Since she had committed to setting aside time for the cord tassel, Eleventh Miss rose the next morning and went to pay her respects to the First Madam at the same hour as the day before.
From a distance, she spotted Fifth Miss — wearing a bright crimson brocade cape — standing beneath the eaves, talking with Ke Yiniang.
Ke Yiniang was dressed in a pomegranate-red multi-pattern embroidered jacket and a blue-green pleated skirt with plum-bamboo-and-orchid border trim. Her refined features, in the glow of the large red lanterns beneath the eaves, appeared even softer and lovelier than usual. The two of them had just said something that made them both burst into laughter behind their sleeves. The scene had a warmth about it.
Eleventh Miss was still wondering whether to approach when Ziwei, who had been standing beside the neatly-shaped holly tree by the steps, spotted her.
She smiled and came forward to meet Eleventh Miss. “Eleventh Miss, you’re early today!” Her voice was louder than usual — in the quiet of the courtyard, it rang out rather shrilly.
The junior maids by the eaves all looked over, and Fifth Miss and Ke Yiniang were inevitably drawn to turn as well.
There was no escaping it now.
Eleventh Miss walked over with a smile. “I came early because of the cord tassel.”
“No wonder I didn’t run into Eleventh Sister yesterday when I came to pay respects to Mother,” said Fifth Miss with a smile. “I was up writing until the middle of the night, and then no matter how I tried I couldn’t sleep — tossing and turning for ages. I thought I might as well get up early and come talk with Mother for a while. How unexpected — and I run into you, Sister. Let’s walk back together later.”
Was such a detailed explanation to her really necessary?
“Of course,” said Eleventh Miss, stepping forward to greet her with a proper courtesy, then looking after her with genuine concern: “Is Sister feeling any better now? I sometimes embroider until midnight, and even though I’m exhausted, I find I can’t sleep once I lie down. It can take days to recover. Sister really ought to take better care.”
Fifth Miss returned the greeting and smiled: “It’s just these past few days — I’ve been too caught up in worrying about the birthday gift.”
“Come inside out of the cold, both of you,” said Ke Yiniang, stepping forward.
Eleventh Miss smiled and called out, “Yiniang,” and she and Fifth Miss filed in one after the other.
The First Madam had not yet risen, and had no intention of doing so. Upon hearing they had come to pay their respects, she sent a junior maid out with a single word — “Understood” — and dismissed them.
Fifth Miss and Eleventh Miss looked at each other, and Fifth Miss glanced anxiously toward Ke Yiniang.
Ke Yiniang herself was full of confusion. “Last night it was Nanny Xu who was on duty…”
“Why would Nanny Xu be on night duty?” Fifth Miss’s expression shifted slightly. She glanced at the junior maids standing about and held back whatever she wanted to say.
Eleventh Miss’s eyes flickered. She smiled: “In that case, let’s head back for now. We can come to see Mother again this evening.”
There was nothing to be gleaned from this situation anyway. Fifth Miss had no choice but to compose herself and nod, and the two of them took their leave of the main room.
As they walked, Fifth Miss chatted with Eleventh Miss.
“Ziwei mentioned that Nanny Wu also came last night?”
“She did,” Eleventh Miss said with a smile. “And she brought two jars of Jinhua wine.” She then smiled and thanked Fifth Miss: “And we must thank Sister for sending such fine tea.”
“We’re sisters — there’s no need for such formalities.” Fifth Miss was still smiling, looking as if she wanted to ask something more, when a junior maid came rushing up, out of breath: “Fifth Miss, how did you go to the First Madam’s so early today? I’ve been looking all over for you. If I hadn’t run into Shanhu, I’d have missed you entirely.”
Eleventh Miss did not recognize the junior maid.
Fifth Miss smiled in explanation: “This is Yiliu, a junior maid from Fourth Brother’s room.”
Fourth Young Master Luo Zhensheng lived in the outer court — no wonder she didn’t know her. And if a junior maid had been sent to find Fifth Miss, there must be something the matter.
Eleventh Miss, picking up on the cue, smiled: “Sister needn’t see me all the way back — once I’m on the covered walkway, I’m practically at Lvyun Tower.”
Fifth Miss thought for a moment and smiled: “Then I won’t walk you all the way. Take care, Sister!”
“Please go ahead, Sister!” Eleventh Miss smiled and exchanged a few more courteous words, then turned and made her way toward Lvyun Tower.
Hupo, who had been walking beside her, kept glancing back. She saw the junior maid whispering a few words in Fifth Miss’s ear, after which the two of them turned and headed toward the main room.
If she was a maid from Fourth Young Master’s room — why was she bringing Fifth Miss to the main room?
The thought flashed through her mind, and Hupo’s expression changed slightly.
That junior maid had only said she was looking for Fifth Miss. And Fifth Miss had only said the junior maid was from Fourth Young Master’s room — not a single word about having been sent by Fourth Young Master to find her. Even so, the way they had framed it was enough to give any casual observer the impression that this junior maid was acting on Fourth Young Master’s orders. A misunderstanding had been quietly created, allowing anyone who wasn’t paying close attention to come away with the wrong idea.
She also recalled how, just before Eleventh Miss arrived, Fifth Miss and Ke Yiniang had been talking under the eaves, while Ziwei had been standing by the steps as if keeping watch… And then she thought of everything else that had been happening over the past few days… and felt a creeping unease.
Hupo looked at the graceful, unhurried steps of Eleventh Miss ahead of her, then closed her mouth. She truly did not know how to bring it up.
—
Back at Lvyun Tower, Eleventh Miss smiled at Hupo: “There are more people than tasks in my room, and with everyone having so much idle time to begin with, your arrival has only given everyone even more of it. Today I’ll be staying home all day to work on the cord tassel. Whatever you need to attend to, go ahead and take care of it now. Once I start on the embroidered screen in a few days, Dongqing will need to be at my side to help, and the running of this room will all fall to you. It won’t be as easy to come and go as it is now.”
What she meant was: if you have anything you need to do, do it quickly while you still can. Once the embroidering starts, stay put and make sure this household runs without a hitch.
Naturally, an unmarried young miss who had not yet come of age would have little demanding her attention. More so now that the tutor had gone home for the winter holidays. Except for the morning and evening courtesy calls, someone like Tenth Miss — who spent her days reading at home — could simply stay put and go nowhere.
Eleventh Miss had said this as a gentle warning, she supposed. Telling her to cut ties with whatever she had been doing before — cautioning her not to wander off in the future.
Hupo drew a slow, steady breath. She smiled and sank into a deep curtsy. “Eleventh Miss need not worry. Before I came here, I had already settled everything that needed settling. Once you begin the embroidered screen, I will naturally stay where I am and go nowhere. Though this room may not be heavy with affairs, the meals, the washing, and the dealings between the various rooms — none of those can be neglected. If I let any of it fall behind and delay your work on the screen, my life would be forfeit ten times over.”
Eleventh Miss blinked.
To be expected of someone who had come from the First Madam’s room — truly bright and sharp; one needed only to hint, and she understood completely. No need to waste words or wear oneself out.
Eleventh Miss gave a nod, sat down by the brazier on the brocade stool, and returned to the cord tassel.
Hupo slipped out quietly, called Dongqing in to attend, and then took Binju with her to begin tidying the room.
Binju said under her breath with a smile: “Sweeping isn’t supposed to begin until the twenty-sixth of the month!”
“By then, the young miss will have started embroidering,” Hupo replied with a smile. “This way we don’t disturb her.”
Binju laughed: “Our young miss may not look it, but she likes things lively. She has a good temper too — don’t worry too much.”
Hupo’s eyes lit up. “Oh? Looking at her, I’d have taken her for someone who prefers stillness.”
“Our miss is composed, yes,” said Binju, unbothered. “She just likes to have life and bustle around her.”
“What sort of life and bustle?” Hupo smiled.
“She likes growing flowers and plants, likes hearing the people around her laughing and chatting, and she likes everyone to wear bright, cheerful colors…”
Hupo listened attentively, committing each detail to memory.
—
In the inner bedchamber, Dongqing was also speaking with Eleventh Miss.
“Binju says there’s nothing unusual about Fifth Miss’s room — the same as always.”
“That’s what I’d expect,” said Eleventh Miss, her fingers moving with remarkable deftness — weaving left and looping right — and in no time at all, the body of a small bat was finished. “Looking at how Ziwei acted that day, she shouldn’t have been aware of anything beforehand.”
“Before?” Dongqing was startled.
Eleventh Miss kept her eyes on the cord tassel and gave a nod. “She didn’t know before. But this morning, when we went to pay our respects, there was an unfamiliar junior maid — she said she’d been looking everywhere for Fifth Miss, then explained that she was from Fourth Young Master’s room. But at that hour, the inner quarters hadn’t yet been unlocked for the day. Where had she come from? Even if you’re going to tell a lie, at least make it believable.” Her hands paused for a moment. She looked up at Dongqing. “Wu Xiaoquan’s wife came last night — that must have tipped off Fifth Miss to something, so she went over to Ke Yiniang’s first thing this morning to see if she could find anything out. And then she was called back — she must have found something. Have Binju keep going to Fifth Miss’s room. Whatever happens, it’ll be in the next day or two.”
Dongqing answered respectfully, “Yes,” then added: “First Yiniang came this morning.”
Eleventh Miss’s hands stilled. “She came? What for? Where is she?”
“Upstairs.” Dongqing pointed to the ceiling overhead. “She says she came to ask Tenth Miss to help copy out a sutra.”
Both Yiniangss were devout Buddhists. Fifth Miss, though her calligraphy was fine, was not someone who could be called upon by just anyone. Among the sisters, Tenth Miss had the best scholarly foundation and was often praised by the tutor — but she was also impetuous, prone to sudden shifts of temper, and not easy to deal with. In a time of such tension and uncertainty, First Yiniang’s coming struck Eleventh Miss as unsettling.
“But don’t worry,” Dongqing added. Eleventh Miss had once said to her that “anything out of the ordinary is cause for suspicion,” and First Yiniang’s visit today felt out of the ordinary to her — so she had paid close attention. “Baizhi and Jiuxiang are on good terms with people from our room. Whatever it is, it can be hidden for a while, but not forever.”
Eleventh Miss smiled and nodded, teasing her: “Dongqing is starting to sound more like a household manager every day.”
Dongqing laughed behind her hand — and before the smile reached her eyes, a shadow crossed them.
Eleventh Miss could only offer comfort: “I still have two years before I come of age. You have two years as well.”
The longer one lived in the Luo Mansion, the more one felt the overwhelming power of those above.
Dongqing was not as optimistic as Eleventh Miss, yet she did not want to darken the mood of the young girl who, though she said little, had never once broken her word.
“Yes.” She smiled and nodded. “We’ll find a way.”
Eleventh Miss did not want to pursue this line of discussion with Dongqing.
In the face of absolute power, schemes and stratagems all lost their meaning.
In ancient times, marriages were made early. Though she had wanted to use her wits to find herself a steady, decent man to marry, the idea felt distasteful to her somewhere deep down, and there had been no real opportunity besides — so she had been slow to act.
She had not expected that, though the pace of life in this era was slower, things could still change just as swiftly… Letting her guard down had made her situation this passive.
At that thought, she changed the subject: “Has there been any word from Qiuju’s side?”
“I only mentioned it to Qiuju this morning,” Dongqing said with a smile. “It’ll likely be a couple of days before anything comes through.”
Eleventh Miss gave an “mm” and bent her head back over the cord tassel.
—