Shiyiniang and Xu Lingyi were laughed at by the Senior Madam and Nanny Du, and to the end they never quite understood why they had been made a laughingstock.
After breakfast, Xu Siqin, Xu Sijian, and Xu Sijie came to visit Xu Sizhun. The Senior Madam called Xu Lingyi and Shiyiniang into the east side room to sit.
“Now that Yi Yiniang has gone, Siqin Ge’er and Sijian Ge’er are living in the outer courtyard, and the Third Branch’s rooms have been emptied out,” the Senior Madam said, seated on the chaise with a smile. “I imagine that with the Third Branch wife’s shrewdness and capability, everything worth keeping in those rooms has already been collected. There is no need to worry about anything being taken. I think you should find a couple of coarse-duty matrons to keep watch over the incense stands and stone benches for her.”
How rarely the Senior Madam was in such good humour — even poking fun at the Third Madam now.
Shiyiniang smiled and said yes.
The Senior Madam gave a small nod and gradually let the smile fade. “I hear that Qin Yiniang in your courtyard has been feeling unwell these past few days?”
Shiyiniang was slightly taken aback and could not help glancing over at Xu Lingyi.
Xu Lingyi’s expression was calm, though he did not respond to her with his usual promptness.
Shiyiniang suppressed a quiet sigh in her heart. She was about to answer when the Senior Madam spoke to her directly: “Illness should be treated early — don’t let it drag on until it becomes something serious. You must keep this in mind. You should know that your courtyard has Wen Shi, Qiao Shi, and Yang Shi in addition to Qin Yiniang. Yang Shi in particular was bestowed by the late Empress Dowager — she must not be dealt with carelessly. If in two days’ time Qin Yiniang is still no better, have her move temporarily to the Junzi Pavilion in the rear garden; if she is still no better after that, have her move to the separate residence over by Fallen Leaf Mountain for a change of air. That way, when Siyu Ge’er comes home to visit and sees Qin Yiniang ill and crowded in with the other concubines, his heart will be pained.”
For a moment the room fell utterly silent.
Shiyiniang hesitated, then said yes, her eyes still unable to resist drifting toward Xu Lingyi.
Xu Lingyi was looking at her.
Their gazes met squarely in midair.
Xu Lingyi gave her a nod.
Not long after Yi Yiniang’s departure, Shiyiniang returned to her own courtyard.
Several of the concubines came in turn to pay their respects.
Shiyiniang asked Qin Yiniang: “You mentioned feeling unwell a while back — are you any better these days?” And added, “I see your colour is not very good.”
Qin Yiniang wore a white gauze blouse over a deep crimson brocade waistcoat, which threw the pallor of her face into even starker relief.
“Thank you for thinking of me, Madam.” She quickly replied, “Since Madam told me to have my illness looked after, I took several pills of the Thirst-Relief and Fluid-Replenishing Elixir, and I feel much better.”
Shiyiniang gave a faint nod and turned to speak with Wen Yiniang: “The sixth day of the sixth month is nearly upon us. I have been staying in the Senior Madam’s rooms these past days — how are the arrangements coming along for Qiu Hong’s wedding? Has it been settled where the ceremony will take place?”
Qiu Hong’s parents had both come from Yangzhou with Wen Yiniang. With the Senior Madam’s permission, they were not entered into the Xu family’s household rolls — but since Wen Yiniang had no dowry property, they had always been maintained by the Wen family and had helped Wen Yiniang manage some outside business. After Wen Yiniang fell out with the Wen family, the Wen family demanded Qiu Hong’s entire family return to Yangzhou. Qiu Hong’s father, citing the principle that a loyal minister serves no second lord, chose to stay and serve Wen Yiniang. He resigned his post with the family and, on the surface, opened a sundry goods shop in Jinan Prefecture — while in reality continuing to manage Wen Yiniang’s outside affairs. Qiu Hong’s marriage had come about rather quickly; her father had gone out on business, and Wen Yiniang had no property of her own to serve as a venue, nor could the wedding be held within the residence. This was the reason Shiyiniang had asked.
Wen Yiniang quickly smiled and said, “This is my own fault. Seeing you so preoccupied, I did not want to trouble you, so I never got around to telling you the full details. Qiu Hong has taken Nanny Song as her godmother and will hold the wedding ceremony in Nanny Song’s room. As for the wedding arrangements, both sides have long since made ready; they are only waiting for the auspicious day to welcome the bride.”
Yang Shi listened and smiled, offering her congratulations to Wen Yiniang and saying she would come and give Qiu Hong a gift for her trousseau.
“Weddings should be lively with people around,” Wen Yiniang said without ceremony, smiling warmly. “I would love for all of you to come and sit with me.”
Qin Yiniang, whose heart had been knotted with dread since learning that morning that Yi Yiniang had been sent to Shanyang, felt it unknot and settle — like a steadying stone had been placed upon it.
When Tong Yiniang had died along with her child all those years ago, every thread of the incident led back to Yuan Niang. Yet regardless — whether it was Xu Lingyi or the Senior Madam — for the sake of the “Yongping Marchioness’s” reputation, not only had the matter been forcibly suppressed, but life in the household had continued on just as before. Now, though the curse affair was connected to her and to Yi Yiniang, the mask used to frighten Xu Sizhun had been found in Yan Rong’s room — Shiyiniang could not be entirely extricated from suspicion either. For the sake of the “Yongping Marchioness’s” reputation, Xu Lingyi would certainly find a way to make a great matter small and a small matter vanish.
What happened next had indeed unfolded just as she had foreseen.
First, the incident of Xu Sizhun’s fright was connected to the “unexpected calamity,” and the witchcraft affair was suppressed. Then the Third Branch’s Yi Yiniang took the blame, clearing her, Yan Rong, and Shiyiniang… According to her reasoning, next Xu Lingyi would openly send Yi Yiniang away to the so-called Shanyang in front of everyone, and then quietly have Yan Rong and the others put to death in secret, and only then would it be her own turn…
If she were like Yan Rong — just a maidservant — then naturally she could only await being quietly disposed of. If she were like Yi Yiniang — without a son — then naturally she could only await being sent away. But she was neither. She was a concubine who had borne a son.
If this son had grown up before the eyes of his legitimate mother, he would most likely look down upon her, and her life or death would be of no concern to him. If this son had grown up in the care of wet nurses, he would most likely not be close to her, and her life or death would earn nothing more than a sigh. But she was neither. Yuan Niang had been wholly absorbed in wanting a son of her own and had paid no attention at all to the two of them, mother and child…
A tiger though fierce will not devour its own cubs.
With this bond in place, for Xu Lingyi to do away with her, it would have to stand up in the open — not only stand up, but withstand scrutiny… and the witchcraft charge, of all things, was not one that could be aired openly.
Otherwise, the moment Xu Siyu made any kind of scene… the Xu family could not afford that loss of face.
This was fate — just as Tong Shi had once lost her child in miscarriage, just as Qiu Luo’s son had died young in his infancy… This was fate. Fate that one could not help but believe in.
She had this fate.
At these thoughts, a radiance crept into Qin Yiniang’s smile.
She chimed in with Wen Yiniang’s words: “As long as you don’t mind us making a racket, we will all come and help liven things up for you!”
What a buoyant mood!
Wen Yiniang found it somewhat strange. Though nothing showed on her face, her eyes flicked briefly toward Shiyiniang.
Shiyiniang wore a faint, easy smile — no different from usual.
Wen Yiniang was uncertain what to make of it.
Xu Sizhun had so clearly been frightened with Qin Yiniang’s involvement — yet now Qin Yiniang was not only not confined to quarters, but moving freely in and out. Could it be that, just as with the Tong Yiniang affair all those years ago, because Shiyiniang was caught up in it too, the matter would be let go without resolution?
“As long as you come and give our Qiu Hong your trousseau gift, I would never call you a nuisance!” Wen Yiniang spoke a great flow of agreeable words, then brought up the matter of Hupo’s wedding — saying that once Qiu Hong’s was done, she would put all her heart into helping prepare for Hupo’s, and she promised it would be even more lively and more dignified than Qiu Hong’s. Yang Shi and Qin Yiniang chimed in and agreed from the side, and the atmosphere in the room grew quite lively. Everyone’s face carried a smile. Only Qiao Lian Fang sat quietly to one side.
She was troubled over the matter of Xiu Yuan.
The last time she had gone to find Nanny Du, Nanny Du had been warm and welcoming enough — but every other word was about how old she was getting and how out of touch she was with the young men these days, deflecting everything and not taking on the task she had been asked to help with. The news from her mother’s side was no better. Either the family had nothing to speak of, or the father and elder brothers had some standing in the Chengguo household but the man himself had some shortcoming.
How could she marry Xiu Yuan off to someone like that?
Her mother said she was not seeing things clearly.
She and Xiu Yuan had neither dowry to give her nor connections to offer — what matchmaker of any standing would be willing to take on the case? And any decent family would naturally have no reason to be interested.
Qiao Lian Fang sat turning these thoughts over in her mind, and sighed inwardly.
A little maid came in to announce: “Fourth Madam, Cao An’s mother has come!”
Everyone was a little surprised.
Cao An’s mother was merely a sweeping woman in the outer courtyard.
“Have her come in.” It looked as though Yan Rong had sent word through Cao An’s family to reclaim her.
Careful by nature, swift and decisive in action — Shiyiniang thought about it for a moment and felt a twinge of regret.
After Cao An’s mother left, Wen Yiniang immediately spoke up with her usual sharp-witted quickness: “Madam, I had not expected you would agree to let the Cao family take the person. But now that you have agreed, let me say something that may not be welcome to hear, yet is both sensible and fair. Since Cao An’s father’s illness is serious, the Cao family is anxious to bring the bride home sooner. I think — after Qiu Hong’s wedding is done, you might as well release Yan Rong too, so she doesn’t end up waiting three more years of mourning should something go wrong.”
Shiyiniang heard this and reflected for a moment, then said gravely, “What you say is reasonable.”
And so it was settled.
But Qin Yiniang began to grow uneasy.
Why had Yan Rong not been dealt with?
Was it that the Marquis had not told Madam certain things? Or that the Marquis had no intention of disposing of Yan Rong at all?
And then Yi Yiniang… could it be that she truly would be sent back to Shanyang, just like that?
Things had gone entirely off the track she had imagined, and she tossed and turned, unable to sleep, gripped by a dread that calamity was bearing down on her.
After a long while of lying awake, she got up and quietly wrote out a note — “Something terrible has happened at home, come back quickly” — and the next morning opened her chest and took out a banknote worth twenty taels of silver, which she gave to Cui’er: “Find a way to get this letter to the Second Young Master. If the Second Young Master comes back, there will be a generous reward.”
Cui’er turned around and handed the letter to Shiyiniang.
Shiyiniang had Hupo deliver it in person to Xu Lingyi.
Xu Lingyi glanced at it, then had Hupo bring it back to Shiyiniang: “Let her send the letter. This way, in the future, I will have something to say to Siyu Ge’er about all of this.”
Shiyiniang felt a heaviness in her heart. She had Hupo return the letter to Cui’er: “If there is no one to help carry the letter just now, find a way to help Qin Yiniang clear a path.”
Hupo went to do as she was told.
Cui’er accordingly had no difficulty in getting the letter sent.
Qin Yiniang was put at ease and spent the day in the warming alcove reciting the Lotus Sutra for Yi Yiniang.
Only she did not know that the carriage carrying Yi Yiniang had barely left the boundaries of the capital when it collided head-on with another carriage coming from the opposite direction. The carriage Yi Yiniang was riding in was sent tumbling into a small ditch beside the road. Yi Yiniang’s luck was particularly poor — she pitched headfirst into the water. By the time the carriage was pulled up out of the ditch, Yi Yiniang was already long dead.