After seeing the son-in-law off, the Master returned to the main room. Madam could not help but let out a cold laugh: “Could it be that our home is too humble, and the National Uncle found it too squalid to sit in?”

The Master frowned: “What nonsense are you talking? The Marquis is not that sort of person. It was truly the Emperor who had something to discuss with him — you are not unaware of this. With Elder Statesman Liu retiring from his post, affairs at court are numerous and complex. In his public capacity he is a senior minister of the realm; in his private capacity he is the National Uncle. How could he stand apart from it all…”

“And here I thought he had become a Grand Academician,” Madam said, though her tone, despite the sarcasm, was somewhat softer than before.

“Have you not yet called on Madam Liu since coming to Yanjing?” The Master had no desire to argue further with Madam and reminded her, “She sets out early tomorrow morning. Find time to go see her. And there is also Third Sister-in-law’s household — see if there is anything you can help with.”

“As if I needed you to tell me.” Madam said with mild exasperation. “I had everything prepared long ago. I was just waiting for you to come back so we could go together.” She then called Luoqiao to help the Master change his clothes, and the couple went out together to call on the Liu household.

Fifth Miss stayed in her room doing a face mask and washing her hair; Eleventh Miss stayed in her room making clothes for Zhun Ge.

…

The next day, the Xu family’s carriage to collect them arrived at the third quarter past the hour of si. Madam had just finished giving all the household instructions.

Madam Luo and Madam boarded the first carriage; Fifth Miss and Eleventh Miss boarded the second; Nanny Xu, Mao Ge, and Mao Ge’s wet nurse boarded the third; Hupo, Dongqing, Ziwei, and Ziyuan boarded the fourth; the Madam Dowager’s nannies sent to receive them and a few of the Luo Family’s coarser serving women rode in the fifth and sixth carriages. Together with over thirty escorts, the procession made its way grandly out of Gongxian Hutong toward Hehua Lane.

By the time they arrived at the Xu residence, it was just past the start of the wu hour.

They went first to pay their respects to Yuan Niang.

Wen Yiniang had already arrived. After everyone exchanged greetings, Zhun Ge and Mao Ge immediately tumbled into each other’s arms with laughter, and hand in hand they wanted to go to the back garden to look at the koi fish.

“Today you are to accompany Mao Ge to Grandmother’s for the meal.” Yuan Niang spoke gently and softly. “After you have eaten, let Elder Sister Weizi take you both to see the koi fish. Is that all right?”

Zhun Ge nodded obediently, and Mao Ge also said “alright,” earning a round of praise from the adults.

After a few more pleasantries, they were escorted by Wen Yiniang to the Madam Dowager’s quarters.

The Madam Dowager stood waiting in the main hall with a little girl of eight or nine years, dressed in a small red crepe jacket.

The moment Zhun Ge saw the little girl, he called out “Zhen Jie’er!” with delight, then struggled free from his wet nurse’s arms and ran toward the little girl.

The little girl stepped forward smilingly and took his hand. “How did you manage to leave Mao Ge behind?” she said.

Zhun Ge lowered his head in embarrassment and quietly called out “Mao Ge.”

Mao Ge did not mind at all, ran over and took Zhun Ge’s hand, and called the little girl “Elder Cousin.”

Among Zhun Ge’s generation in the Xu family, Wen Yiniang had borne only one daughter. Without needing to think further, Eleventh Miss knew this little girl must be Xu Lingyi’s eldest daughter.

She could not help but look Zhen Jie’er over carefully.

Her frame seemed taller than other children her age; her skin was snow-white; her brows strong and her eyes large — entirely unlike Wen Yiniang’s petite and delicate appearance.

Could she perhaps take after her father?

While Eleventh Miss was pondering this, Zhen Jie’er had already called out to Wen Yiniang: “Yiniang.”

Wen Yiniang’s face broke into a full smile. She called back, “First Young Miss.”

The Madam Dowager had already smilingly instructed someone to reward Mao Ge with silver ingots.

Mao Ge thanked the Madam Dowager in his babyish voice, and the Madam Dowager held Mao Ge in her arms and praised him without stopping: “This child is truly loveable!”

Madam’s eyes were full of smiles as she modestly demurred. Madam Luo, Fifth Miss, Eleventh Miss, and Wen Yiniang stepped forward to pay their respects to the Madam Dowager, and the group went chatting and laughing to the side room where the Madam Dowager ordinarily rested and took her ease.

They had just taken their seats when a young maid came to report: “Madam Cheng Guogong and her young miss have arrived.”

“Please invite them in at once!” The moment the Madam Dowager’s voice fell, Lady Qiao entered, accompanied by the sixth young miss of the Qiao family — whom they had met the previous time.

Lady Qiao was dressed today in a full-gold-patterned red jacket with full-length sleeves, her hair done in a peony chignon, with a central hairpin of solid gold with a phoenix biting four luminous pearl clusters. On her right she wore a large spray of red gemstone blossoms — an altogether magnificent appearance. The Qiao family’s young miss wore a pale yellow brocade jacket embroidered with green persimmon-medallion patterns, her hair in a fallen-horse chignon, with golden swaying hairpins and honeysuckle stone floral ornaments, amber drop earrings set in solid gold — the picture of gentle allure.

Eleventh Miss could not help but cast a glance at Fifth Miss beside her.

Today Fifth Miss wore a pomegranate-red full-gold-patterned jacket and had her hair done high, adorned with three cloisonné-and-red-coral ruyi gold hairpins. Her drop earrings were solid gold set with jade-green cat’s-eye stones — magnificent, with a measure of dignified elegance.

Then she looked at herself.

Her hair was done in twin conch-shell coils, decorated with two pomegranate-red silk flowers no larger than fingernails. Her drop earrings were silver-set pearl drops, and she wore a pale jade-green cloud-pattern brocade jacket… Somewhat childlike.

Eleventh Miss was quite satisfied with this effect, and the corners of her mouth tilted slightly upward.

Everyone exchanged greetings and was seated. The maids served tea and refreshments, and Weizi led Zhen Jie’er, Zhun Ge, and Mao Ge off to the warm room.

Then laughter drifted in from outside the door: “I am late — honored guests, do not blame me.” Before the words had finished, a group of maids and serving women ushered in a young woman of about twenty-five or twenty-six.

She had a graceful figure and wore a large-red all-gold butterfly-through-flowers jacket. Her hair was done in a peach-heart chignon, with a central gold hairpin carved with a full-pond-of-beauty motif, and on the right side she wore a large precious flower set with fine Western pearls and kingfisher-feather leaves. Her willow-leaf brows and apricot-shaped eyes were lightly touched with rouge and powder — she carried herself with vitality, capable and quick-witted.

Eleventh Miss did not recognize the woman, but the Sixth Young Miss of the Qiao family clearly did; she stood up with a smile and called out “Third Madam.”

Third Madam? Then this must be Xu Lingning’s wife — the wife of Xu Lingyi’s concubine-born elder brother!

Upon hearing this, Fifth Miss and Eleventh Miss stood up as well.

Madam had already greeted the newcomer: “Third Madam, it has been quite some time!”

Third Madam quickly stepped forward and gave Madam a curtsy, smiling: “I have come late — Madam, please do not blame me.”

Madam quickly took Third Madam’s hand: “Indeed — you grow more lovely each time I see you!”

“You flatter me, Madam,” Third Madam replied politely, exchanging a few pleasantries with Madam, then paying her respects to Lady Qiao. Only then did she turn to the Sixth Young Miss of the Qiao family with a beaming smile: “Lianfang, what a rare guest you are!”

So the Sixth Young Miss of the Qiao family was named Lianfang!

Eleventh Miss made a quiet note of this.

Lady Qiao glanced at the Madam Dowager: “She is one who never steps beyond the inner gate. All day long it is nothing but needlework, or teaching her nieces to read.”

The Sixth Young Miss of the Qiao family’s face flushed slightly at these words. She asked Third Madam, “How is it that neither of your two nephews is here?”

“They have not yet been dismissed from their studies,” Third Madam replied with a smile. She then turned to look over Fifth Miss and Eleventh Miss: “I was wondering who it could be — seeing from a distance, one could have taken them for immortal maidens. It turns out to be the young misses from the relatives’ family!”

Madam promptly introduced Fifth Miss and Eleventh Miss to Third Madam.

Eleventh Miss had heard Madam mention that Third Madam’s father was a concubine-born son of the Zhong Qin Borate Gan family — a man of untiring study who had passed his prefectural examinations at twenty-one and his provincial examinations at forty-four, and who was now pursuing his studies at the Imperial Academy alongside Luo Zhensheng…

From her manner of speaking, she seemed very familiar with the Qiao family… Was it that Lady Qiao had a wide circle of acquaintance? Or was it that the noble houses of Yanjing were all intertwined by roots and branches?

She inclined toward the latter.

Eleventh Miss’s gaze shifted slightly.

After the introductions were made, Madam Luo was already exchanging pleasantries with Third Madam with a smile.

Third Madam smilingly took her hand and chided fondly: “Elder Sister-in-law, even though Mother is now in Yanjing and the house has someone to manage things, you still do not come by more often.”

Madam Luo laughed: “Now that Mother has come to Yanjing, with someone to manage the household, I shall certainly come by more often — and by then I hope you will not find me a nuisance.”

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries. Third Madam stepped forward to pay her respects to the Madam Dowager and explained with a smile: “Third Master has returned, and I was attending to his washing and changing — that is why I am late. Mother, please do not blame me.”

The Madam Dowager nodded with a kind expression: “Third Son is back?”

“Yes!” Third Madam said respectfully. “He only just arrived. He had wanted to come at once and pay his respects to Mother, but hearing that Mother had guests, he rested first.” She then explained to Lady Qiao and Madam: “Our Third Master went to Tianjin to collect a payment.”

Xu Lingning held a civil service degree, and the Xu family had purchased him the rank of a fourth-rank tongzhi. He had not taken up an official post, but helped manage various household affairs.

The Madam Dowager gave a slight nod and rose to her feet with a smile: “Our relative from afar has been sitting here listening to my idle talk and must be hungry by now. Let us go to the flower hall — Honored Relative, you must sample our Yanjing cuisine — it cannot compare to the south, yet has its own distinct flavor.”

Third Madam hurried forward to support the Madam Dowager.

“The Madam Dowager is too kind,” Madam said courteously. “Yanjing is the very heart of the capital — how could our small southern towns compare!”

Fifth Miss stepped forward to support Madam, while Eleventh Miss followed quietly behind the two of them. Leaving Zhen Jie’er, Zhun Ge, and Mao Ge in the Madam Dowager’s rooms, the group went chatting and laughing to the five-bay flower hall newly built behind the Madam Dowager’s quarters.

Along the way, Lady Qiao said smilingly to Madam: “This was once a disused study. Fifth Master is devoted to his mother — last year he converted the south-facing rooms into a flower hall, and built a theatre stage in the courtyard for the Madam Dowager — what was it called… ‘Dianchun Hall’?” She raised her face and asked the Madam Dowager: “That is the name, is it not? I have not remembered it wrong?”

“That is it!” The Madam Dowager’s smile reached her eyes — clearly she was very pleased that someone had brought it up. “He is always fussing about something. He also wanted to purchase a few children and have them trained in opera, to form a household troupe. He said that for future celebratory occasions, there would be no need to hire outsiders — to avoid the mess.”

“That would be wonderful!” Lady Qiao said with a laugh. “If he does not find anyone suitable, I have a few clever little maids at my place — none of them have yet put their hair up. I think they look even better than some in that ‘Deyin Troupe’ that performs for the Empress.”

Whatever the Madam Dowager said, Lady Qiao would chime in; moreover, she deliberately spoke only of matters familiar to them both, subtly leaving Madam to one side. The Madam Dowager acted as though she noticed nothing, occasionally exchanging a few words with Madam.

“Does the honored relative enjoy opera?” she said with a smile. “These past two years a troupe called ‘Deyin’ has appeared in Yanjing — they come from Yangzhou and specialize in Yiyang-style opera. For the Empress’s birthday celebration, the Emperor himself summoned them to perform at court. Now all of Yanjing is chasing after the Deyin Troupe’s performances. Their theatre, called ‘Jiuyuan Pavilion,’ is said to be packed for every show, with not a single seat to spare!”

Madam smiled and replied: “The Deyin Troupe once performed in our Hangzhou — they are very famous. But I spend most of my days at home, and have not yet had the chance to hear them.”

The Madam Dowager heard this and said with a smile: “In that case, shall we invite them for a home performance in a few days?”

“I would not dare impose!” Madam declined politely. “In the inner quarters of a proper household…”

“I think that is a splendid idea!” Lady Qiao broke in with a laugh, cutting off Madam. “You do not know — our Fifth Master loves opera above all things, but the Marquis cannot abide the noise. Every time Fifth Master spots the Marquis, he startles and darts away like a swallow in flight…” Then, lowering her voice, she added: “Rather than have the young masters go out for it, better to enjoy it at home.”

—