Xiao Shen Shi’s intelligence was remarkably accurate. Barely two days had passed when, one morning, Minglan had just finished issuing the day’s household orders and was coaxing chubby Tuan Ge’er to bow politely when Luzhi came dashing in, breathless and flustered, to announce that the Madam had arrived.

Nanny Cui’s arm, which was holding Tuan Ge’er, visibly tightened. She fixed her face into a stern expression and looked toward Minglan. Minglan rose slowly and said: “Nanny, take the young master to his wet nurse. Xiaotao, help me to the couch. Luzhi… go and invite the Senior Madam.”

The last five words seemed to carry a strange quality in their tone. Luzhi answered in a bright, clear voice and was the first out the door.

In a short while, Shao Shi came hurrying in, her face flustered and anxious. The moment she stepped into the courtyard, she saw the maidservants around Minglan moving in and out — some heating water and simmering medicine, others standing in the courtyard on guard. The several senior maidservants in particular wore expressions as if facing a great enemy.

Shao Shi went into the inner room and found Minglan huddled on the couch quietly weeping, with Nanny Cui and Xiaotao seated at the bedside murmuring low words of comfort. Shao Shi was greatly startled and said at once: “Good heavens — what has happened?”

Nanny Cui rose and replied with a face full of worry: “Everything was fine early this morning — but as soon as Madam heard that the Lady had come, she became terrified out of all proportion, and absolutely refuses to see anyone.”

Shao Shi was taken aback. She stepped quickly toward the bed and took Minglan’s hands in hers, speaking gently: “Dear sister — where do you feel unwell? Tell me, and please don’t let it alarm the child.”

Minglan slowly raised her head from the bedding. Her face was pale, her expression a mixture of fear and wariness. Her voice trembled: “Sister-in-law, I’m afraid… I will not go and see her.”

Shao Shi stood frozen. She had been in her room looking at embroidery patterns when she heard the Lady had arrived and had risen to dress and groom herself, thinking she would probably need to go and pay her respects. She could never have anticipated anything like this.

She hastened to reason with her: “But how can that do? Dear sister, if you are not feeling well, you can invite the Lady to come and see you here — it would come to the same thing.”

Minglan sat up abruptly, her eyes wide open. In her gaze was a peculiar spirit — a fierceness like that of a she-wolf with cubs: “I will not see her… she is trying to harm me again. I refuse to see her!”

Having said that, she clasped her belly and lay back on her side, trembling, weeping quietly.

Shao Shi was about to go over and pull her upright to reason with her more carefully, but was stopped by Nanny Cui, who took her by the arm. Nanny Cui said: “You’ve seen for yourself — Madam was frightened by what happened last time. That time, she was carrying a child just the same; the Marquis was away just the same; and the Lady was the one presiding over the household. The Lady is a senior member of this family — it would only have been Madam who was made to suffer. I beg the Senior Madam, in the name of past kindness, to go out and receive the Lady on our behalf.”

Shao Shi stood rooted to the spot. Before she had time to think of a response, she had already been pushed and ushered by the crowd to the front reception hall, where she discovered the Lady already seated in the place of honour, drinking tea. Seeing that only Shao Shi had come out, the Lady’s brow creased: “Where is the second young wife? Even after dividing the household, am I no longer her elder? Does she think herself so grand that she cannot even be seen?”

Shao Shi hastily made a curtsy in a flurry of nerves and stammered: “My sister-in-law… she… she… is unwell and fears she cannot see you…”

The Lady stiffened, then let out a cold laugh: “Very well, very well. She is ill — just as I arrive. If she cannot come out to see me, then I shall go in and see her!” With that she rose and made to stride toward the inner courtyard, only to find Liao Yong’s wife leading several sturdy female attendants blocking the way. The Lady was furious and scolded: “You blind servants — how dare you block my path!”

Hearing these words, Shao Shi felt a dim flicker of surprise. In her memory, the Lady had always been composed and temperate, handling even weighty matters with effortless calm. Though she held absolute authority in the household and was obeyed without question, she had never been given to fierce, sharp speech — so why today this ferocity, this frantic urgency?

She shrank to one side and stole a glance over. The Lady was dressed and adorned as elegantly as ever, but her complexion was poor, her skin sallow, her figure noticeably more wasted. And in her expression was an agitation that could not be put into words.

Liao Yong’s wife remained perfectly composed and replied with respectful deference: “Before the Marquis left, he established a rule — without the Madam’s consent, no one is permitted to enter the inner quarters, regardless of who they may be.” She darted a glance at the Lady, then added with a smile: “The Madam is with child — should anything go amiss, it would not be good.”

The Lady was so livid she nearly staggered, pointing at Liao Yong’s wife and unable to speak for a moment. She stamped her foot, turned to Shao Shi, and demanded in a sharp voice: “Fine! Your household is apparently the Throne Room — I am not permitted to intrude, lest I disturb the heavenly immortal within! You go right now and tell her: I have important matters to discuss. Either she comes out, or I go in! Otherwise — I am not leaving!”

Shao Shi had never once talked back to the Lady in her entire life, and dared not disobey. The moment she heard those words she turned and went, hurrying to the inner room of Jiaxi Residence in such a rush she had no time to catch her breath, and conveyed the Lady’s words to Minglan at once. To her consternation, Minglan was frightened into tears streaming like rain and cried out: “What is there to see?! Is she to set another fire and burn me to death before she’s satisfied?!”

Shao Shi was completely silenced. Before she had managed even two words of comfort, she was pushed out again by Nanny Cui through the maidservants, while the attendants urged her in successive voices to go to the front hall and dismiss the Lady. Her scalp prickled. On one side was her delicate sister-in-law not to be disturbed; on the other was the formidably respected Lady. She could afford to offend neither, yet could manage neither. Shao Shi was like an ant on a hot griddle, trapped between two impossible options.

She stood there for a long while, still unable to think of any solution, and drifted back to her own courtyard in a daze. She walked into the inner room.

Xian Jie’er was bent over a small table on the kang, writing characters. Seeing her mother come in looking as though she had lost her soul, she asked: “Mother, what’s the matter? I thought the Lady had come — why are you back already? Does the Lady want to see me? I’ve already changed my clothes — I can go at once.”

Hearing that steady, composed tone, Shao Shi felt as if she had suddenly found something to anchor herself to. She seized her daughter’s small hands and began a rapid, urgent account of events, struggling through until she had managed to relay the whole affair in rough outline. She said anxiously: “My child — how did I ever end up in this predicament? This has nothing to do with me — how did it come to this?!”

She stumbled about in a panic for a while like a headless fly, then suddenly thought of something and lowered her voice: “Do you think… your Second Aunt is faking her illness?”

Xian Jie’er listened quietly, then set down the small jade-handled brush with its dark bristles: “Whether or not she’s faking, what does it matter? Second Aunt’s meaning is perfectly clear — she has no wish to see the Lady, not even to exchange a glance with her, and she wants Mother to handle it in her place.”

Shao Shi was so anxious she was nearly in tears, clutching her handkerchief: “But what on earth am I to do…”

Xian Jie’er said: “Mother need only tell the Lady directly.”

Shao Shi snatched the handkerchief away from her face and slapped it on the table, furious: “You wretched girl — a few days of learning and you’re talking nonsense! That is the Lady! I can’t… I can’t possibly be so impertinent!”

“Mother, what is there to fear?” Xian Jie’er pulled out her own handkerchief and wiped her mother’s tears, smiling: “We’ve all separated the household now. What can the Lady do — beat us or scold us?”

Shao Shi bent her head to wipe her tears and said nothing.

Xian Jie’er gave a quiet sigh: “Mother, I know — you’re afraid of offending the Lady. Second Uncle is fighting at the front, Tuan Ge’er is still small, and if anything should happen, you fear she might make things difficult for us later.”

Shao Shi felt a whole heart full of sorrow and sadness. She pulled her daughter’s small body into her arms and wept: “My dear child — it is hard on you, knowing all these troubles at such a young age… with your father gone, your mother and you have to make our way carefully in this world, don’t we?”

Xian Jie’er curled in her mother’s arms, saying quietly: “If that is what Mother is worried about, I would advise Mother not to bother about it anymore. In truth, whether or not Mother goes out to handle the Lady today, we have already offended her long since.”

Shao Shi was startled: “Whatever gave you that idea? Since I came into this household, I have never shown the Lady a moment’s discourtesy.”

Xian Jie’er heaved a little sigh: “Mother, all that Father did for us — surely you can see what it meant? He refused to adopt the Lady’s son as an heir. He returned the fields and silver that the grandfather had given to Second Uncle. He personally submitted a memorial to the Imperial Clan Court requesting that Second Uncle be established as the heir to the title. And on his deathbed, he had the Marquis household’s entire estate laid out clearly in front of the assembled clansmen, then declared before them all that the two elderly great-uncles had long since divided their household.”

Shao Shi listened in a blank daze, not understanding why her daughter was suddenly bringing all this up.

“When I was young I only half-understood; but in these past few years, as I’ve gradually grown older and studied reasoning with Tutor Xue, I’ve slowly come to understand.” Xian Jie’er’s eyes began to redden. “On the surface, Father was urging Second Uncle to change his mind and come back, to preserve the Marquis title for the household. But in reality…” Two clear tears ran down her young, delicate face. “Everything Father did — it was all for Mother and me!”

Thinking of how her late husband had planned and arranged things in his final days, all for the sake of herself and her daughter, Shao Shi could no longer hold back; she covered her face with her handkerchief and sobbed aloud.

Xian Jie’er lowered her head and wiped the tears from her own face, steeling herself: “Each and every thing Father did in those final days — not one of them failed to offend someone. Father was trading enmity with the Fourth Great-Uncle, the Fifth Great-Uncle, and the Lady — in exchange for Mother’s and my dignity and security in the years ahead. Even I can see that much — let alone the Lady. Things being what they are, what reason does Mother still have to hope the Lady doesn’t resent Father? Mother, Father chose long ago which side he was committing us to. What is there left to hesitate about?”

Shao Shi wept quietly: “If your father already put himself through all that, why does your Second Aunt still have to make Mother go out and handle this? I… I am just so terrified of the Lady…”

Xian Jie’er, mature beyond her years, gently patted her mother’s back and spoke softly: “Mother, Second Uncle promised Father he would look out for us — but how he looks out for us, and how well, depends entirely on Second Aunt’s goodwill. Mother, tell me honestly — these past few years, how has Second Aunt treated us?”

Shao Shi raised her tear-stained face, wiping it slowly as she answered with hesitation: “…To speak truthfully — your Second Aunt has been good and kind to us.”

Xian Jie’er lifted her head thoughtfully: “Among the girls in my class, there is one who is an outside niece of Fourth Madam Zheng. Her father is a licentiate who repeatedly failed the examinations and finally became an aide to a relative who held office, and went to take up a posting far away. Even so, the eldest aunt who ran the household at home was always finding ways to cut the monthly allowances of that girl and her mother — clothes, food, daily necessities, always a step late or short of what they were due.”

She turned to look her mother in the eye, speaking gently: “Mother — if Second Aunt were like that, she could easily have reduced my clothing and accessories on the pretext of keeping mourning. But instead she goes out of her way to arrange fur-lined robes and jewellery for me, so that every time I go out, people say they’ve never seen a girl in mourning so elegantly and delicately turned out — clearly from a household that takes great care. And what about Mother’s daily Buddhist devotions — the incense, the worship, the donations to the temple? Has Second Aunt ever made us pay out of our own pocket? It all goes through the public household accounts.”

Shao Shi was moved as she listened, and said sincerely: “Your Second Aunt — she has treated us without fault, truly.” She paused, then gritted her teeth: “You are right. If only to repay that kindness, I ought to bear this much on her behalf.”

Being a grown woman, she had thought one step further as well — when the time came to find a match for Xian Jie’er, she was a widow, her own family’s connections were not particularly strong, and she would not be able to accomplish much on her own. She suspected that when that day came, she would likely need Minglan’s help.

“But… how should I speak to the Lady?” The moment she thought of that formidably capable former mother-in-law, she was adrift again.

Xian Jie’er tilted her head in thought: “Second Aunt said she was ‘afraid to see her’ and ‘afraid of being set on fire again,’ did she not? Mother may as well say it directly — after all, Mother is only passing on a message.” She paused, and over her young, childlike face crept a look of childishly impish disdain. She muttered under her breath: “In any case, it’s not as though any of it is particularly unfair to say.”

At the first part, Shao Shi nearly leapt to her feet, on the verge of raising her voice in rebuke — but when she heard the last half-sentence, she deflated all at once, gave several helpless sighs, then called for the maidservants outside to come in and help her make a hasty toilette. She stood in the doorway, took several deep breaths, stamped her foot hard, and walked out.

When she came before the Lady again, the Lady had been waiting with extreme impatience. The moment she saw Shao Shi she laughed coldly: “After so many days apart, have even you become too precious? It is only a matter of passing on a few words — and it took you this long to come back!”

Shao Shi still feared the Lady greatly and was almost overcome by the urge to turn and run. Thinking of her daughter’s future, she mustered all her courage and, haltingly and in halting speech, recounted and embellished Minglan’s alleged “frightened illness.” When she came to the mention of “setting fire,” the Lady’s face surged with venomous fury, her gaze so fierce no one dared meet it directly.

Shao Shi had spent her entire spirit by the time she reached the end. Her final words were: “My sister-in-law says… she… she… no matter what, she cannot bring herself to see you… if you push her too far, she will go to her family, and to the Shen and Zheng families, to call in reinforcements.”

She drew in one breath, summoning what felt like every ounce of courage she had ever possessed in her entire life, not daring even to look at the Lady, and said with trembling voice: “…Besides… you cannot force your way in either… so perhaps… perhaps you should just… just go back…”

The Lady’s face had turned an iron grey that was frightening to behold, like a blue-bronze demon mask. Shao Shi was almost on the verge of dropping to her knees. All she heard was a short, cold laugh; the Lady’s eyes swept over Shao Shi and the attendants in the hall. “Very well, very well. I’ll remember this!”

Having said those words, she turned and walked away, never once looking back.

Shao Shi crumpled to the floor. Not until the attendants helped her out of the hall and the cold wind struck her did she notice that her back was soaked through with cold sweat.

Liao Yong’s wife was observant and noticed Shao Shi’s clammy brow. She turned back and instructed that ginger broth be prepared, along with a calming medicinal soup to be sent over, before hastening to report to Minglan.

After hearing the account, Minglan sat composed on the kang, slowly eating a stew of papaya and bamboo fungus braised with spare ribs, and said quietly: “Was I too cruel?” She gently stroked her belly, feeling the strong and steady kicks of the child — she would never, never, allow that old demon woman to set eyes on her children.

Nanny Cui said coolly: “When the fire broke out in the household last time, the Senior Madam didn’t even send a single bucket of water out. It’s right that she should understand now — one cannot always have one foot in each camp. Better to make a clean break, so the Lady won’t be tempted to use her to cause trouble.” She added: “Xian Jie’er is a good child — worth every bit of care Madam has shown her.”

Minglan nodded: “Nanny, don’t you remember — when Grandmother saw Xian Jie’er at New Year’s last year, she said the girl had deep and lasting blessings too.”

Nanny Cui glanced at the water clock in the corner and turned: “I think Dr. Lin will be arriving soon — Madam had better get back to lying down.”

Minglan shook her head with a rueful smile — one had to commit to a performance to make it convincing. Xiaotao helped her lie down and, while rubbing her calves, said in puzzlement: “But if Dr. Lin examines Madam and discovers there’s nothing wrong, whatever shall we do?”

Minglan had just settled down to stretch out her limbs and burst out laughing. Nanny Cui rubbed Xiaotao’s head with a look of helpless exasperation: “You silly girl — Dr. Lin is a physician of such sharp intelligence and good sense. If he comes in and finds Madam lying there moaning softly, could he really look blank-faced and declare that Madam has nothing wrong with her?”

Even an ordinary physician, seeing a patient making sounds of vague distress, would typically find some gentle way to partly agree — while extracting a handsome fee in the process. How much more so for someone of Dr. Lin’s calibre, a practitioner of the highest skill and virtue?

In the days that followed, physicians were summoned one after another, medicinal soups were brewed until their fragrance drifted throughout the courtyard, and the illness was cultivated with considerable drama. Dr. Lin ran his own medical practice outside, and Minglan deliberately made a substantial purchase of his services — while at the same time word spread that the Marchioness of Gu had fallen ill from fright.

At the same time, accounts of the Lady’s arrogance and harsh treatment spread through the capital as though on wings. According to the circulating rumours, the Marchioness of Ningyuan — the elder Lady of the household — had made a rare visit with something to ask, only to be turned away without so much as being granted an audience.

The capital in the days after the New Year festival was thoroughly idle, and this matter sent a crowd of leisured noblewomen into an excited flurry of discussion.

Some said how strange the fire had been — that fire at the Gu household when the Marchioness Gu was near her due date — and of course she was frightened out of her wits now, what with the Marquis Gu away from home. Some said the life of a second wife was pitiable indeed, not being welcomed by the children from the first wife, and that censors ought to impeach the Marquis Gu and his wife for lacking filial piety. And some who had a faint inkling of the actual story began to mention that it hadn’t been just the one fire — there had been the concubine-taking incidents and the adoption disputes as well… The more it was stirred up, the more people had to say, and the greater the excitement grew.

In truth, both pieces of news were real. The Lady had genuinely been turned away at the door; and Minglan had genuinely been made ill by lingering fright from that previous incident. As for what lay beneath — let people believe whichever version they liked.

The Lady did have plenty of fire in her — pity that in this day and age, those willing to see justice done were few, while those who piled on the strong and kicked the fallen were in the majority.

As for “lack of filial piety” — Minglan laughed coldly at that several times.

Her attentive father Sheng Hong, upon hearing that his daughter had been “frightened into illness,” immediately sent Madam Liu to visit and convey his authoritative assessment — that for someone like Xiao Qin Shi, who had her own sons and grandchildren, left the household with a large share of the estate, and now lived separately, to attempt to accuse her successor’s daughter-in-law of lacking filial piety would be extremely difficult to sustain. Unless the Emperor deliberately intended to make trouble for someone, no censor would lend themselves to playing along.

Nanny Cui, being an honest soul, was moved and said: “After all, he is her own father — he keeps his daughter in mind.”

Minglan pulled at the corners of her mouth — Sheng Hong was simply afraid his golden son-in-law might be persuaded to favour a new father-in-law.

While having people go out over several consecutive days to sound out public sentiment, there came also an unexpected piece of news. One day Gu Quan suddenly came to report something remarkable: “…Before, I didn’t notice anything particular — but I’ve had people watching the gate for several days now, and the Senior Madam Yu has paid visits there twice in just five or six days. I’ve also asked around more widely and discovered that since last year, the Senior Madam Yu has been going over to the Lady’s household with increasing frequency…”

“Who?” Nanny Cui had lost the thread. Gu Quan glanced at Minglan’s expression and fell silent.

Minglan looked at him and said softly: “That would be the mother of Yan Hong — from the Yu family — yes?” Gu Quan hastened to confirm it.

Nanny Cui was astonished: “How can it be her? Was she not repudiated by the Yu family? How on earth did the two of them end up together?!”