Though the First Branch hadn’t openly admitted it, they left Second Master Yang to speculate whether they were responsible for Fourth Young Master Yang’s fate. Combined with the evidence the First Branch held in secret, the Second and Third Branches of the Yang family fell silent. For over a month, neither the Second Master nor the Third Master had set foot in the White Egret Hall.
When Madam Yang heard that Second Master had sent Sixth Young Master to his uncle’s home, and Third Master had begun selling off his shops in the city, she merely smiled.
In the early summer of the sixth month, Yang Jingshan could now sit in a wheelchair and be pushed around. Imperial Physician Gu said he would be able to walk by year’s end at the latest. This was tremendous news for the First Branch.
“Elder Brother,” Ji Yingying entered Yang Jingshan’s study, accompanied by Xueqing and Ying’er.
“Sister-in-law, please sit,” Yang Jingshan gestured for his servant to wheel him to the table.
Like the tables in the Ji family shop, a wide piece of fine white ramie cloth covered the long, broad table. Once Ji Yingying was seated, Yang Jingyuan instructed the servants: “You may all withdraw.”
Ji Yingying nodded to Xueqing and Ying’er, who retreated to guard the doorway. She opened the bamboo chest and placed several cloth-wrapped packages on the table.
The design draft, outlined in fine ink lines, was spread across the table and secured at the corners with jade paperweights. Ji Yingying unwrapped the packages and gradually laid out bundle after bundle of silk threads on top of the draft.
Red, yellow, orange, green, brown, black—over a hundred different colored threads covered the draft. The vibrant palette naturally conjured an image of a magnificent autumn forest in Yang Jingshan’s mind. He exclaimed in delight, “The Yang family’s weavers could at most produce sixty-some colors. Sister-in-law has managed to select twice as many. This brocade will be exceptionally beautiful when woven! You’ve made an invaluable contribution to reclaiming the title of Brocade King this year.”
Ji Yingying shook her head with a smile. “No, Elder Brother. I’d like to suggest changing our original approach. Let’s not weave this autumn forest scene.”
Yang Jingshan asked in surprise, “Why not?”
Ji Yingying built up the suspense, unwrapping another package to show him more silk threads. “Elder Brother, please look at these threads.”
The silk was of the highest quality, smooth to the touch with a liquid-like feel. When bundled together, Yang Jingshan immediately noticed what was different: “This bundle has varying shades—the dye is uneven.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he shook his head. Ji Yingying wouldn’t deliberately show him ruined threads. Usually, with premium silk, the dye would penetrate each fine thread thoroughly, becoming even more brilliant after degumming and washing, with colors uniform. Deep red would be purely deep red, without a single thread of lighter or pink red mixed in. Black would be pure black, not like a woman’s graying temples with ash and silver threaded through the black.
To accommodate Yang Jingshan’s leg condition, Ji Yingying moved to his side. On the broad table sat a white porcelain brush-washing bowl filled with clear water. Ji Yingying took a brush from the stand, loaded it with ink, and held it suspended above the water. A drop of ink fell, dispersing like mist. She continued with different brushes, each dipped in various painting pigments, letting drops fall into the water. Finally, she tapped her finger on the bowl’s edge.
The bowl of clear water reflected a soft light, with the multicolored pigments gently rippling and spreading.
“Elder Brother, when we dyed some cocoons after the last Silkworm Goddess ceremony, we discovered uneven coloring after drawing out the threads. For embroidery, different threads can be layered to create gradients of color. But in brocade weaving, we can’t overlay threads, so color transitions aren’t natural enough. That’s why Shu brocade patterns usually have distinct color sections. But if the threads themselves have varying shades, the woven brocade will blend naturally like these pigments in water.” Ji Yingying unwrapped another package, producing more than ten bundles of thread. “These threads were dyed using the woodblock wax-printing method, creating various gradients from dark to light. Please take a look.”
Yang Jingshan gazed at Ji Yingying. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement, the color showing naturally through her fair skin. At that moment, he thought of silk washing in the Zhuo Jin River and exclaimed, “Precious brocade comes forth, colors washed in river waves.”
The brocade competition was less about competing patterns and meaning, and more about weaving techniques. Many could draw beautiful designs, but not every weaver could produce them. The brocade loom was fixed. To weave thousands of threads together into the desired pattern required exceptional insight and superior thread-matching skills.
Traditionally, threads of varying shades were considered ruined. No one had considered that they could be deliberately utilized and combined to weave a new type of brocade like plain silk, saving time and effort while creating dynamic color variations.
Yang Jingshan excitedly grasped the threads and declared, “If this brocade succeeds, we’ll call it Huanhua Brocade. Wonderful! The Yang family will have created another new type of brocade!”
“Huanhua Brocade—what a beautiful name,” Ji Yingying smiled happily.
“First, it reminds me of washing silk in the Zhuo Jin River and Huanhua Stream, and second, because you grew up beside Huanhua Stream. The name couldn’t be more fitting.” Yang Jingshan laughed heartily.
Learning that the name was partly because of her, Ji Yingying was stunned. For a brocade to be passed down through history with her name attached was a great honor. Ji Yingying blushed and waved her hands frantically. “No, no, Elder Brother should name it just for the first reason. I don’t deserve such honor.”
“It’s all because of you…”
Muffled voices carried from the study to the outside. First Madam Yang, bringing tea refreshments, stopped in her tracks, her heart churning. Her husband had named a new brocade after Ji Yingying.
“Young Master, Third Madam. First Madam has brought refreshments,” Xueqing announced softly from outside.
The voices inside stopped. First Madam Yang entered with her maid. The large table was covered with various silk threads. Yang Jingshan and Ji Yingying sat at opposite ends.
“Didn’t I say I didn’t need refreshments? Why did you bring them again?” Yang Jingshan complained mildly.
The excitement hadn’t yet faded from his face. First Madam Yang recalled how whenever Ji Yingying visited, he would rush to the study as soon as he woke and stay there all day. When he returned to their chambers, he would be lost in thought and unwilling to speak. It made her uncomfortable.
Was it really about not wanting refreshments, or did he not want her interrupting him and Ji Yingying? If they were just discussing color combinations, why did everyone have to wait outside?
“If you won’t eat, does that mean your sister-in-law can’t either?” First Madam Yang replied with a smile, having her maid set out the refreshments.
“Thank you, Elder Sister,” Ji Yingying accepted a bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup, eating it in small bites. The fungus was silky smooth, the lotus seeds tender—she enjoyed it.
Seeing her eyes slightly closed in pleasure like a cat basking in sunlight, Yang Jingshan smiled, “Since Sister-in-law enjoys it, remember to make more when she visits in the future.”
The warm gaze reminded First Madam Yang of when she first married into the Yang family. When she made things for him, he refused. But because Ji Yingying liked it, he reminded her not to forget to make it. She responded with a soft “mm” and didn’t want to stay any longer. “I’ll leave you to your discussion.”
“Take care, Elder Sister,” Ji Yingying quickly put down her bowl and rose to see Madam Chen out.
At the doorway, First Madam Yang paused and said gently, “Mother made the right choice bringing you into our family. With your help, our family will surely reclaim the Brocade King title this year. Bear with the hard work a while longer, Sister-in-law—things will be easier once the colors are matched and weaving begins.”
First Madam’s words were quite unpleasant. She had been married in for Third Young Master. Even if she hadn’t married into the family, she could still have helped the Yang family compete for the brocade title.
“Mm.” Ji Yingying maintained her smile and nodded.