“The area around Fallen Leaf Hill is too remote,” Eleventh Miss said with a laugh. “But what you say does make sense. Your Liu Yuanrui is honest and reliable, and he’s a capable and dependable man. If the bridal goods shop does really open, having him in the store to help out would set my mind at ease. For now, spend a few days accompanying Master Jian as she looks around. As for the specific arrangements, let me think it through more carefully.”

Eleventh Miss was a woman of her word. The woman from the Liu Yuanrui household heard this and was overjoyed, curtseying again and again. Only then did she go with Eleventh Miss to Master Jian’s quarters.

Master Jian saw that the woman from the Liu Yuanrui household was neatly dressed and spoke with crisp directness — a sharp-minded woman — and gave a quiet nod of approval. She presented her with two handkerchiefs as a greeting gift, then told Qiuju to spend the next few days keeping Binju and Zhen Jie’er company with their needlework. Then, taking the woman from the Liu Yuanrui household, she began making her way along Yanjing’s east main street and west main street, looking at shop fronts and getting a sense of the market.

At this same moment, Qiao Lianfang was giving instructions to Xiu Yuan: “Let us wear the double lotus brooch after all. It is made of gauze pile, and no bigger than a wine cup — not so eye-catching.”

Xiu Yuan immediately took the pair of double lotus brooches and helped fasten them at Qiao Lianfang’s temples. Looking up and catching the figure in the dressing mirror — face white as jade, lips red as fire — Xiu Yuan could not help but hesitate a little. “Miss, perhaps you should change your rouge… it is rather vivid. From what I have seen of Eleventh Miss’s appearance, she is always very plainly dressed at home. If you are dressed this vividly, Eleventh Miss will be sure to feel jealous when she sees you…”

“That Eleventh Miss — she is cunning and treacherous.” Qiao Lianfang nodded at this. “Help me change to the peach-red one.”

Xiu Yuan, delighted, agreed. She fetched water to help Qiao Lianfang rinse her face, powder it again, and apply the peach-red rouge.

When all was ready, Qiao Lianfang’s expression grew rather unsettled as she sat there.

Xiu Yuan knew her innermost trouble well enough. She spoke a few soft words of encouragement, offering her a way to climb down from the tree with dignity: “This is only a temporary show of surface civility. Think of how, back when our household’s lord brought home Fourth Yiniang, how did our Madam handle it? She did not merely offer warm greetings — when Fourth Yiniang fell ill, she even personally brewed her medicine. Not only did Fourth Yiniang feel grateful, even our own lord, seeing it, praised Madam for being virtuous and magnanimous — truly the manner of a proper head of household. And later, when Madam said it was Fourth Yiniang who had caused Third Yiniang’s miscarriage, our lord did not ask Fourth Yiniang a single word, but simply let Madam send Fourth Yiniang back to her parents’ home. Madam was of high and noble station — and yet even she could conduct herself this way when the time called for it. All the more reason for Miss to employ extraordinary means in extraordinary circumstances, given that Miss is now facing someone as scheming and cunning as Eleventh Miss.”

Hearing this, Qiao Lianfang’s heart gradually settled. She stood up. “Xiu Yuan, you are right. I should rally my spirits and not only concern myself with petty gains and losses. I must find a way to bear a son.”

Xiu Yuan let out a quiet breath of relief, and helped smooth out the newly made pomegranate-red short outer robe. “That is exactly the right way of thinking, Miss. The Marquis is a man who respects propriety. Now that you go every day to pay your respects to Eleventh Miss, it is doing two things at once: first, people fear one another face to face — when the Marquis sees it, he recalls the good times of before, and his heart naturally softens, so he will not keep such a cold face toward you. Second, after a long time of this, even if Eleventh Miss were to try and say something against you before the Marquis, he would not believe it. When the time comes, as long as you fall pregnant again with a little son, never mind that Qin Yiniang will have nowhere to stand — even Eleventh Miss will lie awake at night.”

Qiao Lianfang gave a slight nod, then said coldly, “Hmph”: “Just look at her yesterday — such a brazen display. Not sending the shoes early, not sending them late, but choosing to send them right when the Marquis was there! She claims it’s to show deference to Eleventh Miss, but in truth is it not just to put on a show of obedience before the Marquis, to flatter him?” As she spoke, a look of contempt flashed through her eyes. “But no wonder she is in such a hurry. I heard from that little maid Hong’er that although the Marquis has been going to her quarters these days, he has… ” She said no more, just gave a disdainful little twist of her mouth. “Last time at the fishing pavilion, the Marquis at least said a few words to reprimand her. But since she ran to the main house and made a scene, the Marquis has looked at her as if he can’t even be bothered to lift an eyelid. The mother’s honor rides on the son’s glory, and the son’s glory on the mother’s honor. Now that Second Young Master is far away in Leshan, and young Zhun has been established as heir, if she doesn’t push herself a bit harder, I’m afraid before long not many people in this household will remember who she is.”

Xiu Yuan had another worry: “The Marquis still has two and a half months of mourning. And I hear Second Young Master will return at year’s end to sit the children’s examination. I’m only afraid that for Second Young Master’s sake, he might again…”

Qiao Lianfang bit her silver teeth tight, a flash of cold intent in her eyes. “Come, let us go and pay our respects to Eleventh Miss.”

“Yes!” Xiu Yuan’s face broke into a pleased smile at once.

The maid Cui’er belonging to Qin Yiniang hesitated slightly as she reminded her: “Yiniang, don’t you think it is time to go to Madam’s side?”

Qin Yiniang then opened her eyes and, unclasping her palms that had been pressed together in prayer, allowed Cui’er to help her rise from the round cushion.

“Fetch me a change of clothing,” she said. Her gaze still lingered with several traces of reverence on the figure of Guanyin Bodhisattva enshrined in the small devotional alcove. “The Marquis does not like me praying to Buddha — let me change my clothes before I go.”

The finest sandalwood incense had been lit in the room — its fragrance deep and lingering, slow to fade.

Cui’er went off to fetch the clothes.

Ever since the last time she had used a few choice words to put pressure on Eleventh Miss, and the Marquis had grudgingly spent one night in her quarters — he had never since…

Qin Yiniang stood before the devotional alcove, lost in silent thought.

She had thought that after a few days, the Marquis’s anger would have subsided. But it turned out to be quite otherwise…

In her mind’s eye, the flat, distant expression on Xu Lingyi’s face from the day before — when he had instructed the servants to purchase hand warmers — surfaced again. Her heart felt as though it had been stabbed.

“Just buy a few for Mother, yourself, and Fifth Sister-in-law.”

Each word, each syllable fell like a thunderclap out of the blue, making her eyes flash with stars.

The Marquis was always generous. That bamboo hand warmer, though hard to come by, was not the sort of dignified object that a mistress could rightfully have and a concubine could not. In ordinary times, let alone stopping Wen Yiniang from accepting it — he would more likely have instructed the stewards to buy a whole pile of them and distribute them all around. Yet this time he had mentioned only the Grand Madam and Fifth Madam — he could hardly fail to mention the Grand Madam, for that would be a lapse of filial piety; he could hardly fail to mention Fifth Madam, for that would be unfair. Clearly it was just a pretense to cover up his true intention of buying a hand warmer for Eleventh Miss alone.

Otherwise, how could he have simply forgotten about Second Madam?

If things went on like this, once the mourning period was over, he would surely…

She thought about it and felt as though she could not catch her breath. Her legs went weak and she half-stumbled onto the large kang beneath the window.

“Yiniang,” said Cui’er, who had come back with the clothing and now found her slumped sideways against the black-lacquered plum-blossom partition beside the kang, her face pale. Alarmed, Cui’er rushed forward to support her. “What is wrong with you? Shall I go and fetch a physician?”

“No need, no need.” Qin Yiniang kept drawing in slow breaths. “Master Jining said this is restlessness and shortness of breath in the heart — I just need to relax my mind and lie down a while, and it will pass.”

Cui’er had also heard Abbess Jining say something like this before.

“Shall I pour you some sacred water to drink?” she asked. “Last time when you were unwell, you drank Abbess Jining’s sacred water and it got better.”

Qin Yiniang nodded weakly.

Cui’er hurried to the small connecting room adjoining the inner chamber — where the Guanyin Bodhisattva was enshrined — and carefully opened the purple sandalwood box kept before the altar. She took out a piece of yellow ritual paper, held it between both palms, and bowed three times toward the altar. Then she poured a bowl of clear water, ignited it with the incense candle before the altar, stirred the ash into the water, and brought it for Qin Yiniang to drink.

After drinking it, Qin Yiniang felt considerably better. She sat quietly for a moment, then rose, changed her clothes, and went to Eleventh Miss’s quarters.

At the doorway, she ran directly into Qiao Lianfang.

Qiao Lianfang did not so much as glance at her, but walked on past with her chin raised.

Nearby a young maid said with a smile, “Qin Yiniang, you’re late today. Wen Yiniang and Qiao Yiniang arrived early. Wen Yiniang is still in Madam’s room now.”

Cui’er quickly gave the young maid two copper coins. “A little something to buy sweets.”

The young maid smiled cheerfully and ran off.

Cui’er then accompanied Qin Yiniang to the main chamber.

Eleventh Miss and Wen Yiniang were discussing arrangements for Zhen Jie’er’s dowry. “…Whether the first tray should use ruyi ornaments or the Three Immortals of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity is a small matter — what matters most is how to make it presentable and dignified. The last time I went to the palace to see the Empress, I mentioned Zhen Jie’er’s marriage and the Empress seemed very pleased. She said it had been more than ten years since any young lady of our household had been married off. The Empress is now carrying the imperial heir, and I am still in mourning — it would not be convenient for me to seek an audience with the Empress these next few months. Once I am out of mourning, I will go to the palace to sound out the Empress’s intentions. If it would be possible to receive the Empress’s gift for the first tray of the dowry, that would be ideal.” As she spoke, she looked up and saw Qin Yiniang come in, gave a small nod, and continued. “Let us set this matter aside for now. Get the items that need to be prepared in order first, and then we shall see.”

Wen Yiniang, seeing Eleventh Miss give a nod toward the space behind her, knew that Qin Yiniang had arrived. She first smiled and responded to Eleventh Miss: “You think of everything, Madam. All according to your instruction.” Then she turned to greet Qin Yiniang: “Elder Sister has come!”

Qin Yiniang made a respectful bow to Eleventh Miss, exchanged a greeting with Wen Yiniang, and stood quietly to one side.

Wen Yiniang then rose and took her leave. “Then I will go and busy myself as Madam has instructed.”

Eleventh Miss lifted her teacup. Before Wen Yiniang had yet withdrawn, a young maid came in to report: “A Nanny from Grand Madam Gan’s side at the Loyal and Diligent Earl’s household has come to pay her respects to Madam.”

“Please show her in.”

A short, slight Nanny was brought in by the young maid.

“Our Grand Madam has sent me to ask Madam whether there happen to be any camellia plants in the household. If there are any spare ones, please gift a few pots for this servant to take back.”

This was an arrangement agreed upon beforehand between Grand Madam Gan and Eleventh Miss: if Grand Madam Gan had something to ask Eleventh Miss to come for, she would send someone to request flower trees.

Camellias were essential flowers for the winter season. Even if the household’s greenhouse had not cultivated any, one could always buy some from Fengxiang district. She did not know what the matter was, but resolved to call that afternoon.

“You go back and relay a message to the Grand Madam on my behalf — I will presently send someone to the greenhouse to check. If there are any, I will have them delivered right away.”

The Nanny smiled her thanks, curtseyed, and withdrew.

That afternoon, Eleventh Miss went to the Loyal and Diligent Earl’s household.

Gan Madam, seeing that she had brought several pots of camellia, smiled with slight embarrassment. “Madam has been put to trouble again.”

“We are relatives by marriage — Madam, speaking like this makes me uneasy.”

Gan Madam then saw how things stood and smiled warmly. “That’s right — we are relatives, all of us. My saying such things is me being too formal with you.” Then she accompanied Eleventh Miss to Grand Madam Gan’s quarters.

Though it was already autumn, the addition of plants gave the courtyard a vibrant, living air.

Grand Madam Gan, wearing no jewelry at all and dressed in a dark Hangzhou silk short outer robe, received them.

Gan Madam said a few words and then excused herself. Grand Madam Gan smiled and led Eleventh Miss into the inner chamber.