither can be neglected.”

Su Zhe said, “You contribute as much as you are rewarded. If we want to hold office in Wuzhou, we cannot afford to be like our uncles.”

Su Mingluan said, “Who asked you to be like them? I only ask that you do not hand over everything you have! She is good — fair and just — and then what? She and I are about the same generation. You are already the next one! I have you; who does she have? How will you get along with whoever takes over her legacy? Or do you look at that court that can suppress all four quarters and think they will send a decent person to govern Wuzhou?”

“This…”

Su Mingluan said, “Think about it slowly — but do not rush to raise this with Elder! A matter like this should not be spoken of lightly. It is like an emperor naming an heir — when the emperor has several sons placed before him, that is one thing. She has no child. Are you intending to compete for that position?”

Su Zhe stood there, blankly stunned. She had never thought about this before. Su Mingluan gave a sigh and said, “Take your time thinking it over. In a few more years, I may have to find an opportunity to raise it with her myself.”

Su Zhe had come for reassurance, only to find that compared to the misgiving that had arisen from the salt fields incident, her mother had now handed her a far more troubling question to sit with.

Su Mingluan, for her part, was entirely composed: “Wash up and go to sleep. This is not something that can be resolved in a single day.”

…

Su Zhe pressed this new worry to the bottom of her heart and carried it into the next day. But the next day brought the New Year closer than ever, and Mountain City grew livelier still — more people were coming up from the foothills.

As the New Year drew near, in addition to the county magistrates and clan heads from the five counties, local gentry from outside the mountains also came up early to pay their New Year respects. Since the previous year’s visit, Zhù Ying had not gone back down to the outside world, though certain Jiyuan Prefecture gentry had occasionally entered the mountains under the guise of trade to call on her.

Su Zhe watched the bustle before her and felt her mood grow worse. When Zhù Qingjun saw this, she asked, “What is wrong?”

Su Zhe said, “Every one of them — when Elder had just returned, look at how they came to receive her. At least they showed some decency then. And how long has it been? Now they are already plotting how to take advantage of the situation.”

As she said it, she suddenly realized the clan heads in the mountains were not so different in that regard. She felt a sudden, flat disillusionment wash over everything. She was not a naive, unknowing girl; she had some experience of scheming and hidden motives. But in the past, she had used her wits to observe and deal with others — now that she, Zhù Ying, and her mother were all tangled together in the same web, it felt entirely different, and she found she had no taste for it.

Zhù Qingjun, on the other hand, seemed at ease: “Are people not all like this? Being willing to come out to receive her at all is already something. But people eat the five grains and breathe the air of the world — how could everyday life consist only of warmth and kindness? Who goes to chop the firewood? Do they go willingly or under compulsion? Does the wood-cutter warm himself by the fire? Does he ever get tired? Does he fall and hurt himself on the mountain, or get eaten by a wild animal? We can only act by our own conscience.”

Su Zhe said with some feeling, “I truly envy you!”

Zhù Qingjun looked rather puzzled at this head-woman’s daughter and future head-woman — she genuinely could not understand what there was for her, a woman of slave origins, to be envied for. If anything, out in the north and the western frontier, Zhù Ying had still been mindful of Su Zhe’s safety and kept her from real danger; since returning to Wuzhou, Su Zhe had had chances to prove herself.

What Su Zhe was thinking was that Zhù Qingjun did not have to balance the interests of her own clan against the whole of Wuzhou.

The two were murmuring quietly when over on the other side, the pleasantries of the New Year visit were wrapping up. The gentry had also presented their gifts; Lu Danqing accepted the gift list and passed it to Zhù Ying, then stepped back to the side. Taking advantage of a moment when no one was paying attention, she drifted over and said quietly, “Did you see? The gifts are more generous than last year.”

“Really?”

“I had a look at the list — more paper than last year. I went out early this morning and saw more boxes than before as well.”

Su Zhe said in a low voice, “When Elder returned, Gan County was brought into the fold just like that. These people — they serve whoever holds power. Even for someone like Elder, the tribute people offer when she is content to hold one corner differs from what they bring when she is expanding and taking new territory.” She thought of how the clan heads in the mountains were much the same — and felt her spirits sink even further.

Lu Danqing said, “People really are strange creatures.”

The three young women whispered among themselves in the Qixia tongue, occasionally glancing up at the head of the hall. Suddenly Zhù Qingjun nudged the other two: “Hey — something is happening.”

The three looked up together and heard Zhù Ying ask, “How is A’Tong?”

Gu Weng said respectfully, “He often thinks of you, my lord.”

Zhù Qingjun turned her lips down slightly at the corners. Then she heard several other gentry also expressing similar sentiments — that their own sons had written home asking their families to convey their regards on their behalf. The additional gifts this year came partly from the gentry themselves, who had increased their offerings now that the wind had shifted, and partly from these young men who had asked family members to bring things on their behalf. That was why the gifts appeared especially generous.

Gu Weng also presented a thick envelope. Lu Danqing darted over, reaching out to take it. Gu Weng glanced at her; Lu Danqing stared him down, and Gu Weng yielded, placing the letter in her hand. Lu Danqing then brought it to Zhù Ying.

Zhù Ying accepted it without opening it at once, and asked Gu Weng further about conditions at his household. She learned that the older Gu Weng was still suffering from frail health, and expressed her concern and condolences. Zhao Su had gone to the capital; Zhao Niangzi and her husband took on the role of smoothing things over, remarking that a new year always brings new prospects and there was no need to be downhearted.

With that, everyone’s spirits lifted again, and Zhù Ying hosted a feast for them all.

When the banquet broke up and Zhù Ying was returning to the study to deal with affairs, Su Mingluan and Peacock came to find her again.

Zhù Ying set down the paper knife and said, “Sit. What is it?”

Su Mingluan said, “It is about the salt fields. You said you would send someone to help Peacock — I wondered who it would be. Peacock is still here, so I thought we might take the chance to have her brief whoever it is on the workings of the salt fields while there is still time. After the New Year, she will need to go back.”

Zhù Ying thought for a moment and said, “Let it be Mingyue and Mingzhu — along with a few apprentices. Qingye, please go and ask them to come.”

After a short while, the two Mings arrived — both young women, pleasant-looking and well-behaved in Zhù Ying’s presence.

Zhù Ying said, “I have an assignment for you. After the New Year, you will go to the salt fields to assist your Sister Peacock here. Little Sister, what do you think of them?”

The two immediately looked toward Su Mingluan and dipped their heads in greeting.

Mingyue and Mingzhu both carried the character “Ming” in their names, but their backgrounds were quite different. Both had taken the surname Zhù. Mingyue was the child of a family that had fled from the mountains — her name had been given by her parents before the whole family changed their surname to Zhù. Mingzhu had been a slave of the Suoning clan; her original name had, somewhat awkwardly for the Zhù household, also been “Pebble.” Zhù Ying had given her this new name.

Both had been selected to join Zhù’s household as attendants. They had studied arithmetic and account-keeping under the late Qi Tai, and had also trained in some basic martial skills under Hou Wu. Though they had not had the advantage of being kept close by Zhù Ying or Huajie for constant guidance — unlike Su Zhe and Zhù Qingjun — they were quick-witted and capable young women.

Zhù Ying was short of people. Though the two young women were barely past twenty, they had already begun taking on apprentices of their own.

Su Mingluan thought to herself: The lord’s closest people I already know. These two have not been heavily relied upon before — which tells me she is still keeping her distance with me.

But she agreed without hesitation.

The two young women bowed to Su Mingluan and then paid their respects to Peacock.

Peacock said, “I will work well alongside them.”

Zhù Ying said, “Good. For these next few days, get to know one another properly. It is easier to work together once you are familiar.”

They assented and took their leave.

Zhù Ying reached over and picked up the letter to open it. It was from Gu Tong, and its contents were quite interesting. Gu Tong opened with well-wishes and congratulations to Zhù Ying on taking another county. He then wrote about conditions at court and in the capital — the same tedious, rotting-away-as-always: this official embezzling, that official taking bribes, each one digging pits for the others. Beyond that, another kind of creature had emerged: officials who were not corrupt — who were even genuinely upright — but who were purely incompetent. High moral character, not a scandal to be found, and utterly incapable of getting anything done. Heaven only knew how many real matters had been held up by the likes of them.

Chen Meng was still holding steady, and Wang Shuliang and Yao Chenying and others were doing their best to patch things together. In official circles, there had been considerable criticism of Zhù Ying lately. The capital had also learned of Zhù Ying’s plan to hold a civil examination to select officials, and Xian Jing and others had moved to introduce identity verification requirements into the examination process — this change would likely appear in the official gazette before long.

After rambling at length, Gu Tong finally got to the heart of the matter. He said that Zhuo Que had come to the capital on official business, and the two of them had met. Zhuo Que’s cousin Zhuo Yu had also come to the capital; the three of them had dined together. Over the meal, they talked about many things — primarily their concern over the future of southern scholars, and their uncertainty about the direction Zhù Ying’s path was taking. They inquired whether there was any way they might be of service.

Gu Tong felt that the Zhuo cousins had maintained connections with many southern scholars over a long period, and that their attitude could reflect something larger. Not daring to keep this from her, he was writing to ask how she wished him to respond.

Zhù Ying folded the letter, slipped it back into its envelope, and put it in her desk drawer. She took out a sheet of paper and wrote four characters: hold one’s wings and wait. She still did not have a clear picture of where the southern scholars actually stood, and had no wish to act rashly — nor to invite them to Wuzhou to stir things up.

After writing those four characters, Zhù Ying took out another letter. For this one, she gave considerably more careful attention. It was from Zhù Lian, sent along with the New Year gifts, asking whether Zhù Ying was short of people. If Wuzhou had need of him, he was prepared to resign from his official post and come back to help. He knew Wuzhou well, had experience, and had a few capable people under him as well.

This had all begun with the “call for talent” proclamation. Once the announcement went out, word had spread on its own, and through a winding chain of inquiry, it eventually reached Zhù Lian. By that time the court had already told Zhù Ying to stop making waves, and she had gone along with it and ceased the publicity. But someone sought out Zhù Lian to verify the matter, and Zhù Lian confirmed it through the guild hall — he was convinced this was exactly the sort of thing Zhù Ying would do. Zhù Ying’s way, in his experience, was to take whoever happened to be within reach and put them to use. Then there was the official world’s criticism of Zhù Ying — Zhù Lian’s ears had ached from hearing it.

And so this letter had come.

Zhù Ying looked at the paper for quite a long while before writing a brief reply: The family misses you — come home.

Two thin letters: one dispatched, the other handed to Gu Weng when the gentry took their leave. Zhù Ying celebrated the New Year in peace.

As people had gradually been making their way to Fulu County to ask about the examination, Zhù Ying sent Qi Niangzi, Zhou Wei, and others down the mountain to stay in Fulu County and receive the visitors.

In the middle of the second month of the new year — just as preparations were getting underway for the winter wheat harvest and the coming spring planting — Zhao Su came back.

Zhù Ying laughed. “Wonderful — now there is someone to help me with the examination!”