Eleventh Miss followed behind Fifth Miss, trailing along with the Madam Dowager as the group made their way northward, until she spotted a plum grove beyond the hill. But the plum blossoms had already faded, leaving only green shade.

The Madam Dowager pointed and said with a smile: “That is Xiangyu Lodge. A couple of months earlier, one could admire the plum blossoms.”

A few steps further on, a half-slope of winter jasmine came into view.

Cluster upon cluster, the vines glowed deep green as jade and brilliant as beaten gold leaf, dotted and starred all the way to the very end of the slope.

“How beautiful,” Fifth Miss murmured softly beside her.

Eleventh Miss gave a quiet sound of agreement.

It was not that she had never seen winter jasmine — the Luo Family’s home in Yuhang had ten or so bushes. But this — spreading across hill and slope without end — was no longer merely beautiful. It was splendid.

The Madam Dowager took Second Madam’s arm and walked forward — beside the slope stood an octagonal black-lacquered pavilion, its lintel inscribed with two gilded characters: “Chunyan.”

“Come sit in the pavilion and have some tea!” Third Madam called to those behind.

Everyone followed and entered the Spring Yan Pavilion. Women servants spread large crimson cloud-and-dragon longevity-pattern brocade cushions on the railing seats. Everyone spread out and sat. Maids served cups of white tea, its liquor a clear yellow-green.

After a long walk, a cup of this lightly flavored, lingering tea made one feel refreshed from head to toe.

Eleventh Miss held her tea and looked about for Hupo in the crowd — she could not see her, nor the one called Qiuling.

A faint smile crossed her lips.

Sipping their tea, they fell into pleasant conversation. Fifth Miss quietly pointed toward the half-crescent shape of a lake visible in the distance opposite the pavilion, and the three-bay thatched cottage beside its bank: “Could that be ‘Banyue Pan’?”

“Quite possibly,” Eleventh Miss replied with a smile. Then she glanced up and saw the Sixth Young Miss of the Qiao family sitting opposite — ears tilted, listening intently…

She gave a faint smile.

It seemed that interest in Xu Lingyi was not Lady Qiao’s alone!

When everyone had rested, the Madam Dowager led them on another tour of the garden. There was a Water Angling Pavilion open on four sides with a rolled awning where one could fish; a Li Jing Pavilion planted with pear, peach, apricot, and tung trees; a Zhaozhang Hall filled throughout with begonia; a Nonxiang Courtyard with earthen-clay walls; a Liufang Landing where one could go boating. Finally, along the stone-slab stairway up the back hill, they reached Linqiong Mountain Villa, taking in all the scenic views of the Xu family’s back garden at a glance. Then descending the hill, small blue-curtained oil carriages were already waiting at the foot of the mountain at Jufang Pavilion. Everyone boarded and rode back to the flower hall, where dinner had already been laid.

After dinner, the group went to the Madam Dowager’s quarters.

Zhun Ge and Mao Ge had had a wonderful time. The two held hands and would not let go for even a moment; Zhen Jie’er stood to one side watching, her hand covering her smile.

Everyone sat for a while, exchanging a few words with the children. Madam then rose and took her leave.

The Madam Dowager kept Madam: “Do come and sit with us again in a few days!”

Madam smiled and agreed. She brought Madam Luo, Fifth Miss, Eleventh Miss, Wen Yiniang, Mao Ge, Zhun Ge, and the others to Yuan Niang’s quarters. Lady Qiao, the Sixth Young Miss of the Qiao family, Second Madam, and Third Madam remained in the Madam Dowager’s rooms; Zhen Jie’er was accompanied by her wet nurse and maids to the warm room off the Madam Dowager’s bedchamber.

Eleventh Miss could not help stealing an extra glance.

Wen Yiniang explained from beside her: “She has been with the Madam Dowager since she was small…” Her expression carried a trace of pride and a trace of sorrow.

Zhun Ge, upon seeing his mother, immediately came toddling forward at a run.

Yuan Niang’s smile was full of indulgent love: “Gently, gently — do not bump into anything.”

Zhun Ge’s movements immediately became lighter. With his nimble tongue, he told his mother all about what had happened at the Madam Dowager’s today: “…I ate pine pollen cakes, and Elder Sister even took her handkerchief to wipe my mouth. Elder Sister Weizi took us to see the koi fish. Mao Ge wanted to jump into the pond to catch the fish, and Elder Sister pulled him back…”

Yuan Niang listened attentively to Zhun Ge’s account without a trace of impatience.

When Zhun Ge had finished, Madam went on at length urging Yuan Niang not to overexert herself, and to send word if there was anything while she was in Yanjing. Then she rose to take her leave.

Seeing them about to go, Zhun Ge gazed longingly at Mao Ge: “When are you coming again?”

Madam Luo let out a soft sigh.

But Madam wore a gratified smile: “After all, they are cousins on the maternal side — even if the bone breaks, the tendon holds. They have only met a few times, yet they are already like real brothers.” She patted Zhun Ge’s head. “In a couple of days, Grandmother will come to see you!”

Unlike the first time, when he had been distant, Zhun Ge did not shrink from Madam’s hand. He stood still and let her ruffle his hair, then obediently nodded.

Wen Yiniang fawned eagerly and tried to see Madam off, but was stopped by Yuan Niang: “Let Tao Mama see them out. You stay and keep me company for a while.”

She respectfully answered “yes,” and Madam took no issue with it. With Tao Mama accompanying them, they departed from the Xu residence.

…

Returning to Gongxian Hutong, Nanny Hang was already waiting at the inner gate: “Madam, you are back!”

After a day of wandering through the garden, Madam was somewhat weary. She gave a faint nod. Nanny Hang then said: “Second Master and Third Master have come — they are in the study with the Master.”

Madam paused slightly.

Nanny Hang smiled: “You had barely left when Second Master and Third Master arrived, one right after the other. They have been in the study all afternoon and have not come out yet!”

“I understand.” Madam replied in a measured tone, and walked quickly through the inner gate.

The others followed behind. They saw Madam walking at a brisk pace toward the Master’s study.

Madam Luo and Nanny Hang exchanged a glance, then smiled at Fifth Miss and Eleventh Miss: “Everyone has been tired today — rest well!”

The two curtsied and each returned to their own rooms.

While changing clothes, Hupo seemed on the verge of saying something but held back.

Eleventh Miss steadied herself, finished washing up, then sat down on the large kang bed by the window. She picked up the clear tea Dongqing had poured and took a sip, then finally asked Hupo, who had been standing at the side of the kang: “Well? What news?”

Hupo glanced at Dongqing.

“We share a room,” Eleventh Miss said with a smile. “There is nothing to hide. Besides, while no one speaks of it aloud, everyone understands what is going on.”

Dongqing promptly stopped what she had been tidying and smiled: “Miss, I will go to the kitchen and check whether the plain congee you asked for has been prepared yet.”

“Stay and listen,” Eleventh Miss said, smiling and patting the edge of the kang. “Two fists are no match for four hands — you can help think of something too!”

Dongqing replied with a respectful “yes” and stood beside Hupo.

Hupo thought for a moment, then chose her words carefully and relayed to Eleventh Miss the information she had gathered from Qiuling: “…The Wang family has long been all outward show with nothing substantial inside. Beyond their stipend and two estates in Xinzhou left by their ancestors, their only income is from a rice shop at the East Gate.”

Eleventh Miss gave a slight nod.

Wealth does not last three generations. For a century-old great family, to have managed this much was already no small feat.

“Duke Maoguo has only one daughter and one son. The daughter married into the Jiang family of Le’an; the son is Young Master Wang Lang.” Hupo continued in a measured voice. “This Young Master Wang was born when the Duke was already in his later years — he is exceedingly doted upon, and because of this…” She paused. “He is said to have a very violent temper… Two years ago, he beat someone to death…”

Eleventh Miss was mildly taken aback.

In a flash, like a spark struck from flint, she suddenly froze.

Taken aback — why should she feel taken aback? Perhaps, deep in her heart, she had been hoping for someone to come and lead her out of her predicament… and Wang Lang had conveniently appeared!

A cold sweat soaked through her at that realization.

Had she been longing so long that even the smallest glimmer of hope had been magnified beyond all measure in her mind, causing her to ignore the unease in her heart?

Hupo, seeing Eleventh Miss lower her head in deep thought, fell silent as well.

For a time, the room sank into stillness.

After a long while, Eleventh Miss let out a long, slow breath.

A resolute composure gradually settled over her expression: “Besides saying that Young Master Wang once beat someone to death, was there anything else?”

Hupo shook her head: “In the past, the Xu family’s Fifth Master and Young Master Wang used to play together. After this incident, the Madam Dowager laid down the rule that the Xu family’s Fifth Master was forbidden from associating with Young Master Wang any further. She even said that if Fifth Master dared to be seen with Young Master Wang again, she would have the Marquis send Fifth Master to guard the border in Gansu — and not expect to see Yanjing’s city walls again for ten or twenty years!”

Eleventh Miss was somewhat startled.

The Madam Dowager’s reaction had been that severe…

The thought flashed past, and she had already asked: “Who was it that married into the Wang family’s eldest daughter?”

“She married Jiang Gui, the sixth son of Jiang Jie,” Hupo said, conveying all she had heard. “Jiang Gui comes from the examination path — he currently serves as a prefect in Taiyuan. He has a full brother, Jiang Bai, who holds the position of Examining Hanlin Scholar, currently serving as the director of the Hanlin Academy. He has another full brother named Jiang Song, who achieved the top examination rank in the forty-sixth year of Jianwu. After serving three years in the Hanlin Academy as a revision official, he resigned and returned to his hometown of Le’an, where he opened a school called ‘Jinxi’ specifically to take in underprivileged children for their education. Jiang Jie’s grandfather was an imperial tutor to the late Emperor — it is said that it was on this account that he rose to become First Minister. His great-great-grandfather was an imperial tutor to Emperor Jingzong.”

A top examination passer who returned to his village to teach impoverished children…

The Luo Family, though also an official and scholarly family with a tradition of poetry and letters, seemed, by comparison, to lack that quality of lofty, unworldly refinement — clear as wind, bright as moonlight!

Something stirred in Eleventh Miss’s heart: “Hupo, make sure you heard correctly — Jiang Song achieved the top rank in the forty-sixth year of Jianwu?”

Hupo quickly said: “I asked Qiuling specifically. You asked with such precision. Qiuling said it was that year because she was born the very year the top examination passer rode through the streets in honor — her mother often spoke of it.”

“The forty-sixth year of Jianwu,” Eleventh Miss murmured quietly. “Second Uncle also passed his provincial examinations that same year… So they would have sat the examinations together…”

Hupo had not known this and stood in silence.

A person’s actions always have a purpose.

What was Yuan Niang’s purpose?

What connection lay between all of this?

Eleventh Miss settled softly back against the autumn-gold plain brocade bolster pillow behind her.

It was like a word-filling puzzle — if one could fill in the right answers, the solution would reveal itself.

But what was the missing link?

Something swept through her mind — she grasped at it, and missed it…

A fallen Wang family. A celebrated and distinguished Jiang family.

Like a sudden flash of enlightenment, she sat upright abruptly: “Hupo — when Young Master Wang beat someone to death, who was it that settled the matter?”

Hupo said: “It was the Xu family’s Fifth Master!”

“The Xu family’s Fifth Master?” Eleventh Miss’s gaze flashed. “Xu Lingkuan!”

“Qiuling said it was Fifth Master who stepped in to manage it,” Hupo hurried to explain. “Because of this, the Marquis docked Fifth Master’s monthly allowance for an entire year. He scraped by entirely on Third Master’s secret support.”

“And the Jiang family?” Eleventh Miss’s expression grew somewhat grave. “As in-laws, what was the Jiang family doing at a time like that?”