The inner courtyard’s storehouse primarily held communal household supplies. These were organized by category — implements, vessels, calligraphy and paintings, and the like — with a head managing Nanny overseeing everything, and several deputy managing Nannies handling specific categories. Nanny Wang was the one responsible for implements.
“Your head manager is Nanny Yu, isn’t she?” Shiyiniang listened and said with a smile. “If there’s something to discuss, have her come speak with me directly.”
Nanny Wang was taken aback. “But you are the Madam who oversees the household…”
Shiyiniang smiled pleasantly and said in a gentle tone, “I’ve entrusted all storehouse matters to Nanny Yu. If Nanny Yu finds something difficult to handle, she will come to me herself. As for this matter, speak with her first.” She then lifted her teacup.
Seeing that Shiyiniang was reproving her for overstepping her authority, Nanny Wang’s face flushed slightly. She curtsied and hastily withdrew.
Nanny Song beside her murmured a quiet reminder: “Madam, this Nanny Wang is on very close terms with Nanny Du, who serves beside the Grand Madam.”
No wonder she dared come straight to her with matters!
“Yet Nanny Yu is the head storehouse manager I approved myself,” Shiyiniang said coolly. “By bypassing Nanny Yu and coming directly to me, what does she think she’s doing? If everyone behaved this way, what would be the point of having a head manager at all? I might as well oversee everything myself.”
Nanny Song hesitated. “Then… what about Nanny Du’s side of things?”
“This household is large enough,” Shiyiniang said. “If she truly has that kind of influence, Nanny Du will come speak with me herself. You needn’t worry about it.” She then instructed Nanny Song, “Go fetch Nanny Yu. I have words for her.” Her manner made it clear she wished to say no more on the subject.
Nanny Song dared not press further and went off with a smile to summon Nanny Yu.
“Just now Nanny Wang came to tell me that the black lacquer mother-of-pearl inlaid peony screen panel I had placed in the Grand Madam’s entrance hall has gone missing, and she wished to replace it with a black lacquer ivory-carved peony screen panel. Did you know about this?”
Nanny Yu replied quickly, “Madam, it hasn’t gone missing — it’s simply listed in the ‘Bing’ ledger. Items in the ‘Bing’ ledger are all large pieces stored in the deeper sections of the storehouse. Since you only gave the order this morning, it wasn’t easy to locate it on short notice, so Nanny Wang was sent to inform you.”
Shiyiniang fixed her with a cold gaze and repeated her question word for word: “…Did you know about this?”
The atmosphere in the room chilled along with her stare.
Nanny Yu’s heart gave a small lurch. “I knew. But…”
She seemed about to offer an explanation, but before she could finish her words, Shiyiniang cut her off sharply: “If you knew, why did you not come to me yourself? Instead you sent a deputy managing Nanny to report to me and suggest I replace the screen panel. Is that the custom in your storehouse?”
The charge of “sending a deputy managing Nanny to report to me” was one she could not bear.
Under Shiyiniang’s piercing gaze, fine beads of sweat broke out on Nanny Yu’s forehead.
Truth be told, it was simply that today had been exceptionally busy. Here they were calling the rough-work matrons to move things; there they were calling them to help with something else. Everyone was stretched thin. In a few places, they had even called in nephews or sons who worked as pages in the outer courtyard to come in and help with the heavy work. As the dinner hour drew near, several of the Nannies had begun to grumble, and it was a young maidservant who had suggested: “…Madam is such a gentle and agreeable person — just go and ask her, she’ll surely agree.” Although Nanny Yu had felt something was not quite right about this, Nanny Wang had heard the idea and declared it a good one, even volunteering to go to Shiyiniang herself and report the matter. Thinking of Nanny Wang’s friendship with Nanny Du, Nanny Yu had agreed. She had never expected…
“Madam, the fault is entirely this servant’s.” Nanny Yu knelt on the ground in alarm. “This servant will go and give Nanny Wang a thorough scolding.”
Implying that the whole thing had been Nanny Wang’s idea.
Shiyiniang had no patience for such vague maneuvering and said directly: “What do you mean by that? Are you saying this was entirely Nanny Wang’s scheme?”
Nanny Yu was caught off guard.
Everyone in the household knew that Nanny Wang and Nanny Du were close. Madam herself was an astute woman — in matters like this, surely the usual custom was for everyone to tacitly let it pass. Why was she suddenly pressing the point so openly?
She dared not answer.
Once words were spoken, they could not be taken back. There were no walls without gaps in this world, and what was more, there were young maidservants standing in attendance in the room.
She quickly said, “No, no. This was my idea.” Yet beads of sweat were already dropping from her brow.
“That is the right answer from Nanny Yu.” Shiyiniang’s tone softened slightly, and she spoke with earnest gravity: “Since I entrusted the storehouse to you, it means I trust you to carry out my instructions properly. That is why I do not receive your subordinate managers in person — I worry that people might use that access to bypass you and stir up trouble. Nor do I issue orders directly to your subordinates without going through you, for fear that someone might invoke my name to cause mischief. I take direction only from my own head managing Nanny. Do you understand?”
Nanny Yu stared at Shiyiniang in astonishment.
What did Madam mean by this?
Had someone been saying something to Madam behind her back?
Her thoughts turned to Nanny Wang.
Coming forward to report to Shiyiniang on her own initiative… was it an attempt to frame her for insubordination, and then use Nanny Du’s influence to pull her down?
Her mind was thrown into chaos, and she could not help but murmur, “Madam…”
But Shiyiniang had already lifted her teacup. “You are my head managing Nanny — it is your duty to share my burdens. We shall say no more about today’s matter. Go quickly and find that black lacquer mother-of-pearl inlaid peony screen panel and have it placed in the Grand Madam’s entrance hall.” Her manner indicated she wished to speak no further on the subject.
Nanny Yu heard the layers of meaning beneath these words and had already read the situation entirely differently from what it was.
She straightened with a respectful “Yes, Madam,” cast a grateful glance at Shiyiniang, and withdrew with quick steps.
The storehouse was a place of considerable importance, and managing it was a position of comfortable authority. Every Nanny who worked there had some degree of connection to the Grand Madam. Even when Yuanniang had been in charge of the household, she had not dared to change personnel freely. By the time things reached the Third Madam’s hands, she had not even dared to give them orders freely. What had happened today was partly a case of people taking liberties on account of their seniority, and partly a consequence of having been indulged for too long. It was not that these women were foolish. On the contrary, they were all very good at reading the room and acting accordingly.
Nanny Song was deeply anxious. She watched Nanny Yu’s retreating figure, then glanced at the young maidservants standing in attendance in the room, and seemed about to say something but stopped herself.
Shiyiniang offered no explanation, rose, and went into the inner chamber.
A young maidservant came in. “Madam, the Third Master has sent a birthday tribute gift for the Grand Madam, and has dispatched Gan Laoquan’s wife to pay her respects.”
After the third branch of the family had departed, only a single letter reporting their safe arrival had been received.
“Show her in.”
The young maidservant acknowledged the order and brought in Gan Laoquan’s wife.
Shiyiniang inquired after the third branch’s situation.
“…The Master attends to his duties diligently and has earned the esteem of his superiors. The Third Madam has leased a rice shop there and has just opened for business. The eldest young master and the third young master have engaged a tutor to give lessons at home. All is well. They only think often of the Grand Madam, the Marquis, and the Madam.” Gan Laoquan’s wife said respectfully.
Shiyiniang nodded and brought Gan Laoquan’s wife to the Grand Madam’s quarters.
Upon hearing that Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian had not neglected their studies, the Grand Madam gave a satisfied nod and rewarded Gan Laoquan’s wife with two taels of silver, then had Nanny Du take her off to rest. She then sighed to Shiyiniang: “Rather shortsighted, all the same!”
She must be referring to the fact that the Third Madam had opened a rice shop within the Third Master’s own jurisdiction barely after he had taken up his post.
Shiyiniang smiled in reassurance to the Grand Madam. “The grain and provisions advisor beside the Third Master was personally selected by the Marquis. The Marquis had words of guidance for him at the time as well. I’m sure he will advise the Third Master and Third Madam accordingly.”
“One can only hope,” the Grand Madam sighed.
That evening, when the Grand Madam heard of the words Shiyiniang had spoken in the waterside pavilion, she nodded repeatedly: “To catch the bandits, first capture their chief. Very good, very good! She was able to borrow strength to apply force, and has brought the slipperiest lot in the storehouse to heel — none of the other managing Nannies will dare stir up trouble now.”
Nanny Du nodded in agreement with a smile.
“Did that Nanny Wang of theirs not come to ask you to put in a word for her?” the Grand Madam asked with a smile.
Nanny Du smiled. “The Fourth Madam is still staking her claim to authority — how would I dare!”
“You have some sense in you after all,” the Grand Madam teased Nanny Du.
The Second Madam came by.
The Grand Madam took the Second Madam’s hand and led her to look at the outfit Shiyiniang had chosen for her: “Pretty or not? Bright red. She wants me to wear my set of emerald head ornaments.”
“Beautiful!” the Second Madam laughed. “Festive and auspicious — exactly right.”
The Grand Madam said, “Before, I only wanted to wear it in my heart but didn’t dare. Shiyiniang has been telling me every day that there was nothing wrong with it. Now you say it looks lovely too. I just hope no one will say tomorrow that an old woman is making herself look ridiculous.”
The Second Madam laughed heartily.
The next day, the Grand Madam wore the bright red peony-embroidered cape that Shiyiniang had chosen for her and put on her emerald head ornaments, then made her way to the main hall.
The households of Marquis Yongchang of the Huang family, Marquis Weibei of the Lin family, Marquis Dingnan of the Sun family, Baron Zhongqin of the Gan family, Madam Zhou and Fang Jie’er, as well as the Luo family and the Xiang family, had all come.
The hall was filled with a lively gathering of ladies. Madam Huang, Madam Lin, Madam Sun, Madam Gan, and the others were seated in the inner chamber, while the rest came forward to bow and offer birthday greetings to the Grand Madam. Nanny Du distributed red envelopes one by one, while Madam Zhou and the Third Young Madam of the Huang family made merry on the side. The room rang with laughter and cheer.
A young maidservant came running in: “Grand Madam, the wife of Shanxi General Li has come to offer her birthday greetings!”
The Li family had not been on the guest list.
But all who came were guests.
Shiyiniang went out to receive her with a smile, while turning over in her mind the matter of the Li family’s marriage proposal through Wang Li.
Madam Li had not come alone — she had brought her eldest daughter with her.
“The Grand Madam’s birthday, and you didn’t even send word to me,” Madam Li said reproachfully the moment she saw Shiyiniang. “If my husband hadn’t happened to mention it, I might truly have missed it.”
“It isn’t a milestone birthday, so I didn’t dare trouble everyone.” Shiyiniang exchanged pleasantries with her and complimented the eldest Miss Li on her attire, then escorted her with a smile into the main hall.
Madam Li had just brought her daughter forward to bow in birthday greetings to the Grand Madam when another young maidservant came running in: “Grand Madam, the wife of Commander Jiang of the Chief Military Commission has come to offer her birthday greetings!”
Another who was not on the guest list.
Shiyiniang went to receive her.
Madam Jiang had not come alone either — she had with her a pretty young girl. She introduced her to Shiyiniang: “This is my niece on my maiden family’s side.”
Shiyiniang escorted both of them inside. They offered birthday greetings to the Grand Madam, and Shiyiniang called for Zhen Jie’er to come and keep Madam Jiang’s niece company. The niece was rather shy and clung close to Madam Jiang’s side until Madam Jiang said a few words to her, after which she went off with Zhen Jie’er.
Next came the wife of Assistant Minister Zhuo of the Ministry of War to offer birthday greetings to the Grand Madam.
This guest was not only absent from the invitation list — Shiyiniang was also entirely unfamiliar with her.
The Fifth Madam standing nearby quickly whispered an explanation to Shiyiniang: “When the Marquis was campaigning in Miao territory, this Master Zhuo served under him. He was previously a regional commander in Yunnan and Guizhou, and was only promoted to Assistant Minister of War this past third month.”
Shiyiniang understood, and went out to receive her.
Madam Zhuo was a woman of about twenty years of age, and she had come alone.
For some reason she could not quite name, Shiyiniang felt a quiet sense of relief.
—