The room grew quiet.

Shiyiniang looked up and saw the goldfish swaying gracefully in the tank on the windowsill.

She tapped the glass of the tank with her finger.

The fish darted away in fright, then quickly gathered together again, pressing against the glass and blowing bubbles at her.

For some reason, she suddenly thought of Luo Zhenhong, far away in Yuhang.

The first time she had held him, he too had blown bubbles at her like this.

A faint smile crossed Shiyiniang’s face. She decided to write a letter of inquiry to Fifth Yiniang and Luo Zhengxing.

Hupo moved a lamp closer and, rolling back her sleeves, helped Shiyiniang grind ink.

When the letter was finished, Wen Yiniang came.

“The rooms over there have all been tidied!” She curtseyed to Shiyiniang with a smile. “Would you like to change your dress?”

“No need.” Shiyiniang handed the letter to Hupo and gestured for her to have someone deliver it. “I am not going out — this will do.”

She wore an ivory-white plain-weave embroidered silk short jacket and a bright-blue plain Hu-Hang silk gathered skirt. Her dark hair was coiled in a bun; at her waist hung a jade-white magnolia-shaped jasper pace-setter pendant. It was an outfit of understated elegance touched with a few notes of quiet serenity — entirely fitting for her mourning period.

Wen Yiniang smiled and said nothing more. She glanced at the standing clock in the east side-chamber. “In one quarter-hour, the bridal sedan should be entering the gate!”

Shiyiniang nodded and rose to her feet.

A small maid came running in. “The Marquis has returned!”

Shiyiniang and Wen Yiniang went to the main hall.

Xu Lingyi wore an everyday half-worn plain dark-teal Hu-silk straight robe, his dark hair pinned with a bamboo hairpin, his bearing upright, his large phoenix eyes bright and keen. Perhaps on account of the wine he had drunk, there was a slight flush to his face; and the usual severity in his brows had softened somewhat, lending him a warmth less familiar than his ordinary manner.

The two women came forward and greeted him. Shiyiniang reminded him, “My Lord, you had best change into fresh clothes.”

Xu Lingyi went to the inner chamber and changed into a crisp sapphire-blue cloud-and-medallion-patterned Hu-silk straight robe. He looked even more composed and sharp.

Wen Yiniang at once smiled and offered flattery. “The Marquis, so turned out, looks several years younger…”

Xu Lingyi glanced at her slowly.

Her words caught in her throat. A trace of awkwardness crossed her face.

The maids attending in the room all dropped their heads and assumed expressions of having seen nothing, which only made the atmosphere feel somewhat oppressive.

Shiyiniang smoothed things over for Wen Yiniang. “Has the tea been made ready?”

At these words, Wen Yiniang visibly relaxed. “All ready.” The smile returned to her face. “Imperially-commissioned blue-and-white tea bowls with scrolling flower patterns, to be filled with the finest Dragon Well tea.”

The tension in the room eased. A young manservant ran in. “My Lord, the sedan chair has come through the gate.”

Xu Lingyi heard this and gave a nod. He turned to Shiyiniang. “You may go back to your room.”

When they had earlier discussed the tea-offering ceremony, Xu Lingyi had made an offhand remark that filial piety comes before all else, and it was only then that Shiyiniang had thought to receive the tea in the west side-chamber.

She had just settled herself there when a young manservant ran in. “My Lord, the new person has entered the gate.”

Yang Shi’s sedan chair came in through the rear gate and soon stopped at the front steps of the main hall.

Nanny Du and Nanny Song helped the new arrival — dressed in a pink silk jacket — out of the sedan and into the main hall. Wen Yiniang stepped forward with a smile and lifted the bridal veil.

The air in the room seemed to halt for a moment. Then Wen Yiniang’s silvery laugh rang out. “My Lord, the new person offers you tea.”

Lvyun quickly placed a kneeling cushion before Yang Shi.

Yang Shi, who had kept her eyes downcast since entering the gate, knelt gracefully, received the tea bowl from Nanny Song’s hands, and raised it above her head.

Xu Lingyi accepted the tea bowl.

Yang Shi could not resist stealing a glance upward, and caught sight of a young and handsome face.

She let out a quiet inward breath of relief, then quickly lowered her eyes again. Yet the corner of her gaze drifted involuntarily to the other side of the room — by custom, the Marchioness of Yongping, the secondary wife known as Young Luo Shi, should have been seated there.

The grand chair was empty. Only the red cloud-and-dragon-and-bat-catching brocade seat cushion lay spread across it, brilliant as summer sunlight in the lamplight.

She blinked in surprise.

Nanny Du had already taken hold of her arm.

In an instant, Yang Shi understood.

Her family had told her beforehand that Young Luo Shi was still in mourning.

It must be that, to avoid any clash with the auspicious occasion, she had chosen to sit in another room.

She moved to stand. But at her ear came the voice of a man — deep and warm, yet carrying a faint note of indifference. “Offer the tea here.”

Yang Shi felt the grip of Nanny Du, who was supporting her, falter for just a moment.

Xu Lingyi glanced at Nanny Du. “The Mistress is still in mourning.”

It seemed at once an explanation and a command.

Nanny Du could not help but look up toward Xu Lingyi.

He sat there with a composed and grave demeanor, a hint of cool authority in his brow. The tea Yang Shi had offered him had been set casually aside on the small table beside his chair.

Something stirred in Nanny Du’s heart. With practiced composure, she straightened and stepped discreetly to one side.

Nanny Song found this unexpected.

This was rather different from what the Mistress had arranged beforehand. If the tea were to be offered here, how exactly was that to be done…

But at this moment, what right did she have to question it.

Nanny Song pressed down her confusion and, with the same nimble efficiency as before, lifted from the tray held by the small maid a tea bowl that had been prepared in advance and handed it to Yang Shi.

Yang Shi felt a vague unease, but Nanny Song had already passed her the tea bowl, and there was no time to think. She took it, lowered her head and her eyes, and raised the tea bowl above her head.

Xu Lingyi then glanced at Wen Yiniang, who stood beside the grand chair.

Wen Yiniang felt as though she had been tossed into a raging sea, then cast onto a bed of scorching coals — she stood there, frozen to the spot.

He expected her to receive the tea!

She was a concubine!

Xu Lingyi looked at her again, his gaze carrying the cutting edge of cold steel.

Like a bucket of cold water poured over her in the deep of winter, Wen Yiniang shuddered and came to her senses.

She drew a deep breath and forced her face into a bright, cheerful smile as she stepped forward to accept the tea bowl from Yang Shi’s hands.

“Elder Sister Yang,” said Wen Yiniang, her voice respectful yet carrying a note of familiarity, “our Mistress is still in mourning.”

None of the people in this room could afford to be offended, so she had used an honorific form of address.

Xu Lingyi watched, and a faint flicker of satisfaction passed through his eyes. He rose. “Very well. Prince Shun and the others are still outside. You all take good care of Yang Shi — I will return presently.” And with that, he strode out of the main hall.

The room fell into a heavy silence.

“Quickly, quickly — help the new person inside.” Recalling the cold look in Xu Lingyi’s eyes just moments ago, Wen Yiniang hastily arranged her face into a lively smile. “If the Marquis comes back and finds fault, I shall be the one to suffer for it!”

Nanny Du stepped forward with a smile and supported Yang Shi by the arm.

Wen Yiniang took the opportunity to pass the tea bowl to Lvyun, who stood nearby. She then pointed out Nanny Du to Yang Shi. “Elder Sister Yang, this is Nanny Du, who has served our Dowager Lady for over forty years. Even our Marquis, when he sees her, addresses her respectfully as ‘Nanny.'”

Yang Shi obediently called out, “Nanny Du.”

Nanny Du smiled and gave Wen Yiniang a light tap. “Don’t listen to her nonsense. When the masters call a servant by name, it is to honor the Dowager Lady — what credit does that reflect on me? I have no merit in it at all.” Then she smiled and gestured toward Nanny Song. “This is Nanny Song, the most capable person at the Mistress’s side. You will deal with her often from now on.”

Yang Shi immediately called out with deference, “Nanny Song.”

Nanny Song smiled and waved her hand. “I dare not accept such a greeting, I dare not.”

“Enough of this, enough — why talk of all this now!” Wen Yiniang, seeing that, took Yang Shi’s other arm with warm familiarity and spoke to her with concern. “You have been busy all day — while the Marquis has gone to offer toasts, rest a little. There will be time enough to talk of other things. The days ahead are long.”

Yang Shi observed that Wen Yiniang wore a kingfisher-stone-set emerald hairpiece, cat’s-eye stone drop earrings, and a gold-ground embroidered silk jacket, with gold-thread-embroidered shoes on her feet. Small and delicate, all smiles and warm words — she did not dress like a managing matron, yet was too finely arrayed for a concubine; she had just now received the tea cup meant for the mistress of the house, yet her manner was not that of a guest. Yang Shi could not determine who she was, and glanced inquiringly at Nanny Song. She ventured, “And this lady is…”

“How careless of me — I have been doing all the talking.” Nanny Song smiled and made the introduction. “This is one of the Yiniangsin our household. Her family name is Wen.”

Yang Shi called out “Elder Sister” and curtsied to Wen Yiniang.

Wen Yiniang held her arm and would not let go. “No, no, no — you are a gift from the Empress Dowager herself. Your person is of noble standing. How could I let you bow to me.”

Nanny Du meanwhile quietly released her own hold on Yang Shi’s arm.

Yang Shi managed a curtsy with effort. “Elder Sister speaks too modestly. Since we have entered the same gate, we are one family. What came before is past; what is now, is now. Elder Sister entered before me, and it is only right that I should show deference…”

“Oh, Elder Sister Yang has such a way with words!” All the while chatting, she guided Yang Shi out toward the eastern small courtyard.

“Please call me younger sister…” Yang Shi went on talking with Wen Yiniang as they walked, their voices growing fainter.

The maids and matrons who attended Wen Yiniang immediately followed after, surrounding both Wen Yiniang and Yang Shi as they made their way toward the eastern small courtyard.

Nanny Du and Nanny Song exchanged a glance.

The room quickly fell silent.

Lvyun came forward helplessly, cradling the tea bowl. “Nanny Song — what about this tea…”

Nanny Song hesitated briefly. Nanny Du had already spoken. “Since it has gone cold, pour it away.”

Lvyun stared at the tea, which was still faintly steaming. Confusion filled her face.

Nanny Song understood with sudden clarity.

Nanny Du looked up with a faint nod and a smile. “Now that the new person has entered the house and the hour is late, I will take my leave of the Mistress and head back. I must be up early tomorrow to attend the Dowager Lady.”

“Since that is the case, I dare not keep you.” Nanny Song said, and personally went to lift the door curtain. “When you have some leisure, do come and sit with us again!”

Nanny Du smiled in acknowledgment, lowered her head, and went into the inner chamber.

“Madam,” she curtseyed to Shiyiniang, “the new person has offered tea, and the Marquis has gone to the outer courtyard to receive his guests. I do not know if you have any further instructions.”

Shiyiniang had been sitting in the inner chamber. She had been able to catch faint sounds of the goings-on outside, and was full of puzzlement. She had not expected Nanny Du to come and take her leave.

When a new concubine alighted from the sedan, someone had to be there to support her — Shiyiniang had originally intended to ask Nanny Shi, who attended the Fifth Mistress, but as Xin Jie’er had taken ill just then, she had changed her request and asked Nanny Du instead.

Not knowing the details, there were things she could not properly ask about. She smiled and thanked Nanny Du, then had Hupo bring out the prepared gifts of thanks.

Two bolts of embroidered silk, two of fine hemp gauze, two of Lu-region silk, two of white satin — all of superior quality.

“Please do not refuse, Nanny — take it as a share of our Marquis’s good fortune.”

Nanny Du accepted without demurral, gave her thanks, and took her leave.

Shiyiniang’s expression turned sober. “What exactly happened?”

But on Nanny Song’s face there was a smile she could not suppress. “The Marquis did not have the new person offer tea to you!”

Did not offer tea?

What did that mean?

Shiyiniang stared at Nanny Song in astonishment.

“A concubine who enters the house without offering tea to the primary mistress has not completed the rite of acceptance.” Nanny Song said with a smile. “If the rite has not been completed, how can she be counted as the Marquis’s concubine?”