A dark green carriage stopped behind the Huzhou Prefect’s yamen. Beneath it, a woman in a green gown with Hu-style sleeves nimbly jumped straight down from the carriage. She herself thought nothing of it, but onlookers watched with bated breath, fearing she might fall.
The gatekeeper recognized her and addressed her, “Miss Li.”
Li Mei’er entered through the side gate as if it were her own home. On the way, she encountered a girl wearing a water-red beizi and quickly called out, “Feixu, is your Second Young Miss in?”
The girl named Feixu had a round face and a naturally cheerful expression. Seeing Li Mei’er, she knew she was her young mistress’s close friend and immediately smiled, “She is. What a coincidence today—Miss Zhou is also here. Look, our young lady asked me to fetch some pastries from the small kitchen.”
Hearing that Zhou Yun was also there, Li Mei’er thought to herself that they had likely both come for the same reason.
Feixu walked with Li Mei’er to the eastern courtyard. As soon as they entered, they heard laughter and cheerful voices inside. Li Mei’er felt relieved and stepped further in. Even though she often saw Yun Niang, she couldn’t help but hold her breath this time, afraid that her own worldly air might disturb the beauty.
Yun Niang looked especially different today. In the past, she always dressed as simply as possible, sometimes even more simply than Li Mei’er, who often ran errands outside. But today, she wore a purple and gold brocade gown embroidered with peonies and phoenixes, an eight-jeweled pearl and white jade hairpin in her hair, and a crimson necklace around her neck. With a touch of makeup, she looked like a celestial fairy.
Li Mei’er was almost speechless. “Yun Niang, what’s with you today…”
The girl called Yun Niang was surnamed Xia, the daughter of Huzhou Prefect Xia Shiyan, who had just celebrated her Ji-ji ceremony at the beginning of the year.
She chuckled softly, “My mother said that I’ll be getting married soon, and since my future husband’s family holds such a high status, I must dress better and not act like a wild girl as before. Honestly, I don’t really like wearing all this powder and rouge.”
Li Mei’er stammered, “So, does that mean your family doesn’t oppose the arranged marriage anymore?”
As it turned out, Yun Niang’s family had two daughters and one son. The eldest daughter, Yuanniang, was born to the first wife, Lady Cheng, and five years ago, she married into the He family, a family of imperial physicians in Hangzhou Prefecture, becoming a young mistress. The remaining daughter and son were Yun Niang and her younger brother, Xia Qi.
Yuanniang’s father-in-law was an imperial physician, and her husband also served in the Imperial Medical Bureau. After their marriage, she followed her husband north to the capital.
The story began here. Although Yun Niang’s mother, Lady Zhen, was a stepmother, she treated Yuanniang as her own daughter. She hired renowned tutors to teach her reading and writing, trained her in household management, ensured she wouldn’t be mocked as a fatherless eldest daughter, and even arranged an excellent marriage for her. The He family had practiced medicine for generations, possessed great wealth, and maintained a spotless reputation.
In return, Yuanniang wanted to find a good marriage for her younger sister in the capital as well.
The opportunity soon arose. Yuanniang’s husband, He Tiancong, treated the elderly mother of the Marquis of Changfeng for a chronic illness. After curing her, the elderly lady treated the He family with great respect, and Yuanniang became a distinguished guest at the Changfeng Marquess’s Mansion. On one hand, she befriended the noblewomen of these prominent families; on the other, she sought an exceptionally prestigious marriage for her younger sister.
Coincidentally, the Seventh Master of the Changfeng Marquess’s Mansion, though born to a singing girl, was exceptionally talented in literature. At a young age, he had already passed the imperial examination at the county level and possessed an excellent temperament. Yuanniang intended for him to become her younger sister’s husband. She first befriended this concubine, then spent a fortune to bribe those close to Lady Hou. Lady Hou had originally paid little attention to this illegitimate son, knowing he had always been respectful and obedient.
Of course, despite his obedience and talent, Lady Hou’s own son was incompetent. She did not want the illegitimate son to surpass the legitimate heir. Coincidentally, her own mother visited the mansion and, upon hearing of this matter, agreed. Lady Hou thus arranged the marriage between Yun Niang and this Seventh Master of the Changfeng Marquess’s Mansion.
Yet, unexpectedly, within just half a year, the marriage had changed hands.
The cause was a dispute over land. The Changfeng Marquess’s Mansion was a newly risen noble family, originally just a low-ranking military official. However, because their daughter was the current Emperor’s favored consort and had given birth to a prince, they were ennobled as a marquess’s mansion.
The Changfeng Marquess’s Mansion had imperial-granted estates but remained unsatisfied. They coveted a fertile piece of land belonging to the Jianguo Houfu. Not daring to act too aggressively, they only seized half of it, but this was enough to anger the Jianguo Houfu.
The Jianguo Houfu was a family of military merit, having earned their status through genuine battlefield achievements. How could they tolerate such behavior?
Initially, they still hesitated because the Changfeng Marquess’s Chen Family was the favored consort’s maternal family and might potentially become the future emperor’s maternal family. However, after the incompetent Heir Apparent of the Changfeng Marquess accidentally shot and killed the fiancée of the Jianguo Houfu’s Third Master with an arrow, the conflict escalated fiercely.
What began as a land dispute turned into a clash of pride. Even if the Emperor ruled that the Changfeng Marquess must return the land, it would not quell the Jianguo Houfu’s fury.
In the end, the Changfeng Marquess devised a cunning plan: to give my wife as compensation for your wife.
Since I caused the death of your fiancée, I will compensate you with one of my own. Thus, by the Emperor’s personal decree, Yun Niang’s marriage was arranged to the Jianguo Houfu’s Third Master, Mu Shi.
Seeing the indignant Li Mei’er, Yun Niang calmly said, “The imperial decree has been issued. What can we do? Besides, the Jianguo Houfu is no worse than the Changfeng Marquess’s Mansion. It’s just that their family is a bit more complicated.”
She did not need to explain the intricate details to them, lest they worry unnecessarily.
Holding Li Mei’er’s hand, she said, “Sister Mei’er, I’m afraid I won’t stay in Huzhou much longer. I’ve already spoken to my Die and Niang about your medical clinic, and they will look after it.”
Li Mei’er was an orphan picked up by a nun at a Taoist temple on Mount Emei. She traveled with her master to Huzhou, where her master passed away. Left alone, Li Mei’er intended to sell herself to bury her master. Kind-hearted Yun Niang happened to see her, gave her twenty taels of silver, but did not make her sell herself. Li Mei’er was very capable.
After using the silver to bury her master, she opened a pharmacy in Huzhou City, catering only to female customers. Her business thrived remarkably.
However, as a woman, she often faced harassment from local ruffians while running her business. Yun Niang frequently sent her own servants to patrol the area to bolster her presence.
To ensure her business remained unaffected, Yun Niang had already secured her parents’ agreement.
Li Mei’er was deeply moved. “Yun Niang, I don’t even know what to say.She also felt somewhat disappointed, “Sister Wei married into a prince’s mansion.” We’ll probably never see each other again in this lifetime. Now you, Yun Niang, are also going to the capital. Even Sister Zhou likely won’t be far behind.”
Zhou Yun was the daughter of the Shaoxing Prefect. The Sister Wei mentioned by Li Mei’er was the daughter of the Hangzhou Xieling. They all shared an excellent friendship.
Wei Yue was the daughter of a third-rank Xieling (Military Coordinator) from Hangzhou. Her mother had some distant kinship with the Empress Dowager, and through the selection process, she entered the residence of the Fourth Prince as a concubine. A Wángfēi (Prince’s Consort) was equivalent to the principal wife of a commandery prince, a noble status, yet she would be confined within the palace walls, likely never to emerge again.
As for Zhou Yun, she came from a scholarly family. She was to marry back into her mother’s maiden family, wedding her maternal cousin, likely next year.
Yun Niang sighed, “For us girls, the happiest years are merely these few spent in the boudoir. My elder sister wrote to me saying that Jianguo Houfu is unlike other noble households. Their Mu Family originally hails from the Hedong gentry, with strict and rigorous rules. My mother thus took me to Hangzhou Prefecture to invite a Mama who is said to have once taught etiquette in the palace. From now on, I fear I won’t be able to meet with you sisters often. Please don’t blame me.”
“Xia sister, what are you saying? How could I blame you?” Zhou Yun took Yun Niang’s hand and said, “Even after you go to the capital, we must keep in touch frequently.”
“Yes, of course.”
Zhou Yun smiled, “You, always able to look ahead—that’s truly for the best.”
Yun Niang was by nature an optimist. She pointed to the pastries and snacks brought by the maid, urging Zhou Yun and Li Mei’er to try them. “These pastries were made by our family cook—they can’t compare to those from outside shops. But these plums were pickled by me myself. Our Xià Jiā’s plums are excellent for promoting salivation, quenching thirst, and especially for stimulating appetite. Even Yaoji North-South Goods Store can’t match mine.”
This was true. Xià Jiā’s preserved plums, dark plums, and ginger-strip plums were all exceptionally well-made.
The three of them then sampled the treats together. Meanwhile, Yun Niang’s mother, Lady Zhen, sent over a meal via a maid. The three young girls chattered away, as if the matter of the exchanged marriage didn’t exist at all.
If an ordinary person encountered such a situation, they would surely feel anxious, worried about whether the other party would reject such a marriage arrangement and how they would fare after marrying over. But Yun Niang showed no outward signs, as if she hadn’t encountered such an event at all, as if she were truly getting married under normal circumstances.
Li Mei’er thought to herself, such composure—she could never learn it.
Before, she had envied these young ladies from noble families. Now, she felt that her own situation was quite good too—free and unrestrained, able to do whatever she wished.
Nevertheless, she was still very reluctant to part with her friend Xia Yunniang. So, she took off a jade pendant with a seal that she wore around her neck and gave it to Yun Niang. “Yun Niang, this has been with me since I was little. It has always protected me, turning misfortune into fortune. This time, I give it to you, hoping you too will encounter noble helpers whenever needed, just like I have.”
Yun Niang shook her head, “Li sister, how can I accept something of yours? This has been with you since childhood; it’s too precious.”
But Li Mei’er insisted, “If you don’t take it, you’re looking down on me.”
Only after she said this did Yun Niang accept it, wearing it around her own neck.
Yun Niang, Zhou Yun, and Wei Yue were all daughters of official families, sharing similar temperaments. But in terms of genuine friendship, her bond with Li Mei’er was the most sincere. She also took off a bracelet from her wrist. “This bracelet was given to me by my grandmother. My sister and I each have one. Li sister, this bracelet is for you.”
Li Mei’er carefully stored it away. As she had business to attend to, Yun Niang couldn’t keep her longer. She packed a good amount of pastries and snacks for Li Mei’er to take back. Li Mei’er said sheepishly, “Every time I come here, I end up eating and taking things away. Really…”
“What’s the big deal? My mother is just afraid I’ll eat too much and gain weight,” Yun Niang said, personally seeing her off to the second gate.
After Li Mei’er left, Zhou Yun also did not stay long. Yun Niang sent off these sisters from the inner chambers before going to her mother, Lady Zhen. Lady Zhen lived in the main room. When Yun Niang arrived, Lady Zhen was sitting by the window, arranging the red camellias in a Ru ware Meiren vase. The flowers were about the size of a bowl, with thick, emerald-green leaves and crimson blossoms. Several blooms clustered together resembled a sea of flowers, a truly magnificent sight.
Lady Zhen was only thirty-three this year. She was as radiant as summer flowers, with a slender waist—a true beauty. If not for this, Xia Shiyan would not have refused the proposal from his first wife’s family to remarry a daughter from the Cheng Family and instead married Lady Zhen.
Lady Zhen came from a declining noble family, but she was naturally intelligent and exceptionally beautiful. She assisted Xia Shiyan in rising from a seventh-rank county magistrate to a fourth-rank prefect, contributing greatly to his success.
Seeing Yun Niang approach, she said thoughtfully, “Look at the plum blossoms—they are elegant but only bloom in winter. Peach blossoms are fleeting, lasting no more than March. As for peonies, they require effort to cultivate. But camellias have a long blooming period. I have never seen them wither.”
Lady Zhen embraced her daughter. “Your sister has gone to great lengths for you. You must appreciate this kindness, for not everyone wishes you well. Moreover, like me, your marriage journey has been full of twists and turns. But look at me now—aren’t I living quite well?”
Yun Niang had vaguely heard about her mother’s past. Her mother was once betrothed, with the man sincerely coming to propose. However, after the man achieved success in the imperial examinations, he was taken as a son-in-law by a powerful family and immediately broke off the engagement. Lady Zhen was the youngest daughter of an aging family in decline. Had Xia Shiyan not married her, her life would have been difficult.
Fortunately, Xia Shiyan did marry her. She was exceptionally skilled in social interactions. When Xia Shiyan served as a county magistrate, she formed a close bond with the family of the assistant prefect. Later, they helped promote Xia Shiyan, and his steady rise in rank owed much to Lady Zhen’s efforts behind the scenes.
Coming from a humble background and becoming a fourth-rank official in Jiangnan before the age of forty was no ordinary feat. Thus, Yun Niang understood that Lady Zhen wanted to tell her that benefits far outweigh beauty in the long run.
“Mother, I’m just a little scared!”
In her letter, her sister mentioned that although the Jianguo Houfu had few descendants, each one was exceptionally capable. Having grown up in a simple family environment where her father didn’t even have a concubine, Yun Niang felt intimidated by the thought of so many formidable people.
Lady Zhen whispered in her daughter’s ear, “You are my own daughter. Your sister is not my biological child, yet I taught her how to establish herself in the He Family, and she is now the respected Eldest Madam. How much more so for you? Would your mother stand by and watch you suffer?”
Yun Niang immediately felt reassured.
But she still had some worries. “Mother, what if I don’t get along with others?”
Lady Zhen pinched her daughter’s little nose. “Then just get along well with your husband. Who are these ‘others’?” She earnestly advised her daughter, “If you truly can’t handle it, write to me, and I’ll come to help you. You will always be my dearest baby.”
Lady Zhen had always doted on her daughter. Although she devoted more energy to her younger son after his birth, she remained extremely indulgent toward her only daughter.
Yun Niang was clearly pleased. She shared everything with her mother and also voiced her worries. “Niang, my undergarments have become too tight again. My chest feels so heavy. Everyone seems to admire those delicate, ethereal beauties who look as if they might drift away with the wind. Will anyone like someone like me? I don’t even dare wear high-waisted skirts anymore. Niang, sometimes I wish I could just cut my chest off.”
This silly girl. Lady Zhen couldn’t help but treat her like a child, unwilling to let her grow up. She poked her daughter’s forehead and sighed helplessly, “You, always talking nonsense. If someone like you isn’t liked, then no woman in the world has a chance.”
Yun Niang giggled. “Mother, if you say so, I won’t cut it off then.”
Even Lady Zhen, who was usually reserved, couldn’t help but be amused. “Who knows what your future husband will be like? If he marries you, it’ll be like gaining another daughter.”