“I would not say I had it planned in advance, or that I had such foresight,” Master Jian said with a laugh. “I only began to think it through carefully after I arrived in Yanjing and saw Binju embroidering door curtains for the bridal goods shop.”

Given Master Jian’s character — having thought it through carefully, and now having raised the matter directly — she likely not only had a clear scheme in mind, but also felt a reasonable degree of confidence about opening the shop.

Eleventh Miss had long been troubled over how to increase revenue from her dowry holdings. Hearing this now was like catching a glimpse of light through the clouds, and her spirits lifted at once. “Master Jian, let us talk this through properly!”

“Xianlinge has the advantage of craftsmanship; Caixiu Workshop has the advantage of materials. In the past the two operated north and south, each running their own business — and so they coexisted without too much friction. But since the old owner of Caixiu Workshop passed away and the young master took over, he first married his daughter into the Jiang family of Dongyang, then recruited the renowned embroiderer Lu Qingniang and began moving into the embroidery trade. In no more than two or three years, Jiangnan was already Caixiu Workshop’s territory. Xianlinge had its roots in the north, and though there was some minor friction, nothing much came of it. But human ambition is seldom satisfied. As Caixiu Workshop’s reputation grew, they began to set their sights on the Jiangnan Imperial Textile Office. And I must say — the young master had genuine ability. At last year’s Imperial Birthday celebration, Caixiu Workshop presented a formal court robe embroidered with the Eight Treasures, lychee blossoms, and ten-thousand-character fish pattern, which the Emperor was greatly pleased by. This year’s Imperial Birthday, the Jiangnan Imperial Textile Office commissioned Caixiu Workshop to present twelve formal court robes — and on top of that, handed over to Caixiu Workshop the production of the Dragon Boat Festival badge squares that had always been handled by Xianlinge. Only then did Xianlinge begin to feel the pressure. They dispatched their second-in-command to Jiangnan to take personal charge of operations, and began recruiting skilled embroiderers from Jiangnan to work for Xianlinge. When Caixiu Workshop saw this, they too began offering high prices to invite self-employed embroiderers to join their ranks.”

At this point, Master Jian looked at Eleventh Miss meaningfully and continued, “The two of them are both well-funded and powerful. Caixiu Workshop has Lu Qingniang — she is the heir of the Lu school, whose hallmark is rich, opulent coloring and vivid splendor. The court robe presented for the Imperial Birthday was embroidered by her. As for the other Jiangnan schools, they favor natural and unadorned coloring, refined and delicate elegance… If one goes to Caixiu Workshop, one must either transform oneself entirely or sink into obscurity and mediocrity. To transform is to concede that the Lu school stands supreme in Jiangnan; to sink into mediocrity means accepting poor commissions, poor wages, and a hard life. If one goes to Xianlinge, Xianlinge is already well-established in the north — Jiangnan is merely one of its wings. Important, yes — but with Caixiu Workshop pressing in so aggressively, even reaching into Yanjing, who can guarantee they won’t sacrifice a pawn to save the king someday, abandon the Jiangnan trade to protect the Imperial Household Office business? The Imperial Household Office trade is backed by government silver, after all — what trifling Jiangnan business could compare? And we embroiderers, born in Jiangnan, raised in Jiangnan, with all our family and friends in Jiangnan — when that day comes, how are we to face the wrath of Caixiu Workshop? Even if we then follow Xianlinge north, can all our relatives and friends follow us here? And if they cannot adapt to life here, what then?”

Master Jian let out a quiet sigh.

“The reason I was once able to keep myself apart from all this was, first, that I had a modest reputation that let me play both sides; and second, that I benefited from the rivalry between Xianlinge and Caixiu Workshop, like the fisherman who profits while the snipe and the clam struggle. But now it is a case of either joining Caixiu Workshop or entering Xianlinge — which naturally leaves me no path but to flee.”

So this was the real reason Master Jian had left her home and traveled all the way to Yanjing!

One of Xianlinge’s signature techniques came from Master Jian. If Master Jian were to join Caixiu Workshop, it would be a stinging slap to Xianlinge’s face. No wonder Xianlinge had repeatedly pressed Master Jian about the matter of the eldest imperial prince’s consort’s wedding garments. But if Master Jian did not want to join Caixiu Workshop, then the only remaining option was Xianlinge. If Master Jian had wanted to join Xianlinge, she would have done so long ago — there would have been no need to eke out a living in Jiangnan by teaching embroidery. And if a person like Master Jian could be driven to a dead end, it was clear that both sides had employed some underhanded methods.

Eleventh Miss very much wanted to ask whether Master Jian had some particular grievance with Xianlinge, but when she saw the resignation in Master Jian’s eyes — tinged with a weariness of spirit — she swallowed the question before it reached her lips.

“Master Jian, you mentioned that after Caixiu Workshop’s young master married his daughter into the Jiang family of Dongyang and began recruiting Lu Qingniang — do you happen to know whether the Dongyang Jiang family has a daughter named Jinkui who is married into a princess’s household — the household of Princess Chang’ning?”

“Whether it is Princess Chang’ning I could not say. But I have heard such a rumor — that a daughter of the Jiang family was married into a princess’s household.” Master Jian replied. “Most likely it is the very same Jinkui you speak of.”

Eleventh Miss smiled ruefully.

If Xianlinge dared to conduct business with the Imperial Household Office, it must have a powerful backer behind it — and for Caixiu Workshop to have forced Xianlinge into a full defensive posture in no more than two or three years, all the way up to Yanjing… Yanjing was only so large; people were forever running into one another. Anyone else would likely have thought twice and shown some consideration for whoever stood behind Xianlinge. Only someone like Ren Kun — who feared neither heaven nor earth — could have pulled this off.

“Even so, you need not worry,” Master Jian said, seeing her expression, and added with some lightness in her voice. “I have no intention of competing with Xianlinge or Caixiu Workshop for business. All I want is to open a small bridal goods shop and do a modest little trade.”

Hearing Master Jian say she only meant to open a bridal goods shop, Eleventh Miss was briefly caught off guard.

“I have thought it through carefully. You cannot appear openly in this, and I have only Qiuju on hand. If we count Binju, we barely have two people. Rather than open an embroidery workshop, it makes better sense to open a bridal goods shop and do just one kind of business. This way: first, the investment is small. If we lose money, we will not be badly hurt; if the business is slow, we can keep putting in money and wait it out. Second, specialization. Embroidery covers too wide a range — biting off more than we can chew. We should play to our strengths and strive for the best — so that whenever someone mentions us, they think of our bridal goods shop, and no one else. Third, it avoids coming into conflict with Xianlinge and Caixiu Workshop. They do large business; we do small business for the common people — the dowry business that is of no more interest to them than a chicken rib.” Master Jian smiled at Eleventh Miss. “Just look at today — the world is at peace, and four seas are settled. Take Jiangnan as an example. A girl raising silkworms and spinning thread — if she is capable, she can earn ten or eleven taels of silver in a year; if less so, she can still manage three or four taels. Who would want to spend day after day at home making needlework? When the time comes to be married off, the large items are all bought at a bridal goods shop. And I asked Binju as well. Binju says Yanjing has many wealthy households, and girls from poor families often enter the great houses as maids. Day after day they help their mistresses with this and that, and when it comes time for their own wedding, they may not have the means to put together something truly satisfying. Naturally they buy from a bridal goods shop. As for the wealthy families — the daily household tasks are all done by the maids, and while the maids can manage small items, few can produce anything presentable for the large pieces. And the mistresses themselves do not have the time. When a daughter is to be married off, they too must visit a bridal goods shop. Xianlinge’s prices are so high that ordinary households cannot afford to shop there at all. In recent years, the bridal goods shops along the east main street have all been doing exceptionally well.”

Eleventh Miss nodded repeatedly. “That is a truly excellent idea, Master Jian!”

Seeing her approval, Master Jian smiled. “Then these next few days I will go out and look around — see if there are any suitable shop fronts available, and get a sense of the other bridal goods shops in the area. Find out who is behind them, what they sell, what sells best… so as not to go in completely blind.”

“I know someone in the Liu Yuanrui household,” Eleventh Miss said. “Let me have her go with you. She has a quick mind and has been in Yanjing for several years now — she knows the area far better than you. And it will give you some company, which makes one bolder.”

Master Jian did not decline. “All right. This whole matter is going to need your help regardless.”

Eleventh Miss immediately instructed a young maid to send word to the Liu Yuanrui household, asking the woman there to come first thing the following morning. She then discussed the partnership arrangements with Master Jian. “Who takes the larger share? Who takes the smaller?”

Master Jian hesitated. “I do not have much money on hand.”

“In business, nothing is more dangerous than confusion over rights and responsibilities,” Eleventh Miss said, looking at Master Jian with a smile. “If you wish to hold the larger share, I can lend you the silver — it comes to the same thing. But we must not leave the roles and duties unclear.”

Master Jian had enough experience in the world to have seen many people part ways bitterly over a single coin. Now, hearing Eleventh Miss’s tone, she felt a weight lift from her heart, and gained several degrees more confidence in the prospect of opening the shop.

“You take the larger share,” Master Jian said, after a pause. “This embroidery shop — in the end, I mean to hand it over to Qiuju. She is still young, and she once served you. With you as the anchor, even after she marries someday… her husband’s family could not seize this shop from her.”

Eleventh Miss laughed aloud.

This was no different from parents who, fearing their children might suffer after a marriage, transferred property to them before the wedding.

“Master Jian has truly thought of everything for Qiuju’s sake. Back then, how was it that you never gave a thought to me?”

Master Jian laughed and pinched Eleventh Miss’s cheek. “You’re sharp enough — I never needed to plan ahead for you!”

For a moment, it felt just like the old days of learning needlework from Master Jian. When Fifth Miss and Seventh Miss had both slipped away and she could not tell the difference between a joining stitch and a piercing stitch, while little Twelfth Miss simply sat there in a daze, Master Jian would pinch her cheek just like this, and threaten her: “Embroider it right, or watch out for your ears.”

“Master Jian,” Eleventh Miss said, leaning against Master Jian’s shoulder. “We are working so hard — there will be a reward for it. The bridal goods shop will definitely come to be; you will not have to drift from place to place any longer; and Qiuju will have a place to belong to. Things will get better for all of us.”

Master Jian stroked Eleventh Miss’s hair and said nothing.

When Eleventh Miss returned, she spoke the matter over with Xu Lingyi. “…The only thing I fear is local ruffians and idlers coming to make trouble, and the authorities collecting excessive fees. I would like to ask the Marquis to put in a word with whoever manages such matters. There is no need to invoke the name of our household — just say it is a relative of that steward.”  She wanted to inform Xu Lingyi as early as possible, naturally.

“Then there would be no need for any investment at all!” Xu Lingyi said, casting an oblique look at her.

Those large phoenix eyes carried a trace of teasing, which made Eleventh Miss’s heart give an unexpected little leap.

“We are opening a small shop,” she said, her color rising slightly, with some uncertainty. “I should think it would not cost very much.”

“What a naive thing to say,” said Xu Lingyi, raising his voice to call for Linbo. “Go and call Steward Bai.”

“There is no need,” Eleventh Miss said quickly. “I have some money on hand—” But her words had barely begun when she sensed Xu Lingyi’s expression shift slightly for the worse, and she hurriedly changed course. “We should wait until Master Jian has had a look at the situation, and then when I know how much is needed, I can speak to the Marquis more precisely. Otherwise, a little today and a little tomorrow — I’m afraid the Marquis will grow tired of me.”  At that, Xu Lingyi’s expression gradually eased.

“For the name of a steward you wish to borrow — I think it best to borrow Steward Bai’s name.”

* * *