Eleventh Miss was still in conversation with Hupo when a junior maidservant came in to announce, “Madam, Nanny Tao has arrived.”

At this hour? What could she want?

Eleventh Miss was puzzled for a moment, then quickly said, “Please show her in.”

Nanny Tao entered at the call, and seeing Eleventh Miss with her hair already undone, said hastily, “Oh my, Madam, how have you already let your hair down! The concubines are still waiting to pay their respects and offer you tea.”

She then directed Hupo, “Quickly help Madam put her hair back up.”

Both Eleventh Miss and Hupo were taken by surprise.

“None of them have eaten yet — they are waiting to see you,” Nanny Tao said, with a hint of self-satisfaction in her tone.

Eleventh Miss could not help glancing out the window; Hupo, for her part, was a little anxious as she gave a murmured acknowledgment and hastily re-pinned the undone hair back into a high bun.

“It is only the concubines,” Nanny Tao said with a smile. “Not as though you are receiving some important guest — a quick tidy-up will do!” As she spoke, she took over from Hupo and in a few swift, deft movements fashioned a very tidy and elegant bun for Eleventh Miss. Then, rummaging through the jewelry box, she found a pair of pearl eardrops and helped Eleventh Miss put them on, murmuring quietly, “A matched pair of southern pearls the size of lotus seeds — two identical pearls are remarkably rare.” Then she went to Eleventh Miss’s wardrobe and selected a crimson outer robe embroidered with cloud patterns. “In this household, only you can wear red.”

So this was the art of understated opulence.

Eleventh Miss was genuinely impressed.

This Nanny Tao was truly a woman of great skill.

Though no doubt much of it was learned at First Wife’s side.

Her feelings were somewhat complicated. She had Hupo bring along the meeting gifts she had already prepared for the concubines, and followed Nanny Tao to the main hall.

Nanny Tao quietly advised her as they went: “You need not concern yourself too much with them. If they make you comfortable, give them a pleasant expression. If they do not, simply leave.”

Was this meant to teach her to maintain the unpredictable temperament of one in the upper position, so as to overawe those below? Or did Nanny Tao simply think her too young and inexperienced?

Eleventh Miss smiled and said nothing.

Nanny Tao had already smiled and personally lifted the door curtain. “Concubines, please come in quickly — any later and Madam will have retired for the night!”

Three women filed in one after another.

The first was Yang Yiniang.

She still wore her hair in the disheveled chignon style, her manner alluring as ever; only the eardrops had been changed to cat’s-eye stones, which glimmered and shifted with every movement, catching the light in endlessly changing patterns.

Behind her came Qiao Lianfang.

She wore a pea-green outer robe patterned with persimmon blossoms in Hangzhou silk, her hair arranged in a peony bun; she wore a strand of precious pearl-sized gems and, pinned to one side, a coral, tortoiseshell, and turquoise ornamental knot the size of a wine cup — her dress was elaborate and magnificently adorned.

The last to enter was a woman of about thirty.

She wore a jade-blue plain Hangzhou silk outer robe, her hair neatly arranged in a round bun, into which was inserted a red-gold hairpin set with amber stone. She wore a large red silk flower and had a full, smooth, round face wearing a look of mild anxiety — she seemed rather guileless and simple-natured.

This must be Qin Yiniang…

Eleventh Miss’s gaze settled on her.

From the look of her, she must have been serving Xu Lingyi since childhood.

Eleventh Miss was still turning this over in her mind when Yang Yiniang had already stepped forward with a bright smile and curtsied: “Congratulations to elder sister and best wishes to elder sister on receiving the first-rank official title.” As she said this, she cast a sidelong glance at Nanny Tao.

It seemed she was trying to stir up resentment in Nanny Tao…

Eleventh Miss was thinking this when she noticed Nanny Tao give a cold smile, and the look she directed at Yang Yiniang was one of faint contempt. Then Nanny Tao indicated Qin Yiniang and said, “This is Qin Yiniang — her given name is Shiliu.”

Yang Yiniang had been formally brought in as a concubine through the front entrance, but Qin Yiniang had borne a child even before Yang Yiniang’s arrival. First Wife had always kept a deliberate hold on this matter, never setting a clear ranking between the two. And so everyone could only address them as Yang Yiniang and Qin Yiniang. By introducing Qin Yiniang first, Nanny Tao was returning a subtle rebuke to Yang Yiniang for her earlier impertinence.

Eleventh Miss smiled gently, and then saw Qin Yiniang immediately step forward and kneel before her — had Hupo not been quick-eyed and quick-handed in sliding a cushion over, she would have been kneeling on bare stone tiles.

She respectfully kowtowed once to Eleventh Miss, then took the teacup from the small maidservant’s tray beside her and lifted it above her head with both hands. “Madam, please have some tea.”

Eleventh Miss accepted the teacup with a smile and took a token sip, then presented a pair of vivid emerald jade bracelets as a meeting gift.

Qin Yiniang received the bracelets and withdrew in silence to one side.

Yang Yiniang then stepped forward a few paces and knelt on the cushion with a bright smile, kowtowing once to Eleventh Miss, and called out warmly, “Elder sister!”

Qin Yiniang, being of maidservant origin, was not entitled to address the principal wife as “elder sister.” With that one word, Yang Yiniang was also returning a subtle dig at Nanny Tao.

Eleventh Miss drank the tea she offered and presented a pair of red-gold eardrops set with ruby pomegranate flowers as a meeting gift.

Qiao Lianfang, by contrast, knelt with an expression of cool indifference, kowtowed once to Eleventh Miss, offered the tea, and called out a quiet “elder sister.”

Eleventh Miss presented her with a string of tourmaline prayer beads.

Nanny Tao then said briskly, “All right, all right — the hour is late and Madam is about to retire.”

Qiao Lianfang turned at that and left without a moment’s hesitation.

Yang Yiniang, however, smiled and waited to take Qin Yiniang’s hand before the two of them gave a parting bow to Eleventh Miss and then turned to leave.

Qiao Lianfang — she still retained a certain genuine sincerity…

Eleventh Miss permitted herself a small smile.

“Madam, that is exactly as it should be,” Nanny Tao said approvingly. “One must not be too distant with them, and not too close…”

She was still speaking when a junior maidservant came in to announce that Xu Lingyi had returned.

He was back so early!

Everyone was rather surprised.

Nanny Tao was just about to lift the door curtain when Xu Lingyi walked in.

Seeing Nanny Tao, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.

Nanny Tao quickly said with a smile, “The concubines wished to come and pay their respects to Madam, and I helped introduce them.”

Xu Lingyi gave a nod and went first to the washroom.

Eleventh Miss called Chun Mo and Xia Yi in to attend to Xu Lingyi’s bath.

Nanny Tao then said quietly to Eleventh Miss, “Chun Mo and Xia Yi are maidservants from the Half-Moon Pond apartments. If you do not wish to keep them, you may send them back.”

Since they had been brought over for this purpose and kept here to serve, they were likely either to ensure things were handled well enough — having been accustomed to things — or perhaps Xu Lingyi had grown used to them. Not wanting to change the current arrangement without fully understanding the situation, Eleventh Miss simply gave Nanny Tao a slight nod. “I understand.”

Nanny Tao curtsied and withdrew.

Hupo quickly whispered to her, “Miss, we cannot send Chun Mo and Xia Yi back to the Half-Moon Pond apartments. Since they were deliberately brought here, they must be the ones who have been attending to things most attentively. We absolutely must not return them.”

“I know!” Eleventh Miss was quite pleased with Hupo’s quick thinking.

She arranged the night watch, and Xu Lingyi finished washing and came out of the bathing room.

Hupo led the others and withdrew.

Xu Lingyi then said, “Fifth Brother went with the others to watch street performers. I came back early with Third Brother.”

Was he explaining himself to her?

Whatever the case, this was a good habit — and one worth encouraging.

Eleventh Miss responded with a warm “mm.”

Xu Lingyi stood there for a brief moment, looking slightly disoriented.

It was as though this was the first time he had truly seen her smile… it was gentle… not like yesterday, when she had held everything in, not uttering a single sound… and afterward she had not cried either, only asked him softly… he had called her maidservant in for her, and she had said “thank you”… thank you…

A flash of self-mockery surfaced in his eyes.

If he had not done what he did, she would likely have found her footing in this household impossible…

And then, without quite knowing why, the image of First Wife suddenly surfaced in Xu Lingyi’s mind.

She must have calculated precisely that he could not stand by and do nothing — whether it was for Zhun Ge’s sake, or for the sake of appearances…

The thought brought a restless irritability rising within him. He raised his eyes and looked toward Eleventh Miss.

She was making up the bed.

Her movements were practiced and deft.

Xu Lingyi suddenly recalled her light, careful touch as she had tucked his arm beneath the quilt.

She seemed remarkably at ease with these small acts of looking after others…

The thought came and went, and he gave a slight unconscious frown.

Or perhaps — she did these things often enough that she had grown so practiced, even skilled, at them?

While he was still lost in thought, Eleventh Miss had already turned to look at him with a smile. “My lord — shall you sleep now, or later?”

Xu Lingyi found that her voice moved at an unhurried pace — soft and clear, with a quality of calm composure that was pleasant to the ear.

He considered. “Let us sleep early. Tomorrow we must rise early — there is the ceremony at the ancestral hall, and then the visit to Bowstring Lane.”

Eleventh Miss gave a soft “mm,” saw to it that he was settled in bed, then went and blew out the lamp before rustling herself down beside him.

She had simply lain down at his side, just like that…

Something felt strange to Xu Lingyi.

As though nothing had happened the night before at all.

After some time, he turned over, his back to her.

She did not stir.

After another while, he turned back again, facing her.

She still did not stir.

Half in a dream, Xu Lingyi watched his wife lying curled on her side, one hand resting on the pillow, the other draped over the quilt, her expression utterly serene.

She was asleep…

Xu Lingyi was quietly astonished.

…

In two lifetimes, nothing had ever been worse than the night before.

But if the worst had already come… it had come and gone.

And life, in any case, had to go on. She had no right to wallow in grief.

Eleventh Miss counted her sheep and fell asleep.

The next morning, she was roused by a gentle nudge.

“It is getting late!”

Eleventh Miss startled awake and sat up.

“What hour is it?”

The person beside her clicked open a pocket watch with a snap. “Past two quarters into the mao hour.”

Eleventh Miss let out a breath of relief. “All right then.”

The person beside her laughed. “All right? What is all right about it?”

Eleventh Miss was fully awake now. She turned to Xu Lingyi with a smile. “All right because my lord was kind enough to wake me!”

Xu Lingyi paused.

Eleventh Miss had already thrown on her robe and called for the maidservants to bring water.

Xu Lingyi rose as well, and the two washed up in turn and went to the Grand Madam’s quarters.

It was not yet dawn, but the Grand Madam’s rooms were already blazing with light.

When she saw Xu Lingyi and Eleventh Miss, the Grand Madam, who was already fully dressed and ready, let a shadow of something pass through her eyes. “Let us go. Everything is prepared.”

Xu Lingyi stepped forward at once to support the Grand Madam as they left and boarded the carriage to the ancestral hall, located at the far eastern end of the Xu Mansion.

Inside, in addition to the ancestral tablets of the Xu Family’s forebears, there were also the tablets of Xu Lingyi’s father, of the deceased Second Master Xu Ling’an, and of First Wife.

Eleventh Miss noticed that Xu Lingyi’s gaze lingered on First Wife’s tablet for a long while. And the Grand Madam held back her tears with great effort as she watched them complete the ceremony of formal reverence before the ancestral shrine — then as they walked out of the ancestral hall, she began to weep quietly.

“Mother, please do not grieve,” Xu Lingyi said at once to comfort her. “Is not everyone here and well?”

But the Grand Madam took Eleventh Miss’s hand. “I am all right, all right. These are tears of happiness.”

Seeing the Grand Madam’s sorrow, Eleventh Miss could not help her own eyes growing a little damp. She quickly drew out a handkerchief and offered it to the Grand Madam.

The Grand Madam dabbed the corners of her eyes and showed a smile. “Let us hurry back — otherwise the young masters coming to escort us may not find us.”

The third day after the wedding, Luo Zhenxing would come to escort Eleventh Miss back to her family for the traditional return visit.

The group returned by carriage to the Grand Madam’s quarters and had only just sat down when Nanny Yao came in, smiling, to announce: “The young master has come to escort the Fourth Madam home.”