As the days grew gradually warmer, on the thirteenth day of the second month, Wang Zhong and Wanxiu returned first.

Though Wang Zhong’s formal attachment had already been transferred out of the princess’s guard, they had not yet moved — everyone was still temporarily residing in the Princess’s residence.

Xie Yuzhang had someone bring snacks and sweets for Wanxiu’s two children, and enquired warmly after Wang Zhong’s family.

“Everyone is well, everyone is well,” Wang Zhong said. “My father and mother are both hale and hearty. My younger brother has taken a new wife, and their child can already run about.”

Wanxiu alone said nothing, her expression flat.

Xie Yuzhang then dismissed Wang Zhong and kept Wanxiu alone.

They went into the side chamber and sat together on the raised platform to talk. The room was heated by underground floor pipes, without a speck of dust. The two children sat directly on the floor, happily eating their sweets.

Xie Yuzhang asked: “What happened?”

Wanxiu let out a sigh. “I never would have imagined that a family like that could raise someone as honest as him.”

Wang Zhong was straightforward and guileless. She had assumed his family would be similar — but not at all.

“The eldest brother wants everything. The youngest brother wants to take everything. Not even Yaya’s little padded jacket was spared — he said it would fit his own daughter perfectly. His daughter is only four months old; she’d have to wait three or four years to wear it.”

“Three brothers and a sister-in-law — the aunt and her husband rely on the eldest brother to live, yet they still favor the youngest. Only our family — the one stuck in the middle — gets no love from either parent.”

“And he is so honest and foolish — he only thinks about himself making a fortune as a sub-commander and coming home in glory. He wants to give everything he has away to his family.”

Wanxiu let out a long sigh. “In the seven years we have been married, we have never once argued — I truly never imagined…”

Xie Yuzhang was furious. “He quarreled with you over this?”

“He did not,” Wanxiu said. “I scolded him, and he only fell silent. Later, when I grew angry and refused to speak to him, he said quietly that his brothers had never had a good day in their lives, and he just wanted to let them live better.”

Wanxiu extended her hand and pushed back her sleeve, revealing a bracelet of red-gold twisted filigree on her wrist. “This trip home, I took precautions and did not wear any pearls or jade — only this one bracelet. The moment the eldest sister-in-law laid eyes on it, she nearly let her own eyes drop out. She held it in for several days, then finally, at a family dinner where everyone was gathered, she began to weep, saying she had gone her whole life without touching gold, and that now she had — only to find it was on her sister-in-law’s wrist. Not even the mother-in-law had worn such a precious bracelet; if I were truly filial, I ought to remove it then and there and put it on the mother-in-law.”

Xie Yuzhang, in two lifetimes, had never gone without power and fine clothing, and had never lacked for food or finery. The petty domestic squabbles of common families were utterly foreign to her. She was left wide-eyed and speechless. “How could anyone say such a thing?”

She also asked: “What did Wang Zhong say?”

Wanxiu said: “Our one at home looked at me then. I think he also wanted me to remove it and give it to his mother, but could not bring himself to say so, and only hoped I would take the initiative myself.”

Xie Yuzhang was so furious her head spun. She cursed: “What a scoundrel he is. Did you give it? Oh, I’m being foolish — of course you didn’t!”

The bracelet was still sitting perfectly on Wanxiu’s wrist.

Wanxiu lowered her sleeve to cover it, and said evenly: “I said that naturally, fine things ought first to be offered to one’s elders. Only this piece is an imperial household article, a gift from the Princess — I dare not give it away carelessly. Such disrespect would anger the Princess, and the master of the house could lose his post.”

Xie Yuzhang burst out laughing. “Well said.”

Wanxiu said: “Our one heard my explanation and came to his senses as well — this was a gift to me as part of my dowry from Her Highness. He immediately intervened and put a stop to it. The eldest sister-in-law made a scene, and the second sister-in-law fanned the flames, saying something about how a sister-in-law had actually come to blows with the eldest. I did not speak, only clutched his lapel and wept. I thought to myself at that moment: if he allowed me to be treated this way any longer, I would leave him.”

Wanxiu exhaled slowly. “Fortunately this honest fool had not completely lost his senses. He drew his blade then and there and split the table in two — after all, he was a man who had waded through a battlefield. He frightened the entire household into silence. We packed our things immediately and left. From that journey all the way until now, I have not spoken a single word to him.”

Xie Yuzhang was so angry her head ached. “How could I not have seen what a fool he was!”

Then she said: “You were right to do what you did. I told him long ago — if he treated you poorly, it would be a clean break between you!”

Wanxiu hesitated, then said: “Your Highness, I have been thinking about this for some time. Your Highness’s companions are mostly young women. Since Nanny Xia passed away, Your Highness has been without an older and more steady-tempered person by her side. I would like to ask Your Highness — could I return to serve as a head housekeeper?”

Xie Yuzhang said: “Your husband is at least a sub-commander — a proper eighth-grade official. A head housekeeper will not do.”

Wanxiu felt a pang of disappointment.

But then Xie Yuzhang said: “I had actually been waiting for you to return before raising this with you — I didn’t expect you to bring it up yourself. I was thinking of having you go to Jia You’s side, to serve as her governess.”

Wanxiu was overjoyed and moved, her eyes reddening. “Your Highness.”

A head housekeeper was a servant-woman of the inner household — such a position required the signing of an indenture.

A young noblewoman’s governess, however, was often hired for a handsome sum by great households. From the palace ladies who had been released over the years — those former female attendants and nannies — many had been eagerly sought out by wealthy families to serve as governesses for their daughters. This was an employment arrangement, not an indenture.

Wang Zhong had formerly held a high standing because Xie Yuzhang was in Mobei, with only those five hundred soldiers, and Wang Zhong had stood second only to her among them, which gave him considerable prestige. But now, back in Yunjing, with Wang Zhong having left Xie Yuzhang’s service, he had at once reverted to his former self. In a Yunjing full of powerful nobles, who would notice an eighth-grade sub-commander? For his wife to be engaged by the Princess’s residence to serve as a governess was no slight to him — it was, if anything, a step upward.

Xie Yuzhang sighed. “You have seen what Jia You’s situation is like. And as you yourself said, the people around me are all too young — there is no one older and more settled. I have thought it through, and I would only feel at ease entrusting Jia You to you.”

She added: “Should this not still be discussed with Wang Zhong?”

Wanxiu said: “There is no need. I give Your Highness my answer now — consider it settled.”

Xie Yuzhang was pleased. “Very well, then it’s settled.”

She said: “I’ve thought it over. You and Wang Zhong need not move out of the residence either. That small courtyard in the northwest corner is for you to live in. Seal the door facing the inner residence and open a gate to the outside instead. Turn right out the gate, and the back entrance of the residence is right there — easy to come and go.”

“Niuniu and Yaya, bring them to Jia You’s courtyard. There are young maids to help keep watch, and they can all look after the children together. I’ve been worried that Jia You’s courtyard is too quiet — having those two little ones to make some noise there will bring some life to the place.”

Yaya was only four years old, plump and round from being raised on goat’s milk, at the most adorable stage. Hearing herself named, she scrambled up and tried to climb onto the platform bed. “Your Highness, Your Highness.”

Xie Yuzhang smiled warmly and lifted her into her arms for a good squeeze.

Both children had been born and raised under Xie Yuzhang’s watch, rolling about in front of her tent from the time they were small — they were entirely unafraid of her.

Xie Yuzhang fed Yaya a snack and asked her: “Yaya, is our residence better, or is the old home better?”

Yaya swallowed her snack and nodded vigorously. “The residence is better!”

Niuniu scrambled up too and said: “The residence is better. The old home is no good. Grandmother is a bad person — she stole Yaya’s jacket!”

Wanxiu did not scold her son, only ruffled his hair.

Xie Yuzhang let out a sound of disdain. “We shall not go back there in the future.”

Then she coaxed Yaya: “Yaya need not be afraid — we will have new jackets made for Yaya, so she will be pretty and lovely.”

Xie Yuzhang then asked Wanxiu: “How is things on Yuexiang’s side?”

Wanxiu said: “Her family is right next door to ours, side by side. The Li family — every one of them sharp-minded, yet sharp in the right way, and not bad people at heart. We said our farewells before we left, and her husband and wife were planning to stay a few more days.”

Xie Yuzhang was reassured.

Wanxiu took the children back to the temporary lodging. The side courtyard had been subdivided into many small courtyards — it was originally where a great household’s trusted senior staff would live.

Wang Zhong had kept some slaves back in the steppe; before leaving he had sold a few, and brought back two men and two women. When Wanxiu returned, hot water and a hot meal were already ready, and Wang Zhong was rubbing his hands together: “That was quite a long talk with Her Highness, wasn’t it?”

Wanxiu glanced at him, gave a quiet sound of acknowledgment, and led the children into the inner room.

For the past several days she had not spoken to Wang Zhong at all.

She had always been gentle and capable, keeping the household in perfect order. She had never imagined she would suffer such humiliation at her mother-in-law’s home. Wanxiu had followed Xie Yuzhang on the steppe for eight years, weathering it all. She was not someone who allowed herself to be mistreated — it was simply that in her in-laws’ house, with the weight of “filial piety” pressing down on all things, her hands were tied.

Wang Zhong followed her in and waited on her, offering tea and attending to her needs.

Wanxiu had barely sat down when a maid arrived from Xie Yuzhang, delivering a parcel.

Wanxiu asked: “What is it?”

The maid had been trained by Wanxiu herself — she was entirely one of their own. She announced in a clear, carrying voice: “Her Highness heard that Yaya has no jacket to wear, and has sent fabric down especially — to have new clothes made for our Niuniu and Yaya!”

Wang Zhong’s face burned scarlet with shame.

The maid continued: “Sister, please do keep it safe — we mustn’t let it go missing again. Her Highness says: if anyone dares take things from us again, we shall go to the capital’s magistrate’s office and file a complaint! It is unheard of that a child of our Princess’s household should have her jacket taken from her — Her Highness says she doesn’t know where to put her face.”

Wang Zhong’s neck was as red as his face, and he could not lift his head.

Wanxiu said nothing throughout.

Only after dinner did she tell Wang Zhong: “Her Highness has engaged me to serve as the governess for the nineteenth young lady. I have already accepted.”

Jia You’s place in Xie’s senior branch was nineteenth; Jia You was her title. Others did not address her by that title, and so referred to her as the Nineteenth Young Lady.

This was naturally a fine thing. Wang Zhong said: “Good. Good.”

Wanxiu said nothing more.

Only at bedtime, when Wang Zhong moved to return to the bed — for since that day Wanxiu had refused to share it — Wanxiu only looked at him. After a long silence she said: “Wang Zhong, when Your Highness first asked me whether I was willing to marry you, I said: Sub-commander Wang is honest and valiant, a man one can lean on — I am willing. Her Highness told me: even if the marriage turns out wrong, it does not matter, she is still here. I could simply leave and go back to Her Highness’s side.”

Wang Zhong’s heart ached greatly. He took her in his arms and cried out in remorse. “I was wrong!”

“I was foolish! Our family was poor once, and now that I am doing well, I want to see them do well too. I thought — we are all family — they have never had good days, and what’s mine to let them have a little is no great thing.”

“Then you were pushed down by my sister-in-law, and I was struck dumb.”

“If she weren’t a woman, I would have cut her down! It’s not as if I haven’t killed before!”

“But then I suddenly came to my senses — I already have my own family now! The first duty is to protect my own wife and children! The money I gave for building the house and for my third brother’s wedding came from the resettlement funds I received when I went to Mobei. I owe them nothing!”

“What kind of man lets his own woman be mistreated! Wanxiu! I truly know I was wrong! It will never happen again!”

Wanxiu lay in his arms and wept quietly.

The husband and wife were ultimately reconciled.

On the fifteenth day of the second month, Xie Yuzhang again arranged to enter the palace together with Li Weifeng, and once more they encountered Noble Consorts Cui and Deng.

This was also the reason why Xie Yuzhang had offered to accompany him into the rear palace: coming alone, he would be caught in an awkward position if he ran into Li Gu’s consorts. Yet if he did not come, Li Zhenzhen would tearfully lament to Li Gu that everyone had forgotten her.

Li Weifeng was helpless.

It was also a peculiarity of the newly established dynasty — so many extraordinary circumstances. And with the Hexi faction and the old party standing side by side, everyone was still cautiously watching one another, for the moment refraining from making the first move. Otherwise, someone would long since have come forward to point out just how improper all of this was by ritual law.

As for these women — their relationships were truly complicated.

Li Weifeng, nursing a heart full of eagerness to watch the drama unfold, peered at them slyly from the side.

But to his surprise, whether it was Li Zhenzhen, Cui Yingniang, or Deng Wanniang — Xie Yuzhang held easy, cheerful conversation with all of them. Noble Consorts Cui and Deng smiled warmly in return.

Li Weifeng found the scene he had hoped to see entirely absent, and could only steal glances over at Li Gu.

With this particular group of people, it was truly unsuitable for them all to sit together at dinner. Once Xie Yuzhang had fulfilled her duty — made her appearance and checked the task off her list — she patted herself on the back and rose to take her leave.

Since Noble Consorts Cui and Deng were both present, Li Zhenzhen could not very well keep Li Weifeng. Unexpectedly, Li Gu also rose and accompanied them as they departed. Li Zhenzhen could only watch as Li Gu left together with both of them.

Noble Consorts Cui and Deng, faced with Xie Yuzhang, held perfectly steady — the one who ought to be gracious remained gracious, the one who ought to be bright remained bright. Not a trace of the effect Li Zhenzhen had hoped for materialized, and it left Li Zhenzhen feeling quite displeased.