Chapter 12: Hints

Wei Xiao did not like this brother-in-law of his.

Pei Ye never spoke straightforwardly. To put it nicely, he was a refined scholar; but to put it bluntly, he was just a dull, boring bookworm.

He would just sit there stiffly, staring blankly at nothing in particular.

Call his name once, and he reacted like a startled bird.

But in this hall, what could possibly make the graceful young heir of the Duke’s estate lose his composure so badly?

Faced with Wei Xiao’s meaningful smile, Pei Ye could not sit at ease.

Just moments ago, he had been coveting Yunying, another man’s wife.

Pei Ye lowered his head in silence, drinking his tea. He was never one for many words, and had little to say to Wei Xiao.

At noon, the meal was set, and everyone gathered at the table.

Wei Yi returned from the Imperial City, bringing two jars of pine-fragrance wine.

The second master of the Wei family, whose health was frail, held a leisurely sinecure post in Chang’an. Since it was raining today, he had not gone out fishing beyond the city.

The womenfolk each drank a cup or two. The daughters-in-law of other branches treated the Lan sisters without reserve, making jokes with them.

Xue Yan asked, “Ying-niang, you and your younger sister—do you ever share a sort of twin telepathy? For instance, if you get a headache, does your sister also feel it?”

At this moment, Lan Yunjin carried herself with ease. She believed that she and her elder sister matched each other seamlessly.

She replied, smiling, “Sister-in-law, if you say telepathy—well, whenever my younger sister causes trouble, my forehead truly does ache.”

In most households, a new face might cause curiosity. But as for the general’s household, Yunying’s younger sister hardly counted as “new”, at most it was like seeing the same person in a different dress. A word stronger than “curious” was needed to describe it.

Lan Yunying, seeing that the general’s household lived up to the writings about their upright family ways, felt more at ease.

As long as her younger sister was not wronged here in this residence, then these two marriages could not be said to have been wrongly exchanged.

But then again, perhaps her sister was indeed suffering a grievance, forced to restrain her true temperament, whether happy or sad, and maintain a perfect smile.

And then to hear Madam Xue say her sister was now teaching the little girls their lessons…

Only their mother knew that Yunying in her maiden days had always slept late and was dragged out of bed past mid-morning. As for the Four Books and Five Classics, she had read them with reluctance. At her writing desk, she would lie down whenever she could, rather than sit upright.

And now, her younger sister was living as her.

Madam Wang’s second daughter-in-law, Li Wen, came from a family that ran a martial arts school in Chang’an.

Li Wen had a fair face and a plump figure. Every smile and frown was as noisy as a rattle drum, though not necessarily unpleasant.

She asked, “If your sister makes mistakes, do you, as her elder sister, ever take the punishment for her?”

“When I was little, I used to envy those who had elder sisters. If they made a mistake and were punished, the elder sister would protect them, and the mother could not bear to scold them. Since you two look exactly alike, if one of you gets into trouble, the other can just take her place, that’s an enormous blessing!”

Though said casually, to Lan Yunjin it sounded far from kind.

She only smiled faintly, picked up her chopsticks, and ignored Li Wen.

Lan Yunying spoke slowly, “In the boudoir, I was lazy and often got into mischief. But with elder sister’s discipline, I managed to avoid punishment many times.”

Li Wen dabbed the wine from her lips and said, “But really, you’re not hard to tell apart from your sister. You’re free-spirited and carefree, while your elder sister sits there like porcelain Guanyin, I normally wouldn’t dare to joke with her.”

“If you two were to swap places for punishment, it’d be easily exposed.” She popped a sour jujube kernel into her mouth, and the sourness made her teeth ache audibly.

Xue Yan rolled her eyes.

None of Madam Wang’s daughters-in-law were easy to deal with. To expect any of them to say something pleasant was harder than reaching the heavens. If their words didn’t choke you, you’d be lucky to escape alive.

She retorted, “Ying-niang and her sister aren’t like you. You trained in a martial arts school since childhood, wielding swords and fists. Those two sisters grew up studying in their boudoir. What trouble could they cause? At most, they’d quarrel a little.”

Li Wen spat, tossing the jujube pit onto her plate, and grumbled, “This cook is detestable! Is she relying on the Madam’s favor to slack off? Her dishes are getting worse by the day. Who does she think she’s fooling?”

Xue Yan shook her head. Truly, words with her were a waste. Both she and her husband had been spoiled by Madam Wang, and their manners only worsened.

In principle, no one else should lecture another branch’s daughter-in-law.

Madam Tao, being forthright, laughed and said, “Niece-in-law, can’t your mouth rest while you eat? Everyone has their own tastes. This whole table of dishes isn’t prepared just for you. Why don’t you ask your mother-in-law, who was it that ordered the cook to make sour jujubes?”

Li Wen smacked her lips awkwardly. Only then did she notice her mother-in-law Madam Wang, and Madam Zhang, both looking displeased.

How could she have forgotten, her mother-in-law loved sour food.

“I… misspoke.” She quickly shifted the blame. “It’s the serving maid’s fault for not putting the sour jujubes close to mother-in-law, but placing them far away. How was she supposed to reach them?”

Madam Zhang saw Madam Wang’s face turning red and green in turns, clearly angered by Li Wen’s blunder.

She cleared her throat and said, “Enough. One mustn’t chatter at meals or in bed. Eat quietly.”

—-

Qionghua Courtyard.

Lan Yunjin told Yuchan to fetch a few maids to help Pei Ye and Yunying settle their luggage.

The two sisters closed the doors, finally with a moment to speak freely.

Lan Yunjin led Yunying into the inner chamber. They sat on soft stools, and she quietly asked, “Elder sister, are you living comfortably in the Duke’s residence?”

“What’s uncomfortable about it?”

Lan Yunying pressed a hand to her chest. “The young heir is preparing for next year’s exams. Every day he pays his respects morning and night, then goes to the study to read. Mother-in-law treats me well. It’s only the other daughters-in-law who are distant. Beyond that, nothing to complain of.”

To perfectly mimic her sister’s temperament was like imitating her handwriting which was always a challenge with the fear of a wrong stroke and the whole page is ruined.

Lan Yunjin sighed in relief and smiled. “Hearing that, younger sister is reassured.”

After a pause, Yunying placed her hand on Yunjin’s knee and asked, “That night, I never had the chance to ask clearly. What on earth happened that drove you to such a decision?”

Yunying valued cause and effect. Her sister was not a rebellious girl. She was sure there had been a reason.

If her sister detested Pei Ye, that was still a lifetime matter. To avoid a disliked man, would she truly rather wear shackles than marry into the Duke’s estate?

Was it worth it?

Yunying was conflicted.

Yet today, seeing her sister deftly handling affairs in the general’s household, so poised and virtuous, this was no mere act of imitation.

Her younger sister had become her.

Outside, the spring rain drizzled.

Lan Yunjin stood, walked to the square bronze mirror hanging on the cabinet, and said, “Didn’t I explain it to elder sister that night already?”

Yunying gave up questioning. She sighed, “Yes… we cannot look back. What matters is the future and that we keep things as proper as today, never letting anyone see through us.”

“When Lady Li made those careless jokes, I feared someone with sharp ears might take it seriously.”

Lan Yunjin said, “There aren’t many scheming minds in this household.”

“That’s true.” Yunying had imitated her sister’s tone for so long, she now spoke like her without realizing. “They may speak carelessly, but their hearts aren’t bad.”

“And the young heir—” Lan Yunjin hesitated before the mirror, then turned to her sister. “What does elder sister think of him?”

Yunying froze slightly, caught off guard.

Such a question was not easy to answer.

Her eyes strayed to the bronze mirror, where she saw her own face clouded with hesitation.

Suddenly she remembered the way Pei Ye had looked at her, and said slowly, “He’s no different from any young man in Luoyang, that women whisper about in private.”

“The Duke’s household has a private school, but the young heir studies separately in the library with a tutor.”

Lan Yunjin only smiled, and pressed again. “So, how does elder sister truly find him?”

“Of course, polite and humble,” Yunying lowered her gaze. “But the way he looks at me… it’s as though he’s seeing someone else.”

Lan Yunjin paused at those words.

That look—she had seen it too many times.

The one Pei Ye longed to see was always her elder sister.

She asked softly, “Elder sister, have you ever wondered, was he looking at me, or at you?”

Yunying wanted to deny it, yet she had wondered.

“I never met him before. How could he be looking at me?”

Lan Yunjin stepped closer. “And if he had seen you?”

Yunying’s shoulders trembled. “Don’t frighten me. If he really has seen me, how can I ever feel at ease again?”

“How could I want to frighten elder sister?” Yunjin chuckled. “The world is unpredictable. I thought Wei Xiao, being a mere military man, would be easy to fool. Yet on the wedding day, he asked me about my birth papers and marriage records.”

She meant to remind her sister: Pei Ye was not to be underestimated.

Yunying’s thoughts tangled. She was about to ask how her sister had answered Wei Xiao, when the laughter of Yuchan and Guiyuan sounded outside.

Yunjin fell silent.

Clearly, they could not continue the conversation.

Guiyuan pushed the door open, smiling before she spoke, “Fourth young lady, Madam Zhang has arranged everything well. She gave the young heir and his wife an eastern wing room in the inner courtyard, with two little maids to attend them.”

Yuchan laughed, “Now you can be lazy again, letting our household’s maids serve you.”

Guiyuan pouted. “After just one month away, you’ve become someone else’s servant and are always siding with outsiders!”

Yuchan coaxed her, “That tongue of yours hasn’t softened since leaving for the Duke’s estate?”

“Don’t be angry. Yesterday Madam Zhou gave my lady two plates of candied cherries—a rare treat. She shared one with me and Pipa. We couldn’t bear to eat them. Now that you’re back, I’ll split mine with you.”

Guiyuan’s cold expression instantly melted.

She stammered, “With Young Madam here, I can’t eat alone.”

“You wish! If there’s a plate for you, how could there not be one for Fifth Young Lady? And yet you dare talk about keeping it to yourself.”

Yuchan tugged her into the inner room and brought out the dish of candied cherries.

Lan Yunjin and her elder sister exchanged a smile.

No matter what else happened, being reunited with her sister here in Chang’an had already soothed one of the regrets she carried from her past life.

It had rained the entire day. Wei Yi was in high spirits and kept Wei Xiao and Pei Ye back in the main hall to drink.

Dinner was taken separately: the men outside while the women in the inner courtyard. Since the ladies had been shut indoors all day, they ate only a bowl of porridge each before dispersing.

When it came time to retire, Lan Yunjin bathed and changed her clothes.

Spring rain drummed on without pause, filling the room with dampness.

A steaming bowl of medicine had just been brought to her desk.

Her monthly time had come a few days earlier, so Momo Zhou, being considerate, had refrained from sending Wei Xiao his usual tonic.

Now that her body had recovered, the nanny wasted no time having the small kitchen prepare it again.

She had hinted broadly: while Young Master was still at home, Yunjin should seize the chance to share his bed.

Otherwise, once he returned to the barracks, she would be left with a cold, empty room for many nights.

But Lan Yunjin longed for him to go back to camp.

She glanced toward the door. At this hour, he was still drinking with Second Master Wei.

All the better—she didn’t have to sit up waiting for him. It was late enough as it was.

She told Yuchan to snuff out the lamps in the outer room, leaving only two burning faintly inside.

Though the day had been wet, the chamber was still uncomfortably warm.

Yunjin slipped off her shoes and climbed into bed. Resting her head on the pillow, she heard Yuchan moving about outside.

“Has Young Master returned?”

Yuchan ushered Wei Xiao inside, catching the strong scent of wine on him. She hurried to say, “Young Master, would you like to bathe first?”

Yunjin hesitated. She was truly exhausted, unwilling even to greet him. Instead, before he entered the inner room, she shut her eyes and pretended to sleep.

Seeing that most of the lamps had been extinguished, Wei Xiao knew his wife had already retired. He signaled for Yuchan not to wait on him.

The maid nodded and withdrew to her side room.

Wei Xiao walked in while unfastening his robes. He never did anything half-hearted; by the time he stepped into the inner room, he had already hung his robe neatly on the wooden rack.

His wife lay near the edge of the bed, eyes shut tight, one pale shoulder exposed.

The bedding was a little disordered, as if she had drifted into sleep in some haste—

Was she only pretending?

With that thought, Wei Xiao loosened the belt at his waist.

The bath bucket had been set up behind the screen. He moved quietly, rinsing himself without a splash more than necessary.

The screen did little to muffle the sound: the patter of water mingled with the rain outside. Yunjin squeezed her eyes shut, but sleep would not come.

drip, drip.

No, she couldn’t go on feigning. At last she opened her eyes, and his silhouette came into view.

“Did I wake you?” Wei Xiao paused. He had thrown on a robe, though droplets of water still traced down his skin.

“I heard my husband return, but I had already fallen into a deep sleep,” Yunjin murmured. “I thought to rise and serve you, but my eyelids would not obey me. After struggling for some time, I’ve only just managed to wake up.”

She shifted aside to make space. “Once you’ve dried yourself, come rest.”

“You drank quite a bit tonight. Does your head ache?”

Apparently, Wei Xiao saw no need to guard himself in front of his wife, he dried himself openly, not even turning away.

Yunjin, keeping her composure, turned her face to the side.

Her fingers twisted in the quilt. Did he truly feel no shame at all?

“No pain,” he answered. “It’s just that the young marquis could not hold his liquor. Barely three cups, and his page had to drag him back to his quarters.”

Yunjin wasn’t sure how to respond. As the elder sister, should she not at least express concern if her brother-in-law had drunk too much?

“My brother-in-law seldom drinks,” she said at last, smoothing the bedding. “My sister mentioned he caught a chill on the road. I’ve asked Momo to prepare a tonic for him tomorrow.”

The mattress sank as Wei Xiao lay down beside her.

Yunjin stopped fussing with the quilt and drew it up over him.

Only a single lamp still burned, its light faint.

Wei Xiao had borne much of the toasting in Pei Ye’s place.

The masters of the Wei household could drink like the sea itself, and Second Master especially loved pressing others to keep pace. How could Pei Ye withstand it?

Though Wei Xiao’s head was steady, the fire of strong wine burned in his blood, and even bathing had not quite chased away the heat.

His wife’s back was turned to him. Suddenly he recalled their wedding night.

Her bold gestures, the teasing edge in her voice… so much like her younger sister’s.

A fog clouded his mind.

Not that the younger Miss Lan had behaved wantonly today but far from it. Their manners were easy to distinguish.

But on the wedding bed, Lan Yunjin had been unrestrained, even mischievous.

A dull throb rose behind his temples.

Perhaps this was simply how twins were.

Or… was it that a woman’s face in the boudoir was wholly different from the one she showed outside?

—-

The next morning dawned bright, the sky a clear wash of blue. Sparrows chirped busily among the branches.

The young ladies were more eager than ever with their studies, and Lan Yunjin went to the schoolroom to assign lessons.

Xue Yan had good news: she had finally found a female instructor.

By chance, the woman’s family hailed from Luoyang and had been scholars for generations.

But less conveniently, her surname was Du, given name Zhen. In Luoyang she often attended the poetry gatherings hosted by noblewomen. She claimed to know Madam Lan personally, and had once even shared a stage with her in reciting verse.

“Ying-niang, this teacher is coming only for your sake,” Xue Yan said with a smile. “She’ll arrive tomorrow. Since you’re acquainted, I’ll need you to entertain her. I’m no good with words, but I’ll stand by and help you. Once this is settled, Jun-niang and the others will finally have proper guidance.”

Lan Yunjin replied, “Elder Sister-in-law, you give me too much credit. You’ve worked tirelessly these past days and finding Madam Du is entirely your accomplishment.”

Scholars prided themselves on integrity. Silver alone could not persuade them to teach at a household.

And to instruct women was harder still; one had to find a learned lady willing to stoop to such a post.

In the past, governesses had been hired, but never for long. Wei Jun and the others would climb tables and defy orders, driving the women off in exasperation.

Word had spread: the daughters of the Wei family did not respect their teachers, nor knew how to behave.

Thus Xue Yan had suffered setback after setback. This time, borrowing her sister-in-law’s face, she prayed fervently that Du Zhen might stay a year, perhaps two.

For Yunjin, however, this only meant new trouble.

Her elder sister had indeed met Du Zhen at a poetry gathering in Luoyang, but she had no idea how deep that acquaintance ran.

She excused herself to return to Qionghua Court as she needed to ask her sister directly.

The day before, when Pei Ye had drunk himself into a stupor, her sister had sent a maid to say they would not come to breakfast. She would visit only after he had recovered.

Now, after a bowl of hangover soup, Pei Ye insisted he was fine and needed no one to attend him.

He sat as usual at his desk, buried in books.

Seeing him so steady, Lan Yunying chose not to disturb him. She took Guiyuan with her and went to Qionghua Court.

In the neighboring courtyard of the east wing lived the younger boys.

They sprawled across the wall, peering down at Pei Ye through the window.

“Big Brother,” one called. Then he paused. “No—that’s not right. You’re Auntie’s brother-in-law. What should we call you?”

Pei Ye looked up, propping open the lattice window with a smile. “Just call me Uncle.”

“Oh.” The boy blinked, then asked, “Uncle, do grown-ups still have to study?”

“Yes. Even grown-ups must keep studying.”

Pei Ye stepped outside, beckoning them down from the wall.

Wei Wulang asked, “Uncle, can you write?”

“Jun-niang and the girls are always showing off, saying Auntie teaches them their letters. They call us idiots and stupid donkeys.”

“Exactly! They’ve been unbearably smug lately, always bullying us for not knowing words.”

Pei Ye chuckled. “Come down first. I’ll show you how to hold a brush.”

The boys leapt down at once. Wei Wulang darted back to his room to fetch paper.

“Uncle, look this is what Auntie wrote. We want to learn this style.”

Pei Ye unrolled the sheet, his eyes clouded with a strange expression.

The writing was in xiao kai, small regular script.

But Yunying had never favored that writing she preferred xiao zhuan, the small seal script.