“What use is a magnanimous character!” First Madam gave a bitter smile. “In the end, she was not born of my own body…”

Nanny Xu opened her mouth as if to speak, then thought better of it and held her silence.

The two sat quietly for a long moment. First Madam let out a sigh and rallied herself: “All right — perhaps it is all just a false alarm on our part. Let us wait until we reach Yanjing to see. By the way, has Wu Xiaoquan prepared everything I asked him to?”

Nanny Xu hesitated briefly, then said: “Ninety-six thousand four hundred taels in total.”

First Madam’s expression shifted.

Nanny Xu quickly continued: “I looked over the account ledger… The Master withdrew fifty thousand taels to keep on his person when he left…”

Before she could finish, there came a sharp crash — the cloisonné enamel “Three Gentlemen” tea cup that First Madam had been holding was smashed to pieces.

For a moment, every corner of Zhiyun Hall fell utterly silent.

Nanny Xu’s eyes reddened at the corners. She immediately lifted the door curtain and called out to those outside in a steady voice: “Nothing has happened — First Madam dropped a tea cup by accident. Come in and tidy it up.”

Daimao entered, wrapped the shards in a handkerchief and collected them into a small box, then withdrew without a sound.

Throughout all of this, not a sound was heard within the main room of Zhiyun Hall.

“Ah!” First Madam exhaled a low sigh. “My temper has been getting worse and worse.”

“Even a clay Bodhisattva has three parts of earthly temperament,” Nanny Xu said with a gentle smile. “All the more so when the Master has gone too far this time.”

First Madam stared fixedly at the traces of tea still left on the floor: “I have been married into this family for so many years, and he has never taken any of it in hand. However much I earn, he can spend. I do not say a word about that — money is meant to be spent. But then he goes and… keeps mistresses and consorts with courtesans outside… and still has the audacity to say I am too naggy… and even claims that if not for my ‘mourning three years alongside him,’ he would have long since had no use for me…”

“First Madam,” Nanny Xu quickly cut in, “between husband and wife, whichever words wound deepest are the ones that get said in anger. The Master spoke in a moment of temper — why take it to heart?”

“How can I not take it to heart?” First Madam kept her voice low, but her expression was agitated. “If he took me to task for failing to raise the children properly, or for running the household poorly, I would have nothing to say. But look at what he has actually done — setting his sights on the personal maidservant of his daughter-in-law, and during a double mourning for both the nation and the family, no less. If I had agreed to it, where would my son and daughter-in-law’s dignity be? What face would I have to show to our in-laws? That he could even entertain such a scheme — he is not fit to be called a human being!”

Nanny Xu could no longer hold back — tears spilled from the corners of her eyes.

How could she not feel that First Madam had been treated unjustly… Yet at this moment, not even a fraction of resentment could be permitted to show before First Madam — lest she pour oil onto the flames!

“You and the Master have been husband and wife all these years — his nature is something you know better than anyone.” Nanny Xu urged gently. “The Master simply has a soft heart for female beauty… A maid merely had a quarrel with the other women in the inner rooms, then ran to the outer garden to weep — anyone could see that little wretch had ulterior motives. Even First Young Madam, upon hearing of it, turned so red in the face that she packed that little wretch off back to her family’s home that very night. First Madam, as to who was right and who was wrong, everyone can see it clearly…”

“Hmph!” First Madam’s gaze turned sharp. “A fly does not hover over an egg without a crack. That little wretch went to cry in that garden — why did the First Young Master not go to comfort her? Why did the Third Young Master not go? Of all people, it was he who went…”

Nanny Xu made to say more, but First Madam waved her hand: “There is no need for further words. I know full well in my own heart. In terms of scholarship, he earned his Jinshi degree and was appointed as a Court Academician Candidate in the thirty-ninth year of Jianwu’s reign. In terms of ability, he has received marks of ‘excellent’ from the Ministry of Personnel in five consecutive years… And yet look — he remained in Fujian for nine full years. Why, with all his grandfather’s former official prestige to draw upon, could he not secure a promotion? It was precisely because of his improper conduct and the repeated impeachments filed against him by the censorate…” With that, First Madam reached over and took Nanny Xu’s hand, her eyes filling with tears. “If he had been any kind of decent man, I would have long since persuaded him to take you as a concubine — and you would not have had to marry Xu Decheng and end up a young widow… What a hard fate the two of us have had!”

Nanny Xu thought of the husband who had fallen from his horse and died just three months into their marriage, and could restrain herself no longer — she covered her mouth and wept in soft, low sobs.

After the two of them had wept and let their emotions run their course, they both felt considerably calmer. Nanny Xu personally fetched water to help First Madam freshen up and re-dress her hair, then poured hot tea for her, and brought up the matter that had been weighing on her mind: “You have left the household affairs in the hands of the Fourth Young Master, with Nanny Yao overseeing the inner courtyard and Wu Xiaoquan overseeing the outer courtyard. With us away for more than half a year, I am worried that…”

First Madam gave a cold smile: “I am giving them the opportunity, to see exactly what they are capable of.”

Nanny Xu’s brow gave a startled twitch at that.

The Fourth Young Master, Luo Zhensheng, was already sixteen years old this year — raised by First Madam like a frog at the bottom of a well, with no awareness of the wider world, forever convinced of his own towering genius and boundless learning. He had once said to the maids around him: “If not for the three years of mourning, passing the examination for Scholar would be as easy as reaching out my hand.”

For First Madam to put him in charge of the household — was she not sending a child to wrestle a tiger? Even if he had the ability, he likely lacked the strength. One false move, and he would drag himself down with it. As for Nanny Yao, the moment she had loudly declared her determination to somehow get Dongqing — Eleventh Miss’s personal maid — for her nephew as a wife, First Madam had already grown quite displeased with her. And now First Madam was entrusting her with the inner courtyard, where there were five yiniangss, two young misses, and a household of serving women — for a servant to oversee her superiors was overreaching; to put it lightly, she might not have the authority to keep order… As for Wu Xiaoquan, First Madam had elevated him to the position of head steward, and yet he had obligingly handed over whatever sum the Master demanded, making it even easier than when Niu Anli had been in the post…

It seemed as though First Madam was preparing to deal with all of these people at once.

While Nanny Xu was still turning this over in her mind, a small maid outside announced in a trembling voice: “First Madam, Eleventh Miss has come!”

First Madam and Nanny Xu were both briefly surprised.

“What has she come for?” First Madam frowned slightly. “Surely she has not come to tell on Shiniang?”

“I should think not!” Nanny Xu said with a smile. “Shall we have her come in and see what she has to say?”

First Madam gave a nod and smoothed her expression back into its usual serene and warm smile.

Nanny Xu had the small maid lead Shiyiniang in.

Shiyiniang paid her respects to First Madam.

First Madam had a seat brought for her and asked: “Was there something you forgot to prepare?”

“No.” Shiyiniang smiled. “Nanny looked over the things in my room for me, and my heart settled right after. I’ve been thinking I should start packing my trunks and cases, so as not to hold everyone up because of my slow hands. So I came specially to ask for Mother’s instructions — which members of my household should accompany me on the journey?”

First Madam smiled and asked her: “Well then, who would you like to bring?”

“That is exactly why I have come to ask for Mother’s guidance — I have no ideas of my own.” Shiyiniang smiled with a touch of embarrassment. “Although I did stay with Father in Fujian for a time when I was young, I was too small then and remember very little. This time we are not only travelling far, but going all the way to Yanjing — I honestly do not know what I ought to do. Naturally I would want everyone around me to come along. But then again, if everyone thought the way I do and wished to bring all their people, how many carriages and boats would that require?”

First Madam smiled and nodded: “You and Fifth Miss may each bring two senior maids, two junior maids, and two coarse-work serving women!”

Shiyiniang was privately disappointed, but smiled and accepted First Madam’s words: “Hupo was originally in service beside Mother, so she naturally has more experience and wider horizons than Dongqing and the others — she must come… Dongqing is the eldest among them, steady in a crisis and reliable — she must come too… Then let Binju stay home to keep watch over the rooms. She has a gentle and careful nature, and with us away for more than half a year, someone needs to look after all the vases and jars…”

These words made First Madam burst out laughing: “What a thoughtful child!”

“Is that not the truth!” Nanny Xu chimed in from the side to flatter her. “Who is capable of what, and who is suited for what — perfectly clear!”

Shiyiniang flushed a little at the praise and lowered her head slightly, then rose and took her leave: “Then I will go back and pack my trunks and cases.”

First Madam nodded and smiled: “Off you go!”

Shiyiniang dipped into a curtsy and withdrew.

Hupo followed Shiyiniang back to Lvyun Tower without a word.

Whether or not Eleventh Miss had managed to persuade First Madam, it was all because of her that things had come to this pass — if not for being suddenly moved to Eleventh Miss’s side, why would she have been in such a difficult position?

And yet Hupo also had her own grievances — it was not as though any of this had been her choice.

Binju, upon learning she was to be left behind, showed no sign of displeasure. She simply smiled and said: “When you come back, Miss, don’t forget to bring me those Yanjing pea flour cakes and those Donkey Rolls.”

Dongqing, worried about the atmosphere, joined in cheerfully: “What is so special about ‘Donkey Rolls’? They’re the same as our own rice cakes here.”

“And how would Elder Sister know? Have you been to Yanjing before, or have you been sneaking peeks at Miss’s books?”

“That is a fine way to speak of people.” Dongqing feigned a scold. “I heard it from Seventh Miss — she grew up in Yanjing from a young age.”

Binju then turned to Shiyiniang: “Miss, does that mean you will get to see Seventh Miss on this trip to Yanjing?”

“Most likely!” The four of them had been together for more than three years, and now faced separation — a parting that might well be permanent. None of them had the heart to show it, and all were forcing themselves to laugh and jest. Shiyiniang naturally would not be the one to break the mood, and kept chatting and laughing with them. “And also the Fifth Young Master and Sixth Young Master from Third Master’s family.”

First Young Master Luo Zhensheng had passed his examinations at a young age, which had been a great shock to the rest of the Luo family — and Third Madam was no exception. She had become extremely strict with her two sons. During the period of home mourning, she had even written to her own father to hire a private tutor in Yanjing to come and teach the two boys. But children will always be children, and the two had no shortage of mischief. They would often sneak off to the rear garden to pick flowers and catch birds, and it was through these escapades that they had come to know Shiyiniang.

Shiyiniang never nagged them the way their mother did, and never made a great fuss over their behaviour the way the maids and nannies around them did. Sometimes when they hid in her room to play, she would have people prepare sour plum drinks or flaky pastries to entertain them, and then send someone to fetch their own maids and nannies — not to report them to Third Madam. Because of this, both boys were very fond of Shiyiniang and the maids and serving women in her rooms.

At the mention of Luo Zhenkai and Luo Zhenyu, everyone broke into smiles.

“Miss should bring some of our homemade rose preserve — it would make lovely soft cakes for Sixth Young Master!”

“Binju’s idea is wonderful!” Shiyiniang smiled. “We should also bring some green plum wine. Third Madam has said before that she is fond of it.”

“Miss mustn’t forget First Young Master and First Young Madam either, or Third Young Master, Third Young Madam, and Seventh Miss on Second Madam’s side!”

“Quite right.” Shiyiniang’s spirits lifted with enthusiasm. “Let us think it through together — what shall we bring to Yanjing… The gifts need not be many, nor expensive. First Madam will certainly have prepared things on her end, but we cannot arrive empty-handed.”

Everyone nodded, and began to offer suggestions all at once in an animated chorus.

For a time, the room was filled with laughter and cheerful chatter, and the sorrow of parting was momentarily set aside.

—