The following morning, before daylight had even broken, Shiyiniang was already up. She and Xu Lingyi ate a quick meal of two meat-filled buns, then began dressing in their formal court attire.

They had barely finished when Binju came carrying Xu Sijie, followed by the three Yiniang and Nanny Tao and the others, who arrived to offer their New Year’s greetings.

Xu Sijie’s eyes were not yet fully open, and he dozed drowsily against Binju’s shoulder.

Shiyiniang smiled and ruffled his dark hair, then took out a sachet filled with silver ingots to distribute as gifts to them all. She brought Xu Sijie along and followed Xu Lingyi to the Dowager Marchioness’s quarters.

The Dowager Marchioness was already up, and was having Nanny Du pack sweets and pastries: “…At the earliest, it will be the first part of the afternoon hour before we are back. I recall one year when it dragged on until the last part of the afternoon.”

This was also why Shiyiniang and Xu Lingyi had not dared eat porridge at breakfast.

Who knew what might happen in the meantime? Could one really excuse oneself to use the facilities in the middle of an imperial audience?

Shiyiniang nodded with a smile, had Xu Sijie bow and offer New Year’s greetings to the Dowager Marchioness, and then went to help Nanny Du pack the box.

Third Master and Third Lady arrived, with Xu Siqin, Xu Siyu, and Xu Sijian following behind.

The moment Xu Sijian stepped through the door, he asked: “Where is Zhun Ge? Has he not gotten up yet?”

They had apparently played until the second quarter of the chou hour the night before.

“I have been up for ages!” Zhun Ge suddenly appeared in the doorway. “I am not sleeping in!” He shot Xu Sijian an indignant glare, then ran to the Dowager Marchioness and wished her a joyful new spring.

The Dowager Marchioness smiled and patted his head.

He turned and ran to stand before Xu Sijie: “Have you wished Grandmother a happy New Year yet?” He had the air of one about to instruct a younger child in the proper order of things.

Binju quickly answered: “He has, he has — Fifth Young Master wished the Dowager Marchioness a happy New Year the moment we arrived.”

He gave a satisfied nod at that.

This made the Dowager Marchioness laugh heartily.

Third Master and Third Lady laughed as well, bringing Xu Siqin and his two brothers forward to offer their New Year’s greetings to the Dowager Marchioness. Then Fifth Master came in supporting Fifth Lady on his arm.

Everyone exchanged warm greetings with great affection.

Seeing that the hour was not early, the Dowager Marchioness left Nanny Du at home and led her sons and daughters-in-law to the imperial palace.

The party parted ways at the Meridian Gate. Xu Lingyi led Xu Lingning and Xu Lingkuan to the Fengxian Hall to offer New Year’s greetings to the Emperor, while the Dowager Marchioness led Shiyiniang, Third Lady, and Fifth Lady to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility to offer New Year’s greetings to the Empress.

Outside the palace gate, screens and curtained enclosures had already been arranged. The imperial consorts were in the northwest; the princesses in the southeast; the external noblewomen in the southwest.

Upon entering the enclosure, Shiyiniang recognized many familiar faces.

Lady Lin of Marquis Weibei and Lin Da Nai Nai, Lady Gan of Duke Zhongqin, Lady Tang of Marquis Zhongshan, Lady Qiao of Duke Chengguo, as well as Lin Da Nai Nai’s sister-in-law were all present — but the Marchioness of Yongchang, Lady Huang, and Third Lady Huang were nowhere to be seen.

All acquaintances.

The Dowager Marchioness brought her daughters-in-law forward to pay their respects.

Then a commotion of laughter and voices drifted in from the entrance.

Everyone turned to look.

Seven or eight noblewomen were seen escorting the two sisters-in-law — the Marchioness of Jianning and the Countess of Shouchang — as they walked in together.

Some stepped forward to greet them; others remained where they stood and inclined their heads with a smile; still others turned away to speak to the person beside them, affecting an air of not having seen them at all.

As for the Marchioness of Jianning and the Countess of Shouchang themselves, they wore bright smiles and greeted those who came forward warmly, while nodding in acknowledgment to those who merely smiled from a distance. The scene was exceedingly lively.

From behind her, Shiyiniang heard someone let out a cold sniff and murmur: “And this is the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. What an absence of propriety!”

She hesitated, wondering whether to turn and see who had spoken — but just then the Marchioness of Jianning came walking toward her, smiling.

“Dowager Marchioness.” She called out while still some distance away. “It has been since the mourning rites for the Fifth Prince that we last met. How is your health?”

The death of the Fifth Prince had been a grief not only for the imperial family, but for the Xu Family as well. And given that there were certain rumors circulating in private about the circumstances of the Fifth Prince’s passing, everyone who heard the Marchioness of Jianning’s pointed words either drew curious looks, or showed indignant expressions, or knitted their brows, or smiled with barely concealed glee — and all of them turned their gaze toward the Dowager Marchioness.

The Dowager Marchioness, however, standing under the scrutiny of the crowd, was entirely unruffled, not so much as a flicker crossing her features: “Though this old woman is advanced in years, fortunately my teeth are still good and my appetite has not diminished. How very kind of the Marchioness of Jianning to inquire.” The tone carried something of a veteran general who, though aged, could still lead troops.

Those assembled in the curtained enclosure could all hear the steel behind the Dowager Marchioness’s gracious words, and fell into a hush, watching the two women intently.

The Marchioness of Jianning, for her part, felt a flash of inward irritation.

To think — in the days when the Emperor had still been merely a prince, the Xu Family had been perfectly docile before the Empress Dowager. Now that their daughter was Empress, they had turned their backs on old alliances. Not only had they repeatedly rebuffed the Yang Family’s overtures, they had even directed the Wen Family to compete with the Yang Family for the porcelain trade of the Inner Storehouse. If she did not make them feel the consequences this time, she feared they would only grow more brazen in the future. Where would that leave the Yang Family?

Thinking this, she let a cold sneer form inwardly, and said with a smile that was not quite a smile: “What wonderful fortune the Dowager Marchioness has — filial children and worthy daughters-in-law, sons and grandsons filling the house. No wonder you eat and sleep so well.” She then cast a sidelong glance at Shiyiniang. “By the way, I hear you have recently been blessed with a new grandson. Why have you not brought him to the palace for Her Highness the Empress to see? With Marchioness Yongping’s guidance and upbringing, one can only imagine his manners and bearing would be most uncommon.”

Marquis Yongping Xu Lingyi had kept a woman outside and kept the child hidden for three years before bringing him home — this was the great piece of news that had been on every tongue in Yanjing in recent days, from high officials to humble street vendors alike. Who did not know? Who had not heard?

But to come out with it so directly, in such a setting…it was exceedingly rare.

Hardly anyone in the enclosure could conceal their astonishment. Some turned to look at the Dowager Marchioness, others at Shiyiniang, and no small number glanced at Third Lady and Fifth Lady as well.

For a moment, the enclosure fell so silent one could have heard a pin drop.

Since word of the child had spread, Shiyiniang had prepared herself — a scandal of this magnitude, she had reckoned, would prompt nearly anyone who encountered her to bring it up. She had made her preparations and decided to meet all of it with composure, responding to everyone with the words the Dowager Marchioness had given her. But she had never imagined that someone would raise it in this manner, in this setting, in this tone of voice.

It seemed her preparations had not been thorough enough.

She composed her smile and met the Marchioness of Jianning’s gaze with a grave expression.

Against such naked and flagrant malice, Shiyiniang felt she must not be accommodating, and certainly must not retreat or show forbearance — she had to deflect the blow with a lighter touch. If she did not, this sort of person would only become more brazen, and might say something even more cutting.

However, she was a daughter-in-law, and with the Dowager Marchioness present, she could not overstep her to issue a rebuttal — that would be a breach of proper conduct.

She could not help but look toward the Dowager Marchioness.

Standing behind Shiyiniang, Third Lady was feeling rather uncomfortable.

All of this was the doing of the Fourth Household. And now everyone was being made to lose face together.

She glanced at Fifth Lady.

Fifth Lady could be seen furrowing her brows slightly.

This Marchioness of Jianning — small wonder people had little regard for her.

Did she have any idea what she was saying?

As the proverb went, one struck a man but never struck his face. What she was doing not only struck the Xu Family in the face, but struck the Empress’s face as well. The Yang Family was the Empress Dowager’s maternal family, and the Xu Family was the Empress’s maternal family, and the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were not mother and son by blood. To clash so head-on in front of all these noblewomen — what would they all think?

It would likely not be half a day before rumors of discord between the Empress Dowager and the Empress began to spread all over Yanjing.

She too looked toward the Dowager Marchioness.

Only to see the Dowager Marchioness raise her brows and smile: “The Marchioness of Jianning speaks the truth.” She then reached out and took Shiyiniang’s hand with a smile. “This daughter-in-law of mine — I am not flattering her. Young as she is, she is composed and measured in all her conduct. I trust her with the children completely — one hundred times over, one thousand times over.”

She neither denied the Marchioness of Jianning’s words, nor pushed back in a way that would escalate the confrontation.

Those present all smiled faintly. Only the Marchioness of Jianning’s expression subtly darkened, and she was about to say something further — when the Dowager Marchioness suddenly turned away, drawing everyone’s attention with her.

She was seen turning to Lady Tang, who stood nearby, with a warm smile: “Oh? Where is the Fourth Lady of your household today? That one is like a songbird — her conversation is a delight to the ear. I often tell my daughters-in-law that they ought to learn from the Fourth Lady of the Tang household how to speak properly!” The words carried a veiled suggestion that the Marchioness of Jianning did not know how to speak, even as they steered the conversation toward domestic and family matters.

Lady Tang’s expression showed a flicker of hesitation.

She had no wish to offend the Xu Family — and yet the Yang Family was her in-laws. She could hardly take sides against her own kin.

Meanwhile, the Countess of Shouchang, who had been watching this side closely, noticed her sister-in-law at a disadvantage and began making her way over with an unfavorable expression.

The atmosphere in the enclosure stiffened.

Fifth Lady caught this and immediately stepped forward to take the Dowager Marchioness gently by the arm: “You keep telling us to learn from the Tang household’s Fourth Lady, and from Lady Lin of the Lin household’s eldest son, and from Third Lady Huang of the Huang household… Just who are we supposed to follow? You really must give us a proper answer.” Her tone was sweetly coaxing, like a pampered child, and at once diffused the tension that had settled over the enclosure.

Everyone broke into laughter.

Lady Gan, who was the Dowager Marchioness’s in-law and naturally obliged to side with the Xu Family in such a setting, abandoned her usual reserve and immediately laughed along with Fifth Lady: “Your mother-in-law is telling you to learn to speak from the Tang household’s Fourth Lady; to learn household management from Lady Lin of the eldest son’s branch; and to learn how to coax your mother-in-law from Third Lady Huang of the Huang household…”

All of a sudden someone chimed in: “Who is it talking about my daughter-in-law behind her back?”

Everyone turned toward the voice and saw Third Lady Huang supporting her mother-in-law, the Marchioness of Yongchang Lady Huang, as they walked in.

“You are late — what do you expect?” Lady Gan made a deliberate show of quarreling with the Marchioness of Yongchang, which conveniently left the Countess of Shouchang, who was approaching, to stand there ignored. “If not your daughter-in-law, then whose?”

The Marchioness of Yongchang had not been present a moment ago, but seeing the Xu Family women and the Yang Family women standing in opposition to each other, she could piece together a fair amount of what had transpired.

She had no wish for the Xu Family and the Yang Family to make a scene at this moment. The Empress Dowager was not young, and there would surely come a day when she passed on — but the Empress still had a long road ahead. There was no need to give offense to the Empress Dowager over this and earn a reputation for filial impiety.

The Marchioness of Yongchang gave her Third daughter-in-law a quiet, light pinch.

Third Lady Huang was also a quick-witted young woman. She had taken stock of the tense standoff the moment she entered, and with her mother-in-law’s pinch, she understood immediately. She at once smiled and said: “That is not fair — you cannot say I am coaxing my mother-in-law. I genuinely attend to my mother-in-law from my heart!” Then she made a show of playing the fool and asked the Marchioness of Yongchang in an aggrieved tone: “Mother, you must speak up for me!”

This set everyone off laughing again.

Then a eunuch came hurrying in with an ingratiating smile: “Ladies, Her Highness the Empress has ascended to her seat!”

Everyone composed themselves instantly. Arranging themselves in the proper order according to their husbands’ titles and ranks — civil on the left, military on the right — they stood in formation. From within the Palace of Earthly Tranquility came the faint strains of music.

The Imperial Noble Consort was leading the inner consorts in offering their New Year’s felicitations to the Empress.

Everyone’s expressions grew a few degrees more solemn.

—