The group entered the flower hall. Directly ahead stood several black-lacquered square tables, upon which sweet-white porcelain dishes held fragrant citrus fruits, pineapples, and other offerings. In the corners, tall stands were arranged with fresh flowers and potted landscapes, and the bright octagonal glass lanterns cast a soft, luminous glow on the smooth polished tiles below.

The Dowager Madam wore a lilac cut-silk jacket patterned with gourd motifs, and sat smiling on a black-lacquered luohan daybed in the west open chamber, its back carved with an endless knot design. Beside her, several magnificently dressed women adorned with jade and jewels were surrounded by a large group of ladies in red and green, chatting and laughing in a lively circle. Seven or eight maids in blue jackets moved busily about — pouring tea, refilling sunflower seeds and refreshments, changing out the dishes — filling the room with a festive and joyous atmosphere.

Seeing the First Madam, the Dowager Madam rose and came to meet her.

The women all rose as well and followed behind the Dowager Madam.

Eleventh Miss caught sight of Madam Qiao and, standing close beside her, Sixth Miss Qiao, Qiao Lianfang.

Qiao Lianfang had also spotted Eleventh Miss.

She was wearing the same understated, simply dressed appearance as always — a face as fine and pale as porcelain, a delicate pointed chin, wide almond-shaped eyes, arching dark brows. And yet somehow, when Qiao Lianfang’s gaze rested on her, the quiet girl who had always followed silently at everyone’s heels seemed suddenly, inexplicably unfamiliar.

She gave a small start.

Gone from her brow was that air of timidity and meekness; gone from her manner was the awkward restraint and self-consciousness. In their place was a calm gaze, a serene smile, an assured bearing — a quality that suffused her entire person with a settled, unhurried composure.

Surprise swept through Qiao Lianfang’s eyes in a flash.

What had happened?

She had no time to think further, for her attention was drawn away by a girl standing at Eleventh Miss’s side, dressed in a crimson skirt.

The girl was no more than fifteen or sixteen, slender and curvaceous, her skin like new snow, her brows like distant hills, her jet-black hair coiled into a high chignon with two matched gold-and-lapis-lazuli bead ornaments inserted side by side on a slant.

Though she was an uncommonly beautiful woman, she could not quite be called peerless under heaven.

Yet standing behind the First Madam with her spine held perfectly straight, her chin tilted slightly upward, and a pride in her gaze that ordinary women dared not show, she stood out among the room full of demure, eyes-downcast female guests like a crane among chickens — eye-catching and brilliant, radiating a luminous presence.

Qiao Lianfang drew a sharp breath.

Who was this woman?

Did she not know that a woman’s virtue lies in propriety and deference? Even the Fifth Mistress of the Xu Family, Danyang County Princess, would not dare carry herself so. Or could she be some princess of a royal commandery?

As she was still wondering, the Dowager Madam had already taken the First Madam’s hand. “Why have you only come now? We have been waiting for you to begin!”

The First Madam made her apologies.

The Dowager Madam then caught sight of Tenth Miss standing behind her, and admiration shone in her eyes. “And this is…”

Tenth Miss stepped forward with easy grace and paid her respects to the Dowager Madam. “Luo Tenth Miss pays her respects to the Dowager Madam. Wishing you abundant blessings and all things according to your wishes.”

The Dowager Madam nodded with a warm smile and looked at the First Madam. “You are truly blessed.” She then asked Tenth Miss, “Why didn’t you come along with your mother the last time?”

Tenth Miss glanced at the First Madam and smiled. “Elder Sister was unwell. I made a vow to fast for eighty-one days and copy a blood sutra in supplication. I only completed it two days ago. Mother has brought me today to pay my respects to the Dowager Madam.”

“That must have been difficult for you!” The Dowager Madam patted Tenth Miss’s hand. Beside them, someone smiled. “It is thanks to the First Madam’s guidance — how harmonious and affectionate these sisters are.”

“You flatter me.” The First Madam smiled modestly.

The Dowager Madam then made introductions. “This is Madam Lin of the Weibei Marquis’s residence…”

Madam Lin was around fifty, her face round as the moon, and she had an air of great amiability.

The First Madam stepped forward and paid her respects. Madam Lin returned the courtesy.

The Dowager Madam went on to introduce the others.

“This is Madam Tang of the Zhongshan Marquis’s residence…”

A tall, slender woman, who also appeared to be around fifty.

“This is Madam Gan of the Zhongqin Earl’s residence…”

The Zhongqin Earl — surnamed Gan — the family of the Xu’s Third Mistress?

Eleventh Miss could not help casting a glance at Madam Gan.

She was a handsome woman of around thirty, wearing a sapphire-blue jacket patterned with vase motifs, with a very refined air.

“This is Madam Huang of the Yongchang Marquis’s residence…”

A woman of similar age to the Dowager Madam.

The Dowager Madam said last of all, “Dowager Matriarch Zheng and Madam Qiao you have already met — no need to say more.”

The First Madam smiled and paid her respects to Dowager Matriarch Zheng and Madam Qiao, then introduced Fifth Miss, Tenth Miss, and Eleventh Miss to the assembled ladies. The various ladies in turn introduced those they had brought with them.

The room filled with the lively chatter and tinkling of pendants and ornaments.

Eleventh Miss made a quiet count: aside from the several madams, the Lin Family had brought the First Young Mistress, the Third Young Mistress, and a Fifth Miss; the Tang Family had brought a Fourth Young Mistress and a Third Miss; the Huang Family had brought a Third Young Mistress; the Gan Family had brought a Second Young Mistress, a Third Miss, and a Seventh Miss; plus Qiao Lianfang… and counting her own group, a total of thirteen women — and of the unmarried young ladies, there were eight!

The Gan Family had brought two young misses… all of them young and fair. Especially the Lin Family’s Fifth Miss, dressed in a moon-white skirt, her bearing graceful and her beauty quietly refined — like a celestial figure stepped down from a painting. Matched alongside Fifth Miss’s vivid brilliance, Tenth Miss’s radiant charm, and Qiao Lianfang’s gentle loveliness, she shone as a rival to them all, prompting Madam Huang of the Yongchang Marquis’s residence, the only one who had not brought a young lady, to exclaim to the Dowager Madam admiringly, “What a pity the Second Mistress isn’t here. If she were, we’d have a portrait of all these beauties — truly an occasion worth commemorating.”

“Today we are watching an opera.” The Dowager Madam laughed warmly. “She is a person who prefers quiet.”

Just as everyone was talking, a woman in a spring-green brocade jacket burst in.

“Mother, you mustn’t blame me for being late.” She pouted playfully at the Dowager Madam. “I was helping Fifth Uncle move the lotus lanterns.”

The Dowager Madam tapped her on the forehead. “What business do you have, a woman, running about with him?” Her tone held no reproach at all, only indulgence. “Don’t do it again.”

“All right!” The woman answered loudly, her large eyes curving into crescents with her smile.

“Now go greet the ladies!” The Dowager Madam laughed and urged her on.

“Yes!” She agreed readily, and went one by one to pay her respects to each of the ladies.

All the ladies looked at her with smiling eyes and addressed her as “Danyang County Princess.”

So this was the Fifth Mistress of the Xu Family — the daughter of Dingnán Marquis Sun Kang, surnamed Sun!

Eleventh Miss studied her carefully.

She appeared to be no more than seventeen or eighteen, not tall, very slender, with pleasant, delicate features, and remarkably fine skin — fair as frost defied, soft as congealed fat. When she smiled, she had the sweet, natural warmth of the girl next door, with a deep dimple in her left cheek — enormously likeable.

When she came to bow to the First Madam, she looked at Fifth Miss and Tenth Miss, and her eyes suddenly lit up. She smiled and said, “You must be Fifth Miss and Eleventh Miss! Last time I was back at my parents’ home and didn’t get to meet you — this time we must have a good chat!”

Fifth Miss smiled and returned the courtesy. Tenth Miss, however, smiled and said, “I am Tenth Miss.” She then pointed to Eleventh Miss beside her. “This is Eleventh Miss.”

Eleventh Miss smiled and paid her respects to the Fifth Mistress.

The Fifth Mistress, seeing her so young and yet so composed and gracious, could not help but look at her with surprise. But before she could say anything, the Lin Family’s young miss had already smiled and called out to her, “Cousin!”

“Mingyuan.” The Fifth Mistress smiled. “How did you come as well? Today is an opera performance!”

Who would have thought Lin Miss and the Fifth Mistress were cousins?

So it was true that the noble families of Yanjing were intricately connected.

Eleventh Miss quietly observed her surroundings.

“But today is the Third Day of the Third Month.” Lin Miss covered her smile with her hand, her manner elegant.

“Right!” The Fifth Mistress smiled. “Surely you can’t stay home all three hundred and sixty-five days reading, writing, painting, and composing verse.” She added, “How about this — when we’re done here, let’s go to Taichi Pond and play. It’s windy today — perfect for kite-flying.”

“Nonsense again.” The Dowager Madam scolded her with a smile. “You may only play in the garden — you are not allowed to go out.”

The Fifth Mistress giggled and took the Dowager Madam’s hand. “Then shall we fly kites in the garden later?”

“This little monkey — truly cannot sit still for even a moment.”

“Well, that’s why her surname is Sun!” Madam Huang quipped from the side.

Everyone laughed along.

The Gan Family’s Seventh Miss, who was about the same age as Tenth Miss, whispered to her elder sister, “No wonder everyone says Danyang County Princess is such fun — we can go fly kites later!” Her voice carried a faint thrill of excitement.

Her elder sister frowned, looking troubled. “After all, we are guests in someone else’s home… If you really want to fly kites, go home and I’ll let you fly them to your heart’s content.”

The younger sister gave a vague “Mmm,” her eyes trailing after the Fifth Mistress the entire time.

Eleventh Miss, standing beside them, could not help but smile softly.

This Gan Seventh Miss still retained a few shreds of a little girl’s innocent simplicity — truly rare.

The Fifth Mistress and Lin Miss were cousins, and she was equally familiar with the others. The Dowager Madam invited everyone to be seated. “…So we can listen to the opera early.”

Everyone smiled and took their seats in order of seniority.

Maids brought kumquat water for everyone to rinse their hands, and then other maids moved softly and lightly to bring out the soup.

The ladies and young mistresses drank a modest amount of wine; the young misses, however, sat properly upright, letting those beside them serve them their meal.

After the meal, everyone moved to the west open hall for tea, and then at last made their way to Dianchun Hall.

……

The stage backdrop at Dianchun Hall had already been set. The courtyard was still and empty, not a soul in sight. The side rooms behind the stage were shut, while those facing north from across the courtyard stood wide open. Inside were arranged several low-legged long couches in a wing formation, with fruit platters and tea set out on tables in front of each, and on either side stood cloisonné enamel watermelon-shaped spittoon basins.

The Third Mistress guided everyone into the north-facing side rooms. After a polite exchange, all sat in order of age — the Dowager Madam naturally seated beside Dowager Matriarch Zheng, and the First Madam beside the youngest of the ladies, Madam Gan.

Maids brought brocade footstools and placed them beside the couches.

The young mistresses and young ladies each gathered around their respective elders.

Maids served tea.

A tall man wearing a yellow-ground floral brocade jacket walked in. “Ladies, please select the program.” He bowed his head slightly, clasped his hands, and offered up a gold-stamped playbill.

Several of the Lin Family’s young ladies nearly jumped to their feet in alarm.

But all the ladies burst out laughing and teased, “When did our Fifth Young Master become the head of the Deyin Troupe?”

The man raised his head, revealing a face as bright and handsome as sunlight.

“Hearing that the ladies were here, I claimed this errand for myself.” He said with playful irreverence. “Shall the ladies prefer civil opera or martial opera? Or shall I announce the titles?” He carried an air of careless ease, yet it sent the ladies into another round of laughter.

The Lin Family’s young ladies also covered their sleeves and sat back down, laughing.

For a moment, the mood in the room was wonderfully buoyant.

—