The company were all taking stock of one another.

Time flies like a weaver’s shuttle; everyone had aged, and what had changed was not only the color of their hair.

Chen Meng could no longer sit properly upright in his chair; even in the emperor’s presence he slumped to one side. Shi Jixing had not only grown old but had put on some weight.

Zhù Ying had not grown heavier; she looked, however, less gentle and ready to smile than in her youth. She looked most at the emperor, who also gazed at her curiously — the two had never met before.

The emperor’s color was not good; he looked like someone recovering from a serious illness, his movements somewhat unsteady. It seemed the Prince of Qi had struck rather hard.

The emperor, for his part, was mildly surprised: this person does not look at all as Father described — crafty and disrespectful! Even without a smile, Zhù Ying showed no coarse aggressiveness, nor did her eyes dart about evasively. Perhaps because he already knew she was a woman, the emperor had a faint inward preconception that she would be somewhat easier to deal with than ordinary court officials. Now that he met her in person, her courtesy was ample and her voice not harsh.

He had encountered some elderly women who took more care of their appearance than young girls, draped in brocade and pearls, projecting the authority of a grand old matriarch. Of those, the one he knew best was the Grand Empress Dowager — benevolent, with a slight air of looking down from a height.

Zhù Ying was different; she did not seem burdened at all.

The emperor’s impression was favorable — which was perhaps also in some measure due to words of persuasion from the Grand Empress Dowager. Previously, when it came to Chen Meng’s proposal, the emperor had been rather resistant. But the Grand Empress Dowager had told him that through two imperial successions — his grandfather’s and his father’s — Zhù Ying had never failed a Son of Heaven.

Thinking of it that way, the emperor’s smile became a little more genuine.

With the gesture of raising her up, the emperor led Zhù Ying to a chair near him, and began with solicitous inquiries: “Like a sturdy grass in a fierce wind — was your journey comfortable, Chief Minister?”

Zhù Ying replied in kind, politely and correctly: “I thank Your Majesty for your concern. To exert oneself for the realm is not something one may speak of as hardship — all has been well.”

After a few more courteous exchanges, the emperor said, “Everyone here is a familiar acquaintance of the Chief Minister’s.”

Chen Meng also laughed and said, “We are together at last.”

Shi Jixing exchanged pleasantries as well. Wang Shuliang then said, “Zǐzhāng has come a long way; let us speak to the matter at hand.”

A single sentence shifted the atmosphere from ease to gravity.

The emperor assumed a fully serious expression and “sought counsel” from Zhù Ying. The content of his questions had already been stated in the official documents sent to Annan beforehand. But Zhù Ying knew that all of this was required. First, see the emperor and explain the proposed response to him — it need not be in great detail, but the emperor had to understand it clearly. Once past that hurdle, she would be formally accepted; a banquet would celebrate her appointment as Chief Minister once again. Then the chancellery would be established, the framework built, and only then would she formally begin working with her colleagues.

Zhù Ying said without hesitation, “West first, then north.”

“Oh?” The emperor made a sound of surprise and looked not at Zhù Ying but at Chen Meng and the others.

Shi Jixing also looked toward Chen Meng. Chen Meng said, “But that is not what you said before.” His speech was slower now than it used to be; when he opened his mouth, those listening already knew what he was going to say, yet had to hold their breath and wait for him to finish.

When at last he finished, they looked again toward Zhù Ying.

Zhù Ying said, “That was before — before I came, you had only one person readily available in Yao Chenying, and of course had to prioritize, dealing first with the Prince of Qi in the north. Now that I have come, and with Yao Chenying able to hold the northern front for the moment, I can free up a hand to resolve the crisis in the western borderlands first. Then coping with the north will be somewhat easier.”

At the mention of “the Prince of Qi,” the emperor’s eyelid twitched. What he most wanted to ask about was still this third elder brother of his. Wang Shuliang, however, said, “Easier said than done,” and steered the conversation away again.

The emperor was sorely frustrated. He hated the Prince of Qi; the wound on his body had healed, but it had left its mark, and whenever a faint ache crept through his body he longed for the Prince of Qi to die right there before him. Yet he could not simply say he wanted his own elder brother killed — that was not permissible. The Chief Ministers too were shackled by this constraint.

Zhù Ying was about to respond when Chen Meng — knowing the emperor’s mind full well — coughed once and interjected, “The Prince of Qi is in the north. What Yao Chenying must contend with is not only the barbarian cavalry but also those whose hearts the Prince of Qi has won.”

Zhù Ying said, “What hearts has he won? Is it not merely that his rank is high and people think someone that highly placed could not be so foolish? Given what has happened, do they still call him not foolish?

Hearts indeed! I was holding the northern front against the barbarians, and then he goes and drags all of that back on me!

At this point, I don’t know what you are all still squeamish about. Even if you do not wish to kill a blood descendant of the Late Emperor, make sure he is as good as dead while still alive! So long as he has no utility, does that not settle it?”

These words the emperor loved hearing.

Shi Jixing said, “The hierarchy of succession is now settled; he is no longer the legitimate heir.”

Wang Shuliang’s face was also dark: “To lead an enemy state’s soldiers into the realm — how foolish.”

Settling the “hierarchy of succession” was a specialty of the court’s officials; only it had come a little late. After that had come the fighting, and the Prince of Qi and the opposing barbarians were no fools either — they had spread quite a few rumors, even claiming that the Late Emperor had been murdered, and that the chief conspirators were the Mu family and the Prince of Qin.

Zhù Ying said, “A pot of half-cooked rice.”

Shi Jixing was at a loss for words.

Chen Meng said, “This pot of rice still has to be eaten. How do we salvage it?”

“Add water, more fuel, and cook it through again. First, establish authority. As long as the court wins one engagement, the hearts of the hundred officials will steady; after that, bring the hundred officials to work to reassure the people. How this ought to be done, I trust I need not spell it out. With the realm stable and the succession settled, what can one Prince of Qi accomplish? The barbarians are not his loyal subjects and devoted sons — without profit there is no profit in the arrangement; once it dries up, send one envoy over and the barbarians will truss him up and send him back.”

In truth, at this juncture, large-scale rewards and tax exemptions would also be one way to buy people’s hearts. Unfortunately, if one truly did so, there would be nothing left to live on.

Wang Shuliang said, “The Western Barbarians?”

“The Western Barbarians,” Zhù Ying said, “must be dealt with sooner rather than later — every day sooner means one day more of steadied hearts. What I just said — west first, then north — or before that, north before west — these are all surface details, all technique. The true principle is to win the trust of the realm, to make the people believe the court still stands. Once trust is established, people will not rise in disorder, and petty troublemakers will restrain themselves.

Otherwise, press down one gourd and another pops up; then you can forget about any hopes of a resurgence or a golden age. Is that not so? Do not keep your eyes fixed on the Prince of Qi — he amounts to nothing. The court has far more pressing matters; it cannot revolve around him alone.”

The emperor had heard enough to satisfy him, and rose: “I thank the Chief Minister for her instruction.”

Zhù Ying hurriedly returned the courtesy: “Your servant is overwhelmed with trepidation.”

The emperor then proposed to host a banquet; Zhù Ying said, “Your servant still has some followers and tribal soldiers — they are unfamiliar with protocol, and if I do not keep order, trouble may arise.”

The emperor issued a further command, summoning Lin Feng, Zhù Tong, and the others to the palace, while dispatching envoys to send wine and food to the tribal soldiers by way of a reward. At the same time he had the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager brought forth, so they might all feast together as a show to the realm that peace was on its way.

Zhù Ying requested first to pay her respects to the two palace women: “How could it be right for the two palace women to come out to receive a subject?”

The emperor agreed; Zhù Ying went first to call upon the two palace women. The Grand Empress Dowager she had met before; the Empress Dowager was unfamiliar — the Grand Empress Dowager was very old, while the Empress Dowager was still young, barely older than the emperor, well-preserved, looking almost like his elder sister.

Beside the Empress Dowager, Zhù Ying saw a familiar face — Yue Miaojun!

Being a woman, Zhù Ying was not constrained before the two palace women the way male officials were; the Grand Empress Dowager beckoned her to sit close by, took her hand, and said, “What a fate! I have spent night after night unable to sleep. Now that you are here, I can finally put my mind at rest.”

Zhù Ying had to demur graciously, saying she would “exert herself with all her heart and strength.”

Yue Miaojun and Zhù Ying only exchanged pleasantries; Zhù Ying extended her condolences, and said she still needed to pay her respects and offerings at Zheng Xi’s grave. Yue Miaojun in turn thanked her for sending condolence gifts from thousands of li away. The emperor’s first empress had died young and he had not yet taken a second consort; his inner palace attendants sat to one side as companions, their eyes full of curiosity, but none daring to speak up.

Before long the banquet was set. The emperor was visibly more animated; he declared it first a welcome feast for Zhù Ying.

When Zhù Ying saw that her own people had also come in, her spirits appeared quite good; she expressed her gratitude for the honor and said that as she had taken up a new appointment she would need to hold an accession banquet, and would also prepare several southern specialty dishes for the palace to try. The Grand Empress Dowager asked about southern specialties; Zhù Ying told her, “Other things aside, the preserved and candied fruits are exceptional — good for the appetite and the digestion…”

The atmosphere lightened. Because Zhù Ying was present, the attendant ladies-in-waiting and female officials beside the two palace women were also given a place at the feast. Yue Miaojun had been frequently glancing toward Zhù Ying, but when Zhù Ying’s accompanying officials took their seats, her eyes went wide and she stared straight at one young woman — Liu Kun.

Neither the emperor nor the two palace women recognized her; but Yue Miaojun most certainly did! Wang Shuliang felt a cold sweat come on, terrified that Yue Miaojun would blurt out Liu Kun’s identity. Liu Kun was mildly nervous and instinctively moved a little closer to Zhù Tong, then could not suppress a laugh. Wang Shuliang was inwardly screaming: Still laughing! Still laughing! Has she lost her mind?

He looked again at Zhù Ying — the woman was busy chatting and laughing with the emperor, more intimate than one of his own grandmothers! She was no longer talking about local customs and conditions; she had moved on to human nature and worldly affairs, telling anecdotes about cases she had judged. She had resolved so many cases in her lifetime, and many of the cases had been quite bizarre in their circumstances. The emperor was young and fond of novelties; he was listening with rapt attention.

In the middle of the conversation, a small eunuch ran over and whispered something to the head steward. Zhù Ying glanced that way; the emperor said, “What is it? None of this furtive creeping about.”

The small eunuch knelt down: “Word has come from outside — Chief Minister Xian… has passed.”

The laughter ceased.

Chen Meng said quietly, “A good death in old age.”

The wine could no longer be drunk; with a Chief Minister dead, the emperor could not continue his merry hosting.

The emperor put away his smile and said to Zhù Ying and the others, “I entrust all external matters to you.”

——

Zhù Ying and Chen Meng and the others left the inner palace and headed for the front; Chen Meng was still carried on a strong eunuch’s back. Together they made their way to the Council of State.

The Council of State chambers looked just as before, the interior layout slightly adjusted. Wang Shuliang and Shi Jixing first invited Chen Meng and Zhù Ying to take the upper seats, then sat themselves. Both of the latter two were senior in rank to them, and Zhù Ying had formally been Shi Jixing’s superior. After some polite deferring, Chen Meng eventually took the head seat; Zhù Ying sat to one side, the other two across from her. Lin Feng and the others waited outside.

Chen Meng said, “His Majesty is young; before him, a summary suffices. To do anything, the full details need to be discussed here.”

Zhù Ying said, “The details are easy. Tell me first — how did things come to this pass? First they spoke of consolidating the realm’s military forces, then they said there were signs of improvement — perhaps even a resurgence was not out of the question. Then the Prince of Qi flees, and the assembled officials of the whole court just watched and did nothing?”

“There may have been hidden complications,” Wang Shuliang said.

“Getting to the bottom of it is a matter for later. One step slow, every step slow — none of you possesses your father’s decisiveness. What puzzles me is that none of you are stupid men; how is it that even now there has been no resolution? Each of you has your own reservations, and I have none, so I will say it plainly: if I were still an Assessor at the Court of Judicial Review, I would truly go and investigate exactly what happened that day. But now I am not, and neither are you.”

“Xian Jing.” Chen Meng threw the blame squarely and decisively. Xian Jing being gone now, Chen Meng had already retired and bore no responsibility, yet he generously offered up a scapegoat.

In truth, there was also Yao Chenying, or rather, “factional strife.” But Yao Chenying was at this moment doing real work outside, and was less irritating than Xian Jing; Chen Meng deliberately glossed over him.

The conversation had reached a tedious impasse.

Zhù Ying said, “Very well! You said nothing about this in your letters, so let us hear it now — what else have you concealed from me?”

Still Chen Meng: “Just those things — factional strife, a shortage of capable practical people. Annexations that have not yet been addressed. The principles you would expound are all known to everyone; the problem is that they are difficult to put into practice. What do you intend to do?”

“First, summon people.”

“There is a shortage of people,” Wang Shuliang said frankly. “Not only have I and Minister Shi been consolidating the realm’s military forces, we have also been working hard to select and cultivate talent. The country does not lack people who can talk and theorize; what is needed are people who can go to the localities and actually get things done. To nurture a capable official takes no less than ten years of effort. Experience can only come through accumulation; without experience, one has no way to govern a locality. Time is lacking — people have not yet emerged.”

He had risen from a local official himself, and knew full well that dealing with people required practice.

Shi Jixing also said, “Chief Minister, you cannot take only your subordinates west to deal with the Western Barbarians and wash your hands of the capital!”

Zhù Ying said, “For dealing with the Western Barbarians I will certainly use them, but they alone will not be sufficient. I want to summon the sons of my old subordinates; I will make this clear to His Majesty personally.”

“Your old subordinates are mostly aging now too,” Chen Meng reminded her.

“Thirty years have passed — of course they are old. I want their sons; thirty years on, many people no longer know who I am — how could I command their obedience? These young men are different; their fathers and elder brothers will tell them how I conduct myself. Whether I am good or bad does not matter — what matters is that I can get things done.”

As long as that foundation was laid, there would be people to use immediately, and things would proceed more smoothly from there.

Chen Meng and the other two said nothing. Zhù Ying’s past record of trustworthiness was too good — who would not want such a superior?

Chen Meng let out a yawn: “Then let it be so. Oh, and Xian Jing’s funeral arrangements…”

Shi Jixing said, “The Court of State Ceremonial, I suppose.”

Is that not under my son’s supervision? What rotten luck! Chen Meng thought.

Zhù Ying said, “I must also go and put my own residence in order; I will draw up the list of chancellery staff and pass it along to everyone.”

Wang Shuliang’s brow twitched; he said quickly, “Very well.”

Chen Meng and Zhù Ying left first; Wang Shuliang was unsettled and said to Shi Jixing, “I must go and look in on the Xian household — after all, his father was my father’s student.”

Shi Jixing was generous: “This can wait for me.”

“I am grateful.”

——

Wang Shuliang first visited the Xian household to pay his respects, informed them that the Court of State Ceremonial had been notified and that any matters could be discussed with Chen Fang, then hurried to Zhù Ying’s residence!

The residence was in a bustle; Zhù Ying had not taken the household staff the court had prepared for her, instead drawing a hundred and fifty people from the camp — men and women both. The residence was first searched through, then rooms were assigned, belongings moved in, and people settled. She herself had cleared a space in the main hall, set up a table, and begun writing out her plans.

The hubbub of the search and settling outside did not disturb her in the slightest.

Diagonally across from her desk, Liu Kun had also sat down, helping with the secretarial work — mainly drafting memorials. Zhù Ying dictated the general outline and Liu Kun began to organize it. The list of chancellery staff, the explanation for calling on the sons of her old subordinates — matters of this kind.

Wang Shuliang was stopped at the gate; Zhù Qingxue came running in to report. Though he had already seen Wang Shuliang at the palace, Liu Kun still got a start; her brush slipped and blotted the paper.

Zhù Ying said, “Show him in.”

Liu Kun said, “Then I…”

“Have you finished your work?”

“No, I’ll go to the back.”

“The back is not yet in order. Stay here. He will have to get used to it sooner or later.” Zhù Ying said.

Liu Kun drew a deep breath, took a fresh blank memorial, and prepared to copy: “Yes.”

When Wang Shuliang entered, this is what he saw: Liu Songnian’s great-granddaughter, a girl he had dredged up from the corners of his memory, grown large and seated in the current Chief Minister’s residence, writing memorials! The girl even had official rank — a proper official, not a consort or a lady of the household.

She had bounded all the way to the capital!

Wang Shuliang’s vision blurred; he pointed at Liu Kun and glared at Zhù Ying.

Zhù Ying said, “Please sit. Things are in a mess here; please bear with me. The matter is urgent — if it were only a question of delay, there would have been no need to summon me. I was asked to come, so I must not betray that trust. I had hoped to take two or three days to get everything on my hands in order before speaking with you alone, but since you are here, let us first speak briefly.”

Wang Shuliang said, “When Grand Minister Liu was alive, though he also… but… his descendants are all still alive… if she were recognized by someone…”

Zhù Ying said, “Is it that a woman with genuine ability is acceptable in a land of savages, but a civilized nation cannot tolerate her? Gifted women can only wither in frustration yet refuse to debase themselves, while the mediocre ones feel aggrieved? They cannot tread on others’ heads, and they feel so hard done by they could die of it? Then let them.”

Wang Shuliang’s face flushed crimson: “You really must consider her parents and family.”

“You came only to say this? Then let us set this aside for now and hear me out.”

Wang Shuliang was also an elderly man now, and few people dared to speak so bluntly to him anymore: “Very well, you speak.”

“There is a shortage of people — correct?”

“Correct.”

“And why is there such a shortage?”

“Factional strife, and also…”

“No — it is the system.” Zhù Ying said. “Your late father, when alive, had intentions of broadening the civil examinations as a means of selecting officials. How about it — while I am back, shall we do it properly?”

Wang Shuliang said, “Now? In this situation?”

“Precisely now — if we do it, let us do it in a grand fashion. Examinations have existed before, but with room for improvement; and the evaluation of officials, though rigorous, still has its loopholes. Men of humble birth always lack the means of advancement and end up squandering their years, yet when people are needed, the cry is that there are none to be found. When is the right time for reform? When everything is being broken apart and rebuilt anew.”

“Even if we select people through examination, there are not enough positions for all of them,” Wang Shuliang said — this was something he had also considered.

Zhù Ying said, “I have a solution for that. I did not go into detail with His Majesty either — the Prince of Qi is sitting up there in the north; his factions need to be cleared out, do they not? Those who still harbor lingering attachment to him must be politely invited home to rest, must they not? Only they cannot be publicly executed, lest the hearts of the realm grow cold. The Shen clan’s connected parties need to be cleaned out as well — and so on and so forth.”

She had another approach in mind, but did not want to raise it with Wang Shuliang just yet; she planned to see Shi Jixing tomorrow — the Court of Judicial Review had the old records of many people. “Handle it according to the law” would suffice.

Clear out one group, bring in the sons of her old subordinates and the examination selectees, and gradually bring the system around.

Wang Shuliang was moderately excited; he glanced around. Zhù Ying said, “My territory — speak freely. But not right now — I must first deal with the Western Barbarians.”

Wang Shuliang said, “The Western Barbarians — troops and provisions may not be sufficient. Your forces, if I may speak bluntly, are somewhat thin…”

Zhù Ying said, “We cannot fight it out with pure brute force — do you think I can rely solely on the people I brought?”

“His Majesty, because of the Prince of Qi affair, will not consent to send the elite of the Imperial Guards out.”

“Elite? Another thirty years have gone by. In the past thirty years, when were those supposed elite troops ever deployed to put down a local uprising? They have long since ceased to be what they once were — it is just that His Majesty does not understand this and cannot see it clearly.” Zhù Ying said.

Wang Shuliang said, “You know this subject better than anyone. But what of provisions and funds? The daily needs of your troops are one thing; once deployed to the western borderlands, provisioning them from the west is a very different matter from provisioning them along your route from Annan to the capital.”

Zhù Ying said, “I will go and look over the Ministry of Finance myself.”

Wang Shuliang was at a loss — ah, the Ministry of Finance, so that is your territory again, is it?

Though thirty years had passed, with Zhù Ying’s methods, that was genuinely hard to say.

The two talked for a very long time, until at last Zhù Ying said, “Let me come back to the civil examination matter — I hear they have started searching people’s persons as they enter the examination hall?”

Wang Shuliang gave an awkward cough; he was a man of integrity, and inviting Zhù Ying back meant addressing the real problem, but the body searches were in place precisely to guard against people like Zhù Ying. Zhù Ying smiled: “Let them search. I say — why not set up two examination halls, one for men and one for women, with men searching men and women searching women? That would not be excessive, would it?”

Wang Shuliang was dumbstruck: “How could that possibly be appropriate…”

Zhù Ying pointed at Liu Kun: “In what way is she inferior to anyone? Hear me out — Grand Minister Liu’s learning will be better preserved and transmitted by them than by any of his descendants or students. Writing beautiful texts is a rather different thing from governing — but even doing only that, it does not get in anyone’s way, does it?”

Wang Shuliang hesitated; Liu Kun gave a small cry: “Grandfather.”

Wang Shuliang looked at her, started to say something, but found Zhù Ying’s presence inhibiting. Zhù Ying said, “Grand Minister Liu sent her to me.”

“Him?”

Zhù Ying said, “And why else would he be called the greatest literary figure of his age? He could not bear to pluck the feathers from the phoenix.”

Wang Shuliang left as he had come — burdened with care. What needed to be said about national affairs had been made clear; the concern he had first been worried about had come to no conclusion.

Zhù Ying paid him no further attention and said to Liu Kun, “What are you looking at? Back to work!”

Liu Kun bent her head over her writing. Lin Feng came in with long strides: “Elder! The visiting cards have been sent over; the Zheng family says to wait for you to come.”

“Noted.”

——

Among Zhù Ying’s old subordinates, there were two groups: one she had promoted herself over the years, and another that had some connection to the late Lord Zheng and the Zheng household — they had helped make introductions and smooth over many misunderstandings. Even the sons of great families like the Ye and Ruan clans had in no small part been brought in through the Zheng family’s connections.

That very night Zhù Ying brought Liu Kun, Lin Feng, Zhù Tong, and the others to the Zheng residence.

The Zheng household was out of mourning, but as the Late Emperor had not long been deceased, music and entertainment were still not permitted. Yue Miaojun was the “Grand Matriarch,” but since the Chief Minister herself was also a woman, and of higher seniority and rank, it was Yue Miaojun who sat in the place of honor to receive Zhù Ying. Her daughter-in-law, who was now the Grand Princess, was currently in the palace attending the Grand Empress Dowager.

Zheng Chuan and Zheng Shen were both present; Zhù Ying agreed with them on a date to pay her respects at Zheng Xi’s grave. Zheng Shen laughed, “You have finally come! Now we can breathe easy!”

Zheng Chuan coughed once. Zheng Shen said, “We are all family here — better to speak plainly.”

Yue Miaojun sighed and said to Liu Kun, “You have grown up beautifully; come, let me have a look.”

On the other side, Zheng Chuan also explained the situation to Zhù Ying: her return to the capital had been in part thanks to their family’s efforts, and it was not only Yue Miaojun personally who had wanted to give her a push. After Zheng Xi’s death, Yao Chenying had temporarily taken over Zheng Xi’s faction. The people of that faction — even Zheng Xi had often had difficulty commanding them — Yao Chenying was yet another step removed. On the other side, Xian Jing had been like a tortoise, simply refusing to die. Wang Shuliang’s father had been Xian Jing’s teacher; though they had not openly allied, there was a certain warmth of feeling there. Chen Meng had retired but was a relative by marriage to the Shi family, and the two of them had banded together. When the reckoning was made, it was only the Zheng family whose influence had declined.

The Zheng faction, calculating it all out, thought: why not seize this opportunity to pull Zhù Ying back?

Rather than let Xian Jing and Wang Shuliang’s side succeed, why not bring in Zhù Ying?

With this, virtually all the reasons that had enabled Zhù Ying to return had been assembled. Some were motivated by the public good, some by private interest; together they had formed a combined force that tugged her back, and she had come back with neither too much resistance nor too little.

Zheng Chuan said, “The Xian faction was forever meddling and controlling everything under heaven — he was only missing taking control of heaven itself.”

That was certainly true.

Zhù Ying said, “I see — I understand now. As it happens, I also need some people.”

Zheng Chuan said, “You need only say the word.”

On the other side, Yue Miaojun and Liu Kun were speaking in low voices; both let fall some tears. Zheng Shen noticed and was astonished: “Mother, what is the matter?”

“Nothing — I am simply delighted at the sight of this young lady.”

“Oh?” Zheng Shen said. “She looks familiar to me — this is…”

Zhù Ying said, “Yes, quite right — she is Grand Minister Liu’s great-granddaughter.”

Zheng Shen’s jaw nearly dropped: “This this…”

Liu Kun was dressed in men’s informal attire, with the appearance of a male official. Zhù Ying said, “Yes, in Annan, this is how things are. But now she is in my residence, and in the future when official business brings you into contact, there will likely be dealings. “

Zheng Chuan stood up: “Does anyone else know? People will object. This is somewhat out of the ordinary. If it were in Annan, here they would turn a blind eye; but to parade it openly in the capital is not appropriate. I am not asking her to resign her post now — I only ask that you not publicize it so.”

Zhù Ying looked at him and said, “Agreed.”

Yue Miaojun said, “We have barely had the chance to meet, and now you talk like this.”

Zheng Chuan said, “That is not what I mean. The world also has those who fawn and flatter, yet the Chief Minister’s position is not yet fully secure, and the young lady is also very young; it is better to be cautious. I am not asking her to resign — only asking you not to advertise it so.”

Zhù Ying said, “Fair enough.”

Zheng Chuan offered an apology, then invited Zhù Ying and Liu Kun to the dinner table. Yue Miaojun had also met Zhù Tong before, and asked after Lu Danqing and why she had not come. Zhù Ying and Zheng Chuan then negotiated further matters; she wished to summon the sons of her old subordinates and would need a list — where exactly her old subordinates were now, and how many adult sons they had, was something Zhù Ying currently did not know.

Zheng Chuan and his people could very readily compile such a list — their connections extended not only through the Ministry of Personnel but also through a network of personal relationships, without which many family’s member counts could not be known. A family like Liu’s — Yue Miaojun could recognize Liu Kun; Shi Jixing could not tell anything just by looking.

The business concluded, when Zhù Ying returned to the residence the sky was already fully dark. Yue Miaojun said, “The accession banquet — I will prepare it for you.”

Zhù Ying smiled and said, “Many thanks.”

——

The next day, Zhù Ying did not attend court; she was still putting the residence in order. That day she rose early and went first outside the city to inspect the tribal soldiers at the camp. Returning in the morning, she paid a call on Chen Meng. In the evening she went to the Shi residence, asking Shi Jixing to prepare the Court of Judicial Review’s black register. In the evening, coming home, Zhù Qingxue and Jiang Zhen presented two large stacks of received visiting cards.

Zhù Ying could only classify the visiting cards that same night by name and official rank alone, dividing them into two groups: “old acquaintances and their relatives” and “those now coming to cultivate a connection.”

On the third day she had to go to morning court.

Very early in the morning, Lin Feng and Zhù Tong brought their escort along behind her; Zhù Qingye and Liu Kun remained at the residence to continue putting things in order.

Lin Feng had not done this duty in a long time; walking behind Zhù Ying and breathing in the cool morning air, he had feelings he could not quite put into words. Zhù Tong was experiencing this scene for the first time: she saw people, upon spotting Zhù Ying in the torchlight, automatically make way for her, and then saw this dark mass of officials. Zhù Tong thought to herself: so this is the court?

This is the court — the great audiences made it very hard to discuss anything of real substance; mostly it was scripted speeches. The day’s great spectacle was simply that Zhù Ying had come.

Everyone was curious about this “legendary figure”; no one had imagined she would ever return to the capital. Zhù Ying was impassive and silent, quietly listening to the formal proceedings. Discussion of Xian Jing’s posthumous title, provisions for Yao Chenying, calls for relief from the western borderlands…

When the formal speeches concluded there was the customary small meeting. No one much cared about the Xian Jing business; it was decided to let Chen Fang cut his teeth dealing with the Xian faction. Regarding Yao Chenying’s provisions, Zhù Ying did not feel it her place to interject; when the emperor asked, she said, “Since that is the case, your servant will go and look the Ministry of Finance over.”

And the appeal from the western borderlands, as was customary, would have a few more troops sent out to them, continuing to hold out — until Zhù Ying’s side was ready and could send out troops and generals to relieve the situation.

The emperor seemed to think this was about good enough; but the busyness of the Council of State was only just beginning. First was Zhù Ying herself — her chancellery staff was not yet all in place, and she could not yet take on the Council’s affairs. Wang Shuliang and Shi Jixing, meanwhile, had each been privately assigned additional tasks by her, and were more overwhelmed than ever.

Zhù Ying, however, extracted herself from the palace first and went to pay her condolences at the Xian household. The Xian household was still respectable; the sons in mourning came out to return the courtesy, and the visitors around them bowed their heads to make way. Among them were those who had written essays denouncing her, those who had held her up in court as a negative example, and even those who had submitted memorials asserting that she had committed crimes and ought to be arrested and brought back for judgment.

At this moment, they were all as quiet as sleeping infants.

Zhù Ying smiled and exchanged a few words with the sons in mourning, then came out; walking out of the Xian household she faintly heard someone say, “She comes back and the Chief Minister dies the same day — could it be that she has an evil influence that brings bad luck to…”

Quite fitting, Zhù Ying thought.

Liu Kun had not come along; Zhù Tong’s face was drawn tight. Back at Zhù Ying’s residence, she found Liu Kun: “Teacher, are all those people always so loathsome?!”

Liu Kun said, “They have always been like this.”

Zhù Tong ground her teeth; Liu Kun said, “All right, never mind them — take this to the Chief Minister.”

“What is this?”

“News from the general’s office.”

The news from the general’s office was good: no decrease in harvest this year. The Western Pass had also held off the Western Barbarians’ harassment. Liu Ao had begun preparing for next year’s examinations; the papers were already drafted, and the year’s prefectural and county tests had concluded. Because Annan was a small territory, candidates spent less time traveling, and the schedule for the tests was fairly compact. According to Liu Ao, the results had been somewhat better than expected.

Zhù Qingjun relayed a small problem as well: wild ferries. The iron-cable bridge was convenient but charged a toll, so some people had invented a new method — launching rafts from below the bridge to cross the river. Though dangerously life-threatening, it saved the toll. Once across, a detour of some distance brought them back onto Annan’s official roads.

This had been detected, however, and Zhù Qingjun had dispatched people to make arrests. She was also considering whether to reduce the toll a little for the poorest small traders — that is, setting a threshold: below a certain amount, the toll would be waived or reduced.

Zhù Ying sent back a reply: handle it as you see fit, but if it were me, I would scatter the goods across several people and make more trips to save on the toll.

And so the days passed. The list from Zheng Chuan’s side arrived.

Zhù Ying stretched out a long, comfortable stretch: “Twenty-Third Niang, there is work to do!”