As they left the Grand Matriarch’s room, Eleventh Young Mistress walked out alongside Third Mistress. “Third Sister-in-law, the matter of Wanxiang — I really must consult with you about it!”

Third Mistress had been waiting for Eleventh Young Mistress to raise this. She smiled. “I wonder what Fourth Sister-in-law has in mind?”

Eleventh Young Mistress smiled. “Third Sister-in-law’s point is well taken. This matter has reached Mother’s ears — even though you are the one managing the household and are without blame, your dignity has nonetheless been affected. Wanxiang was a favoured attendant of my late elder sister, so she too invites ridicule. You are the mistress of the house; she has violated the household’s rules, and it would not do to leave her unpunished — people would lose respect. Yet if the punishment is too severe, there will be busybodies who come out saying things like ‘bullying Wanxiang because she has no one to stand up for her,’ and that would damage your good name instead. I have been going back and forth over this, feeling it is difficult for Third Sister-in-law, not knowing how best to handle it — which is why I’ve come to consult you. I wondered if there might be some way to smooth this matter over. As you know, Mother has always been lenient toward people, and any rumours getting out would not look well.”

Third Mistress gave a cold inward laugh as she listened.

This was no plea for mercy — this was plainly a warning.

Yet when she thought of Wanxiang’s character — even if she let it pass this once, sooner or later there would be a next time — she looked at Eleventh Young Mistress with an ambiguous half-smile. “Since Fourth Sister-in-law has come to speak on her behalf, I can hardly refuse to give face. However, if I simply let the matter drop like this, as Fourth Sister-in-law says, how will I command respect in the future? I propose that I keep her position for her, but dock three months of her monthly allowance. What does Fourth Sister-in-law think?”

Eleventh Young Mistress let out a quiet breath of relief.

It seemed the matter had been put to rest.

She smiled. “Thank you, Third Sister-in-law. I have already given her a stern talking-to. I will have her come first thing tomorrow morning to apologise to you.”

“There’s no need for apologies!” A flicker of contempt passed through Third Mistress’s eyes. “She need only do her duties properly.”

Eleventh Young Mistress said with a smile, “Having had a lesson like this, she will certainly serve diligently from now on.”

The two stood there exchanging a few pleasantries.

A young maidservant came darting down from the covered walkway across the way.

Eleventh Young Mistress paused.

That looked like the very maidservant who had been hovering by Weizi earlier.

Her thoughts blurred for a moment, and by then Third Mistress had already smiled and said, “…I wouldn’t want Third Master to come back and find no one there. I’ll head back now.”

Eleventh Young Mistress smiled and parted ways with Third Mistress.

Hupo couldn’t help but sigh with feeling: “Does that Wanxiang even know what you went through for her? Going to such lengths to intercede on her behalf!”

“The serpent is never satisfied swallowing an elephant,” Eleventh Young Mistress said calmly. “She has long been used to wielding influence under my late elder sister. No matter how well I treat her, it would be hard to win her heart.”

Seeing that Eleventh Young Mistress seemed in low spirits, Hupo smiled and consoled her: “Either way, you still have all of us!”

Eleventh Young Mistress smiled, then turned to ask Wan Er-xian: “I hear he turned sixteen this year and is said to be quite quick-witted?”

Hupo nodded. “Far more quick-witted than Wan Da-xian — greets everyone he meets as ‘Elder Sister.'”

The two talked as they entered the courtyard.

A young maidservant came to meet them.

Eleventh Young Mistress asked, “Has the Marquis returned?”

“The Marquis has not yet returned!” the young maidservant said quickly, taking the lantern from Hupo’s hands and leading the way ahead of them.

Not back yet at this hour?

Eleventh Young Mistress involuntarily looked up at the swirling snow filling the sky.

She entered the room. The maidservants, having received word, came forward one after another to attend to her.

Eleventh Young Mistress asked Fangxi: “Has someone been sent to inform Wen Yiniang?”

“Yes,” Fangxi replied. “I went to pass the message myself.”

Eleventh Young Mistress had Shuangyu relay a message to Wanxiang: “…Come first thing tomorrow morning to apologise to Third Mistress. Three months of monthly allowance are to be docked, but you will continue your duties in the inner courtyard kitchen.”

Shuangyu acknowledged the instruction and went off.

Binju, accompanied by Qiuyu and Yanrong, attended to Eleventh Young Mistress as she washed and prepared for the night. The conversation turned to Qiao Lianfang: “…She ate only a bowl of congee today.”

Eleventh Young Mistress thought of what Nanny Tao had told her the day before — that the Marquis had spent the night at Wen Yiniang’s.

She herself had learned of it, so surely Qiao Lianfang, who lived in the adjacent courtyard to Wen Yiniang, knew as well.

Come to think of it, her quarters truly were poorly situated.

Wen Yiniang in front, Qin Yiniang behind — watching Xu Lingyi come and go, her heart must have been even more wretched.

Eleventh Young Mistress couldn’t help a quiet smile. “Don’t worry. In a day or two she’ll be perfectly fine again.”

Binju was still a young girl and naturally did not understand the subtleties of such things, and she muttered, “I don’t think she was even hungry.”

In the depths of winter, with biting wind howling outside and warmth like spring within, soaking in a fragrant floral bath in a cedarwood tub — such was paradise on earth.

Eleventh Young Mistress closed her eyes contentedly and chatted idly with Binju. “By the look of things, she must have been eating pastries!”

“How did you know?” Binju exclaimed in surprise. “I only heard about it today from Little Stool.”

Since she had no real intention of starving herself, who would willingly go hungry?

“Little Stool?” Eleventh Young Mistress said with a smile. “The little maidservant in Qiao Yiniang’s room?”

“No,” Binju said. “She’s the granddaughter of Nanny Lv, who works in the east courtyard’s small kitchen. She had a piece of pulled-sugar candy and I thought it odd — that candy costs two taels of silver per packet, where did she get it? So I gave her a little scare, and she told me everything.”

Eleventh Young Mistress laughed heartily. She sat up and leaned over the edge of the tub. “How old is Little Stool? What exactly did she say?”

“Seven.” Binju’s expression turned a little sheepish. “I told her something had gone missing from the room — a packet of pulled-sugar candy — and asked whether she had taken it. She burst into tears and said it was given to her by Xiuyuan from Qiao Yiniang’s room. I asked why Xiuyuan would give her candy. She said Xiuyuan had asked her grandmother to make millet-and-bean cake and green pea cake. I thought about it for a long while. You are naturally generous to people, and the east courtyard’s small kitchen was set up precisely for the convenience of the various yiniangss. Never mind the yiniangss wanting a few pastries — even we maidservants and matrons could have things made there, so there was nothing amiss in that. So why had Xiuyuan gone to such lengths over that expensive pulled-sugar candy? Just then, Nanny Lv came out to see why the child was crying, and that’s when it all became clear — it turns out Qiao Yiniang has been saying all along that she has no appetite for the food, and has been having Nanny Lv make pastries for her. She also said she was afraid you would hear about it and call her difficult, so she had specifically told Nanny Lv not to mention it to anyone.” As she said this, her tone turned indignant. “And that Nanny Lv — who cares whose side she’s on, she took it into her head to actually keep quiet just because she was told to.”

Eleventh Young Mistress smiled. “Did you give her a scolding?”

“I didn’t!” Binju said, sounding a little deflated. “I wasn’t sure what you would want, so I held my tongue.”

Eleventh Young Mistress nodded.

She had her own small kitchen, which attended exclusively to her. The east courtyard had a small kitchen which attended to the three yiniangss. Sometimes maidservants and matrons who wanted to heat water for washing their hair, or to make a small snack, and didn’t dare go to her kitchen, would go to the east courtyard’s kitchen instead, and Eleventh Young Mistress had never objected. It appeared Qiao Lianfang had exploited this gap.

She rose and dressed, pinned her hair up loosely, and had Binju call Hupo in, then told her about the small kitchen making pastries for Qiao Yiniang. “…There ought to be another young maidservant on duty in the east courtyard’s small kitchen, is there not? If she can be of use, use her; if not, replace her with someone of our own. I want to know what is going on over there.”

Hupo’s expression shifted slightly. “Please don’t worry, my lady. It will be taken care of within the next two days.”

Eleventh Young Mistress nodded, and then praised Binju: “It’s a good thing you were so attentive. Otherwise, this matter might well have slipped through the cracks.”

Binju’s face flushed slightly and she waved it off repeatedly. “Not at all — I only came across it by chance.”

Just then, a young maidservant came in to report: “The Marquis has returned!”

“Is he coming this way, or has he gone to the east courtyard?”

The maidservant’s voice dropped: “He’s gone to the east courtyard…”

Well then, so be it. No need to re-do her hair.

Eleventh Young Mistress let out a quiet breath of relief and dismissed Hupo and Binju for the night.

Early the next morning, she summoned Nanny Tao and informed her of Third Mistress’s plan to replace the maidservants in Xu Siqin’s and Xu Siyu’s quarters. “…According to the household’s customs, ought the change to be made?”

Nanny Tao considered for a moment and said, “By rights, yes, they should be released.”

Could she have been overthinking things?

Yet Eleventh Young Mistress still felt a lingering unease. She instructed Nanny Tao all the same: “We know little of affairs in the outer courtyard — it would be best to make some enquiries.” She also discussed with her the matter of finding replacement maidservants for Xu Siyu. “We need a few who are honest and trustworthy.”

Nanny Tao agreed readily.

Qin Yiniang and Wen Yiniang came to pay their morning respects.

As usual, Wen Yiniang was the first to notice — with her sharp eyes — that Eleventh Young Mistress was wearing a brand-new pair of gold ear studs in the shape of purple bauhinia flowers, after which she proceeded to lavish them with extravagant praise.

Eleventh Young Mistress smiled and exchanged a few words with her, then kept Qin Yiniang back to speak with her privately.

This was something that had never happened before.

Qin Yiniang’s expression held a hint of apprehension.

Eleventh Young Mistress had a small footstool brought for her, then spoke to her about the matter of finding new maidservants for Xu Siyu.

Qin Yiniang was quite astonished.

“…Yu Ge is the eldest son of our household. He will one day set an example for his younger brothers. He also lives in the outer courtyard, which I cannot easily visit. It is only those who serve him day and night who can truly watch over him, and I cannot afford the slightest carelessness,” Eleventh Young Mistress said. “And yet Third Mistress raised the matter, and the Grand Matriarch agreed at once. I’ve been quite troubled over the question of finding suitable maidservants. Do have a look as well — if you know of any who are honest and good-natured, let me know, and when the time comes they can be sent to serve beside Yu Ge.”

After Eleventh Young Mistress had finished speaking, it was a long moment before Qin Yiniang seemed to come back to herself. With a face full of gratitude, she said, “My lady is most thorough in her consideration. I am a foolish woman, however, and have no acquaintances to speak of. In the matter of maidservants, I truly cannot be of any help.” As she spoke, she rose to her feet with an uneasy air. “That I am unable to share my lady’s burden…”

Well, the word had been passed regardless.

Eleventh Young Mistress smiled, said a few more words to her, and then sent Qin Yiniang on her way.

Though she herself bore no ill will toward the three yiniangss, who could guarantee they harboured no designs against her?

Eleventh Young Mistress immediately called Hupo over. “Have someone tail Qin Yiniang at once — watch who she associates with these days.”

Her beloved son’s attending maidservants were about to be replaced — she simply did not believe Qin Yiniang would do nothing about it.

Hupo acknowledged the order and went off.

The news that came back left Eleventh Young Mistress in a prolonged silence — Qin Yiniang had dispatched a manservant to carry a letter to Second Mistress, who was currently at the western mountain villa.

“What do we do?” Hupo asked anxiously.

“Naturally, we remain still and let them make the first move,” Eleventh Young Mistress replied with a faint smile. “Qin Yiniang has done nothing more than write a letter to Second Mistress. Are we to come forward and accuse Second Mistress of interfering in Second Young Master’s affairs?”

Hupo nodded, her expression resolute. “I will have someone keep watch on the western mountain side.”

Truly, she is a quick learner.

Eleventh Young Mistress looked at Hupo with a satisfied smile.

Xu Lingyi returned.

Eleventh Young Mistress went out to meet him.

His expression was calm — there was nothing to distinguish it from any other day.

Eleventh Young Mistress smiled and welcomed Xu Lingyi to sit on the large kang by the window in the west side chamber, then personally brewed tea and brought it to him.

“Does the Marquis not need to patrol the city today?”

She was asking whether the matter of the mouldy rice had been fully resolved.

Xu Lingyi made a sound of assent and said nothing further. He gently skimmed the tender tea leaves floating on the surface of the cup with the lid and said, “Has Mother said anything?”

He attended the Grand Matriarch each evening after his early morning court audiences.

“She heard you were patrolling the city and worried it was hard work.” Eleventh Young Mistress, knowing Xu Lingyi was concerned about his mother, gave him a brief account of the events of that evening, making particular mention of Third Mistress’s proposal to replace the maidservants in Xu Siqin’s and Xu Siyu’s quarters. She also made sure to convey — gracefully — her own intention to select honest and trustworthy maidservants for Xu Siyu, to be presented to the Grand Matriarch for approval before being placed in his service.

Xu Lingyi listened, then fell into thought. “Replace the maidservants?”

—