Chapter 10 — Cry for Me — Cry as If a Blood Sister Had Died

Jiang Heng, far away in the capital, had at last received the terrible news. He stumbled through the doorway practically wailing.

He could never have imagined it — he had just seen off his wife last year, and now this year he had lost his beloved daughter. Though he and Baba had quarreled over household affairs, what father in this world did not love his daughter? A single earthquake had taken her from him, and he could not understand why every other noble daughter in Youzhou had come through unscathed while his own child had not.

The body had already been placed in a coffin, which sat in the front hall. He stepped forward to take one last look, but Liu Shi stopped him.

“Master, best not look…” Liu Shi said through her tears. “Bricks and tiles fell from the roof — the face is already… Master would only grieve himself further looking. Better not to look.”

Jiang Heng’s body swayed. His outstretched hand hung suspended in mid-air and at last he withdrew it, muttering to himself: “I have failed the Madam — I did not look after Baba properly…”

Liu Shi wept, her tears streaming: “It is I who failed to look after the young miss. Master may not blame me, but I myself have no face. Yet looking at it another way — perhaps the young miss and her mother had a deeper bond, and Master could not keep her here. Now that she is gone, she has gone to find the Madam. Master, you must take care of yourself — there is still much to be attended to, and the household needs your direction.”

Xue Pan stood beside her watching her mother weep, and for a moment felt somewhat dazed.

She had asked her mother before — now that things had gone this far, how were they going to bring it to a close? The people who had been sent out earlier had found no trace of Yun Pan. None of the carriage houses in the city had any record of them renting a vehicle. Those two living people — Yun Pan and her maid — had vanished as if they had dissolved into thin air, without a single trace. Her mother had grown somewhat flustered, but after thinking it over she concluded there were only two possibilities: either they had been taken in by someone in the city, or they had been abducted and taken to a pleasure house by some ruffians.

If they had been taken in by someone, four or five days had passed and the disaster was gradually settling — they should have surfaced by now. But if it was the second possibility, that actually suited their purposes even better. All that roundabout scheming had been done in the hope of having someone else’s hand used to humiliate this legitimate daughter of the marquis’s household. Only — without any news, there was still some lingering unease. With her father about to return from the capital, what if he noticed something amiss? How would they explain it then?

On this point, Liu Shi had never been the slightest bit worried. Jiang Heng was truly easy to manage. Even with a body right in front of him, he was not necessarily able to tell whether the one lying there was his own daughter. For the time being, the only way forward was to keep playing the game and let the mistake stand. Jiang Yun Pan had been “dead” for several days now — even if she were to reappear, there would be no place for her in this household. Either she ended up as someone’s lesser wife, or she took the veil in a Daoist convent. The pampered darling of the county princess, the delicate beloved daughter of noble society at the Fanhua Banquet — in the end, that would be her fate. Surely that was enough to satisfy those who had once been unable to measure up to her.

“Treat the one in the coffin as Yun Pan.” Liu Shi instructed Xue Pan. “Cry for me — cry as if a blood sister had died. Your father will see it and be moved, and from then on he will only be more fond of you.”

Xue Pan had no ideas of her own — she did entirely as her mother said. In truth, knowing Yun Pan was still alive left her with a kind of thorn stuck in her throat. Human greed is truly without end — and at this moment she genuinely wished Yun Pan were dead. Dead would be so much easier: no need for shame, and everyone in the household could rest easy.

Liu Shi went on magnifying her grief without restraint: “Now that the young miss is gone, our hearts are broken to pieces. Yet Dongchang Commandery Duke’s household benefits. Originally, their second son was forbidden from formally betrothing anyone before our young miss was wed. Now that she is no longer here, what scruple is left? They are probably rushing to send their gifts to the Grand Academician’s household as we speak.”

This stirred up Jiang Heng’s ire, but though he raged and resented, in the end there was nothing he could do — he wept and vented his fury, then sat to one side sighing.

Liu Shi dried her tears and came forward respectfully to ask for instructions: “Now that she is gone, she must be put to rest. Master, please decide — how long shall the body lie in state? I will need to find someone to select an auspicious burial plot.”

Jiang Heng drooped his head dejectedly: “An unmarried child is not considered an adult — three to five days in state is enough, then let her be buried.”

“And Duke Shuguo’s household — should we send word? The Anping County Princess is the young miss’s maternal aunt, and though they have had little contact, if she were to make trouble in the future…”

Jiang Heng had no heart at this moment for such concerns. He furrowed his brow: “My own daughter — whatever happens, it is for me as her father to decide. When has it been anyone else’s place to speak up? Am I to report to outsiders just because my daughter has died?”

Liu Shi finally settled her heart back firmly in place. Truth be told, Jiang’s two useless aunts could be dismissed without a second thought — years of careful coaxing had ensured they would not speak a word against her. As for that wife of Duke Shuguo — eyes set on the top of her head, trading on the prestige of her husband’s title, and never once regarded the Jiang household with any real respect. If her niece had died, she would shed two tears at most. Once the coffin was underground, this family connection was severed entirely, and afterward the two households would have nothing more to do with each other — and the cleaner for it.

“In that case, all that follows shall be left to your concubine to manage. Master’s mind is uneasy, and there is much to deal with outside — if you don’t take care of yourself, what shall we do if you collapse from exhaustion?”

Jiang Heng nodded, his head hanging as he sighed: “So many troubles at once… His Majesty has dispatched the Duke of Weiguo to survey the disaster and he also serves as Youzhou prefect — this time it is precisely the right medicine for the illness. All the officials residing in Youzhou are doing their utmost to demonstrate their commitment to disaster relief. If our household does not contribute a single coin, I fear that won’t go over well. I was thinking — the betrothal money that Commandery Duke’s household returned when the engagement was broken — we might as well donate the full amount, so that Li Xin will have no grounds for criticism later, and can’t come to bother us.”

In truth, Liu Shi was somewhat reluctant. The betrothal gifts from Commandery Duke’s household had been generous — five hundred taels of silver plus twenty taels of gold — and even in the circles of the capital’s marriage connections, that was a sum worth noting. To donate it all now was like dropping it into water — at most one gets a reputation for virtue, but for a concubine confined to the inner chambers, that was an absolutely losing proposition.

“Perhaps… Master could inquire around and follow what the other colleagues are doing.” Liu Shi said softly. “It’s not that we are unwilling to give — the important thing is that in donating, one must avoid standing out too conspicuously. If people say the Yong’an Marquis’s household has mountains of gold and silver, it might draw the court to investigate the household’s finances, and that would not be good.”

Jiang Heng thought it over — that did sound right. He promptly changed his mind and instructed a servant to bring fifty taels from the carriage, to be handed over at the yamen when the moment was right.

He gathered up his grief and set out. Having lost one beloved person after another, he had grown somewhat numb to it all. Before leaving, he cast one more glance at the dark coffin, and seeing Xue Pan and Yu Pan both keeping vigil in the mourning hall, felt a measure of comfort in his desolation. He still had two daughters and a son, at least, to warm an aging father’s heart.

The household was in chaos, and the business outside also could not be neglected. Jiang Heng stepped out and boarded his carriage, instructing his manservant to drive toward the Youzhou yamen. Along the road he encountered several carriages belonging to other noble and marquis households heading in the same direction — it seemed the others had already presented their contributions and only he was lagging behind.

The currents of the moment — everyone with open eyes could see how the wind was blowing. The Duke of Weiguo was the Emperor’s nephew, and the Emperor’s line was not robust in the matter of heirs. In his early years there had been an imperial son, but the child was raised for only two months before passing. To this day, the Emperor had only one princess. The succession of the great throne in the future might well be chosen from among the three nephews.

It was like placing a wager. No one knew where the lot would ultimately fall, nor could anyone tell which way the Emperor’s heart truly leaned. In any case, as long as someone was an imperial nephew, the thing to do was to curry as much favor as possible — should the right person be chosen in the end, at least one would have a familiar face to call upon.

When Jiang Heng hurried to the yamen, he encountered the Transport Commissioner and others just emerging from inside. In the narrow confines of the courtyard they came face to face, and Cao Muqing paused slightly. “Why has the Marquis also come?”

The news that the Yong’an Marquis’s legitimate daughter had met with misfortune had long since spread through the whole street. The household was still holding a funeral, yet the chief mourner had found time to come over — which, aside from a declaration that Marquis Jiang’s devotion and loyalty were beyond reproach, left little else to be said.

Jiang Heng forced out a small smile: “I came too late — household matters kept me occupied…” He looked inside as he spoke and pulled at Cao Muqing, lowering his voice: “Transport Commissioner — I came in a rush and had no time to make inquiries about what my colleagues have donated. As luck would have it I’ve run into you — would the Commissioner kindly give me a pointer?”

Cao Muqing’s wife had once served as matchmaker between the Yong’an Marquis’s household and Dongchang Commandery Duke’s household. He knew the inside story of the broken engagement — Li the second son’s love for another and his betrayal of the Jiang household’s daughter was indeed improper, but the Jiang family’s decision to break the engagement while returning the betrothal gifts but retaining the betrothal money was also quite off-putting. Added to this was Jiang Heng’s poor management of his household, which had long attracted criticism behind his back. Cao Muqing was perfunctory on the surface but not at all sincere.

“More or less depends on one’s own thinking — it’s only a matter of giving as much as one’s means allow,” Cao Muqing answered in deliberately vague terms.

A conversation that was the same as hearing nothing. Jiang Heng was still at a complete loss, and could only press further: “And how much did the Commissioner donate? How much did Commandery Duke’s household donate?”

Cao Muqing stroked his beard with an air of profundity: “I am a mere Transport Commissioner — I must take my cue from those above me. Commissioner Zhang first donated forty taels, so naturally I had to give less than him. As for how much the Marquis intends to give — that is for you to decide.”

With that much said, it was clear enough — being only a seventh-rank noble title, there was no need to play the grand benefactor. Donating the same as Commissioner Zhang — forty taels — ought to be about right.

Jiang Heng cupped his hands toward Cao Muqing: “Many thanks to the Commissioner.”

Cao Muqing gave a sound of acknowledgment, indicating no need for thanks. Then he added: “I heard that your honored daughter has met with misfortune…” Seeing Jiang Heng’s face darken, he felt it would be indelicate to press on, and shook his head with deep feeling as he patted Jiang Heng on the shoulder: “Marquis, my condolences.” With that, he cupped his fists and parted ways.

Jiang Heng stood in the courtyard. The fifth month’s weather was already growing increasingly hot, yet every time he thought of Baba, a chill ran through his heart. When the Jiang and Li families had first contracted their match, Cao Muqing’s wife had been the matchmaker — and now, he would very likely turn around and play matchmaker again for the Li and Yan families.

In any case, the person was gone — no amount of anger would change a thing. Jiang Heng sighed and instructed his manservant to take the money from the carriage, then stepped through the main gate of the yamen.

On the east side of the main hall, in front of the halberd rack, a wide writing desk had been set up. A tongpan^③ and several minor clerks were tallying accounts and compiling the registers. Looking up and seeing Jiang Heng enter, they quickly rose and clasped their hands: “Marquis Jiang.”

Jiang Heng had some acquaintance with the yamen officials of Youzhou, and had once shared a table and drinks with that tongpan. Now the man was doing accounts for the Relief Commissioner and naturally expected pleasantries, so he nodded and said: “I trust Tongpan Sun is keeping well.”

Sun Tongpan answered with formal solemnity: “Serving the state — how could one speak of hardship? The Marquis has come to…”

Jiang Heng signaled the manservant to present the money pouch, and at the same time said to Sun Tongpan: “With the disaster in Youzhou, we naturally must all contribute what we can. This is forty taels of silver raised in the household — to be used as relief funds for the suffering people.”

At those words, Sun Tongpan’s eyebrow gave an imperceptible twitch. He had someone receive the silver ingots and enter them in the register, then clasped his hands and said: “The Marquis’s own household has suffered loss, household funds must be strained, and yet the Marquis still thinks of the people of this city — truly, it is asking much of you.”

Jiang Heng had still been sunk in the grief of his daughter’s death and had not caught the drift of Sun Tongpan’s words at first, hesitating before asking: “And so, Tongpan — how much have the other nobles and marquises in the city donated?”

Sun Tongpan glanced sideways at the register: “Prince Sheng — three hundred taels. Commandery Duke of Dongchang — two hundred taels. The rest of the other households are mostly around one hundred taels.”

Jiang Heng stood in stunned silence. After a long moment he finally understood — he had been led into a ditch by Cao Muqing.

Cao Muqing’s wife was close with Li’s wife, and they were deeply dissatisfied over the Yong’an Marquis’s household breaking the engagement while retaining the betrothal money. Now, by falsely reporting the donation figures, he had tricked him into giving far too little, so that people would say he was hopelessly stingy in the face of natural disaster — a Founding Marquis whose donated silver came to less than a minor clerk’s.

Yet the figure was already entered in the public register and could not be changed. The carriage carried only fifty taels in total. Jiang Heng was both furious and ashamed, yet could not let it show on his face.

In the midst of this vexation, soldiers at the gate announced that the Commissioner had returned.

Jiang Heng looked toward the gate. A dragon-tiger palanquin had stopped at the steps, and the accompanying soldiers positioned a footstool. One of them stepped forward to lift the hanging curtain. The man inside bent and stepped out — a full robe of purple silk in a round-collar style caught the bright sunlight, making his complexion appear all the more luminous and clear. Perhaps due to some bodily infirmity, even in this heat he still wore a white gauze inner robe with solemn propriety. A plain silver diexi belt gathered a slender yet upright waist. The man was somewhat lean but not in the least feeble. Catching sight of Jiang Heng from a distance, he cupped his hands in a smile of greeting.

① Registry and Inspection Bureau: an official storehouse for safekeeping valuables.
② “Baba” is Yun Pan’s childhood name — her family’s affectionate term for her.
③ Tongpan: a judicial and financial administrative officer of a prefecture.

Chapter 8 — Elder Brother

From the book: Exquisite Four Transgressions

With that one sentence alone, there was the warmth of family. Yun Pan understood that this elder cousin Mei was fond of her.

The maternal family seemed far more caring than the paternal one. Jiang’s household also had two aunts, but the men those two aunts had married were not particularly prominent officials. They exchanged visits only on important occasions, and whenever they came to the marquis’s residence, they left with carriages packed full of things. They were not warm toward their niece either — just a few idle words exchanged the way ordinary relatives do. So Yun Pan had never thought much of them.

As for Mei Fen — Yun Pan had heard her aunt mention her to A’Niang before. As a child Mei Fen had fallen into the water and nearly drowned, and after she was rescued, she had been timid ever since. In all these years she had never been fond of making friends, and her temperament was docile. In her aunt’s own words: “She has none of my decisiveness whatsoever.”

A great family’s daughter, raised too sheltered, with a life that had always gone smoothly — even if she was a little simple-natured and timid, it was all forgivable.

Madam Ming took Yun Pan’s and Mei Fen’s hands and placed them together. “If only Baba had come sooner — now that you’re here, your A’Jie has company. Two sisters together, studying music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and the years in the inner chambers won’t feel so dull.”

Mei Fen was full of curiosity about Yun Pan. She studied her carefully and felt that this younger cousin had a steady light in her eyes — those dark pupils were so clear and lovely. She herself was sometimes too timid to look people squarely in the face, but this younger cousin was different from her. The courage she lacked, this cousin had. Now that she had come, Mei Fen felt as though she had recovered half a measure of her own daring.

She rubbed Yun Pan’s hand. Her cousin’s hands were slender and soft. It put her at ease. “Baba has not suffered too much hardship at home.”

Madam Ming smiled. “Whatever happens, she is the legitimate daughter of a noble household. That creature would not dare harm her openly.”

Mei Fen was a very kind-natured person, and having grown a little more familiar with Yun Pan, she considerately urged her: “Now that you are here, treat it as your own home. Whatever you like to eat or play, just tell me — don’t hold back.”

Yun Pan felt her heart ease, and taking Mei Fen’s hand, said: “I’m afraid I’ll cause A’Jie trouble by coming this time.”

Mei Fen said, not at all. “Your coming makes me happy. The household is full of maidservants, and there are plenty of them — how much trouble could one person be?” She sought her mother’s instruction: “Mother, I would like Baba to stay in a courtyard close to mine.”

Madam Ming said: “Certainly. The courtyard ‘A Handful of Snow’ is closest to your Zilanyard — let’s put your cousin there. That way it’s convenient for you to go and visit her.”

Mei Fen had no full sister, and Yun Pan was not close to Xue Pan and Yu Pan either. Both could be said to have grown up in their own solitude. The sudden arrival of a cousin on the maternal side felt like gaining a blood sister.

Madam Ming was pleased to see them getting on so well, and understanding that Yun Pan had been traveling all night to reach the capital, she instructed the servants to prepare the courtyard A Handful of Snow. She also reminded Yun Pan: “Have your A’Jie take you to get acquainted with the courtyard, eat something proper, and rest. Once you’ve rested fully, I’ll assign some servants to help the maid you brought look after you. Your uncle and your elder cousin should be home in the evening — the household will dine together tonight, and you can meet your uncle then.”

Yun Pan answered yes, but immediately began to fret about the matters she had left behind. “My father…”

Madam Ming pressed her hand in a reassuring gesture. “You don’t need to concern yourself with that. Once your uncle and I have discussed it, we will know what to do.”

Yun Pan let out a soft breath of relief. Since A’Niang had passed the previous year, she had always felt without support or shelter. Now that she was here, at last she was no longer alone.

Mei Fen tugged at her sleeve. “Baba, let’s go.”

Yun Pan bowed respectfully to her aunt, took Qin Dan along, and followed Mei Fen.

Madam Ming watched their retreating figures and let out a long sigh.

Beside her, Nanny Yao brought tea and, fanning gently, said: “Madam has always worried about the young lady, fearing she would suffer hardship under that muddled father. Now it is well — keeping her close, you can rest easy.”

“Quite so.” Madam Ming suddenly brimmed over with tears. “When I see her, I think of Yuyin. Before her A’Niang passed, she still entreated me to look after her, never imagining that at such a young age, she would go before seeing her daughter married. Baba, poor dear — aside from this aunt of hers, who else can she rely on? Youzhou suffered such a terrible disaster — they say a thousand thousand houses collapsed, yet the Yong’an Marquis’s residence still stands, and she herself ends up with no home to go back to. She traveled through the night and only arrived this morning… What young lady of good family has ever endured such hardship!”

Nanny Yao had been a wet nurse sent from the Grand Princess’s household as part of the wedding accompaniment, and knew every detail of those old events. She offered comfort: “The young lady at least has you to turn to — compared to those with no one to appeal to, she is already far more fortunate.”

Madam Ming wiped her tears. “The child trusts me — I can only do all I can.” She turned to add: “Go there yourself to keep watch over her — others won’t be as careful.”

Nanny Yao answered yes. No sooner had they finished speaking than a maidservant called in from outside the corridor to say that the Master had returned.

Madam Ming rose and went to the front courtyard to receive him. A carriage was already stopped at the gate. Duke Shuguo’s back pain had flared up again today. He came through the main gate lurching sideways, kneading his lower back as he went.

“Go heat some water.” Madam Ming turned to instruct the waiting concubine standing nearby, then went forward herself to support the Duke and said: “Lie down first and press a hot cloth against it — send for food a little later.”

Duke Shuguo’s back injury was a root ailment left from the battlefield. Standing for too long caused sharp pain, and even walking was somewhat difficult. He managed with great effort to shuffle into the inner chamber and lie face down on the couch. Only after the hot cloth was pressed to his lower back did he begin to feel some relief. He closed his eyes and said: “Youzhou’s earthquake — the court is dispatching relief funds and grain, and everything is in chaos. His Majesty knows I cannot stand for long and specially granted me a seat, but how could I dare sit — I stood rigidly for two full hours.”

Madam Ming pressed the hot cloth and rubbed his back for him, shaking her head and sighing: “The court is in an uproar, and home is no different…”

Duke Shuguo sensed something unusual and looked back over his shoulder. “What’s happened?”

Madam Ming explained everything from start to finish, and ended by cursing Jiang Heng. “A daughter can only stay at home for a year or two at most before she must eventually be married off. If I were in his place, I would only be wishing I could give her more love for the time being. As it is — allowing his concubine to torment her — how does he call himself a father!”

Duke Shuguo was also taken aback. “To think things went so far? That wicked woman — she’s got the marquis’s residence in the palm of her hand?”

The thought of it was infuriating. In those days, to win the hand of Yuyin, Jiang Heng had sworn every oath imaginable — that he would treat her well for the rest of his life. Yet the moment she was through the door and his status rose with his wife’s, he turned around and took in Liu Shi. A man’s word — ultimately not to be trusted. No matter how dear his own daughter, how could she compare to the woman who warmed his bed at night!

“I intend to see justice done for Baba — we cannot let Liu Shi off easily.” Madam Ming said through gritted teeth. “I’ll send word to Jiang Heng shortly, to ask what he plans to do about this.”

But Duke Shuguo said there was no need to rush. “The moment you send word, Jiang Heng will find out and come to collect her. And then Baba and that creature will end up in the same compound again — what future will there be for Baba?”

Madam Ming said: “Does he have the nerve to come and take her back?”

“How not? They are father and daughter by blood — can you forcibly keep her?”

That put the matter firmly to rest. Madam Ming sank into her seat and could only heave one breath after another. “Then what do you propose? I am not willing to let the child go back. If she is to be married in the future, let her father bring a generous dowry and send her off from our ducal household.”

Duke Shuguo, seeing that there was no chance of comfort, struggled upright. “My thought is this — best not to make a sound. Let that concubine keep playing her game, and then I will go to Jiang Heng myself to see how they intend to settle it. If Jiang Heng offers no explanation, let him treat his daughter as if she no longer exists — and everything that follows will be none of his concern.”

Hearing her husband say this, Madam Ming finally felt a settled certainty. She calmed down and thought it through carefully — yes, this was indeed the right way to proceed. Without letting them hold a funeral and arrange the burial, she could turn around and point the finger at Baba for having run away from home on her own — and then she would have a mouth but no means to defend herself.

Since that was decided, they would wait to see what moves the marquis’s household made. If Jiang Heng proved capable of discovering that it was not his legitimate daughter who had died, then there was still some humanity left in him as a father. But if he simply listened to whatever Liu Shi told him, then a muddled man was unfit to be called a father, and Baba would simply stay on in the ducal household from this day forward — they would treat her as their own daughter.

In any case, close kin were never too many. Madam Ming was very glad of it, and that afternoon she began making preparations for the evening banquet. In the middle of it all she went to visit the courtyard A Handful of Snow.

When she arrived, the two young women were resting together in the same room. She looked at one, then the other, lingered for a moment, and quietly withdrew from the inner chamber.

“The young mistress is sleeping here without complaint?” she asked the maidservants waiting outside the door.

Since her fright as a child, Mei Fen had developed a stubborn habit — she was particular about her room and her bed, and had never been willing to sleep anywhere beyond her own courtyard. This had been a source of worry for Madam Ming as a mother — Mei Fen was growing older by the day, and a betrothal, once made, must eventually lead to a wedding. The family to which she was engaged was most distinguished. Though they were in no hurry to rush things, one could not keep a daughter at home forever.

The maidservant bent her knees in a half-curtsey and said: “In reply to Madam — the young mistress stayed of her own accord. She seemed restless at first and couldn’t settle, but the cloud young mistress stayed and talked with her for a good while, and gradually there was no more movement from inside.”

Madam Ming was comforted to hear it. It seemed that with Baba’s arrival, everything had taken a turn for the better. With her as company, Mei Fen would be less withdrawn — and perhaps in time, even that fearful habit of hers might improve. She gave another quiet instruction to take good care of them and to send someone to fetch them when it was time to come for the meal.

The sun crept slowly westward and cast its light on the eastern courtyard wall.

Under the eaves, the bamboo blind rattled softly in the wind. The light drapery on either side of the balustrade billowed and swelled like a drawn breath. Two orioles perched on a crabapple tree and chattered away, chattering so enthusiastically that they woke the young women sleeping inside the embroidery chamber.

Yun Pan stirred and opened her eyes, and for a moment could not remember where she was. After she gathered her wits and turned her head to see Mei Fen lying on the daybed, she remembered that she had arrived at her aunt’s home.

Mei Fen must have woken long ago, though she had not made a sound, and lay there quietly staring up at the ceiling. When she caught the corner of her eye on Yun Pan propping herself up, she turned her face and smiled. “You’re awake?”

Yun Pan gave a soft sound of assent, and said a little sheepishly, rubbing her forehead: “I traveled all night — I was truly exhausted.”

Mei Fen said no matter. “At home, sleep however you like. Besides, you didn’t sleep that long — I thought you would sleep until sundown.”

But this was another family’s home, after all — how could she sleep so shamelessly? She sat up and reached for her shoes. Qin Dan came in from outside, knelt on the footstool, and helped her put them on. Yun Pan looked down at her face. “Did you manage to close your eyes for a little while?”

Qin Dan smiled. “Once the young misses were asleep, I settled myself against the painting table in the outer room. I slept very well — a full hour and more.”

Mei Fen’s maidservant also came to help her out of bed. She moved over and sat beside Yun Pan, saying softly and gently: “It’s about time — let’s tidy ourselves up and go to the front flower hall. Father and Elder Brother should both be back by now.”

Yun Pan agreed. Qin Dan arranged her hair in a bun for her, and the maidservant in attendance brought in several sets of clothes, saying they were all prepared by the Madam for the young lady, and asked which she would like to wear today.

Yun Pan still preferred lighter colors. She chose a pine-frost green collarless short jacket, secured with a sandalwood-colored embroidered sash. Mei Fen looked her up and down with a smile and said: “What a striking appearance.” This made Yun Pan blush.

Knowing she was embarrassed, and that it was also the first time she would formally meet her uncle and elder cousin, Mei Fen took her hand and led her together to the flower hall at the front.

The Duke’s residence was more imposing than the Yong’an Marquis’s household — different noble ranks, different standards of dwelling. Just the wooden corridor alone ran long and connected straight through, and the walls of the nearby courtyards were set with intricately carved lattice windows in one elaborate pattern after another. Through the openwork holes one could glimpse the scenery on the other side.

Mei Fen was at ease in her own home. Seeing Yun Pan looking around curiously, she said: “That side is the small garden — there are a few courtyards there where the concubines and the two illegitimate younger siblings live. When we have time tomorrow, I’ll take you for a stroll.”

Yun Pan gave an acknowledging sound and followed, holding Mei Fen’s sleeve. After they had walked a stretch, she suddenly heard Mei Fen call out: “Elder Brother!”

Yun Pan stopped and looked over. Standing before the moon gate was a young man in a rain-washed sky-blue gown. He was tall, with a fine, handsome bearing. Hearing Mei Fen call out, he turned his head — in that clear and pristine garment, his fair and calm face and pair of gentle eyes came into view. The impression he gave was like slender willows reflected in rippling water — with a quality that could thaw winter ice and herald the coming of spring.

Chapter 9 — So It Was Him

From the book: Exquisite Four Transgressions

“That is my elder brother, Xiang Xu — his courtesy name is Hexu. Baba, come meet Elder Brother.” Mei Fen gave Yun Pan a gentle nudge forward.

There is a line in the Book of Changes: “The great man — his virtue accords with heaven and earth, his brilliance accords with the sun and moon, his order accords with the four seasons.” No doubt his name was drawn from these words.

Yun Pan stepped forward and bowed to him respectfully. “Baba pays her respects to Elder Brother.”

Xiang Xu had heard upon returning home that the household had a guest — his late aunt’s daughter. He knew the name Baba, but since he had been occupied with his studies every day after coming of age without a single day’s absence, and as boys rarely accompanied their mothers on family visits, he had not even been able to attend the funeral when his aunt passed away and had never met this cousin. Today counted as their very first acquaintance. He studied her carefully — as she walked up to him and lowered her head in greeting, there was something in that single bowed moment like the sun breaking through clouds. He had always assumed she was still small — a child of no more than twelve or thirteen in his imagination — yet the person standing before him was already a grown young woman.

Xiang Xu gave an abashed smile. Like Mei Fen, he had a shallow dimple when he smiled, and something a little childlike about his expression — different from the men of this age, for there was always a quality of youthful sincerity between his brows and eyes.

He said: “So you are Baba — I hadn’t realized you’d grown so big.” He was nineteen years old, not yet having come of age, and his constant time at the Imperial Academy of Learning had given him a somewhat old-fashioned, overly serious air at times.

Whether a person is easy to get along with is usually apparent from a single sentence. Yun Pan folded her hands and said with easy composure: “I am called Baba — if I were any smaller, I would have to be three or four years old.”

Xiang Xu was startled, and then, as if waking from a dream, his face flushed. “I truly was muddled — since I was small I’ve heard Mother going on about Baba this and Baba that, and only ever remembered you as little. I’ve been carrying that image around for more than ten years.”

Mei Fen also teased him: “Elder Brother has always been muddled, hasn’t he?”

Xiang Xu was not the least bit annoyed. He was a person of extremely good temperament, and before his younger sister he never put on the airs of an older brother. He only made a self-deprecating curl of his lips, then raised his hand in a gesture: “Father and Mother are already waiting. Both younger sisters, please go ahead.” And he followed behind as Mei Fen and Yun Pan walked in front.

The household rules of Duke Shuguo’s residence were truly strict. The head of the household had made no special effort to elevate the concubines, and they never dared to show themselves. Even for the arrival of such a small honored guest as this, only the two legitimate children attended — though as legitimate children, the son and daughter born of the concubines were also officially under the principal wife’s name, making them proper members of the household.

“Baba, come here.” Madam Ming beckoned with a warm smile and led Yun Pan to pay respects to Duke Shuguo. “Come greet your uncle.”

Duke Shuguo was roughly the same age as Jiang Heng, bearded, and having been born a military man, carried a natural air of authority that required no display of anger. Yun Pan stepped forward to bow and wished her uncle good health. Duke Shuguo’s brow relaxed into a smile. “We are family — no need for such formality.” Only then did Yun Pan notice that Xiang Xu really did resemble him greatly.

Her aunt then introduced the second young master and the second young mistress. The second young master, Xiang Yan, appeared to be about eleven or twelve years old — young in years, yet composed and measured in his conduct. The second young mistress had a pair of slightly upturned phoenix eyes that gave her a tender and expressive look. Her name was perfectly straightforward: Lan Fen. One could see that Duke Shuguo had not given much thought to naming his daughters — if two more were added, they would very likely be called Zhu Fen and Ju Fen.

Once the introductions were complete, they could sit down to dine. The meal prepared to welcome the guest was most refined — Apricot Cream Steamed Lamb, Preserved Fish, White Braised Pork, Eight-Treasure Duck, and many more dishes, spread out across the table. Madam Ming also instructed the servants to place water-smooth glutinous rice cakes and honeyed lotus root in front of the young women, and said with a smile: “Baba has loved sweet foods since she was small. These are the work of Banlou — do taste them. If you enjoy them, next time you want some, just call for one of the restaurant’s errand men, and they’ll send them to the residence.”

The food establishments of the capital were more resourceful than those of Youzhou. The restaurants kept a type of person called an “errand man” who specialized in delivering meals to various households. Even the Emperor, when he tired of the palace kitchen’s imperial dishes, sometimes craved street food — Li’s Old Woman’s mixed vegetable broth, or pig pancreas flatbreads — and as long as someone placed an order, those errand men would weave through the streets and alleys and deliver right to the palace gate.

Yun Pan tasted the glutinous rice cake — sweet enough to make one happy. Across the table, Xiang Xu watched her eat with a smiling expression that carried a quiet and contented ease.

Madam Ming also brought up the matter of the marquis’s residence, saying only: “Your uncle and I have decided — for now, we hold back and watch to see what game they will play next. If they truly cannot tolerate you and will not have you there, you will live peacefully here with us, and your affairs going forward will be managed by your uncle and me.”

Yun Pan heard this and set down her chopsticks, looking down as she said: “I only fear I am causing my uncle and aunt trouble. At any other time, visiting my aunt would be a happy occasion — but now it feels like taking refuge…”

Xiang Xu had heard about the marquis’s incident upon returning home and felt deeply indignant on Yun Pan’s behalf. Without waiting for Madam Ming to speak, he interjected with a measure of chivalrous spirit: “Don’t be afraid. If Marquis Jiang refuses to let the matter rest, we have our answer ready for him.”

Duke Shuguo and Madam Ming laughed at that. “What answer do you have ready, spending all your days with books?”

Xiang Xu, a little embarrassed to be teased by his parents, said sheepishly: “I’m not going to argue with him — I can at least speak to him about the principles of fatherly love and filial conduct.”

So men of learning resort to reasoning — but when faced with something as thoroughly senseless as this, what principles could be invoked?

Bringing up Jiang Heng and that creature at the table was bound to ruin anyone’s appetite, so Duke Shuguo turned the conversation and asked about the disaster in Youzhou. Yun Pan said: “I happened to be attending the Fanhua Banquet at the time — during the earthquake, I was outside the city. It was sudden, as if the sky had darkened in an instant, and everyone was terrified. After the earthquake, when I entered the city, the residential wards and courtyards had been badly damaged, a good many people had been crushed to death, and their bodies lay along the roadsides — a most harrowing sight.”

Everyone’s expressions grew grave. Madam Ming said: “Amitabha Buddha — such a calamity as this has not been seen for many years. Those poor commoners.”

Duke Shuguo let out a sigh. “The court is doing all it can to provide relief — there is talk of first building a Solitary Garden to shelter those refugees who have lost their homes.” Then he asked Yun Pan: “How did you make your way to the capital? Did you see checkpoints set up at the city gates when you left?”

Yun Pan said: “Soldiers were questioning everyone passing through the gates. We were at a loss about where to hire a carriage, and just then happened to encounter the prefect overseeing the relief. We gave our names and asked the prefect to do us the favor of sending someone to escort us — and by some fortunate chance, that prefect agreed.”

Duke Shuguo nodded. “The court dispatched several Relief Commissioners. Which prefect did you encounter?”

Yun Pan thought back — the rain-filled sky before her eyes was still vivid, and the man seated in the carriage had never shown his true face. “The captain who arranged our carriage and horses said it was the Youzhou prefect.”

At those words, Mei Fen’s expression changed to one of unease — though Yun Pan could not fathom why.

Yun Pan hesitated, wondering if she had said something wrong. But it was Madam Ming who laughed instead. “So it was him. I was so preoccupied with blaming Jiang Heng that I forgot to ask about any of that — I never imagined it would be him who helped Baba.” She glanced over at Mei Fen with purpose and told Yun Pan: “Your elder sister was betrothed two years ago — and the young man in question is precisely the Duke of Weiguo. Truly, as they say — the floodwaters swept into the Dragon King’s own temple. No wonder he asked no questions and agreed straight away to send you to the capital.”

Only then did Yun Pan understand — of course there were no favors without reason. The Duke of Weiguo had a marriage tie with Duke Shuguo’s household, so naturally he would not make it difficult. All in all, she had been fortunate today — to have happened upon a Duke. Had it been only a minor official on an errand, he might well have sent her straight back to the marquis’s residence without a word.

But Mei Fen looked rather put out, and with a somewhat awkward expression she muttered: “Mother, please don’t bring that up.” She helped Yun Pan to some food. “Baba, try this.”

Mei Fen’s moods were something Madam Ming had long grown accustomed to. At the mention of the man she was to marry, there was not even a trace of shyness from her — instead she behaved as though she had encountered a sworn enemy. So Madam Ming gave Yun Pan a meaningful look and said: “Your sister is an odd one — once you two are spending time together, do what you can to counsel her.” Then, as if she had just remembered something: “I recall that your A’Niang, while she was still with us, arranged a betrothal for you with the second son of Dongchang Commandery Duke’s household. Has a date been set? When does his family intend to fetch you?”

Xiang Xu, who had been looking down all this while, also raised his eyes toward her at that.

The subject made Yun Pan thoroughly embarrassed. She hedged and said: “The engagement has already been broken off… That Li second son — he and the eldest granddaughter of the Grand Academician of the Zizhengtian Hall are in love with each other…”

So the table flared up in indignation once again. Madam Ming had seen right through the scheme. She said with exasperation: “No wonder that creature grew impatient — had this not happened, she would have gritted her teeth and kept up the pretense until you were married off.”

A whole ground scattered with feathers — better not to dwell on it. Duke Shuguo set down his chopsticks. “Enough — why rake over all this trivial business?” He picked up his wine cup and held it out toward Xiang Xu. “Xu’er, drink a cup with Father.”

Xiang Xu quickly lifted his cup and clinked it lightly against his father’s. He was apparently not a man for drinking — a single cup of Jade Floating Liang wine, and he drank it as though swallowing bitterest grief.

After the meal, Mei Fen and Yun Pan withdrew from the flower hall. The lanterns hanging at the eaves swayed gently in the breeze, and overhead the new moon curved in a slender crescent. The night spread with the cool fragrance of grass and trees.

Mei Fen said: “Tomorrow I’m making incense — will you come too, Sister?”

In these days of peaceful plenty, the leisurely amusement of young women in the inner chambers often took this form — “sitting at ease burning the incense seal, pine and cypress fragrance filling the room,” a refined pursuit envied by poets and scholars alike.

Yun Pan said yes. “Tomorrow I’ll come and be your helper, A’Jie.”

Mei Fen gave a dimpled smile, tilting her head to ask: “What incense can you make, Sister?”

“When A’Niang was still with us, she taught me several recipes for seasonal incense — the Han and Wei Duke’s Rich Plum Blossom Incense, the Broad Cold Incense — I’ve made both of them.”

She kept her expression perfectly neutral, but the message was plain enough — “Han and Wei Duke” contained “Wei” and “Plum,” and everything she meant to say was tucked inside.

Mei Fen caught it and said with a pout: “You’re laughing at me too!”

For a young woman of marriageable age, being betrothed was only natural. Mei Fen was seventeen now — by those standards she ought to be feeling some urgency, for in the capital, girls who had not yet left their family home by eighteen were already considered to be trailing behind, going a little stale in other people’s eyes.

Yun Pan truly had no other meaning in mind, and said with a laugh: “I wasn’t thinking about any of that — A’Jie is reading too much into it.” She paused and then brought the topic back: “This time, that I was able to make it to the capital safely — I do owe thanks to the Duke of Weiguo. I didn’t know the household was connected to him by marriage; it was only when I heard Aunt mention it just now that I understood he had acted out of consideration for A’Jie.”

Mei Fen’s expression remained displeased as ever. Looking downward, she said: “What consideration do I deserve? This engagement was none of my doing — it was entirely Father’s and Mother’s idea. That household is not like ours — ours earned its title by meritorious service, and our family name is different from the imperial line. Their family name is Li, and they are of the same clan as the Emperor himself. A household of such towering status, with so many rules and such heavy propriety — someone like me, going in, would not last three years.”

The officialdom was forever rife with jostling for advantage, and even in an age of peace, undercurrents ran strong beneath the surface. Mei Fen often seemed quiet and unremarkable, but in truth she understood everything. And so she had been begging her mother to keep putting off the wedding date — it was truly because she knew that with her own temperament and nature, she would not survive in that household.

She even envied Yun Pan. “To be like you — wouldn’t that be fine? The engagement is broken off, and you are free in body and spirit.”

Yun Pan laughed despite herself. “A broken engagement is a mark against one’s reputation — people may not say it aloud, but they will mock you in secret.”

True enough — each had her own difficulties. As children one could lean on one’s parents, but once a little older, one had to press forward into whatever lay ahead.

Mei Fen gave a soft sigh. “Never mind — I won’t think about that anymore. Rest well tonight, Sister, and tomorrow morning I’ll burn incense and brew tea and receive you with all due ceremony.”

She was never willing to go out, and that small courtyard of hers was the only world where she felt safe and unbound.

Mei Fen could not walk the night paths after dark — she was afraid even within the garden. Yun Pan walked her back to Zilanyard and watched her go inside before turning back to A Handful of Snow on her own. One full day and night of upheaval and change — from being adrift with nowhere to go to finally settling to rest — and now, looking back on it, she hardly knew how she had gotten through it.

Chapter 10 — Cry for Me — Cry as If a Blood Sister Had Died

From the book: Exquisite Four Transgressions

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