Yun Pan was a little taken aback. She had not expected Liu Yinniang to have been brought so thoroughly to heel, and could not help but feel a certain admiration for Jin Shengyu’s skill at handling people.

Jin Shengyu smiled modestly. “I had no choice — this Liu Yinniang is not a woman of ordinary temperament. She is always looking for an inch and taking a mile. If you soften toward her one day, the very next she is plotting how to climb over your head. And our Marquis is a man of such easily influenced inclinations — the last time that household sent word that Liu Yinniang was dying, he ran so fast he lost his shoe. Fortunately I went to have a look for myself, and she was hardly dying at all — sitting there on her bed weeping prettily, like a pear blossom in the rain. I took her into the courtyard afterward and gave her a thorough dressing-down, and that cured her of the habit of sending false alarms. I thought — after the way she treated you before, there should be some reckoning. You are a magnanimous person and chose not to pursue it, but at least having her bow her head before you is only right and fitting.”

Yun Pan felt genuine gratitude toward this stepmother for thinking things through so carefully. She only said: “That was so long ago — honestly, I no longer think about it. But thank you, Aunt, for still keeping it in mind and speaking up for me.”

Jin Shengyu said: “Of course. Good people should be rewarded, and those who do wrong should face consequences — that is only just and proper. Unfortunately, her offenses were not quite serious enough to warrant official charges. Since she cannot be taken before a court, she can at least suffer within the household. She is a person of flexible character — scold her every day and she stays quiet and behaves herself. Show her the slightest kindness, and she begins scheming how to tell tales against you to the Marquis. Can you believe it?”

While they were talking, two women dressed as young matrons were shown in by a matron at the door. Jin Shengyu gestured toward them with a smile. “They have served your father diligently and faithfully — last month they were both raised to the rank of Yinniang.”

Yun Pan rose to her feet. After all, they were her father’s concubines, and the generational distinction was different — she nodded and addressed them as Yinniang. They responded with respectful bows. She observed them carefully, and they did indeed carry themselves with discretion and propriety. They had clearly been well trained by Jin Shengyu.

Jin Shengyu said pleasantly: “This garden is fairly large. Once I had taken charge of things, I had your courtyard put in order. If you ever have a free moment in the future, come back here with the Duke for a stay of a few days. Your A’Niang is no longer with us, but this Hou residence is still your family home. Visiting like this, the way you did today, is a way of keeping your father in your heart.”

Yun Pan nodded. “I have always wanted to visit more often, but our Duke is so occupied with his duties. Today he managed to make some time, and I thought I should come and see Father and Aunt.” As she spoke, she took Jin Shengyu’s hand. “Aunt, I must truly thank you. Today I could see that Father’s vigor and spirits are so much stronger than before — all thanks to Aunt’s devoted care. In the world of officialdom, people always adapt to the circumstances before them. After A’Niang passed away, those who wanted to see a joke or stir up trouble were not few, and Father is not a particularly sharp-eyed man — sometimes he suffered a loss and took two days to figure out what had happened. Now that he has married you, Aunt, this home feels like a real home again. Not long ago, our Duke mentioned seeing Father walking with his head held high before the main gate, and said he seemed utterly unlike the man he used to be.”

And so Dowager Lady Hu’s words had not been without foundation. Men upheld the household in the world outside — and what upheld the man, in turn? It must be the woman behind him. With a capable and virtuous wife as his support, a husband carried himself with dignity in the outside world. Without Jin Shengyu, Father at this moment would likely still be going about with his head hung low, without the peace of mind to search out fine paintings from previous dynasties.

They exchanged pleasantries at considerable length. It was only now that Liu Yinniang made her belated appearance, drifting in through the door. Without saying a word, she went first to her knees before Yun Pan and wept: “Young Mistress, I was foolish in those days — I wronged you, and I am sorry. Young Mistress is generous and magnanimous; please forgive this unworthy one. I know my faults now. The Lady of the House has come and taught me many things. From this day forward I will rein in my temper and do everything as the Lady of the House directs.” As she spoke, she turned and received the tea tray from the maidservant and offered it up with both hands: “Young Mistress, please have tea. Lady of the House, please have tea.”

Yun Pan had seen plenty of this woman’s act — one face in public, another in private. This display of humble submission had been one of her reliable performances since the days when A’Niang was still alive, and it had not improved much since.

But she had not come here looking for trouble. What mattered was seeing Father and Aunt Jin. Idle characters like this one were long beneath her notice.

“There is no need for this, Yinniang. You are in Father’s household — it is not proper for you to kneel before me.” Yun Pan accepted the tea and set it aside without drinking, gesturing for her maidservant to help Liu Yinniang to her feet. “I will not say much more — I only hope that in the future, Yinniang will take good care of the Master and the Lady of the House. After all, a harmonious home is the foundation of all good fortune. Even if it is not for your own sake, think of the younger children.”

These words fell precisely on the concern Liu Yinniang was most anxious about. She seized the opening at once: “The younger ones are in the Lady’s hands now, and there is nothing I am uneasy about. But since you have come home today, Young Mistress, I hope I may be so bold as to mention one matter to you and to the Lady of the House — Xue Pan came of age last month. She is at an age where a suitable match should be sought. I hope Young Mistress and the Lady of the House will keep this in mind and find a trustworthy family for her.”

Yun Pan glanced at Liu Yinniang. This business had gone unsettled from before, and the woman was still thinking about it even now — which only confirmed that a person’s fundamental nature could not truly change.

Jin Shengyu had no patience for this, and shut Liu Yinniang down with a single sentence: “She has barely come of age — what is the hurry about finding a husband? The girl has not even been properly shaped yet. Send her off to someone else’s household now, and she will be offending her in-laws and causing strife with her sisters- and brothers-in-law. That would only bring shame to the Hou residence. You have come here to impose on others the moment the Young Mistress returns, when your own affairs are not yet in order — I don’t know how you could open your mouth to ask. As for the second young lady’s marriage, it is my view that we should hold off — another two or three years would not be unreasonable.”

Liu Yinniang was stunned. Two or three more years would put Xue Pan at seventeen or eighteen. Seventeen was still passable, but eighteen was practically an old maid — at that age, what respectable family in the capital would take on a girl so far past the usual age? It was clear this Jin woman had made up her mind to ruin Xue Pan!

But she could not confront her directly. The way things stood, Jin Shengyu was the mistress of the household. The children were in her hands — if she wanted to bring up the matter of Liu Yinniang’s servant status, Jiang Heng himself might not be able to protect her. So she could only push back carefully: “What the Lady says is perfectly sensible — though perhaps we could settle on an engagement first, and do the shaping afterward, so that the second young lady’s prospects would not be wasted.”

“Liu Yinniang seems very eager indeed.” The two other concubines, sitting nearby, finally spoke up, having watched long enough. “All the affairs of this household, large and small, are in the Lady’s mind. When the time comes to arrange a match for the second young lady, the Lady will naturally know what to do. Pressing like this — if an arrangement were rushed in haste and a poor choice made, you would only be looking for complaints later, and going to tell tales to the Master.”

Liu Yinniang was rankled to be dressed down by two women of far less standing than herself, but she could say nothing. For now, she had no choice but to swallow her resentment.

At that moment, a matron came in from outside to announce that the banquet was ready and awaiting the Lady and the Young Mistress.

Jin Shengyu took Yun Pan’s arm and rose, saying with a smile: “Don’t let us linger here. The Marquis says you love roasted lamb — I had it specially prepared. Let’s go.”

It was not the place of concubines to share the family’s table. Liu Yinniang had no choice but to retire with the other two to the flower hall. She hurried back to her own courtyard and called for Cui Jie. “Go quickly and find the second young lady. Pass her a word in private — tell her to make sure to show herself before the brother-in-law.”

Cui Jie could not quite make sense of this instruction, and thought she must have misheard. “Show herself before the brother-in-law?”

Liu Yinniang clicked her tongue. “Do I have to say it twice?”

Men, as a rule, always carried a degree of natural warmth toward young and lovely women — and between a brother-in-law and a wife’s younger sister, there was already a closer tie than with a stranger. Yun Pan had climbed to her high branch now and was utterly impervious to all approaches. But if the Duke of Weiguo were to take a favorable interest, Xue Pan might yet be able to ride the tailwind and make something of herself — or so Liu Yinniang thought.

They had come to the end of all other roads. Things like face and dignity were luxuries only the privileged could speak of. Let Xue Pan parade herself a few times before the Duke of Weiguo — if she happened to catch his attention, then leaving aside everything else, even on the strength of their kinship by marriage, he could hardly refuse her a favor when the time came to ask one.

“Go, go!” she urged, shooing Cui Jie out the door.

It was no matter that concubines were not permitted at the table. The three children, though born of a concubine, were still considered proper members of the household — people who could sit at a table with the Duke of Weiguo. Xue Pan was no fool. Once she heard and understood, she would know how to act. Opportunities like this were rare. Miss one village and there would be no next inn.

Cui Jie, with her instructions received, ran off at a trot toward the front courtyard. Going in, she happened to run into the sisters Xue Pan and Yu Pan, who had just returned from their lessons with the etiquette instructor. Seeing Cui Jie so breathless, they asked: “What happened? Did Yinniang send you?”

Cui Jie said yes, and glanced about to make sure no one was nearby, then leaned in close to Xue Pan’s ear and relayed Liu Yinniang’s words in full.

Before Xue Pan could so much as nod, Yu Pan let out a shocked exclamation: “This is absolutely outrageous!”

Xue Pan quickly moved to cover her mouth, and gave her a warning look. “If you want to be the upright one, then keep out of my affairs and pretend you never heard a word of this.”

Yu Pan’s character was considerably stronger than Xue Pan’s. Being the middle of the three siblings, overlooked and favored least by anyone, had paradoxically meant she had taken less after Liu Yinniang, and had managed to keep a more honest heart — one capable of distinguishing right from wrong.

She pulled free of Xue Pan’s hand and argued back: “A’Jie, we may be born of a concubine, but we are still daughters of a noble house. We cannot behave like those beneath our station and demean ourselves.”

Xue Pan rolled her eyes at her. “I think you are the one who has lost her mind. You make me sound so disreputable. I am only showing my face — what do you think I am going to do?”

Yu Pan, somewhat reassured by this, followed her into the front hall.

Since Xue Pan had come with a purpose, she paid particular attention to the Duke of Weiguo. This was not the first time she had seen this brother-in-law of hers — she had seen him on the day Father had brought Jin Shengyu home as his bride. A man like this was the finest among men. Surely there was not a single woman in the capital who did not secretly admire him. And Yun Pan’s luck was truly remarkable — she had that cousin of hers, who refused to show her face to anyone, to thank for saving this gentleman’s hand for her. At the root of it all, it had been A’Niang outsmarting herself. If not for the earthquake on that day, Yun Pan would never have gone to the capital, and still would have been, at most, matched with a family like the Duke of Dongchang’s — never stumbling into such an exceptional fate by sheer chance.

In any case, it was a mixture of jealousy and envy, and a heart that was deeply reluctant to credit Yun Pan with anything — but for the moment she could not afford to show ill temper, and should in fact do everything she could to make herself agreeable, in order to draw closer to the Duke of Weiguo.

So she changed her expression and went to greet her warmly: “Elder Sister is back?”

Yun Pan felt no particular warmth toward this half-sister. She responded with a perfunctory nod, and reserved her genuine smile for Yu Pan, asking how her lessons had been going recently.

Before Yu Pan could answer, Xue Pan had already cut in, saying: “The etiquette instructor who teaches us is very strict — she has been teaching us how to conduct ourselves in society as well. Elder Sister, we were foolish before and always disrespectful to you. Please do not be angry with us.”

Yun Pan drew the corner of her mouth back slightly. “Sisters living together are bound to have the occasional quarrel — it is a small thing. Do not dwell on it.”

The truth was she had no patience for Xue Pan. The girl was a second version of Liu Yinniang — full of a petty and calculating air, always looking for a crack to slip through. But for the sake of maintaining an outward appearance of family harmony, she still managed a few words in response.

She had thought this would be enough to end the conversation so they could take their seats for the meal — but Xue Pan pressed forward, seizing her hand with both of hers. “Elder Sister, this is such a rare opportunity. I have not seen you in so long and there is so much I have wanted to say. In the past, between Elder Sister and my Yinniang, perhaps there were some misunderstandings — Yinniang did not handle things well and hurt Elder Sister’s heart, and I apologize on her behalf. But Elder Sister, we are family, after all. Even teeth knock against the tongue sometimes. You have such deep blessings — please let all those old grievances go. During all that time you were away from home, Yu Pan and I missed you terribly. The last time we received two boxes of delicious pastries, we were going to have them sent to Elder Sister’s residence, but we were afraid you might not want to see us…”

Truly she recited all this with such a pitiable, woebegone air — and not forgetting to steal a glance at Li Chenjian as she spoke.

Yun Pan understood perfectly. This was an attempt to restore goodwill so that she could come calling at will in future. Such goodwill would be better declined. She smiled vaguely and said: “You are still young, in the middle of your growing years. Whatever good things you come across, don’t trouble yourselves thinking of me — life in the household I married into hardly leaves me wanting for anything.”

“But—” Xue Pan had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away. She pushed further with more naked directness: “Elder Sister, our three sisters are close in age — in anyone else’s family we would be as thick as anything. I heard Elder Sister opened a shop at South Bridge Market. Come the next few days, won’t you take us there for a look? And that glazed cup of yours — everyone in the capital is talking about it now — we would love to follow Elder Sister’s example and try making one ourselves.”

Standing nearby, Yu Pan was so mortified at being included in Xue Pan’s “we” that she could barely stay on her feet. This nakedly shameless attempt at familiarity — did she think Elder Sister was a fool? They had not been close from childhood to now, each always living separately, and now all of a sudden she wanted to visit her home and spend leisure time with her — the motivation was far too transparent to hide.

“Let us eat.” Yu Pan pointed toward the dinner table. “Don’t delay the start of the meal…”

Xue Pan didn’t seem to hear her. Yu Pan had always been scatterbrained, only ever thinking about food — what great future could someone like that hope for?

She looked eagerly toward Yun Pan, waiting for her to relent. She waited a long while. Then Yun Pan withdrew her hand from Xue Pan’s and said in a cool tone: “It seems the etiquette instructor has not been assigning Younger Sister nearly enough work. The most important thing for the two of you right now is to learn all the manners and deportment you have been falling behind on. Such pastimes and amusements can wait until you have proper leisure time in the future — why be in such a hurry?”

The smile on Xue Pan’s face froze. She had heard the underlying meaning: Yun Pan was still implying she did not know how to conduct herself, and that however much she made overtures of goodwill, Yun Pan would continue to look down on her. All that effort at ingratiating herself had been entirely for nothing.

She wanted to show displeasure, but in the current situation she could not afford to make a scene. She looked up and caught Jin Shengyu watching her steadily from two paces away. The distance was nothing, but it made her heart involuntarily clench.

Yun Pan turned away and said with a smile to Li Chenjian: “Come, let us take our seats.”

The husband and wife walked together to the table and sat down. Xue Pan remained standing where she was, frozen. Yu Pan could only tug at her: “A’Jie, A’Jie…”

Xue Pan shot her a glare — she was about to snap at her, but caught herself in front of others, and so moved with her to take their seats beside Jiang Mi.

Jiang Heng was very pleased today. His whole family was gathered at his table, which did great honor to this old father’s dignity. In high spirits, he urged everyone to eat and drink, and with deliberate intent, called out to Jiang Mi: “Jue’er, come and offer your brother-in-law a toast.”

Jiang Mi was still quite small — standing, he barely reached Li Chenjian’s waist. The child had been dull and listless for so long, but after more than a month under Jin Shengyu’s management, he was already much more obedient. He raised his cup with trembling hands, called out “Brother-in-law” with trembling lips, could think of nothing else to say, tilted his head back, and drained it.

Everyone laughed. Jiang Heng said: “This boy is good in every way except he has a clumsy tongue. Doesn’t know what to say beyond calling someone brother-in-law. He is studying now, but after a few more years when he enters government service, I would still ask the brother-in-law to look out for him.”

Jin Shengyu raised an eyebrow but spared Jiang Heng his dignity and refrained from her pointed rejoinder — after all, the fact that Jiang Mi’s greatest virtue was being tongue-tied was itself something to be grateful for: a foolish person who also loved to talk only made a bigger spectacle of his ignorance.

Li Chenjian naturally could not dampen his father-in-law’s good mood, and returned the toast to Jiang Heng and his son, smiling as he said: “If he is not skilled in speech, he may as well join the military. When the time comes and he enters the Imperial Guard, I will still be able to put in a word.”

The family banquet was, on the whole, an enjoyable affair. Xue Pan had been hoping that Father might manage to say something in the moment — some old familiar refrain about sisters helping one another — but unfortunately Father’s attention was entirely taken up these days by the two new concubines who had charmed him, and he had no thought left to spare for Liu Yinniang and her children.

But this new brother-in-law — he truly was a gentleman of refinement and grace. Unlike the usual military men, he was gentle and at ease, like a clear mountain spring or a moon in an open sky. His features were exceptionally handsome, his brow and eyes clear and serene, his manner of speaking unhurried and measured — so that his elevated birth became almost an afterthought, and the more commanding thing was simply who he was as a person. A man of true charm stood out wherever he went, a crane among common birds. Having grown accustomed to the dull mediocrity of most men in the world, one look at this kind of gentleman was like having a window thrown open.

So when Xue Pan returned to her courtyard after the meal, she found herself strangely preoccupied. She sat before the incense altar all afternoon in a daze. By the time Liu Yinniang went to check on her toward evening, the incense in the censer had burned down to ash without anyone having tended to it, let alone started a new fragrance pattern.

Liu Yinniang poked her. “What are you daydreaming about now? Have you not finished the work the etiquette instructor assigned?”

Xue Pan turned a long, distracted gaze toward her. “A’Niang, why are there people in this world with such good fortune as Yun Pan’s? Born into a good family, and married so well…”

Liu Yinniang felt a wave of wistfulness too. Fate was a strange and fathomless thing. What some people struggled to reach their whole lives, others seemed to receive without effort at all.

But she had noticed something unusual in Xue Pan’s tone. She studied her daughter’s face and asked: “What has brought on these feelings all of a sudden? You were admiring that brother-in-law of yours, weren’t you?”

Xue Pan flushed. “He truly is extraordinary… the more I looked, the better he was. A’Niang, one day I want to find a man like that for myself.”

“Shameless girl!” Liu Yinniang laughed at her daughter’s bluntness, but the laughter soon gave way to a deep and restless discontent. She said bitterly: “Only that sister of yours is so petty and tight-fisted — no matter how you tried to get close to her, she wouldn’t let you in. If she were willing to help you, the Duke of Weiguo would certainly keep an eye out for a suitable match for you. Then you wouldn’t need to wait until she was dead and then pick up the scraps — you could go directly and become the official wife of some great household. Wouldn’t that be far better?”

Xue Pan shot her a cross look. “This is all because A’Niang offended Jin Shengyu. Now with her pressing down on us, it will only get harder for me to find a good match! If she decides to make things difficult, she might find me something with a poor appearance and poor family background — and then I would be suffocated with resentment for the rest of my life!”

Liu Yinniang was stung by her words. “You ungrateful girl — I fight tooth and nail for every little thing, and it’s all for you.” Her voice gradually fell lower and lower until it became a mutter to herself: “The route through Yun Pan is entirely closed off now. There must be another way…”

As they were speaking, Nanny Jiao’s voice rang out from the courtyard gate, passing along a message in her noisy fashion: “The Master is spending the night with Madam Wei… the Lady of the House says she is tired and wants to rest, and asks Liu Yinniang to come to the main hall and attend to the Lady’s foot bath.”