Eleventh Young Lady could not remember how she fell asleep. She must have been chatting with Xu Lingyi one moment and then another, and then her eyelids drooped, and she was asleep. When she woke again, someone nearby was gently rousing her: “Madam, Madam — it’s the second watch.”
She startled fully awake in an instant, just as she heard Xu Lingyi’s voice, warm with a trace of laughter: “Sleep a little longer. It’s not as if there aren’t maidservants and matrons to see to things.”
Eleventh Young Lady was now completely alert.
She smiled: “Allow your concubine to attend the Marquis as he rises.”
“No need.” Xu Lingyi refused without a moment’s hesitation.
But Eleventh Young Lady could not sleep through it regardless, and rose as well — washing and dressing, eating an early meal, seeing Xu Lingyi out the door. By the time she returned to her rooms, it was already past the second watch by a quarter-hour.
She yawned: “We’re lucky the house is near the Imperial Palace. Otherwise, we’d have to be up at midnight.”
Hupo attended her back to bed: “Please rest a little more, Madam. You won’t be able to keep this up long-term.”
Eleventh Young Lady nodded, climbed into bed, and slept until the midpoint of the Hour of the Rabbit. She then rose, washed and dressed, and instructed Hupo to fetch Nanny Tao.
While Nanny Nangyong’s wife did her hair, Eleventh Young Lady chatted with her — asking when she had married, what her husband did, whether she had children and how old they were. Nanny Nangyong’s wife answered with a touch of timidity. Both she and her husband were bondservants born into the Xu household, betrothed to each other from childhood. She had entered service at twelve, originally working in the needlework room doing sewing and mending. Because of her talent for dressing hair, she had been noticed by the hairdressing nanny in the Grand Matriarch’s quarters and then spent several years learning under her. She had married at eighteen, was now twenty-two, her husband worked in the stable tending horses, and they had a three-year-old daughter.
“You come out so early — who looks after your daughter?”
The shy face of Nanny Nangyong’s wife broke into a sweet smile: “I’ve entrusted her to Auntie Zhao next door!”
“Auntie Zhao? What does she do?”
“She’s the wife of Steward Zhao from the reporting office. She’s not in service here. She does needlework at home to sell. She’s a very good woman.” As she spoke, Nanny Nangyong’s wife gradually relaxed: “I know over ten different ways to dress hair. Would you like to try a different style tomorrow?”
Eleventh Young Lady noticed this and quietly approved.
She did not want the people around her to tremble at the sight of her or stand there like wooden puppets — what would be the point in that?
“I’m the lazy sort,” she said with a smile. “How nice to just have a simple coiled bun!”
The moment Eleventh Young Lady finished speaking, Nanny Nangyong’s wife had already tucked up the last strand of hair and taken from a red-lacquered carved box a pair of solid gold earrings inlaid with red rubies in the shape of pomegranates: “Try these?”
She put them on as bidden, and they gave her a touch of pretty vivacity.
“No wonder she was chosen as the dedicated hairdresser.”
Eleventh Young Lady praised her. Nanny Nangyong’s wife pressed her lips together with a pleased smile.
A small maidservant came to report: “Nanny Tao has arrived.”
Eleventh Young Lady noticed Nanny Nangyong’s wife’s expression stiffen somewhat, then revert to the timidity of before, as she quickly gathered up the combs on the dressing table.
“Please show Nanny Tao in.”
The small maidservant promptly lifted the curtain and invited Nanny Tao in.
Nanny Nangyong’s wife curtsied to Eleventh Young Lady and withdrew.
Eleventh Young Lady asked Nanny Tao in a low voice: “Do you know anything of a Daoist called Long Chun?”
“Of course.” Nanny Tao smiled. “The Daoist Long Chun is the presiding master of Changchun Temple. He has the power to pray for rain and fine weather, and was bestowed by the late Emperor with the title of ‘Purified Subtle Exquisite Still and True Condensed Original Spreading Model True Man.’ His predictions of fortune and misfortune are said to be remarkably accurate. Many powerful families in Yanjing have placed themselves under his guidance. As a matter of fact, it is thanks to the Daoist Long Chun that our First Young Mistress came to have Zhun Ge’er.” And she then told Eleventh Young Lady everything — how the Daoist Long Chun had once assessed the feng shui for Yuanniang, how he had worked to dispel a solitary baleful star from her fate, how he had helped her pray for a son, how he had predicted that the child would be a boy, and even that Zhun Ge’er would face three great calamities before the age of ten.
Seeing how animated Nanny Tao became when speaking of the Daoist Long Chun — as though describing her own idol, quite unable to stop — Eleventh Young Lady knew she too was a believer. She smiled and said, “By that account, Elder Sister must have been one of the Daoist Long Chun’s followers?”
“Naturally.” Nanny Tao smiled. “If you have a free day sometime, you really ought to go to Changchun Temple and pay your respects to the Daoist.”
Eleventh Young Lady nodded: “I surely cannot go alone. Who else in the household follows the Daoist Long Chun? It would be better to go together.”
Nanny Tao smiled: “Everyone in the household follows him. Though the Grand Matriarch, the Marquis, and Second Madam are followers of the Buddha, so they do not visit the Daoist Long Chun very often.”
Eleventh Young Lady gave a slight nod. A small maidservant then reported: “The three Yiniangs have come to pay their morning respects to Madam.”
Nanny Tao then lightly took Eleventh Young Lady’s arm to escort her to the main hall.
The three of them paid their respects. Wen Yiniang immediately and eagerly inquired whether Eleventh Young Lady had “slept well” and the like; Eleventh Young Lady exchanged a few pleasantries with her. Hupo then came to announce that the meal was served.
Qin Yiniang quickly helped Hupo set out the chopsticks and bowls. Wen Yiniang, smiling, directed her maid to attend Eleventh Young Lady as she washed her hands. Qiao Lianfang stood to one side, her expression somewhat rigid.
Not wishing to make things difficult for anyone, Eleventh Young Lady said with a smile, “Everyone may disperse. I still need to go and pay my respects to the Grand Matriarch presently.”
Qiao Lianfang turned and left at once. Qin Yiniang, however, smiled and said, “Please allow me to be of some use, Madam.”
Eleventh Young Lady smiled: “We all live together under the same roof and will have many days ahead. There is no need to rush at this particular moment.”
Nanny Tao also saw that she did not wish to keep the three Yiniangs, and added her persuasion, and so managed to coax both Qin Yiniang and Wen Yiniang into leaving. Afterward, she remarked, “Fourth Madam was right to do that. That Wen Yiniang’s mouth never stays closed for a moment. If she waits on you at breakfast today, she will have broadcast it to everyone by this afternoon. People who don’t know better will think she attends to you every day. All for nothing she’d be getting the better of the situation.”
Eleventh Young Lady laughed.
That was indeed exactly the sort of thing she was capable of.
Laughing, she dismissed Nanny Tao, then asked Hupo: “Has the medicine to be sent to the Grand Matriarch and Fifth Young Madam been prepared?”
Hupo nodded: “As per your instructions — two stalks of ginseng, six liang of blood swallow’s nest for the Grand Matriarch, and four liang for Fifth Young Madam.”
Eleventh Young Lady nodded and instructed Dongqing: “These next few days, stay in the rear wing and don’t come out. In case you run into Fifth Young Madam.”
Dongqing nodded repeatedly. Eleventh Young Lady then went to the Grand Matriarch’s quarters with Hupo and Binju.
When the Grand Matriarch learned that Eleventh Young Lady had brought medicine for her and for Fifth Young Madam, she was very pleased: “I’m not short of any of this.”
Eleventh Young Lady smiled: “This was the Marquis who instructed me to bring it!”
“Was it?” the Grand Matriarch said, even more pleased, and promptly had Nanny Du put it away. Then she had Nanny Yao accompany Hupo to Fifth Young Madam’s quarters.
The wet nurse then brought Zhen Jie’er and Zhun Ge’er to pay their morning respects to Eleventh Young Lady.
They had only just exchanged a few words when Xu Siqin and Xu Siyu arrived. Then Third Lord and Third Madam came with Xu Sijian. After that, Fifth Young Madam came in surrounded by a great flock of maidservants.
For a time, the Grand Matriarch’s quarters were exceedingly lively.
After seeing Xu Siqin, Xu Siyu, and Xu Sijian off to their lessons, and Third Lord off to his shop, Fifth Young Madam brought up the matter of moving: “…We would be disturbing both sets of parents with all this commotion, and as the younger generation, we truly feel it is inexcusable. It just so happens that one of the courtyard properties in my dowry is in Fangsheng Lane near Ciyuan Temple. You know too that the chief abbot of Ciyuan Temple, the Venerable Master Jining, is highly skilled in medicine. So Fifth Lord and I discussed it, and we thought we would move there temporarily.”
Third Madam, upon hearing this, immediately exclaimed, “How can that possibly do? Fifth Young Madam is carrying flesh and blood of the Xu household — how could she give birth outside the residence? It would be inauspicious as well!”
The Grand Matriarch said nothing, though a flicker of uncertainty showed in her eyes.
“It’s not quite ‘outside’ either,” Fifth Young Madam said, glancing at Eleventh Young Lady who had remained silent throughout. “Since it is my own dowry property, it is naturally Xu family property as well…”
“Fifth Young Madam is worried about causing a great commotion and inviting people’s gossip, I expect!” Before Fifth Young Madam could finish, Third Madam cut in with a smile and a glance toward the Grand Matriarch. “Come to think of it, this isn’t only Fifth Young Madam’s affair. Think of Second Sister-in-Law, years ago — she needed to rest and recuperate after her miscarriage, and she proposed having the two maidservants at Second Elder Brother’s side given official status. Second Elder Brother wouldn’t agree, and Mother, feeling sorry for Second Sister-in-Law, didn’t approve either. And now Second Elder Brother has no one left to offer incense at his grave, and Second Sister-in-Law is entirely alone…”
“Enough!” the Grand Matriarch said in a sharp voice. “The matter is settled. Everyone born in the Year of the Ox within the household shall observe the avoidance!”
No one dared raise any further objection. A look of satisfaction crossed Third Madam’s face.
Fifth Young Madam could not help but look toward Eleventh Young Lady.
She found that Eleventh Young Lady remained as composed and undisturbed as still water, not the slightest flicker of reaction on her face.
Fifth Young Madam was faintly surprised — and just then a small maidservant came to report: “Grand Matriarch, the Venerable Abbess Jining from Ciyuan Temple has come to call on you.”
Everyone was startled.
The Grand Matriarch had already said, “Invite her in at once.”
The small maidservant went to comply.
The Grand Matriarch then asked Fifth Young Madam: “Had you arranged for the Venerable Abbess Jining to come?”
“No, no,” Fifth Young Madam said hurriedly. “I don’t know why she has come either.” Her eyes showed a genuine puzzlement.
In a moment, the small maidservant led in a plump, fair-complexioned nun dressed in a robe of plain blue silk.
With her palms pressed together, she intoned “Amitabha Buddha” to all present in greeting. The Grand Matriarch, Third Madam, and Fifth Young Madam all rose and addressed the nun as “Venerable Abbess Jining.” Eleventh Young Lady rose to receive her as well.
The Grand Matriarch had a small maidservant bring a grand armchair for the nun and served clear tea.
The Venerable Abbess Jining sat with a smile, took a sip of tea, and exchanged a few pleasantries with the Grand Matriarch about “not having met since the Ghost Festival” and the like. Then her gaze came to rest on Eleventh Young Lady: “This must be the newly wed Fourth Madam of the household. I was conducting a prayer rite some days ago and was unable to come and offer my congratulations. I hope the Fourth Madam will not take offense.” She rose, joined her palms, and bowed toward Eleventh Young Lady.
Seeing how the Grand Matriarch treated the Venerable Abbess Jining with such courtesy, Eleventh Young Lady naturally could not stand on ceremony. She rose with a smile to return the bow: “Such worldly matters are beneath your attention, Venerable Abbess. You are too kind.”
The Venerable Abbess Jining laughed at this: “I had long heard that the Fourth Madam was unassuming and gracious, foremost among the young ladies of the Luo Family. I had supposed this was exaggeration — but now that I see you in person, I find it is nothing less than the truth.”
Eleventh Young Lady was taken aback.
The others were equally surprised.
The Venerable Abbess Jining then smiled at the Grand Matriarch: “In truth, my acquaintance with your honorable household runs some time back. But I have been entrusted with a matter and must ask the Grand Matriarch for a small kindness — would you allow me a few private words with the Fourth Madam?”
The Grand Matriarch’s gaze flickered, then she smiled: “The Abbess has always conducted herself with propriety. I naturally trust her entirely.” She then said to Eleventh Young Lady, “Since the Abbess has come on someone’s behalf, you ought to hear what she has to say.”
Eleventh Young Lady naturally agreed, and followed the Venerable Abbess Jining out of the Grand Matriarch’s main room to a side chamber in the eastern wing.
—