The twelfth of the fourth month was the Grand Madam’s actual birthday. Everyone in the mansion naturally stood in full readiness. Since yesterday’s warming birthday feast had already seen household servants present longevity noodles and other auspicious items, the female family members hurried early to Leshan Residence, led by Madam Xu to pay respects to the Grand Madam, then returned to their own courtyards to dress carefully. Though not yet wearing official court dress, all wore uniform bright red jackets and skirts paired with complete sets of gold, jade, and gemstone hair ornaments, adorned with pearls and jewels, magnificently arrayed.

Then entering the long-dusty main courtyard, at this time the main courtyard’s upper rooms had their doors thrown wide open. The bright green brick flooring was spotlessly clean, and both side rooms were prepared with countless refreshments. From the main courtyard’s covered walkway extending outward, the upper rooms had already opened over ten large round tables for guests to sit around. The several sisters-in-law sat briefly in the main room before coming out to receive guests.

Distinguished guests were personally guided by the sisters-in-law; ordinary guests were also received by reception women. All flowed endlessly into the inner main room to greet the Grand Madam and offer birthday congratulations, then were led to seats at the banquet. From the hour of the snake onward, for one or two hours they came in an endless stream—from first-rank duchesses to merchant wives from the Xu clan. By a quarter past noon, everyone had arrived. Though the Xu family had many daughters-in-law, all four sisters-in-law were thoroughly exhausted. Everyone sat together briefly in the inner room to rest their feet, then rose and went out to the outer room, putting on smiling faces to sit around at the family table. Starting with Madam Xu, each in turn offered birthday congratulations to the Grand Madam and several birthday celebrants of similar generation who’d come to drink birthday wine.

Such banquets were naturally refined, but no matter how refined, they couldn’t compare to the private kitchen’s carefully crafted specialty dishes. No matter whose household hosted, it was all just packaged banquets from restaurants. The noble ladies merely touched their lips lightly. After eating, led by reception women, all relatives and friends—unless having excused themselves beforehand—were invited to Little Cuijin to watch opera. Young children were led to empty courtyards to watch variety shows. Male guests had their own courtyard in the outer compound to listen to opera. Those who wished could play dominoes or mahjong, also accompanied by special entertainers.

That evening after drinking wine, inebriated friends were led to guest courtyards for lodging. For the sober, the Xu family arranged escort guards to accompany them home—they could ignore curfew. From the palace, Imperial Consort Xu bestowed an agarwood cane and personally wrote the large characters for “Fortune and Longevity” to celebrate the Grand Madam’s seventieth birthday. This day the Xu family was thoroughly lively.

With Madam Xu’s poor health, the several granddaughters-in-law had many duties. Fortunately, Seventh Miss had arranged things several times in advance, considering many contingencies. Throughout the day, everything passed without incident, not a single mistake—everything handled properly. Though she didn’t rest until the third watch, her heart was at peace.

This third day of birthday wine carried somewhat of a wrap-up meaning. Some relatives from other regions, after drinking the three-day wine, mostly departed the capital. As for relatives in the capital, they only attended the actual day and wouldn’t come drink wine again on the third day. Seventh Miss was instead even more cautious, rising early to enter Leshan Residence and admonishing the eleven steward matrons once more. That day naturally involved more drinking wine, watching opera, playing dominoes and mahjong. By the fourth day, Third Aunt was the first to take leave and return to Yangzhou—smiling from ear to ear, patting Yu Qiao’s arm repeatedly. Following her lead, over twenty households of relatives took their leave that day. Five or six households remained—some had other business requiring a short stay at the Xu family, some had booked boats that hadn’t yet reached Tongzhou dock. Seventh Miss led the matrons in tallying birthday gifts, reconciling banquet accounts with the restaurant, entertaining remaining guests by moving them to more spacious accommodations, recording gold and silver vessels, distributing another round of reward money to household servants, adding dishes for rough-work women and servant boys at mealtimes… All had precedents from previous years and couldn’t go too wrong. With Seventh Miss overseeing, everything was naturally handled properly.

After another two or three days of such busyness, relatives who should leave had all departed. The one or two households staying were settled with dedicated attendants. Only then was the birthday banquet’s tail truly wrapped up. Amazingly, from start to finish only two or three mishaps occurred. By the time they were reported to Seventh Miss, the steward matrons had already handled them appropriately, using methods of suitable severity that stirred no waves.

“I thought this time for the birthday banquet, Fifth Sister-in-law would definitely fight you tooth and nail, secretly pulling your legs from behind…” Xu Fengjia chatted idly with Seventh Miss as he leaned against the kang reading the court gazette.

Entering the fourth month, the capital’s weather had already warmed. With fewer quilts piled on the kang, there was more space. Master Xu lay sprawled across the kang, feet propped on the kang table, again displaying the triumphant manner of a capital scoundrel.

Seventh Miss moved the tea set from the kang table to the lower side table, sighing lightly before saying, “If Fifth Sister-in-law would pull my legs, I’d actually be happier.” She sat before the kang, spreading several account books on the small kang table, patting Xu Fengjia’s feet with reproach. “You’re so annoying—pull them back so you don’t get ink all over them again.”

“How so?” Xu Fengjia lazily bent his legs, propping his elbow on the pillow, turning on his side to place the gazette before him, lowering his head to casually browse the news. Suddenly he exclaimed in surprise and sighed. “I didn’t expect Captain Wu would actually pass away—what a pity, this year he was only thirty.”

“What, was he an old acquaintance of yours?” Seventh Miss pondered while turning a page, casually picking up the conversation thread with Xu Fengjia.

“Mm, when in the northwest we fought several battles together, but he was a Gui family loyalist, so we didn’t have much contact. He was very forthright, but his health wasn’t good—he’d suffered arrow wounds before. Quan Ziyin said if he remained on northwest duty without taking care of himself, he wouldn’t live past thirty-five. Captain Wu didn’t take it seriously at the time, but unexpectedly…” Xu Fengjia’s voice lowered. He raised his head, giving Seventh Miss a worried glance but didn’t finish the sentence.

Seventh Miss truly couldn’t muster much grief over Captain Wu’s death—after all, she’d never known the man. Thus she only hummed a few sympathetic sounds, picking up her brush to write several more lines. Xu Fengjia cleared his throat and asked again, “What did you mean just now—how is it that if Fifth Sister-in-law pulls your legs, you’d be happier?”

Seventh Miss glanced at Xu Fengjia with a half-smile, lips curving slightly. Though court struggles were ten times more treacherous than inner quarters, men were men—even their most subtle struggles seemed excessively crude compared to women’s scheming.

“If Fifth Sister-in-law pulls my legs, there are three possible outcomes.” She snapped shut the account book in her hand to analyze for Xu Fengjia. “First, she succeeds and I make a major mistake that brings shame to the Xu family. So I’m unhappy, Father and Mother are naturally more unhappy, and needless to say Grandmother. When the three elders inquire, I’ve never managed household affairs before—hastily entering the fray, naturally I didn’t know my limits. But Fifth Sister-in-law has managed household affairs for years. Suddenly dumping household management on me at the critical moment—did she have good intentions? The Xu family has more than one Young Madam—she wouldn’t make wedding clothes for Fourth Sister-in-law.”

“Second, she succeeds and I make a medium-sized mistake. Though awkward within the family, fortunately we haven’t lost face before outsiders.” She counted on one finger. “Though Father and Mother won’t fully trust my capabilities, for a newcomer this result isn’t bad. You’re also the Emperor’s favorite—we exert ourselves a bit more, and at most Mother will worry more about us in future. Household management will sooner or later pass to my hands… Why would she bother? Moreover, once she acts, there could easily be slip-ups. If Mother follows the thread to expose it, that would truly be utterly humiliating. This risk—she needn’t take it.”

“Third, she doesn’t succeed… Of course, failure could have several consequences, but in any case it wouldn’t escape ‘trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice’—Fifth Sister-in-law even less needs to harm others without benefiting herself.” Seventh Miss smiled coldly. “Abandoning her post at the critical moment was simply to test my limits, hoping I’d throw my own ranks into chaos, making the household chaotic. If it really reached that point, she might add fuel to the flames. I think this round of sparring—after that small meeting in Leshan Residence the first morning, she already knew her wishful thinking had failed.”

Xu Fengjia had listened casually at first but grew more absorbed. After pondering a long while, he smiled. “You’re right—since she already lost a move, no need to stubbornly continue down that path, making herself look foolish.”

Seventh Miss also nodded. “Exactly. But how many people know to pull back in time? Worldly people in their actions always involve emotion and temperament. Do you see such traces in Fifth Sister-in-law’s actions? In my view, not only this birthday banquet was she entirely proper, but even in the upcoming household management handover, she definitely won’t openly trip me up or direct steward matrons to make me suffer—if she used such crude tactics, that would be good. Which of the three elders is stupid? She made the first mistake—Grandmother can’t cover for her much. Once Father gets angry, we’d have nothing to worry about.”

Precisely because Fifth Young Madam was frighteningly unfeeling, she was the most fearsome opponent. Seventh Miss had put away any possible contempt. She knew the contest between herself and Fifth Young Madam would probably continue for some time. Inferior methods would absolutely not appear. This round of gaming in the Xu family would surely be full of repeated probing and lengthy groundwork. Though this war wouldn’t see blood, it still couldn’t tolerate any carelessness.

She drifted in thought for a moment before saying softly, “Among the several sisters-in-law at home, only Fifth Sister-in-law truly counts as a real master.”

Her solemn tone instead made Xu Fengjia burst out laughing.

“Listening to you talk, household living sounds like sparring with forest bandits—ranking everyone and bestowing titles?” His free hand tapped his thigh, his manner relaxed and comfortable like a resting beast of prey. “Since Fifth Sister-in-law is a master, how do you plan to handle her? Heroine Yang.”

He drew out his voice like a tiger lazily yawning, but his gaze at Seventh Miss clearly carried threads of appreciation.

Seventh Miss rolled her eyes. “Why should our own rhythm be disrupted by others? Thinking about handling Fifth Sister-in-law—Young Master, you’re too attached to appearances. Why would I handle her? Right now what needs doing is properly taking over household management. Once everything’s in hand, then we can discuss other matters.”

Xu Fengjia thought about it and could only admit, “In terms of staying composed, in household matters I’m not your equal.”

He seemed somewhat unconvinced and added a sentence. “But on the battlefield with decisive killing, you definitely aren’t my equal!”

Seventh Miss couldn’t help doubling over with laughter. Xu Fengjia was embarrassed at first, but thinking about it, also burst into laughter with her.

After laughing, she lowered her head again, carefully reviewing the personnel files from this period, carefully savoring in her mind the characters of these eleven steward matrons and their relationships with each other.

Seventh Miss never fought unprepared battles.

#

Early on the morning of the twentieth of the fourth month, Xu Fengjia rose to see off the last household of relatives—a married couple from within the Xu clan heading north beyond the passes to join the wife’s uncle stationed on the western frontier. With Duke Pingguo’s mansion making introductions with the garrison rotation guards, accompanying them through Xuande would be much more convenient.

Seventh Miss also rose early. She rarely brought Lixia along to pay respects—since Bailu married out, Lixia was unquestionably the senior maid at her side. Seventh Miss rarely took her around anymore, usually having her hold down the fort when going out. Especially these past days with many matters, when she was away and matters were reported to Mingde Hall, there needed to be someone to make decisions.

After entering Leshan Residence’s rear hall, everyone had arrived. Even Duke Pingguo had rarely entered the inner quarters to greet his mother. Everyone naturally exchanged greetings again before sitting separately to talk.

The Grand Madam was in good spirits today and didn’t make her routine difficulties for Seventh Miss. Instead, she held onto Duke Pingguo asking about the circumstances of those young and robust clan members, inevitably teasing Yu Qiao, “I’m asking for your sake!”

The Xu family’s ancestral home was in Yangzhou. If Yu Qiao married into the Fan family, she’d naturally need frequent contact with the clan. The young girl immediately flushed red, looking at the floor. Seventh Miss glanced over and saw the tightened lines at her cheeks.

She sighed silently in her heart again, then put on a smile and asked Fifth Young Madam warmly, “Fifth Sister-in-law, why don’t we see Hexian yet? Little Fuchun said the child has already recovered.”

Fifth Young Madam was slightly startled, glancing at the Grand Madam and Duke Pingguo before smiling. “She’s recovered, but the doctor said she still can’t be exposed to wind, so I didn’t let her come out.”

Everyone naturally offered inquiries about Hexian. Seventh Miss, seeing the timing was perfect, smiled and took out a small box, placing it in Fifth Young Madam’s hands. Looking at the Grand Madam, she said, “Little Seven is young—managing the household these few days, I’m already exhausted and can’t straighten my back. Since Hexian has recovered, I think these keys and tokens should be returned to Fifth Sister-in-law?”

Her mention of Hexian was precisely for this purpose, but both the Grand Madam and Fifth Young Madam were equally startled.

They’d thought she would go with the flow and just take over household management… But unexpectedly, she wouldn’t accept even the master key, and today before Duke Pingguo, proposed returning authority.

Duke Pingguo only entered Leshan Residence a few times a month—she’d deliberately waited until this day to speak. What was her intention?

The Grand Madam pondered while smiling and nodding slightly at Fifth Young Madam.

Fifth Young Madam was uncertain, glancing again at Duke Pingguo before looking questioningly at Seventh Miss.

From start to finish, she hadn’t glanced once at Fifth Young Master.

Duke Pingguo couldn’t help stroking several short whiskers at his cheeks, eyes flickering as he looked Seventh Miss up and down several times before saying lightly, “These past days, the Yang family has managed things inside and out quite well… At the end of this month when you enter the palace to pay respects to the Imperial Consort, tell her properly about the household’s grand occasion so the Imperial Consort can also share in the joy.”

Though these words were casual, the Grand Madam’s eye corners couldn’t help twitching several times. Deep thought flashed and passed before her loving smile reappeared.

A blush flashed across Fifth Young Madam’s cheeks. She exhaled shallowly, accepting the small wooden box from Seventh Miss’s hands with a smile. “Actually speaking, Sixth Sister-in-law managing the household is most proper and justified. Since you came through the door, I’ve long had this intention…”

She simply and decisively seized the opportunity to propose transferring household management authority.

Seventh Miss had the courage to spit out meat already at her mouth; Fifth Young Madam was no less capable—this meat had already been swallowed into her stomach, yet she still said spit and spat without a moment’s hesitation.

Duke Pingguo’s gaze toward Fifth Young Madam immediately held several threads more favor.

Seventh Miss saw this and secretly exhaled again, but her face played quail, speaking in soft gentle tones. “What is Fifth Sister-in-law saying? Little Seven just follows Grandmother, Father, and Mother’s wishes in all things…”

For a moment, everyone looked at Duke Pingguo, but with varied expressions, all pondering.

Duke Pingguo thought for a moment but smiled. “This matter still needs your mother’s input. Zhang family, don’t rush to abandon your post—put that box away for now.”

Seventh Miss’s heart immediately settled.

That exchange just now sounded like household chat, but several heavyweight figures had all made their positions clear.

By reason and emotion, as long as Seventh Miss wasn’t an idiot—with Madam Xu often ill, the Young Master’s Wife should manage the household. Even Duke Pingguo himself couldn’t override this principle. And indeed, after Seventh Miss proved her capabilities and demonstrated proper discretion in advancing and retreating, he gave his permission—he proactively had Seventh Miss enter the palace to pay respects to the Imperial Consort.

Those who paid respects to the Imperial Consort were naturally the Xu family’s mistress or prospective mistress. Fifth Young Madam and the Grand Madam couldn’t fail to understand this hint. Fifth Young Madam immediately made her response—she cleanly let go.

But taking over household management authority—how to take over was also a question. Just hearing this sentence, one knew that though Duke Pingguo appreciated Fifth Young Madam’s decisive relinquishment of power, he wasn’t without dissatisfaction about her abandoning her post at the critical moment. Ultimately, he still had regard for Madam Xu and Xu Fengjia, his legitimate son. He was leaving the timing of the handover for Madam Xu to decide.

If Seventh Miss guessed correctly, Madam Xu would definitely require clearing Fifth Young Madam’s account books from these years of household management before the handover.