People always find those of the same station easier to accept.

Madam Huang’s single remark — “what a thoroughly spendthrift pair” — had instantly warmed Elder Madam Lin toward the Eleventh Young Miss. She asked what the Eleventh Young Miss did to pass the time at home, whether she enjoyed attending theatrical performances, and whether she found Geng Changsheng of the Changsheng Troupe or Bai Xixiang of the Jiexiang Society the finer performer. With Madam Huang’s Third Young Mistress joining in on the banter, the three of them fell into easy, cheerful conversation.

The Grand Madam, walking ahead, took the opportunity to glance back, and — reassured — returned her attention to discussing with Madam Huang the differences between how they arrange weddings in Shandong versus Yanjing.

The dining room was a small flower hall, where five or six tables had been set. To the east, two women sat apart from the rest. One appeared to be in her fifties — wearing a light amber ten-pattern all-over-gold brocade long-sleeved gown, her dark hair swept into a round bun, adorned only with a solid gold Guanyin hairpiece, her expression cool and sharp. The other, around forty, wore a sapphire blue peony all-over-gold brocade long-sleeved gown, her hair styled into an elaborate peony coif, set with a solid gold pearl-tipped phoenix pin and a ruby ring, her smile careful and cautious. Beside them sat a woman in a bright red cut-silk gold-branch green-leaf hundred-flower pattern skirt. She appeared no more than twenty or so, plain of face, yet there was a hint of arrogance about her brow, giving her the air of someone not easily approached.

Elder Madam Lin immediately leaned in to murmur, “See that woman in the bright red cut-silk skirt? That’s Third Young Mistress Yang of the Tang family.”

The Eleventh Young Miss was mildly startled.

She was not startled to have encountered the daughter of Marquis Jianning here — rather, it was the note of warning she had heard in Elder Madam Lin’s voice that surprised her.

They had met for only the second time, yet this was their first real conversation… Sometimes, affinity truly was a strange thing.

Lost in that thought, the three women had already glanced over. The forty-year-old among them immediately rose from her seat with a welcoming smile. “You’ve all arrived fashionably late!”

The assembled ladies exchanged greetings with her. “Madam Li!”

The Grand Madam beckoned the Eleventh Young Miss forward. “Come, meet Madam Li, wife of General Li of Shanxi.”

The Eleventh Young Miss stepped forward and curtsied.

Madam Li returned the curtsy, saying, “This is far too much ceremony. When one thinks of it — our lord owed his life to the Marquis…”

“This isn’t the great hall where merit is proclaimed.” The Grand Madam laughed and cut her off. “Madam Li is far too formal!”

As they spoke, the woman in her fifties and Third Young Mistress Yang approached.

“We heard long ago that the Marquis had found himself a virtuous and worthy wife — and here she is, a great beauty besides!” The woman in her fifties smiled, looking the Eleventh Young Miss up and down. “Our Marquis truly has fine fortune!”

The Eleventh Young Miss was somewhat taken aback.

Before her marriage to Xu Lingyi, she had been no more than an unremarkable girl from a village in Yuhang. How had she ever earned a reputation for virtue and worthiness? This lady’s praise was laying it on rather thick.

The Grand Madam, however, only smiled pleasantly and turned to the Eleventh Young Miss. “This is Madam Liang, wife of Grand Secretary of the Huagai Hall and Minister of Justice, Lord Liang.”

The Eleventh Young Miss curtsied to Madam Liang.

Madam Liang immediately took her by the hand. “The Marquis and my husband call each other brothers — there’s no need for such ceremony, Madam.”

“Oh my!” Third Young Mistress Yang beside them suddenly raised a hand to her lips with a laugh. “How unfortunate for my brother-in-law — he’s acquired a young aunt.”

The Eleventh Young Miss had no idea what she meant.

The Grand Madam smiled and explained. “Third Young Mistress Yang of the Tang family has a younger sister who is the third daughter-in-law of the Liang household.”

The Eleventh Young Miss understood at once.

A flash of displeasure crossed Madam Liang’s eyes, but she quickly laughed it off. “I was afraid of having to give a first-meeting gift!”

Everyone laughed, and the awkwardness of Yang’s remark was smoothed over.

The Tang Fourth Young Mistress arranged the guests to their seats with practiced efficiency.

The Grand Madam, Madam Zheng, Madam Huang, and Madam Lin sat at one table. Madam Liang, Madam Li, Madam Gan, and Madam Qiao sat at another. Elder Madam Lin, Madam Huang’s Third Young Mistress, and the Eleventh Young Miss sat at a third. A household reception matron then brought in several aunts of the Tang bride by marriage — they were introduced all around, and the Tang Madam joined them at a table while the bride’s aunts by blood sat at yet another. Five tables were filled; at the Eleventh Young Miss’s table, one seat remained empty. The Tang Fourth Young Mistress cheerfully invited Third Young Mistress Yang to join them.

Yang smiled and was about to take her seat when a young maid ran in. “Madam Zhou of the Princess Imperial’s household has arrived!”

The Tang Fourth Young Mistress heard this and hurried out. Third Young Mistress Yang, seeing her go, followed after.

Madam Huang’s Third Young Mistress leaned toward the Eleventh Young Miss to explain. “The Princess Imperial’s son-in-law is surnamed Zhou. The Princess Imperial is now quite elderly, so social calls and engagements are all handled by her daughter-in-law, Madam Zhou. She is the eldest legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Zhengnan, Wang Rao.”

A thought flashed through the Eleventh Young Miss’s mind. She said quietly, “Could she be a relation of Lord Wang, the Fujian Provincial Administration Commissioner?”

Madam Huang’s Third Young Mistress paused. “The Zhengnan Wang family does have a cousin-branch brother who serves as Fujian Provincial Administration Commissioner. You’re acquainted?”

That confirmed it.

The one who had been proposing a match for the Tenth Young Miss.

That Madam Wang and the Tenth Young Miss’s sister-in-law, Madam Jiang, were very close friends…

She had known these families were entangled with one another — but the complexity ran deeper than she had imagined. She could not help feeling quietly thankful. Had the Grand Madam not changed her mind and decided to bring her along today, untangling these connections on her own would have taken years.

The Eleventh Young Miss shook her head. “I know the wife of Lord Wang, the Provincial Administration Commissioner.”

Elder Madam Lin heard this and was about to ask for details when the Tang Fourth Young Mistress and Third Young Mistress Yang swept back in, one on either side, escorting a woman in her thirties who wore a bright red cut-silk butterfly-and-grape patterned half-jacket.

The elder ladies — Madam Zheng, the Grand Madam, and the others — remained seated. Madam Gan, Madam Li, and the younger ones rose to greet Madam Zhou.

Madam Zhou was wonderfully at ease — she curtsied and offered personal greetings to each in turn, never repeating herself. She inquired after Madam Zheng’s health, asked the Grand Madam how Danyang was faring, asked Madam Lin when her Fifth Miss Lin Mingyuan would be marrying, asked Madam Liang whether the first wheat had been harvested and when the second would be cut, and teased Madam Gan about why she wasn’t sitting with her in-laws — was she embarrassed to be seen? With just her alone, the room brightened by three measures. The Eleventh Young Miss was quietly impressed. She also caught the implication behind Madam Zhou’s words and leaned toward Elder Madam Lin to ask softly, “Madam Gan has become in-laws with whom?”

Elder Madam Lin smiled. “Lantinghas been betrothed to Lord Liang’s eldest son!”

The Eleventh Young Miss was surprised. “When did that happen?”

“This past March!” Elder Madam Lin smiled. “The Liang family had long been seeking a match with Lanting, but the Gan family wanted to first see Cao’e married before discussing Lanting’s arrangements. Then, in June, the patriarch of the Jiang family passed away. The Jiang family wanted the marriage to take place within a hundred days, but Fujian is so far from here, and it was the height of summer — the journey felt rushed. The Gan family simply let Cao’e wait until the three-year mourning period was over. And so they turned first to settling Lanting’s marriage. It’s not as though Lanting was young anymore. The Liang Grand Madam has also been in poor health on and off — if anything happened to her, Lanting would have to wait another three years. And she still has two younger sisters of marriageable age waiting below her.”

The Eleventh Young Miss’s mind was moving quickly, piecing together what she could. “You mean — Madam Gan’s Third Miss is to marry into the Jianan Jiang family, the one that’s said to have ‘four imperial examination graduates in one generation, and two Grand Secretaries spanning grandfather and grandson’? And Madam Gan’s Seventh Miss has been betrothed to Lord Liang’s eldest son.”

Which meant Madam Gan’s Third Miss would become a relation of Madam Qiao by marriage?

Truly a tangled web.

“That’s right.” Elder Madam Lin nodded, glancing at Third Young Mistress Yang, then looked back at the Eleventh Young Miss with a small, knowing smile. “The Yang family wanted to marry their second daughter to Lord Liang’s eldest son — but he was already betrothed to Madam Gan’s Seventh Miss. The second son was already betrothed to the second daughter of Zhejiang Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Huang Yu. So the Yang family’s second daughter was married to Lord Liang’s third son.” She pressed her lips together and let a small smile through.

The Eleventh Young Miss understood.

Whether a great noble family or a modest household, the eldest son and his wife set the standard for the entire household — they are the ones who uphold its name and carry its future. So in choosing the eldest son’s wife, every family exercises the utmost care and deliberation. For the Liang family to have done this — it was as clear as anything that they had no desire to form a connection with the Yang family. She also thought of Lanting’s pure intelligence, her generosity and breadth of heart — it was no wonder the Liang family had been seeking her hand so persistently.

She smiled at Elder Madam Lin with a knowing look. “I understand completely.”

Elder Madam Lin smiled back, eyes narrowed with quiet humor.

It struck the Eleventh Young Miss that this Elder Madam Lin was quite a fascinating person.

Lord Liang’s second son had married the second daughter of Zhejiang Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Huang Yu… She thought back to the time the First Madam had wanted to send a Hundred Longevity embroidered screen for the Grand Madam’s birthday, and the Fifth Young Miss had wanted a rosewood base for the screen, and the Luo family had a piece of rosewood — but Luo Zhensheng had used it to carve a longevity figure for Magistrate Huang’s mother’s birthday… And in the blink of an eye, two years had already passed. Her own life had turned entirely upside down.

And when she thought of it — she still owed Lanting a kindness. When Lanting had learned she was to become Xu Lingyi’s second wife, she had gently advised her to read more Buddhist texts — surely out of hope that she might find peace of mind, and find the strength to endure all hardships. But at the time, the Eleventh Young Miss had been barely managing her own affairs, and had not dared to spend too much time with Lanting. This had long been a quiet regret in her heart.

Lost in thought, the Grand Madam beckoned to her.

The Eleventh Young Miss quickly left her seat and went over.

“Madam Zhou, this is our fourth daughter-in-law.” The Grand Madam gestured toward Madam Zhou. “And this is the daughter-in-law of the Princess Imperial’s household — Yanjing’s own capable figure, Madam Zhou.”

The Eleventh Young Miss gave a half-curtsy, and Madam Zhou returned it promptly, turning to the Grand Madam with a smile. “I was wondering who this was — so lovely, and I’ve never seen her before. So she’s your Fourth Madam.”

Third Young Mistress Yang spoke up beside them. “Doesn’t she remind you a little of Consort Song?”

Madam Zhou, as though she hadn’t heard a word, kept her attention on the Eleventh Young Miss. “We live in the same lane, right next to Hehua Li. Come over and visit whenever you like. The Marquis and my husband, and Prince Shun as well — they all grew up together. You mustn’t feel any constraint.”

The Eleventh Young Miss smiled. “Thank you, sister-in-law. I will certainly come to visit.”

“None of this ‘sister-in-law’ — call me elder sister.”

The Eleventh Young Miss glanced quickly at the Grand Madam, who gave a faint nod. She smiled and called out “Elder Sister.”

Madam Zhou responded warmly, then turned to the Tang Fourth Young Mistress with a smile. “Don’t trouble yourself — I’ll squeeze in at the same table as Fourth Madam.”

The Tang Fourth Young Mistress fussed. “But that won’t do at all!”

“Do you think I’m here for your food?” Madam Zhou laughed. “I only came for the company. It’s not as though there’s nothing to eat or drink at home.” Without waiting for the Tang Fourth Young Mistress to say anything more, she turned to the Eleventh Young Miss. “Where are you sitting? Since this is our first meeting as sisters, we must have a proper talk.” She then addressed the older women at their tables. “I should be pouring tea and setting out chopsticks for each of you — but given that my mother-in-law hasn’t come today, I hope the esteemed aunties and madams will indulge me and let me make a bold claim as elder sister to the Fourth Madam.”

This sent several of the ladies into hearty laughter.

Even Madam Zheng, who rarely unbent enough for such teasing, made an uncharacteristically playful remark. “I’ll go and tell the Princess Imperial tomorrow!”

Madam Zhou immediately grabbed hold of Madam Zheng’s sleeve and refused to let go. “I’ll bring candied fruit to see you tomorrow, Auntie.”

This made Madam Zheng laugh outright and tap her on the forehead. “Go on, go on — stop making a spectacle in front of all of us.”

Another wave of laughter swept through the room.

Madam Zhou then took the Eleventh Young Miss by the hand and led her toward her table.

—