“Later, when I saw you taking such a close interest in Elder Sister’s household affairs, I thought you were laughing at me… That’s why I was so sharp-tongued with you.” Fifth Miss took Eleventh Miss’s hand. “Good sister, please don’t take it to heart. The fault was all mine. I’m here to apologize to you now.”

“Sister, please stop saying these things.” Eleventh Miss’s expression was sincere. “As the old saying goes: a hundred years of cultivation earn you the chance to cross the same river. The bond between you and I as sisters — who knows how many lifetimes it took to earn it. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, it is settled.”

Fifth Miss nodded and lowered her voice in cautious counsel to Eleventh Miss, “For the time being, please don’t speak of this outside… You understand — Elder Sister, she is still…”

Eleventh Miss nodded repeatedly. “I understand, I understand. Don’t worry. You’ve spoken truthfully with me, and I would never tell another soul.”

A faint shyness crept into Fifth Miss’s expression. “Mother once asked me which of the sisters I am closest to. I said — I am closest to Eleventh Sister… You can rest easy too. If that day ever comes, your marriage will be my concern… And on Yiniang’s side, there will also be Fourth Master to provide for her… You won’t be left to suffer.”

“Sister, what are you saying?” Eleventh Miss pulled her hand free, with an expression of pretty pique.

Fifth Miss looked on and laughed quietly.

The two sisters playfully squabbled for a bit before Eleventh Miss rose to take her leave. “…Sister is always teasing me.”

Fifth Miss made no effort to keep her, covering her smile with her sleeve as she walked Eleventh Miss to the door.

Walking back alone, Ziwei said worriedly, “Young Miss, what if the First Madam really does intend to find a concubine from among the sisters? After all, Marquis Yongping’s household is of very high standing…”

“She won’t.” Fifth Miss shook her head, her eyes bright and clear, as though a fire burned within them. “I have heard the old residents of Jiaoyu Garden say that Elder Sister may appear breezy and unconcerned, but she is deeply proud. Whenever she feels she has fallen behind others in some way, she will always find a way to catch up — she would never concede. If what those people said were true, it might have been possible while her health was good, but now that she is unwell, she would never send her own younger sister to become a concubine and let a future legitimate wife lord it over the Luo family’s heads…” She gave a light smile. “And so, she can only be looking among the sisters for a legitimate wife!”

Ziwei nodded, then said, “Fifth Miss, the information you asked me to look into — I have found it out.”

Fifth Miss raised an eyebrow. “Well?”

Ziwei’s voice dropped very low. “You guessed correctly!”

Fifth Miss smiled faintly.

“Since First Master arrived in Yanjing, he has been idle at home. They say there is no suitable vacancy. Yet the Ministry of Personnel released a Provincial Administrative Commissioner post for Yunnan ten days ago… And now Grand Secretary Liu has resigned as well… First Master, it seems, has only the one path left to him — through Marquis Yongping.”

—

While Fifth Miss and Ziwei were murmuring together, Eleventh Miss and Hupo were talking in the warm alcove behind the bed curtains.

“…First Master goes out to meet friends every few days. From the way Nanny Hang speaks, the thousand taels of silver the First Madam brought for household expenses when she arrived has long since been exhausted. Nowadays our daily meals and the like are all coming out of the First Young Mistress’s own private savings!”

So it seemed the First Master had not made progress through his own connections.

Eleventh Miss was inwardly thoughtful, and replied somewhat distractedly to Hupo, “That’s possible too. Prices in Yanjing are high, and after they arrived there have been endless things to add and arrange. Though the First Madam is someone who expects high standards — even if she has nothing of her own, she would never short her daughter-in-law in this regard.”

“Young Miss has certainly got the First Madam’s nature well figured out,” Hupo said admiringly.

Eleventh Miss gave her a mild scolding for a few sentences. “…You must not say things like that in future. It wouldn’t sound right if someone heard.”

Hupo’s heart gave a start. She quickly said, “I was wrong. I wouldn’t dare say anything like that again.”

Eleventh Miss had no wish to make Hupo lose face entirely. Seeing she had admitted her mistake, she smiled and changed the subject. “Do the Xu household and this branch keep close ties?”

Hupo quickly replied, “Nanny Hang says the First Young Mistress receives things from the Elder Mistress every few days. First Young Master gained entry to the Imperial Academy on the Marquis’s own calling card. The Marquis himself has come twice. Once was the day after First Master arrived in Yanjing — he invited First Master and First Young Master to dine at the most renowned Tingli Hall restaurant in Yanjing; and once was on the third day of the New Year. He came with nearly half a cartload of things, had a long conversation with First Young Master, stayed for the evening meal before leaving.”

Eleventh Miss listened and nodded.

It was good that the Marquis kept close ties with this branch.

If not, with First Master’s career at a standstill, they would all have poor prospects too.

But that being the case, no matter which way the Luo family looked at it, they could not afford to let go of the connection with the Xu family…

She truly hoped this matter would be resolved soon. Having it drag on like this made one’s mood unsettled.

Eleventh Miss decided to set the matter aside for the time being.

A single hand cannot clap on its own — without the Xu family’s agreement, the Luo family could only wish. Better to wait and see how things stood when they visited the Xu household tomorrow.

With her mind made up, her mood lifted considerably. She asked Hupo about the matter of sending the salted dried fish. “I asked you to find someone on familiar terms with the Lu Yonggui brothers — did you find anyone?”

Hupo smiled. “These days whenever something needs running around, it’s Nanny Hang’s son, Hang Liu, who does it. I tried asking him. He said he doesn’t know Lu Yonggui, but he and Lu Yongfu are quite close — they’ve even drunk together.”

“Then get it done early, so we can put that matter to rest as well.”

Hupo left to see to it.

Dongqing looked at Eleventh Miss, who appeared somewhat tired, and smiled. “Young Miss, won’t you rest a little — you didn’t fall asleep until past midnight last night, and you were up at first light this morning… You mustn’t keep wearing yourself out like this. Take care you don’t fall ill.”

“I know.” Eleventh Miss smiled, feeling indeed that her head was a little heavy. “I’ll lie down as I am. The sun is quite pleasant today — send someone to sit outside the eaves and do needlework. If anyone comes, wake me at once.”

“Rest easy.” Dongqing smiled. “I’ll stand right by the window lattice. The moment anyone so much as coughs outside, I’ll have you sitting up.”

Eleventh Miss smiled and lay down fully clothed on the bed, murmuring, “What a bother it all is.”

Who knew when she would ever have days where she could sleep when she pleased and eat when she pleased… No wonder Fifth Miss was so determined to fight for it. With Yuan Niang’s position, at least within that courtyard, one would be free…

She had barely lain down when Dongqing came hurrying in. “Young Miss, Sixth Yiniang has come!”

Eleventh Miss was somewhat taken aback.

What had brought her here?

Back in Yuhang, they had no dealings with each other. On the rare occasions when she saw Sixth Yiniang going to visit Twelfth Miss, Sixth Yiniang would give no more than a nod of acknowledgment before moving on…

Eleventh Miss turned the events of the past few days over carefully in her mind.

Nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Perhaps she was bringing a message from the First Madam? No — the First Madam had never liked the yiniangS having much contact with the secondary daughters. Perhaps she had something for her to bring to Twelfth Miss? No — they had only just arrived, and no date for returning to Yuhang had been set…

The thoughts flashed through her mind and were gone.

When she could not find an answer, she did not usually dig herself into a corner — for sometimes, when you have entirely given up, looking again from a different angle, a new understanding presents itself.

She smiled and rose. “Please invite Yiniang to be seated in the sitting room.”

Dongqing went to carry out the instruction. Eleventh Miss smoothed her hair, straightened her lapels, and went to the sitting room.

Sixth Yiniang was seated before the large kang by the window. Her expression was somewhat blank — not at all like her usual self, with laughter at the corners of her eyes and brows, as though she were always a little bundle of happiness.

Such gravity…

Eleventh Miss was still thinking on it as she walked over with a beaming smile. “Yiniang has come!”

Sixth Yiniang gazed at her without speaking. From head to toe, and back up again, she looked her over with great deliberateness and seriousness.

What scene was this?

Eleventh Miss stood there smiling, perfectly composed, and let her look her fill.

“I want to say a few words to you.” Sixth Yiniang began to speak at an unhurried pace, but from the very first sentence she asked for the others to withdraw.

What a day this was — one after another, everyone wanted to speak privately with her.

Eleventh Miss made a small gesture to Dongqing. After Dongqing had served the tea, she immediately led the serving girls out of the room.

Sixth Yiniang picked up the tea lid and gently brushed the floating tea leaves in the cup. She smiled and said, “Fifth Yiniang found out that Nanny Yao wants to arrange a match between her nephew and Dongqing. She cried her eyes out in my room, saying that Dongqing is your most capable attendant, and that Nanny Yao would have to choose someone like her. Whatever would you do without her? She didn’t know what to do.”

Eleventh Miss was rather surprised.

She had never known that Fifth Yiniang had gone to Sixth Yiniang and wept about this…

“Fifth Yiniang came to me to discuss it. We talked for a long time but couldn’t think of a good solution. Just when we were fretting over it, who knew that a single remark from you — ‘Nanny Yao says her nephew laid eyes on every girl in the courtyard and took a liking to none but Dongqing. I spend every day with Dongqing and I have no idea where her nephew could possibly have seen her’ — that single remark changed the First Madam’s mind. At the time I was thinking: Dongqing truly is a blessed girl, to have a mistress like you. I found myself wondering whether my Twelfth Miss would be so fortunate — whether she might also one day be sheltered by your goodwill.”

Eleventh Miss froze.

Sixth Yiniang’s smile faded. “Eleventh Miss, when all is said and done, Fifth Yiniang and I have shared a household for several years — we are as close as sisters. Fifth Yiniang has only you; I have only Twelfth Miss. Knowing that the two of you had moved into Lvyun Tower together, Fifth Yiniang and I were overjoyed. Our hope is that you two might be like us — close as sisters, each someone the other can rely on when things arise.” She let out a sigh. “You know as well as I do. In the old days in Yuhang, neither Fifth Yiniang nor I dared to come often to Lvyun Tower. But our love for the two of you never lessened. Otherwise, I would not have come at this risk to warn you!”

Eleventh Miss was stunned.

“In truth, it is the First Madam who brought you and Fifth Miss to Yanjing — at the behest of the First Young Mistress. The First Young Mistress’s health is failing, and she wants to find someone easy to manage among the younger sisters to care for Zhun Ge. With your intelligence, you have surely already guessed as much.”

Eleventh Miss lowered her head and sipped her tea, neither denying nor confirming.

“But there is one thing you certainly don’t know.” Sixth Yiniang’s voice was composed. “Even I only heard of it last night.”

Eleventh Miss listened quietly.

In Sixth Yiniang’s eyes, contempt she could no longer conceal flickered and burned. “Yuan Niang also intends to choose one of her own younger sisters as a bride for Wang Lang — the only son of Wang Xin, Duke of Maoguo.”