Everyone had matters on their minds, so the Dragon Boat Festival of the twenty-fourth year of Zhaoming was not celebrated grandly.

After perfunctorily eating zongzi, no one had the mood to watch dragon boat races. Great Madam busied herself daily with dressing up Sixth Miss, rummaging through chests and cabinets to pull out all the fine jewelry accumulated over the years. She brought her three daughters together to select pieces—gold, silver, pearls, jade, emerald, precious stones—all were lavished upon Sixth Miss.

“Imperial marriages have always allowed us to only send clothing materials and jewelry, not land.” Great Madam also meant to reassure Fifth Miss and Seventh Miss. “Little Sixth doesn’t have much jewelry for her trousseau. Don’t think me partial, you sisters. If Little Sixth isn’t adorned beautifully enough in the palace, it would instead damage the Yang family’s face!”

Fortunately, neither Fifth Miss nor Seventh Miss cared about such things. Fifth Miss’s own jewelry accumulated over the years was already no less than that of a middle-ranking family’s matriarch. Seventh Miss only sought propriety. Though these ornaments looked beautiful, if she actually had to wear them all on her head, she felt they would be too heavy.

They also hurriedly cleaned out several locked pavilions in the separate courtyard for Seventh Yiniang to choose from—though her original residence was already comfortable enough, having lived there for several years, Seventh Yiniang might want a change of scenery.

They also purchased all the new clever designs from Siqiao Clothing and Qianxiu Workshop in various styles, preparing to have Sixth Miss bring them to the palace for tailoring clothes… Sixth Miss suddenly became the apple of the entire household’s eye.

Even Great Master frequently summoned her to the outer courtyard to attend him. The personal instruction and earnest exhortations in the small study could easily be imagined.

Fifth Miss herself also had many matters to attend to. Though the Princess Consort of Mingyue said she would act as chief matchmaker, with her status, being willing to come propose marriage was already giving tremendous face to both the Yang and Xu families. The Yang family dared not trouble her with the trivial matters a matchmaker handles for both sides. The Xu family had asked General Xiao to handle these details, and Madam Xiao ran to the Yang residence three times a day to discuss with Great Madam whether the wedding date could be moved up. Xu Fengjia would be going to Guangzhou at year’s end to test the sea vessels, and once he left, who knew when he’d return. Madam Xu’s health was poor and she wanted to see her legitimate grandson sooner…

With such dignified reasons presented, what could the Yang family say? Fifth Miss had no choice but to begin packing her trunks and valuables, sorting through belongings accumulated over more than ten years, preparing to board a ship to the capital in the ninth month to marry.

Even Ninth Brother was busy preparing for Shantang Academy’s annual examination. Having received a few words from Great Master and knowing he had no hope of taking the imperial examinations for several years, this child instead redoubled his study efforts. As if sulking with someone, he wished he could hang from his hair and prick his thigh with an awl, actually developing the determination to ignore everything outside his window.

With everyone busy, Seventh Miss’s leisure became conspicuous.

The lessons with Nanny Tai were prepared specifically for Sixth Miss—Seventh Miss didn’t need to attend. Great Madam’s courtyard was frantically busy with no place to use Seventh Miss, and even if there were, she was too lazy to join the commotion.

At Great Master’s side, every day was either talking with Sixth Miss or calling Fifth Miss to the small study for earnest instruction. The couple seemed to have temporarily forgotten about Seventh Miss in Yuyu Pavilion. For the entire first ten days of the fifth month, they left Seventh Miss aside.

Seventh Miss also quite enjoyed this rare leisure. Each morning after paying respects to Great Madam and greeting Fifth Miss and Sixth Miss, she would return to Yuyu Pavilion to practice calligraphy and read. In her spare time she occasionally embroidered a few flowers, pondered her appearance, admired jewelry, and chatted and laughed with several senior maids… The days flew by.

Before she knew it, the ninth of the fifth month arrived.

Several days earlier, Eunuch Zhang had sent someone to discuss with Great Madam that on the morning of the tenth, he would personally send two experienced old matrons to escort Sixth Miss and Seventh Miss to the temporary palace for tea.

Though Seventh Miss was only accompanying, since two people had been mentioned at the time, this formality still needed to be observed. That Eunuch Zhang specially sent people to escort them already gave tremendous face to the Yang family.

Great Madam dared not be negligent. On the evening of the ninth, after paying respects, she had Sixth Miss return to Xiao Xiangxue to rest well.

Seventh Miss was carefree and at ease. She had always been reliable, and this time she was only accompanying, so Great Madam naturally felt assured. She only gave Seventh Miss a few brief instructions before releasing her to return to Yuyu Pavilion.

Just upon returning to Yuyu Pavilion, she saw several young maids playing hide-and-seek in the pear grove outside. Qiqiao had tied a red cloth over her eyes and leaned against a pear tree counting: “Twenty-three, twenty-four…” But while counting, she quietly pulled at the red cloth to peek at the activity outside.

Seventh Miss found this amusing. She simply circled behind Qiqiao and suddenly patted her shoulder. “Mischievous spirit, playing hide-and-seek and still cheating!”

Qiqiao jumped in fright, turned around complaining, “Who was peeking—Miss!”

Only then did she curtsy in greeting, smiling as she invited Seventh Miss into the room. “Sister Shangyuan has already gone to fetch dinner… Would Miss like tea?”

“No,” Seventh Miss casually replied, then asked, “Where is your Sister Lixia?”

“Sister Lixia’s mother just returned from an outside assignment and brought her some trinkets. The gatekeeper’s wife did her a favor and personally brought them to Yuyu Pavilion. Mother and daughter were just talking in the pear grove. I don’t know where they’ve gone now.” Qiqiao always had a sharp tongue when explaining matters. Seventh Miss’s spirits lifted as she nodded with a smile. She chatted idly with Qiqiao but was distracted, looking out the window.

Lixia soon entered the main hall.

Without waiting for Seventh Miss’s instruction, Qiqiao withdrew from the room on her own. Seventh Miss looked at Lixia expectantly. “Did Master Huang send a reply?”

Lixia’s expression was troubled. “A letter… was not sent.”

She caught her breath and quickly and quietly began narrating in Seventh Miss’s ear.

“This servant’s mother delivered the letter to the Li family. When Master Huang read it, her expression changed.”

“She immediately went into her room with no intention of replying, only saying to have this servant’s mother thank Seventh Miss for her concern, saying she was old and couldn’t hold a brush well, so couldn’t reply…”

“She then claimed illness and returned to her own house in Huang Family Village. This servant’s mother had no choice but to visit daily. After being put off for several days, yesterday morning she finally managed to see Master Huang’s face. Master Huang’s first words were to ask whether you were going to compete in the Crown Prince consort selection…”

“Then she said, if you’re competing for Crown Prince consort, this person would be of great use to you. Before entering Qianxiu Workshop, Ninth Yiniang did indeed have a marriage engagement. That family was surnamed Zheng, and her fiancé was called Zheng Lianji. He was once a struggling scholar who repeatedly failed the examinations with no means of livelihood. The late Master Feng of the Feng family made the arrangements—the Feng family contributed fifty taels of silver, the Zheng family also contributed fifty taels, both representing half a lifetime of savings from each family. The money was given to Scholar Zheng to purchase cloth in Hangzhou and sell it in the capital. Unexpectedly, after half a year, what arrived was an official—a grain and oil merchant who had traveled with Scholar Zheng died in a small inn in the capital. Scholar Zheng himself was never heard from again. Master Feng was someone who only read books without working, and the whole family relied on Ninth Yiniang and her sister-in-law’s handiwork to eat. Having no choice, she had to enter Qianxiu Workshop to become an embroiderer…”

“Master Huang refused to say more after that. From her meaning, it seems that person did return to Suzhou. Ninth Yiniang gave him all her savings, and even Master Huang saw him a few times. However, carrying a murder case on his back, he couldn’t stand his ground in Suzhou and soon disappeared again. After several more years, Ninth Yiniang married into our Yang family… The handkerchief given to you at that time was embroidered by Ninth Yiniang after that person returned to Suzhou. Ninth Yiniang was very happy then, saying after three years she would leave Qianxiu Workshop and follow that person to the capital—during that period, she embroidered many wedding garments, but later destroyed them all. This embroidered handkerchief was only preserved because Master Huang couldn’t bear to see it destroyed and secretly rescued it.”

“Master Huang also refused to write a letter, saying such matters were too meaningless to put in writing. Only because she knew this servant’s family… had followed Miss for several years did she reluctantly tell this servant’s mother in veiled terms.” Lixia obviously hesitated before continuing: “This servant’s mother is also an old hand in the household. She served in Qianxiu Workshop for several years back then. According to her, what Master Huang said was very much the truth. When Ninth Yiniang was an embroiderer, for several months she often secretly shed tears. Those who didn’t know thought something had happened in her family…”

“Master Huang finally said that this person’s background was told to her bit by bit by Ninth Yiniang while embroidering in the past. Whether his original name was really Zheng Lianji, after so much time she couldn’t quite remember. She only remembered that when this person returned to Suzhou, to evade the officials, he changed his surname and was called Lianji.”

Though Seventh Miss had been mentally prepared, she couldn’t help her breath catching as she abruptly stood up.

Lixia appeared very composed—or perhaps she had already guessed the truth of this matter. “When it was time to leave, Master Huang muttered to herself, saying this person probably doesn’t even have a name anymore, only the character ‘Lian’… He owes the Feng family too much. If you can find him, whatever you want, he will probably give…”

She fell silent.

The room suddenly quieted.

After a long while, Seventh Miss slowly sat back down at the table, curving her lips into a mocking smile. “Master Huang is Master Huang indeed. Even at the end, she had to make a joke with me.”

Originally named Zheng Lianji, later changing his surname to Lian to avoid disaster, called Lianji. But having lost even his manhood, naturally the character for continuation and posterity couldn’t be kept either—wasn’t only the character “Lian” left? Huang Xiunniang’s joke was both cruel and sharp. It seemed she and this Lian Ji might have had some connection as well.

No wonder Feng Jin at such a young age could associate with the Eastern Palace. No wonder Feng Jin would ask her for Ninth Yiniang’s embroidery. No wonder Feng Jin said that in his life, he only owed Ninth Yiniang and herself…

Seventh Miss bit her lower lip, opened her jewelry box, and solemnly extracted this yellowed handkerchief from the hidden compartment. After examining it carefully for a long while, she shook her head with a bitter smile and clutched it in her palm.

#

After eating, Seventh Miss instead felt restless after being so still and went to Xiao Xiangxue to speak with Sixth Miss.

After so many years, though the plum grove was maintained annually, some old plum trees inevitably became diseased or died. The old plum tree where the swing used to hang hadn’t bloomed last winter. This spring, Great Madam had it cut down and replaced it with a small sapling. The plum grove now looked somewhat sparse and not very attractive.

Seventh Miss only stood briefly in the plum grove before entering Xiao Xiangxue, smiling as she asked Da Xue: “Has Sixth Sister gone to sleep?”

Sixth Miss of course hadn’t gone to sleep so early.

She was examining the jewelry Great Madam had given her under the lamp—golden flower clusters, coral-edged flowers, beauty banquet exquisite ear covers, golden qilin, white jade pouches… All sorts spread across the table.

“Seventh Sister.” Seeing Seventh Miss enter, she hurriedly smiled in greeting. “Come quickly and help me choose. Before when I had little jewelry, I could dress myself up with variety. Now that I’ve been given all these fine things, I don’t know how to wear them!”

Seventh Miss naturally took a seat at the table, accompanying Sixth Miss to look at her newly acquired treasures.

“Before when I had few things, getting even one precious hairpin felt rare and delightful—I could admire it for days. Now that these things have multiplied, I feel they’re just so-so.” Though Sixth Miss said this, her hands didn’t stop. She inserted the golden flower cluster in her hair. “Aiyo, something worth over ten taels becomes quite heavy when you wear several.” She pulled it out again and replaced it with a small jade fish hairpin.

“Sixth Sister loves these animals and plants.” Seventh Miss also picked up a golden butterfly hairpin and inserted it in Sixth Miss’s hair to look. “Tomorrow is only the preliminary selection. Just dress appropriately. Being too eye-catching would invite jealousy instead…”

Sixth Miss made a sound of agreement. “You’re right. These overly ostentatious ornaments should all be put away.” She opened her jewelry box again and together with Seventh Miss inserted them one by one into cotton sleeves, carefully storing these precious items in the box.

“I’m still thinking of asking Mother to have a larger jewelry box made for me.” Sixth Miss worked while chattering. “This small box is really too crowded with bottles and jars. Squeezed together, one careless moment and something breaks…”

Seventh Miss glanced at the newly added self-chiming clock in the corner. Seeing the hour was getting late and Da Xue and the others were all busy outside, she withdrew her hand and picked up a golden qilin to examine closely under the lamp, asking Sixth Miss casually: “Has Sixth Sister already made up her mind to marry into the Eastern Palace as Crown Prince consort?”

Speaking with different people required different techniques. When speaking with someone like Sixth Miss, the greatest taboo was making it obvious you’d come for a serious talk. Even before Great Master and Great Madam, this seemingly innocent miss refused to reveal her thoughts. Though the two had gotten along quite well over the years, Seventh Miss didn’t think she could open Sixth Miss’s heart with just a few casual words.

Sixth Miss’s hand paused, her face showing an expression between smiling and not smiling.

“This decision wasn’t made by me.” She also picked up a precious hairpin, casually scraping at a few drops of wax on the table. “Seventh Sister, we two sisters have been close for so many years. Sister won’t hide it from you. We daughters are all like dandelion seeds—wherever we drift, there we take root and multiply. Whether entering the Eastern Palace or marrying into the Li family, either way I won’t suffer losses. What is human life like everywhere? Just like a wild goose treading on snow and mud—by chance leaving claw prints on the mud… Does the flying goose ever consider east or west?”

Seventh Miss carefully examined the golden qilin before her, laughing softly: “When Sixth Sister says this, actually you still don’t want to fight for it…”

Suddenly a deep helplessness welled up in her heart. She simply put down the qilin and looked directly at Sixth Miss, speaking earnestly and seriously. “Sixth Sister, priceless treasures are easy to find, but a devoted man is hard to get. I always thought you had some feelings for Eleventh Cousin.”

In the soft candlelight, Sixth Miss’s features appeared even more lively. As the candle flame leaped, her expression seemed to change. She bit her lower lip and sat dazed, gazing at the plum blossom hairpin in her hand. After a long while, she finally let out a long breath.

“Even if there are some feelings, what of it?” She slowly raised the hairpin and inserted it in her hair knot, looking at herself in the small glass mirror for a moment before pulling the hairpin out again. “What the Li family is like, you know in your heart too. In terms of household affairs and scheming, they’re among the most chaotic. Speaking of calculation, they rival the palace. But speaking of honor, it can’t compare even one ten-thousandth. Both involve scheming and infighting—rather than marrying into the Li family, I’d rather enter the palace as a consort. To whom am I not being cautious and deferential? I’d rather be deferential to the Crown Prince’s consort, to the Empress, to the Imperial Consorts than to Madam Li!”

Sixth Miss’s wariness of Madam Li had indeed been revealed early on.

Seventh Miss’s heart filled with myriad emotions. After a long silence, she carefully said: “Actually by rights, I’m the least qualified to say this to you. Regarding Cousin’s matter, you probably know in your heart… But I still want to say this to you, Sixth Sister. The Li family matter—if you can fight for it, you should fight. Though the palace is honorable, the Crown Prince’s temperament is deep and unfathomable. Your birth isn’t noble, and your beauty might become a source of jealousy. If you could fly together with Eleventh Cousin, wouldn’t that surpass passing days in the palace? You and I are different. If I had agreed to Cousin, I probably wouldn’t live to see my wedding day. But even if you fail the selection, with Madam’s temperament, she naturally won’t be too pleased, but ultimately this displeasure contains no personal grudge… In the future at your husband’s family, there will still be someone to support you.”

Seventh Miss’s words couldn’t be called anything but frank.

Sixth Miss was stunned at once.

After a long while, she sighed with slight irritation.

“If Father didn’t have thoughts of claiming illness, hearing your words, I might really have… But now it’s too late to say anything. With Madam Li’s temperament, once our family steps down from the Jiangnan Governor position, she’ll probably change her face immediately. The Li family has so many children—how much silver can Eleventh Cousin get? Poor couples find everything sorrowful…” On her lovely face, her eyes gleamed, already revealing rare shrewdness and composure. “Moreover… what can a little bit of liking accomplish? There are many people in this world worth my care. Look at what kind of life Seventh Yiniang lived before, and what kind of life she lives now? Seventh Sister, if you weren’t of concubine birth, I wouldn’t say these words to you. Compared to Seventh Yiniang, what does that little bit of liking matter? My greatest wish in life is for her to spend her later years in glory and peace. This hope was originally presumptuous, but now it can come true. I don’t know how happy I am!”

In this moment, she truly opened her outer garments completely to Seventh Miss.

Seventh Miss took a deep breath and said no more.

Each person had their own path to walk. Sixth Miss wasn’t Fifth Miss—she saw very clearly the road beneath her feet.

She reached into her robe. “Since it’s like this, then please have Sixth Sister pass along something for me, all right?”