Over in the Grand Dowager’s apartments, the servants had all been dismissed to wait outside. The Grand Dowager reclined against the large ink-splashed bolster pillow and spoke in a low voice to Second Madam: “…His Majesty is about to deal with the Yang Family. From Old Four’s tone, this time the repercussions will be considerable.”

Second Madam showed no surprise. She used a soft mallet to massage the Grand Dowager’s calves. “The more His Majesty has indulged the Yang Family, the heavier the reckoning when it comes. Moreover, these past years His Majesty has been single-minded about pushing through the new policies. The Yang Family’s affairs provide His Majesty with just the pretext he needs — otherwise, take Elder Lin, an old official who served the late Emperor: he merely opposes the lifting of the maritime trade ban. One can hardly dismiss a man on those grounds alone. It must be said that Elder Liu was the quick-sighted one — he retired of his own accord. At least he secures a peaceful old age.”

“I worry the repercussions will be too far-reaching,” the Grand Dowager sighed. “Then the capital will be in turmoil again.”

Second Madam listened and laughed softly. “I think what you truly fear is that people will come before you to beg for intercession — and you won’t know whether to help or not to help, left caught in the middle on all sides.”

“You and your shrewd little mind,” the Grand Dowager said, looking at Second Madam with a smile full of fond indulgence.

“That is all your doing,” Second Madam replied. She set down the soft mallet, rose, and refilled the Grand Dowager’s slightly cool tea bowl with hot water. “Would you like me to quietly pass the word along?”

The Grand Dowager hesitated.

“The young lord of the Huang household has been raking in quite a fortune these past couple of years,” Second Madam said, settling back beside the Grand Dowager and speaking gently. “If a person has no contentment in their heart, then even if you help them this once, there is no guarantee they won’t come around again.”

The Grand Dowager gave a slight nod. “Then go to the Huang household for me.”

Second Madam smiled and assented, then draped a thin coverlet over the Grand Dowager. “Rest now. Don’t trouble yourself over these matters. Outside there is the Marquis, and the Marquis knows his own mind perfectly well.”

The Grand Dowager’s face showed a look of relieved contentment at these words.

—

With great effort, Eleven at last coaxed Jin Ge’er to sleep. She could not hide the exhaustion across her face. She instructed Qiu Yu: “I am going to rest a while — if anything comes up, come and wake me.”

It was the first day of the New Year. Although people paid their calls by simply leaving a calling card at the gate, one could never be sure that close acquaintances might not come to the door in person.

Qiu Yu quietly answered “yes,” and attended Eleven as she lay down to rest.

When she woke, the room had already been lit with lamps.

Eleven sat up quickly. “What time is it now? Has Jin Ge’er been crying again? Has the Marquis not yet returned to the room? Is there any news from the Grand Dowager’s side?”

Qiu Yu, seeing how urgently she asked, hurried to reply: “It is now three quarters past the hour of You. The Sixth Young Master just woke, took milk, and has fallen back to sleep. In the meantime, Imperial Physician Wu from the Imperial Medical Bureau came to examine the Sixth Young Master’s pulse — he said the Sixth Young Master’s pulse was calm and strong, perfectly well — and wrote a prescription for a stomach-strengthening and spleen-benefiting remedy. Since he had not yet examined you, no one has gone to fill it yet. The Marquis has not yet returned to the room. Nothing unusual from the Grand Dowager’s side.” Here her expression shifted subtly and her voice dropped a touch. “However, not long after you lay down, Second Madam went out for a while. According to people over at the stables, Second Madam went to Yongchang Marquis’s estate. She has only just returned. And on the Marquis’s side — this afternoon, he had Wen Yiniang summoned to the outer study.”

Eleven was startled.

Second Madam going to the Huang household on the first day of the New Year, staying there for some time. And then Xu Lingyi summoning Wen Yiniang to the outer study…

She thought of the strange behavior both Xu Lingyi and the Grand Dowager had shown today.

What on earth had happened?

It certainly had something to do with Xu Lingyi’s audience with the Emperor today!

“Have Xiu Lian bring water to wash my face,” Eleven said, pondering as she slipped her shoes on. “And send someone to the outer courtyard to find out when the Marquis will return to the room — it is time for the evening meal.” Then she instructed Qiu Yu: “Medicine is at best a three-part poison. Since the Sixth Young Master is fine, there is no need to fill the prescription.”

Qiu Yu smiled and answered “yes,” while Yu Mei had already taken the clothes warming over the brazier and, along with a young maidservant, helped Eleven dress.

Xu Lingyi came back. “Imperial Physician Wu says Jin Ge’er is fine. Did he cry and fuss this afternoon?”

“Qiu Yu says he just took milk and fell back to sleep,” Eleven replied, quickly putting up her hair in a simple coiled knot. “I was just going to go look.”

Xu Lingyi waited for her to finish her toilet, and they went together to the warm side-chamber to check on the child.

Wan Third’s wife sat keeping watch nearby, doing needlework. Jin Ge’er was fast asleep.

Only then did Xu Lingyi nod, satisfied, and return to the inner room.

Qiu Yu came to ask where the meal should be laid.

The couple ate dinner at the resting alcove of the east side room, then moved to the inner room for tea.

Eleven smiled and asked, “What gifts did His Majesty, the Empress, and His Highness the Crown Prince bestow?”

“Just the usual gold and silver objects, bolts of cloth and fragrant goods,” Xu Lingyi said dismissively. “What new thing could there be?” At this point the hand that was using the lid to skim the tea leaves paused slightly, and he said, “Head Steward Bai will have the gifts delivered to you in a few days.”

Eleven nodded with a smile. A young maidservant came in to announce, “My Lord, my Lady — the several Yiniangs have come to pay their evening respects.”

“Show them in,” Eleven said, and out of the corner of her eye she caught a glance at Xu Lingyi — and found that his lips were pulled down slightly, his expression mildly displeased. Wen Yiniang, upon entering, had a look of suppressed anxiety about her brows, and said very little. It was Yang Yiniang who was working to enliven the atmosphere.

“…It was still snowing just a few days ago, yet the New Year has come and the skies have cleared. I noticed the wintersweet flowers in the rear garden are all in bloom. My Lord and my Lady, if you have leisure you might go and enjoy the plum blossoms. I have been idle and painted a picture of wintersweet flowers.”

Xu Lingyi made no reply, his expression stern as always. He drank his tea quietly without sparing the Yiniangs a single glance. Wen Yiniang grew more and more visibly uneasy.

Eleven showed no change in expression as she exchanged a few pleasantries with the Yiniangs, then raised her teacup. She then saw Wen Yiniang let out a breath as though relieved, her demeanor easing considerably, before curtseying and withdrawing.

The next day, Eleven took the children to Bowstring Lane.

Qian Ming and his wife had not yet arrived. Luo Fourth Madam, wearing an overcoat of crimson ground with a four-season pattern, welcomed them in with a bright smile.

Wang Ze and Twelve had already arrived. One wore a sapphire blue silk robe, his bearing steady and composed; the other a short jacket of red peonies woven through with flowers, pretty and charming. Side by side they stood — a golden boy and jade girl, pleasant to behold.

Eleven could not help but nod inwardly in approval.

Twelve blushed and came forward to bow to her.

Over to one side, Luo Fourth Madam had already introduced the children, having them call out “Fourth Uncle” and “Twelfth Aunt’s Husband.”

Red envelopes were given; red envelopes were received. Adults and children alike were filled with festive joy. Only Luo Zhensheng, in front of Xu Lingyi, became rather timid and deferential — a small blemish on the occasion. Fortunately there was little Ying’er, lively and adorable, chattering away brightly with Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie. Even Xu Lingyi looked on with a touch of delight, coaxing her with a question: “Oleander and pomegranate blossoms are the same — what flower is the same as the jade hairpin flower?”

“White crane flower, of course!” Ying’er declared with perfect confidence.

The white crane flower was another name for the jade hairpin flower.

Xu Lingyi laughed heartily. Wang Ze also smiled broadly.

But Luo Zhensheng felt shamed by it. His face flushed red as he scolded Ying’er: “What nonsense are you spouting? Who told you that? The white crane flower and the jade hairpin flower are one and the same.”

Ying’er shrank back a little and hid behind Luo Fourth Madam.

“Children who can know even this much are doing very well!” Xu Lingyi seemed genuinely fond of Ying’er and smiled as he smoothed things over, then added: “In this way she is rather like her Eleventh Aunt — both of them like flowers and plants.” Then to Ying’er he said, “We have a large hothouse at our home with many flowers growing in it. You must come and visit someday.”

Ying’er glanced at her father and dared not make a sound.

Luo Fourth Madam shot Luo Zhensheng a look and said with a smile: “Once Jin Ge’er’s Hundred Day banquet comes, and then Jie Ge’er’s birthday, we shall certainly be coming to make merry.”

Xu Sijie, hearing Luo Fourth Madam mention his birthday, whispered to Xu Sizhun beside him: “I was born on the third day of the third month, you know!” quite proud of himself.

The adults were speaking. Xu Sizhun quietly signaled Xu Sijie not to interrupt.

Luo Fourth Madam, seeing the children so restrained, smiled and said: “Why haven’t Fifth Brother-in-Law and Fifth Sister arrived yet? I made a specialty dish of crystal pork tripe — I want everyone to taste my assembled cold platter.”

Eating an assembled cold platter was a Jiangnan custom during grand festivals. A large red lacquered box with a black lacquer interior, arranged in twelve compartments both horizontally and vertically, was packed with various small side dishes of all kinds, then paired with noodles for the morning meal.

Restaurants specializing in Jiangnan cuisine could also be found in the capital, so no one was unfamiliar with the custom. While waiting for Qian Ming and his wife, the conversation shifted to the differences between Jiangnan cuisine and Yanjing cuisine.

Xu Lingyi was widely experienced and knowledgeable. Wang Ze was a man of few and careful words. Luo Zhensheng, in Xu Lingyi’s presence, was timid and ill at ease. The normally most reticent Xu Lingyi had, paradoxically, become the center of the conversation.

Eleven looked on with quiet amusement. Qian Ming and Fifth Sister, with Xin Ge’er, finally arrived.

Qian Ming wore a robe of dark red ground with a design of five bats surrounding a longevity roundel in silkworm cocoon cloth — looking as elegantly refined as ever. Jin Ge’er wore a little jacket of red ground with gourd patterns, and was as energetic and lively as usual; the moment he came through the door he grabbed Ying’er’s hand. Only Fifth Sister, though wearing a short jacket of crimson ground with ten-thousand-character unbroken pattern and gold hairpins with a “full pond of splendor” design and pins, had a complexion that looked somewhat ashen. When she saw Eleven, her expression was also a little abashed.

It seemed that Qian Ming might have given her a talking-to!

Eleven and Luo Fourth Madam exchanged a glance without speaking, and smiled as they stepped forward to greet Fifth Sister.

But Twelve was a little flustered; having paid her respects, she linked her arm through Fifth Sister’s: “Fifth Sister, that ‘full pond of splendor’ hairpin of yours is really beautiful. I don’t know which workshop made it — it looks to me like it must be five or six taels at least!”

“What five or six taels?” Fifth Sister gave Twelve a somewhat disdainful look. “Even in hollow work, you couldn’t make a ‘full pond of splendor’ hairpin this size for five or six taels — twelve taels in all.”

“I just knew it — so beautiful it could only be this much!” Twelve said carefully, flattering Fifth Sister. “I’m newly arrived in Yanjing and know nothing about anything. Not like Fifth Sister, who has lived here long and knows which shop has the best selection of fine materials, which shop makes the best shoes… In matters of running a household and daily life, Fifth Sister must give me more guidance in future!”

Fifth Sister’s lips parted slightly as she was about to say something, but over to one side, Qian Ming — in the midst of handing red envelopes to the children — had already cast a sharp, penetrating glance in her direction. Fifth Sister pressed her lips together, shook Twelve’s arm loose, and went to take Xin Ge’er’s hand: “…How is it you don’t know to bow to your elder brothers!”

Luo Fourth Madam tugged at Eleven’s sleeve and whispered in her ear: “Our girls of this house — every one of them cleverer than the last.”

Eleven smiled and nodded.

Given Twelve’s age — if she had not lived two lifetimes, even she, Eleven, in Twelve’s place, could not have done better than Twelve had done.

—