The moment Chen Meng heard that Zhù Lian had come calling, his head began to throb. He scrunched up his eyes and nose all at once, making a rather extraordinary expression.
Chen Furen looked at his peculiar face with mingled exasperation and amusement. “Is it really that bad? When the other person — the one who used to be in the capital — was here, you were never like this. Hurry up and have him shown in, whatever the matter may be. By my reckoning of the days, they should be heading back soon. Perhaps he has come to take his leave. I have prepared some gifts for his grandmother, the Elder Madam. It would not be quite right for me to send them separately, so it is just as well he can take them back with him.”
Chen Meng said, “You do not understand. When Zhù Zizhuang was here in person, she never made things particularly difficult for me — this one is different. How did I never notice before just how tiresome he is?”
“Stop grumbling and get moving.”
Zhù Lian was thus shown into the small flower parlor, where he bowed to the couple. Chen Furen smiled and said, “Your teacher and my family are on the closest of terms. There is no need for all this ceremony from you. Come, sit. Where is the foot-warmer?”
Chen Meng said one sentence: “Sit.”
Only then did Zhù Lian go and take the seat Chen Furen had indicated. A servant brought over a foot-warmer. It was still Chen Furen who made small talk, asking whether he had managed to get used to the accommodations this winter. Zhù Lian said, “Thank you for your concern, Madam. I arrived when it was not quite yet cold, and adapted gradually. It has been all right.”
Chen Meng said, “I imagine you are not lacking in coal. What brings you today?”
He had a petulant Emperor overhead and a perpetually “we are barbarians” Zhù Lian underfoot, not to mention the ordinary business of running the court — it was all quite tiresome.
Upon hearing this, Zhù Lian set down his teacup and rose, pressing his hands together in a respectful bow. “Before I departed, Teacher personally instructed me on a matter that cannot be committed to a memorial, nor set down in a letter. She asked me to relay it to you in person and hear your thoughts. If you agree, we can discuss how to proceed. If you feel it is not appropriate, then consider nothing said.”
Chen Meng and his wife exchanged a glance. Chen Furen rose and made a small gesture to the servants, who withdrew one by one. Chen Furen was the last to leave. Zhù Lian said hastily, “Teacher said that for a matter of this importance, there is no need to keep the Madam in the dark.”
Husband and wife exchanged another glance, and Chen Furen turned back and sat down, signaling for the servants to pull the door shut behind them. The room grew darker. The glow of the charcoal brazier and the candlelight steeped the room in warm amber tones.
Chen Meng asked, “What is this about?”
Zhù Lian said, “Teacher asks: is there someone you wish to advance? She can deliver a great merit to that person.”
Chen Meng immediately grew guarded. “What merit?”
“The merit of persuading Teacher to open a new post road connecting directly to the capital. Is that enough?” Zhù Lian had rehearsed this speech countless times in his mind. “At present, the only link between Annan and the court runs along a narrow mountain track that passes through Ji Yuan Prefecture, and Ji Yuan Prefecture itself is still three thousand li from the capital — Annan is even further beyond that. Teacher has taught me: regardless of whether one truly feels close in one’s heart, great distance will inevitably create a certain distance in feeling as well. With Teacher now holding Annan, if a road were opened from the interior to connect directly with the capital, would that not be ideal for all parties?”
It was, of course, a good thing — equivalent to adding another link in the chain of connection. With greater contact, relationships would naturally grow closer, and it would become considerably easier for the court to extend its reach into Annan.
Chen Furen quietly nodded in agreement.
Chen Meng asked, “Does she have some other scheme in mind?” People who had risen to the rank of Grand Chancellor were not going to miss the obvious point. True though all the above reasoning was, Zhù Ying had walked straight into the Council of State under her own power — she could not be that naïve. When she had every capacity to be a local sovereign unto herself, why would she hand herself over into the court’s grasp? Historically, frontier peoples had always hoped to open trading posts to supplement their shortfalls, but for someone of Zhù Ying’s nature, if she were implementing that idea, she would open a few points along the border — there was no earthly reason to push for a full through-road.
Zhù Lian said, “If the court has no interest, so be it. If that is still how you think about it, Honored Chancellor, then it is no wonder Teacher had no choice but to make her escape to the south. If you say it is done out of entirely public-spirited motives, you will not believe me, so let me invent a different reason for you to consider: is it acceptable?
There is nothing else to it. In any case, this road has to be built sooner or later. The only question is whether it runs toward the capital or runs to the doorstep of Kun Da Chi. A choice has to be made. Annan has just come through a war; everything lies in ruins. Does Teacher not care about the welfare of the people? She does this only because it cannot be avoided. Since this is something that must be done regardless, it is better that more people benefit from it. Teacher has chosen you.”
Chen Meng said, “The Western Tribes.”
“We have been using them as a pretext for so long. Surely they have heard some whisper of it by now. In any case, Annan has already been unified across its entire territory. If Teacher cannot hold it, they can come through Annan and push east all the way through, and come to share a border with Ji Yuan.”
Zhù Lian was by now thoroughly familiar with the geography of this region, and sketched out the situation for Chen Meng right there on the spot. Chen Meng was slightly annoyed. “I know where it is.” In order to monitor the two-pronged containment of the Western Tribes, he had practically memorized the maps of that entire area.
Chen Furen cleared her throat gently, and Chen Meng reined in his temper. “What does she want me to do?”
“Choose someone you wish to bestow the credit of ‘having persuaded Annan to build the road’ upon, and send that person to make the journey.”
“Building roads is no simple matter. It is not enough for her to say she wants it done. There are great mountains and vast rivers in the way. Even if Annan builds its stretch, does it not need to link up with the road on the other side? The engineering alone is enormous. And once it is built, she will also have knowledge of the postal road routes on the court’s side.”
Zhù Lian smiled indifferently. “Honored Chancellor, Teacher left the Council of State herself. Is there anything in the world that she, of all people, would not know? She does not care about those few stretches of official road.”
Chen Furen burst out with a laugh. “I think this young man is quite right.”
Chen Meng was helpless, and asked, “Does Zheng Qi know about this?”
“Danqing has gone to Chancellor Zheng’s residence to pay her respects to the Madam — that is a separate matter. Besides, it was your man in Annan who met Teacher and then brought this proposal to Teacher. What does it have to do with Chancellor Zheng? What does it have to do with Teacher herself?”
Chen Meng said, “If she proposed this openly herself, general opinion in court and among the public would shift in her favor.”
Zhù Lian shook his head. “Teacher says she does not need that.”
Chen Meng said, “Very well. One cannot help but admire her — she always makes sure no one is taken advantage of. Just when you are about to be angry with her, you find you cannot be. When do you plan to set off back?”
“I am waiting for the proclamation, to return together with the envoy.”
Chen Meng said, “Give it a few extra days. There will be a good deal of wrangling.”
“Whom do you plan to send?”
Chen Meng said, “Who else could it be? You must give me time to recall my eldest son! The envoy’s rank must be sufficient to show proper respect; at that rank, the pool of people is limited. The older ones might die on the road and cause delays; the younger ones may not have steady heads. My eldest has been on his outside posting long enough. I have been meaning to recall him — now there is just the right pretext. We will have a war of words, and by the time my eldest comes back, everything will be settled. When he gets there and sees his elders, getting a bit of guidance will also be good for him.”
Zhù Lian said, “Agreed — as long as it is not the eldest young master from that other family, I will oppose every single one they name. After all, the court has always been discourteous to Teacher. We need a courteous envoy. Those preachy pedants who spend every day abusing my teacher are people we have no wish to receive. Standing in their way right now is a service to seven generations of ancestors.”
Chen Furen said, “Never mind those decrepit old windbags. They are deaf, blind, and sharp-tongued! They should have been told to shut up long ago!”
Chen Meng then sought confirmation once more: “As for Chancellor Zheng — truly, there is no issue?”
Zhù Lian said, “Unless Chancellor Zheng thinks of this matter first himself. We have already helped Master Shao make a success of the salt administration; what Chancellor Zheng might think of will not go beyond that.”
Chen Meng nodded. “Let us go over this together once more and align our words.”
On the other side, Zhù Lian had not made empty promises. Lu Danqing’s errand at the Zheng residence had also gone smoothly.
Apart from her initial role in transmitting messages from Zhù Ying to Zheng Xi, Lu Danqing’s dealings at the Zheng household had mostly been with Madam Zheng, Yue Miaojun. The gifts she had given Yue Miaojun were even more generous than those she had given Zheng Xi. When she paid a farewell visit before departure, the doorkeepers at the chancellor’s gate assumed she had come to see the Madam, and gave a small start when she asked to see the Chancellor.
Zhù Ying’s name carried considerable standing at the Zheng household, so Lu Danqing was able to bypass the usual wait and see Zheng Xi right away. Zheng Xi had been keeping track of the days — they were almost due to set out — so coming by at this point was only to be expected. Toward a young girl, his manner was relatively cordial, and with a lightly teasing tone he asked, “What is this? Young Zhù Lian never comes by to see me — am I going to eat him?”
Lu Danqing said, without missing a beat, “It was my lord’s arrangement for me to come. My lord said you are far too formidable a character, and Zhù Lian would come off the worse for it. I am different — if I feel put-upon, I will simply make a scene.”
Zheng Xi felt that the entire territory of Annan was an inexhaustible source of exasperation, and asked, “What brings you today?”
Lu Danqing said, “There is a matter that cannot be put to paper, so I have come to deliver it by word of mouth. My lord instructed me to say: speaking of it too early would carry an air of coercion or inducement, which is rather unpleasant. Better to say it just before we leave — Annan has salt wells, and they are already producing. Enough salt for all within the territory’s borders. Sea salt can therefore free up a larger supply. Whether the Salt Commissioner can keep his seat — that we can have a say in. You know how to get word to us.”
Zheng Xi’s gaze sharpened. “She is always so thorough in her thinking. Very well. Is there anything else?”
Lu Danqing said, “My lord does not wish to receive pedantic scholars in Annan.”
“The envoy? Understood.”
Lu Danqing then asked Zheng Xi for permission to see Yue Miaojun. Zheng Xi gave a look that said “I thought as much” and said, “Go ahead.”
The visit to Yue Miaojun went even more smoothly. Yue Miaojun received her in the small parlor just outside her bedchamber. Already hanging on the wall was a large piece of woven woolen tapestry that Lu Danqing had brought on her very first visit — it depicted high mountains, dense forests, open plains, and a winding stream, with a white deer at the water’s edge, a striking and captivating image.
Lu Danqing had barely begun her bow before Yue Miaojun pulled her up onto the couch to sit beside her. Yue Miaojun looked her over and said, “I had a feeling you would be coming. What a pity — you have only stayed such a short while, and now you must go.”
Lu Danqing said, “There is no need for sorrow, Madam. If fate allows, we will meet again.”
Yue Miaojun did not indulge in expressions of parting sentiment with a girl so much younger than herself. She simply had a servant bring out a gift list. “I have prepared a few things for your Elder Madam. I asked around, and they said weapons are easily damaged. Though Zizhuang is not the sort to charge into battle at the front, there are still moments when physical force is called for. There are some swords and blades left in the household stores — the young people here these days have little interest in this sort of thing, and it seems a shame to leave them gathering dust. I had a few selected for her. I do not know much about such things myself; if they look good to you, take them, and tell her not to take offense.”
Lu Danqing rose and took the list, thanking Yue Miaojun for her generosity. Yue Miaojun said, “These are nothing to our family. No thanks are needed. It is rather she who has helped our family in ways no one else could have, over all these years — that is what truly deserves gratitude. I, unlike her, live sheltered within the inner quarters and have no other way to repay her. That is a genuine regret.”
Lu Danqing said, “There is still much, Madam, that you are able to do.”
“Oh?”
Lu Danqing said, “Before setting out for the capital, my lord asked me to convey a message to you. As His Majesty grows in years and the imperial princes grow older, unease will inevitably arise. Chancellor Chen is not a bold man; going back to his father the late Chancellor, the Chen family has always been known for its caution and moderation — at least to the outside eye. But Chancellor Zheng’s relationship with the imperial house is too close for him to stand entirely apart. My lord asked me to remind you, Madam: a person who wishes to become Crown Prince does not only seek the position for its own sake. If the imperial family is strong, many troubles can be avoided; if the imperial star dims, complications will arise elsewhere. Should anything unforeseeable come to pass — the gates of Annan will always stand open for you.”
Yue Miaojun drew in a sharp breath and said, “I understand. Please convey my thanks to her.”
The next day at court, a dispute broke out, precisely as expected, over who should be appointed as envoy for the investiture.
A military governorship was not a permanent fixture, but the powers it carried were enormous. The governor typically held concurrent appointments in transport oversight and land reclamation, and once the job was done, the governor was expected to be recalled and the title dissolved. Zhù Ying’s situation was clearly different from anything that had come before — she was a permanent fixture, and her powers were arguably even greater than those of a standard military governor. She possessed, in practical terms, judicial and legislative authority as well. Not grant them? She would simply say “I am a barbarian.”
So this investiture was taken very seriously. From the outside, it seemed like a situation the court had no reason to hesitate over. Here was a territory that had never been under court jurisdiction, delivered to their administration at no cost. The territory had now acknowledged the court’s authority, had agreed to resume tax payments once the dust had settled, and was administered by Zhù Ying, who had long been dedicated to “education and civilizing influence” — she had already made the local people capable of speaking the official language.
It was a pure windfall. What was there to be awkward about? Both sides give a little face, and everyone is happy — would that not suffice?
The prior delays had already struck many as puzzling — though that could be attributed to the memory of how Zhù Ying had blindsided everyone, which still lingered. But now that everyone had agreed to the investiture, and there were insiders who knew that the proclamation had been written and the seals engraved, and all that remained was to send an envoy — how could there still be a quarrel?
But one look at the two sides of the quarrel explained everything.
First, Xian Jing proposed a man named Jiang Yiran. Zheng Xi immediately objected, with a speed that made Chen Meng’s counter-objection die unborn in his throat.
The Emperor asked, “Why not?”
Zheng Xi said, “Too foolish, and not nearly respectful enough. If he gets to Annan, they will run circles around him.”
The reason was compelling enough, and the Emperor, thinking of Zhù Ying in Annan, grudgingly accepted it. From that point on, every person Xian Jing nominated, Zheng Xi found fault with. When Zheng Xi set out to find fault with someone, even Zhù Ying herself would have to tread carefully. Besides Zheng Xi, Zhù Lian was watching too. The court wrangled for two days, and then Zhù Lian suddenly jumped up: “Teacher’s loyalty is evident to heaven and earth — how dare His Majesty humiliate a court official in this manner?”
The Emperor was taken aback. “What are you talking about?”
Zhù Lian warmed to the subject. From the time Zhù Ying had left the capital, years upon years of people outside abusing her — he had never paid them back for any of it. Now he could start counting on his fingers: “His Majesty sends a person like this as Heaven’s Emissary, and Teacher still has to go and receive him — is His Majesty deliberately trying to make his frontier official look bad?”
The wrangling went on and on until Chen Meng came out to mediate the situation. “What about sending Wang Yunzhi? As for my own son — although he has been there before, he has only just taken his outside posting and it would not be appropriate to recall him yet.”
At that moment someone stepped forward to finish the thought for him: Jiang Zhi spoke up. “The eldest son of Chancellor Chen’s term is nearly complete.”
Very good. All the pieces were in place.
When Wang Yunzhi’s background was announced, not a single voice was raised in opposition. He was Wang Shuliang’s nephew and the son of Wang Yunhe’s eldest son. His mother had just died, and now that his mourning period was complete, he had no shortage of positions to step into. This was nothing more than a convenient arrangement that worked in everyone’s favor, and it also effectively silenced Xian Jing.
Seeing all this, the Emperor gave his agreement: Chen Fang — Chen Meng’s son — would serve as principal envoy, and Wang Yunzhi as deputy envoy, to travel to the capital’s outskirts and formally invest Zhù Ying with her title.
Chen Fang was still at his outside posting, and summoning him back and conferring his appointment took some time. It was not until the weather had already grown quite warm that the group finally set out together with Zhù Lian, Lu Danqing, and the rest.
A disagreement arose between them over the route. Zhù Lian preferred to travel by land, which would be faster; Chen Fang preferred to travel by water, as it was more stable.
Chen Fang asked with curiosity, “It is already a foregone conclusion — what is your hurry?”
“I am thinking about my crops. I do not know how the winter wheat is coming along, or whether the ladies have properly arranged the spring plowing.” The official posting Zhù Lian had been newly granted was that of Prefectural Governor of Bo Prefecture — a newly incorporated territory. Winter wheat had only been grown there for two years. The first year, the results had not been particularly good, and the area planted had not been large. The second year he had not been there for the harvest, which was a source of worry.
Chen Fang let out a small sigh. “Have no fear. With an official as devoted to the people as you are, Annan will be in fine shape.”
Wang Yunzhi added, “Traveling by water is not necessarily much more comfortable — seasickness is no laughing matter. If horseback proves unbearable, switching to water transport later is always an option.”
The party traveled at no great pace. Setting out late as they did, they ran into a stretch of rainy season on the road and were delayed by the better part of a month. By the time they reached Wuzhou, the weather was already very hot — autumn harvest would arrive in just a short while.
Both Zhù Lian and Lu Danqing had been worrying the whole way, afraid that by the time they reached Wuzhou, Zhù Ying would already have gone to West Prefecture — which would mean the envoys would miss her and have to be put up and entertained for an indefinite stretch, which could only invite trouble.
They had not expected to find Zhù Ying in Wuzhou. This astonished them both greatly, because according to the plan, she ought to have moved house by now. It was not until Hua Jie drew Lu Danqing aside and informed her — Lu Guo was dead. Lang Kunwu’s mother had also passed away from illness. Every last elder of the Outer Five Counties who had carried any real authority was now gone.
At this moment, Zhù Ying was right where she needed to be: in Wuzhou.