Shiyiniang gazed at Third Madam Luo, whose eyes brimmed with eager expectation, and did not know whether to laugh or be angry.
She had actually sided with Wang Chengzu and Shiniang in seizing control of household management.
This Wang Chengzu truly had audacity — scheming to have his own maternal uncle come forward to suppress his mother.
The thought made Shiyiniang shudder involuntarily.
First, he had personally delivered wedding invitations to everyone in the Luo Family, thereby mending his relationship with them. Then he had used the wedding banquet to lavishly entertain Shiniang’s maternal relatives, accomplishing his goal of establishing ties with the Luo Family members. Now, the true purpose had been revealed.
If he had not been so impatient, if he had not chosen Third Master Luo — a man who carried no weight in the family — what might the outcome have looked like?
Shiniang had simply raised a viper at her bosom.
As for Third Master Luo and Third Madam Luo lending their voices in support of Wang Chengzu, that was beneath contempt.
“How very strange!” Shiyiniang said without the least courtesy. “Third Sister is a widow — whether it is convenient or inconvenient for her to manage affairs, the Wang Family themselves have said nothing. How is it that Third Brother now takes it upon himself, with such an air of authority, to meddle in the affairs of Duke Maoguo’s household!”
Third Madam Luo was momentarily taken aback.
She lived in Yanjing, and while others might not know the nature of the relationship between Shiniang and Shiyiniang, she had observed it quite clearly. Duke Maoguo had recently invited Third Master out for drinks, showing considerable deference, and had hinted that if Third Master would raise the matter first before the Luo Family’s uncles and aunts, he would offer a thousand taels of silver as a token of gratitude. That was what had led her to seek out Shiyiniang. She had not expected Shiyiniang’s help — she only needed her silence. Among the relatives, Shiyiniang held the highest standing. As long as she did not voice explicit opposition, Third Madam was confident she could persuade the others. After all, the late First Madam’s death had not been without connection to Shiniang.
She had not anticipated that Shiyiniang would speak so plainly.
“First Aunt may not be aware of all the circumstances,” Third Madam said hurriedly. “It was just the other day that Duke Maoguo happened to encounter our Third Master and mentioned some household matters…”
“Duke Maoguo is a nephew, young and inexperienced. If he has trivial domestic complaints to share with his maternal uncle and aunt, that is a sign he values you — and values Third Sister as his mother.” Shiyiniang had no patience to exchange words with such a person, and without waiting for her to finish, smiled and cut her off. “Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law are the elders here, and they ought to be mediating and reconciling — how can they, in just a few words, turn around and urge Third Sister to hand household management over to Duke Maoguo? He has only just taken a wife. Those who understand the situation would say Third Brother, as a maternal uncle, feels for his sister’s exhaustion running the household and wishes the young Duke to take on responsibilities sooner — that this is done for the Wang Family’s benefit. Those who do not understand would think Third Sister had committed some grave and unforgivable wrong, and that even her own brother could no longer stand by, demanding she remove herself from the Duke’s household affairs entirely…”
That was quite a weighty accusation to lay at their feet.
Third Madam Luo could not help but feel a twinge of regret inwardly.
Had she known it would come to this, she should have gone to speak with Fourth Aunt first. Whatever else might be said, Fourth Aunt and Third Master were born of the same mother — she would never allow Third Master to come out the worse.
“Our Third Master absolutely had no such intention.” Her expression became quite uncomfortable. “It is that Duke Maoguo spoke of how difficult things have been for First Aunt all these years, and Third Master’s heart was moved by that…”
“Then the fault lies with Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law,” Shiyiniang said, not leaving them a shred of face, and spoke without the least restraint. “Never mind that I am merely an aunt and it is not my place to speak. Even if the Wang Family, out of consideration for our kinship, were to invite me to consult on the matter, I would still need to first ask for Elder Brother’s opinion. There is no reason for a maternal uncle to act without fully understanding the situation. If you ask me, Duke Maoguo is still very young. Third Sister has been managing the Duke’s household affairs and domestic matters for all these years, and has done so without fault. I have never heard of any misstep arising from her being a widow. To hand the household to a young man who has not yet come of age, on that basis alone — is that not rather hasty?”
Her position could not have been more clear.
She then lifted her teacup.
Third Madam Luo’s face flushed so red it could have drawn blood. She could no longer remain seated, and rose at once to take her leave.
Shiyiniang shook her head and instructed Hupo: “Go to Fourth Sister’s residence and recount everything Third Sister-in-law said to me, word for word — they are of the same household branch, and it is better that she be the one to handle whatever comes of it.” She then wrote a letter and had Hupo deliver it to Luo Zhensheng’s residence on Bowstring Lane.
Hupo respectfully acknowledged the order, then hesitated. “And Tenth Aunt’s household?”
“Go and let her know as well,” Shiyiniang said evenly. “Whatever stands between us is one thing — but when something like this arises, she at least deserves to be warned. Whether she believes it, whether she heeds it, what she chooses to do — that is entirely her affair.”
Hupo went off to carry out the instructions.
Fourth Aunt promptly sent back a letter of thanks along with several lengths of fine cloth for Hupo to bring over, expressing her gratitude to Shiyiniang. Shiniang, however, upon learning that Hupo had come on Shiyiniang’s orders, refused to receive her entirely.
With no other recourse, Hupo relayed the matter to Yinping in veiled terms.
Yinping was greatly alarmed and sent Jinlian to keep Hupo company while she went to report once more — only for Shiniang to still refuse to see Hupo.
“Let it be,” Shiyiniang said. Shiniang, as she was now, struck her not only as peculiar but frankly absurd. She let out a long breath. “I have done what I ought to do. My conscience is clear, and that is enough.”
Hupo smiled ruefully.
Shiyiniang set the matter aside for the time being and busied herself with putting away the winter furnishings and replacing them with the spring arrangements for each room, distributing the seasonal spring clothing as was customary, then ordering the summer garments — and by the time all of this was done, it was already late in the second month, and preparations for the Third-Day-of-the-Third-Month banquet were about to begin.
“Let us celebrate the Third Day of the Third Month at Liufang Pavilion,” the Dowager Marchioness said. “If the weather is fine, we shall go boating. If not, sitting in the pavilion there and listening to the spring rain would itself be a thing of great refinement.”
Ever since that Third Day of the Third Month, years ago, when Shiyiniang had invited the younger women — Lady Lin the First and Madam Zhou among them — to the Yanchun Pavilion for an outdoor picnic, the Dowager Marchioness had kept the memory close to her heart.
“Wonderful!” Shiyiniang felt that sitting in Dianchun Hall day after day listening to opera had grown stale no matter how fine the performances — she agreed at once. “Then let us set the banquet at Liufang Pavilion.” She then consulted the Dowager Marchioness: “What do you think, should we invite a female storyteller or two to perform a drum narrative? It would add a touch of festivity to the occasion. Only, I do not know which female storyteller in Yanjing is considered the finest, or whether anyone would be available on the Third Day of the Third Month.”
They were in the midst of this conversation when Hupo walked in with a somewhat agitated expression. Seeing Shiyiniang and the Dowager Marchioness in discussion, she did not dare interrupt, and stood there with a face full of anxious distress, visibly ill at ease.
The Dowager Marchioness knew Hupo to be Shiyiniang’s most capable attendant, and had always found her composed and steady. Seeing her like this, she called out to her at once: “What has happened? You may speak directly.”
Hupo stepped forward quickly and gave the Dowager Marchioness a bow, then said urgently: “Tenth Aunt from Duke Maoguo’s household has suddenly passed away. The Marquis specially sent this servant to inform the Marchioness.”
Tenth Aunt from Duke Maoguo’s household…
It took Shiyiniang a moment to comprehend.
“When did this happen?” she heard herself ask, her voice carrying a sharpness she had not intended. “Who came to deliver the news? Where are they now?”
“Is there not some mistake?” the Dowager Marchioness could not believe it. “She was so young — how could she have gone just like that?” The elderly lady thought of that Third Day of the Third Month years ago, when Shiniang’s face had been radiant and her smile brilliant — bright as summer sunlight among a crowd of gentle, demure women… A wistful note entered her voice. “How did she go? Did she leave any last words?”
“This servant does not know the full details.” Hupo said softly. “The notice came by way of a maidservant from Duke Maoguo’s household — this servant has already brought her here…”
Shiyiniang and Shiniang were sisters of the same branch. As next of kin, Shiyiniang was expected to attend the ritual of the small laying-out. The formal mourning notice would only be sent after the small laying-out had been completed. That was why the Wang Family had dispatched a maidservant to inform Shiyiniang in advance.
No sooner had Hupo finished speaking than the Dowager Marchioness said: “Bring her in, bring her in at once!”
Hupo turned and led in a maidservant.
“The Madam passed in the early hours this morning, during the Chou Watch,” the maidservant said, her gaze shifting slightly as she spoke. “Our Duke sent this servant to bring word to the Marchioness first thing this morning. Our Madam had been bedridden and ill for many years. Even before the Duke’s wedding, word had often gone around that she would not make it through — yet each time she had pulled through. The Duke assumed she would be all right again this time, and dozed off beside the bed while attending to her — and then the Madam…” The maidservant shed a few tears. “Our Duke wept so bitterly he nearly lost consciousness, and only the calming incense allowed him a moment’s rest…”
“That poor child,” the Dowager Marchioness sighed deeply, moved by great emotion, then said to Shiyiniang: “You should go quickly and see to things. If it is not convenient to return this evening, stay over there tonight. Jin Ge’er is with me.”
Shiyiniang thanked her, then took Hupo and made her way to Duke Maoguo’s household.
Duke Maoguo’s residence had already been draped in white curtains, and the serving women wore white hemp cloth at their waists. The mourning hall had not yet been erected, but the table dressings, the red-and-white prayer cushions, the flower stands, and the spirit effigies had all been prepared in readiness. A few young children who did not know better had gathered around the spirit effigies to peer at them.
“They moved remarkably fast,” Hupo remarked, helping Shiyiniang down from the carriage.
But Shiyiniang felt a sudden stirring in her heart.
She had passed away during the Chou Watch — the news had reached her at the hour of Chen, and it was now no later than the beginning of Si… The Wang Family seemed to have been prepared all along, as though they had simply been waiting for Shiniang to draw her last breath.
The thought had barely taken shape before Shiyiniang shook her head hard, warning herself not to let her imagination run away with her.
Wang Chengzu came forward to receive her.
His eyes were red and swollen, his expression haggard, his white mourning robe creased and rumpled, making him look like yesterday’s leftovers — wilted and listless.
“First Aunt, you have come at last!” He crouched down before Shiyiniang, tears streaming freely down his face. “I am now a child without a mother — I beg you, Aunt, to treat me as you would your own son… so that I too may have a mother to show filial devotion to!”
Shiyiniang only glanced at him and said in a measured tone: “Take me to see your mother.”
“Yes.” Wang Chengzu assumed an air of frailty, and was helped to his feet by those beside him, then led Shiyiniang toward the main room.
Wang Chengzu’s newly wedded wife, dressed entirely in mourning white, sat beside a woman with red-rimmed eyes.
As Shiyiniang entered, everyone rose.
Shiyiniang saw Wang Chengzu’s birth mother.
Upon noticing Shiyiniang’s gaze, his birth mother lowered her head.
Shiyiniang did not slow her step and continued into the inner chamber.
In the center of the inner chamber stood a black lacquered grand bed, spread with blue Ning silk, upon which lay a woman dressed in a red-and-dark mourning burial robe.
Slender brows, a broad forehead, a high, straight nose bridge… who else could it be but Shiniang?
Her dark hair had been combed neatly into an elaborate peony chignon and adorned with solid gold hairpieces. A light touch of rouge had been applied to her face. Though thin, her complexion appeared rosy and her expression serene — as though she had simply fallen into a deep sleep.
Shiyiniang stood rooted to the spot.
—