Human beings are a species given to reflection, forever preoccupied with regrets over what they failed to do or failed to do well in their past.

If Heaven were to give Madam Fang the chance to travel back in time, she would absolutely choose the period just before and after old Sheng Lao’s wedding — either to poison this match entirely, or to do away with that whole pack of little vixens. Whenever she thought of these things, Madam Fang wished she could dig old Sheng Lao up from his grave and have him take in a few unruly concubines, just so her present self could have a hand at dealing with them. And the result of this suppressed, melancholy resentment was…

“…And right after that, Qiu Niang hurried off.” After supper, while Gu Tingye had gone to the study, Xiaotao seized the moment to give Minglan a thorough report on Qiu Niang’s visit to Jia Xi Residence that afternoon.

Minglan was not entirely alert yet. She blinked her eyes with effort: “What of it?”

It was merely a matter of some restlessness — a desire to have a heart-to-heart with a master who was also an old lover after years of separation. Alas, times had changed and people had changed. Xiren was still the same Xiren, but Gu Tingye had never been that soft-hearted Baoyu.

“This is no simple matter!” Danju beside her cried out in a low but urgent voice, startling Minglan.

“How did she know when the master would return? Why did she arrive at just the right moment — the master had barely come home and she was already right on his heels. It’s plain to see she had a junior maidservant watching the gate and reporting back the moment there was news!” Danju’s eyes lit with sharp intelligence as she reasoned it all through seamlessly. “Hm — and this was only the very first day! Where did she get the people? How did she even know which route the master would take back!”

“So then…” Minglan helped complete the thought.

Danju quietly clenched her jaw: “After elder sister Cuiwei found out, she went to investigate at once. Once those three had moved into Kou Xiang Courtyard, Yiniang Gong and Rong Jie’er had gone to rest — but that Qiu Niang secretly went to find Madam Lai to talk! Hm! These restless ones!” Even Danju’s usually gentle and good-natured face was filled with indignation.

“But what can be done about it?” Minglan said with an amused shake of her head. “Madam Lai and Qiu Niang both came from Madam’s side — there’s nothing improper about them talking. And as for gathering intelligence, short of confining everyone in Kou Xiang Courtyard, there’s nothing I can do about which part of the garden they go to or which gate they stand by. The only real thing to do is to keep a tighter watch on the gate into this courtyard.”

Even if they meant to conspire, the conspiring had already been done long before this. But she was not afraid of any conspiring.

Xiaotao stared in blank worry: “Is there truly no way to deal with them?”

“Standing watch at a gate or visiting a Madam for a talk can’t really be counted as a transgression.” Minglan shook her head. “Picking idle quarrels without cause is not only pointless — it makes you a laughingstock and lets people say you’re intolerant. Now that the household rules and courtyard rules are all in place, there’ll be plenty of opportunity to catch them in a real mistake — and wouldn’t it be easy to deal with them then?”

“But what if they don’t make mistakes, and just make things unpleasant?” Danju was quick.

Minglan let out a dry laugh and uttered one phrase: “Then… we’ll just have to let them make things unpleasant.” In this age, how many principal wives hadn’t been made to feel unpleasant by their minor consorts? And a few, of a particularly sensitive and fiery nature, were even prone to coughing up a little blood now and then.

The unpleasantness came very quickly.

Early on the second morning, while Minglan was still lazily lounging in bed, Gong Hongxiao and Qiu Niang brought Rong Jie’er to pay their morning respects. Danju and Xiaotao scrambled about in a frenzy, and barely managed to get Minglan properly dressed and presentable before she went to receive them.

“We pay our respects to Madam.” Hongxiao curtsied gracefully, wearing a brilliantly vivid peach-red damask jacket embroidered with interlocking pomegranate flowers. She raised her head, took in the sight of Minglan in a lake-blue brocade waist jacket with subtle woven patterns — offset against a face like luminous jade, clean and dignified — slender and willow-waisted in figure. She couldn’t help but exclaim admiringly: “When I was at the Marquis’s residence, I often heard people praise Madam’s extraordinary beauty. Now that we’ve moved back to Cheng Garden, I count myself truly fortunate — I can follow Madam and learn a thing or two, so I won’t go about looking so common and plain all the time.” As she spoke, she pulled at the clothing on her own body.

Minglan touched her own loosely pinned hair — in the rush just now, she hadn’t even put in her pearl hairpin — then looked at Hongxiao’s apparently sincere expression and was left somewhat speechless. She said lightly: “I think you look perfectly fine dressed this way. Besides… I sometimes wear this color myself.”

Hongxiao looked a little embarrassed and retreated to sit on a low stool.

Beside her, Qiu Niang noticed Danju carrying in a cup of tea. She immediately rose, took the teacup from the tray, and respectfully offered it to Minglan: “Madam, please have some tea.” Minglan nodded and took it, taking a light sip. Danju bowed her head and pursed her lips, then turned and went into the inner room to tidy up with Xiaotao.

Minglan’s eyes moved to Rong Jie’er. She saw the girl sitting hunched in a corner, her head hanging low. Unable to help herself, Minglan asked: “Rong Jie’er, you’ve just moved into your new room — did you sleep well last night?”

Rong Jie’er lifted her head with a blank, wooden expression. Her gaze at Minglan shifted and wavered, then she lowered her head again and still said nothing. Qiu Niang grew anxious and quickly said: “Madam has arranged everything so well — the bedding is all of the finest quality, and the maidservants attend to everything with great care. I slept in the same room as Rong Jie’er last night, and she didn’t wake up once the whole night through.”

Minglan gave her a small smile: “No wonder the master always says you’re such a capable and considerate person.”

Qiu Niang suddenly raised her head. Her eyes glistened, and she choked out: “I only fear I may fail the trust the master has placed in me.”

Hongxiao showed a trace of awkwardness, though her expression remained very composed. Only her fingers, which kept twisting and winding the tassel at her waist, were rather too fidgety.

Minglan took another large sip of tea and pushed through the discomfort of having risen early. She smiled casually: “You needn’t come to pay morning respects this early going forward. Our household has few people, and there aren’t so many formalities to uphold. Starting tomorrow, come after the second quarter past the fifth morning hour.” Eight o’clock to start work, then.

Qiu Niang’s eyes were bright with eagerness. She quickly said: “How could that be proper? We know Madam is looking out for us — but we cannot throw all rules aside on that account. Besides, the master leaves for morning court before daylight, and Madam must attend to him before he goes — you can’t possibly be resting easy either. How could we be the ones to overstep propriety?”

Minglan felt a great flush of embarrassment. Since when had she been foregoing sleep to attend to Gu Tingye before morning court? Though not many people would know that.

In the inner room, Xiaotao could no longer hold herself back and nearly blurted out “You’re the one without rules — your whole family has no rules” — only to be seized and held firmly by Danju from behind. Then they both heard Minglan’s gentle voice: “It’s not as if they won’t be coming to pay respects — only somewhat later. Surely I have the authority to decide that much. And this isn’t for any other reason — it is entirely for Rong Jie’er’s sake. She is a growing child in delicate health — she’ll need careful nurturing.”

Everyone’s eyes turned toward Rong Jie’er. The girl’s head drooped lower still, practically buried against her knees — an awkward and ungainly posture. Minglan furrowed her brow slightly, then as if without thinking, glanced at Hongxiao. She gave a mild smile and said warmly: “She is already eight years old. Surely she can’t still be behaving worse than Xian Jie’er, who is only five. If relatives or guests were to come calling and see Rong Jie’er like this — what would people say?”

Rong Jie’er’s shoulders gave a slight tremor. She did not raise her head.

Both Hongxiao and Qiu Niang flushed scarlet to the ears. They both rose together to apologize. Qiu Niang stammered nervously, repeating: “It is all my negligence.” Hongxiao said softly, with a choked note to her voice: “Madam is absolutely right. Before… well, there’s no need to speak of before. Now that she is at her own father and mother’s side, she will certainly be properly nurtured.”

“Children at this age love to sleep. Let her rest well and be properly tended to — provide good warming and nourishing foods, help ease her mind, have her move about more. She’ll naturally improve little by little.” Minglan lifted and set down her teacup lid in an unhurried rhythm. “In the mornings, let her sleep a bit longer. Wait until after breakfast, when everyone is fully awake, and then come to pay respects — that will be soon enough. In the meantime, I’ll have someone send over stewed tonics to you each day. You must make sure Rong Jie’er takes them. Qiu Niang, I’ll be leaving this matter in your hands.”

Qiu Niang answered immediately, assenting repeatedly.

Minglan then turned to Hongxiao, her expression gentle: “This child has been in your care since she was five. By now, can she read and write? How many characters does she know? Has she completed the Three Character Classic?”

Hongxiao visibly startled at that. She looked at Minglan, then at Rong Jie’er, opened her mouth, then faltered, finally saying haltingly: “This… this… Rong Jie’er has not been well, and I didn’t dare to push her too hard. It seems she knows… perhaps… a little over a dozen characters or so.”

A look of slight displeasure crossed Minglan’s face. Hongxiao stood to one side in alarmed silence, not daring to speak. Minglan softened her tone and said: “In a household of our standing, even if she cannot match her Aunt Tingcan’s repertoire of poetry and literature, Rong Jie’er cannot be completely illiterate. Before you all arrived, I had already heard that Yiniang Gong came from a scholarly family and was known for being educated and cultured. I thought to myself then that our Rong Jie’er was truly fortunate — with such a Yiniang by her side to guide her, there would be nothing to worry about in her conduct, her speech, her reading, and her learning. And yet now…”

She let out a long sigh. The faintly reproachful gaze she swept across Hongxiao had the woman unable to lift her eyes. Minglan paused and then continued: “What’s done in the past is past. From today onward, you must pay closer attention to this! Are we to have close relatives and guests come calling and see Rong Jie’er looking like this? Surely she can’t spend her entire life shut away in the inner courtyard, unseen by anyone.”

Hongxiao was so thoroughly scolded she could not raise her head. Just yesterday she had spoken of Madam’s “entrusted duty,” and today it had come back to slap her in the face. Qiu Niang didn’t even dare to breathe. Minglan’s tone became somewhat grave and authoritative: “Rong Jie’er is shy around me — that is perfectly natural. But she has lived under the same roof as the two of you for how many years? Since you have both accepted this responsibility, you must carry it out properly!”

Hongxiao and Qiu Niang assented in a trembling, cowed manner. Minglan issued a few more instructions before dismissing them, having them escorted back to Kou Xiang Courtyard. Only then did Xiaotao and Danju inside the room let out long, extended sighs of relief.

Danju came out with a bright smile, holding several pearl hairpins, and began slowly fastening them into Minglan’s hair one by one, saying as she worked: “Even the former Lin Yiniang never dared to open her mouth and speak of rules and propriety in front of Madam. These two truly have some nerve! Madam was absolutely right to give them a good show of authority — otherwise they’ll all take advantage of your kind and gentle appearance to walk all over you.”

Minglan gave a helpless sigh. She genuinely disliked using power to overwhelm people. But some individuals, it seemed, only responded to exactly that — treat them with gentle courtesy and they would climb right up onto your nose.

“Going forward, I’ll only be able to sleep until the start of the fifth morning hour at best…” She remarked with no small measure of regret.

Danju immediately put on a stern face and launched into a mild scolding: “Not that I should say this — but ever since you married into this household, your daily life has been far too leisurely! Even back home in your family’s house, you weren’t living this comfortably. You need to pull yourself together from now on! So many eyes are watching for you to make mistakes!”

Looking at Danju’s expression, filled with fighting spirit, Minglan couldn’t help but feel a little sheepish.

By nearly midday, Gu Tingye returned from the yamen. After Minglan helped him remove his court robes and hair crown and change into his everyday clothes, she had someone set out the meal on the low table beside the window by the kang. The kang had long been spread with a mat woven from rush, cotton and linen, and silk, and the married couple ate their meal together in the cool flower-scented breeze from the window. Gu Tingye took a sip of light-brewed clear wine and said with a smile: “How did it go this morning?”

“Quite well.” Minglan blinked. “For the very first time in my life, someone came to pay me morning respects.”

Gu Tingye, seeing the charming flush of pink on her cheeks, smiled and said: “What’s so difficult about that? Once we have seventeen or eighteen children, and when they’ve all married and their wives come to pay you morning respects, they’ll have to queue up in a line — wouldn’t that be lively?”

Minglan shot him a look and said: “You don’t have to be the one carrying them for ten months, so it’s easy for you to open your mouth and set all this in motion without another thought, isn’t it?” She wasn’t opposed to having children, but she needed to maintain good control of the physical conditions for childbirth. After all, there was no obstetrics department in the ancient era — she had no intention of losing half her life delivering a child.

Gu Tingye lowered his voice, his expression carrying a veiled tease: “I assure you, I did more than merely open my mouth.”

“We’re eating!” Minglan’s face immediately turned the color of a shrimp.

“Food and desire are both matters of human nature — as the Master said.” Gu Tingye remarked with serene ease.

Minglan stared him down for quite a while before she was the first to lose her composure, breaking into laughter: “You! You… ah, I only hope your daughter inherits even half your shamelessness!”

Gu Tingye’s expression slowly dimmed: “Rong Jie’er… is she still the same?”

“She doesn’t speak, doesn’t engage with anyone. At this age, she can’t read or write, she doesn’t sew, she doesn’t embroider — and as for how to conduct herself in company, that goes without saying. She’s as if no one has ever looked after her.” Minglan pondered the matter quietly. “You said she had a very fierce temperament as a young child — and yet now she is so listless and dispirited. One imagines it was because of what happened… in those years. Now that she has come to our side, she will gradually recover.”

“…Man Niang has always been a woman ruthless enough to be considered a man of iron resolve.” Gu Tingye’s lips curved with a trace of contempt. Then he said: “So what do you plan to do?”

“Wait.” Minglan said simply. “Wait for her to grow up. Wait for her to work things out for herself. There is nothing in this world that time cannot wear down — one month, one year, several years — and things will slowly get better. I gave my instructions today: I’ll also have Qiu Niang look after her diet and daily care, and have Yiniang Gong oversee her reading and proper conduct. First, let her recover her health. When she is a little older, we can invite good tutors to teach her more.” After all, she herself was a person of the modern era — and hadn’t ten years of time worn her into an ancient young lady as well?

Gu Tingye furrowed his brow. In truth, he had no better solution either. When he was a boy and misbehaved or lost his temper, old Marquis Gu would simply reach straight for the bamboo rod — but that was hardly appropriate for a girl.

Minglan’s expression carried a touch of resignation: “From time immemorial, a young lady of noble birth or prestigious family has mostly been cultivated. Dress her in fine silks and satins, pile the finest foods in front of her, surround her with servants who wait upon her with deference and respect — one’s surroundings shift one’s bearing; one’s nurturing transforms one’s person. Gradually she will become dignified and composed, and the air of prestige and propriety will come naturally, through quiet and constant influence.”

Gu Tingye slowly nodded his head, showing his agreement. Minglan’s words, though plain in expression, rang true — and everywhere showed a genuine and practical kindness. He smiled and said: “The only concern is that she has a stubborn nature and may refuse to show you the proper respect and affection.”

“I don’t need her filial devotion.” Minglan was entirely dismissive of the notion.

Gu Tingye was greatly astonished. After a moment, he said in a solemn tone: “You need not lose heart — for a child to show filial respect to the principal mother is the proper order of things. If she fails to show you proper reverence, I will punish her severely!”

“You’ve misunderstood me entirely. That is not what I meant.” Minglan laughed. “Nor do I know how to raise children, really. It’s only that…” She gradually settled into a more earnest expression and said sincerely: “I simply hope she comes to understand that a person doesn’t live to nurse resentment, doesn’t live to sink into despair, and certainly doesn’t live to carry hatred. She is to live well — that’s what matters. She still has a whole life ahead of her. One day she too will have children of her own. The past is not something she caused, and she shouldn’t keep herself anchored to it forever. The sky above and the earth below are vast, and the sea and the heavens are wide open. If she can broaden her heart and lift her gaze further, only then can she walk a longer road ahead.”

Something in Gu Tingye’s heart seemed to thaw and open. His eyes brightened, and he struggled to hold down the corners of his mouth that wanted to curve upward. With one arm he pulled Minglan to sit on his lap, wrapping one hand around her waist and gently stroking her, his voice warm and full of quiet laughter: “Though you’ve coaxed me, and startled me, and often led me astray — I have always known that your intentions are in the right place.”

Minglan tilted her eyes sideways to look at him, feigning displeasure: “Is that your idea of a compliment?”

After these words, there was a long silence with no further response from Gu Tingye. He was gazing at the collar of Minglan’s garment with a dazed expression — his eyes soft and unfocused, nothing like his usual sharp keenness. Minglan patted his cheek: “What is it?”

Gu Tingye came back to himself. He pressed his palm against Minglan’s chest two times, then gave a squeeze, and sighed: “I don’t know when it happened, but there’s considerably more here than there used to be.” His hand lingered, moving back and forth across her soft chest.

Minglan burned with shame and indignation. Her face immediately went as red as a prawn, and she clutched her chest, trying to twist away and flee — only to be caught back by Gu Tingye. Minglan thrust out her claws and went for the ticklish spot at the side of the man’s waist, and the two of them tussled on the kang with much laughter and noise. In the end, the great heroine Sheng was no match for General Gu, and was pinned down by the man and kissed for quite a long time.

When Xiaotao went in later, she noticed Minglan’s lips looked somewhat swollen. She was puzzled: could the food have been too hot?

After the meal, the couple played a game of chess, and then prepared to take their afternoon rest. Xiaotao and two junior maidservants cleared the dining table, and as they carried the bowls, dishes, and cups out into the courtyard, they saw Danju some distance away, standing and speaking to someone.

Danju was smiling very formally: “Miss Qiu Niang…”

“Just call me Qiu Niang — and if you don’t mind, I’ll call you Sister Danju.” Qiu Niang quickly said.

An involuntary twitch ran through Danju’s forehead. Her smile continued on her face: “Sister Qiu Niang, the master will likely be sleeping at this hour. If you have important business to see the master about, I’ll go in right now and announce you.”

“Sleeping in the afternoon?” Qiu Niang’s face was blank with confusion. “He never rests at midday.”

Danju’s sorely strained jaw maintained its smile with remarkable composure: “That I wouldn’t know — but ever since our Madam married in, the master takes a short afternoon rest whenever he has a free moment.”

Qiu Niang’s expression turned to one of quiet wistfulness. She held a small bundle in her hands, her fingers clutching it tight. Danju gave two cold inward sniffs, then turned and went inside to report. Minglan had just helped Gu Tingye change out of his outer robe. Hearing this, Gu Tingye’s brow involuntarily creased, but he still said: “Have her come in.”

When Qiu Niang entered, she saw Gu Tingye seated at the edge of the bed in a snow-white damask inner robe, barely concealing his impatience: “What is it?”

“This… Master… it’s been so many years since I’ve seen you. I… I…” The moment Qiu Niang heard his tone, she knew things were not going well. She stole a glance at Minglan, who was seated at the head of the bed folding and arranging his court robes, and felt inwardly torn. She hesitated and stumbled, unable to articulate her purpose. Gu Tingye grew impatient and asked directly: “What exactly is it you need? Get to the point.”

Qiu Niang had no choice but to keep it brief: “Over these past years, I have made some garments and shoes for the master. But it’s been several years since we’ve seen each other, and I fear the measurements may no longer be quite right. I hoped the master might try them on to see if they fit well.”

Minglan exerted great effort to suppress the light mockery threatening to appear at the corners of her mouth. She continued to focus on folding the clothes, and even took a moment to give Qiu Niang a warm and mild smile.

Gu Tingye let out a light, dismissive sound and scolded: “Such a trivial matter, and you took this long to say it! After all these years, how have you become less straightforward than before?! Just take a few of my garments and shoes to compare against the measurements — that will do. Do I have the time to try on every single piece?”

Minglan said mildly: “Qiu Niang’s concern is reasonable, Xiaotao — did you hear?” Xiaotao, who had been standing guard at the inner room’s doorway, smiled her simple smile: “Understood. Miss Qiu Niang, whenever you need to compare measurements for clothing in the future, just come find me — I’ll give you what you need.”

Qiu Niang’s heart turned sour and bitter. She had nothing to say in reply and could only keep answering in assent.

Gu Tingye said to Minglan: “I need to go out at the first quarter of the afternoon hours. Wake me no later than midway through the midday hour.”

Minglan turned to check the water clock, then answered softly: “Very well. Rest now and restore your energy — you’ll be clearer-headed for your work that way.”

Gu Tingye’s lips held a trace of fond, mock-exasperated amusement as he looked warmly at Minglan: “Mind you don’t sleep right through.”

Minglan grinned shamelessly: “Even if I sleep into a daze, there’s still Danju and Xiaotao.”

The two of them exchanged these words back and forth, like an ordinary husband and wife — plain and quiet, yet warmly enduring.

Qiu Niang’s heart ached. Unable to hold herself back, she cut in: “I’ll keep watch for you both, then — I’ll be the one to wake the master.”

Gu Tingye glanced at her and frowned: “Weren’t you told to look after Rong Jie’er? How can you—” He had been on the verge of a sharp reprimand, but then caught himself — he was before Minglan, and ought to leave Qiu Niang some dignity. So he held his tongue.

Qiu Niang had grown up in service and was skilled at reading expressions. She could see that Gu Tingye was now displeased, and she dared not linger. She said a few more words and quickly retreated, departing the master’s room with her eyes turning back at every step.

In the side room to the left, Luzhi was staring wide-eyed: “You actually went in and announced her?! What were you thinking?”

Danju fiercely bit the end of her thread: “I wasn’t being thoughtless at all! Isn’t she always fixating on the master? I deliberately had her go in right at that moment, so the master would have no patience to spare for her! Hm! Dream on!”

Luzhi’s expression finally relaxed: “That woman has such a thoroughly honest and good-natured look to her — I thought you’d been taken in.”

“How could I possibly be?!” Danju glanced toward the room across the way, where Caihuan was standing in the courtyard, smiling as she saw Qiu Niang out. She lowered her voice and said with intense feeling: “Luzhi, do you still remember what Madam Fang told us?”

“Of course I do!” Luzhi’s gaze followed Danju’s, landing on Caihuan and Qiu Niang, and her eyes instantly filled with fierce intensity. “Just a short while before, she was twisting and coyly telling us she wanted to ‘help ease Madam’s burdens.’ Pfft! Help what burden — help it into oblivion! Seeing how well the master treats Madam, she got envious and started entertaining thoughts she shouldn’t. Does she think no one can see what’s going on in her head?! Madam Fang said it long ago — anyone who goes out of their way to hover around the master or the young masters without cause is harboring twisted intentions. And anyone who scrambles to become a bed attendant or concubine is shameless trash!”