All that could be planned had been planned — the rest was in heaven’s hands.

With her mind somewhat settled, Eleventh Miss ate dinner and brought the children back to Lotus Lane.

Third Young Mistress was just seeing Madam Huang of Yongchang Marquis household and Third Young Mistress Huang out through the inner gate. Seeing Eleventh Miss return, Third Young Mistress Huang greeted her with a smile, though her gaze fell on Xu Sijie.

Some things, now that the matter was already decided, were a disrespect to the child to keep hiding. Eleventh Miss introduced the children to Madam Huang and Third Young Mistress Huang with natural composure and poise.

Madam Huang was mildly startled, then broke into a warm and kindly smile. “I have invited your mother-in-law to come play at my home tomorrow. Fourth Young Mistress, you must come along too.”

Eleventh Miss smiled and agreed. Together with Third Young Mistress, she saw Madam Huang and Third Young Mistress Huang into their carriage, then took the children to pay their respects to the Dowager Marchioness.

Zhun Ge chattered away animatedly about the game of pitch-pot he had played with Mu Ge and Sijie. The Dowager Marchioness and Xu Sijian listened with cheerful smiles. Xu Siqin, however, slipped away with Xu Siyu, the two of them whispering together beneath the eaves.

Eleventh Miss smiled to herself — Xu Siqin had reached the age of private troubles.

Third Young Mistress then said pointedly to Eleventh Miss: “The household had many visitors today, all looking for the Marquis. The Marquis has not returned even now.”

The first day of the earthquake, of course the reverberations are going to be strong.

Eleventh Miss smiled serenely and replied without addressing the matter directly: “And where is Third Master? I haven’t seen him.”

Third Young Mistress was quite surprised — she had not expected Eleventh Miss to sidestep the question like that. Was she unaware, or was she already in command of the situation?

While Third Young Mistress hesitated, the Dowager Marchioness had already called both of them over to speak with her.

“Tomorrow Yongchang Marquis household is hosting a spring banquet. The day after tomorrow it is Elder Councillor Liang’s household. On the sixth it is Marquis Weibei’s Lin family household, on the seventh it is Marquis Zhongshan’s Tang family household, and on the eighth it is our household…” She ran through all the arrangements from now until the Lantern Festival, then looked at Eleventh Miss. “I heard from the wife of Shi Zheng that on the sixth she will be hosting a banquet at her home for several princesses and their prince consorts, and she wants you to come as well to liven things up. I think it best that on the sixth I go to Marquis Weibei’s household, and you go to the Princess Imperial’s residence.” She also looked at Third Young Mistress: “All household affairs I will leave entirely in your hands.”

Eleventh Miss and Third Young Mistress curtsied their agreement. The Dowager Marchioness nodded, and seeing that the hour was late, sent the daughters-in-law back to their rooms. She then called in Steward Bai to ask: “What is the situation outside?”

Steward Bai dared not conceal anything. He said in a low voice: “Everyone is talking about it. Several censors have submitted memorials impeaching the Marquis, saying he… ” He paused, “…has shown a deficiency of virtue. The Emperor has held all the memorials without issuing a response.”

No mention of the matter of bringing back an enemy’s… It appeared there would be more upheaval ahead before things settled.

Back in her own courtyard, Eleventh Miss took Hupo and Binju to open the trunks and look for fine cotton fabric.

Hupo murmured close to her ear: “…Shanhu says that you need not worry — if there is any stirring whatsoever on Fifth Yiniang’s side, she will send little Liuzi to report to us. She asks us to let the gatekeepers on this side know not to stop him if he comes through — no point delaying when time matters.”

“I’ll leave that for you to arrange,” said Eleventh Miss with a smile. She pulled a length of fine cotton from the trunk, white ground with purple flowers. “What do you all think of this one? I think it would make very nice undergarments for a small child.”

Binju covered her mouth with a laugh: “Small children don’t wear undergarments like that. I think it should be made into a small padded jacket — this cotton cloth is three taels and two qian a bolt!”

Hupo agreed: “Quite right. Children grow so fast. For such fine fabric to be used on undergarments…”

“It’s lovely!” Xu Sijie, who had been sitting on a small stool nearby eating sugar sweets, suddenly spoke up. “The clothes are lovely!”

Eleventh Miss burst out laughing and planted a kiss on Xu Sijie’s small cheek. “You already know what looks lovely!”

He covered his mouth and laughed, the sweet candy in his mouth spilling over his hand.

Eleventh Miss had a young maidservant bring warm water to rinse his hands clean, then smiled and asked him: “Shall I make one for you as well?”

He nodded earnestly, deeply. “Also make one for Mother.”

“Oh my, Madam!” Binju exclaimed in wonder. “Fifth Young Master just called you Mother!”

Eleventh Miss smiled and patted his head gently.

The word “Mother” felt rather formal to her — she hadn’t felt particularly moved by it.

But Hupo broke into a beaming smile and came over: “That’s right, Fifth Young Master called Madam Mother.”

Xu Sijie, seeing that everyone was delighted, laughed along with them.

Eleventh Miss selected a few more bolts of brocade. “…Make Zhun Ge and Sijie two spring outfits each in brighter colors.” She then thought: since she was making them for both Zhun Ge and Xu Sijie, she ought to make them for Xu Siyu as well. As for Zhen Jie’er’s spring outfits, two pieces would likely not be enough — she would have to wait until she returned to discuss. She took out two more bolts of brocade and discussed the matter with Binju: “Second Young Master is older now and moves between the inner and outer courtyards. His clothes should be sent to the sewing room and made in the new Yanjing fashions. As for Zhun Ge and Sijie’s — let us make those ourselves.”

Binju smiled and nodded. Seeing Dongqing nearby with her head down sorting through fabric, she said with playful teasing: “That won’t do at all, Madam. With spring coming so soon, without Dongqing here, how would we manage so much sewing?”

“You’re terrible!” Dongqing reddened and lunged to pinch Binju.

Binju laughed and ducked behind Hupo, her bright eyes blinking at Eleventh Miss. “Madam, Dongqing is hitting me.”

Eleventh Miss only laughed.

Dongqing’s face was scarlet. She dropped her fabric. “I’m not getting married. That’s final.”

Binju laughed: “That’s strange. When did anyone say Dongqing was getting married? I wonder, could it be that one dreams at night of what one thinks of by day…”

Hupo doubled over with laughter.

Dongqing, utterly mortified, turned and bolted for the door — and walked straight into Nanny Tao coming in from outside. If the young maid nearby hadn’t been quick-eyed and quick-handed enough to catch her, she would certainly have ended up sprawled on her back.

“What on earth is going on?” Nanny Tao laughed, stepping into the room.

Hupo and Binju pressed their lips together, saying nothing.

Eleventh Miss had a small stool brought for Nanny Tao. “Nanny, is there something you needed?”

Nanny Tao glanced at Xu Sijie hovering close beside Eleventh Miss and said with a smile: “I heard the stewards of the outer courtyard saying that the Marquis has been impeached by censors over Fifth Young Master’s matter. So I came specially to say a word to Madam.” She added: “Would it not be better to send Fifth Young Master out of the residence to avoid the trouble for the time being? Once things calm down in a while, we can bring him back.”

Eleventh Miss felt her skirt hem suddenly tighten.

She turned to look. Without knowing when it had happened, Xu Sijie had clutched a fistful of her skirt with a tense expression on his face.

“I already know about this matter,” Eleventh Miss said with a smile. “The Marquis’s intention is for me to keep him with me. There is nothing more to be said about it.”

Nanny Tao still seemed about to say something more, when a young maid announced: “Madam, the Marquis has returned!”

Eleventh Miss cast Nanny Tao a look of warning, then took Xu Sijie’s hand and went to welcome Xu Lingyi.

Seeing Xu Sijie still in the main rooms at such a late hour, a flicker of surprise showed in Xu Lingyi’s eyes.

Eleventh Miss explained with a smile: “We were sorting through the trunks — we wanted to have some spring outfits made for Yiniang, Siyu, Zhun Ge, and Sijie.”

Xu Lingyi nodded and stepped into the inner chamber.

Eleventh Miss hugged Xu Sijie — who had been sticking to her like a little shadow — and handed him to Binju to take away, then followed Xu Lingyi into the inner chamber herself.

“How does the situation outside stand?” Eleventh Miss handed Xu Lingyi the cup of tea a maidservant had brought in.

“More or less as expected,” Xu Lingyi said, taking a sip. “We will respond as circumstances demand.”

Seeing his manner was relaxed, Eleventh Miss pressed no further. The next day she accompanied the Dowager Marchioness to the spring banquet at the Yongchang Marquis household.

The guests at the Huang household were mostly relatives, female members of close families, or old friends — the conversation centered largely on domestic matters. People asked about the child quite openly and without reservation, in complete contrast to the atmosphere at Elder Councillor Liang’s household. The guests at Elder Councillor Liang’s were mostly high-ranking court officials; everyone watched Eleventh Miss with a probing look, yet not a single person brought up the child’s affair, as though the matter had never existed at all. By the sixth day when she went to the Princess Imperial’s residence, the mood shifted entirely again. There everyone regarded the whole affair with undisguised contempt, declaring that those censors in court had eaten too well and had nothing better to do than poke into other people’s family matters — no one needed to pay them any mind at all. The Emperor’s eldest sister, Princess Ancheng, even laughed coldly: “…They are all a gang of posturing, reputation-chasing types, racking their brains over how to dash their heads against the golden throne hall in order to win a name for themselves for a thousand years.”

Eleventh Miss, the youngest wife there with the husband of lowest rank among all those present, could only stand to one side watching the others play cards. Hearing this, she broke into a cold sweat.

There was a historical basis for Princess Ancheng’s words.

In the forty-sixth year of Jian’an, Princess Ancheng’s prince consort had been impeached by censors for trafficking in salt, and ultimately flogged forty great strokes of the board — to this day he still walked with a limp.

Eleventh Miss found it inappropriate to comment, so she gave an awkward smile.

Princess Yong’an, seated just below Princess Ancheng, then said: “One can only blame Marquis Yongping for holding such a high and weighty position. If it were someone else, this sort of thing would never have caused a stir from before the New Year all the way until after it. Come to think of it, Yanjing has seen more than just this one incident recently.”

Hearing the meaning beneath her words, all eyes turned toward her.

“Surely you have not all heard?” Princess Yong’an looked about, startled. “Changling’s second stubborn son and that reckless boy from the Mao Ducal household got tangled up together — they haven’t been home for the New Year, and Changling has been so enraged she hasn’t gotten out of bed in days.”

Mao Ducal household… Wang Lang was an only child… could she mean Wang Lang?

Eleventh Miss’s heart began pounding.

She thought of Wang Lang’s steward saying at New Year that Wang Lang had “taken a cold.”

She drew a deep, steadying breath and strained to listen with outward composure.

“No wonder — when we all went together to pay our respects to the Empress Dowager, she was the only one missing.” Princess Ancheng said. “So it really is a case of a sharp-tempered person running straight into a headstrong one. There will be plenty more trouble ahead.”

“Quite so,” said Princess Yong’an with a laugh. “That is why Changling is at a complete loss…”

Eleventh Miss had already heard enough. Seeing Zhou Furen come in with maids to serve tea and refreshments, she slipped out of the warm chamber and pulled her aside.

“Who is Changling Princess’s second stubborn son?”

“The Princess’s eldest son,” said Zhou Furen, finding Eleventh Miss agreeable in manner, and aware that she was the younger sister-in-law of the Empress. She had in fact invited Eleventh Miss with the intention of introducing her to the princesses. Seeing she had questions, Zhou Furen was happy to explain in detail. “Changling Princess has only this one son. He is tall and handsome and was greatly favored by the late Emperor, and grew rather willful from it. Whatever he sets his mind to, nine bulls couldn’t drag him back. Everyone calls him ‘the Second Stubborn.'”

Zhou Furen was also familiar with the Wang family’s situation. Eleventh Miss simply came out and said: “Is Changling Princess’s eldest son also fond of male companions?”

Zhou Furen was taken aback. “How did you know?”

Eleventh Miss then recounted what Princess Yong’an had just said, and the matter of Wang Lang failing to come and pay New Year’s respects to the eldest master.

Zhou Furen listened and gave a rueful smile. “Let me inquire further and find out exactly what is going on.”

—