A flicker of hesitation passed over Dongqing’s face.

Eleventh Miss watched it, and a faint smile bloomed at the corner of her lips.

“So you think — you are the most suitable.”

Each word fell gently into the room, soft as a spring breeze brushing one’s face, yet it gave both Hupo and Dongqing a start.

Was that not so?

A brief confusion crossed Dongqing’s eyes, then it hardened into resolve.

Why was the Madam asking this?

Was it not the truth?

Hupo, for her part, was quietly anxious.

Not every personal maid would become a chamber concubine. Some were chosen by the young master himself; others were arranged by the young mistress. But however it came about — whether stated plainly or hinted at beforehand — there were always signs. For example, when the young master was reading in the study, he might send away the other attendants and call specifically for one girl to tend the lamp at his side; or the young mistress might send a particular maid to wait on the young master during his bath. Eleventh Miss had never spoken of such things plainly to any of them, nor offered anything resembling such a hint. On the contrary, the very first thing she had done after arriving at the Marquis’s household was to actively arrange a good match for Dongqing’s marriage.

What Dongqing was doing now was tantamount to slapping Eleventh Miss across the face.

And Eleventh Miss had not flown into a rage — she had even smiled.

It must be understood that Eleventh Miss was by no means timid, weak, or easily pushed about.

This… was far too unlike her.

Hupo stepped forward quickly and took hold of Dongqing’s arm: “Dongqing, what are you saying? You are a betrothed woman.” She tried to offer Dongqing a way out: “You’re a girl about to be married — perhaps no one explained the situation to you clearly…”

But her reaching for Dongqing’s arm only reminded Dongqing of what Nanny Tao had said — that the First Madam intended to send Shanhu and several others over as well. If that truly happened, would the Madam not be completely surrounded and overwhelmed by the Luo family’s people?

She could not allow that to happen. She could not allow the Luo family to surround the Madam and strip her of all her footing.

With that thought burning in her mind, she wrenched her arm sharply from Hupo’s grasp: “Hupo, stop putting on this act in front of me. I will ask you plainly — can you bring yourself to abandon your parents?”

Hupo was speechless.

Dongqing gave a cold laugh: “No answer? Then don’t stand here playing at sentiment.”

Hupo was frantic.

Her parents were at the Luo family’s estate — she truly could not abandon them. She could not deny either point. Yet she believed that as long as Eleventh Miss held her position for even one day, as long as she herself remained at Eleventh Miss’s side, the Luo family would never dare touch her parents — not while Zhun Ge depended on the Madam. If someday Eleventh Miss fell from favor, or she herself was driven out of the Xu household, then even with the best of intentions she would be powerless to ensure her parents’ safety. Given that reality, was it not better to commit herself completely to following Eleventh Miss down this single road, and fight their way through to something better?

It was only that she had never found the right moment to speak of this with Eleventh Miss.

Now that Dongqing was using it against her, she feared the Madam would misunderstand.

Hupo involuntarily looked toward Eleventh Miss.

She saw her standing there in stillness, her posture perfectly upright, her face slightly lifted, the gaze she turned on them cold and distant, holding them at a remove of a thousand miles.

Hupo’s heart contracted. A thousand words rose up and lodged in her throat.

Dongqing, seeing Hupo’s lips part slightly in an unspoken reply, knew she had struck a nerve. The tightness in her chest eased a little. She inched forward on her knees, her body low and deferential as she pressed her forehead toward the floor: “Madam, from the time you returned from Fujian, it was Binju and I who attended you. You were only eight years old then, so ill there was barely a breath left in you. Everyone feared to take responsibility, and no one dared to serve in your room. It was Binju and I who fed you broth and medicine, day and night, for a full six months, before we finally pulled you back from the edge of death…”

Hupo watched as Eleventh Miss’s body gave the faintest tremble. Slowly, she bowed her head and looked down at Dongqing at her feet.

“Yes,” she said. “In those days, so that I could have a hot bowl of gruel, you kept watch while Binju acted — the two of you stole a small clay stove from the outer kitchen, and in the middle of the night hung a felt blanket over the window frame and cooked gruel to give me.”

Her voice was a shade cooler than usual.

Dongqing’s spirit lifted. She raised her head — and saw Eleventh Miss, gazing down at her, with a gentle smile at the corner of her lips.

“I know — I know it all,” she said softly, though her voice lacked the warmth it usually carried. “Even though I could not move, could not speak — I knew everything you both did. I thought to myself then: no matter what happens in the future, I will do everything in my power to care for these two people…”

“Madam!” Tears spilled down Dongqing’s pear-blossom face like beads of rain. “In those days at the Luo household, we lived in fear from one day to the next, never knowing what tomorrow would bring. A broken bowl or plate had to be paid for at full price. Our monthly allowance of two taels of silver had to cover everything, with barely anything left over. When things were truly desperate, you taught us embroidery — after three or four months of hard work, we earned seven taels of silver between us, and were so overjoyed…”

Hupo quietly stepped out.

These were memories of Eleventh Miss’s former life. She was now a high-ranking Marchioness. Not everyone could bear having the hardships of their past known to others.

Under the eaves outside, the small maid on duty was crying her heart out, her mouth covered with her hands. Several of her fellow maids on watch looked on — some with sympathy, some with pity, some with a certain satisfaction — but not one dared to leave her post to comfort her.

When they saw Hupo come out, the maid dropped at once to her knees: “Hupo, I did try to stop her — I truly did. I really did try to stop her!”

Hupo was uncertain what to do. She did not know how things would end between the Madam and Dongqing. If the Madam, moved by old affection, agreed to let the Marquis take Dongqing in, and yet had already punished this young maid today — would that not be a slight against Dongqing?

Before she could decide, she looked up and saw Nanny Tao and Binju making their way toward her, heads bowed, searching the ground as they came.

Binju was straightforward by nature — she might scold the young maids when they made mistakes, but she was also willing to guide them, and they all felt easy in her company. Hupo was afraid this young maid might cry out her grievance in front of Binju, dragging out the whole matter of Dongqing’s intrusion and giving Nanny Tao cause to mock them. She quickly told the maid: “Go back to your room and reflect. When you’ve thought things through, come and find me.”

The maid withdrew with quiet sobs.

Binju, spotting Hupo standing under the eaves, was glad to have a reason to extricate herself from Nanny Tao, and hurried forward with a greeting: “What’s this about?”

“Nothing, nothing. A young maid made a mistake — I gave her a few words.” Hupo smiled it off, stepped forward to greet Nanny Tao with a bow, and asked: “I see you two seem to be looking for something. What’s been lost? How have you ended up searching all the way here to the main courtyard?”

Nanny Tao hedged quickly: “Nothing, nothing.” Then asked Hupo: “You’ve finished speaking with the Madam?” She craned her neck to peer toward the door. “Why are you standing outside — has the Marquis returned?”

Binju assumed Nanny Tao was embarrassed about losing the document and did not want Hupo to know, so she said nothing.

Hupo smiled: “Dongqing is inside speaking with the Madam. I stepped out to get some air.”

Nanny Tao heard this and broke into a smile.

Deep in her eyes lay a concealed satisfaction.

Hupo’s thoughts quickened.

If the Marquis were to take someone into his household, it would not be a matter settled in a day or two. Even if Dongqing had this intention, she could easily have found a private moment to speak with the Madam quietly… instead, she had barged in while Hupo was still in the middle of speaking with the Madam, and had spoken her mind with complete disregard for Hupo’s presence.

She asked Binju with a smile: “Where did you and Nanny Tao go just now?”

“Nanny Tao was carrying out the Madam’s order, bringing the trousseau list to show Dongqing…” Binju gave a brief account, concealing the part about the list going missing.

Hearing this, Hupo’s understanding gradually fell into place. She was vexed at Nanny Tao for stirring up trouble, and furious at Dongqing for losing her composure so easily. She felt as though her chest were weighted, her breath unable to flow freely — the displeasure showed plainly on her face.

Binju, not knowing the cause, asked her in turn: “What’s the matter with you?”

Thinking of how Binju had just been walking alongside Nanny Tao, clearly searching for something, and yet had denied it when asked — Hupo found herself also blaming Binju for having no sense. Unable to contain herself, she gave a bright little laugh toward Nanny Tao and said: “I’d like a word with Binju,” then drew Binju into the reception hall.

“Dongqing is in the inner chamber, telling the Madam she won’t marry Wan Daxian and wants to serve the Marquis instead.” Hupo came straight to the point.

Binju cried out in shock. Something swept through her mind, and her head began to ring and buzz with confusion. She could only instinctively protest: “Nonsense! Nonsense!”

“Is it nonsense? Surely you know better than to say so.” Hupo gave a cold laugh. “You and Nanny Tao were plainly looking for something just now, and when I asked, you covered for her. I’d very much like to know — what hold does that Nanny Tao have over you, that you’d go so far as to shield her?”

“Nanny Tao is the First Madam’s person — how could I possibly be in league with her?” Binju was so upset tears came to her eyes. “You’re slandering me with lies! Come with me to the Madam — let us go and settle this before her!”

“Don’t think I won’t go.” Hupo said dismissively. “If I weren’t afraid of wounding the Madam yet again today, I would have dragged you there long ago to confront each other. After everything the Madam has said about making sure to look after you two properly in the future…”

Binju could not bear the injustice any longer. She told the whole story of Nanny Tao losing the trousseau list.

As she spoke and recalled it, she herself realized something was wrong — especially now, thinking back: just as she had stepped out of the room, she had faintly heard what sounded like Nanny Tao exchanging a word with Dongqing behind her.

“She actually dared to goad Dongqing into this.” Binju’s face went ashen. She made straight for the door: “I’m going to settle accounts with her.”

Hupo, hearing this, was now the one alarmed.

This household had the Grand Madam above, and the Third and Fifth Branch families below — if a scene erupted like this, it would be putting on a full spectacle for everyone to watch.

She bolted after Binju.

But when she got to the door, she saw a young maid blocking Nanny Tao at the foot of the steps: “Don’t put us in a difficult position, Elder. If Hupo finds out someone was eavesdropping, it’ll be our heads on the block!”

Whether Nanny Tao had intended to eavesdrop herself and been stopped by the maid, or had asked the maid to eavesdrop on her behalf — Hupo could not quite tell.

The thought flashed through her mind, and Binju had already moved forward to take hold of Nanny Tao: “Nanny, what exactly did you say to Dongqing just now?”

Nanny Tao saw the situation and knew the game was up.

What had she said?

She had said nothing at all.

These little chits, not yet dry behind the ears, and they thought they could match wits with her!

Nanny Tao arranged her features into an expression of astonishment: “What are you saying, Binju? I haven’t the faintest idea what you mean.”

“Nanny has served by the First Miss’s side for decades — if you dared to act, you should dare to own it.” Binju was shaking with fury. “If you hadn’t said something, Dongqing would never have…”

“Binju — whatever you need to say, say it inside.” Hupo cut Binju off loudly, and reminded her: “The whole courtyard is full of young maids watching — what will they make of this?”

The sharp reminder from Hupo brought Binju back to herself. She gripped Nanny Tao’s sleeve and pulled her toward the reception hall: “We’ll say it before the Madam!”

Hupo also felt this was something Eleventh Miss needed to know. Rather than stopping Binju, she called two of her most trusted young maids to keep watch at the door — “Let no one in, no matter who comes” — and then followed them inside into the inner chamber.

—