Qi Wanling smiled and gestured for Zhao Lijia to rise, her eyes slowly shifting, her gaze casually landing on the girl's hairpins and clothing.
She was about to say something more when the Duchess spoke from her seat above.
She said to Zhao Lijia, "Once you're in the ducal manor, treat it as your own home. If you lack anything, tell your maternal aunt, or send someone to inform me as well. Our household has stricter rules than those in Liangzhou, but rest easy and settle in—you'll grow accustomed in time."
Zhao Lijia knew these words were directed at her, so she acknowledged them with a bow and offered her thanks.
Having said this, the Duchess rose, beckoned to the Shizi's wife, then swept her gaze over Second Madam and Zhao Lijia. "I won't disturb your reunion any further."
Knowing the Duchess was taking her leave, everyone in the flower hall rose to see her off. Qi Wanling still wanted to stay and chat, but she could tell her mother-in-law didn't want her lingering here. There was nothing for it—this young miss was a relative of the Second Branch, and if the Second Branch wanted to catch up with family, she had no choice but to leave as well.
When they reached the covered corridor and saw the Duchess had walked far ahead, Qi Wanling slowed her pace and spoke to her maidservant Baoqin beside her.
"That young miss from the Second Branch is quite a beauty. Who knows—she might end up with one of the young masters of the manor before long."
Her tone was laced with contempt. "The eldest young master is out of the question, and the second doesn't seem likely either. As for the third—he's handsome, certainly, the most handsome man I've ever seen in all of Chang'an—but he's not easy to get along with. Who knows what goes on in that head of his."
A thought struck her, and she abruptly changed tack, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes. "If the Shizi dares to have any improper thoughts, I'll deal with him!"
Baoqin hurriedly said, "That won't happen. This young miss is a proper lady from a good family—she wouldn't get tangled up with the Shizi."
Qi Wanling stopped and looked at Baoqin. "Now that's interesting—you're already taking the side of this newly arrived young miss."
Baoqin's heart fluttered with panic, and she quickly explained, "Madam, I'm not."
Qi Wanling cast a sidelong glance at Baoqin and resumed walking. "Who knows."
As she walked, she struck up conversation with Baoqin again. "The Shizi must be keeping a woman in Weinan County—wouldn't you agree?"
The Shizi served as Guoyi Commandant of Fengqi Prefecture in Weinan County under the Jingzhao administration, spending half of every month on duty there. And since the Shizi was fond of dallying with women, Qi Wanling refused to believe he had no mistress in Weinan.
Baoqin dared not answer, her face flushing deep red as she clasped her hands and followed behind. Fortunately, Qi Wanling, whose thoughts flitted from one thing to another, soon veered onto a different topic, much to Baoqin's relief.
But as luck would have it, the corridor where Qi Wanling was speaking ran close to a moon gate—and just then, a figure rounded the corner through that very gate.
Qi Wanling's heart seized with panic. Of all people, why did it have to be him!
She had no idea whether he'd overheard her words. As the man approached, she smoothed her hair and forced a smile.
"Third Brother, where are you off to?"
Lin Zeyan stopped three paces from Qi Wanling. He had a pair of exceptionally beautiful phoenix eyes—the inner corners curving downward, the outer corners tilting up—and when he wasn't smiling, his sharp gaze carried an inherent air of scrutiny.
Now those cold, handsome eyes swept lazily over the two gossiping women, but his manners remained impeccable. "Greetings, Sister-in-law."
Qi Wanling maintained her smile and gave a slight nod. "Where are you headed in such a hurry?"
Lin Zeyan: "Summoned to the palace."
Qi Wanling quickly said, "Summoned to the palace—that must be urgent. You'd best be off."
Lin Zeyan left, and she let out a breath. "I wonder if he heard what was said earlier."
Though Qi Wanling was walking, she had been circling around the covered corridor the whole time. It was close to the Moon Gate, and the corridor walls were full of lattice windows. Besides, this Third Young Master was the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review—his gaze always seemed to see through everything, making one's heart pound.
Qi Wanling hurried back to the East Cross Courtyard with Baoqin and a few maidservants.
Over in the Flower Hall, things seemed much warmer. The Second Madam was still holding Zhao Lijia's hand, asking her many questions, all of which Zhao Lijia answered one by one.
However, the Second Madam had one complaint. She put on an angry look: "What's this 'Second Madam'? So formal, aren't we?"
Zhao Lijia did not want to upset her cousin-aunt. She naturally felt some fondness for this cousin-aunt, so she quickly changed how she addressed her: "Cousin-Aunt."
The Second Madam was pleased. "That's more like it. From now on, never mind the Duke's Estate—the second branch is your second home. Don't be so formal with us. Your mother and I were so close. If she knew we were being so polite with each other, wouldn't she be disappointed?"
Zhao Lijia smiled too. The sense of distance and nervousness in her heart faded a little more, and a smile brimmed at the corners of her lips: "Cousin-Aunt, I'll do whatever you say."
The Second Madam found the girl before her truly endearing and couldn't resist touching her cheek. "Oh yes, I forgot to introduce you—this is your eldest cousin-in-law."
Zhao Lijia had been quietly noticing the silent person beside her, waiting to greet her. When the Second Madam brought it up, she rose and bowed. "Lijia pays her respects to Eldest Cousin-in-Law."
Xu Lingyuan smiled faintly and helped her up. "Cousin, please rise."
Earlier, Zhao Lijia's attention had been entirely on her cousin-aunt, so she had only seen a blurry figure. Only now did she see what her eldest cousin-in-law looked like.
It was a smooth oval face, with slightly elongated eyes and a calm gaze. When she looked at people, it was like two quiet mountain springs—composed, without a ripple.
She wore a lotus-pink jacket with a pale blue skirt patterned with hidden diamond motifs, her hair in a simple single bun. Her ornaments were exquisite but not ostentatious: a glass and jeweled hairpin, a white jade comb-back carved with lotus patterns, and a silver hairpin with a fret pattern. When she drank tea or moved slightly, the jade bracelet on her wrist would chime softly.
Before Zhao Lijia had come, Uncle Qian had already briefed her on the backgrounds of everyone in the Estate of the Duke of Xian. She knew this eldest cousin-in-law was the eldest young lady of the Xu family. Her father was the former Libationer of the Imperial Academy and Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, and her aunt was the Virtuous Consort, the most favored concubine in the palace.
The Second Madam wanted to keep chatting, but Xu Lingyuan reminded her at just the right moment: "Mother, my husband and the others should have arrived at the West Main Courtyard by now."
The Second Madam gave a little "ah" and pulled Zhao Lijia to her feet, speaking as she walked: "Today the court is on recess, so everyone in the family is home. It's a good chance to have everyone meet while we're free. These people are all busier than the next—if we don't meet now, later when you run into each other in the estate, you won't even recognize one another. Wouldn't that be awkward?"
The nervousness in Zhao Lijia's heart, which had been slowly fading, returned a little—but she still kept smiling.
The Second Madam led Zhao Lijia out of the Flower Hall into the winding covered corridor toward the back. Passing through a Moon Gate, the space suddenly opened up.
What came into view was a garden. In the distance were rockeries layered in green and cascading jade. Between the rocks and beside the corridors, flowers and trees flourished lushly, steaming with vibrant life.
At the center of the garden lay a very large pond of jade-green water. The surface was already spread with fresh green lotus leaves—not yet large, round and tender, crowding and floating upon the water.
Zhao Lijia felt completely enveloped in greenery, her whole body growing moist.
The Second Madam observed Zhao Lijia's expression and knew she liked it, exchanging a smile with Xu Lingyuan.
As they walked, she introduced things to Zhao Lijia: "The east side is where the Duke and Duchess and the Shizi and his wife live. Our second branch is on the west side."
Inside the Moon Gate, two covered corridors extended to the left and right around the central jade-green pond. Going left led to the west courtyard, going right to the east courtyard.
Zhao Lijia watched every place the Second Madam mentioned and paid attention to every word she said.
Then the Second Madam asked, "Is that your mother's red sandalwood ruanxian on your back?"
The Second Madam had noticed Zhao Lijia had been carrying something on her back all along. Though it was wrapped in a brocade bag, she guessed it at once. "I loved hearing your mother play The Joy of Tilted Canopies and The Spring Banquet."
Zhao Lijia's eyes brightened, and her voice was soft. "I can play those two as well. I'll play them for you in the future, Aunt."
"Wonderful." The Second Madam looked back at Xu Lingyuan. "Your cousin-in-law is skilled at the pipa, and you are skilled at the ruanxian. In the future you can even perform together."
Hearing this, Zhao Lijia looked back at Xu Lingyuan, who smiled and nodded.
When they reached the end of the corridor, a young servant saw the Second Madam and came running over. The Second Madam said to Zhao Lijia, "Let's wait a moment," then stopped to wait for the servant to approach. When he came near, he greeted the Second Madam with a salute.
The Second Madam glanced behind him. "Where is the third young master?"
Qingshu smiled apologetically. "Madam, His Majesty summoned him. The young master hurried into the palace just now."
The Second Madam frowned slightly. She dismissed Qingshu and said to Zhao Lijia, "Among the busy people I mentioned to you earlier, your third cousin is the busiest. Never mind him. You will meet him eventually. Let's meet the others first."
Zhao Lijia nodded, but unexpectedly her gaze collided with Qingshu's as he looked up to steal a glance at her. Qingshu quickly lowered his head and left. Zhao Lijia found it very strange.
When they reached the main room of the west principal courtyard, the Second Madam led the group inside. The several people drinking tea and chatting there stopped and stood up.
The Second Madam introduced them one by one. The Second Master had a long beard, his hair bound with a jade hairpin, and he looked somewhat stern.
The eldest cousin wore a futou and a dark round-collared robe with a crane pattern, his figure tall and slender.
The second cousin sat in a wheelchair, wearing a round-collared, broad-sleeved robe in a pale blue-green. Like the Second Master, his hair was bound only with a wooden hairpin.
Both cousins had a rather gentle temperament, though the eldest cousin's facial contours were harder, giving him an air of capability and gravity, while the second cousin's features were softer and his skin very fair. From the outline of his shoulders, one could tell he was very thin.
When the Second Madam saw that Zhao Lijia, in saluting the second young master, bent her knees down to the height of his eyes, she exchanged a proud and comforted look with the Second Master.
Xu Lingyuan led her daughter over to Zhao Lijia. "This is Ruohua, nicknamed Huabao. She is five years old. This is your cousin-aunt Lijia."
Huabao wore a madder-pink short jacket and a pale pink ruqun, with two little ball-shaped buns tied on her head and small flowers pinned in them. Her eyes resembled neither her mother's nor her father's; instead she had inherited the Second Madam's peach-blossom eyes, moist and crystalline. Around her neck she wore a striking yingluo collar.
Since morning, Zhao Lijia had been greeting all sorts of people like a spinning top. Now, seeing such a tiny little person, she was so adorable that Zhao Lijia's heart softened.
She squatted down and pinched the two little buns on Huabao's head. "Huabao, you're so cute."
Huabao was not to be outdone. She placed a hand on Zhao Lijia's face in a manner that resembled a caress, and said with a somewhat precocious air, "Auntie, you're very cute too, like a peach."
The moment she spoke, everyone in the main room was amused into laughter. Xu Lingyuan pulled Huabao over, but before Huabao was pulled away, she even gave Zhao Lijia's face a quick swipe, leaving Zhao Lijia not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
The Second Madam had Zhao Lijia sit beside her and said, "Apart from Sanlang, you've met everyone in the second branch now. But that Sanlang boy, it's just as well you don't meet him. He has a sharp tongue, and it wouldn't be good if he made you angry."
After meeting and exchanging pleasantries with the several people of the second branch, the Second Madam took Zhao Lijia to see the courtyard arranged for her. Chunxuan Xiaozhu was a two-story building behind the west main courtyard and in front of the bamboo grove. Ordinarily, it was where the Second Madam and Second Master enjoyed tea and watched the rain to escape the summer heat. Now it had become Zhao Lijia's residence.
On the first floor of this two-story building, there was a small courtyard facing the bamboo grove behind. In the corner of the courtyard wall stood an old apricot tree. Beneath the apricot tree was a swing chair woven from thick rattan, overgrown with tangled wild grass and scattered with quite a few apricot blossoms.
The main room on the first floor for receiving guests was built with long windows on three walls and the front. The long windows had openwork crabapple patterns. When it was windy or cold, they could be closed; when the sunlight was good, the entire set could be folded back to both sides.
The second floor was the bedchamber, with a long corridor outside as well. The apricot tree in the courtyard grew tall, reaching up to the second-floor corridor, with half of its branches piled in the eastern corner of the corridor. White little blossoms were scattered across the floor of the outer corridor.
Zhao Lijia was delighted. With bright eyes, she observed the posture of the apricot tree and saw that it seemed to have already grown together with the corridor railing.
The Second Madam stood beside her and asked, "Do you like it?"
"Yes." Zhao Lizhi did not want to be stingy with praise, but coming to a new environment still made her a little reserved, so she nodded vigorously. Her round eyes held bright light of joy, hoping the Second Madam would notice.
The Second Madam could not resist touching Zhao Lijia's cheek again. "How does the General call you? Does Lijia have a childhood name?"
Zhao Lijia's eyes curved, a little embarrassed, but she still told the Second Madam her childhood name. "Lizhi."
"Lizhi?" The Second Madam laughed, making Zhao Lijia even more embarrassed.
The Second Madam pinched her cheek. "This childhood name is good. Then I'll call you that from now on too, all right, Lizhi?"
Zhao Lijia nodded quickly. "That's fine."
The Second Madam felt the child was a little simple and honest, and she felt deeply fond and protective of her. "All right, you've met so many people today. You must be tired. Rest for a while first. I'll send someone to bring you lunch."
Actually, Zhao Lijia still wanted to spend a little more time with the Second Madam, but she was indeed tired. Since the Second Madam had told her to rest, she could not cling to her either, so she obediently agreed.
The Second Madam was about to leave when Zhao Lijia suddenly remembered something and asked, "Auntie, has Uncle Qian already left?"
The Second Madam patted her hand. "Don't worry, Uncle Qian hasn't left. He's at the ducal residence. Tomorrow he will come to see you."
Hearing this, Zhao Lijia felt relieved.
After the Second Madam left, Zhao Lijia walked to the outer corridor and watched her depart. She said to Han Guang and Tieyi, "Auntie reminds me of my mother. Do you think if my mother were still alive, she would be like this?"
Han Guang and Tieyi also came to the outer corridor and looked at the person below. They could not remember what the Madam looked like; they only remembered that the Madam had been a very gentle person.
"Miss…" Han Guang noticed her young mistress's sorrow and wanted to say a few words of comfort, but her mind was blank and her mouth clumsy—she found herself with nothing to say.
Tieyi also racked her brains trying to think of something to say. After all, they had never experienced this before; their young mistress had always been cheerful and happy.
Zhao Lijia turned around, smiling brightly. "Who has time for sentimental sorrow? Let's take a look at our new rooms."
Han Guang and Tieyi smiled too. Just then, the maidservant delivering lunch arrived. Accompanying the lunch was Emei, the first-class maid by the Second Madam's side. She led four maidservants, saying they were assigned by the Second Madam to Zhao Lijia, to stay at Chunxuan Xiaozhu and serve her.
Zhao Lijia noticed that the maidservants in the ducal estate all wore round-collar robes, which looked neat and comfortable, so she asked Emei if Han Guang and Tieyi could be arranged a set as well.
Emei appeared very respectful, saying that tomorrow she would send an embroiderer to take Han Guang and Tieyi's measurements, and following the ducal estate's rules, arrange uniform first-class maidservant attire for them.
After Emei left, Han Guang and Tieyi arranged for the four maidservants to stay on the first floor to tidy things up. They took the food boxes and asked Zhao Lijia, "Miss, where would you like to dine?"
Zhao Lijia looked around the rooms. There were four rooms—though said to be four, they were actually three sections separated by long windows, with a folding screen dividing the bedchamber into inner and outer sections. On the left, facing the pond and separated by green gauze, was the dressing table; on the right was a spacious, bright study.
The dining area was on the first floor, but Zhao Lijia was too lazy to run up and down. Seeing tables and chairs on the outer corridor, she decided to eat there.
The lunch consisted of golden minced fish soup, okra soup, and roasted mutton. The mutton and okra soup were no different from those in Liangzhou, but the fish soup was exceptionally delicious—the fish meat was fresh and tender, stewed until soft.
After eating, Zhao Lijia walked around the room, then went to the study to write a letter to her father. Han Guang and Tieyi had gone to eat, and the four maidservants were busy moving things around the room.
She wrote about her situation at the ducal estate. When she got to her cousin-aunt, she held the brush and giggled foolishly. Finally, thinking of her purpose for coming to Chang'an and her father's instructions, she added one last line:
Father, your daughter is doing well in Chang'an. I will surely cherish your support and tour Chang'an thoroughly. If fate allows—Chang'an has many fine young men—perhaps your daughter can find a pretty-faced husband who has lost both parents and is obedient and easy to handle.
Zhao Lijia looked at this last line for a while, felt it was no good, and crossed it out with her brush. She thought for a while longer, then took a fresh sheet of paper and rewrote a letter that would make her father happy and satisfied upon reading it, then sealed it in an envelope.
Han Guang and Tieyi had eaten on the first floor. The four maidservants had already neatly arranged the things they had brought from Liangzhou.
A wind had picked up, blowing the curtains in the room into a wild dance. They and the four maidservants closed the long windows and went to the study, where they found their young mistress asleep at the desk. In all the busyness, they had forgotten that their young mistress had a habit of napping at noon—she must have been too tired and fallen asleep right at the desk.
The study window was open, blowing the letters and papers on the desk into a wild flutter, while their young mistress slept soundly.