The Senior Madam Yu — or more accurately, the former Senior Madam Yu — was by birth surnamed Fang; her father and grandfather had held high office and enjoyed great influence, which was how a daughter born of a concubine came to marry into the Yu family as the principal wife of the eldest son. But by the generation of Yu Fang Shi herself, the family’s fortunes had already begun to decline. After Yu Fang Shi was dismissed and sent back to her natal family, her legitimate elder brother, Master Fang, had once gone to the Yu household to argue the matter — but after Elder Cabinet Minister Yu took him into the study for a private conversation, he never said another word about it.

The reasons behind this, as common knowledge had it, were twofold: first, the Fang family was by now diminished, with the grandchildren mostly amounting to nothing, and had no standing to contend with the Yu family; second, the brother and sister were children of different mothers and had never been particularly close, so Master Fang had not exerted himself greatly on her behalf. And… they say Elder Cabinet Minister Yu had a very persuasive tongue.

After being sent back to her natal family under repudiation, the Fang household did not actually treat Yu Fang Shi harshly. After all, her sons and daughters remained in the Yu household, raised personally by Elder Cabinet Minister Yu and his wife, and if they made something of themselves in the future, Yu Fang Shi might yet have days of standing again.

But unfortunately, the first half of Yu Fang Shi’s life had been spent in enviable fortune.

As a young girl, her birth mother was the adored favourite of the inner household; her father doted on her beyond measure; she had whatever she wished for, and not even her legitimate sisters dared try to outshine her. After marriage, she had followed the Elder Master Yu through more than a decade of provincial posts outside the capital, kept her husband so thoroughly under her thumb that she commanded everything without question.

Who could have known that once she became a repudiated wife, she still could not shed the imperious habit of pointing and commanding at will. She quarrelled endlessly day after day — beating servants and berating dogs, bickering with her sisters-in-law, nieces, and their wives — until she had made herself so impossible to live with in the Fang household that she was eventually sent to White Cloud Nunnery on the outskirts of the capital to live in seclusion as a lay devotee.

Her story had seemed to be at a temporary end — but who knew when it was that these two old troublemakers had found their way to each other again.

“…I remember when we had just separated the household from the Marquis — didn’t Yu Senior Madam — oh no, that Yu Fang Shi — didn’t she come to call on the Madam once? And she was sent away. How is it that now the two of them have…” The honest and straightforward Luzhi could not fathom it.

Luzhi was considerably sharper and said with undisguised contempt: “What good could possibly come of anything those two say to each other? Getting together, it’s nothing but scheming up new ways to harm people!”

Minglan was quiet for a moment, then said: “Pay no attention to them. Even if none of this had happened, we cannot afford to let our guard down.” She turned back to the account book for a moment, then looked up: “Have Steward Hao go over to that side of the household and pass a message — say that this Yu Fang Shi is no good person, her intentions are crooked, and it would be best for the Lady to keep her distance.”

Luzhi acknowledged and was about to go, but Nanny Cui hesitated: “Madam, saying this will accomplish nothing — the Lady won’t listen.”

Minglan smiled faintly: “There are a great many words spoken in vain in this world. Consider it fulfilling one’s duty as a family member.”

Luzhi, hearing this, wasted no more time and swept aside the curtain and went out to pass the message. Steward Hao was experienced and efficient — half a day later he was already back reporting the result. He said that after the message was delivered, the Lady merely let out a few cold laughs and said, “Since you see someone dying and won’t lend a hand, then save your empty words — tell your Madam to mind her own affairs; the rest is not for her to concern herself with.”

Minglan was not the least bit surprised. She stopped Nanny Cui, who was incensed and about to speak, and waved Steward Hao Da Cheng away to rest.

The matter was like a small pebble — it stirred a few ripples and then all was still again. Each day after that, Minglan continued as before: tending her pregnancy, managing the household, teaching little Tuange to speak, checking the two girls’ studies, listening to Xiao Shen Shi’s gossip about the Princess’s household acquiring a second wife, and occasionally worrying about how Ruomei’s belly was ballooning like a blown-up bladder.

From the time the two families began arranging the betrothal, young Sheng Changdong had finally learned that he now had a fiancée. By carrying the old nanny down the mountain, he had somehow stumbled into a wife with a handsome dowry — a rate of return higher than selling contraband. Truly, it seemed that good people did receive their due reward.

In the soft light of a spring afternoon, one day young Sheng Changdong avoided his longtime companion Chang Nian and came twisting and fidgeting to Minglan’s quarters. He said he had come to visit his sixth sister, but his words came out all tangled, and his face was as red as blood.

Minglan feigned ignorance, steering the conversation this way and that. One moment she mentioned how his prospective father-in-law Master Shen had a fine hand with the blade and could personally give unruly sons-in-law a good correction; the next she mentioned how the second brother of the Shen family was admirably learned and the two of them could study together after becoming family.

She simply would not get to the point! It had young Sheng Changdong clawing at his ears and scratching his head, smoke practically rising from the top of his head.

Nanny Cui, being a decent and kindhearted soul, shot Minglan a white-eyed look, then drew the young man over gently: “Changdong, do not worry — that young lady was chosen with Madam’s own eyes, and she would not be wrong. She is gentle and agreeable, and just the other day sent over an embroidered purse — the needlework is excellent.”

Young Sheng Changdong’s eyes lit up at these words, and he gave a quiet sound of acknowledgment — but still kept stealing glances at Minglan, wanting to say something yet holding back.

Minglan knew perfectly well what he was after. With a sweep of her arm in a grandly magnanimous gesture, she said: “Nanny Cui, let me handle this — there are some things you don’t understand.” She then took her younger brother aside and smiled at him with a warmth that held decidedly mischievous intent: “Fourth younger brother — that young lady looks…”

Sheng Changdong’s heart leapt to his throat; his ears were practically pricking straight up. Minglan was inwardly amused.

“— Just about the same as Nanny Cui.”

Sheng Changdong immediately gaped, and stared at Nanny Cui’s deeply furrowed, solemn face.

Minglan pretended to console him, patting her brother on the shoulder: “When choosing a wife, one should choose virtue. In a wife, what matters most is diligence and capability.”

Sheng Changdong was overcome with despair. He lowered his head, his mind a blank wasteland of desolation, on the verge of tears.

Nanny Cui, unable to bear it any longer, promptly pulled the young man aside and said in quick succession: “Changdong, don’t listen to your sister — she’s just been in the habit of teasing people lately. That young lady is very pretty!”

Hope flooded back into the human world. Sheng Changdong breathed in a warm breath of relief and looked at Nanny Cui with deep gratitude. Over to one side, his wicked elder sister had buried her face against the kang and was lying there beating the bedding, convulsed with helpless laughter.

After such light-hearted merriment and pleasant passing of days, who could have expected that a visitor no one had anticipated would come calling — it was Zhu Shi. Minglan, too, was startled for a moment, then fell into brief silence before letting out two words: “Invite her in.”

Nanny Cui was uneasy, and not only sent several sturdy female attendants to stand guard outside the room — she personally stationed herself there with Xiaotao and a few others, pretending to be casually serving tea and water, but her gaze was as watchful and unrelenting as a hawk. Seeing this reception, Zhu Shi merely smiled wryly again and again but said nothing.

The two sisters-in-law sat facing each other for about half a cup of tea’s time before Zhu Shi said at last, unhurriedly: “I have come here today without the Lady’s knowledge — she thinks I have gone back to my maternal family…” A trace of self-mocking amusement crossed her face. “In any case, I’ve been returning to my maternal family quite often lately.”

Minglan raised an eyebrow slightly, indicating she did not understand.

Zhu Shi looked steadily into her eyes and said quietly: “The day the Lady came to look for you, it was about the matter of younger sister Tingcan. You are clever enough — surely you had guessed as much, and that is why you refused even to see her.”

Minglan made no reply to this, and instead said: “I imagine the Lady’s first choice for an ally would have been you, as the official eldest sister-in-law.”

Zhu Shi shook her head helplessly and smiled with a touch of bitterness: “It was not the first time as far as younger sister Tingcan is concerned. The Chengping Earl’s household has some modest standing, but in the eyes of the imperial family, what does it actually weigh?” She paused, then gave a slight smile: “My parents and elder brother and sister-in-law at home are all good people — a few days ago they agreed to betroth their eldest legitimate granddaughter to our Xian Ge’er.”

Minglan gave a nod.

The legitimate eldest granddaughter of the Chengping Earl’s household, betrothed to a son of a cadet branch of the Marquis household with neither title nor power — Zhu Shi’s brother and sister-in-law were indeed considerably generous. Even if Gu Tingye were to wash his hands of the whole matter in the future, Xian Ge’er’s prospects would still have the Zhu family to shelter him. Good steel, after all, must be used where it counts. When a married daughter turns to her natal family for help, she must not do so too frequently — even the most generous of brothers and sisters-in-law will grow weary and resentful if called upon too often.

“The Lady has spoken to me about it several times, and each time I refused. The Lady was angered by this and pointed at me, calling me unfilial, with words that touched on my father and brother. I could not help but argue back — even if I were not the daughter-in-law of a princess, what in younger sister Tingcan’s conduct would merit her natal family standing up for her?” Zhu Shi could not help raising her voice, as though old grievances long pent up had found a release and were all pouring out at once.

“Speaking candidly — both my sister-in-law of the second household and I have sons. If a daughter-in-law like younger sister Tingcan came into our household, I imagine we would find her more infuriating than anything else. Setting aside her constant little tempests of temper — let us simply speak of filial observance. The Princess had two daughters-in-law before this one, both of whom had borne children, and they still had to stand in observance. Younger sister Tingcan had served for only two days before she became so fragile and unwell as to be near death, calling in physicians and drinking medicine. When her husband offered a word of reproach, she dissolved in tears and told him he had no consideration for her, no tenderness…” Zhu Shi spoke with growing agitation, a faint flush rising on her face. At the time she had said those words to her mother-in-law, she had been made to stand for a full hour as punishment.

Minglan’s face was a solid line of black.

It was said that when Da Qin Shi had just entered the household as a new bride, barely halfway through her first formal attendance at a meal with her mother-in-law — with Madam Zeng’s chopsticks still suspended in midair — she had collapsed in front of a roomful of maidservants, female attendants, and sisters-in-law.

The fiercely devoted Gu Yankai came rushing back, cradled Da Qin Shi in his arms and refused to release her — that iron-blooded warrior of the battlefield came perilously close to shedding tears — and begged his parents with both kowtows and cries of grief. The old couple had first been frightened half to death by the new daughter-in-law, then angered half to death by their son, and that was the end of any idea of making Da Qin Shi observe formal attendance — the whole affair was simply dropped.

When the story got back to the Qin family, the Viscount Dongchang and his wife praised it to the skies. The young Xiao Qin Shi at the time had presumably heard all about it and been deeply inspired, then passed these exploits on as shining examples for her own daughter to emulate.

Heavens above, earth below… to have a fan of this particular level of dim-wittedness, Minglan could only be rendered speechless.

Zhu Shi spent her breath saying all she had to say, continuing right up until after the new wife entered the household — at which point Tingcan refused to eat in fury, though she managed to hold out for only two days before crumbling, and on the third day accepted the tea-serving ceremony. At last Zhu Shi leaned back slightly and breathed, having reached a pause. She laughed with slight embarrassment: “Second Sister-in-law, please do not laugh at me — truly, there is nowhere else I could say any of this.”

Minglan personally refilled her tea, smiling in a mild and easy way, and sat quietly to wait. Though the two of them had not spent long in each other’s company, she knew clearly that Zhu Shi was an absolutely practical and sensible person — she would not have come simply to unburden herself without reason.

Zhu Shi sighed and looked sincerely at Minglan: “As for the elders’ affairs, I am a daughter-in-law — there is nothing I can do. But I keep thinking: when the children are grown up, Tuan Ge’er and Xian Ge’er are still cousins. For choosing wives, taking up official posts — they will be in each other’s lives. “

Minglan reflected for a brief moment, then lifted her face and smiled: “Of course. With a sister-in-law like you raising them well, I have no doubt the younger siblings in the household will all grow up to be reasonable and understanding.” She understood perfectly well what Zhu Shi had come to say.

Zhu Shi exhaled with relief and clasped both of Minglan’s hands: “Second sister-in-law is generous and magnanimous — you are truly a blessing for this whole family.”

As she was being seen out, Zhu Shi smiled and offered Minglan some comfort: “With Second Elder Brother away, sister-in-law here alone at home with child — you must be watching the road with longing. My family at home says that in the past few days there has been word coming from the front. Sister-in-law, please be patient a little longer.”

Zhu Shi’s father and brothers were all in the military — even if not serving at the front lines, their access to news was considerably better than most people’s.

And indeed, barely two days later, the military dispatches from the front reached the capital — the Jie-Nu barbarians, making full use of the terrain and their mobile cavalry, struck with ghostly speed and were nearly impossible to catch. The various armies had been chasing enemy movements everywhere, with mixed results — some victories and some losses.

Among them, the National Uncle Shen’s unit had been fortunate enough to intercept a Jie-Nu band from the Left Guli Wang’s forces that was in the midst of raiding a village. After dealing out a magnificent and decisive blow, he was already on his way back to the capital with the Left Guli Wang himself in custody and a column of captives and spoils stretching ten li. The Emperor and Empress were reportedly so delighted they could not stop smiling.

As for the force under Elder Marshal Bo — so mighty in its martial bearing it had gone forth as if attending a grand exhibition, its soldiers powerful and horses strong — not only did the Jie-Nu not dare to challenge its edge, but even the mountain bandits and brigands who had operated in the northwest for decades temporarily closed for business and avoided the area. Naturally, there was nothing whatsoever to show for it.

What was rather strange was the news from Gu Tingye’s unit — the reports that came back stated that the Duke of England had advanced recklessly in pursuit of glory, pressing forward with isolated troops deep into enemy territory, with supply lines cut off. In the area of the Black Water River, his forces had been ambushed and he had lost several senior generals, and was now retreating to seek shelter at Fuling in the Heying Mountains.

The Duke of England had advanced recklessly?! Minglan’s brow furrowed into a tight knot — this was about as plausible as saying Sheng Hong was a passionate young hothead.

The Duke of England and that former Elder Cabinet Minister Shen who had earlier retired from office were essentially the same species — slippery old foxes of a thousand years, invincible old tortoises that no storm could topple. No matter how many emperors came and went, they stood unmoved. Even if he returned with nothing to show, he would never recklessly seek glory for its own sake.

Xiao Shen Shi had passed on the news she’d heard from the Empress and wore a very troubled expression on her own face — glad for her brother’s success, yet worried for Minglan at the same time, her emotions impossible to control. Fortunately Minglan was not like an ordinary woman — she did not lose her composure or burst into tears, but responded with remarkable calm, thanked her, and asked her to pass on any further news as soon as it came.

After seeing Xiao Shen Shi off, Minglan sat in a daze for half the day. Nanny Cui had to remind her several times before she roused herself and mechanically ate and went to sleep.

— She could not tell whether it was fear, or worry, or some other deeply felt emotion — like a thin veil of mist that hung everywhere, pervasive and all-surrounding, yet impossible to name.

As long as it was nothing like treason, it should not result in the family’s execution, with disaster extending to the wives and children.

In that case, the worst outcome would be that she might become a widow ahead of her time. Fortunately, she had Tuan Ge’er and the child in her belly; the Emperor, the Shen household, and a few other allied families would probably watch over their orphan and widowed mother. Becoming a Lady of the household at such a young age meant skipping decades of hard work — going directly from serving under a superior to being one’s own mistress. Thinking of it that way, it didn’t seem quite so bad.

That night she dreamed one nightmare after another, and when she woke she could not remember what she had dreamed. Her pillow was cold and wet through. It was as though she had woken from a millet dream, and nothing was real. She sat in a stupor on the edge of the bed, watching the sky lighten from grey to full brightness, not even feeling hungry, wanting only to go on sitting here like this and wait for him to come back.

She must not cry. She must not cry — she told herself over and over.

She had to hold together. Especially at a time like this, she had to be strong. Not the slightest weakness could be allowed.

After the news spread, first the Lady sent someone with a few sour and half-hearted words dressed up as concern — “One can only hope Ye-ge’er doesn’t come to any harm, hmm.” Minglan immediately returned the sentiment: “I hear the Seventh Young Lady has recently acquired a new little sister — how very congratulations-worthy.”

Then came several friendly wives of colleagues: Madam Zhong and Madam Duan came to offer reassurance (their husbands were with the National Uncle Shen), Madam Geng came to commiserate in shared suffering (Lao Geng followed Gu Tingye), and Zhang Shi came to offer encouragement —

“Has a stern imperial decree come down? Has the Ministry of War issued a formal report? Everything is still in a fog — and we women are already jumping to wild speculations, which is absurd! My father used to say one thing every time he went to war: ‘The blessed have heaven’s protection; if it’s fate, there’s no avoiding it.’ My dear sister, we who are wives of military men must guard above all against losing our heads at a moment like this. You are also carrying a child — by all means avoid listening to whatever people are gossiping about outside. A shock to your pregnancy — that is the most pressing concern of all.”

Minglan felt a warmth spread through her heart like a current of gentle heat, and leaned against Zhang Shi’s arm, speaking softly: “Elder Sister need not worry. All news, you may speak to me directly. I am absolutely not one of those women who collapses weeping and wailing and making as if to die. The more I know, the calmer I feel — it is being kept entirely in the dark that would truly frighten me.”

Zhang Shi saw that her eyes were clear and her bearing composed and steady, and at last her concern was set at rest.

In the days that followed, visitors continued to arrive without pause. Madam Liu and Hualan came separately to check on Minglan, and without any originality advised her to rest and take proper care of her pregnancy and not let anything alarm her. Then came the fourth and fifth branches of the family, anxious and fretful, seeking news — Minglan personally offered Gu Tingxuan a few words of comfort and explanation, but for the rest — including the weeping Ruomei — she sent Shao Shi to deal with them all. Let them cry until they made an ocean of tears, or gather to pray at Buddhist altars together — Minglan took no further part. She then had even more reason to plead illness and keep to her room, letting the outside world assume that the Marchioness Gu was “sick with anxiety over her husband’s safety.”

After more than half a month of such turmoil, Minglan was thoroughly worn out. Even idle novels were impossible to concentrate on. The child in her belly had grown increasingly well-behaved — the only protest came in the middle of the night when her mother could not sleep, with a kick or two of complaint.

As the days passed, Minglan gradually settled her mind, and with unhurried composure continued to press smooth the household’s restless anxieties — though others could see no outward change in her, and simply assumed the Marchioness Gu had always been composed like this.

One day, Tujia Elder Brother personally brought in a letter. The envelope had been folded until it was a little worn and frayed at the edges. Minglan tore it open — in the upper left corner of the letter sheet was a small eight-petalled crabapple blossom. Gu Tingye was the second son; Minglan was the sixth daughter — this was one of the several secret marks they had agreed upon before he left.

Minglan read through the letter quickly. She let out a contemptuous snort, and a look of extreme scornful disdain crossed her face. She laughed coldly and spoke to herself: “That was fast! Very well — come then. I will receive you with all due ceremony!”