Nanny Cui and Cuiwei helped Minglan out of her padded jacket, loosened her hair and chignon, and removed her shoes and stockings. After tending to her for a good while, Minglan finally lay down on the bed, feeling her whole body aching and weak, with cramps in her calves.

Watching Cuiwei fold away the official investiture garments to take to the back for pressing and straightening, Nanny Cui turned round. “Madam, is this… is this all right? That was the Consort Dowager, after all.”

Minglan massaged her temple, and said in a soft, thin voice: “A Consort Dowager she may be — only, it is not the Sheng’an Consort Dowager, but the Shengde Consort Dowager. One is a birth mother; the other isn’t even a step-mother.”

Nanny Cui was startled: “The Shengde Consort Dowager! We have no grievance with her — why would she come to make things difficult for the Madam?”

“That is the very question, isn’t it — everyone can see that she’s making things difficult. The thing is, those old characters love to toy with people. If she made me go inside and stand for two hours or kneel for half an hour, even if the Emperor and Empress came to the rescue, damage would already be done. Life must come first, safety above all else. Therefore — even if that edict were entirely genuine, I still could not comply with it. At worst, I will go before the Emperor and argue my case afterwards. In any event, we will not eat this loss while it is right in front of us…”

While Minglan was murmuring away to herself, Xiaotao came running in, her cheeks flushed, with an agitated Luzhi hot on her heels. Luzhi grabbed hold of Xiaotao’s arm, asking in rapid succession: “You were standing guard outside this whole time — tell us quickly!”

Xiaotao shook Luzhi’s grip off her sleeve and glared: “That hurts! Let go — and then I’ll talk!”

After she had caught her breath, she came close to Minglan and reported: “Right now Steward Hao has already sent those people away. Madam, you should have seen it — those two threw the most tremendous tantrum just now! They slammed the table, they screamed, they said our Marquis household was committing treason, they demanded that the Madam come out no matter what. I was terrified. But Steward Hao wasn’t frightened at all — he got more and more firm with every word. In the end those two had no way out, but couldn’t charge in and attack either, so they had no choice but to leave.”

Minglan listened with the corners of her mouth curving up. She asked a few more questions about how the eunuch and female official had thrown their tantrum and made their threats. Xiaotao relayed each detail in turn, and Minglan finally commended: “Steward Hao is a man of good sense — there was definitely something irregular about today’s summoning.”

In ordinary times, eunuchs sent to convey imperial edicts to officials’ households were insufferably lofty and imperious. If any household dared to refuse an edict, they wouldn’t bother arguing — they’d just give a cold laugh or two, go back and report to the Emperor or Empress, and file the most damaging complaint they could.

Nothing at all like these two today, who had been anxious and frantic, as though absolutely determined to take her away at all costs.

“They were beside themselves with rage at the end — as they were leaving they said we should just wait and see,” Xiaotao added her final note.

Minglan snorted contemptuously: “Wait and see then!”

Only the Emperor held the power of the Edict Guards and the Imperial Garrison — only the Emperor could authorise the arrest of criminals and the confiscation of households. Even if this edict were genuine, the Shengde Consort Dowager would first need to petition the Emperor, and only then could the Emperor issue an order for someone to be seized — because the inner palace had no military authority of its own.

But if the edict were false — well then…

— Wait. Something was wrong!

The smile froze on her face. Minglan’s mind suddenly sounded a loud alarm. She jerked upright from the bed and struck the pillow with a hard thump, and cried out: “Something is wrong! Quickly — Xiaotao, Luzhi — go and find Steward Hao immediately! Tell him to send trusted, reliable people — first go to Lord Liu Zhengjie and tell him what happened, then go to each house door by door, and tell them whatever they do, do not enter the palace!”

“Which households?” Xiaotao was taken aback. Luzhi was also in a daze.

“General Duan’s household, the National Uncle Shen’s household, the Duke of England’s estate, and the Bo family, the Zhong family, the Geng family, the Fu family, the Zheng family — these families first. The others I’ll think of as they come to me — go, go quickly!” Minglan slapped the bed urgently over and over.

The two girls hastily acknowledged and ran out.

Nanny Cui, seeing Minglan’s face full of alarm, asked with a trembling voice: “Madam, what has come over you?”

Minglan’s expression grew grave. She said slowly: “Nanny Cui — do you remember that year, the ‘Shenchen Revolt’? They also lured many noblewomen of distinguished families into the palace.”

Nanny Cui’s eyes flew wide open, and she cried out involuntarily: “Surely not!”

“I only hope I am overthinking things.”

Minglan leaned wearily against the headboard, her arms wrapped tightly around her belly, her palms pressed flat against the taut skin, quietly feeling the rhythmic movements of the child within.

This child in her belly was very well-behaved — nothing like Tuan Ge’er, who had kicked and squirmed about constantly. This one only moved a little in protest when uncomfortable. Such a quiet and obedient child, surely.

She only prayed that when he or she was born, it would already be a world at peace, with no more turmoil.