Two more days passed, yet the Buddhist prayer-bead bracelet had vanished without a trace. There still wasn’t a word about it.
Yan Tongshu gloomily went to the Kaifeng Prefecture office to report for duty.
Sitting before her desk, she idly shifted the writing brushes hanging on the rack back and forth. So the lantern had actually been sent by Madame Meng, and had nothing to do with Meng Zheng? Did Meng Zheng no longer want to be friends with her?
Yan Tongshu rested her chin on her forearm, looking thoroughly miserable.
That afternoon, Cen Xu arrived. “Lord Yan.”
Yan Tongshu was sprawled across the desk, staring at the documents. She answered listlessly, “Mm.”
Cen Xu furrowed his brow slightly and took two steps forward. “Lord Yan, are you in a bad mood on your first day back at work?”
“Yes,” Yan Tongshu said glumly.
Who could possibly be happy to return to work after the New Year?
Cen Xu thought for a moment, then smiled. “Then let me tell you some good news that hasn’t been made public yet. Perhaps it will cheer you up.”
Yan Tongshu shook her head. “That’s impossible.”
There was no news in the world that could be more depressing than returning to work on the first day after the New Year.
Cen Xu glanced around to make sure no one was nearby. Then he walked up the steps, bent down beside Yan Tongshu, and lowered his voice. “This morning, His Majesty summoned officials from the Chancellery, the Secretariat, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Revenue for a discussion.”
So what if the emperor was holding a meeting?
The emperor summoning his ministers for a meeting on the first day back at work was no different from a boss calling all the employees together for a meeting on the first day after the New Year. It was simply routine.
Yan Tongshu remained listless.
After a pause, Cen Xu continued, “His Majesty intends to establish a new department. The name hasn’t been decided yet, but its main duties and the scope of its authority have already been determined. It will be a department for women, modeled after the official ranks of the Ministry of Rites, though with fewer posts. Female officials will be selected through examinations. They will not wield any real power and will primarily be responsible for providing assistance.
“For example, if parents abuse their daughters, if a concubine is allowed to bully the principal wife, if a woman is illiterate and doesn’t know how to write a petition or which department of the local government to approach with a complaint, the female officials will offer free assistance. They will help the woman weigh her options, find a lawyer at no cost, and submit a legal complaint to the authorities.”
Yan Tongshu shot upright, her eyes shining as she looked at Cen Xu.
Cen Xu smiled. “The Yan sisters are both highly accomplished. If they sit for this examination and place among the top candidates, securing official positions, the Yan family’s prestige will shine even brighter.”
Yan Tongshu blinked. “You mean His Majesty is establishing an official women’s aid agency?”
Cen Xu stared at her in surprise.
He had expected Yan Tongshu to be pleased, but he hadn’t imagined that what excited her would be so completely different from what he had anticipated.
And yet, it seemed entirely in keeping with her character.
Yan Tongshu pressed him eagerly, “Is that really true?”
Cen Xu nodded with a smile. “The details are still under discussion. Most likely, they’ll be put into writing soon and implemented in Bianjing for a trial period. If the system proves workable, it will be expanded nationwide.”
Yes!
This department would bypass the existing system of official administration without undermining the power or status of the court’s officials. It would also sidestep the foundations of the imperial examination system, so it wouldn’t challenge the authority of the examinations for men. It avoided nearly every possible obstacle, remained entirely independent, and involved no changes to any existing institution.
The opposition and resistance it might encounter had been reduced to a minimum. Therefore, as long as the emperor made up his mind, it would surely be implemented.
It was like holding an examination once a year. It sounded alarming, but in reality, there were no rewards or punishments attached to it. It was merely a way for the emperor to gauge the current level of education among officials of the fourth rank and below. Those who did well would receive no reward, and those who did poorly would face no punishment.
Precisely because of this, although the ministers were opposed to it, once the emperor had made up his mind, implementing it was not difficult.
But if the annual examination shook the existing system, then every faction would oppose it. Even if it were put into practice, all sorts of problems would arise along the way, making it impossible to continue.
The dog emperor truly was a master of politics. How clever.
Yan Tongshu immediately perked up. “Cen Xu, come on. I’m treating you to dinner tonight.”
Cen Xu smiled, bowed, and said, “Thank you, Lord Yan.”
……
That afternoon, in the presence of both their parents, Yan Liangrong and Zheng Chun signed and stamped their fingerprints on the divorce agreement. The two of them then went together to the Kaifeng Prefecture and handed the document to the Registrar of the Left Office for filing and safekeeping.
Afterward, Yan Liangrong took her people and moved the rest of her dowry back to the Yan residence.
Zheng Chun escorted her all the way there.
Zheng Ke stood in the courtyard, watching so many things being carried back. Realizing that his parents truly had separated, he suddenly dropped to the ground and burst into tears.
“No! No! Father, Mother, don’t separate! Ke’er doesn’t want you to separate!”
Yan Liangrong and Zheng Chun helped Zheng Ke to his feet. He clutched one of them with each hand.
He was only six years old and couldn’t understand it at all. His parents had clearly reconciled. He had worked so hard, so very hard, trying to make his mother happy and make their family better. Why were his parents still separating?
He had studied so hard. He no longer skipped his lessons, and even during holidays, he made sure to study for at least four shichen every day.
Even his tutor had praised him for becoming sensible. So why were his father and mother still separating?
Why?
He wailed until he was hoarse, crying with all his might.
Yan Liangrong and Zheng Chun coaxed him for a long time, repeatedly assuring him that no matter what happened, he would always be the most precious child to both his father and mother, and that they would always be his parents. Only then did he gradually quiet down, though he continued to sob uncontrollably.
Afraid that he would cry himself hoarse, Yan Liangrong hurriedly told a maid to prepare a bowl of honey water.
Zheng Chun sat in a chair with Zheng Ke in his arms. “Ke’er, your father and mother are only going to live separately. As long as Father isn’t on duty, I’ll still take you out to play and supervise your studies. I’m still your father.”
Zheng Ke suddenly let out a loud hiccup. He had cried so hard that his body was reacting involuntarily from a lack of oxygen.
His little hands tightened around Zheng Chun’s collar.
Zheng Chun comforted him. “Ke’er, Father did something wrong. I’m being punished for it now. Whenever a person does something wrong, there will always be consequences. That’s simply how it is—the choices we make bring consequences. So, Ke’er, remember this: never follow Father’s example.
“Some mistakes, like being willful and refusing to do your schoolwork, are only childish lapses. You can afford to be mischievous about those things. But when it comes to being a person, you must have basic boundaries and principles. When a mistake involves either of those, you must not take even one wrong step. Otherwise, you’ll end up like Father, suffering unbearable pain.”
Zheng Ke was still too young to understand more than half of what he heard.
Zheng Chun wiped away his tears. “Ke’er, your mother needs you. You’re the child she risked her life to bring into this world, and you’re a man. Your mother is hurting too, so you must be strong. You must become someone she can rely on and stay by her side. Do you understand?”
Zheng Ke hesitated.
He didn’t want his mother to be sad, but he was sad too that his father and mother were separating.
Becoming a little man was truly difficult—so very difficult.
He still wanted to cry.
“Mother.” Zheng Ke reached out toward Yan Liangrong, and she took him into her arms. “Ke’er, how about letting your father take you out to play tomorrow? From then on, your mother can play with you for one day, and your father can play with you for one day. See? Your father and mother will still both be with you.”
It was only then that Zheng Ke fully realized his family had fallen apart.
His lips trembled, and the tears he had been holding back began to fall again.
But he had to be someone his mother could rely on. He couldn’t cry.
He sniffed, his nose red from crying, and nodded.
Zheng Chun stayed at the Yan residence with Zheng Ke for a long while. He didn’t leave until night had fallen and he had promised Zheng Ke again and again that he would come back to keep him company the next day.
That evening, after washing up, Zheng Ke lay in bed, hugging Yan Liangrong.
He had cried for a long time that afternoon, and his voice was already hoarse. In a small voice, he asked, “Mother, did Father really do something wrong and get punished for it?”
Yan Liangrong gently patted his shoulder. After thinking for a long while, she finally said, “Your father and I didn’t separate because he did something wrong. It was because, after he did that thing, my state of mind changed. I came to understand myself better. Ke’er, your father is right to tell you not to do anything wrong and not to cross your principles or your bottom line. But there’s one more thing I want to tell you.”
Zheng Ke lifted his round little face and looked at Yan Liangrong.
In a gentle voice, Yan Liangrong said, “Everything we do leads to consequences. Those consequences may be light or serious, good or bad. So, before doing anything, we must think carefully about whether we can accept what may come of it.”
Zheng Ke shook his head. He still didn’t understand.
Yan Liangrong put it another way. “For example, Ke’er, you used to dislike reading and doing your homework. But if you don’t do your homework, you won’t do well in your studies. If you don’t do well in your studies, you’ll lose certain opportunities—for example, the chance to become an official through the imperial examinations, just like your father. If you have no intention of becoming an official in the future, then it doesn’t matter if your schoolwork is only average. But if you do want to become an official, can you accept the consequences of not doing your homework?”
Zheng Ke shook his head.
Yan Liangrong’s voice remained soft. “Take riding, for example. Our Ke’er likes riding horses, but riding is hard. If you practice diligently day and night, you may become an expert rider—or you may accidentally fall from your horse one day and become crippled. Riding itself is neither good nor bad, but its various consequences can lead to different results.
“You can’t predict all the consequences, but before you begin, you can ask yourself: I like horseback riding, but can I accept whatever consequences it may bring in the future? If you can, then do it. If you can’t, then don’t. Once you’ve done something, whatever comes of it is cause and effect. Your father did certain things whose consequences he was unwilling to bear, but he still chose to do them. That was the cause, and bearing the consequences is the effect.”
Zheng Ke gazed at Yan Liangrong in a daze, seeming to understand only part of what she had said.
“It’s all right. Our Ke’er is still young. Mother will teach you little by little.” Yan Liangrong smiled gently and pulled the blanket higher over him. “Go to sleep. When you wake up tomorrow, you’ll be able to see your father.”
Zheng Ke nodded, closed his eyes, and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Yan Liangrong gently patted him. They could take things slowly.
When children suddenly find themselves separated from their parents, they tend to become emotional. Given enough time, they will gradually come to accept it.
The next day, Yan Tongshu went to the Ministry of Rites to discuss the questions for the first annual examination.
This examination was for all officials of fourth rank and below in Bianjing. The Ministry of Rites was naturally included, so Yan Tongshu summoned only officials of third rank and above to the discussion.
The Minister of Rites glared furiously at Yan Tongshu, as if he wanted to glare her to death.
The two Vice Ministers of Rites were in charge of objecting. Yan Tongshu offered one suggestion, and they opposed it; she offered another, and they opposed that one too.
After seven or eight rounds of this, Yan Tongshu grew irritated. “Are you quite finished?”
The two Vice Ministers each gave a derisive snort and turned their heads away.
The Minister of Rites set down his teacup at just the right moment. “Some people really aren’t very popular.”
Yan Tongshu angrily returned a glare to each of them.
The right vice minister in particular was Pei Jin’an’s grandfather. Since he wasn’t going to show her even the slightest consideration as a relative by marriage, she saw no reason to hold back either.
Yan Tongshu leaned back and folded her arms across her chest. “Gentlemen, you aren’t satisfied with these questions because you can’t answer them yourselves, are you?”
The Left Vice Minister of Rites spluttered, “Nonsense! How could—how could I possibly be unable to answer them?”
The Right Vice Minister of Rites said, “I have never seen anyone set questions the way you do, Minister Yan. Examinations should focus primarily on policy essays and discussions of statecraft. The questions you’ve come up with are nothing but frivolous tricks and clever gimmicks.”
Yan Tongshu pushed the examination papers toward them. “In that case, you should do them yourselves. Only after trying them and experiencing them firsthand do you have the right to criticize them.”
Hmph. Her questions were modeled on civil service examinations from her old world, and had been tested and refined by countless experts and scholars.
The final question was even a classic applied mathematics problem. What was wrong with it?
The two vice ministers refused to take the bait and simply continued objecting. Yan Tongshu rose to her feet. “If neither of you will do them, I’ll go straight to the palace and tell His Majesty that you’re deliberately making things difficult for me. I’m an upright official and don’t understand all the convoluted schemes of you old bureaucrats. You’re bullying me because I’m young, and treating neither me nor His Majesty with any respect. Not only that, I’ll also impeach you! You’ll both be required to take this annual examination as well!”
“You—you—you—you…”
The two vice ministers were left sputtering. The Left Vice Minister was relatively young and fared somewhat better, but the Right Vice Minister—Pei Jin’an’s grandfather—was nearly sixty that year. He was so furious that he almost lost his breath, unable to get out a complete sentence.
Yan Tongshu finished speaking and headed for the door.
Of course, they couldn’t really let her leave. The Minister of Rites hurriedly called for the others to stop her. “Lord Yan, surely we can discuss this.”
Yan Tongshu put on an aggrieved expression. “What is there to discuss? Every time I say something, you all contradict me. There’s no way to get this done. I might as well go to His Majesty and argue my case.”
“All right, all right, all right.” The Minister of Rites asked, “Then what do you suggest?”
Yan Tongshu stopped. “I have ten sets of examination questions here. You’ll all complete them, and then we’ll set the actual questions based on your average performance. That’s fair, isn’t it? If the other officials can’t even reach the average level of Your Excellencies, then it’s their own fault if they embarrass themselves. Right?”
The Minister of Rites’ mouth twitched violently.
That brat was really not going to let this go.
Ten sets? How were they supposed to finish that many?
“Forget it. Since you refuse to do them, I’ll go to His Majesty and ask him to dismiss me.” Yan Tongshu started forward again.
“We’ll do them, we’ll do them!” the Minister of Rites hurriedly agreed.
Yan Tongshu came back with a smile.
The Minister of Rites and the others picked up their brushes and began answering the questions.
The Minister of Rites glanced at Yan Tongshu and covered his eyes. These days, merely seeing her gave him heart palpitations.
Why had they ever let this menace out of Xianlin Academy?
And after leaving, the girl had somehow become His Majesty’s trusted confidante—and their greatest headache. They didn’t even know where to begin if they wanted to impeach her and send her back to Xianlin Academy.
Now look at them. Their attempt to give her a warning had failed, and instead they had landed themselves in a complete mess.
The Minister of Rites sighed and lowered his head, preparing to answer the questions properly.
Multiple-choice questions?
Those were easy.
At his age, after all he had personally experienced, how could he fail to remember the dates, locations, and details of the various national policies?
What in the world was this? A spot-the-difference question? They all looked exactly the same!
Then came multiple-answer questions.
The Minister of Rites frowned.
Well, he was getting old. It was perfectly normal that he couldn’t remember the exact details.
And the passage beneath the multiple-answer question was so long—
In a certain area, the villagers suddenly discovered that demand for silk had soared and silk prices had skyrocketed. A month’s income from raising silkworms was now equal to a whole year’s income from farming. Large numbers of villagers began replacing their rice paddies with mulberry trees. Within less than three years, the villagers had one after another grown wealthy, and the village became known as Golden Village. Once word spread, people in every region began following suit. For a time, the practice of replacing rice with mulberry trees became widespread throughout the grain-producing regions of Jiangnan, with villagers tearing up their rice paddies one after another.
1. If you were the magistrate of a county and, one day, the villagers gathered together to tell you that after they planted mulberry trees, some of the trees—or their leaves—had turned yellow, while others had grown small and stunted, and they asked the county office to find a way to introduce better varieties of mulberry trees, what would you do?
2. If, after the villagers began raising silkworms, the price of silk fell, causing the purchase price of raw silk to plummet as well, how would you resolve the problem?
3. What impact would the large-scale replacement of rice paddies with mulberry fields in Jiangnan have on the state and the people? Based on those effects, formulate specific corresponding measures.
The Minister of Rites began to sweat.
Before long, all the other officials were scratching their heads and rubbing their ears in frustration.
Yan Tongshu sipped her tea at a leisurely pace.
After a long wait, Yan Tongshu put down the little book she had disguised as a copy of the Analects and began collecting the papers.
She looked through them one by one.
In truth, these officials had all been tempered through countless trials, emerging from fierce competition and hard-fought battles. Most of them possessed genuine ability. These examination questions should have been—
Far too difficult.
When it came to practical issues such as replacing rice paddies with mulberry fields, most of them could answer reasonably well—at least eight or nine questions out of ten. Even when she deliberately planted traps in the questions, they usually didn’t fall for them.
But when asked what had happened in a particular year, or what specific points a national policy contained, they often chose the wrong answers.
Nor did they know how to deal with ambiguous real-world disputes.
After Yan Tongshu finished flipping through the papers one by one, she said, “These exam questions are indeed suitable.”
If they wanted to score well, attract the emperor’s attention, and earn his trust, they would have to answer correctly.
Once they did, whenever the emperor wanted to introduce reforms in the future, anyone who stood up in opposition and gave an answer that contradicted the one on the exam paper would be branded as someone with selfish motives and sinister designs—as an infiltrator.
The Minister of Rites stared at Yan Tongshu’s face. The longer he looked, the more startled he became.
It seemed he had finally realized what she was doing.
Yan Tongshu had laid a plan whose effects would reach a thousand miles away, killing her enemies without them ever seeing the blade.
This young man’s schemes were unfathomably deep. Truly terrifying!
The Minister of Rites suddenly felt that Yan Tongshu had transformed into a wall before him.
A towering wall—impossible to climb, the imposing barrier of a rising young talent.
The Minister of Rites shook his head slightly.
Indeed, the waves behind on the Yangtze drive on those before, and each new generation surpasses the last. He was old now—truly old!
“Achoo!”
Yan Tongshu sneezed. Dissatisfied, she swept her gaze across everyone present.
Who was it? Who was cursing her in their heart?
She rubbed her nose, looking rather pleased.
Hahaha.
Who would have thought that her impulsive act back then would bring such an unexpected benefit? If these people dared to spout nonsense for their own personal gain in the future, she could simply slap the exam papers in their faces.
Hahaha, Yan Tongshu, your luck is incredible!
After discussing matters with the Ministry of Rites for three days, Yan Tongshu rose early and worked late every day, drafting ten sets of exam papers at a time. She enjoyed it immensely.
Pearl and Yuanbao were stunned. Their young master actually had a side this hardworking and diligent?
Every night, Yan Tongshu stayed up late to finish the exam papers, then brought them to the Ministry of Rites the next day for the officials there to complete.
The examinations were held once a year. Before anyone else had gone mad, the officials of fourth rank and above at the Ministry of Rites had already lost their minds.
The Minister of Rites in particular developed an emotional headache every time he saw Yan Tongshu.
At last, after enduring three days of this, everyone became much more polite in their speech, and they preliminarily drafted several versions of the exam papers.
Yan Tongshu and the Minister of Rites brought the papers into the palace to seek an audience with the emperor.
At Hall of Diligent Government, Lu Xi took the exam papers and carefully placed them on the imperial desk.
A little white cat was curled into a ball of snow-white fur atop the desk, fast asleep and breathing softly.
Qin Yi flipped through the papers while discreetly sizing up Yan Tongshu and the Minister of Rites, the loyal subject of the late emperor.
The Minister of Rites looked just like Yan Tongshu had after being drained of all her energy by attending morning court in the past: utterly lifeless. His eyes were ringed with dark circles, his face was pale, and his lips had turned bluish—he looked as though half his body had already been buried.
Yan Tongshu, on the other hand, had dark circles under her eyes as well, but her spirits were far better.
Her eyes were bright and full of energy, and she looked eager to get started.
Her cheeks were full, and her back was perfectly straight.
Qin Yi raised his brows slightly. This boy had certainly put the Ministry of Rites through the wringer lately.
After finishing the papers, Qin Yi offered several suggestions. Yan Tongshu then took the papers and accompanied the Minister of Rites to the officials’ waiting hall nearby, where they began cutting and revising them.
Tired from reviewing memorials, Qin Yi set them aside and took a break.
Snowfluff opened her eyes and glanced at Qin Yi. With light, dainty steps, she walked over to him, then stretched out a paw and meowed twice.
Qin Yi reached out, picked her up, and gently stroked her fur.
He was tired of sitting as well, and his lower back ached. So, holding Snowfluff in his arms, he walked toward the doorway, strolling around to relax.
After a while, he looked toward the summons hall with interest.
Yan Tongshu was dressed in red official robes. At one moment, she was arguing with the Minister of Rites so fiercely that the muscles in his face were twitching uncontrollably; the next, she had her hands on her hips, looking as if to say, “What are you going to do about it?” Then, when the Minister of Rites finally caught her in a contradiction, she would grow nervous and short of breath, pretending to be stupid and playing dumb. Naturally, the Minister of Rites refused to let her off easily. The two of them argued until their faces were flushed red.
Qin Yi couldn’t help thinking that even the late emperor had probably never seen the normally refined and dignified Minister of Rites so fired up, looking like a chicken hopping madly about.
But although the two of them clearly didn’t get along, the look the Minister of Rites gave Yan Tongshu was filled with… awe?
Awe?
Qin Yi shook his head.
He must have seen it wrong.
He returned to the imperial desk and sat down, continuing to review the memorials.
After a while, Yan Tongshu and the Minister of Rites presented Qin Yi with the final examination paper, revised after they had consolidated and organized everything. Qin Yi gave it a brief review and approved it.
Yan Tongshu let out a sigh of relief.
Although tormenting other people was quite fun, staying up all night was still far too damaging to her health. She needed to go home and take good care of herself—she intended to live to ninety-nine.
The Minister of Rites also breathed a sigh of relief. Heaven be praised, the poor Ministry of Rites had finally gotten rid of Yan Tongshu, that plague god.
Oh, Your Late Majesty.
The Minister of Rites wailed inwardly, You shouldn’t have given Yan Tongshu a promotion in name while demoting her in reality to the Xianlin Academy. You should have sent her to guard the frontier. The farther away you sent this plague god, the better.
Yan Tongshu and the Minister of Rites walked out of the hall together. Yan Tongshu flashed him a grin, baring two rows of bright white teeth.
“Minister Yan, it’s getting late. Would you like to have a meal together? Of course, you’re paying.”
The Minister of Rites snorted and walked away with his hands clasped behind his back.
Yan Tongshu blinked.
Actually, she had rather liked the Ministry of Rites over the past three days. Everyone there was easy to get along with, and the cooks were superb.
Yan Tongshu was just about to leave when a young eunuch came over carrying a basket.
“Lord Yan.”
The eunuch lifted the lid of the basket. “This is Lanxun ham, a tribute from the south. It’s rarely available in Bianjing. His Majesty said that Lord Yan has worked hard lately and asked you to take some home to try.”
Wow!
Yan Tongshu looked inside.
It was a long, oval-shaped ham with glossy yellow skin. The lean meat was as red as a flame, while the fat was translucent. It looked delicious at a glance.
Slice off a few pieces, and it would be excellent steamed, boiled, or stir-fried.
Yan Tongshu immediately accepted it. “Please tell His Majesty that I am profoundly grateful.”
The eunuch smiled and bowed. “Yes, my lord. I’ll be sure to relay that.”
After seeing Yan Tongshu off, the eunuch immediately returned to report. Once Lu Xi had heard the message, he hurried over to Qin Yi, who was still reviewing memorials.
“Your Majesty, Lord Yan says she is profoundly grateful.”
Qin Yi let out a laugh. “Even if I gave her a thousand taels of gold, she wouldn’t be this ‘profoundly grateful.’”
Seeing the faint curve at the corner of Qin Yi’s mouth, Lu Xi knew he was not displeased and said with a smile, “In the past, Lord Yan didn’t dare presume to fathom the emperor’s intentions. Now that Lord Yan has felt His Majesty’s favor and regard, she is offering her heartfelt thanks to the emperor.”
Qin Yi casually drew a few strokes with the vermilion brush in his hand. “Who said I regard her so highly?”
With his head lowered, Lu Xi smiled. “Your Majesty, everyone in the capital knows that Lord Yan is the favored official you value most.”
Unable to save face, Qin Yi cursed, “You good-for-nothing.”
Lu Xi smiled. “Yes, Your Majesty. This servant knows his crime.”
After Lu Xi put it that way, Qin Yi suddenly became interested. Everyone else knew that he doted on Yan Tongshu.
So what?
He asked, “Then tell me—how exactly have I doted on her?”
Lu Xi smiled. “Your Majesty, there was only so much mutton from the northern frontier, yet you bestowed more than half of it on Lord Yan—all in one crate. And today, you gave Lord Yan all the Lanxun, of which there was hardly any to begin with. Your Majesty is concerned about everything related to Lord Yan: what she likes to eat, what she likes to play with, what she has done. And at Xiangguo Temple, your gaze was always following Lord Yan…”
Lu Xi had initially seen that Qin Yi was in a good mood and wanted to make him happier with a little idle chatter. He had not expected that the more he said, the darker Qin Yi’s expression became.
By the end, dark clouds loomed over the city.
