Eleventh Miss changed and came out to find that Shanhu from Madam Senior Mistress’s quarters had arrived. Hupo was keeping her company in conversation. When she saw Eleventh Miss, Shanhu stepped forward and curtseyed. “Eleventh Miss, this servant has come to ask a favor.”

When someone has come to ask a favor, they have usually already thought things through and would only speak up if they feel at least four or five parts confident it will be granted.

Noting that Shanhu’s eyes carried a smile, the matter she wished to raise was surely a very easy one. Eleventh Miss smiled. “Shanhu Jiejie, please say whatever you need to say.”

Shanhu glanced at Hupo and smiled. “You know as well as I do — Hupo used to manage Madam Senior Mistress’s clothes and jewelry, and now that she has been promoted to your room, I have taken over her duties.” She looked a little embarrassed. “Several of the hairpins in Madam Senior Mistress’s case were stored wrapped in gold velvet, and the young maids took them out to look at and could not put them back properly… I would like to ask Hupo to come and take a look.”

It was Shanhu herself who, out of curiosity, had taken them out and could not put them back properly.

Eleventh Miss smiled. “You and Hupo are like sisters from the same house, and you are on good terms with Dongqing as well — whatever you need, just ask them for help. No need to be so formal with me.”

Shanhu’s face lit up with joy, and she gave Eleventh Miss a pleased curtsey, then took Hupo by the arm and went out.

Outside, the sky was clear and cloudless, and the boxwood trees, as thick as a young person’s arm, stood in quiet stillness.

Hupo let out a slow breath.

“You have not been here a full day yet and you are already sighing!” Shanhu teased her at once. “What is it? Are you missing Madam Senior Mistress’s quarters?”

Hupo smiled but said nothing, and affectionately linked her arm with Shanhu’s. “Thank you, Jiejie, for coming when you did. I truly did not know what to do otherwise.”

“What was so difficult about it?” Shanhu smiled. “You only wanted an excuse to slip away so that the mistress and her maids could have a moment to speak privately. Even if I had not come, you would have found some other pretext. What is so hard about that? And this was a kindness on your part — would it have mattered if they knew?”

Hupo gave a quiet sigh. “I am the one who was inserted in the middle of things, after all. I cannot compare with Dongqing Jiejie and Binju Jiejie — they nursed Eleventh Miss through her illness and were at her side throughout. Some things are better handled with more care.”

Shanhu was unconvinced and could not help giving a small laugh at this. “You are really something, always so devoted and loyal. I truly do not know what to say. Even if you yield the ground now, can you yield it forever? Younger Sister is a sensible person. That Dongqing is six years older than Eleventh Miss — she may not even last until the Miss is married. And even if she does, Nanny Yao suffered that quiet slight and will not rest until she has settled the score. Now that Madam Senior Mistress has moved you into Eleventh Miss’s room, on the surface it looks like *you* have lost out — moved from the coveted main house to the room of a concubine-born young miss. But in truth, this is Madam Senior Mistress’s grace and favor toward you.” Her tone shifted, carrying a note of wistfulness. “Not like us — we are fixed in our path already. We will either be given to First Young Master or Fourth Young Master, or married off to some manservant. Being given to a manservant is not so terrible, but if we were given to First Young Master or Fourth Young Master, the young mistresses of those households would not be entirely without suspicion in their hearts, knowing we once served Madam Senior Mistress. By the time the young mistresses are in charge of the household, our years will be spent — the masters will have long since forgotten us and tucked us away in some corner… You have the better lot! You are only three years older than Eleventh Miss. When you follow her to her husband’s household, with your looks and your talents, you are certain to have a few years of favor. And if you can bear a son or daughter, you will have something to lean on in your old age…”

Hupo made no reply. Her eyes, fixed on the boxwood trees, took on a distant, vacant look.

“Only with Jiejie can I speak from the heart.” She clasped Shanhu’s hand, her fingertips as cold as frost. “Just as Jiejie says — in time, I will likely have to follow Eleventh Miss to her husband’s household. Madam Senior Mistress may intend it as a kindness, but look at Second Yiniang’s Third Young Miss. Of the four maids who followed her, one died of illness, one was given to a stable hand who served the master, and the other two were given away by the master in a drunken moment… Even Eleventh Miss herself probably does not know where she will land — let alone someone like us. Jiejie, there is no easy path to take.”

Shanhu’s lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something but thought better of it.

A shadow of helplessness passed through her eyes, and she pulled Hupo close and held her shoulder consolingly. “Good younger sister, Madam Senior Mistress chose you from among so many of us — you are surely one of the fortunate ones.”

Yet her words, as she said them, were both thin and hollow.

—

Watching Hupo and Shanhu leave Lvyun Tower, Eleventh Miss gathered the people of her room and spoke to them.

“…Now that Madam Senior Mistress has moved her into our room, she is one of us. She is new here and naturally unfamiliar with everything. You must all treat her like true sisters.”

Dongqing, Binju, Qiu Ju, Zhuxiang, Nanny Xin, and Nanny Tang all bent their knees and replied respectfully, “Yes.”

Eleventh Miss smiled and lifted her tea. “Dongqing and Binju, stay — I have a few more things to ask.”

Qiu Ju and the others curtseyed and withdrew.

Eleventh Miss gestured to the low stools nearby. “Sit down and talk.”

Both of them knew that Eleventh Miss was not one for empty formality. When she told you to sit, she meant it sincerely. When she did not want you to sit, she would not say so.

Dongqing and Binju sat down, one to her left and one to her right.

Eleventh Miss remained in thought for some time before lowering her voice. “The two of you are the pillars of my room. While Hupo is away, there are a few tasks I need to set you to.” She paused. “For now, only the two of you are to know of these matters.”

The implication was that they were not to tell anyone else.

Seeing the gravity that had settled across Eleventh Miss’s brow, both of them straightened at once and said in unison, “Eleventh Miss, rest assured. We will not breathe a word.”

Eleventh Miss nodded, then sat in silence for a moment longer before speaking. “Binju, you are on good terms with Ziwei from Fifth Miss’s quarters. For the next few days, make a point of visiting her more often. Find out what Fifth Miss has been up to lately, who has come to call on her, and which households she has been visiting in return. The more detailed, the better.”

Binju nodded promptly in assent.

“Have Qiu Ju help you find out about First Yiniang and Second Yiniang’s history — she is a house-born girl; there will always be someone nearby who knows these things.”

Since she was to ask Qiu Ju to do the inquiring, it meant even Qiu Ju was not to know that it was Eleventh Miss who wanted to find out about the two yiniangs.

Binju answered “yes” at once.

Eleventh Miss’s gaze then settled on Dongqing. “I intend to host a welcoming banquet for Hupo. I will invite Nanny Xu, Wu Xiaoquan’s wife, and Nanny Yao, along with the maids from Madam Senior Mistress’s quarters, and the maids from Lvyun Tower and Jiao Garden, so everyone can get together and celebrate. I would like you to organize this.”

“Inviting the matrons as well?” Dongqing was taken aback. “These three are all trusted figures at Madam Senior Mistress’s side — I am afraid they may not…”

The implication being: I am afraid we do not have enough standing to get them to come.

“Whether they come is their affair; whether we invite them is ours.” Eleventh Miss was unbothered by her hesitation. “Just follow my instructions and go and invite them.”

That was true enough — failing to invite them would be a breach of courtesy… And since they certainly would not come in any case, it would not hurt to go through the motions.

Dongqing nodded.

“As for Madam Senior Mistress’s maids, I will invite them myself. You go in person to invite the three matrons. For Jiao Garden and Lvyun Tower, just send a card.”

That was thoughtful of Young Miss. With her dispatching Dongqing directly, even if the matrons declined to come, it would not cause too great a loss of face.

Dongqing answered “yes.”

“Set the banquet time for the start of the evening hour. The venue — the warm side room that everyone usually uses for gatherings. When the time comes, talk freely with the sisters from Madam Senior Mistress’s quarters. Ask them what has been going on in Madam Senior Mistress’s quarters lately — for instance, what Madam Senior Mistress’s manner was when she received First Master’s letter, and what it was when she received First Young Master’s letter…”

It was only at this point that Dongqing understood the full picture.

The winter days were short. By the start of the evening hour, it would already be dark, and the household’s mistresses would have taken their evening meals — the maids and matrons would be off duty. Set the banquet at that hour, and whoever wished to come would come, and whoever did not would find an excuse — so it would become immediately clear who was willing and who was not.

And then there was the matter of the guests. She herself was a maid, and yet she was being sent to personally invite the three matrons of considerable standing. Jiao Garden housed Fifth Miss, and Lvyun Tower housed Tenth Miss and Twelfth Miss — these were proper mistresses of the Luo household — and yet they were only to receive a card. Young Miss had never truly intended to invite the three matrons or the three young misses.

When the time came — winter cold, the feast table surrounded by nothing but maids of various ranks — a few cups of wine, everyone relaxed and loosened up, and whatever should be said and should not be said would likely all come spilling out. All the more so if she were to take the opportunity to “talk freely with the sisters from Madam Senior Mistress’s quarters”…

All of this roundabout maneuvering was simply to discover whether anything was amiss on Madam Senior Mistress’s end.

Then she thought about Hupo’s sudden arrival… It seemed the matter was not as straightforward as merely assigning a new person. She thought again of Hupo’s appearance, her age…

A faint unease took hold of Dongqing.

She gave Eleventh Miss her word. “This servant will find everything out.”

Hearing the certainty in Dongqing’s tone, Eleventh Miss realized Dongqing had misunderstood her.

She wanted the information, yes — but she was even more afraid of alarming the wrong people.

“If it can be done, do it. If it cannot, do not force it.” Eleventh Miss did her best to look relaxed. “If others were to find out, that would not do.”

Dongqing had spent three years at Eleventh Miss’s side. She knew better than anyone how precarious Eleventh Miss’s position was.

“Young Miss, rest assured — no one will know.”

Knowing that Dongqing was always careful, and seeing that all the necessary instructions had been given, Eleventh Miss allowed the taut thread of her nerves to slacken just a little. She smiled. “Since Hupo’s welcoming banquet is tomorrow, take ten taels of silver to the kitchen and have them put together a proper table.”

Dongqing answered “yes.”

Binju laughed. “Young Miss has forgotten — Dongqing Jiejie has already handed over the keys. Surely you cannot expect her to spend her own money? Even if she were willing, her purse is far from full.”

Eleventh Miss had indeed forgotten and could not help laughing.

—

That evening, when Hupo returned, Eleventh Miss told her about the banquet. “…I also thought it would be a chance to formally introduce you to the sisters from the other rooms.”

After a brief moment of surprise, Hupo quickly smiled and thanked Eleventh Miss — yet at the bottom of her eyes was an unease she could not quite hide.

Eleventh Miss saw it clearly.

Her brow furrowed, almost imperceptibly.