Jiang Heng was somewhat puzzled, not knowing what she wished to say, and followed her to a corner of the hall. Before she could even open her mouth, he looked at her by the lamplight and saw her eyes brimming with tears. This gave him a fright, and he demanded with concern: “What is it? It is only the fifth day of your marriage — has he already mistreated you?”

This was every father’s instinct — though his rank and influence were no match for a duke’s, that did not stop him from feeling righteous indignation.

Yun Pan lowered her head and said no. “My Lord treats me very well — it is not what Father thinks. I saw you earlier, all on your own, and it suddenly broke my heart.”

At these words, Jiang Heng felt his own throat tighten.

It was true — when the County Princess had been alive, the two of them had long grown apart in spirit, yet with her present he had felt settled. Now that she was gone, he truly felt the loneliness, and he seldom cared to go to places with many people. He especially dreaded attending family banquets — seeing everyone else in happy pairs, and only himself alone — and he found himself missing more and more the time when the County Princess had been there: that household with its firm center, and the firmer man he had been then.

He waved it away and said: “On such a happy occasion, let’s not speak of this…”

But Yun Pan said no. “Father, this is precisely what I wished to speak to you about today. On occasions like these, Father is always alone — that is no lasting way to live. I know Father has been fond of Concubine Liu, but she is a concubine — she cannot be brought out in public. My own thinking is this: while Father is still in his prime, would it not be better to take a new principal wife? Such a large household must have a proper mistress to manage it. Our family has been without rules or order for over a year now — it is time to set things right and restore the dignity befitting a marquis’s residence.”

Jiang Heng had never considered this, and was quite startled to hear it. “What? A new wife?”

Yun Pan nodded. “Father is a marquis of standing — without a proper mistress of the house, people mock us behind our backs. Noble residences are not like ordinary households; the smallest misstep invites people to point fingers and pass judgment. Only by welcoming a suitable wife, who can manage the household from the ground up, can the marquis’s residence recover its former honor.”

These words cut to the heart of what had been paining Jiang Heng. In the past he had drifted through his days in a muddled haze, but lately he had come to feel it more and more — this was no longer a proper home. With Liu Shi holding sway, all manner of outrageous things had been done, and the children had grown wild in consequence. Xue Pan now behaved like a little tyrant, constantly declaring that their father refused to elevate their birth mother, that their father was making them hold their heads in shame — as if it were his fault for bringing them into the world.

He understood perfectly well that young children had no will of their own in these things; Liu Shi had without doubt been stirring them up from behind the scenes. He was indulgent toward them, but he was not blind to the stakes: to truly elevate a concubine to the position of principal wife would mean he could never show his face in public again without some form of humiliation.

But as for remarrying — he had genuinely never thought of it. He had no direction in his heart, and after hesitating at length he lowered his head and said: “I am getting on in years. Taking a new wife — I don’t see how it could necessarily improve things. What if the inner household causes trouble again…”

“Then it would be the concubine who lacks propriety, and she ought to be disciplined accordingly.”

He was still speaking when, unexpectedly, a measured but firm voice from beside him said precisely this.

He looked up in startlement. Li Chenjian was there, bowing to him with courteous composure, and said in a quiet tone: “Father-in-law, when a man conducts himself in the world, the most important thing is dignity. There are certain things I would not ordinarily say, but on this occasion I cannot refrain from offering a word of counsel. The court and the public have their reasons for what they whisper — setting other matters aside, take the case of the Youzhou disaster relief donations: surely Father is aware that the forty taels sent from the Kaiguo Marquis’s household have become a topic of ridicule?”

At that, Jiang Heng felt the ground dissolve beneath him with shame. The suppressed anger he had been nursing was suddenly roused anew. If Liu Shi had not only handed over fifty taels, how could he have humiliated himself before the world like that?

This was a question of a woman’s breadth of vision — those with a narrow view could not see beyond the immediate, and only thought to keep money in hand, unwilling to let even half a tael slip away into the void; those with a wider view knew to use such opportunities to build a reputation and earn at minimum a name for generosity. Instead, what should have been a fine opportunity — when everyone was competing to express their loyalty — he had ended up as the most tight-fisted man of all, and even the Emperor had shown him an unfavorable face as a result. Looking back now, he had truly been terribly wronged by Liu Shi, and his career had nearly been ruined by her hands. What reason was there not to take a proper wife and restore the Kaiguo Marquis’s standing?

It was almost like severing a limb to save oneself. He finally steeled himself to a decision: “I will do as you both say. But — in the state I am in now, what family in the capital would be willing to give their daughter to me?”

Yun Pan quietly let out a breath of relief, and said only: “I have found someone for Father — she is the younger sister of General Zhongwu, Jin Zhenzhao. But that is only my own wish; I do not yet know her own feelings on the matter. Father, please say nothing of this for now. I will find someone to act as intermediary; if she is also willing, then the happy event may be accomplished.”

Jiang Heng was taken aback. “Jin Zhenzhao’s younger sister?”

From a military family — he was not worried about much else, but he feared being unable to withstand such people. When that family made a fist, it would be larger than his head.

Yun Pan thought inwardly: without a military family behind her, how could anyone keep that horde of demons in check? Bringing in some gentle, bookish mistress — would she not be swallowed whole by Liu Shi?

“Does Father think she is not worthy of our family?”

“No, no…” Jiang Heng waved his hands repeatedly. “Jin Zhenzhao holds the senior fourth rank — and the old general once won ten consecutive military distinctions during the campaign against Jingyuan and was enfeoffed as a Senior Guard Commander. Such a lineage — how could they possibly come and marry into my household as a second wife?”

So he too recognized that the Jin family’s standing was not low. But in this dynasty, titles were not inherited — the family’s glory rested on the old general’s presence, and by the next generation, it would no longer be so unreachable.

Yun Pan naturally knew how to frame things, and adopted a tone of reluctance: “We will have to ask someone to go and speak on our behalf, to ask, to plead. So long as it is for the good of the marquis’s household, even enduring two doors being shut in our faces would be worthwhile. Looking through every household in the capital, only this person can best restore the marquis’s reputation. If Father will not consider it for his own sake, consider it for the sake of the three younger brothers and sisters below.”

But Jiang Heng was just this sort of irresolute man — he showed a wavering expression on his face, and it was hard to say what he had truly resolved in his heart.

Li Chenjian, seeing this, tossed out a remark: “Father should make up his mind firmly before acting. Once a matchmaker is engaged, there is no going back. After all, we are all men of official standing, and matters of officialdom are not trifles. If you retract your word at the last moment, not only will Father lose face — even the ducal household will have no way to hold its head up.”

With a man of Jiang Heng’s nature, what he needed most was someone to put a bit of a bridle on him — otherwise, should the Chancellor’s wife be invited to act as matchmaker and he then chose to go back on his word, it would leave everyone without a shred of dignity, and even the Chancellor’s household would be offended in the process.

As expected, Li Chenjian’s words carried weight. Jiang Heng had to think carefully — the father-daughter bond had only just been mended; to implicate the ducal household now would truly mean never being able to see each other again. He at once made his resolution, saying he would not go back on his word. Then he sighed: “I look at the marquis’s household, and it truly gets more and more disreputable by the day. To tell you truthfully, I no longer even wish to go back — living alone in the small house in the capital is, in truth, quite pleasant.”

Mentioning the small house reminded Yun Pan of something. “Father doesn’t know yet — yesterday the Second Paternal Aunt presented a calling card and came to the ducal residence to see me.”

Jiang Heng said ah. “She must have been unable to come and offer congratulations at your wedding? She has always been a considerate person.”

But Yun Pan smiled. “Whether she was considerate or not, I do not know — I only know she came under Liu Yiniang’s instructions to ask me for four thousand taels, saying that if I refused, she would ask my Lord for it.”

“What?” Jiang Heng was shocked. “Such a thing happened? What did they want four thousand taels for? Four thousand taels — have they lost their minds?”

Never mind four thousand taels — to come asking a bride who had been married only a few days for even four taels was wholly against propriety.

Yun Pan had long since lost the energy to dwell on Liu Shi’s outrageous behavior; she simply informed her father: “If Father needs funds to establish the marquis’s household, I would be willing to contribute from my own savings to do my filial duty. But this kind of vague, bottomless debt — I will never fill it. I am telling Father not for any other reason, but truly because Liu Shi grows more and more without any sense of limit, and even Second Paternal Aunt follows her incitement. The two of them conspire together, and it chills my heart greatly.”

This time Jiang Heng was genuinely alarmed. He ground his back teeth and said: “That wretched creature — she said she wanted to go to Guankou that day, and all along this was the scheme she was hatching! She truly intends to ruin me completely, and she still does not think she has harmed me enough — she means to sever my ties with this new family as well, before she is satisfied.” He looked at Li Chenjian with deep contrition. “It is entirely because I have been lax in managing my household. Things have come to this state, and I, as a father, no longer have a shred of dignity left. I am ashamed — truly, utterly ashamed.”

“These are family matters — no outside parties are involved, so there is nothing that cannot be spoken of frankly between ourselves.” Li Chenjian said in a temperate tone. “But as for household affairs — they can all be discussed. If one day this should inadvertently involve outsiders, I am afraid they will not all have such a patient temperament, nor will they still permit Father to offer explanations.”

Jiang Heng understood perfectly in his own heart. After all he had been through, the tender feelings he had once held for Liu Shi looked increasingly worthless in hindsight. Had he gone blind? He had always thought Liu Shi soft and dependent, so unlike the County Princess’s independence and self-reliance. The indignity of having risen through his wife’s family connections had found a kind of balm in Liu Yanqiao — she had always looked up at him the way one looks up at the sun, and only in her presence did he feel like a man of true stature.

That baseless self-regard had led him to grow ever more distant from the County Princess, until he was lost in Liu Shi’s warmth and softness and could not pull himself free. He had never understood that all his ease and comfort in the sun had been possible only because the County Princess stood behind him to block the wind and the rain. Later the County Princess died, and the Kaiguo Marquis’s household — along with the man himself — crumbled inch by inch, until it reached its present state. Liu Yanqiao’s devotion to him had always been a matter of gain and convenience — she was, in the end, only a wine-seller’s daughter, and their encounter had been no more than a transaction. Yet he, blinded and foolish, had traded with her for half a lifetime.

He lowered his head and nodded slowly. “I understand everything you have both said. In the past I was blinded by my own foolishness. Now I turn back to the right path — and I can only hope it is not too late.”

Yun Pan said good. “As long as Father has this resolve, I will find a way, and I will certainly see this matter through.”

Afterward she went to speak with Wang Shi, and Wang Shi, decisive as ever, clapped her hands and said: “I will go to the Chancellor’s wife tomorrow.”

She and the Chancellor’s wife, Madam Gao, had been friends since their days as unmarried girls at the same golden pheasant banquets. Even after each had married, their correspondence had never lapsed. Madam Gao listened to Wang Shi’s purpose and nodded: “The matter itself is a good one. To speak plainly, Shengyu’s circumstances are indeed awkward at the moment — her parents are growing old, and the authority to manage the household has been handed over to her elder brother and his wife. A younger sister living under her sister-in-law’s roof cannot help but swallow a certain amount of indignity. But this Marquis Jiang — he has been indulgent with his concubine to a disgraceful degree. If in future he goes on favoring the concubine and neglecting the wife, would Shengyu not end up like Yueyin — a life of pure misery?”

Wang Shi had come prepared and naturally urged her case with full conviction: “It is precisely because of such a cautionary example that Shengyu seems all the more the right choice. After all, her temperament is not the same as the County Princess’s. The County Princess lost her father young — the Grand Princess doted on her excessively, and though she was clever, she was physically delicate. Three years after her marriage the Grand Princess passed away as well, and since the Grand Princess’s household had no male heir to inherit, the residence naturally reverted to the court. What was a tenderly raised noblewoman to do then, with nowhere to turn? Shengyu is different. She comes from a military family, her temperament is bold and forceful — and what matters most is that the old general and his wife are both still alive. With parents living, how much more courage that gives one! A mere concubine need not be taken seriously at all. And if Marquis Jiang’s old habits return, Si Si herself would not stand for it. Looking across Youzhou and the capital, there is no more suitable household than the Kaiguo Marquis’s residence. You might help bring the two sides together — if it works out, it would be a genuine act of kindness.”

It was true. After all, a woman who had been through a divorce inevitably had others saying she had driven a hard bargain to get out of her marriage. With such a reputation attached to her, she would inevitably face disadvantages in remarrying; she could no longer hope for a first marriage, and could only enter a household as a second wife.

Madam Gao thought it over, then made up her mind decisively: “I will go to speak with them tomorrow.”

Wang Shi returned home well satisfied. She had no husband and both her children’s marriages were now settled — her days had in truth grown rather tedious, and with this matter pending, she had something to look forward to.

The very next morning she set out again for the Chancellor’s residence, and together with Madam Gao they rode in a carriage to the residence of General Zhongwu.

The general’s wife came out to receive them when word was brought, somewhat bewildered — she had no idea why both the Consort of Prince Liang and the Chancellor’s wife would come calling. She exclaimed: “What a fortunate day this is, to have two such distinguished guests arrive at once — our humble home is truly honored.”

They entered arm in arm with warm greetings, and Madam Gao explained her purpose, adding: “We should speak with Shengyu directly; it would also help to have your cooperation, Madam.”

The general’s wife had been longing to send this troublesome guest away. Though there had never been any outright conflict between them, the undercurrent of grievances was constant. If this little sister-in-law could truly be married off — never mind a noble household, she would have clapped her hands in celebration even if the man were a common peddler.

She said at once: “Of course, of course. And this would be Marquis Jiang’s household… so to speak, she would be marrying into a family that has connections to the Duke of Wei by marriage?”

Remarkable — the moment she stepped through the door she would become the Duke of Weiguo’s stepmother-in-law by marriage, and the General’s household would gain a familial connection to that lineage. For a fourth-rank official, this was truly a great opportunity not to be missed, and so the eager assistance and encouragement that followed were hardly surprising.

The general’s wife led the way and brought them to Jin Shengyu’s quarters — the courtyard where she had lived before her first marriage, originally kept as a place for her to stay during visits home, but after her divorce she had simply moved in for good with no fixed end date.

Entering the courtyard, they saw a maidservant sweeping. The general’s wife called out: “Go quickly and tell your Mistress that the Consort of Prince Liang and the Chancellor’s wife have come to see her.”

The maidservant dropped her broom and hurried inside to announce the visit. Before long, Jin Shengyu came out. Wang Shi looked over at her — she was standing beneath the covered walkway, dressed in a flax-blue jacket, with a cast of spirit about her brows and eyes that set her apart from ordinary women, yet she was genuinely handsome. Wang Shi was even more pleased.

Jin Shengyu was a composed woman who knew how to conduct herself, forthright by nature, and she showed no sign of flattery despite the high standing of her visitors. She simply smiled and said: “What has brought both of you here today to sit with me?” She pulled back her sleeve to invite them in and told her maids to bring tea quickly.

The four of them sat down in the cool parlor, and Madam Gao laid out the situation of the Kaiguo Marquis’s household in full, then said: “I wonder whether you have met the Marquis — he is a fine-looking man, and well-presented. But after his first wife’s death he became despondent and let the household affairs go unattended, which is how a concubine ended up in charge and disgraced the household.”

Jin Shengyu was not a woman confined to the inner chambers — she had naturally heard things from the outside world too. She lowered her eyelashes and said: “I hope Wang Shi will not take offense if I speak frankly. Honestly, this is a muddy pool — a house full of illegitimate children, plus a concubine who has gone completely off the rails. A daughter from a good family would naturally not want to wade into it.”

Wang Shi was a little embarrassed, but quickly redirected: “Which is precisely why we have come to you. Not for any other reason — we are asking you to go save the suffering.”

A woman with a touch of chivalry in her heart — tell her to go beat a concubine and she would surely look down on you, but tell her to go deliver people from their misery, and she might just feel inspired.

Sure enough, her attitude softened. The general’s wife beside her worked with equal zeal to push the match along: “After all, it is a marquis’s residence, which is a hundred times better than those merchants coming to the door to propose. Father and Mother are both in their years and longing to see you settled, and they often speak of it to your brother and ask him to look out for someone. Now that such an opportunity has presented itself, why not consider it, Sister? To set their parents’ minds at ease is also a daughter’s act of filial piety, is it not?”

These fine words were really no more than barely disguised attempts to drive her out. Jin Shengyu could hardly be unaware of her sister-in-law’s feelings. When she considered it calmly, her situation was truly difficult — after the first year of proud defiance following the divorce, as time wore on, the days had come to feel more and more without hope.

A daughter who had once been married and returned home — her own brother said nothing, but her sister-in-law was an outsider after all, and the sideways glances and the unflattering words murmured behind her back were countless. Truly driven to the last extremity, the marquis’s household was not a bad option. To make up her mind and marry there would solve the pressing difficulty immediately.

Wang Shi waited and waited, and finally waited for her nod. She said: “I would need to consult with my father and mother.”

The general’s wife was beaming with joy. “What could Father and Mother possibly have to say — they will be overjoyed.”

Wang Shi returned home with this good news, went directly to Xuzhu Hall, and said with a smile: “Everything has been agreed. As long as Jin Shengyu consents, the old general and his wife will certainly give their approval.”

Yun Pan was overjoyed. She personally brought tea to Wang Shi and said warmly: “Thank you so much, Mother. I was still anxious before — I was afraid the Jin family would refuse, and then Father would have had no hope.”

Wang Shi said: “The way she has been lingering on at the General’s household — while her parents are alive she at least has a place. But when they are gone someday, what will she have to rely on to stay in that household?”

Yun Pan nodded, then asked: “Now that it is agreed, it will not change, will it?”

Wang Shi said naturally not. “Unless another good family comes to propose to her — if the two options were compared, that might be another matter. In my view, it is best to formalize things quickly. If someone else gets there first, all this effort would have been wasted.”

Yun Pan agreed. “But given the state of the marquis’s household, I am also afraid that the lady will enter the door and find the hardships too much to bear. If she does change her mind, it would be better for it to happen before the engagement than after.”

Wang Shi did not understand and looked at her with puzzlement.

Yun Pan smiled and pressed her lips together, then turned to instruct Nanny Yao: “Send word to Second Paternal Aunt — Father is to take a new wife, and there is no reason for Paternal Aunt to be kept in the dark.”