He had just been named Tanhua, and now he was immediately calling on Xu Lingyi?

Eleventh Lady found this a little strange.

Though the two families were related by marriage and gifts of congratulation had already been sent over, unless Fang Ji had some particular request of Xu Lingyi, at a time like this he ought to be paying calls on his examiner, building ties with his classmates… And even if he did have something to ask of Xu Lingyi, out of respect, he should have come first thing in the morning!

She turned this over in her mind, and placed the finished five-colored bat cord into a lotus-shaped pouch embroidered with white magnolias on a crimson ground, then instructed Zhuxiang, “One each for the Second Young Master, Fourth Young Master, Fifth Young Master, Seventh Young Master, the First Young Miss, and the Second Young Miss — deliver them yourself.”

Zhuxiang smiled and took the cords.

The brocade curtain was suddenly swept aside with a sharp swish, and Xu Lingyi walked in with a face like stormclouds, taking long, heavy strides. The maidservants standing watch at the door looked over in alarm.

Xu Lingyi was a man who rarely let his feelings show.

Eleventh Lady’s heart gave a lurch. She immediately went forward to meet him and called out, “Marquis.”

Xu Lingyi’s expression did not soften in the least — if anything, it grew colder and sterner. He said in a low voice to those serving in the room, “All of you, withdraw.”

Zhuxiang quickly said “Yes” and led the maidservants and matrons out, trembling as they went.

Xu Lingyi’s gaze turned icy.

“Fang Ji came to tell me that Qin Ge’er’s wife wishes to dissolve the marriage!”

“What?” Eleventh Lady was thunderstruck. “What has happened?”

The carriage resembling the Third Madam’s at the outer quarters of Sanwell Alley, the growing distance between Xu Siqin and Fang Shi, the rumors about Fang Shi being a curse upon her husbands — all of it spun through her mind like a lantern carousel.

“I don’t yet know the full details,” Xu Lingyi said, the coldness between his brows bearing down like a blade. “I only heard Fang Ji’s account. He said the Third Madam is not satisfied with Fang Shi and is forcing Qin Ge’er to repudiate her. Since ancient times, repudiating a wife has been governed by the ‘seven grounds for repudiation’ and ‘three protections against it.’ If the Xu family wishes to repudiate, they must produce evidence. If the grounds are legitimate, the Fang family will take Fang Shi back to Huzhou without a word. If no evidence can be produced… Fang Shi is not in her mother-in-law’s good graces, and so her days are one stumble after another — whatever she does is wrong, whatever she says is a fault. The Fang family will not allow their daughter to endure such suffering. Better to speak plainly now. Let them go their separate ways from this day forward, each free to remarry as they please.”

“So they are proposing a mutual dissolution,” Eleventh Lady said, with a thoughtful air.

A mutual dissolution required a letter of release, consented to by both parties. A repudiation required only a single document from the husband’s side. Though both resulted in the separation of a husband and wife, in the eyes of the world, there was a fundamental difference between the two. In a dissolution, the wife bore no fault — it simply meant that husband and wife could not live in harmony and had chosen to part ways. In a repudiation, the wife had committed one of the “seven grounds,” and had been cast out by her husband’s family for her faults. And yet, whether it was dissolution or repudiation, for families who prized reputation and standing, either was ruinous to their good name.

A dissolution meant either the mother-in-law or the husband was at fault in conduct — for how else could a woman without any wrongdoing find life so unbearable that she would choose, knowing she would have no one to offer incense at her grave, to live apart from her husband? As for a repudiation — it was not as if no one had made inquiries beforehand, or examined the young woman carefully. How could a perfectly fine girl, once married into a household, develop every manner of fault within just a few years? In a modest family, one might at least cite failure to produce a son — but in a wealthy household, it was not as though one could not afford concubines. And if fertility was not the issue, then a physical ailment could hardly be called an ailment worth naming. To repudiate a wife on such grounds was only proof that the household lacked magnanimity and was cruel in conduct. Should the husband wish to make another good match in the future, families who cared for their daughters would keep well clear of him.

There were those, too, with powerful natal families who could force a repudiation to be recast as a dissolution. Yet Xu Siqin was the nephew of the Marquis of Yongping. There was simply no way a county magistrate could push things to such an extreme.

What’s more, Fang Ji had just been named the new Tanhua. And the Fang family had sent him to speak — coupled with what she knew of Fang Ji’s character…

Eleventh Lady could not help but knit her brows.

This was a society where men held supreme authority. The Fang family had once produced a censor, and Fang Ji had been carefully cultivated by the family to restore its standing. He should understand full well that the Great Zhou’s laws were not favorable to the wife’s side. Under these circumstances, for him to still be able to raise the demand for a mutual dissolution… Had they come prepared? Or was it an act of momentary anger?

“Marquis, some days ago I caught wind of a rumor. But as it was a serious matter and I could not verify its truth, I did not mention it in your presence.” Eleventh Lady told Xu Lingyi about the rumors surrounding Fang Shi and the curse upon her husbands, and also relayed to him what Zhuxiang had witnessed at Sanwell Alley when delivering the new wheat.

Xu Lingyi brought his palm down hard on the kang table: “Outrageous!”

Eleventh Lady had never seen him lose his temper so severely. Her heart genuinely trembled.

Xu Lingyi had already spoken: “Go to Sanwell Alley at once and see whether Third Sister-in-law is there. If she is, relay Fang Ji’s words to her, exactly as he said them.”

Eleventh Lady quickly answered “Yes.”

Perhaps realizing he had been too severe, Xu Lingyi’s expression eased slightly, and his voice softened a little: “You’ll likely not return until evening. Take a few more maidservants and matrons along to attend you.”

“I will be careful.” One person was in a temper — the other must not add fuel to the fire. Eleventh Lady did her best to keep her own voice gentle. “Shall we also send word to the Fang family elders, what does the Marquis think?”

“Of course,” Xu Lingyi said, his expression calming a little further as he heard her. “Huzhou is far to the south. If Fang Ji is merely acting on a moment’s impulse, that is one thing. But if the Fang family has made up their minds — we may have to brace ourselves for a real confrontation.”

Eleventh Lady nodded and went to say a brief word to Jin Ge’er.

Jin Ge’er was happily playing with Xu Sijie and did not even look up.

Eleventh Lady smiled and stroked his head, instructed Xu Sijie to “watch over your little brother carefully” and such, then called a young maidservant in to help her change her clothes.

Xu Lingyi walked her to the main gate: “I’ll speak to Mother.”

Eleventh Lady noticed there were more guards accompanying the carriage than usual. She said quietly, “The Marquis need not worry,” let Nanny Song help her up into the carriage, and set off toward Sanwell Alley.

Fang Shi showed no surprise when she saw Eleventh Lady.

She greeted her with her customary respectful bow and invited Eleventh Lady to sit in the main hall.

“My mother-in-law has been home for a few days now, but not having gone to pay her respects to Grandmother, I, as a daughter-in-law, was not in a position to say anything.” She took a teacup from a little maidservant’s hand and personally offered it to Eleventh Lady. “Please do not reproach me for it, Fourth Aunt.” Then she instructed the little maidservant, “Go and inform my mother-in-law that Fourth Aunt has come.”

Such composure and steadiness — she clearly already knew everything.

Eleventh Lady decided to come straight to the point: “Uncle Fang has said you wish to dissolve the marriage. The Marquis was quite bewildered and has specifically asked me to come and see what is happening.”

Fang Shi’s gaze was like still water — calm, but carrying a faint blankness.

“I was raised at my grandmother’s side since I was small. Once, my grandmother took me to visit relatives at her family’s home in Ninghai. At the gathering, there was a child from a maternal cousin’s family who shared the exact same year, month, and day of birth as mine. Everyone marveled and called it a sign of fate. The cousin’s mother said, ‘Since the Fang family takes brides from our family, why not send one back in return?’ Everyone agreed it was a fine idea. Though my grandmother never said yes, she did not rebuke those who spoke so, either. Not only that — when we left, she gave the young Master Hu an inkstone, telling him to study hard, pass the imperial examinations, and bring glory to the family.” Fang Shi told the story slowly, her tone heavy and subdued. “But not long after we returned to Huzhou, the young Master Hu died of illness.”

To have been present at the ladies’ gathering, he must have been quite young.

Eleventh Lady said, “How old were you at the time?”

Fang Shi looked at her, and a spark of animation returned to her eyes: “I was five years old. The details are rather hazy now — it was my wet nurse who told me about it afterward.”

Eleventh Lady nodded.

“As I grew older, my mother began worrying about my marriage prospects.” Perhaps feeling embarrassed yet unable to avoid the subject, Fang Shi’s face reddened a little. “After considering many options, my grandmother settled on the eldest son of the Huo family. The two families were just about to exchange the eight birth characters when the young Master Huo went with some schoolmates to wade for water chestnuts in the river, and… he went in and never came back up.” She paused. “Later, somehow or other, someone dug up the Ninghai incident. They said I was a curse upon men. The young Master Huo’s mother…”

Just then, a sharp voice rang out suddenly within the room: “The Fang family is supposed to be a family of scholars. I never expected you would raise a daughter who lies with her eyes wide open. Even now, at this point, you still dare to stand here and make your excuses…”

Eleventh Lady turned toward the voice.

She saw the Third Madam, supported by her personal maidservant Xingjiao, standing in the doorway of the east side room.

She wore a patchwork-paneled jacket, and her complexion looked haggard.

“Third Sister-in-law!” Eleventh Lady quickly rose and greeted her.

Fang Shi pressed her lips together and, with a somewhat wooden expression, performed a curtsy before the Third Madam.

The Third Madam gave a cold laugh, then turned to nod at Eleventh Lady, and the two sat down, host and guest.

Fang Shi had fresh tea brought out.

The Third Madam picked up the cup and threw the tea straight onto the floor, then scolded Xingjiao: “Did I not tell you? From now on, anything coming from Fang Shi’s hands — refuse all of it. I’d like to live a few more years.” Xingjiao stole a look at Fang Shi, and with a frightened and uneasy air replied “Yes,” then shuffled slowly off to fetch fresh tea.

Fang Shi gave no sign of minding, and stood there with her hands clasped, not a flicker of movement in the corners of her eyes or brows.

Eleventh Lady found this peculiar, and explained her purpose for coming: “Uncle Fang has just been to Lotus Flower Lane, saying that the First Young Madam wishes to dissolve her marriage with the First Young Master. The Marquis has specifically asked me to come and inquire of Third Sister-in-law — how could something of this magnitude be left without a word to the Old Madam?”

She had not yet finished speaking when the Third Madam leapt to her feet: “What? She wants a dissolution? Over my dead body! What wrong has our Qin Ge’er done?” She fixed Fang Shi with a vicious glare, as though she could swallow her whole. “Now I see it — our Jian Ge’er has such fine qualities, and yet this family refuses him, that family hems and haws. It’s all because of you. People are afraid of being cursed to death by you. How else would they look down on our Jian Ge’er? I’m telling you — this is not over between me and your Fang family.” Her chest heaved and fell, and she seemed greatly agitated. “Just wait for Qin Ge’er’s letter of repudiation!”

Fang Shi did not even glance at the Third Madam. She looked directly at Eleventh Lady.

“Fourth Aunt, my husband and I have been married nearly half a year. If I were such a person, how could my husband still be standing here, perfectly well? Not so much as a headache or a fever?” She looked at the way Eleventh Lady treated the First Young Miss, and said, “You are a woman who knows how to cherish people. Our Fang family may be a modest household, but I am my mother’s cherished child, the pearl in her palm. If this is the kind of welcome I receive as a daughter-in-law here, there is nothing left for me here.” With those words, she knelt before Eleventh Lady. “Aunt, you are a reasonable person. Take pity on me — I still have a mother at home who misses me dearly. Please grant me this release.”

—