The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the First Young Madam arrived with the auspicious woman — the wife of the Chief Registrar of the Court of State Ceremonial, Madam Zhang Peiyun — both entering with bright smiles on their faces.

Qiuju quickly handed the two ladies their red envelopes.

Hupo and the others needed to prepare themselves as well today, since they would be riding in the auspicious woman’s carriage to accompany Eleventh Miss to the Xu Mansion. Thus the task of tending to Eleventh Miss’s room fell to Qiuju and Xinglin, who served at the First Young Madam’s side.

Madam Zhang accepted the red envelopes with a smile and offered her congratulations to Eleventh Miss. Eleventh Miss then went to bathe, attended by Dongqing. When she emerged, she happened to catch Madam Zhang saying with a laugh, “…First, the eldest young master passed the imperial examination and was selected as a Shu Jishi, then Fifth Miss married the holder of a juren degree, then Tenth Miss wed a noble heir, and now Eleventh Miss is betrothed to Marquis Yongping — what truly extraordinary fortune this family has had this year!”

The First Young Madam was all smiles. “We are grateful for your kind words, truly grateful.”

Just as the saying goes — outsiders only watch the spectacle!

With a heart full of mixed feelings, Eleventh Miss sat down at the dressing table and allowed Madam Zhang to help arrange her hair and insert the pearl hairpins. Qiuju and Xinglin helped Eleventh Miss change into her crimson bridal gown, then draped a pale pink cloth over her shoulders. Madam Zhang stepped forward to paint her brows and eyes.

In no time at all, the preparations were complete.

Eleventh Miss gazed at her reflection. A face of snow-white complexion, gently arched brows, a small cherry-red mouth — though she looked altogether different from her usual self, the effect was much like a good-fortune figurine, festive and charming.

Remembering that Fifth Miss had worn this same style of makeup on her wedding day, she understood this was the standard bridal look, and could not help but smile.

The kitchen then sent up a meal.

Following the example she had seen Fifth Miss set at her own wedding, Eleventh Miss took a large mouthful and held it, then spat it out onto a piece of red paper held by Madam Zhang. Madam Zhang would divide the spat-out food in two — one half would be placed in the Luo Family’s rice bin, the other half would be carried back by the auspicious woman from the Xu Family to be placed in the Xu Family’s rice bin.

She hadn’t the faintest idea what custom this was meant to follow.

She was still pondering this when Second Madam and Third Madam, along with Fourth Miss and Fifth Miss, each escorted by their own maidservants, came filing in.

The First Young Madam hurried to welcome them and invite them to sit.

Qiuju and Xinglin were busy pouring and serving tea.

Once everyone had settled, Fourth Miss looked over at Eleventh Miss with a smile and said, “You look truly beautiful today!”

Eleventh Miss smiled gently and asked Fifth Miss, “Why haven’t I seen Tenth Sister?”

Fifth Miss gave a slight curl of her lips. “Mother sent someone to fetch her yesterday. Wang Lang said he had matters to attend to and only arrived when the banquet had already begun, fashionably late. As for Tenth Sister — she never came at all. When Mother asked about it, Wang Lang said only that Tenth Sister wasn’t feeling well. When pressed further, he seemed rather impatient about it. There were so many guests in the house, and Mother could hardly stand there interrogating him.”

Hearing this, Eleventh Miss felt a flicker of worry.

She could only hope it was merely Tenth Sister throwing a temper, and not something more serious…

A young maidservant came in to announce: “The banquet is open!”

The First Young Madam led everyone out to take their seats.

Qiuju held out a blue-and-white porcelain box containing slices of ginseng. “Miss, would you like to take one?”

For fear of needing to use the privy during the wedding ceremony, Eleventh Miss had gone without food or drink since rising that morning. The First Madam had only allowed Qiuju to prepare ginseng slices for her to hold in her mouth.

Eleventh Miss shook her head. “There’s no need. I’m not hungry.”

Two lifetimes lived, and this was the first time she had ever been a bride… she was a little anxious.

“Have you put away that copy of the ‘Great Zhou Geographical Record of the Nine Regions’ for me? I’d like to have a look at it.”

Qiuju could sense that Eleventh Miss was wound rather tight, and quickly went to find the book.

Eleventh Miss leaned against the kang by the window and read.

But her heart felt unsettled and flurried. She held the book in her hands and could not take in a single word.

She set the book down, then felt bored, and picked it up again.

This went on for quite some time, until the banquet outside finally came to an end.

Some guests remained in the main courtyard to watch the proceedings; others came to sit in Eleventh Miss’s room.

Then the procession to fetch the bride arrived.

Third Madam quickly grabbed Luo Zhenkai with one hand and Luo Zhenyu with the other. “You two stay right here and behave yourselves.”

Though no one had held them accountable for what happened last time, every time they recalled the state Tenth Sister had been in back then, they felt deeply unsettled. The two of them had been much better behaved since.

Amid the crackling burst of firecrackers, Luo Zhenxing and the others went through the ceremonial exchange of red envelopes, then opened the gate.

Xu Lingyi, dressed in a great crimson formal robe, walked in with an expression of perfect composure.

Behind him followed two young men whose bearing was at once humble and subtly commanding.

Yu Yiqing was startled, and cried out involuntarily, “Prince Shun! General Fan!”

Qian Ming’s whole body gave an involuntary shudder.

Prince Shun’s father was the full brother of the late Emperor; Prince Shun himself was the reigning Emperor’s cousin — a true scion of the imperial bloodline — and he oversaw the Imperial Household Department. General Fan, whose full name was Fan Weigang, had once been the Emperor’s personal guard; he had followed Xu Lingyi to quell the Miao uprising, and now held the rank of Senior Third Rank military official — Military Commissioner of Xuantong.

Fan Weigang was already grinning broadly. “Today there are only wedding guests — no Prince Shun, no General Fan!”

Luo Zhenxing, visibly uneasy, murmured, “But… but how can that be right…”

Xu Lingyi turned to him. “Have you been getting on well at the Hanlin Academy?”

Luo Zhenxing replied respectfully, “I have gained much in experience and learning.”

Xu Lingyi gave a small nod. “Officials Zhou and Hu are both scholars of great learning and achievement. To be able to attend their lectures is both a rare affinity and a rare opportunity…”

Someone nearby laughed and called out, “My lord, today is your happy occasion. Perhaps you might save the lecturing for another day?”

Prince Shun and Fan Weigang both burst into laughter.

Fan Weigang clapped the speaker on the shoulder. “Elder brother, may I ask your name?”

“I am Qian Ming, courtesy name Zichun,” Qian Ming said with a smile. “I am the Luo Family’s Fifth Son-in-law.”

Prince Shun glanced over at Xu Lingyi with a grin. “This brother-in-law of yours is quite something!”

The corner of Xu Lingyi’s mouth curved upward, a trace of a smile appearing.

Qian Ming quietly breathed a sigh of relief, his smile growing all the more genial. “The hour grows late, and the family patriarch is still waiting for my lord to offer tea!” He used the moment to lead them away toward the main hall.

Xu Lingyi knelt and bowed to the head of the household, then followed custom and went to the First Madam’s quarters.

The First Madam drank the tea Xu Lingyi presented, said nothing at all, and handed him a red envelope. Xu Lingyi accepted it, paid his respects to the First Madam, and returned to the main hall. Qian Ming then took a small wine cup and offered Xu Lingyi a cup of the send-off wine.

Prince Shun could not resist a teasing remark: “You’re worried about getting the Marquis drunk, aren’t you? Don’t worry — he can hold his drink perfectly well!”

But Qian Ming nodded solemnly, with all the gravity of a man stating a great truth: “I speak from shared suffering!”

This sent everyone into peals of laughter.

The head of the household then said, “The hour is late. Let us send off the bride.”

…

Eleventh Miss wore her bridal veil and could see nothing of what was happening around her, but when Luo Zhenxing carried her on his back and set her inside the bridal sedan, all she heard was the rapid crackling of firecrackers — without the lively chorus of joyful voices that usually accompanied such moments.

Her mind drifted back to her first meeting with Xu Lingyi in the small courtyard.

He had something of the quality of a man who would not so much as blink were Mount Tai to collapse before him… though in her experience, such people tended to be rather rigid and not especially receptive to teasing…

The thought had barely passed through Eleventh Miss’s mind when the sedan was lifted, and the firecrackers grew even more rapid and dense, joined now by the beat of gongs and drums.

In the midst of all this clamor, the sedan rocked once and began to move forward.

With the voice of the master of ceremonies calling out at each turn, Eleventh Miss knew she had passed through the Luo Family’s inner gate, then the main gate, then out of the lane… until at last the firecrackers faded into the distance, and only the sound of gongs and drums remained.

And so she was leaving, just like that?

Eleventh Miss was suddenly seized by a feeling of unease.

That home — though it had at times felt suffocating — now that she was truly leaving it, she found she could not help but feel a measure of longing.

On instinct, she turned to look back.

Before her eyes was still nothing but a sea of vivid red.

And without any warning at all, tears fell.

…

She did not know how much time had passed when she heard voices calling out, “They’ve arrived, they’ve arrived!”

Then came a thunderous volley of firecrackers, so loud it drowned out even the gongs.

Eleventh Miss quickly drew a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed the tears from the corners of her eyes, then took up the ceremonial vase and sat up straight and proper.

The sedan came to a stop, and the auspicious woman from the Xu Family helped her out.

A tumult of voices, a roar of laughter and congratulations — it all surged over her like a wave, leaving her unable to tell east from west. And beneath her feet, the soft carpeting of felt had a quality of sinking — as though she had fallen into a great heap of embroidered silks, with nowhere solid to find her footing.

Eleventh Miss, in a daze, stepped over the ceremonial saddle, completed the wedding bows, and was led into the bridal chamber.

Among the rustle of women’s voices came the gentle chiming of hair ornaments.

One of the women laughed and called out, “My lord, hurry and lift the veil — let us see the bride!”

Without a sound, the veil was removed.

The brilliant light of the silver lamps made Eleventh Miss blink. All she could take in was a room blazing with the splendor of pearls and jade, of embroidered silks and radiant colors.

“The bride is truly beautiful…”

“Such fair and lovely skin — one look and you can tell she was born to a life of comfort and good fortune…”

Compliments washed over her like a tide, but the gazes directed at her were full of curiosity, scrutiny, assessment, and doubt…

Eleventh Miss could not help but look out into the crowd.

She saw Lady Lin, wife of the Marquis of Weibei; Lady Tang, wife of the Marquis of Zhongshan; Lady Gan, wife of the Earl of Zhongqin; Lady Qiao, wife of the Duke of Chengguo… and standing by the bed she saw Xu Lingyi.

He stood with perfect posture, his expression stern and composed, his manner calm and unreadable… not the slightest trace of the joy or nervousness that ought to belong to a bridegroom.

For reasons she could not explain, Eleventh Miss felt herself settle.

She straightened her posture. The auspicious woman came forward and gestured for her to take her place on the western side of the bed.

Nanny Xu had once told her that this was called “sitting in prosperity.” During the wedding revelry, the guests would say teasing things; she was to be sure not to speak or move, and after half an hour they would disperse on their own, after which she could drink the nuptial wine.

Eleventh Miss settled herself cross-legged on the western side of the bed, and the auspicious woman invited Xu Lingyi to take the eastern side.

The people in the room were all watching them with cheerful smiles.

Eleventh Miss then noticed that the women in the room were all of a more mature age — only two or three appeared to be in their twenties. And all of them wore floral hairpins of rank: the fewest wore six pins, marking a fourth-rank noblewoman, and the most wore nine, marking a first-rank noblewoman.

Then a young manservant came running in. “My lord! My lord! An imperial edict has arrived!”

In an instant, the room fell completely silent.

One of the women laughed and said, “How fortuitous — let us all go wait in the flower hall.” Eleventh Miss looked over to see that it was Lady Gan who had spoken.

Lady Gan gave her a small nod of acknowledgment.

Xu Lingyi turned to Eleventh Miss and said, “Wait for me a moment. I need to go and change my robes.”

Was he informing her of his movements?

Eleventh Miss responded with a soft, “Yes.”

Mutual respect — a promising beginning.

Two bright-eyed, fine-featured maidservants came forward to help Xu Lingyi change into his official robes, then the two of them — one leading, one following — left the bridal chamber.

Outside was a courtyard. The covered walkways along both sides were hung with lanterns of every color, blazing with light, blossoming like flowers.

Eleventh Miss followed Xu Lingyi westward. After walking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they arrived at a large courtyard.

The courtyard was brilliantly lit. Xu Lingkuan, dressed in the robes of a fourth-rank official, was standing with an eunuch courier, making conversation. The Grand Madam, Xu Lingning, Second Madam, Third Madam, and Fifth Madam were all waiting there as well, each dressed in full ceremonial attire befitting their rank. When they saw Xu Lingyi and Eleventh Miss arrive, everyone seemed to breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

The eunuch courier said with a smile, “My lord, is everyone assembled? Then allow this humble servant to proceed with the reading of the imperial edict.”

Xu Lingyi said, “I am grateful for your trouble,” and knelt first on the green stone courtyard tiles.

The Grand Madam and the others followed him to their knees.

Eleventh Miss naturally took her place kneeling at the very back.

The eunuch then unrolled a five-colored silk scroll patterned with white cloud-and-crane designs and began to read aloud.

—