Mo Zi came to know Gao Zhuang, and through him became familiar with Granny Gao.
Though Granny Gao was a broker, her heart wasn’t bad, nor was she greedy. She made two trips to the capital each year, spending the rest of her time traveling through Luo Zhou’s various small towns and villages, selecting maids, servant women, laborers, and manservants for prominent families. She didn’t casually accept others’ recommendations but mostly had to visit and observe personally, only making decisions after confirming their character. Because of this, her reputation was excellent—even official wives bypassed government brokers to ask her to find servants.
“Granny, you’ve frequently gone to the capital over these years. I’d like to inquire about some matters.” Mo Zi got straight to the point.
“Just ask away. You’ve helped my Da Zhuang so much.” Granny Gao tied on her apron and began scooping water to cook—both for herself and for the customers. She steamed rice, then turned over the chili peppers and beans drying in the courtyard.
For ordinary common folk like the Gao family, there was rarely idle time before sunset and nightfall.
Mo Zi came forward to help. Her movements had originally been quite clumsy, but she quickly became proficient.
Granny Gao watched with a smile. “At times like this, you look like a young lady.”
“Granny, I’ve never claimed to be a man. Dressing like this is just more convenient for traveling.” Mo Zi never deliberately concealed her female identity from people she was familiar with. “Otherwise, when you asked me, I wouldn’t have admitted it right away, would I?”
Granny Gao, being both a broker and a matchmaker, had seen through Mo Zi’s female identity completely from the start.
“It’s only my big fool who calls you Brother Mo, Brother Mo so earnestly.” Granny Gao had a headache. “Every time I see him clapping your shoulder, I’m afraid his brute strength will shatter a perfectly good young lady’s bones.”
Mo Zi chuckled. “Then just tell him—I don’t mind.”
“If that foolish boy doesn’t become enlightened on his own and can’t even notice something so obvious, he definitely won’t be able to marry a wife in the future. I can forget about holding a grandchild in this lifetime. So I won’t tell him—I’ll wait for him to become enlightened.” Having spent years entering and leaving mansions and prominent households, Granny Gao had earned noble ladies’ trust precisely through her frank nature. “By the way, what did you want to ask?”
“Prince Jing’s Mansion in the capital.” Mo Zi’s question was vague.
Granny Gao looked over, sizing her up and down. “Young Master Mo, you certainly know how to pick things to ask about.”
Mo Zi didn’t understand. “Granny—”
“If you wanted to inquire about other families, I might not necessarily know. But this Prince Jing’s Mansion—I’ve had to go there every single trip over these years. I bring back twenty or thirty family letters each time.” Meaning she had already selected many servants to enter the mansion. “Prince Jing’s Mansion belongs to the Xiao surname. The eighty-year-old Old Master Xiao is our Great Zhou’s only prince of a non-imperial surname in a hundred years, with the title hereditary. Twenty years ago, upon Old Master Xiao’s petition to the late emperor, it was passed to his second son, Xiao Su. Xiao Su and Princess Xiao have three legitimate sons: Xiao Ting, Xiao Wei, and Xiao Yong. The Xiao family has had illustrious military achievements since the old master, with men mostly establishing themselves through military service, while women marry into the imperial family and distinguished nobility.”
“Granny, these matters are probably common knowledge among the capital’s common people.” Mo Zi turned over the red chili peppers one by one, though this was very fresh news to her. “Xiao Yong is Prince Jing’s Mansion’s Third Young Master?”
“Exactly, and he’s the only young master in Prince Jing’s Mansion who hasn’t entered the military. He can compose poetry and paint, with talents reaching the heavens. Cao Cao’s son composed a poem in seven steps, but he can compose a rhapsody in three steps. If it weren’t for…” Granny Gao suddenly stopped speaking.
“If it weren’t for what?” How could Mo Zi let that pass?
“Such matters can’t be casually mentioned to others, or I won’t be able to continue as a broker.” Granny Gao shook her head, bending down to brush the bean rolling sieve with her hand. “Unless you tell me why you’re asking about Third Young Master Xiao, I’ll consider whether or not I should say it.”
Mo Zi thought about it and felt she needed to speak some truth. “Granny, you only know I’m a maid from a prominent family. Actually, I’ll tell you secretly—I’m inquiring on behalf of my young lady. A while ago, a guest who came to our mansion hinted at wanting to matchmake for Prince Jing’s Mansion’s Third Young Master. Master and Madam were naturally pleased, but my young lady is extremely clever. Not to mention the capital being far away, even the matching of family status is truly somewhat lacking.”
Upon hearing this, Granny Gao sat back up, her face showing a strange expression. “Someone is proposing a match between Third Young Master Xiao and your young lady?”
“It’s just that intention so far.” Mo Zi took note of that strange look. “Granny, this concerns my young lady’s lifelong happiness. Please tell me—I absolutely won’t say you were the one who told me.”
“Young Master Mo, if I were you, I’d advise your young lady not to marry him.” Granny Gao sighed and continued, “Actually, this matter isn’t really a secret in the capital. I hesitated because I don’t like speaking ill of people behind their backs, especially since the Old Princess Consort and Princess Consort have treated me quite well, entrusting me with the task of finding servants every year.”
“Granny Gao, if it’s truly difficult for you, forget it.” Mo Zi knew that people who wanted to maintain their reputation were mostly people with conscience.
“Most of it is marketplace gossip anyway. How about this—I’ll speak my piece, you listen to yours.” Only after Granny Gao saw Mo Zi nod did she continue, “Though Prince Jing’s Mansion’s Third Young Master is a handsome and talented man, praised even by the current emperor for his learning and literary talent, at only twenty-two years old, he has already married two principal wives.”
“You’re saying he’s married two principal wives?” Mo Zi heard something completely unexpected.
“Exactly right, and moreover, he married two and divorced two within four years.” Granny Gao looked at Mo Zi. “Otherwise, why would I say to have your young lady not marry him?”
“Married two and divorced two?!” Too shocking. Mo Zi repeated Granny Gao’s words, gave a start, and hurriedly asked again, “For what reason? Could it be he married ugly women, shrews, or women whose family background and status didn’t match, displeasing the elders?” In this era, men having three wives and four concubines wasn’t unusual, but divorcing principal wives one after another was extremely rare.
“Nothing of the sort. Both were young ladies from prominent families, and one match was even personally guaranteed by Prince Li, Wu Chengwan. Absolutely well-matched in family status, women of excellent character and appearance. Besides, in selecting wives for Prince Jing’s Mansion’s young masters, would they choose ugly or fierce women?” Hearing Mo Zi speak somewhat excessively, Granny Gao quickly explained.
“Then for what reason exactly? Third Young Master is only twenty-two—it couldn’t be for being childless.” Being childless was the most commonly used of the seven grounds for divorce.
“I’m not clear on the specific reasons, but there are rumors. They say the first one lost her virtue, having an affair with another man, and was caught by Third Young Master himself. The second one had evil intentions and poisoned the food of Third Young Master’s eldest son. Fortunately Princess Consort discovered it, or it would have been an innocent little life lost.” After finishing, Granny Gao emphasized again, “Though these stories are told vividly, when I was at Prince Jing’s Mansion, I didn’t hear anyone mention them at all.”
Indeed told vividly. Mo Zi thought to herself—was this Third Young Master unlucky, encountering two women of poor character in succession? Or was there more to the story?
“Granny, you just mentioned Third Young Master’s eldest son—was he born to the first wife?” She felt that might be a very crucial question.