Miss Qiao appeared to be no more than fifteen or sixteen. Her complexion was snow-white, her eyes bright, her lips a vivid red, and her smile serene and tranquil. She sat there quietly, soft and tender as a flower bud on the verge of blooming.

Sensing Eleventh Miss’s gaze, she turned her face slightly and offered a sweet smile.

Eleventh Miss gave a small nod in return, her manner friendly.

The group listened to Madam Qiao’s chatter for quite some time, then exchanged a few pleasantries before the Grand Madam invited everyone to stay for a meal. The First Madam declined. “We have only just arrived, and the household is still unsettled. I also need to pay calls on the two uncle’s families. It is rare for me to come to Yanjing, and I won’t be leaving in a hurry — once things are in order, I will come again to see you properly in a few days.”

The Grand Madam, knowing that her daughter-in-law and her mother had not met in more than ten years and surely had private things to say to each other, did not press her to stay. “Today is the fourteenth. Come on the sixteenth — I will host a dinner.”

“Wonderful!” Before the First Madam could even reply, Madam Qiao had already spoken up. “Count me in as well — when there’s something good to be had, I must have my share. At that time, I’ll come along and join the fun.” She tugged at the Grand Madam’s sleeve. “Elder Sister, you mustn’t refuse.”

The Grand Madam glanced at the First Madam and smiled at Madam Qiao. “Having you come to help me entertain my guest is more than I could hope for — why would I refuse?”

Madam Qiao broke into a broad smile. “Then it’s settled.”

The Grand Madam walked the First Madam, Fifth Miss, and Eleventh Miss to the door. Madam Qiao and Miss Qiao remained behind.

The First Madam watched Madam Qiao’s departing figure, then smiled and said to Wen Yiniang, who was seeing them back to Yuan Niang’s quarters to take their leave, “This Madam Qiao is truly enthusiastic.”

Wen Yiniang’s gaze shifted slightly. “The people of that household have a gift for fine speech and pleasant company — that reputation extends throughout all of Yanjing. Otherwise, how would they have earned the nickname ‘the indestructible ones’?”

The First Madam raised an eyebrow.

Wen Yiniang smiled. “Our household once found itself in difficult circumstances, yet Duke Chengguo’s household has sailed smoothly through it all — lasting through six reigns without falling. This generation’s Duke, in particular, has held in succession since the forty-first year of Jianwu the posts of Military Commander of Gansu, Military Commander of Ningxia, Military Commander of Baoding, Military Commander of Xuanfu, and Military Commander of Datong. His roots in the northwestern army run very deep. Not only our Marquis, but even His Majesty himself holds him in the highest regard.”

The First Madam fell into quiet thought.

Wen Yiniang smiled as she helped the First Madam into the carriage. “Madam will surely be wondering what is happening here. Let us go back and tell Madam — it will also give Sister something to occupy her mind.”

The First Madam nodded and boarded the carriage with Wen Yiniang. Fifth Miss, however, stood gazing at the Grand Madam’s main gate, slightly lost in thought.

When they returned to Yuan Niang’s quarters, the First Madam immediately asked about Madam Qiao. “…Do you know her well?”

Yuan Niang smiled and nodded, but then asked after Zhun Ge first. “Did the Grand Madam keep him there?”

“Yes.” The First Madam replied, somewhat distractedly. “I saw that he was happily at play with the little maids, and the Grand Madam was genuinely warm about keeping him, so I didn’t bring him back.”

She must have wanted to speak of things that could not be said in front of Zhun Ge.

Yuan Niang smiled quietly.

Wen Yiniang had already spoken up with a smile. “Sister, guess which Miss of the Qiao family we ran into at the Grand Madam’s quarters!”

Yuan Niang replied with a teasing smile, “Your family and the Gong family have been sworn rivals for generations. The Gong family has a daughter who married into the Jiang family of Jian’an — who would know the Qiao family’s affairs better than you?”

Wen Yiniang covered her mouth and laughed.

The First Madam and the others were completely lost.

Wen Yiniang smiled and explained, “In my grandfather’s generation, the Gong family of Bantang in Yangzhou was our family’s equal — both built their fortunes on the salt trade. Rivals in the same trade, they became enemies. After years of rivalry, the two families knew each other inside out. The Gong family had a daughter who married into the Jiang family of Jian’an, and the Jiang family of Jian’an is precisely Madam Qiao’s birth family. That is why Sister made that remark.”

The First Madam’s expression changed. “The Jiang family of Jian’an? Could that be the Jiang family of Jian’an that produced ‘four imperial scholars in one generation and two Grand Secretaries across two generations’?”

Wen Yiniang nodded. A flash of cold contempt crossed the depths of her eyes. “Indeed — the very Jiang family of Jian’an that produced the two Grand Secretaries Jiang Rong and Jiang Ying.”

The First Madam was momentarily stunned.

“No matter how glorious a family’s ancestors, if the descendants produce no more imperial scholars, decline is only a matter of time.” Yuan Niang gave Wen Yiniang a cool, faint glance and smiled. “As it stands, the Jiang family has gone two generations without a single successful imperial candidate — they cannot compare even to our family.”

The smile on the First Madam’s face spread all the way to her eyes. “Your younger brother is a promising young man.”

“Who would say otherwise!” Wen Yiniang smiled with obvious pride. “A successful provincial examination candidate at twenty-two — one would be hard pressed to find many like that in all of Great Zhou. Once he sits the next examination and places in the imperial rankings, he will be a young imperial scholar. First Madam, you are truly a woman of great fortune!”

“I take your good wishes to heart,” the First Madam replied, her happiness impossible to conceal. “May Xing Ge bring honor to his family name.”

“He certainly will!” Wen Yiniang smiled in flattery. But Yuan Niang suddenly asked her, “Which branch of the Qiao family does the Sixth Miss belong to?”

Wen Yiniang’s body gave a slight tremor, and a strained quality crept into her smile.

She herself had not mentioned which Miss of the Qiao family had come, yet Yuan Niang had immediately named her as the Sixth Miss…

She did not dare think too deeply about this. She quickly smiled and replied, “She is the eldest daughter of the third branch — though the third branch has only this one daughter. Her father and the Duke are full brothers by the same mother.”

Yuan Niang gave a small nod.

A look of hesitation crossed Wen Yiniang’s face.

Yuan Niang caught it, and the corner of her mouth curved ever so slightly — she adopted an expression of having noticed nothing at all. Smiling, she turned to Fifth Miss and Eleventh Miss. “I cannot rise to entertain guests, and both of you young sisters are at exactly the age for enjoying outings. Sitting here listening to us talk must be stifling. Wen Yiniang, please take Fifth Miss and Eleventh Miss to have a look at the rear garden on my behalf! The butterfly orchids awarded by the Empress before the New Year should be in bloom by now!”

Fifth Miss immediately said, “Sister need not worry about me. I find it quite interesting, listening to Mother and Sister talk. At home I often keep Mother company in just this way. Besides, I am a person who prefers quiet to activity!”

While Fifth Miss spoke, however, Eleventh Miss had already risen to her feet. Seeing Fifth Miss still seated, an expression of mild embarrassment crossed her face.

Wen Yiniang had no choice but to give two light laughs and say obligingly, “Both young Misses, please just think of it as accompanying me — I am told the two pots of butterfly orchids the Empress bestowed are tribute flowers from Fujian. Only thirty plants survived in total; ten pots each went to the Qianqing Palace, the Cining Palace, and the Kunning Palace. Our household fared quite well — His Majesty bestowed one pot on the Marquis, the Empress Dowager bestowed one pot on the Grand Madam, the Empress bestowed one pot on the Second Mistress, one pot on the Third Mistress, two pots on our Mistress, and one pot on the Fifth Mistress. All counted, seven pots came to us… They are all kept in the warm room in the rear garden. I haven’t seen them yet either!”

Fifth Miss suddenly understood.

Yuan Niang was sending them away so that she could speak privately with the First Madam.

Her cheeks flushed crimson. She rose at once and, together with Eleventh Miss, bowed to Yuan Niang and the First Madam before following Wen Yiniang to the warm room in the rear garden.

The maid who had been at Yuan Niang’s side made a gesture to the other serving maids and women in the room, who then slipped away without a sound.

When the First Madam saw that only the two of them remained in the room, her eyes immediately welled with tears. She took her daughter’s hand. “Has the Marquis treated you well?” Her tone was just slightly careful and tentative.

Yuan Niang smiled and nodded. “The Marquis is someone who values loyalty to those he cares for. He has been extremely good to me.”

The First Madam was not entirely convinced. “Then… that matter…”

Yuan Niang smiled. “In the state I am in, were it not for his support, how could Wen Yiniang be so deferential and yielding before me? Mother, the Marquis is a truly fine man. You need not suspect him. It is only that my fate is thin — I cannot grow old alongside him…”

The First Madam had already broken into tears. “Don’t say such things. Is the Empress not helping you search the countryside for folk remedies? The world is vast and harbors hidden talents — remarkable people and healers emerge in every generation. And you are someone with blessings — nothing ill will befall you. You will surely turn misfortune into fortune…”

She had not noticed that when her daughter sighed she could not grow old alongside her husband, there was not even a trace of sorrow in her expression.

Yuan Niang smiled softly, her expression utterly calm. “Just as Mother says, I will certainly recover. Mother, please do not grieve.” It was unclear whether she was comforting herself or comforting her mother.

The First Madam wept a few times more, but then, fearing she would draw her daughter into sadness, forced herself to dry her tears and smile. “By the way, that Madam Qiao — what does she mean by all of this? From what Wen Yiniang said, the Qiao family is no simple matter. Has the Marquis… said anything about it?”

Yuan Niang smiled. “Mother, if you don’t trust your own daughter, surely you trust your grandfather’s judgment. The Marquis is not that kind of man. Otherwise, why would there be so few people in this household?”

The First Madam was only allowing worry to cloud her judgment. Hearing her daughter’s words, she laughed, a little embarrassed. “As long as he treats you well, I am at ease.”

“Mother,” Yuan Niang said, in the manner of someone who wanted to change the subject, “why did you also bring Eleventh Miss along? She is far too young this year.”

The First Madam recalled the purpose of her visit.

Her expression grew serious. “You wrote asking me to bring two younger sisters to Yanjing to see you. The words were vague, but I understood your meaning. But there are things you are not as clear on as I am. Of the girls in our family who are of suitable age, only Fifth Miss and Tenth Miss remain. That Yang Shi is a reckless, unscrupulous woman — there is nothing she would not do. If by some chance the Xu family were to choose her, taking her own life by silk cord or poison — she would do it. And then we would not only have lost our stake but made ourselves a powerful enemy… Do not forget, if that day were to come, she would be Zhun Ge’s mother by every right and propriety.”

Yuan Niang said nothing, her eyelids lowered, her emotions unreadable.

“Fifth Miss would be a good candidate. And there is also the matter of Fourth Master on her side. These past years I have thrown large sums of silver at him, and just before we left I found him something to do. I think he is more or less settled now. Even if she wanted to give him a hand later on, she would have to be in a position to do so. In the end, it will still come down to relying on your younger brother. Eleventh Miss has no brother. Qingtong is timid by nature. And though she is young, just look at those features — exquisitely fine. Besides, there are advantages to being young…” The First Madam’s voice dropped lower. “When the body has not yet fully developed, failing to carry children to term is a common thing. Once it becomes habit, it only becomes harder… I have thought it over carefully, and I believe Eleventh Miss is a better choice than Fifth Miss. So I made the decision to bring both Fifth Miss and Eleventh Miss.” She smiled. “Of course, the final decision is still yours. Whether the Xu family agrees is also a hurdle to clear!”

“I have always trusted Mother’s judgment.” Yuan Niang lifted her eyes and smiled. “And I am not very familiar with the younger sisters at home. This was entirely my failure to explain myself clearly to Mother. Yet as things have turned out, it may well be for the better!”

The First Madam froze.

Yuan Niang leaned close and began to speak quietly to her mother.

—