The wheels rolled over the bluestone road, making a steady, monotonous rumble. Inside the carriage, the stillness felt all the deeper for it.

Eleventh Lady leaned at an angle against a bolster cushion in crimson silk embroidered with five-colored clouds and blessing motifs. Nanny Song sat beside her on the bench, speaking with her.

Her voice was pitched just right — enough to cover the sound of the wheels, but not so loud as to be overheard by the matrons accompanying the carriage: “…I and a few of the young maidservants were in the side room nearby, chatting. Those maidservants said that the moment the Third Madam came back, she pointed at the First Young Madam’s face and screamed at her for a good while, and then collapsed into a ‘fit of illness’ from her anger. The First Young Master’s face had gone pale as iron. The First Young Madam came to nurse her at the bedside, but the Third Madam drove her out — said the very sight of the First Young Madam made her furious. If the First Young Master did not wish to see her angered to death by the First Young Madam, then he was not to let the First Young Madam set foot inside her room. So the First Young Master had the First Young Madam step back temporarily, and remained himself with the Third Young Master at the Third Madam’s side to attend her.

“The First Young Madam waited upon them from outside the room. Every day she personally lit the fire and decocted the medicine, and brought it to the doorway, where Xingjiao would carry it inside. The Third Madam urged the First Young Master to repudiate his wife, and the First Young Madam heard every word of it from outside, yet she neither argued back nor quarreled with the First Young Master — she continued day after day with her soups and broths and nursing, attending to everything diligently. The First Young Master’s expression gradually eased a little. Later, when the Third Madam found out that Fang Shi had been the one to decoct the medicine, she flung the bowl, medicine and all, straight out the door. The First Young Master was thrown into a panic — he knelt and kowtowed several times, then went to the kitchen himself to decoct the medicine, and only then did the Third Madam relent. After that, day after day, she would murmur into the First Young Master’s ears about repudiating his wife.”

In other words, at the start, Xu Siqin had been very angry himself.

Eleventh Lady turned over the carved lotus beads of her chenxiang wood bracelet, and said quietly, “What did the First Young Master say?”

“At first, the First Young Master would still try to persuade the Third Madam not to be angry, to rest and recover, and deal with these matters once she was well again. Later he simply stood at her side and listened with respectful attention, and beyond that, said not a single other word. The Third Madam was quite beside herself.” At this point, Nanny Song leaned closer and lowered her voice to speak into Eleventh Lady’s ear: “So she used the excuse that she slept poorly at night, always dreaming of terrible things, that she was frightened and needed the First Young Master to keep her company. The First Young Master had a chaise set up before the bed and waited on her tea through every night.”

Eleventh Lady raised an eyebrow: “You mean to say the First Young Master has been sleeping in the Third Madam’s room every night for all this time?”

Nanny Song gave a quiet nod, and straightened herself back up, returning to her former volume: “The Third Madam was forever sending the First Young Master on one errand after another. One moment he had to go fetch the physician for the Third Madam, the next he had to go collect the medicines, the next the household funds had run short and he had to go to the bank to exchange silver drafts — every day he was run around in circles. On the rare occasions he crossed paths with the First Young Madam, he did no more than give a nod.

“Not only that, but whenever the First Young Master was out of the house, the Third Madam would take the opportunity to mock and jibe at the First Young Madam, or find fault through insinuation and allusion. She left the First Young Madam with no comfortable moment — no position in which to sit or stand. When the First Young Master was home, the Third Madam would stage a crying scene from time to time — sometimes lamenting her hard fate, still having to suffer grievances from her son and daughter-in-law in her old age, other times pitying Jian Ge’er for being dragged down by the First Young Madam and unable to find a wife. She would weep that when she died, how could she face the Xu family’s ancestors.

“After several days of this commotion, the First Young Madam, counting the days, realized the Palace Examination had passed. She sent for Uncle Fang. The two of them talked for the better part of a day together in the room, and Uncle Fang left without so much as a word to anyone.”

Eleventh Lady thought of the little maidservant who dared not act without Fang Shi’s token, and of Xingjiao stealing a glance at Fang Shi before daring to go for fresh tea… and she reflected: “After the Third Madam returned, amid all this commotion, did she do anything else?”

Nanny Song was a little puzzled, and trying to gauge Eleventh Lady’s meaning, she said: “After the Third Madam came back, she didn’t go anywhere. She stayed home every day, pressing the First Young Master to repudiate his wife.”

Seeing that Nanny Song had not grasped her meaning, Eleventh Lady said thoughtfully: “If I remember correctly, all the servants in the household at Sanwell Alley are part of the First Young Madam’s dowry retinue, are they not? Since they came with her dowry, the Xu family neither provides their monthly stipends nor covers their keep. The Third Madam has matters she wants attended to, yet she cannot actually command them to act — is that right? The maidservants you were talking to earlier — did you find out clearly who they are?”

Nanny Song understood now, and quickly said: “I was also afraid that Fang family’s dowry servants would speak in the First Young Madam’s favor, so I deliberately chose to speak to the maidservants who had come back from Shanyang with the Third Madam. According to them, most of the servants at Sanwell Alley are indeed part of the First Young Madam’s dowry retinue — yet the First Young Madam treats those of them who wait upon the Third Madam with great courtesy and respect, and what comes out of the main room has never been looked down upon. When speaking of the First Young Madam, their words are full of admiration. They say she is worthy of being raised in a family of scholars from Jiangnan — in her conduct, manners, speech, and bearing, everything carries the cultured refinement, generosity, and composure of a person of letters.”

Eleventh Lady listened and gave a quiet sigh.

Nanny Song shared in the rueful smile.

If the Third Madam truly intended to repudiate a daughter-in-law who held the household authority, the first order of business should have been to take back power from the daughter-in-law’s hands, and then confine her to the house, find ways to dismiss the capable people around her, and then find some means to pin on her a label such as ‘unfilial’ — only that would hold. What was the point of simply ranting in words alone?

Now that the First Young Madam had called in reinforcements, this matter would surely not be so easily resolved.

At this thought, she could not help saying, “Madam, in your view — what is the best way to handle this?”

In Nanny Song’s mind, the Third Madam’s behavior — creating all this upheaval behind the backs of the Old Madam and Eleventh Lady — was certainly wrong. Yet Fang Ji showing up at the door demanding a dissolution was a grave act of disrespect toward the Xu family. The Xu family could not afford to appear weak — otherwise, would just anyone be free to come and make a scene before Xu Lingyi?

“The Marquis is with the Old Madam now, discussing this very matter.” Eleventh Lady sorted through her own thoughts, so that when she returned and the Old Madam had questions, she would not be caught unable to answer — or give an answer that displeased her. “Let us first go back and hear what the Marquis and the Old Madam decide, and then make our plans.”

True enough — with the sky falling, there was still the Marquis and the Old Madam to hold it up.

“I was a foolish worrier.” Nanny Song smiled, then lifted the insulated blue-and-white porcelain teapot from the wooden bucket to refill Eleventh Lady’s tea.

“No need,” Eleventh Lady waved her off. “We are nearly at Lotus Flower Lane — I shall be going to give my report to the Old Madam shortly.” Then she said, “There are still some matters I want to ask you about carefully.”

Nanny Song set down the teapot and replied with a respectful “Yes.”

When the carriage arrived at Lotus Flower Lane, Yuban was waiting at the inner gate with seven or eight young maidservants, holding large gourd-shaped red palace lanterns.

The matrons accompanying the carriage had barely set down the footstool when Yuban came forward and personally helped Eleventh Lady down from the carriage, saying in a low voice, “The Marquis and the Old Madam are waiting for Madam!”

Eleventh Lady nodded, transferred to a small blue-curtained sedan chair, and went to the Old Madam’s quarters.

Only Nanny Du was in the room attending her.

The Old Madam indicated Eleventh Lady should sit beside her. Nanny Du poured the tea, then drew the partition screen closed and withdrew. The Old Madam spoke at once: “Is Third Daughter-in-law at home?”

“She is.” Eleventh Lady conveyed the Third Madam’s excuse for not having come, saying that perhaps the journey from Shanyang was too far, and on the way back…

Before she had even finished, the Old Madam raised her hand and waved her off: “There’s no one else here. Leave all that decorous talk aside.”

Eleventh Lady replied quietly “Yes” and answered the Old Madam’s questions with as little bias as she could, simply and plainly. Finally, she relayed Xu Siqin’s own feelings to the Old Madam and Xu Lingyi at the right moment: “…Qin Ge’er said — slander perishes in the presence of wisdom. He does not wish to repudiate his wife.”

Xu Lingyi heard this and kept furrowing his brow.

The Old Madam, however, could not help letting a faint smile show: “This child — he is far too honest. In the years ahead, he will likely be thoroughly kept in check by Fang Shi.” With that, her gaze came to rest on Eleventh Lady, and she asked her, “Now you tell me — what exactly is the Fang family’s game?”

Eleventh Lady had been turning this question over and over in her own mind.

She answered with care: “It is said one should sooner tear down a temple than sunder a marriage. What parent does not wish for their child to fare well? From my reading of things, the Fang family’s talk of dissolution is also a stratagem of striking first to gain the upper hand — a move of placing oneself at the edge of death to then find a way out.”

The Old Madam gave a small nod. Her look at Eleventh Lady carried a note of quiet approval.

“Precisely. I see it the same way.” The Old Madam said slowly, “If Fang Shi were repudiated, it would be as good as tacitly accepting that she brings a curse upon men. That is something the Fang family would never allow. Otherwise, why would they have gone to the trouble of marrying her all the way north? Yet any family that found themselves in such a situation would likely seize on any excuse to repudiate the wife. Rather than wait for our family to find grounds and cast her out, it is better to request the dissolution themselves first. If we refuse out of concern for our reputation, the matter of Fang Shi’s supposed curse would be no longer an impediment. If we are willing to sacrifice our reputation regardless and insist on sending Fang Shi away, she would still be able to return to her family with dignity, carrying the dowry the Fang family gave her. When her parents are gone, she will have the dowry to sustain her — at the very least, she need not worry over food and clothing, and need not find herself utterly alone and without support.” The Old Madam paused. “No wonder Fang Ji dares come to Fourth Son’s door and make demands. Whether this is a plan that he and Fang Shi worked out together — or a strategy the family long since prepared — I cannot say. If those two young people came up with it themselves, they have both courage and cunning. If it was the Fang family who planned it from the beginning… Fang Ji, even as the new Tanhua, is still a junior. For a matter of this gravity, having a junior come to negotiate — it is clearly a test of us.” The Old Madam gave a cold laugh. “Third Daughter-in-law may carry on as recklessly as she likes, but it is not for any member of the Fang family to come and administer a lesson.” The Old Madam’s gaze settled on Eleventh Lady. “You are the mistress of this household. If the Fang family is truly coming prepared — in your view, how should this matter be handled?”

Fang Shi had not yet fallen pregnant. The Third Madam, bent on separating mother and son, had kept her son confined to her own room. So long as the Xu family seized upon the single point of “no heir” and made it their argument, the Fang family would ultimately have to yield.

But that was a resort of last resort.

A woman repudiated did not have an easy life ahead of her; a woman who had dissolved her marriage did not have an easy life either. One was lying on the ground, the other on a mat — not much of a difference in the end. She did not believe in superstitions like cursing men to death. Xu Siqin wanted to live his life with Fang Shi; the Fang family’s demand for dissolution was no more than a bargaining tactic to win for Fang Shi a foothold to stand on. And the Old Madam, for the sake of the Xu family’s dignity, could never allow the Fang family to have their way in this matter — right or wrong, the Third Madam’s conduct notwithstanding.

“Mother,” Eleventh Lady said, looking earnestly at the Old Madam, “I think the best course in this matter is still to find out the truth first. To see whether this is something the two young people have cooked up on their own — or whether it is the Fang family’s intent. If it truly is those two young people making trouble, are we not — in handling it as we would — simply breaking apart a pair of devoted sparrows?”