Chapter 7 – Waiting for Her

Lan Yunjin had originally planned to set off back to Luoyang in a few days, but Noble Consort Lan’s words made it clear just how grand and special this Spring Banquet was going to be.

With such an important event looming, the matter of returning home to visit her family would have to be set aside.

Her elder sister and the others might arrive in Chang’an in a few days anyway.

When she heard Noble Consort Lan say that His Majesty wanted to meet the two sisters, Lan Yunjin felt a little guilty.

If she didn’t take the identity swap too seriously, there was nothing to worry about. She had weathered great storms in her past life, but as for what would happen from here on, she had no idea.

Since she was already here, she would make herself comfortable. In Chang’an, there were few people familiar with the two sisters; as long as she was cautious in all things, she would be fine.

Noble Consort Lan, feeling weak from lying down, had a maid help her sit up.

Only then did she have the leisure to look Lan Yunjin over, sighing softly. “Fourth Sister, you’ve only just arrived in Chang’an, but it’s been thirteen years since I left Luoyang.”

“In past years, I longed for His Majesty to permit me to return to my maiden home. He pitied me as well, but before it could happen, I became pregnant again, and it was not convenient to make the long journey… Now you are married, and I can only imagine how much more white hair Father and Mother must have.”

Lan Yunjin comforted her: “Your Ladyship should ease your mind. Second Uncle and the others are healthy, and Sixth Brother is diligent in his studies. He will take the county exam next year, and before long, just like me today, he will be able to enter the palace to chat with you.”

The passing of years wore at the heart; Lan Yunjin knew this all too well.

Noble Consort Lan was Second Uncle’s legitimate daughter. Though she was her cousin, courtesy and propriety had to be maintained, and rank observed.

Today, when Noble Consort Lan summoned her to the palace, she had Pipa bring along two boxes of golden hemp dates and walnut pastries from Luoyang.

The palace lacked for nothing, whether jewels, jade, or silks. Even concubines who were out of favor possessed a few fine things, much less a consort who held His Majesty’s favor.

Even Noble Consort Lan’s dressing table was made from the finest century-old huanghuali wood from Qiongzhou.

The maid took the gift boxes from Pipa’s hands.

When Noble Consort Lan saw the boxes, she raised a hand for the maid to open them.

These golden hemp dates were the pastries she had loved most before marriage.

They could not be bought in Chang’an.

Her cousin truly was quick-witted and thoughtful.

Pastries might not be worth much silver, but here in the palace, no matter how much gold and silver there was, the imperial kitchen could not recreate this particular taste.

Noble Consort Lan beamed. “No wonder Mother says one’s own kin are the closest. You’ve only just arrived and are newlywed, yet here I am, as your elder cousin, accepting your gift first.”

That was what she said, but Lan Yunjin did not see Noble Consort Lan purely as a cousin.

If she were only that, Lan Yunjin would not have spent so much time yesterday pondering what gift to give her.

And a cousin would not speak in half-measures.

Noble Consort Lan reflected that young ladies in the women’s quarters and palace consorts like herself lived in entirely different worlds, with little common ground for conversation.

Still, blood ties meant at least they would not scheme against each other.

Today she had summoned Ying-niang into the palace partly to relieve her boredom and partly to ask about her mother’s health. As for other matters, they could wait for another time.

In the end, Lan Yunjin accepted the consort’s wedding gift, which was a pair of Hetian jade “linked hearts” locks and two boxes of tonic for nourishing the blood.

His Majesty disapproved of extravagance in the palace, so Noble Consort Lan had sought his opinion beforehand and thus chosen these two items.

—

The palace walls were red, the roof tiles yellow, and phoenix trees were planted in pairs. Spring in the palace was in full bloom; a flock of geese flew in, while another flock of small birds flew out.

Lan Yunjin left the consort’s quarters.

In her previous life, near the end of her years, His Majesty had decreed that some of the officials of the Eastern Capital, Luoyang, be transferred to Chang’an.

Pei Ye had already died. He had never taken a concubine during his life, so Lan Yunjin’s adopted son had inherited the title.

The boy was very well mannered, made connections with scholars and literates, passed the imperial exam while still young, and earned an official post on his own merit.

Otherwise, no matter how well she managed the household, without a capable man to take the lead outside, the Duke’s Mansion might even have been forgotten by the Emperor.

When the household moved to Chang’an, the sky above Lan Yunjin’s head was still partly blocked by the high eaves of the residence.

She had entered the palace twice before.

Once was for the Emperor’s seventieth birthday, when a “Hundred Families Banquet” was held, inviting more than a hundred officials and their families.

She had been forty-five then, and the Emperor had little interest in seeing a woman long past her prime. The women of the harem were, as ever, in full bloom, from beautiful to alluring.

No one remembered that the Luoyang’s Lan family had a pair of twin sisters; no one mentioned the “Death God” Wei Xiao.

The second time was for the Empress’s “Flower Adorning Banquet,” which she attended to find a bride for her son.

It was there that she had seen Noble Consort Lan again.

Noble Consort Lan had barely recognized her; the blood tie had been worn thin by the years.

Noble Consort Lan had only touched her hand regretfully and sighed, “Your elder sister… she died so pitifully. You must live on for her and take care of your health.”

Memories mottled with time; now she was living for her sister, and her sister was living for her.

Lan Yunjin followed the maid along winding brick paths, then pebble-paved ones, until they reached the vermilion palace gates.

Two rows of guards stood outside.

A young man sat astride a fine horse; the animal’s color was a rare chestnut mane, like autumn chestnuts stir-fried in oil, glossy and rich.

The horse snorted, amber eyes fixed ahead.

The rider wore armor and held the reins still.

He carried no weapon.

Lan Yunjin stopped. Her carriage was parked under a great locust tree outside the gate.

Compared to the young man’s fine horse, the carriage looked somewhat clumsy.

Wei Xiao was waiting for her.

A soldier’s skills on the battlefield, such as his senses of smell, hearing, taste, and reaction, were all honed to a razor’s edge.

His wife’s footsteps were light, just like her voice, soft as cotton, drifting on the air.

Not only were her steps light, they were also so slow they could make a man anxious. If he took a step, it equaled two of hers.

The “graceful as a lotus” phrase from the books surely referred to women like the Lan sisters.

Wei Xiao wondered: if there were a matter of life and death, would she still move this unhurriedly?

Whatever he thought about, it always came back to his wife.

The truth was, Wei Xiao disliked trouble and long-winded people.

He believed in swift, decisive action; in battle, one had to strike without hesitation. Otherwise, if the moment was lost, there would be no time for regret.

But he could not understand why he didn’t dislike his wife’s slow walk, soft speech, and meticulous, cumbersome propriety.

A rich scent of jasmine, like drifting fluff on the wind, brushed against his face and clung to his nose.

Just a breath drew in that faint, inescapable fragrance.

Lan Yunjin stepped out from the palace gates and came to where Wei Xiao waited, greeting politely, “Husband.”

Wei Xiao lowered his gaze, looking down at her from horseback.

Her waist was slender, no more than a handful.

Wei Xiao wondered again: did the elders of these aristocratic families not let their daughters eat their fill?

He decided she was thin simply from hunger.

Drawing back from his thoughts, he said, “I’ll take you back to the residence.”

Lan Yunjin declined politely, “If Husband has business today, you needn’t trouble yourself with me.”

But it was useless to reason with Wei Xiao.

He said, “I have two things to do today. One is to take you home. The other can wait until later.”

…

Wei Xiao went to the Ministry of War to meet old comrades and did not have lunch at the residence.

Lan Yunjin accompanied her mother-in-law to dine in the Old Madam Wei’s quarters.

Old Madam Wei’s “Green Mountain Hall” had three side rooms, with the main hall large enough to seat eight at a table.

For two days in a row, Madam Zhang had brought her daughter-in-law to dine with the Old Madam Wei, which filled Madam Wang with resentment.

They all had daughters-in-law; why should only Madam Zhang disregard propriety and take the Lan girl before the Old Madam Wei to curry favor?

Today Madam Wang incited other ladies to also come to the Old Madam Wei’s rooms.

“Mother, Eldest Sister-in-law has double joy this year: first, Changyang has married a new wife, and second, His Majesty has made him a Fifth Rank ‘General Who Guards the Frontier.’ When will we have the fortune-teller come to the residence again?” Madam Wang chewed her food and pulled a face. “This daughter-in-law has had nothing go smoothly lately. Sixth Son was ambushed during a campaign this year—his leg still hasn’t healed properly. Ying-niang miscarried earlier this year, and the doctor says if she doesn’t take good care of herself, she may not be able to bear children again.”

(This is a different Ying-niang.)

Old Madam Wei’s expression immediately darkened.

The ladies of the General’s Mansion shared at least this trait with their daughters-in-law: that is, their feelings were written plainly on their faces. There was no need to guess if they were pleased or displeased.

Lan Yunjin ate without speaking; she had seen plenty of such petty tricks in the Duke’s Mansion.

Madam Wang was simple-minded—her words often made people laugh.

The Old Madam Wei, unwilling to embarrass Madam Wang in front of the younger generation, said vaguely, “When your elder brother has time, you can go ask him.”

Lan Yunjin simply treated it as watching a comedy during the meal, which made her eat all the better.

The food in the General’s Mansion was good—there was soup, rice porridge, noodles with bread soaked in broth, and light dishes like chilled tofu salad and stir-fried bamboo shoots.

The Old Madam Wei’s teeth were failing, so the small kitchen’s chicken soup was rich and savory, the meat stewed until soft as paste, just to Lan Yunjin’s liking.

Madam Zhang smiled as she served her daughter-in-law a bowl of chicken soup. “Ying-niang and Mother actually enjoy the same kind of dishes; this chicken soup meat is so fine that the menfolk hardly touch it.”

Old Madam Wei’s face shifted from cloudy to sunny in an instant, smiling. “I meant to say yesterday that Ying-niang’s taste in food is much like mine. It seems there’s little difference between the food in Luoyang and in Chang’an.”

Madam Wang swallowed her mouthful of rice with some resentment. “Mother, your daughter-in-law may be illiterate, and you may not like me. If you dislike me, just say it plainly; there’s no need to pretend, like Eldest Sister-in-law, to humor me.”

Today, if she couldn’t win some ground for her sixth son and Ying-niang, she swore she wouldn’t let it go.

Lan Yunjin’s chopsticks paused briefly. Inwardly, she thought Madam Wang was foolish, even knowing full well the Old Madam was merely putting her off, yet she was still insisting on saying it out loud.

The Old Madam gave a cold snort. “Look at you. It’s not that I think you’re stupid. But while everyone’s eating, why bring up Sixth Son and Ying-niang? That fortune-teller was your eldest brother’s acquaintance; even if it was mine, with these old bones of mine, what could I possibly do for you?”

She nearly blurted out that Madam Wang didn’t know her place, but recalling that such coarse words were beneath her, she held back.

The Old Madam never minded that the womenfolk of the General’s Mansion couldn’t read or write.

The only thing she couldn’t tolerate was Madam Wang’s sharp tongue and ceaseless complaints, carrying herself with resentment instead of simply settling down to live peacefully in the household.

Madam Wang was so startled she didn’t dare talk back, swallowing her grievances. She rolled her eyes, forcing back her tears.

The other ladies looked on, at a loss, secretly thinking to themselves that even after so many years, Madam Wang hadn’t improved one bit. Even after being rebuked by the Old Madam, she’d likely continue her blundering ways in the future.

Seeing the moment, Madam Zhang decided to take advantage and mention to the Old Madam what she and Xue Yan had discussed a couple of days ago, to help ease her temper.

“Mother, I got to know through Ying-niang that her maiden home employs a female tutor to teach reading. Our mansion has no fewer than a dozen young ladies. We can’t have them always playing with the young gentlemen, wielding swords and practicing martial arts.”

“I’ve discussed it with Yan-niang. We thought of finding a virtuous and well-educated female tutor. For now, Ying-niang could begin teaching them to read and recognize characters.”

The suggestion was exactly to the Old Madam’s liking.

The Old Madam thought for a moment. “Ying-niang has only just married, so it wouldn’t be proper to trouble her with teaching the children.”

Lan Yunjin only learned today of this plan to have her teach the mansion’s girls.

On her wedding night, her mother-in-law had spiked the nuptial wine with medicine, yet pretended ignorance, never giving her an explanation.

No one is perfect; if Lan Yunjin wished to take offense, she could hardly stay a single day in the General’s Mansion.

So she took the initiative and said, “Grandmother, your granddaughter-in-law has no great talents, only that I have read the Four Books and Five Classics a few times in the private school. If I can teach the children, at least the little learning I have will be put to use.”

The Old Madam’s expression softened at her words.

If the Wei family’s children could be both literate and skilled in arms, that would be the best outcome.

“Then these days, Ying-niang, we must trouble you.”

The Old Madam added, “Your mother-in-law and elder sister-in-law are quite ignorant of letters, so when seeking a tutor, you’ll need to oversee it yourself to ensure the children find someone who can truly teach them well.”

Lan Yunjin agreed.

That afternoon, the Old Madam retired for her nap, and the womenfolk returned to their own courtyards.

The courtyards in the General’s Mansion were named plainly. Lan Yunjin’s was newly built in the past two years, originally called Linfeng Court.

This year, with a new bride to be welcomed, Madam Zhang felt the name lacked refinement and had the fortune-teller rename it.

He chose “Qionghua.”

Restless as always, Madam Zhang accompanied her daughter-in-law back to Qionghua Court, saying she would sit and drink a couple of cups of tea to chase away her drowsiness.

The door was closed; Momo Zhou tended the tea service at the side.

Holding her teacup, Madam Zhang asked, “Ying-niang, I acted first and informed you later today; you’re not angry, are you?”

As soon as she spoke, she realized she’d hear no honest answer from the Lan girl.

That was the unsettling thing about ladies from old scholarly families: they spoke only polite words.

Whether angry or displeased, they never revealed it, smiling graciously all the while, and one could never get to the bottom of their thoughts.

In her two days with Madam Zhang, Lan Yunjin had seen clearly that aside from being overly forthright, Madam Zhang’s heart wasn’t bad.

“Your daughter-in-law is not angry,” Lan Yunjin said. “Helping my mother-in-law share her burdens is my duty.”

She considered a moment before adding, “There is one thing I wish to say; may my mother-in-law not take offense.”

Madam Zhang laughed. “Not just one thing, say several, if you like.”

“If Mother-in-law wishes to assign me a task in the future, could you let me know in advance?”

“Of course. I was indeed presumptuous today.”

The two of them drank through a pot of tea.

Madam Zhang then planned to have Lan Yunjin direct Steward Hu to draw up a list of items to be purchased for the young ladies’ lessons.

Lan Yunjin was familiar with such matters; making a list was no trouble. She only said she wished to inspect the mansion’s library before writing it.

—-

At night, the moon was nowhere to be seen, and a fine rain began to fall.

Wei Xiao was due back at the General’s Mansion at the hour of Xu, but his old comrades were rowdy, saying they hadn’t drunk enough, so why hurry back?

He replied that in rainy weather, drinking too much and riding was dangerous; if they fell and died in the street, it would be a disgrace.

Young men in their prime, warmed by wine, loved to joke.

“Don’t make excuses; I don’t believe you’re drunk. You’ve ridden through every kind of terrain, even the northern marshes and deserts. You’re the feared King Yama of Beizhao; who would dare take your life?”

“Changyang’s just eager to get home to his wife, but that won’t do. On your wedding day, we let you off easy, only sharing two cups so you could enjoy your bridal chamber. Tonight you owe us.”

Wei Xiao ignored them, striding out of the private room. He settled the bill with the innkeeper and even ordered two more jars of Shaoxing wine for them.

Chang’an rarely saw rain; it barely dampened a traveller’s umbrella before it threatened to stop.

Returning to the general’s mansion, he was met by a young servant, who held a lamp in one hand and an umbrella in the other.

The boy sniffed the air; the young master smelled strongly of wine.

“Master, shall I prepare you some hangover soup?”

“No need.”

Wei Xiao could hold his drink, and perhaps for that reason, he particularly disliked those who acted drunk.

The boy escorted him to Qionghua Court, where Momo Zhou waited outside.

Wei Xiao brushed rainwater from his robe and sleeves, suddenly hesitating.

The Lan girl slept early and lightly. If she had already gone to bed, would he wake her up?

Momo Zhou said kindly, “Young Master, you’ve been rained on; come in quickly, bathe, and change. The hot water’s ready.”

“Shhh—”

Wei Xiao gestured for her to keep her voice down.

He asked, “Lan… Lan Yunying—is she resting?”

Momo Zhou understood at once, smiling as she lowered her voice. “The young madam is waiting for you to come back.”

Perhaps under his wife’s influence, Wei Xiao’s steps into the room were unusually slow.

Lan Yunjin sat under the lamp, drawing up her list.

He thought she was writing and didn’t disturb her, intending to head straight to the inner chamber to bathe.

“Husband,” Lan Yunjin put down her brush and looked up at the rain-soaked young man, then lowered her gaze.

“After drinking, it’s not wise to bathe immediately. Momo Zhou has had the kitchen make hot soup, so drink a bowl and sit a while first.”

Wei Xiao stood motionless. From his palms, stiffness spread upward to his arms, like fine rain soaking paper, one drop, then another, until it gathered into a weight that froze him entirely.

Her eyes were not alluring but clear and pure, like her daily attire, serene and graceful.

Yet he couldn’t understand why those eyes could hold him fast, unable to move.