Collecting that little money could only mean she intended to do that little work. The last time, she had performed a ceremony for the Second Young Master — a blessing ceremony, nothing more — and Jining had taken thirty taels of silver. This time, Qin Yiniang was asking Jining to help her curse the petty villains standing in her way, and she wanted only five taels. It was perfectly obvious that she had no intention of helping her with this matter.
It seemed there was no choice but to look for other means.
Qin Yiniang was burning with anger, but held herself back and did not let it show.
Jining was the abbess of Ci Yuan Temple. Her comings and goings were mostly among the wives of the most eminent ministers and nobles, and the reason she was received here at all was only because Qin Yiniang had produced the first son of Marquis Yongping’s estate.
She turned and told Cui’er to bring five taels of silver for Jining: “Then please perform that ceremony for me.” But her smile had grown somewhat strained.
Jining gave a quiet inward smile, took the silver, exchanged a few pleasantries with Qin Yiniang, and rose to take her leave and go directly to Eleventh Miss’s quarters.
“…She says that things have been feeling ill and out of sorts lately, and wants me to perform a ceremony for her.” She sat down and at once explained herself to Eleventh Miss with a smile.
It was well-known that she and the families of Jianning Marquis and Shouchang Earl were closely associated, and there was nothing she could do about it — the two madams often invited her to call and she could hardly refuse. Moreover, the Empress Dowager was still young and might well outlive even her. She had decided that the future was for the future to worry about and had not paid it too much mind. But since the previous winter, when the Empress Dowager had fallen ill and taken to her bed, she had begun to quietly reconsider her position. The problem was that though the Dowager Marchioness was devout, she was not like the families of Jianning Marquis and Shouchang Earl, who had to consult her on every matter large and small; and Eleventh Miss had always received her with perfect courtesy, but beneath it lay a certain coolness — she could not tell whether Eleventh Miss had another mentor she placed her faith in, or simply had little trust in her. And Fifth Madam, who had formerly been her closest connection to this household, had become somewhat less close since a practising medicine woman had joined Xin Jie’er’s retinue. Gradually, she felt herself drifting further and further from the people of the Xu household. At New Year, she made a point of calling personally on all the great houses with yellow ritual papers, auspicious charms, and the like, and using the visit to collect the incense donations for the coming year. Though she felt somewhat uneasy, she had not yet grown too anxious. Then, quite unexpectedly: first, someone from the Xu household came to her on their own initiative to request luck-bringing charms and to send the incense donation; and then, Jianning Marquis and Shouchang Earl both sent people to escort her to their homes to perform ceremonies. It was then that she had learned something of what was happening… The more Jining thought about it, the more alarmed she felt. She wanted nothing more than to extricate herself, but for the moment dared not be too obvious about it, and had been hoping for some pretext to see Eleventh Miss. Yet she had managed to see the Dowager Marchioness, Fifth Madam, and even Second Madam, and still had not been received by Eleventh Miss. She was growing anxious, and then she heard that Qin Yiniang wished to see her — and was immediately delighted. She changed her clothes and followed the messenger directly here.
Eleventh Miss did not pay it too much mind. For one thing, she believed that someone who had built Ci Yuan Temple to its current stature could not possibly be a foolish person, and that Qin Yiniang’s attempts to persuade her to take dangerous actions would not be easily accomplished. For another, the Yang family had agreed to the Emperor’s suggestion to send two carefully groomed daughters into Princess Fucheng’s household and Marquis Yongping’s estate respectively — there was certainly intent behind that. And Jining had always been close to the Yang family, so she wanted to know whether Jining had come to play some role in all of this.
Jining had walked out of Qin Yiniang’s rooms and come straight to explain herself. What she did not know was whether, in a moment, Jining would find a pretext to go to Yang Shi’s rooms.
Turning this over in her mind, Eleventh Miss smiled: “Then we shall be grateful to Reverend Jining for her trouble. Qin Yiniang has no other particular habits — her great pleasure is in offering her devotions.”
Jining had wanted nothing more than to draw closer to the Madam of Marquis Yongping’s estate, yet she had no wish to become entangled in the disputes of the inner quarters.
She exchanged a few pleasantries with Eleventh Miss, admired the decorations on the windowsill, and then spoke of the Buddha’s birthday on the eighth day of the fourth month: “…The Dowager Marchioness goes every year to the Yaowang Temple — that has always been for the sake of the Second Master, who departed early. Now that the Marquis is at leisure at home, the Dowager Marchioness ought to go and light incense for him too. Only, our temple is dedicated to Guanyin Bodhisattva — otherwise, I would certainly be inviting the Dowager Marchioness to come and worship with us.”
She did not directly promote Ci Yuan Temple, presenting herself instead as someone who had only the Xu family’s wellbeing at heart. Eleventh Miss silently approved of her once again.
—
The spring sunlight fell warm and bright upon the ridges of the roofs in the first courtyard of the east small compound of Marquis Yongping’s estate. In the shadow of the eaves, Nanny Yang was bent down speaking to a young maidservant of about seven or eight years of age. She smiled pleasantly and nodded, rewarded the girl with a few copper coins, then turned and lifted the door curtain to step swiftly inside.
Yang Shi was seated on the broad heated platform by the inner window, stitching a shoe sole.
“Little — ahem, Yiniang,” she corrected herself in haste, “I just heard that Qin Yiniang has summoned Reverend Jining of Ci Yuan Temple here. She has just left Qin Yiniang’s courtyard and gone to the Madam’s rooms.” Having said this, she gave Yang Shi a glance full of concealed anxiety.
Yang Shi heard this and did not even look up: “Is that so?” Her tone was perfectly casual, but the movements of her stitching had grown slightly more rapid than before.
Nanny Yang saw that the young maidservant who had been standing in the corner of the room was still present, and immediately understood. She first went herself to pour Yang Shi a cup of tea, and only then told the girl: “Go and see whether the meal in the kitchen is ready yet.”
The young maidservant answered and went off. Only then did Yang Shi look up, her face showing something urgent: “Nanny must on no account go to see Reverend Jining.” She dropped her voice until it was barely above a breath. “If Uncle has anything to communicate, he will find a way to get word to me. But we must on no account act on our own initiative to contact anyone, or send word back to the Yang family. You must understand that every person in this vicinity belongs to the Xu household. We must give no one any grounds to use against us.”
Nanny Yang hesitated: “But the Marquis…”
“The Marquis does not come to my rooms — am I then to go to Uncle and complain about it? I imagine people would only laugh and say I had no skill. And even if the Marquis came out of deference to Uncle’s face and forced himself here, would that make me able to bear him a son? Even if I were lucky enough to bear a son, could I guarantee that he would grow up safely? Since a moment of favour cannot secure a lifetime, what good does it do for him to come at all?”
“But the people of the household…”
“Let them say what they like!” Yang Shi waved her hand with an air of unconcern, though a cold gleam flickered in the depths of her eyes and was gone in an instant. “Those who have the right to be angry and aggrieved have always been the victors.”
Nanny Yang said nothing.
Yang Shi then reached sideways into the rattan sewing basket beside her and drew out a band of embroidery about a foot long, decorated with butterflies, peach blossoms, and flowering plum: “Nanny, will you hem the edge of this for me?”
Nanny Yang took it, sat on a small stool beside the platform, worked a few stitches, and said quietly: “Yiniang, you spend your time stitching border trim for Wen Yiniang, when you might better spend it calling on the Madam more often, or making her a skirt with border trim. It would serve you better than spending your efforts on a yiniang who is out of favour. If you are truly worried that the Madam might not notice what you are doing—” she put down her needle and thread and looked at Yang Shi. “The fourth-and-twentieth day of the fourth month is the Dowager Marchioness’s birthday, and I have heard that in years past, the Madam personally makes shoes and clothing for the Dowager Marchioness as a gift. Yiniang, if you were attentive and obliging to the Madam, perhaps she might even entrust some of this needlework to you.”
“Nanny’s reasoning is quite wrong,” said Yang Shi, her eyes on the needle and thread in her hands. “Since the Madam has placed me in Wen Yiniang’s charge, I should treat Wen Yiniang as I would the Madam herself — making shoes, stitching socks, pouring tea and serving at table — this is only proper conduct. How could I bypass Wen Yiniang to pay attentions to the Madam? Not only would that make Wen Yiniang feel ill at ease, but the Madam would think me altogether too eager and pushing. As for the needlework for the Dowager Marchioness’s birthday — there are so many people in the needlework rooms, and all the great embroidery houses of Yanjing, and the embroiderers selected from every corner of the land for the palace needlework bureau. Is there really not one among them who can match the Madam? When all is said and done, it is only a daughter-in-law’s way of showing her filial love — even if the Madam embroiders only a single leaf, it is more precious than anything I might embroider. These remarks that show no sense of rank and station — do not say such things again.” She also instructed Nanny Yang: “Get this skirt finished quickly. When Wen Yiniang can wear it to pay her respects to the Madam, that will be credit to me.”
Nanny Yang gave a quiet inward sigh and bent her head to hem the skirt border.
—
Wen Yiniang looked with a beaming smile at Qiao Lianfang, who was clicking her tongue in admiration over a peach-flower-coloured porcelain teapot with a looped handle that Xu Lingyi had presented as a gift: “Come and sit down for some tea, Little Sister.”
Qiao Lianfang smiled and agreed, and the two of them sat together on either side of the heated platform by the window.
Qiu Hong brought tea and refreshments.
The two chatted for a few moments about nothing in particular, and then Wen Yiniang smiled: “What brings Little Sister to see me today?”
Qiao Lianfang smiled: “I only recently discovered that the pink courtyard where you were living before has been renovated into the Second Young Master’s old rooms. So I came today especially to see for myself.” She then had Embroidery Tangerine present a landscape painting she herself had done as a housewarming gift, and looked around at Wen Yiniang’s rooms: “After the renovations, this is even better than your old courtyard.”
Wen Yiniang had Qiu Hong accept the painting, and smiled: “It was entirely the Madam’s idea. By my temperament, it would be the same to me wherever I lived.”
“That is why everyone says Elder Sister is a broad-minded person,” said Qiao Lianfang, nodding in agreement. “The Madam entrusted Yang Yiniang to Elder Sister’s guidance on account of it.”
“Little Sister flatters me.” Wen Yiniang did not pursue this conversation with Qiao Lianfang, but enthusiastically pressed her to try the refreshments: “This is chrysanthemum pastry, and this is osmanthus cake…” introducing each one and saying not a word about household matters.
After a few exchanges, Qiao Lianfang brought up Yang Yiniang: “…I hear she comes to invite Elder Sister to join her for morning and evening greetings to the Madam each day?”
Wen Yiniang answered calmly: “Since the Madam has placed her in my charge, there are certain rules I must teach her. Otherwise, if she makes a misstep in courtesy, it will also reflect poorly on me before the Madam.”
Qiao Lianfang covered her mouth with a smile: “If she makes a misstep in courtesy, that is her own poor aptitude — how could it be laid at Elder Sister’s door? Just think of all the young maidservants and senior matrons Elder Sister has around her — and yet only Qiu Hong has turned out truly able and thoughtful. Does that mean Elder Sister has not given proper guidance to all the others? Of course it is simply that those others lacked the right aptitude. The Madam certainly understands this in her heart. Otherwise, why entrust Yang Shi to Elder Sister’s management — when Yang Shi was presented by the Empress Dowager herself?” She finished speaking, then leaned forward and lowered her voice: “Elder Sister, no matter how strict the rules are in our household, could they really be stricter than those of the palace? The Madam’s action in this carries a great deal of meaning. There are some things where Elder Sister ought to spare the Madam some of her burdens. The Madam has always been remarkable in how she treats our First Young Miss — there is nothing to be said against it. Even if Elder Sister were not to do it for the Madam’s sake, you should still do it for the First Young Miss. Now that the person has entered the household, is the Marquis going to have her carried out again in a small sedan chair? Even if the Madam wishes to light three fires, she needs fuel to burn!”
Every word between the lines hinted that Eleventh Miss had entrusted Yang Shi to Wen Yiniang with the intention of using Wen Yiniang’s hand to deal with Yang Shi.
—