Madam Ming’s happiness was visible to Yun Pan’s eyes. It was as though her mother, gone for more than a year, had somehow returned to her side — and she felt in her heart a solid, steadfast warmth.
She still remembered it, at the age of twelve — attending the Fanhua Banquet for the first time, her mother leading her to greet those noble ladies and daughters of the capital. “This is Auntie Chen of the Chen family, this is Elder Sister, this is Younger Sister…” It was as though the whole of Youzhou were composed of their own kin.
She had been somewhat naive as a child, and had looked up with wide eyes to ask, “Do we really have that many relatives?”
Her mother had laughed. “You are still young, little one — courtesy is what matters most. In this circle, if you pick any two people at random, they will be connected through some twisting path of kinship. You treat others with propriety, and they will treat you the same. You call others Elder Sister and Younger Sister, and they will call you the same in return. It always pays to be sweet-tempered and to avoid indiscriminate flattery — there is no loss in that.”
Madam Ming held to the same principle, and brought her to the Chief Councilor’s household, introducing her to others in the same way: “This is my own niece…” Then she made introductions in the other direction, “Si Si, this is the Chief Councilor’s wife, Auntie Gao. This is the daughter of the Privy Council Chief’s household, Elder Sister Yurong…”
Yun Pan smiled throughout, greeting each official’s wife and daughter one by one at Madam Ming’s direction. She was, in truth, quite grown-up by now, and being treated like a child was a little embarrassing. But those noble ladies, knowing her match had been arranged by the Empress Dowager and that the man was the Duke of Weiguo, received her with great courtesy.
Chief Councilor Gao’s wife held her hand and looked at her for a long while, smiling. “How quickly she has grown! You and Yue Yin were close friends, and we played together when we were young. Later, Yue Yin married Marquis Jiang and settled in Youzhou — a hundred miles between us, and it was hard to meet even once. I still remember when Yue Yin gave birth to her — I, along with the wives of several academicians, traveled all the way to Youzhou for the full-month celebration. More than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye, and now it is a different world — and Yue Yin is no longer with us…”
Old girlhood friends, speaking of the past — a look of quiet melancholy crossed her face.
Knowing that expressions of grief were out of place at a happy occasion, she quickly restored her smile. “Things are well now, with the child here by your side. You may rest easy — Yue Yin need not worry from above. It is only her father who is grieving to see. Such a fine child — and he had the heart to mistreat her.”
Madam Ming said, “Is there any father in the world who does not love his daughter? A trusted attendant whispers the wrong things in his ear, and a moment of confusion is bound to happen.”
This was Madam Ming’s wisdom. To speak ill of Jiang Heng before outsiders would bring Yun Pan no benefit at all. A father too lacking in human decency would surely be criticized in time — the beam is crooked and so the rafters are slanted — and it would only reflect on Yun Pan. Better to lay all blame at the concubine’s feet, preserving Jiang Heng’s reputation and in so doing preserving Yun Pan’s as well. After all, for now there was no severing the bond between father and daughter — if the father was spoken of like something beneath contempt, how bright could the daughter’s face afford to be?
Chief Councilor Gao’s wife gave a sigh. “If only Yue Yin had not left so early. Had she still been here, how could a little concubine have wound the man around her finger so completely?”
“Fortunately, Si Si is now with me,” Madam Ming said with a smile. “And Marquis Jiang also entrusted her to my care — he said the household has no one to manage the gate, and feared the child would be slighted when she married. He asked me to oversee all the arrangements. Si Si grew up in Youzhou and knows nothing of the people and customs of the capital. In the days to come, I must ask Elder Sister to look after her a little. Just for her late mother’s sake — if there is anything in her manner that falls short, Elder Sister may guide her as well. The one thing I ask above all else is that she not lose face before others — that would be Elder Sister’s great kindness to me.”
Chief Councilor Gao’s wife agreed immediately, saying only, “Have no worry — Yue Yin’s flesh and blood is no different from my own child.” She turned and regarded Yun Pan warmly. “Besides, Si Si seems perfectly accomplished to me — her every gesture and manner is so reminiscent of her mother in her day. I could not love her more, let alone speak of correcting her.”
These were pleasantries, of course, but two more rounds of cordial exchange followed before Madam Ming brought Yun Pan to meet the wife of the Vice Chief Councilor. This one was a genuine family connection — she had met her before at her mother’s funeral the previous year. Madam Ming gave Yun Pan a little push forward. “Call her Aunt — we are of the same clan, descended from the same surname.”
This wife of the Vice Chief Councilor was the niece of the late Prince Consort of the Grand Princess. Even after the Prince Consort passed, the family continued their ties with the Grand Princess’s household. Later, as the girlhood friends each married and went their separate ways, the Vice Chief Councilor’s wife had followed her husband to a post outside the capital for several years, and only returned to the capital when he was promoted to the Privy Council two years ago.
With a bond of blood and kinship, the exchange was entirely different from empty pleasantries. Yun Pan gave her a proper curtsy, and the Vice Chief Councilor’s wife pulled her into an embrace, saying in a low voice, “My child, you have suffered. Your Aunt only heard of your circumstances a few days ago, and I was furious at that father of yours — so furious my teeth ached. Now that you are here in the capital, and have found such a good match, Heaven truly does not shut every door…”
Here she suddenly thought of Mei Fen, and turned to Madam Ming to ask, “What are Mei Fen’s plans from here on? That illness of hers — will it not improve, and has it been getting worse?”
Madam Ming’s face fell slightly. “What more can be said? It won’t take her life, but it is taking mine. You see how she is perfectly fine in ordinary times, but the moment you mention marriage, she will make a scene. What kind of girl is this in the world — she has worried me half to death. This time it was thanks to the Empress Dowager’s matchmaking that the crisis was resolved. Otherwise, when the Duke of Weiguo’s household came to ask, how would we have explained ourselves?”
The Vice Chief Councilor’s wife also grew wistful. “If the child is unwilling, it’s hard to force her. Just keep her at home.”
Madam Ming smiled bitterly. “That is no way to preserve her reputation. In the future, when our Xu Ge’er seeks a match, the prospective bride’s family may learn that there is such a troublesome younger sister at home — who knows what they would think.”
It was indeed a difficult matter. If handled poorly, it could truly interfere with Xiang Xu’s marriage prospects. But there was no solution to be had in a hurry — all one could do was take it one step at a time.
The Vice Chief Councilor’s wife turned and beckoned with her hand. “Nianzhi, come and meet your younger sister.”
Yun Pan had been listening quietly all this while. Only now did she raise her head, following the Vice Chief Councilor’s wife’s gaze toward a young woman in the distance, laughing and talking with others. She was tall and slender, seemingly radiant at every moment, with deep and striking brows and eyes that carried a natural air of spiritedness — perhaps because she had been raised outside the capital in open, wide-reaching surroundings, and so did not carry the guarded and cautious manner of girls in the nobility’s inner circles.
She came forward, gave Madam Ming a curtsy, then exchanged a bow of greeting with Yun Pan and said, “You’re Si Si, aren’t you?”
Yun Pan smiled shyly and nodded yes.
Nianzhi said, “A few days ago, my mother told me about you — I’ve been looking forward to today’s banquet so we could meet.”
The Vice Chief Councilor’s wife gazed at her beloved daughter with eyes full of doting affection. “I told you not to wander off, and you went to make new friends — leaving your younger sister here without even coming to say hello.” Then she added, “Your younger sister is new to the capital and doesn’t know anyone yet. Introduce her to your friends and let her meet more people — it can only be a good thing.”
Nianzhi answered brightly and laughed. “I’m the best at making friends — in these past two years I’ve gotten to know every noble girl in the capital.” With that she took Yun Pan’s hand. “Come, let me introduce you to my two closest friends first.”
A Vice Chief Councilor was essentially the Deputy Prime Minister. With such standing, the friends she kept were naturally all daughters of notable families.
Nianzhi first brought her to meet the eldest granddaughter of the Yanzheng Hall Academician — a girl with a round face and round eyes, small in stature, plump and charming as a honey-crisp apple. Upon seeing Yun Pan she gave a startled cry: “She’s so pretty!”
Nianzhi laughed and introduced her to Yun Pan. “Your two names are a little alike — her given name is Que Que, from the line ‘the free and easy oriole calls que que que.'”
What a delightful coincidence — and the affection between them grew a little closer at once. Que Que also had her own close friends, and so one introduced another, and very quickly five or six girls had gathered together, conversing merrily.
They talked about what books they read at home, how they passed their time, and finally the conversation turned to their various marriages and betrothals. Among this group, only Nianzhi and the fourth daughter of the Transport Commissioner’s family were not yet betrothed — nearly all the others already had someone in mind.
Just as they were talking and laughing, a burst of laughter floated from behind a painted screen not far away. In the flickering lamplight, only half a figure could be made out, half-concealed, half-visible. Presently those trailing pleated skirts turned, and two young women emerged arm in arm — one of them delicate and frail, with a pale face and faint lips, very much in the manner of a sickly beauty.
Que Que’s eyes lit up at once. “Is that not the third daughter of the great resource household? Si Si must have heard of her.”
Yun Pan, hearing “great resource household,” understood at once what this meant. The reason the second son of the Dongchang Commandery Duke’s family had broken off the engagement was precisely because of this third daughter of the Resource Councilor’s family.
A girl who had entangled herself with an already-betrothed young man, without any matchmaking or betrothal rites — she was bound to be the subject of gossip. Although, in order to preserve appearances, it was the Kaiguo Marquis household that had formally withdrawn the engagement first, the reasons behind it were already known far and wide.
Nianzhi was very indignant on Yun Pan’s behalf. Had the match with the Li family not fallen through, that concubine in the Marquis household would not have dared treat Si Si so poorly. So she took Yun Pan’s hand and walked over, coming to a stop before the third daughter of the Yan family. With a thin smile that did not reach her eyes, she said, “What a coincidence to meet you here! Instead of staying home to prepare for your wedding, you’ve found time to come to a banquet.” Then she made a deliberate show of introducing her to Yun Pan. “This is the noble granddaughter of the great resource household, whose given name is Jiaorui. Just look at the name, then look at the bearing — is she not more lovely than a flower in bloom?”
Yan Jiaorui was immediately flustered. She had learned, upon entering the Chief Councilor’s household, that the young lady of the Kaiguo Marquis family was also attending tonight’s banquet, and had been uncomfortable ever since. She had wanted to leave but could not, and so had been doing her best to manage the situation.
She had hoped to keep her distance — if their paths did not cross, all would be well. She had not counted on the meddlesome Yu Nianzhi, and now there was no avoiding it. She had to face the confrontation head-on.
Yan Jiaorui composed a proper smile. “The name was given by my grandfather — I would not dare compare myself to a flower in bloom.” She shifted her gaze and looked Yun Pan over. “So you are the young lady of Marquis Jiang’s household? I heard from Jibai some time ago that you had met with misfortune — it was truly distressing. Seeing you safe and well today, thank Heaven — truly, the virtuous are protected.”
The moment she mentioned Jibai, someone nearby laughed. “You are promised to the second son of the Dongchang Commandery Duke, and Si Si is promised to the Duke of Weiguo — in that case you are practically one family! Although the Dongchang Commandery Duke is a cadet branch, he and the Duke of Weiguo are of the same generation. For Li Erjie’r, the Duke of Weiguo would be of his uncle’s generation, wouldn’t he?” And then came an exclamation: “So once you have each married in, and you meet again, the seniority would have to be sorted out. Si Si is a few years younger than you, yet she would come out the senior — that’s quite an advantage!”
At that, everyone burst out laughing — largely because after the news of Yun Pan’s death had barely gone out, the Dongchang Commandery Duke’s family had wasted no time in coming to the great resource household to make a betrothal.
When such a thing happens, common decorum would require waiting at least until after the mourning period before proceeding to propose to the next family. Yet the Dongchang Commandery Duke’s household had acted with such indecent haste — no one could tell whether it was the Li family’s lack of social grace or the Yan family pressing them. In any case it had become a laughingstock: if the girl had truly been dead, nothing would have come of it — but she had the audacity to be alive, and now found herself elevated to a position of seniority. This was surely enough to make Yan Jiaorui’s nose twist sideways with fury.
Being embarrassed before everyone, Yan Jiaorui’s face flushed red. It was Yun Pan, seeing her discomfort, who stepped in to smooth things over. “In the capital and in Youzhou alike, there are families connected through all manner of kinship — it is simply that no one expected things to turn out so coincidentally.”
But Yan Jiaorui did not receive this kindness with grace. In the most mild of tones, she said the most pointed of things. “For this wedding of yours, the dowry is surely considerable — after all, there is still the betrothal gift from the previous engagement.”
Yun Pan’s expression did not change. She gave a soft sound of acknowledgement. “Are you saying that because there was a prior engagement, the Commandery Duke’s household deducted from the young lady’s betrothal gifts? The young lady is, after all, a daughter of the great resource household — and the Commandery Duke’s family was reaching upward for this match. The betrothal gifts ought to have been doubled. Which means that Yan Jie’s dowry is even more substantial by that reasoning!”
If the gifts had not been doubled, then it was Yan Jiaorui who was deemed not worth the price. Having said her piece, Yun Pan lost interest in continuing to spar. She tugged lightly at Nianzhi’s hand. “Elder Sister, let’s go somewhere else.”
The five or six of them drifted away together. Behind them, Yan Jiaorui bit down in fury, and complained to the cousin at her side, “What is there to be proud of? She’s nothing but someone else’s leftover — in my eyes she’s no different from a replacement wife, and she has the nerve to put on airs before me!”
Her cousin looked a little blank. “Well… since they were never actually married… she’s not really… a replacement wife?”
“Of course she is!” Yan Jiaorui fumed. “Knowing full well the legitimate daughter of Shuguo Duke was ill, she came rushing to the Shuguo Duke’s household — who is to say she wasn’t scheming all along to take the substitute bride’s place?”
At this, even her cousin’s expression shifted to one of unmistakable disagreement. Yan Jiaorui suddenly realized that given her own circumstances, she was in no position to mock others. Her face went through several shades of red and white, and she clutched her chest, breathing in short, agitated gasps.
On the other side, Yun Pan and the noble young ladies had taken their seats. Maidservants came to offer tea. Yun Pan said, “Thank you all so much today — I am new to the capital, and it is thanks to all of you that I did not feel out of place.”
Girls from well-established families are generally of pure and kind dispositions — and those who could befriend someone as forthright as Nianzhi were certain to be simple and upright themselves.
Que Que said it was nothing. “Now that you are settled in the capital, we shall spend time together — the more of us there are, the livelier it is.” As she spoke, her eyes fell on the little walnut dangling from Yun Pan’s waist, hung with fine tassels. She pointed at it. “I have been looking at this for a while now — what on earth is it?”
Yun Pan had brought the walnut house along precisely to gauge how these capital-born noble ladies, accustomed to the finest things, would respond to such a handcrafted object. On a small scale, it might help her make new friends. On a larger scale, it was perhaps possible one day to open a little shop — today she pressed plaster mixed with mineral pigments into houses and cattle and sheep, but someday she might cast gold and silver into furniture and decorative pieces.
She unclipped the walnut pendant, opened its little clasp, and spread it for them to see. “It’s just a little thing I made to pass the time.”
People had carved the legendary miniature boat inside a walnut shell before, but no one had ever seen a walnut shell containing a dressing table, an embroidered stool, and a folding screen.
Everyone exclaimed in delight. “This is too wonderful!”
Yun Pan smiled shyly, watching as they passed it among themselves. Six pairs of hands were not enough — Que Que took it to show other ladies and noble women nearby. In no time word spread that the Jiang family young lady knew how to make walnut houses, and the path ahead for this girl who had just entered the circle of the nobility suddenly opened up brightly before her.
Jiang Yun Pan became the talk of the evening. Even several princess consorts and the Chief Councilor’s wife came to look. Yan Jiaorui pursed her lips. “A clever little trick to delight women — nothing more.”
Yan Jiaorui’s cousin, for her part, disagreed, leaning on her shoulder and stretching on tiptoe to try to get a look, murmuring, “But we are all women, and women love curious and unusual things… oh, that walnut looks like such fun. I certainly couldn’t make it…”
Yan Jiaorui gave her an irritated shove.
“Elder Sister, when you have the time to make another one, I would trade my homemade rouge for it,” said the seventh daughter of the Pacification Commissioner’s household — barely thirteen or fourteen, at just the right age to love such things.
Yun Pan simply pressed the walnut into her hands. “No need to trade — you like it, so it is yours. I have several more at home. If Elder Sister and the other younger sisters would enjoy them too, I will send someone to deliver some.”
Once that door was opened, the girls all came forward eagerly, one after another. Then they covered their lips and laughed. “I fear we are being too presumptuous — the young lady will laugh at us.”
Madam Ming, watching from a distance, could not help but feel moved. “I had no idea Si Si had this skill — just look at them, all crowding around her to ask for one.”
The Vice Chief Councilor’s wife smiled. “The mirror inside that walnut house is lined with gold leaf, and even the edge of the folding screen is delicately carved with decorative trim. It is no wonder the young ladies love it — I am too proud to ask for one myself, or I would want one as well.”
“Then have Si Si make one for you,” said Madam Ming, laughing. “One filled with all your favorite treats — a sour red lotus root and jade-pillar candy one.” Her heart settled as she watched the girl. Going forward, there would be no need to worry about her.
She had always felt some anxiety before — fearing the disreputable name of the Kaiguo Marquis household would drag Si Si down, fearing that the ladies of the nobility, so proud and imperious, would gossip about her behind her back for taking Mei Fen’s place. Now it turned out to be far better than she had expected. The news reaching the Duke of Weiguo’s household would hold no fears either — Grand Lady Hu would not be displeased to have a granddaughter-in-law who knew how to open doors and win people over. A small walnut was all it had taken, but so long as one could win hearts and secure a footing in the capital’s circles, that was entirely one’s own ability.
Compared to Si Si, Mei Fen had fallen considerably short — but Madam Ming was content with how things had turned out. Si Si was like her own daughter: as long as she thrived, Madam Ming would one day be able to answer to her departed sister.
As she had expected, the efforts of that first day were not in vain. The very next day, the Duke’s household steward came calling at the Shuguo Duke’s household.
Madam Ming returned to the inner courtyard and sat in the round-backed chair. “The date has been set — the first day of next month. Nanny Yao and I consulted the almanac earlier and had already settled on the sixth as a supremely auspicious day, one that aligns beautifully with your birth characters — a roaring fire in full blaze, which is excellent.” Then she had a maidservant bring a full set of pearl headpieces and place them before Yun Pan. “These were sent by Princess Liang’s wife. Although she did not attend yesterday’s banquet at the Councilor Han’s household, her eyes and ears were everywhere — your every movement was being watched, and word reached her. The fact that she sent headpieces and jewelry means you have made a favorable impression on her.”
Yun Pan listened, and simply smiled quietly.
She counted silently to herself. Next month the sixth… only a little more than ten days’ time. This marriage had transferred from Mei Fen to her, and the Duke of Weiguo’s household had long since made all the preparations. Now that the date was given — it truly seemed she was going to be married.