A few days after Hongxiao and Qiu Niang’s arrival, Minglan was startled to discover that a rather significant number of people were keenly concerned with the affairs of Gu Tingye’s bedchamber.

One day, Madam Lai came rushing over in a state of excitement. She first poured out a torrent of fawning flattery, praising Minglan until Minglan’s ears went numb, before finally arriving at her true purpose: “…Madam is young and may not know — in households like ours of noble rank, there are proper rules between a wife and her concubines as well. Whenever Madam finds the time, please draw up a schedule for the master to take turns visiting each lady’s chamber in rotation — and once that’s established, harmony will reign throughout the household!”

Minglan was speechless for quite a while. For the first time, she felt a truly genuine surge of anger. An ice-cold gaze shot straight at Madam Lai, and the smile froze on Madam Lai’s face as she faltered into silence. Seeing Minglan’s expression darken, Madam Lai tried to ingratiate herself again: “Madam, please don’t fault me for overstepping — I’m saying this for your own good, to spare you from being called ‘jealous.'”

Minglan laughed coldly inwardly. Did she truly think she was dealing with someone who knew nothing? To come and bully her so openly and brazenly! The practice of a wife-and-concubines rotation schedule was, in substance, a constraint designed to prevent concubines from monopolizing the husband’s affections — it was established specifically to guard against a man losing his head over a favored concubine and elevating her above his principal wife. In simple terms, it was a restrictive measure devised to stop a man from exclusively favoring any particular concubine.

But in reality, very few wealthy households ever truly carried it out.

Minglan made considerable effort to cool her icy gaze and arranged a mild smile: “I truly am ignorant of such rules. I expect Madam knows them well. Then let me ask a few questions. First — when the principal late Madam of the old Marquis was alive, did she ever draw up such a schedule?”

Madam Lai immediately choked to a halt. When Da Qin Shi was alive, not only had no concubine or bed attendant been touched by old Marquis Gu — he hadn’t laid a finger on even a common fly.

Minglan continued: “And what about Madam Bai? Or the current Madam?”

Madam Lai’s throat constricted and she could say nothing. Setting aside Bai Shi entirely, even Xiao Qin Shi — celebrated for her virtue and docility — had never drawn up such a schedule.

Minglan began to smile coldly: “And what of my eldest sister-in-law’s household, and my younger sister-in-law’s — have any of them drawn up such a schedule? Has Madam ever gone to advise them?”

Madam Lai was struck mute. She stood rooted to the spot — neither able to leave, nor able to stay — her expression looking worse than if she had broken into tears.

Minglan said lightly: “It seems Madam’s special consideration is reserved for me alone.”

Only then did Madam Lai understand she was in trouble. This young Madam had a mind that saw right through everything, a tongue that could cut sharply, and was far harder to deceive than an ordinary mistress. In a panic, she moved to kneel. Minglan’s gaze passed over to Xiaotao, who immediately unleashed an astonishing grip, physically restraining the woman. Minglan smiled with perfect warmth and gentleness: “Madam is precious — I couldn’t receive such a gesture.”

Madam Lai couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat across her forehead, yet she was at a loss for words.

After seeing the woman out, Danju fumed: “Madam, we can’t let this go — they’ve bullied you!” Xiaotao quickly came up with a scheme: “Let’s find something to pin on her and punish her severely — best if we can have her flogged! That’ll teach her not to cause trouble!”

Minglan sat with a composed and serious expression, gripping her fist tightly, not revealing what she was thinking. After a long while she let out one low sentence: “They are truly formidable. If I were to severely punish her right now, it would likely be playing right into the hands of the other side. The more she wants this place in turmoil, the more I must maintain an appearance of perfect harmony.”

Danju and Xiaotao looked at each other in confusion, not understanding her meaning. Minglan looked up and asked: “In all the days Madam Lai has been in the household, has she had any disputes or quarrels with anyone?”

“Has she ever not!” Xiaotao said. “All those older women fancy themselves of higher standing for having served the elders, and every one of them loves to look down on others and show off her seniority. Madam Lai is especially hateful — having failed to snatch up any advantageous position for herself, she’s always picking on those who have actual duties, and has made quite a few enemies.”

“Good.” Minglan said evenly.

The very next afternoon, Minglan promoted Wang Wu’s wife from the back garden, appointing her to temporarily oversee the cultivation of a stretch of untended land beside the forest.

The entire household, great and small, was puzzled. This was a coveted and profitable position that countless people had scrambled for — why had it gone to Wang Wu’s wife, who was blunt in manner and no good at maneuvering? In truth, Minglan had originally planned to reserve this post for Cuiwei’s husband. But then He Youchang, having only just begun to find his footing managing things in the outer courtyard, voluntarily stepped down. With no suitable candidate in mind, Minglan had let the matter drag on until now.

“Wang Wu’s wife is requesting to come and offer her thanks.” Cuiwei came in to report.

Minglan waved her hand dismissively and instead asked: “Are you quite certain she is the most suitable?”

“Cuiwei and Madam Cui have been watching them all with a discreet eye. Among all those people, she is the best of the lot.” Cuiwei gave a nod. “Quick-tongued, straightforward in nature, but still sensible enough, with some spark of cleverness. I’ve made inquiries all around — she’s well-regarded in the household. Most of her quarrels with Madam Lai have been because she stands up for others when injustice is done. That said, I haven’t known her long, and I can’t speak to whether she has other failings.”

“Is anyone ever perfect?” Minglan said with a rueful smile. “It’s only a matter of borrowing her usefulness for a time. If she performs well, the position is hers for good. If not, it can be taken away at any moment.”

Danju, who had been peering carefully out the doorway, turned back and spoke quietly: “Madam needn’t worry. Didn’t we look through the records last night? Wang Wu’s wife may never have managed land herself, but her husband has done farmwork in the village before. The others may know farming, but they’re prone to stirring up trouble and don’t know when to hold back.”

Minglan gave a nod and made her decision: “Cuiwei, tell her there’s no need to come and give thanks. Just pass along two things from me. First: do your job properly, don’t give anyone a handle to use against you — I’m watching. Second…” Minglan gave a mild smile: “Madam Lai is a long-standing fixture here at the Marquis’s residence — even-tempered, amiable, a very agreeable person. Tell her to ‘show her proper respect.’ Say nothing more than that.”

Cuiwei’s eyes lit up immediately. She nodded and went out. Danju also seemed to grasp the intent. Only Xiaotao, who was on the kang piecing together silk brocade scraps, stared on blankly: “Will that really work?”

Minglan said slowly: “If she’s truly sharp, she’ll understand. After today, none of you are to breathe a word about this again. When you see Madam Lai, be perfectly pleasant and courteous toward her — absolutely no quarreling. If there is any news, simply come and report to me.”

The two girls answered in unison with solemn seriousness.

Cuiwei’s eye for people was sound. Wang Wu’s wife turned out to be exactly as expected — sharp and clear-headed.

She managed her duties on one hand and picked quarrels with Madam Lai on the other, managing both without interfering with either, and with precisely calibrated restraint. Several of the more perceptive people in the household gradually began to see through the situation. Those who had previously stepped aside and steered clear of Madam Lai now found themselves no longer willing to hold back. Whenever any incident arose, a large crowd would swarm in to hound Madam Lai — from her husband’s drinking and gambling, all the way to mockery of her eldest daughter’s marriage to some fat and wealthy old man, and countless other running jokes, without end.

Madam Lai trembled with rage but was entirely helpless. With only one mouth against so many, even with the scheming Madam Diao lending a hand, they remained vastly outnumbered. When it came to wailing and howling — the other side’s voices were louder. As for coming to blows — it only left Madam Lai with her hair in disarray, her powder smeared, and a generally ugly scene. And she was, after all, getting on in years — the fury often left her face turning purple, her breath catching in her throat, her hands and feet shaking uncontrollably.

At these moments, Minglan would make a great show of calling in the physician, pouring good medicines and nourishing broth into the woman with considerable expense in gleaming silver, and then with a tone of heartfelt concern, would reproach those few feuding servants just enough — not too heavily — fining the most vocal ones as a gesture of keeping the conflict “within bounds.”

Then, once Madam Lai had recovered her strength, the whole cycle would repeat itself.

By the time Minglan made her visit to pay respects at the main Marquis’s residence, the old Madam couldn’t help but ask: “Is Madam Lai faring well at your place?”

“Wonderfully.” Minglan smiled with beaming sweetness. “Madam Lai came from you, Madam — how could anything go wrong?”

“But I hear… she often quarrels with others?” Madam was hesitant.

Minglan smiled pleasantly: “No such thing! It’s only that Madam Lai is strict in managing affairs, somewhat demanding with those below her — she speaks sharply now and then, that’s all.” She pivoted abruptly: “If there’s anything truly worth mentioning, there is one thing Madam Lai has been dealing with.”

Madam’s eyes flickered and she asked with studied calm: “What matter?”

Minglan dropped her voice in apparent unease: “It’s entirely my own fault for not looking after Madam Lai well. I imagine she is getting on in years, yet I kept burdening her with one task after another — overseeing this, managing that — and she has exhausted herself into illness. We’ve had to call for the physician twice now — once for old Doctor Zhang Shiji from Xuan Cao Hall on the south side of the city, and once for Doctor Li Chong, recommended by Young Madam Zheng. Both of them said it was an elderly person overworked and overwrought — and that she had been greatly upset. Oh, how could it have come to this? If something were truly to happen to her, how could I ever face you, Madam?” Minglan apologized in a low voice, over and over.

Madam’s expression shifted with a flash of surprise, quickly passed over. Madam Shao, seeing how remorseful Minglan appeared, offered a few gentle words of comfort: “Sister-in-law, please don’t take this to heart. Both of those physicians are well-known to me — their medical skill and character are beyond question. Madam Lai can consider herself quite fortunate. Besides, anyone who manages a household and oversees affairs will inevitably deal with grievances — even I, with my mother-in-law keeping watch above and my sisters-in-law helping alongside, still took plenty of grief from those below me in my early days!”

Madam wore a kind and gracious expression as she smiled: “Your elder sister-in-law is right — don’t take it to heart.” She offered many more warm words of reassurance to Minglan, then probed gently: “If Madam Lai truly isn’t managing well, perhaps I could send you a few more people…?”

“What are you saying, Madam!” Minglan brightened her expression and playfully feigned offense: “I already have so many capable hands to help me, and Rong Jie’er and the others are not causing any trouble. The various Madams have been assisting me for nearly two months now — even if I had no skill at all, surely I could have put even one small plot of land in order by now?! If I keep coming to you asking for this and asking for that, people who didn’t know better might say my own family never taught their daughter properly — and then I’d have no face to show anywhere!”

“You little thing!” Madam seemed genuinely amused and pointed at Minglan, laughing out loud. Madam Shao also hid a smile behind her sleeve. Zhu Shi laughed most openly of all — but her eyes kept drifting toward Madam.

“Not a single quarrel?” Gu Tingxuan lowered her voice.

A young woman dressed as a married mistress leaned in: “Not only that — there was laughter coming from the room, very warm and harmonious.”

Gu Tingxuan glanced at the tightly closed doors and windows and let out a long breath, remarking admiringly: “My second sister-in-law is truly remarkable. Our great aunt has met her match. If Madam Tian hadn’t come to tell me quietly, I would have thought nothing at all had happened between them.”

The young woman, apparently having run over in quite a hurry, was continuously dabbing at her perspiration with a handkerchief and said softly: “Cheng Garden is shut up as tight as an iron fence — it’s not easy to find anything out. Thank goodness you sensed something was strange about Madam Lai having the physician called so often and asked Madam Tian to look into it.”

“My second sister-in-law has been cautious enough — but even if word had leaked out, what of it?” Gu Tingxuan’s eyes curved into a smile. “With everything she has handled so impeccably, who in the outside world isn’t praising her benevolent heart and generous spirit toward an old retainer?”

“If I were Madam Lai, I’d tear it all open with a scene, expose the whole thing, and make it public! That would be better than taking all this grief quietly — I hear she even went to offer her apologies, and was turned away every time by Madam Tingye!” the young woman said.

“What do you understand?! The whole affair is not something that can be said aloud!” Gu Tingxuan shot her a look and laughed. “Could Madam Lai really go to the Marquis’s residence to cry injustice — claiming that because she gave a few words of advice about having the wives and concubines take turns with the master, the Second Madam flew into a rage and stirred up the servants to give her grief? Ha — if those words were ever spoken, Madam Lai’s face would be ruined for every generation to come.”

“My lady, please explain — how exactly would that go?” the young woman asked in puzzlement.

Gu Tingxuan lowered her voice further: “Look around our household. Which room practices any rotation schedule? Tingyang’s wife lives like a widow waiting for a dead husband’s return — but even if she wanted to draw up a schedule, the husband has to be willing to come near her first, doesn’t he?” She laughed until she had to muffle the sound with her hands. “Then there’s my mother-in-law, and Fifth Aunt, who are old enough now — and all the old Yiniangof each branch, and the ones who have long since lost favor. How on earth would you draw up a schedule for all of them? If those words were actually spoken aloud, whether taken seriously or not — those women would be thrilled, while the household would erupt into one enormous wave of turmoil!”

“I see — my lady is truly perceptive!” The young woman struck a very cooperative tone of admiring deference and slipped in a few flattering words as well. “Besides, even if you drew up a schedule, my lady, your husband wouldn’t visit anyone else.”

Gu Tingxuan was delighted and very receptive: “Not to mention, those two young newlyweds are right in the thick of their honeymoon at the moment — sweet as honey and close as syrup. If Madam Lai not only started trouble but then went around spreading the story, no one would say a word against the second sister-in-law. Instead, they’d blame Madam Lai for picking on the soft target, for not going to counsel any of the other mistresses in the whole household — only going to ‘advise’ a new bride. The legitimate heir hasn’t even been born yet, and she’s already rushing to arrange the schedule for the concubines?! If that were known, our great aunt would have no way to explain herself — ha, after all, those women were sent by her. Since nothing can be said openly, she can only watch my sister-in-law play out her performance and let her earn a fine reputation.”

The young woman joined in laughing: “So does that mean Madam Lai is finished?”

“If she’s wise, she’ll shrink into a corner and stay out of sight. With any luck, this whole affair will fade away. If not — ha ha ha — my sister-in-law has already said it herself: Madam Lai is an old fixture of the Marquis’s household. Unless she commits some ‘great transgression,’ the only proper thing to do is to treat her with deference. In the best of all cases.”

The young woman kept nodding, another volley of enthusiastic flattery ringing out. Gu Tingxuan had laughed her fill and then murmured quietly: “…Great Aunt’s move has been blocked. I wonder how my sister-in-law will deal with those two younger ones.”

Minglan’s sister-in-law’s foresight proved well-founded — there were things Minglan couldn’t afford not to attend to, for Cheng Garden had been quite lively lately.

It should be said that in the ancient era, if a minor consort was not favored, it was in fact not so easy for her to even see the man of the household. From the very first day of morning respects, Minglan had made it clear: she had followed her grandmother in the practice of Buddhist devotion since childhood, accustomed to quiet and calm. So each day after the morning respects were concluded — questions asked, things said — Minglan would dismiss everyone with a courteous gesture of serving tea. As a result, the women rarely waited long enough to see Gu Tingye return from court.

And as of yet, Gu Tingye had shown absolutely no inclination to sleep in either of their chambers. Minglan certainly wasn’t about to lose her mind and play matchmaker on their behalf. They couldn’t very well send a message saying “hello darling, tired of being with your wife? Come have fun in my bed.” Nor could they wait at the gate of his yamen and bat their lashes at him: “Sweetheart, a little surprise for you.”

If Rong Jie’er had been a boy, Qiu Niang and Hongxiao might have used the occasion of Gu Tingye testing his son on his studies to arrange an encounter with the man — though whether Gu Tingye even had sufficient scholarly ink to carry out such a test was another matter entirely.

After several days without any opportunity to see the man, these two women had grown quietly mournful.

Hongxiao at least knew some restraint — she was aware Gu Tingye held her in no particular regard, and so she hid herself in her room, spending her days thinking of ways to coax Rong Jie’er into saying a word or two more. But Qiu Niang couldn’t endure it. She went scurrying to wait at the entrance to Jia Xi Residence, and had managed to intercept Gu Tingye twice. Unfortunately, the servants flanking him were entirely unable to read the room — four oblivious eyes stared unblinking at the entire scene, making it utterly impossible for Qiu Niang to speak any words of sentiment.

After several such attempts, Qiu Niang’s posture of standing and waiting — like a stone wife gazing ever toward the horizon for her husband — had been observed by many, and idle rumors gradually began to spread. The women of the inner courtyard merely exchanged a few private curses of “shameless” and a couple of derisive laughs before leaving it at that. But a few foul-mouthed bachelors in the outer courtyard said things that were truly ugly — things like “must’ve gone mad with longing for a man,” “pushing thirty now, that age when women are like wolves and tigers,” “if the master doesn’t go and enjoy himself soon, she’ll probably have to find herself another way”…

There was no help for it — men who had never managed to find a wife tended to have rather vivid imaginations.

These crude and loose-tongued words from the outer courtyard didn’t spread to too many ears, and so it was quite a number of days before they reached the inner courtyard.

When Qiu Niang found out, she wept until she could barely breathe and was nearly at the point of ending her own life. Danju rushed to report, and Minglan was furious on the spot. She ordered an immediate investigation, found the several individuals who had been spreading and talking recklessly, and dealt with them severely — two who had been unruly before were sold off entirely, and the rest all had two months’ wages and rice confiscated and were bound up and given twenty strokes of the plank.

Seeing Minglan assert her authority with such force, everyone understood the gravity of it — even in the outer courtyard, no one dared to gossip wildly about the master’s household affairs.

After the servants were punished, Minglan immediately summoned Qiu Niang for questioning.

Qiu Niang knew she had disgraced herself. She fell to her knees at once, pleading for mercy and admitting her fault. Minglan said coldly: “The master has praised you in front of me many times — saying you are honorable, proper, considerate, and thoughtful. You have been here not even a full month, and you’ve already caused something like this. Where did this bad habit come from?!”

Qiu Niang kowtowed repeatedly, weeping until her tears poured in torrents: “I was momentarily blinded — I missed the master terribly after all these years apart…”

“Whether you miss him or not is none of my concern.” Minglan cut her off with solemn sternness and said directly: “But did you think it through? The master now holds a high position, and how many eyes are watching keenly? If even a single scrap of this filth were to drift outside the gates of Cheng Garden, would that not invite ridicule — that he cannot keep order within his own household? That a bed attendant was running all over the estate chasing after and cornering him!”

Qiu Niang wept until she was a collapsed heap on the ground. Minglan delivered her judgment decisively: “You are excused from morning respects for the time being. Xiaotao — fetch a copy of the Heart Sutra for her. She is to go back and copy it out once in full. When she has finished, she may return.”

Watching Qiu Niang’s forlorn and dejected figure retreat, Minglan was frustrated beyond measure. As she had never possessed any virtue for covering up someone else’s faults, she told Gu Tingye the full account that very evening — beginning, middle, and end — and even sighed: “It is also because I have been lax in managing the household. Back at the Sheng family, no matter what happened in the inner courtyard, who would have dared to let it spread to the outer courtyard? Talking about the master’s business — is that something just anyone is permitted to do?! It is only now, today, that I understand why my grandmother always said managing a household was a genuine skill. It is truly no easy matter.”

In the past, she had thought rather little of Wang Shi. Now that she was running a household herself, she found herself genuinely impressed by Wang Shi’s capabilities.

“This has nothing to do with you!” Gu Tingye said with a dark expression. “You’ve only just taken charge — no matter how capable you are, this isn’t something that can be built in a single morning or evening. You just keep punishing severely and get things properly in order.” He paused and said evenly: “Qiu Niang is becoming increasingly senseless.”

His voice was very calm, but Minglan knew — this was his state when he was truly angry. Minglan walked over and leaned gently against the man’s shoulder, saying softly: “It isn’t anything so serious. People are bound to make mistakes. Now that she knows better, she’ll improve.”

Gu Tingye drew Minglan into his arms and gently carded through her loosened long hair. The room was quiet for a long while. Then a faint smile appeared on his face. He scraped the tip of Minglan’s nose and teased: “Why the Heart Sutra? Shouldn’t it be something like the Women’s Precepts?”

Minglan replied with satisfaction: “I thought it through already. If anyone asks, I’ll say that Qiu Niang was influenced by my example and has taken to Buddhist devotion herself — I’m introducing her to the practice right now! That way, no one can use this household’s affairs to talk about us.”

Gu Tingye stared blankly for a moment, then burst into loud laughter — his chest shaking with it, his dark eyes full of mirth. He pressed his forehead against Minglan’s and said with perfectly serious delivery: “The Heart Sutra is far too short in character count — why not find something more substantial! Fu Qinran has almost half a set of handwritten copies of the Great Treasury of Scriptures — that young fellow copied them out painstakingly back in the day to practice his brushwork. I’ll borrow the full set for you!”

Minglan drew a sharp breath: “My husband — do you have any idea how many volumes and sections and characters the entire Great Treasury of Scriptures contains?”

Gu Tingye, unbothered by what he didn’t know, replied with complete equanimity: “No idea.” He only knew vaguely that this collection of scriptures was rather formidable.

Minglan was left without words. She resolved to enlighten Comrade Gu on this point and said with a sigh: “Let me put it this way — if Qiu Niang were to write without ceasing each day, and could manage to keep her eyes from blurring and her hand from trembling well into her seventies and eighties, she would just barely finish copying it in time to be buried.”