After the Imperial Noble Consort led the inner consorts in their New Year’s felicitations to the Empress, the princesses followed, and last came the external noblewomen.
By the time they withdrew from the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, it was already the midpoint of the afternoon hour.
They were all acquaintances, so naturally there was no shortage of warm exchange and mutual congratulations, as well as agreeing on days for return visits.
The Dowager Marchioness accepted one invitation and found herself unable to tend to the next, accepted another and could not accommodate a third — and so she simply said she was in poor spirits and declined them all without exception.
Everyone, thinking of what had befallen the Xu Family in recent days, exchanged knowing looks and offered their condolences, some roundabout, some direct. Then several princess consorts from the princess section of the enclosure emerged from the palace gates, and everyone jostled to go and greet them.
In the midst of the cheerful bustle, Shiyiniang spotted someone she recognized — the grandmother-in-law from the Maoguo Ducal Estate, Old Lady Wang, who was the mother-in-law of Shiniang — making her way alone toward the eastern gate.
Sensing eyes upon her, the woman turned around.
When she saw it was Shiyiniang, she smiled and inclined her head — but her expression seemed somewhat strained.
They had not met earlier, and now that they had, she should go over and pay her respects.
“Mother, I will go and greet Old Lady Wang for a moment,” Shiyiniang said softly in the Dowager Marchioness’s ear. The Dowager Marchioness, who was mid-conversation with a grand princess, nodded and continued: “…One can only bow to age — I fell asleep watching Fifth Brother set off fireworks last night before they were even halfway through…”
The grand princess nodded: “Exactly. So do come then. We few old sisters can get together. A sip of golden chrysanthemum dew, a bit of music…”
The two of them were in high spirits and paid no attention to Shiyiniang. She slipped away lightly toward where Old Lady Wang had been standing.
But before she had taken two steps, Zhou Furen, who had been walking behind the grand princess, caught her sleeve: “My mother-in-law has invited your mother-in-law for drinks on the sixth day of the first month — you must come too. Let me introduce a few people to you. My Third Sister-in-law is in charge of your household just now, so this is a good opportunity.”
Those who moved in circles with a grand princess were either noble or wealthy, and in this era where a wife’s standing rose and fell with her husband’s, seemingly ordinary social gatherings often carried extraordinary significance. Though Zhou Daren and Xu Lingyi had been childhood friends, Zhou Furen’s manner of making herself at home with everyone was not something Shiyiniang felt entirely at ease with.
She smiled: “I am hardly in a position to decide — I would have to see what Mother thinks, and what Milord thinks.”
Zhou Furen smiled slyly: “You just need to agree — I’ll handle the rest!”
Zhou Furen had been born into a noble household and married into a princess’s family. Though she was warm and attentive with people, there was a certain unrestrained boldness at her core. Shiyiniang feared she might say something that could be misunderstood, giving the Dowager Marchioness the impression that she was trying to work her way into Zhou Furen’s social circle.
“The way Zhou Elder Sister puts it,” Shiyiniang said with a smile, “my mother-in-law is not some unreasonable woman — it is simply that I need to ask whether there are any other engagements at that time. You know, Milord’s joint ailment has not fully recovered.”
“Yes, yes, of course.” Zhou Furen heard this and laughed behind her hand, wearing an expression of warm mutual understanding. “Just make sure to give me advance notice, then. I’ll need to arrange things on my end.”
Shiyiniang agreed, and then looked up to find that Old Lady Wang had vanished from sight.
“Who are you looking for?” Seeing her glancing around, Zhou Furen followed her gaze — and happened to see the two sisters-in-law from the Jianning and Shouchang households being escorted by an attendant in the direction of the Empress Dowager’s palace, Compassionate Tranquility. She said with a smile: “Those two ladies of the Yang Family are truly devoted. They say they enter the palace on the first and fifteenth of every month to visit the Empress Dowager.” She then teased Shiyiniang: “Speaking of which, you fall quite short. Not even like your Second Sister-in-law — she used to enter the palace now and then to have a chat with the Empress Highness. You, on the other hand, are nowhere to be seen.”
Shiyiniang had no choice but to rely on her one answer: “I still have to tend to Milord, after all.”
Yet she felt a faint, nagging unease — the Maoguo Ducal Estate was also an old noble family. Why had Old Lady Wang seemed so averse to mingling with the others?
“Strange,” she murmured, “Old Lady Wang of the Maoguo Ducal Estate was right here a moment ago — and in the blink of an eye, she has disappeared!”
“What is so strange about that?” Zhou Furen said in a low voice. “After what happened with Wang Lang, how could Old Lady Wang possibly face everyone without embarrassment? Of course she would want to slip away early…” Her words trailed off mid-sentence as she remembered that Wang Lang was Shiyiniang’s brother-in-law. She laughed awkwardly and quickly said: “It is the New Year — why are we talking about this? Just remember to go back and ask, and give me an answer early.”
Whenever anyone spoke of Wang Lang, they said he was no good — but when pressed for specifics, they were all vague and evasive. It was rare to encounter someone as candid as Zhou Furen. Shiyiniang caught her sleeve and asked with curiosity: “Zhou Elder Sister, what exactly has this brother-in-law of mine done?”
Zhou Furen laughed: “Nothing, nothing. I simply cannot stand the sight of him — that is all.”
Yanjing was a small place, and Zhou Furen had been born and bred among its nobility. Among all the people she knew, there was likely no one more familiar with the gossip and affairs of every noble household. Whatever had happened in the Wang Family — past or present — it likely had not and could not escape her.
Shiyiniang saw through this and simply pulled her aside toward the palace wall, taking a few steps away from the others: “Zhou Elder Sister and I are not strangers — let me speak plainly. A personal maidservant of my elder sister’s became pregnant, and a single remark enraged her husband, who beat her so severely that the child was lost…”
This was half true and half fabricated, but Zhou Furen had not a trace of suspicion. She raised an eyebrow, and an expression of righteous indignation crossed her face: “This scoundrel…” She said, then hesitated for a moment, and continued: “You are new to Yanjing, so there are things you do not know. Once you have been here long enough, sooner or later you will hear of them. I will be the villain in this — let the words come from me.” Zhou Furen looked left and right, leaned close to Shiyiniang’s ear, and murmured: “He began indulging in unnatural relations with young men from the age of twelve or thirteen…”
Deviant sexual inclinations?
Shiyiniang was astonished.
Could this be the reason for his violent temper and propensity to strike others?
“That part is common knowledge. What is not common knowledge is this.” Zhou Furen’s voice dropped even lower. “…By means unknown, he got his hands on the only son of a Board of Rites secretary. Unable to endure the violation, the young man hanged himself from an old pagoda tree outside the back gate of their estate. The secretary, stricken with grief and fury, fell gravely ill and died within days, following his son. The Wang Family told outsiders that Wang Lang had owed the young man a debt, that the young man had come to collect and failed, and in a fit of rage had brought about this mutual ruin…”
“To coerce a man of good standing…”
Shiyiniang listened with her heart hammering in her chest, and her thoughts turned to Xu Lingkuan…
“His audacity knows no bounds. He has even beaten household maids to death.” Zhou Furen sighed. “If he had not later beaten someone to death over a trivial matter, dragging your Fifth Master into it, and been severely dealt with by Marquis Yongping — he would not be as docile as he is now. He has a taste for unnatural relations and for striking women…” She looked at Shiyiniang with some sympathy. “When I heard that the Luo Family had married into their household, you two families had already exchanged calling cards. There is a saying: one would sooner tear down a temple than break apart a marriage. It was not my place to say anything — I could only silently feel sorry for your elder sister…”
Shiyiniang said nothing.
She had known Wang Lang was unsuitable, but had not imagined he was this unspeakable.
Seeing that Shiyiniang’s expression had grown shadowed, Zhou Furen knew she was pained by the news, and with somewhat hollow cheer tried to comfort her: “You need not worry too much. Men are one thing outside and another at home. Your elder sister is his wedded wife and the mistress of the household — whatever else Wang Lang may do, he still has that face to keep up. It is only that they cannot be truly harmonious as a couple, which is a pity. But then again — if one thinks about it, true harmony is rare in this world, and couples who merely maintain appearances of mutual respect are far more common…” Then, remembering that Xu Lingyi had just brought home a child only a few days ago, she quickly changed the subject: “You will be coming out of mourning this coming May, won’t you? The matter between your household and the Jiang Family will need to be discussed soon.”
Shiyiniang’s heart felt heavy.
The person was already wed, and Shiniang herself was unwilling to seek help from others. As the saying went, one was not the fish and could not know the fish’s mind — even if those watching from the outside were anxious and distressed, it was of no use.
Though she reasoned this way, her heart still felt weighed down. Hearing that Zhou Furen was deliberately steering the conversation elsewhere, she had no wish to dwell further, and followed her lead: “The Jiang Family’s New Year gift was sent over by Steward Zhao from the household management office. Once mourning is lifted, the betrothal discussions should begin.”
Zhou Furen nodded: “Then you must keep Siyu’s marriage and Zhen Jie’er’s betrothal in mind as well. Zhun Ge’s situation at the time was special, so it could be said it was your elder sister’s final wish. But if you let Zhun Ge come before Siyu again, be careful of idle talk.”
Shiyiniang nodded: “In the end it is for Milord and the Dowager Marchioness to decide. Even if I were anxious, there is no suitable match to be found yet.”
“That is true…”
As they were speaking, a princess came over to invite the grand princess to go and pay respects to the Empress Dowager.
Zhou Furen hurried to attend at her side. After the grand princess had exchanged farewells with the Dowager Marchioness, she departed for Compassionate Tranquility with Zhou Furen accompanying her. The Dowager Marchioness then took her leave of the assembled noblewomen. At the Meridian Gate, she rejoined Xu Lingyi and his two brothers, and together they all returned to Lotus Flower Lane.
By then it was already a quarter before the first part of the wei hour. Everyone was famished. They each returned to their respective rooms to remove their court attire and change into house clothes, then went to the Dowager Marchioness’s quarters to eat dumplings.
Shiyiniang was seated before her dressing table, freshening her appearance, when a rapid patter of footsteps drew closer, mingled with the muffled exclamation of a young woman.
She turned with some curiosity.
A small figure came running in — and nearly collided head-on with the young maidservant Shuang Yu, who was carrying a copper basin filled with steaming water.
“What is going on!” There was a note of sternness in Shiyiniang’s voice.
Binju appeared in the doorway of the inner room.
She said anxiously: “My Lady, it is entirely my fault — I could not stop Fifth Young Master…”
Before Binju had even finished speaking, Xu Sijie, who had burst inside, was already standing before Shiyiniang.
His little face was flushed, and every inch of his features radiated happiness as he stretched out his hand toward her.
Resting in his palm was a rose-colored piece of candy floss — which had been clasped there so long it had partially melted, the rose syrup sticky and smeared across his palm.
“This is…” Shiyiniang looked at Xu Sijie in bewilderment.
“For you,” he said, lips curved in a small smile, raising his hand to push the candy toward Shiyiniang’s mouth.
Shiyiniang instinctively turned her head away.
Binju, who had come running in right behind him, was already at his side. She caught hold of Xu Sijie and drew him to a distance beyond Shiyiniang’s reach, saying anxiously: “Fifth Young Master, what are you doing?”
Xu Sijie stared blankly at Shiyiniang. His eyelids slowly lowered, and an expression settled over his face — one of quiet, mournful sorrow entirely at odds with his years.
Something struck Shiyiniang’s heart as though it had been hit by something.
There was a faint ache, and a heaviness too…
—