The reception hall was a room at the southeast corner of the residence, with covered walkways at the front and back for the maidservants and matrons to come and go and attend to visitors. It had been set aside specifically for receiving friends and relatives.

Madam Cao and An Rong sat inside for a good while without seeing anyone from the household come to attend to them. They had drunk several cups of tea, and were beginning to feel somewhat dispirited. An Rong lowered her head and murmured, “Mother, let us just go back.”

Madam Cao was also a little uncomfortable with being kept waiting, but she had no intention of giving up. She said to wait a bit longer. “Today, neither the Senior Madam nor the Princess Wang are here — that is precisely the opportunity to have a word or two with the Duchess.”

The so-called “word or two” was nothing more than a mutual probing back and forth. After all, if An Rong truly were to enter the residence of the Duke of Weiguo in the future, it would still be the Duchess who held authority over her daily life. If this principal mistress’s intentions remained vague and unclear, then An Rong’s position in the future would very likely be uncomfortable in all sorts of ways.

An Rong was a young girl, and the idea of entering a household as a concubine was already enough to fill her with grievances. Who in the world would willingly demean themselves — turning down the position of a proper wife to become someone’s concubine instead?

Her heart was deeply unhappy. She could not persuade her mother to change her mind. Last night she had tentatively raised her own view, and her mother had cut her off with a single sharp word: “You are a child — what do you understand of the proper proportions? Whatever adults arrange for you is always for the best.”

But she truly did not understand — what, precisely, was the good in becoming someone’s concubine?

Now that things had reached this point again, she still wanted to try one more time and said, “Mother, let us just go back. Sitting here like this, neither cold nor warm — surely even Mother can see how things stand?”

Madam Cao felt she was truly without ambition. A little cold treatment like this — what was there to bear? For a household like this one, with the social position of her own family, to aspire to a proper marriage was absolutely impossible. But there was great potential in taking the side path. An Rong was still young, with limited foresight. Seeing her keep wanting to back out like this, she worried that when she met the Duchess, the girl’s expression would be unwilling and reluctant — and all the scheming of these past days would be wasted.

Glancing around, there were no maidservants or matrons of the Duke’s household waiting inside the reception hall, only two serving women standing at the far end of the covered walkway, too distant to hear what was being said in here. Madam Cao took the opportunity to advise her quietly, “When the Duchess speaks to you in a moment, you must be lively and engaging. Don’t look so dull and listless that you put people off. This child — do you think your mother would harm you? The Duke of Weiguo’s character and appearance are both first-rate. Even if you searched with a lantern, it would be hard to find anyone like him among the distinguished figures of the capital. Think about it — since you have come back, have you ever heard of him visiting pleasure houses or carousing? In the future it would be one wife and one concubine — you would not necessarily lose out. Besides, we are the Senior Madam’s relatives on her own family’s side, and your father is also a sixth-rank official. You would not be the same as any common Yinniang entering the household — on the strength of your standing, you would be a secondary wife. And should your belly cooperate and produce a son, with the Senior Madam and the Duke’s favour, you might even contend for an equal-rank wife — that would not be out of the question.”

An Rong’s face burned crimson with humiliation. She was not eloquent, but she knew what was proper. Her fists clenched. “Mother — is this just wishful thinking? What mother in the world has their daughter go as someone else’s concubine?”

Madam Cao furrowed her brow and was about to lose her temper, but was afraid that too great a commotion in someone else’s house might be noticed. She lowered her voice and said, “You pig-headed child — why can you not think this through! Do you know what the current state of affairs is? The Emperor has no imperial sons, and no one knows which Duke will succeed to the throne in the future. If it happens to be the Duke of Weiguo, just think carefully about what rank an old retainer from the former household would be granted. In the common world there is still a distinction between wife and concubine, but in the imperial palace, who dares to mock a Noble Consort? The Senior Madam of this household was herself a Noble Consort of the late Emperor — look at how much favour the Hu family received while the late Emperor was alive. Without that Noble Consort Hu, where would the present Guanglin Marquis’s residence be? That is the way of the world today — whether a wife prospers depends entirely on her husband’s rank. Once the Duke of Weiguo reaches the summit, the Duchess’s father, the Marquis of Yong’an Kaiguo, would inevitably become the Duke of Yong’an. Our family may not receive the enfeoffment of a Duke or Marquis, but at the very minimum an Earl of Kaiguo would certainly not escape us.”

The conversation between mother and daughter was just being overheard by Yun Pan, who had arrived along the rear covered walkway.

So what was not even a shadow of a certainty in anyone else’s eyes was already, in other people’s view, such a large and tempting piece of meat. At times one couldn’t help but find it a little absurd — those directly involved were treading on thin ice, while bystanders were already thoroughly convinced of victory. Madam Cao was only thinking of the Duke of Weiguo ascending to the highest position and then granting favour to the Cao family, having them awarded a title. But had she not thought about what would happen if it was not the Duke of Weiguo who succeeded — what then?

In truth, according to Li Chenjian’s present inclination, not drawing unrelated people into this was, on one hand, a measure of self-protection, and on the other, also a protection for others. Being in his position, glory and disgrace could turn in an instant. It was a pity that these bystanders could only see the brilliance and dazzle, never understanding the dangers within.

She let out a quiet breath, then deliberately made some noise, raising her voice to ask the serving woman beside her, “Is the Adjudication Official’s wife still here?”

The serving woman said yes, and led the way inside. They skirted around a landscape screen, to find Madam Cao and An Rong already on their feet. Yun Pan smiled and stepped forward to greet them, saying, “Please forgive me, Aunt. There were some matters to attend to in the rear courtyard, and I was delayed until now. I hope I have not been impolite.” Even as she spoke, she had fresh tea brought, and also asked, “Have Aunt and Sister eaten their morning meal before coming? I’ll have the people below prepare a few pastries for Aunt and Sister to have a bite.”

Madam Cao quickly said no need. “We had already eaten before coming. We were out buying things at the market street and happened to be in the neighbourhood, so we came to pay our respects to the Senior Madam and the Princess Wang, and to call on you as well.”

Yun Pan said, “Aunt, you are being too formal. I am the junior here — how could I deserve Aunt calling me My Lady this and My Lady that? Aunt should simply call me Yun Pan. Only — you have come at an awkward time, Aunt. Today happens to be the holy birthday of the Eastern Emperor the Great, and Grandmother and Mother have gone to the White Cloud Abbey to burn incense. They are likely not coming back until they have eaten the vegetarian meal there.” She smiled again. “But it is also pleasant to have Aunt come to see me. My heart has been troubled, and it will be good to have a conversation with Aunt.”

Madam Cao showed unprecedented interest, leaning in and asking, “Have you run into some trouble? I am a woman of some years — let me help you think it through.”

Yun Pan put on a look of difficulty, sighed, and said, “Aunt, look at our household — such grand and imposing surroundings. One would think that life in a marquis’s and duke’s residence would be dignified. Yet the troubles in the inner courtyard are truly endless. Never mind other things — just the serving maids who attend to the Duke: one of them has developed unseemly designs. Our Duke is the most upright of men and turned the matter over to me to deal with. I am at my wits’ end about this today, wondering whether it is better to beat her to death or to sell her off.”

Madam Cao was startled. She and An Rong looked at each other blankly, and hesitantly said, “A serving maid trying to climb higher — it hardly seems necessary to beat her to death…”

“Aunt doesn’t understand. When there are so many people serving in a courtyard, if you don’t make an example of one of them, they will all start to have ideas above their station — and where would that end!” Yun Pan said with a look of confiding sincerely, taking on the air of someone who had found a sympathetic ear. “You are not an outsider, Aunt, so there is nothing wrong in telling you — I have only been in the household three months, and there are already those who cannot wait to have the Duke take a concubine. And yet they do not look at their own standing and ask whether they are worthy of being a Yinniang in our Duke’s residence. I am not a petty person — if it were a girl from a proper family, after a year or so things could be arranged. But encountering this shameless sort — it is quite unpleasant. There are so many servants in the house, and without firmly disciplining them, things simply won’t do…”

While she was still speaking, Nanny Yao came in from behind the screen and reported, “My Lady, that Jin’er is making a scene about wanting to die, and is saying she wants to go before the Senior Madam to lodge a complaint against you.”

The result was a sudden crash — Yun Pan stood up and smashed a teacup. “What sort of creature is she, to threaten to lodge a complaint against me before the Senior Madam? Go — have her beaten soundly, but don’t beat her to death. Keep just enough life in her and call a broker, then have her taken away without asking for a single coin. Let the broker take her far away — sell her off to Shuofang. She is never to be allowed back to the capital for the rest of her life.”

This whole dramatic display utterly stupefied Madam Cao and her daughter.

People always said the Duchess of Weiguo was gentle and gracious — so how did the person they were seeing today bear absolutely no resemblance to what was said? Such a young woman, yet so quick to talk of beating and selling people off — the serving maid had a heart set on currying favour with the master, but was that enough reason to be sold off to Shuofang?

So this gracious reputation was all for the outside world. When it came to actually running the household, she was utterly unyielding. Especially on the matter of concubines — she seemed to be someone who would brook not the slightest challenge. Madam Cao couldn’t help but hesitate: if An Rong truly did end up in this household, she would sooner or later be ground to dust.

Yun Pan was still acting. She raised a hand to rub her temple and said, “I have made Aunt and Sister laugh. In the ordinary way of things I am not so hot-tempered, but they have made such a scene that I am at my wit’s end — I had no choice but to resort to firm measures and give them a thorough lesson.” She put a smile back on her face. “I think Aunt and Sister should stay for a simple meal. Our Duke will be back soon — let me introduce Aunt and Sister to him. Relatives who haven’t seen each other for years — you might not even recognise each other anymore.”

Madam Cao, at this point, had thoroughly put the idea out of her mind. She had wanted to attach herself to the Duke of Guogong’s residence, but she was not willing to gamble her daughter’s life on it. When all was said and done, An Rong was not a ruthless person. In these deep mansions and great houses, conflicts between wife and concubine could cost a life at any moment. When all was said and done, the one running this household was still this Duchess, and even if the Senior Madam above protected her, she could not be protected for an entire lifetime. Better to set it aside — after all, wealth and splendour could only be enjoyed while one was alive. If the person was gone, everything became empty.

Thinking it through, Madam Cao stood up and said with a smile that no, they couldn’t stay. “We have been long away from the capital, and the residence has been empty all this time — there are still many things to attend to. We will accept My Lady’s kind regard. Another day when our master returns, we will set a banquet at home and invite the Senior Madam and everyone to come over — we do hope you will not find us too modest and will honour us with your presence.”

Yun Pan said, “Aunt, what do you mean — we are all family. There is no question of finding anyone too modest.”

Seeing that they truly intended to take their leave, she did not press them to stay. She smiled and said, “Aunt, when you have time, bring Sister to visit again. Or perhaps tomorrow — if Aunt has something to say to Grandmother, tomorrow would be fine. Grandmother will certainly be home tomorrow.”

Madam Cao smiled stiffly. “There’s nothing important to say — just idle family chatter. We are afraid we may not find the time for a while. When there is time, we will come.” She drew back her hand. “My Lady, please do not see us out. We will take our leave now.”

Yun Pan said of course, and watched while the serving women escorted them to the garden gate. Once they were out of sight, she couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. “I have made quite the villain of myself before those people today.”

But what could she do if she didn’t play the villain? She couldn’t simply sit there while people set their hearts on Li Chenjian and spent their days dreaming of becoming his concubine and someday a Noble Consort.

Thinking about it, she found it a little amusing. Others were more certain of Li Chenjian’s chance of succeeding to the throne than she was herself — they had already worked out what title the Duchess’s father would receive if the Duke of Weiguo became Emperor, while she spent every day wracked with worry: worry that the palace would deliberately make things difficult for him, worry about the Duke of Chuguo returning and opposing him at every turn.

She had also been lucky to encounter the sort of people the Cao mother and daughter were — talked out of the idea with just a few words. If she encountered someone more determined, absolutely set on bringing someone in, she had no idea how much effort it would take to make them give up.

Afterward, when the Senior Madam and the Princess Wang returned, Yun Pan also reported the news that Madam Cao had come to visit. The Senior Madam was very interested and asked, “Did she leave any particular message?”

Yun Pan stood to one side pouring tea, saying as she did so, “I asked — Madam Cao said she was just out shopping at the market street and happened to be in the area, so she came to pay her respects to Grandmother. I suggested she come again tomorrow, but she said the household was busy and she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to get away for some time. She would come when there was a chance.”

The Senior Madam heard this and couldn’t help but pause. She wondered to herself how it was that things had suddenly gone so cool. Had Yun Pan said or done something?

She turned to look at her — she was still wearing that serene expression, now offering tea to the Princess Wang and asking whether there had been many people at the incense-burning today. She smiled and said, “Next time I will definitely go with Grandmother and Mother — I have things I want to ask the Three Pure Ones to protect as well.”

The Princess Wang reached into her sleeve with a smile and pulled out two paper charms, handing them to her. “I asked for what you would have asked for on your behalf. Today the high priest at White Cloud Abbey opened the altar. For Ji Fu, I asked for great achievements and safe passage — for you, I asked the Patriarch to protect you and grant you an early precious son. White Cloud Abbey’s charms are the most efficacious. Have Ji Fu carry his on his person, and you keep yours close to you as well — perhaps before long there will be good news.”

Yun Pan acknowledged this, took the two yellow charms folded into triangles, and slipped them into her sleeve pouch. She attended to the elders as usual. Though the Senior Madam still had her doubts, she said nothing.

After she had gone, the Senior Madam spoke to the Princess Wang. “I can see that this Bai Bai is no ordinary girl — while we were away at the White Cloud Abbey today, we left her alone at home to receive visitors, and it just happened that the Cao mother and daughter showed up. I don’t know what method she used, but she certainly made them have a change of heart.”

The Princess Wang had already discussed the matter of concubines with Yun Pan earlier, and in her heart she was not in favour of her mother-in-law meddling in Ji Fu’s quarters. But she found it difficult to state her position too plainly, so she said diplomatically, “Bai Bai is a sensible child — she would never do anything out of bounds that would offend people. It may well be that the Cao family has found a better prospect somewhere, and they came specifically to thank Mother for the kind intention, but since they did not meet you, they simply let it go.”

Yet the Senior Madam was still unwilling to give up. “If the Cao family doesn’t work out, that is no matter — we can slowly search for someone else.”

The Princess Wang listened, and truly found the words very displeasing. She could not understand why this mother-in-law of hers was so insistent on having her grandson, barely married for half a year, take a concubine.

She thought of her own experience — thankfully she had already been married for three years before the late Emperor passed away, and by then Ji Fu was already one year old. The Senior Madam had been brought out of the palace by Prince Liang to be kept in his care, and had at that time also been busy arranging concubines for Prince Liang, placing those two Yinniangss in the Burning Lamp Courtyard.

Yet had this way of doing things truly been good for everyone? The Princess Wang had been harbouring her resentment deep inside for many years, and today, with the opportunity finally before her, she decided to say what she had never been able to say.

“I can see that Ji Fu and his wife are very much in love, and right now, arranging a concubine for him is something he is not willing to accept.”

The Senior Madam heard this and looked over at this daughter-in-law of hers. They had been mother and daughter-in-law for over twenty years. She knew the Princess Wang’s temperament well — ordinarily she seemed perfectly obedient, but she also had her little rebellious thoughts where her mother-in-law was concerned. She furrowed her brow. “It is a good thing for a young husband and wife to be devoted to each other, but one also cannot forget the great duty on one’s shoulders. Thinking only of tender love and not having room in one’s heart for others — is that how one plans for great things?”

The Princess Wang thought privately that great things were not accomplished by producing children, but one could not speak so brazenly in front of an elder. She controlled herself and said carefully, “That is not what I mean. I only said — just look at how Ji Fu was at the dinner table the other day. What is in his heart is plain enough to see.”

The Senior Madam heard this and was displeased. “I know — he was doing it on purpose, for my benefit.”

“Then his intentions, Mother has also seen clearly.” The Princess Wang began to draw on Prince Liang as her argument. “His temperament is like the late Prince’s. There is something I have never told Mother: Mother, do you know why the two Yinniangss in the Burning Lamp Courtyard have never had children?”

This was something the Senior Madam had genuinely never been able to understand, so she asked, “Why?”

The Princess Wang said plainly, “Because in the space of more than ten years, the number of times the Prince went to their quarters could be counted on one hand. You see — the Prince also had no particular enthusiasm for taking concubines. Ji Fu had no one in his quarters before marriage. To suddenly have him manage another person out of nowhere — I don’t believe he has the will for it. It would be better to wait a while. Let another year or half a year pass. If Bai Bai still shows no sign of a child, then it would not be too late to consider candidates.”

The Senior Madam grew more and more despondent. “The father was like this, and now the son is the same way. This line of ours has only this single branch — I hope he will spread and grow, with more sons to make the roots strong. Yet looking at things, it seems no one understands my troubles.”

The Princess Wang quickly came to soothe her. “Mother is being too harsh on yourself. They all know your heart. They are just young and cannot turn the corner yet.”

The Senior Madam let out a long sigh and said in conclusion, “Consider it my wasted effort. Only — even if the man remains vague about things, if Bai Bai were truly a worthy wife, she should take the initiative and arrange things for him herself. Once a person is inside the garden, there’s no going back out again. Even if Ji Fu only fulfilled his duty by occasionally visiting the concubine’s quarters, that would still be something. One can’t have it all one’s way forever, and in time he will inevitably start going to the concubine’s room.”

The Princess Wang thought privately that even if they accepted it reluctantly, it would not last. In the end there would only be more women lying in daily longing — given a comfortable life but, in terms of feeling, only a great wrongdoing committed. What was the point? She could not say such things, of course.

Over on her side, Yun Pan placed the two charms on the table and studied them carefully for a while. She could only see the red cinnabar characters pressed deep into the paper, strange symbols crossing and twisting over each other, with a line of tiny characters in the middle. She was just thinking of opening one out to read, when she heard Nanny Yao reporting from beyond the screen that the Duke had returned. She stood and went out to the covered walkway to wait for him.

Looking around, she thought how quickly life passed by here. The pomegranate tree in the courtyard, which had been heavy with fruit, was beginning to shed its leaves. By now only a sparse few remained, drifting in the wind. The fruit was too small to eat, so she had let it stay on the branches, growing redder by the day. In time they began to show signs of withering, but from a distance they still looked like little lanterns, one by one adding a touch of brightness to the increasingly desolate courtyard.

Li Chenjian came in through the arched gateway. From across the garden he saw her. However much wind and bloodshed there was in the outside world, it was all left at the gate — stepping into Xu Zhou felt like a wholesome, peaceful joy.

His young wife waited for him on the covered walkway. Before he even reached her, she was already smiling at him with curved eyes. When he did arrive, she asked whether the Duke was tired today. Reaching out to feel his fingertips — if they were cold, she would tell a maidservant to bring hot tea to warm him up first, then they would sit across from each other and talk for a while.

“The Cao mother and daughter came this morning.” She said this in a soft and unhurried voice. “I thought of a way to frighten them off.”

Li Chenjian always loved to hear her talk about her little domestic details. Holding his hot tea, he asked in full detail about what had happened. She hadn’t even started telling him before her face flushed red. “I made up a serving maid who had been trying to climb into the master’s bed, and I dealt with her severely right in front of them. I wanted them to know that life as a concubine under my roof was no easy thing, and that Madam Cao, caring for her daughter, would naturally not let her daughter wade through that muddy water.”

He could not quite picture what her version of “severely” looked like — she must have gritted her teeth and furrowed her brows, and that kind of expression on this slightly youthful face of hers seemed somehow impossible to imagine.

In any case, the trouble had been dealt with, and there was no need to dwell on the method. Yun Pan added with confidence, “I expect that before the year is out, no one should be thinking of pushing anyone into our courtyard again.” She picked up one of the two charms and placed it in his hand. “This is a protection charm Mother brought back from White Cloud Abbey. She told you to carry it with you.”

Li Chenjian said of course. He put the charm into his sleeve, then looked at the other one. “And this one is for you? What was it asked for?”

She bit her lip and smiled, lowering her head to touch the charm. “What else could it be — a charm for a son.”