Fifth Madam shook her head. “I am fine.”

“Even so, it is best to be careful.” Second Madam said, measured and unhurried. “Endure a little longer for today. I will find a way to request a special edict allowing you to rest at home.” Her tone was casual, yet carried a quiet confidence that could not be doubted.

Such a bold assurance — could it mean she was certain she would find an opportunity to see the Empress before long?

Eleventh glanced at her sidelong.

Fifth Madam had not a trace of doubt. Her face full of gratitude, she took Second Madam by the hand. “Thank you, Second Sister-in-law.”

“What is there to thank me for?” Second Madam patted her hand. “A child is no small matter.”

As they spoke, nearly all the mourners had arrived. Most looked weary and settled into their seats to rest; others gathered in small groups and spoke in low voices.

Without the Grand Dowager present, Lady Huang, Lady Lin, and the other senior ladies had the dignity of their seniority to maintain and only gave Eleventh and her companions a nod of acknowledgment. As for Third Young Madam Huang, First Young Madam Lin, and the younger generation, they were occupied with attending to their own elders and had no time to come and chat.

For a moment, the Xu household’s womenfolk were left standing somewhat on their own.

Third Madam let out a cool snort beside them. But Second Madam lowered her voice and said quietly to Eleventh, “Keep the people from the Jianninghou and Shouchangbo households occupied — find a way to hold them here. I will return shortly.”

Of the four sisters-in-law, she had delegated the task to Eleventh without a moment’s hesitation. This was partly because she had been present at the Xu family’s inner council the night before — but it was also, in great part, because Second Madam had a deep confidence in how Xu Lingyi handled affairs. Had she not, Second Madam’s manner would not have been nearly so decisive.

This made Eleventh feel that Second Madam placed an uncommon degree of trust in Xu Lingyi.

She likewise trusted Xu Lingyi’s ability — and so she answered very directly, “I think this approach is too risky. It would be far safer for you to faint in the meantime.”

Second Madam stopped short.

Their eyes fell, as one, on Fifth Madam.

Fifth Madam grew uneasy under their combined gaze. “What is it?” she asked, bewildered.

Second Madam had already turned to look at Eleventh, her eyes bright with a flash of admiration. “Excellent idea.”

Rather than have Second Madam stage a faint, it was far better to have Fifth Madam faint instead. For one thing, Fifth Madam was the Empress’s sister-in-law — in an event like this, the Empress would either come in person or send a trusted female official to attend to her, which would create an opportunity for a private conversation with the Empress. For another, a fainting spell would make the request for a special edict excusing Fifth Madam from the mourning rites far more convincing.

The idea was good — but Eleventh had no intention of broaching it with Fifth Madam herself. She thought of the scene where the Empress, with tears in her eyes, had called Second Madam “Yizhen.” Whether in terms of seniority or of personal feeling, the distance between herself and Second Madam was too great.

Eleventh lowered her gaze and assumed an air of having nothing to do with any of it.

Second Madam’s brows furrowed slightly at the sight.

The people of the Luo family were all alike — endlessly inventive when there was scheming to be done, but as soon as something was needed of them, they retreated and found something else to busy themselves with, for fear of attracting trouble.

A flicker of contempt crossed her eyes. She bent her head and whispered to Fifth Madam for a short while.

Fifth Madam showed only a brief flash of surprise at the very beginning; after that, she remained composed and continued speaking with Second Madam. Before long, she clutched her abdomen and let out a low moan.

Beside her, Second Madam immediately said, “Danyang — Danyang, what is the matter?”

Eleventh watched and gave an inward nod of approval.

Fifth Madam had managed to stand out among all those highborn daughters and be honored as a county princess — she was not someone to be underestimated.

The thought had barely passed when Eleventh was already at Fifth Madam’s side. “Fifth Sister-in-law, what has happened?” Her voice was sharp with alarm.

Third Madam, concerned, came crowding over as well.

Lady Huang and the other women, hearing the commotion, came over in quick steps — just in time to hear Fifth Madam say in a faint voice, “I — I — my stomach hurts.”

“Quickly, send for the Imperial Physician,” said Lady Huang, her face draining of color. She took Danyang’s hand and tried to reassure her, “Do not be frightened — do not be frightened.”

The hall erupted.

Everyone had something to say.

The attendants serving in the hall were thrown into a fluster as well — some went to inform the supervising attendant, some ran to the officials of the Ministry of Rites, and some hurried off to Kunning Palace.

Word reached the rear hall as well. The Imperial Princess and her party all came rushing over. Lady Zhou, who was attending the Imperial Princess, threw herself toward Fifth Madam in her characteristic dramatic fashion and cried out loudly, “Danyang, Danyang — do not give me such a fright!”

Danyang immediately grabbed Lady Zhou’s hand. “Zhou Elder Sister, I am frightened!” And tears fell from her eyes like drops of rain.

Eleventh gave a quiet sigh inwardly.

Even with the experience of two lives behind her, she was nowhere near the caliber of these women — not by a small margin.

In the midst of the clamor, a group of attendants escorted a man in sixth-rank dress, running at a near-sprint.

“Which Lady is feeling unwell?” He was fine-featured, with a soft voice.

“It is Danyang County Princess.” Before the Xu household could get a word in, Lady Zhou had already cried out urgently.

The attendant’s expression shifted slightly on hearing this. “Please be at ease, County Princess — the Imperial Physician is on his way.” He turned and murmured to a junior attendant at his side, “Go and hurry them along.”

The junior attendant answered and darted off.

Lady Zhou, supporting Fifth Madam, called out, “Quickly — find a low couch for her to lie on.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Eunuch Lei came striding in with a large retinue of attendants carrying an empty sedan chair.

“Her Highness the Empress issues an oral decree: County Princess Danyang is to rest in Yongshou Palace.”

Second Madam immediately said, “I have some knowledge of medicine — I will accompany her.”

Eunuch Lei did not hesitate. “Thank you for your trouble, Second Madam.”

The attendants carried the sedan chair before Fifth Madam. Second Madam and Lady Zhou supported her from either side as she took her seat.

Fifth Madam proved more clever than either Second Madam or Eleventh had expected. She clutched Lady Zhou’s hand and would not let go, gazing at her with tear-filled, luminous eyes.

Lady Zhou could not help but look toward the Imperial Princess.

The Imperial Princess said nothing, but gave a barely perceptible nod.

Lady Zhou at once said, “Eunuch, may I also—”

Before she could finish, Eunuch Lei said hurriedly, “Please, by all means. Her Highness the Empress and the Imperial Physician have already gone to Yongshou Palace.”

Eleventh slowly let out a long breath.

This had worked out.

The thought had barely formed when the sedan chair was already being lifted. She quickly stepped forward. “Fifth Sister-in-law, take care.”

Fifth Madam nodded. She was escorted by Second Madam and Lady Zhou, one on either side, to Yongshou Palace.

Those left in the hall broke into spirited discussion, as noisy as a marketplace.

Eleventh caught the Imperial Princess casting a look her way — a look that was half-smiling and entirely unreadable — before she withdrew with the princesses and imperial consorts to the rear hall.

Everyone here was a sharp-eyed and shrewd person. There was no other kind.

Eleventh gave a wry inward smile.

Third Madam said in a low voice beside her, “We had figured everything else out — but no one counted on the Fifth Prince passing away like this…” Her tone was not without a faint air of indifference.

Eleventh had no desire to engage with her on the subject. She gave a vague murmur in reply and turned to chat with Third Young Madam Huang.

…

After wailing through the midday session, Fifth Madam, Second Madam, and Lady Zhou returned to the front hall.

The moment they stepped in, Lady Zhou announced, “Nothing to worry about — it was a false alarm. She ate something that disagreed with her!”

Everyone turned their eyes toward Fifth Madam. Lady Huang said with a reproachful shake of her head, “Child, do you not know to be careful?”

Fifth Madam’s face colored faintly. “I was afraid lunch would be served late and the child would go hungry, so I ate a little more in the morning. I did not expect that…”

Gentle smiles spread across many faces.

Second Madam curtsied toward the older ladies who were present. “You have been made to worry on our account.”

The old ladies looked upon Second Madam with warm, benevolent smiles. “These young people — you are never anything but trouble.”

Second Madam added quickly, “Thank heavens the senior ladies were here — otherwise I would truly have been at a loss.”

And what old ladies had in the most abundance was experience.

Second Madam’s words scratched exactly where it itched, and the senior ladies could not help but begin exchanging their various accumulated wisdom on raising children. The atmosphere became quite easy and harmonious.

What a master stroke.

Eleventh composed her expression and observed Second Madam’s every word and movement, carefully pondering the intent behind each one.

…

As the sun leaned to the west, Eunuch He arrived bearing an imperial edict. His Majesty graciously decreed that Fifth Madam was permitted to rest in the rear hall during the mourning period — which meant that Danyang would still come to the palace each day, but while everyone else knelt at Sishamen, she would be allowed to remain in the front hall and rest.

At this moment, it was Eleventh’s turn to assume an expression of serene detachment.

After all, she was, properly and officially, the Marchioness of Yongping.

Eleventh gave a quiet smile and, together with Third Madam, supported Fifth Madam as they received the imperial edict in thanks.

Some came to offer Fifth Madam their congratulations with admiration; others could not quite keep the edge out of their tone. “Are they not supposed to be the Fifth Prince’s maternal family? And yet they fare no better than those of us who are merely outer noble ladies.”

Heads turned in the direction of the voice — it appeared to have come from the circle around the Jianninghou and Shouchangbo family ladies.

The expressions in the hall varied, yet everyone wore the same air of having heard nothing at all.

Third Madam, watching this, could not help but say indignantly under her breath to Eleventh, “These people are all just weathervanes.”

A weathervane outlasts the thornbush, when it is an entire family that is at stake.

“Let it be. What is the use of troubling oneself over people like them?” Eleventh said, consoling her. “What matters is that Fifth Sister-in-law no longer has to kneel at Sishamen.”

Third Madam nodded.

Attendants came to summon them for the next mourning session.

There was nothing more to be said. All of them, save Fifth Madam, knelt in their proper places according to rank and began to weep.

When the day’s mourning rites came to an end, attendants from Cining Palace escorted the Grand Dowager back.

Second Madam, Third Madam, and Eleventh all hurried forward to meet her.

The Grand Dowager, not seeing Fifth Madam, frowned slightly. “Where is Danyang?”

Someone nearby piped up, “Your daughter-in-law of the Fifth House has been exempted from the mourning rites — she is resting in the front hall right now!”

Second Madam then recounted the events of the day to the Grand Dowager in full.

The Grand Dowager gave a wry smile as she listened. “How did such a thing happen?” But the glance she cast at Second Madam held a brief, telling flicker.

Second Madam said, “Indeed. Even Her Highness the Empress was quite astonished.”

In her understated way, she let the Grand Dowager know that she had already seen Her Highness.

“We must properly thank Lady Zhou,” said the Grand Dowager. Her eyes brightened suddenly, and she gave Second Madam a small, clear nod to indicate that she had understood. “It was a great help that she accompanied you to Yongshou Palace.” She then went herself to the front hall to express her thanks, but found that Lady Zhou had already accompanied the Imperial Princess on her way home. The Grand Dowager instead went to thank Lady Huang, who laughed and said, “And since when do you stand on ceremony with me?” The two of them walked together out through Sishamen.

Xu Lingyi, along with Third Master and Fifth Master, had been waiting outside the gate long before. Seeing the Grand Dowager and her party emerge, they stepped forward to pay their respects. Fifth Master immediately asked Fifth Madam, “Are you all right?”

Lady Huang then told the three Xu brothers about the special imperial edict Fifth Madam had received today. “You must go and thank His Majesty tomorrow.”

Fifth Master nodded again and again. “Of course, of course.”

The two families exchanged a few words of parting pleasantries, then each went to their own carriages and left the palace.