Qiao Lianfang wore a rose-red jacket with a myriad-character flowing cloud brocade pattern, and a dark green skirt embroidered with plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. Her jet-black hair was wound into a high bun with a jade pin set in it, her posture as upright as ever, her expression as composed as always — except for a faint weariness in her brow, as though she had not slept well.
It seemed that, like Concubine Qin, Qiao Lianfang had also not passed a restful night.
Qiao Lianfang loved Xu Lingyi — hearing that he was still thinking of a concubine who had been dead more than ten years, it was understandable that she would not sleep well. But what was the reason for Concubine Qin?
Remembering the past closeness of those sisters?
Or lamenting the other’s early death?
Or was it, perhaps, worry about the effect of Xu Sijie’s arrival on Xu Siyu?
While she was pondering, a junior maid came in to announce: “Madam, the Marquis and Fifth Master are rising!”
“Oh!” Eleventh Miss quickly gathered herself and smiled as she directed Hupo: “Go and ask where they would like breakfast served.”
Hupo acknowledged and went off.
Eleventh Miss then instructed Concubine Qin: “Today is New Year’s Eve. Fifth Young Master’s quarters are not yet fully in order, and the proper staff has not yet been arranged. I’m afraid I must trouble Concubine Qin for a while.”
Concubine Qin rose at once: “Madam, don’t worry — I’ll have my people go and help finish getting the rooms ready.”
Eleventh Miss nodded and lifted her teacup. “Everyone may take their leave. Remember to come over early this afternoon so we can go together to the Grand Dowager’s for the New Year’s Eve dinner.”
Everyone rose and acknowledged.
Concubine Wen sidled up to Eleventh Miss with a smile: “Madam, since I have nothing else to occupy me, how about I lend a hand to Elder Sister Qin and help arrange Fifth Young Master’s rooms together?”
Concubine Wen’s quarters had a managing mama, a rough-duties mama, two second-tier maids, and two junior maids.
“Very well!” Eleventh Miss said with a smile. “Many hands make light work. Once this is done and settled, we can all spend the New Year in peace — and there’ll be fireworks to watch this evening!”
Concubine Wen acknowledged with a smile and went with Concubine Qin to Xu Siyu’s former quarters. Qiao Lianfang took Xiuyuan and returned to her own rooms.
Xiuyuan smiled and handed Qiao Lianfang a cup of hot tea: “Miss can rest easy now. The Marquis going to Eleventh Miss — it’s little more than an obligatory appearance.”
Qiao Lianfang had brought only Xiuyuan with her when she entered the household; all the other servants had been provided by the Xu family. So ordinarily it was only Xiuyuan she kept close by. With no one else in the room, hearing Xiuyuan tease her this way, she flushed and swatted at her with a handkerchief: “What nonsense are you saying?”
Xiuyuan dodged away, smiling behind her sleeve, and deliberately teased further: “Miss, do be mindful of your health!”
Qiao Lianfang’s expression dimmed at this, and her hand moved unconsciously to rest upon her abdomen.
The smile on Xiuyuan’s face gradually faded as well. She walked softly to Qiao Lianfang’s side and whispered: “Miss, rest easy — this time is certain to bear fruit.”
Qiao Lianfang could not help the reddening at the corners of her eyes: “The medicine has been taken, and the objects have been worn… everything that could be done has been done. But this body of mine simply won’t…” She folded her hands together toward the west and bowed in supplication: “Great Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva, if you would grant this humble woman her wish this time, I vow to have a golden statue cast in your image and offer incense day and night without ceasing.”
—
The three concubines had barely taken their leave when Hupo came back to report: “The Marquis says breakfast is to be served in the study.”
Eleventh Miss brought Xu Sijie and Binju — who was carrying him — with her to the study.
At the doorway they encountered Lvyun sending out two maids from Fifth Madam’s side.
The three of them curtsied in greeting, and Lvyun quickly explained: “Fifth Madam sent people to bring a change of clothes for Fifth Master.”
Fifth Madam had always been very attentive to Xu Lingkuan.
Eleventh Miss smiled and nodded to the two maids, and then hesitated.
Had she come too early — were the two men still washing up?
She was just about to ask Lvyun when Hongxiu lifted the curtain and came out: “Madam, the Marquis asks you to come in.”
Eleventh Miss smiled and went inside.
Xu Lingyi and Xu Lingkuan were seated side by side on the large kang by the window — one in a half-worn sapphire-blue everyday brocade robe, the other in a Buddha-blue cut-silk white sable-fur coat. Their expressions were calm and their brows relaxed; it was plain to see that both men were in good spirits.
When he saw Eleventh Miss come in carrying Xu Sijie, Xu Lingkuan quickly rose and bowed: “Fourth Sister-in-Law!” His manner was extremely respectful.
Could it be because of what he had heard from Xu Lingyi last night…
Eleventh Miss pondered this quietly and smiled as she returned the greeting. Rising, she noticed Xu Sijie in Binju’s arms — his dark eyes gleaming brilliantly as he watched Xu Lingyi, unrestrained delight overflowing from his brow.
She then looked at Xu Lingkuan. He had quietly turned his face aside.
She gave a quiet sigh inwardly.
This child and Xu Lingkuan truly seemed to have no affinity with each other.
While thinking this, she instructed Xu Sijie to bow and pay his respects to the two men.
Xu Lingyi then asked about Xu Sijie’s arrangements: “…Is everything settled?”
“He’s to be put in Siyu Ge’er’s old quarters for now. As the New Year is nearly here, it’s not easy to find the right people on short notice. He’ll be attended for the time being by a few of my maids. After the Lantern Festival, I’ll look for a few steady and trustworthy people from within the household to serve him.” Eleventh Miss gave a brief account.
Xu Lingyi nodded continuously, an expression of considerable satisfaction on his face — quite unlike his usual understated and reserved manner.
Was he putting on a show for Xu Lingkuan?
Remembering what he had said to Xu Lingkuan the night before, Eleventh Miss couldn’t help but think in that direction.
“Put some effort into this matter,” Xu Lingyi said to her with considerable courtesy. “Have the maids serve breakfast — we’ll need to go to the ancestral hall afterward to arrange the ritual objects.”
By custom, only the men could handle and arrange the objects used for ancestral rites — women were not permitted to touch them.
Eleventh Miss smiled and acknowledged, had the maids serve the meal, attended to the two men through breakfast, then took Xu Sijie with her to the Grand Dowager’s quarters.
Third Master, Third Madam, Fifth Madam, Xu Siqin, Xu Siyu, Xu Sijian, and Zhun Ge’er had all arrived.
When she saw them come through the door, Fifth Madam walked straight toward Xu Lingkuan: “Did Fifth Master sleep well last night?” Her eyes, however, were studying Xu Sijie in Binju’s arms with a very attentive expression — carrying a distinct air of scrutiny.
Eleventh Miss couldn’t help but smile wryly to herself.
Xu Lingkuan nodded to his wife and said quietly “we’ll talk when we get back,” then went forward with a smile to exchange greetings with the others.
Fifth Madam had not gotten a proper look the night before, and then had found no opportunity afterward. Now, looking carefully, she thought the child resembled Xu Lingyi three or four parts, and recalling Nanny Shi’s words from the day before, she settled a little more inwardly. She stepped forward to greet Eleventh Miss.
Eleventh Miss returned the greeting and exchanged words with Third Master and Third Madam, then brought Xu Sijie with her to follow behind Xu Lingyi and Xu Lingkuan to pay their respects to the Grand Dowager.
Xu Lingyi then brought Third Master, Xu Lingkuan, and the younger generation to the ancestral hall. Third Madam had the New Year’s Eve dinner to prepare; Eleventh Miss needed to go check on how Xu Sijie’s rooms were coming along. They left Fifth Madam to keep the Grand Dowager company, and Third Madam and Eleventh Miss took their leave together and each went their separate ways.
—
Concubine Qin’s courtyard was arranged the same as Qiao Lianfang’s, only somewhat more spacious. Rather than flowers or plants, the center of the courtyard had a rockery of Taihu stones. Through the westward-facing courtyard gate there was a covered walkway running north, leading directly to Xu Siyu’s former quarters. Xu Siyu’s quarters were more spacious still than Concubine Qin’s — the main rooms faced south, with three side rooms on each wing, a storage building at the back, and a blue-stone rain corridor between the building and Concubine Qin’s main rooms. It was a proper four-sided courtyard.
Concubine Wen walked Eleventh Miss into the courtyard and pointed to the western side rooms: “This was originally a ruyi gate.”
The meaning was: if a door were opened there, one could bypass Concubine Qin’s courtyard entirely and enter Xu Siyu’s former quarters directly.
Eleventh Miss made no comment.
Let’s wait until spring. When it comes time to renovate her own courtyard, this side can be done at the same time.
Stepping inside, she found Concubine Qin directing a few junior maids to hang canopied curtains, while others were wiping down the partitioned screens with cloths.
Hearing the movement, everyone stopped and paid their respects to Eleventh Miss.
Eleventh Miss saw that the room was mostly put together and was quite pleasantly surprised.
“We had a thorough sweep just a few days ago in preparation for the New Year, so it wasn’t nearly as much work,” Concubine Qin explained. “In the afternoon, once the mats and bedding have been moved in, Fifth Young Master can settle right in.”
Eleventh Miss smiled and nodded, letting the maids continue, and walked through the rooms with Concubine Wen and Concubine Qin, discussing what to add here, what to remove there, and what to place where — and in a blink it was midday.
A manservant from Xu Lingyi’s side came to report: “The Marquis and Fifth Master are having the midday meal in the outer courtyard, and ask Madam not to wait.”
Hupo gave the manservant ten copper coins. Eleventh Miss smiled and said: “Since the Marquis isn’t coming back, let’s just have something simple — in any case, there will be good food tonight. Let’s get Fifth Young Master’s rooms finished early so we can go to the Grand Dowager’s quarters without rushing.”
Concubine Wen and Concubine Qin smiled and agreed. They came back to Eleventh Miss’s rooms and ate something without fuss, and managed to have the rooms in order before the end of the late afternoon hour. They arranged to meet at the third quarter of the Shen hour to go together to the Grand Dowager’s quarters, then sent word to Qiao Lianfang as well, before each returning to their own rooms to wash and change.
Xu Lingyi and the others had gone to the ancestral hall, where everything for the rites had been prepared in advance by the dedicated stewards. They performed the rites according to custom, stayed busy until midday, had a simple meal in the outer courtyard, then returned to the ancestral hall. There, before the ancestors, with Xu Lingyi holding the brush himself, Xu Sijie’s name was entered into the family register — and only then did everyone disperse.
—
Fifth Madam had finally waited for Xu Lingkuan to come back.
She smiled and attended to him as he changed his clothes, and remarked casually: “What could there have been to say, to talk all night long? I was worried the Marquis would lose his temper with you, and worried you would feel aggrieved… I didn’t sleep well all night.”
A flicker of guilt crossed Xu Lingkuan’s eyes: “It’s all my fault — I made you worry!”
“Listen to Fifth Master!” Fifth Madam said with a playful pout. “It’s only your concubine who likes to let her imagination run away with her.” She then accepted a cup of tea from a maid and handed it to him with her own hands, smiling as she said: “All the same, your concubine is truly very curious — what exactly did the Marquis talk to you about?”
Xu Lingkuan had not told his wife about the child because, all this time, he had believed the matter was long settled — he had paid Liu Huifang the money, and Liu Huifang would be responsible for raising the child. He had never, not for one moment, imagined that all of this trouble would come of it.
Especially not after last night, when hearing Fourth Brother speak to him with such frank sincerity — only then had he truly grasped what a great wrong he had done, and what grave danger he had brought upon the Xu family.
Seeing his wife ask him this, he very much wanted to tell her.
But then he remembered the promise he had made to Fourth Brother — to *forget about the child. Act as though it never happened. Even in your own heart of hearts, hold firmly to the story that it is Fourth Brother’s child* — and he forced the impulse down.
“Nothing much!” Xu Lingkuan drew a deep breath, unconsciously straightening his spine. “Fourth Brother asked me to help him with something.”