Seventh Miss kept Eleventh Miss talking until well past midnight, when the two finally drifted off in a drowsy haze. They were sleeping soundly when Hupo came to wake them: “Seventh Miss, Eleventh Miss — the hairdresser for Fifth Miss has arrived.”

The two quickly scrambled up, were attended to by the maids for washing and dressing, then hastily ate breakfast before making their way to Fifth Miss’s quarters.

The room blazed with lamplight. Nanny Jiang sat to one side with a plump, white-complexioned woman of about forty, sharing tea. When Nanny Jiang saw Seventh Miss and Eleventh Miss, she quickly rose to introduce them: “This is the wife of Zhang Peiyun, chief clerk of the Court of State Ceremonial.”

She was clearly the woman invited to perform Fifth Miss’s ceremonial hair combing.

The two greeted her with a bow, and then Seventh Miss called out: “But where is Fifth Miss?”

Sui’er, who was serving them tea, smiled and quickly replied: “She’s just taking her bath!”

“What is taking her so long?” Seventh Miss complained. “She’d better not miss the auspicious hour.”

“She won’t miss it, she won’t miss it,” Madam Zhang said with a smile. “The groom’s procession won’t set out until noon, and won’t arrive until late afternoon — there’s no need to rush.”

“That late!” Seventh Miss looked genuinely surprised. “When Fourth Sister married, I remember the procession came very early in the morning.”

“Did Seventh Miss’s Fourth Sister marry far away?” Madam Zhang asked with an easy smile. “When the bride is marrying at a distance, the family usually sends her off at dawn. But for Young Master Qian — when both families live in the same city and it takes no more than an hour to get here — of course they can set out a little later. As long as the bride arrives by the auspicious hour of si, that’s all that matters.”

Seventh Miss gave an “mm,” and said: “My Fourth Sister married from Yuhang to Fuyang.”

“Exactly,” Madam Zhang replied with a smile. “Every family’s arrangements are different.”

Seeing that Madam Zhang was thoroughly familiar with all the customs and rites of weddings, and clearly a woman who regularly served as the full-happiness mistress of ceremonies for brides, Seventh Miss fell into easy, detailed conversation with her.

“…What do they do along the way? It’s such a long journey!”

“If the route is by water, once the sedan chair is loaded onto the boat, the bride can slip out of her wedding garments for a while and rest. When they reach the destination, the groom’s family will arrange a place to serve as the bride’s staging point, and at the auspicious hour she’ll be carried in by sedan chair to complete the ceremony. If the route is overland, then the bride has a harder time of it — she’ll have to eat and sleep inside the sedan chair for the duration…”

Right in the middle of this, First Madam and First Young Mistress arrived.

First Madam was dressed in a full-gold-threaded jacket patterned with gourds and double-happiness emblems in sapphire blue; First Young Mistress wore a full-gold-threaded jacket patterned with butterflies weaving through flowers in bright red. Both looked radiant and spirited.

Everyone smiled and rose to greet them. They had only just taken their seats when Fifth Miss emerged from her bath.

Her fair, delicate face bore a gentle flush, making her look strikingly lovely and charming.

“Fifth Miss, you look so beautiful today.” Seventh Miss’s compliment brought a shy glimmer to Fifth Miss’s eyes.

She stepped forward to pay her respects to First Madam and First Young Mistress.

First Madam looked at her with warm satisfaction: “In the blink of an eye, you’re already about to marry.”

Fifth Miss’s eyes grew a little moist.

“But this is a joyous occasion!” Madam Zhang smiled.

First Madam laughed at that, and with First Young Mistress accompanying her, she burned incense and gave notice to the ancestors, before inviting Madam Zhang to comb Fifth Miss’s hair.

The maids clustered around Fifth Miss and settled her before the dressing table. Madam Zhang took up the boxwood comb that had been prepared and combed from crown to tip, all the while reciting auspicious blessings: “First comb, comb to the very end; second comb, white hair to your eyebrows; third comb, children and grandchildren filling the earth.” When the ceremony was done, a sweet soup of lilies, red dates, lotus seeds, and glutinous rice balls was brought for Fifth Miss to eat.

Beside her, Seventh Miss said quietly to Eleventh Miss: “Let’s go ask for a bowl too.”

“I don’t think you want it just to eat…” Eleventh Miss teased.

Seventh Miss’s face turned scarlet and she jabbed at Eleventh Miss, who laughingly dodged away — just as First Madam happened to glance over.

Both of them immediately stood up straight, composing their expressions with great solemnity.

Madam Zhang then helped Fifth Miss into her wedding garments and dressed her hair.

In the midst of it all, someone came to report to First Madam that Second Madam and Third Madam had arrived.

First Madam took First Young Mistress and went to receive them. Seventh Miss followed along. Shortly after, she returned with Second Madam and Third Madam. Eleventh Miss stepped forward to pay her respects to both aunts by marriage, and everyone settled down with smiles to watch Fifth Miss being adorned.

As time passed, more people arrived and the household grew lively with noise and bustle.

Once Fifth Miss was fully dressed and ready, it was also midday. Seventh Miss and Eleventh Miss accompanied Fifth Miss to eat inside her room, while the others went to take their seats at tables set up in the outer room.

Having gone to bed late and risen early, Seventh Miss and Eleventh Miss yawned through the meal. Fifth Miss, on the other hand, showed not the slightest trace of drowsiness, and kept asking Ziwei “Did you pack the shoes embroidered with the Immortal Lady Magu paying birthday respects?” and “Where is my bright red gold-speckled handkerchief?” — she was clearly very anxious.

Seventh Miss stood by, grinning.

Fifth Miss paid her absolutely no mind.

Before long, those who had finished their meal began drifting back one by one. Seventh Miss seized the chance to pull Eleventh Miss back to their room for a rest: “…No one will notice anyway.”

Eleventh Miss was tired as well, and the two of them collapsed onto the bed fully dressed and fell straight to sleep.

She had no idea how much time had passed when Hupo came to rouse them both: “…The groom has arrived.”

The two rolled up in an instant, called the maids to re-do their hair, and rushed over to Fifth Miss’s quarters.

Fifth Miss’s room held only a scattering of people. Seventh Miss looked momentarily puzzled — then Eleventh Miss heard a burst of lively laughter and cheerful noise coming from outside.

She smiled: “They’ve all gone to the front to watch the excitement.”

Seventh Miss nodded. Then Zhuotao came running in, her face alight with excitement: “Young Miss! The eldest young master put out ten riddles and said he’d only open the gate for the groom if he answered them all. The young gentleman was absolutely brilliant — he answered every single one without missing a beat!”

Before Fifth Miss could say a word, Seventh Miss was already delighted. She grabbed Eleventh Miss’s hand. “Let’s go see!”

“We’d better not,” Eleventh Miss laughed. “If Fifth Sister’s husband has already answered them all, the welcoming party should be here any moment…”

Seventh Miss couldn’t hide her disappointment.

Zhuotao smiled: “If Seventh Miss wants to go, she may as well. I don’t think the gate is opening anytime soon.”

Everyone in the room was taken aback.

Zhuotao covered her mouth and laughed: “Fourth Brother-in-law has come back up. This time he’s dropped the riddles — he’s switched to the Analects. He’s asking the young gentleman to explain ‘Three men walking together, one must be my teacher’…”

Fifth Miss couldn’t help but exclaim anxiously: “How can Elder Brother go back on his word!”

The whole room broke into laughter.

Fifth Miss’s face turned crimson with embarrassment.

Zhuotao added: “The young gentleman said the same thing. And then Eldest Young Master said: ‘I said you passed my round — I never said mine was the only round!'”

Seventh Miss found it utterly delightful and tugged Eleventh Miss toward the door at once: “Fifth Miss, we’ll go take a look on your behalf!”

Eleventh Miss found it amusing too, and followed Seventh Miss to the main courtyard.

There they saw the gate tightly shut, and beside it, a ladder had been propped up against the wall. Yu Yiqing was standing at the top of the ladder, speaking with the person on the other side.

“…You’ve answered that one passably. Now answer this one. Governance is rooted in the Way; the Way is rooted in virtue. Those who throughout the ages have discussed the art of rule must return to the standard set by Confucius. Confucius advised the Lord of Lu that governance rests on nine principles, and that these principles are ultimately founded upon three virtues. Later, in the Song dynasty, Sima Guang argued that a ruler’s great virtues are three: benevolence, discernment, and valor. Does this accord with what Confucius intended?”

“This isn’t an essay examination,” Yu Zhiqing replied with a laugh, and before he had even finished the sentence, Luo Zhenhxing was the first to object: “Change the question!”

Yu Zhiqing chuckled and called out to the assembled crowd: “You see? This one’s already taking his side.”

A ripple of laughter passed through the courtyard, inside and out.

Someone called out: “Young Master Qian, you mustn’t disappoint all the effort our eldest young master has put into this!”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry,” came Qian Ming’s answer from beyond the gate.

After a burst of laughter all around, everyone fell silent to hear how Qian Ming would respond.

A hush fell on both sides of the gate.

Eleventh Miss noticed that Seventh Miss’s hand had quietly clenched into a fist.

After a long pause, Qian Ming’s clear, measured voice gradually rang out: “What is meant by the great foundation? It is to gather inward into the depths of the subtle and still, and extend outward to where action and response meet; to concentrate the spirit in the stillness of dignified composure and undivided tranquility, until all merges seamlessly into one. What is meant by the great mechanism? It is to judge what is appropriate to the moment and circumstances, and to carry it forth across the great flow of events — embracing all without lapsing into mere appeasement; possessing foresight and far-seeing perception without falling into petty scrutiny; commanding and deciding with authority without being accused of harshness; observing change through the subtle interplay of movement and stillness, the yielding and the firm, until all transformation proceeds without trace…”

This was the measured structure of a standard policy essay response.

Eleventh Miss was genuinely taken aback.

Qian Ming has real talent.

And Yu Zhiqing, who had been testing him — the grinning mockery gradually drained from his face, replaced by a look of solemn attentiveness. Luo Zhenhxing tilted his head, listening intently.

“…If one governs without grounding in virtue, then however elaborate one’s measures and arrangements, they will sink into the workings of private scheming and petty stratagem, and have no sure foundation from which to spread. How then can one set the true foundation of Heaven’s governance and lift all things to an era of harmony? And if one cultivates virtue without deploying the great mechanism, then however fine one’s counsel and deliberation, it will drift into the bias of limited understanding…”

“Excellent!” Someone suddenly cried out in loud admiration.

Everyone turned toward the voice.

There was First Master, his face flushed with agitation, striding down the steps with great purposeful strides.

“‘However elaborate one’s measures and arrangements, they will sink into petty scheming and stratagem; however fine one’s counsel and deliberation, it will drift into the bias of limited understanding!'” He stopped in the middle of the courtyard and called out in a great voice: “Open the gate — and welcome in this fine son-in-law of the Luo family!”

Everyone was momentarily stunned.

Luo Zhenhxing had already called out with joy: “Quickly, quickly, open the gate!”

The attending young manservants grasped the meaning and rushed to pull the gate open.

Then someone burst out crying: “I still haven’t gotten my red envelope!”

Everyone looked over — it was Fifth Master, Luo Zhenkai.

Laughter erupted through the courtyard again, warm and jubilant.

—

Sitting in the east wing’s side room, waiting for her new son-in-law to come and pay his respects, First Madam summoned Nanny Xu: “Go — seal another hundred taels of silver.”

Nanny Xu understood at once and went to the inner room to open the chest, took out a bank note for one hundred taels, added it to the previous forty, making a hundred and forty taels in all, and sealed it into a red envelope.

After Qian Ming had drunk three cups of tea in the reception hall, he came to First Madam’s quarters to pay his respects.

First Madam smiled warmly and presented him with the red envelope, then spoke to him with earnest weight: “Fifth Miss was raised under my care from childhood. I am now entrusting her to you — you must take good care of her.”

Qian Ming stood resplendent in his bright red ceremonial groom’s robe, full of spirit and energy. He knelt respectfully and kowtowed three times to First Madam. “Please rest assured, Mother-in-law. I will certainly take good care of Fifth Miss.”

First Madam nodded. “See that you remember your words.”

Qian Ming nodded quickly: “I will never go back on them.”

The master of ceremonies then escorted Qian Ming to the reception hall to pay his respects to all the members of the Luo family — old and young alike, he bowed to each one with sincere deference.

Fifth Master Luo Zhenkai looked on, his eyes spinning with schemes.

When the formalities were done, by custom the Luo brothers were to offer Qian Ming the ceremonial stirrup cup.

Luo Zhenhxing had just raised his wine cup when Luo Zhenkai appeared out of nowhere.

He was holding a great wide bowl. “Fifth Brother-in-law, I want to toast you too!” And with that, he tipped his head back and drained it in one gulp, then turned to the young manservant beside him and said: “Go, fill a bowl for Fifth Brother-in-law exactly like the one I had.”

The manservant acknowledged and sprinted off.

He was a small boy — how could he possibly have drunk a whole bowl of wine? It was almost certainly water.

First Master’s face darkened. “Preposterous!” he said.

Luo Zhenkai gave a startled flinch and ducked behind Luo Zhenhxing.

But Qian Ming was entirely unfazed. “The baby in the cradle can still be someone’s grandfather. Seniority does not depend on age. Since the young brother-in-law has offered me a toast, how could I refuse?”

The words had barely left his mouth before the manservant returned, bearing a wide bowl brimming with wine.

Without a word, Qian Ming took it and drank it down in one draught.

Luo Zhenkai stared, utterly dumbfounded.

The others broke into cheers.

The Qian family’s matchmaker took one look and immediately exchanged a meaningful glance with the wedding musicians.

The wedding musicians, who had seen everything in their years, needed no further prompting — drums beat, gongs rang, and firecrackers burst as they urged the procession onward to fetch the bride.

—