Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Orchid Marsh Study

Another old maidservant spoke up, “I was just about to report back to Chief Steward Yu, and I can ask him whether what this girl says is true while I’m at it.”

Madam Li nodded and turned to Lingran, saying, “You’re in luck. The old maidservant who was keeping watch over Lanze Pavilion has been gone for several days now. With the Grand Chancellor’s birthday, we didn’t dare make a fuss, but now you can fill in for her. Remember to keep the place spotless every day, front and back, and set out offerings of fruits and vegetables each night. When you’re idle, burn some paper money as well.”

“Am I the only one?” Lingran caught on that the master of Lanze Pavilion had already passed away. No doubt the other women were superstitious and reluctant to go there, but she felt no fear.

“There’s no master living there anymore—what’s the point of keeping a crowd?” Madam Li scolded. “If you don’t want the job, just say so. I’ll send her back to report to Chief Steward Yu right now.”

“I’ll do it, of course I will!” Lingran was only too happy to accept, but she couldn’t help asking about her livelihood. “Is there a kitchen there? A bathhouse?”

Madam Li grew impatient. “There’s a kitchen, but you’ll have to come down to the main kitchen each day for your meals. As for bathing, can’t you come down every few days? Or do you really want to turn into a ghost up there?”

A maidservant nearby suddenly gave a few dry coughs.

Madam Li turned and instructed the one holding a feather duster, “Take her over. Stop by the sewing room for two sets of maid’s clothes and a tag.”

The woman acknowledged her and beckoned Lingran to follow her out.

“How much is the monthly wage?” Remembering that nothing could be done without money, Lingran turned back to ask.

Madam Li’s eyes bulged like brass bells and she replied loudly, “Here you have food and clothes—what do you need a wage for?” She threw in a resentful parting shot as well, “And it’s not up to me to decide on the wage. When Young Master Hongxiao has time to see to affairs, you’ll have to wait for his decision.”

Lingran muttered inwardly, “You could have just said you’re not authorized to set wages, instead of making me think there’s no pay at all.” With that, she hurried after the wiry old woman.

As they entered the garden, the old woman stopped and looked Lingran up and down. “There’s nothing much to worry about at Lanze Pavilion,” she said, “but you must keep yourself clean. I’m warning you for your own good—don’t end up like Yin Nanny.”

Lingran drew closer with a fawning smile. “You’re so kind, Ma’am! Who lived in Lanze Pavilion before? And what’s the story with Yin Nanny?”

The old woman didn’t seem moved by flattery. She gave Lingran a sidelong glance. “You’ll find out when you get there.”

They passed through several courtyards. Everyone they met along the way, men and women alike, wore uniforms—the women in purple underdresses with black jackets trimmed in white, the men in black knee-length robes with white collars and summer slippers. Whenever they saw the old woman, they greeted her respectfully as “Granny Gu.” Clearly, her position was not low.

Passing once again by the large lake where yesterday’s performance had taken place, Lingran couldn’t help thinking of that mysterious man. She asked, “Granny Gu, do you know who performed the ‘Longevity Without End’ for the Grand Chancellor last night?”

Granny Gu shot her another sidelong look, her expression turning rather sour. “Are you showing off that you were at the Grand Chancellor’s birthday banquet? I wasn’t fortunate enough to attend—how would I know who you’re talking about?”

Lingran hurried to apologize, “Don’t be upset, Granny Gu. I’m new here and don’t know much. Please forgive me.” But inwardly, she thought, “So much for your status—turns out you weren’t even invited to the banquet!”

Finally, they reached a small courtyard by the lake. Lingran looked up to see a plaque inscribed with the words “A Slice of Spring and Autumn.” The green-painted door stood half open, half closed, with people coming and going.

Following Granny Gu inside, Lingran saw a small courtyard planted with a few nameless trees and some potted plants. Three sides were lined with rooms, all the windows flung wide open, and inside, many people bustled about.

Large tables filled the room, a few men cutting fabric, several women in young-madam’s attire embroidering and sewing by the windows. Bolts of richly patterned cloth were piled like small mountains on tables against the walls. This, evidently, was the Grand Chancellor’s sewing room. The household’s wealth and luxury were apparent even in this small corner.

After Granny Gu explained their purpose, a woman fetched a register from the table. Lingran watched as she entered “Two sets of summer maid’s uniforms for Lanze Pavilion, picked up by So-and-so,” then asked Granny Gu for her fingerprint.

The register was filled with such entries, neatly categorized, reminiscent of the sign-in books used by gatekeepers in modern offices.

The Grand Chancellor’s household was managed with impressive thoroughness. Lingran wondered who was behind such orderliness—Young Master Hongxiao? That seemed unlikely; he didn’t appear to have been here long, or else Pang Lun wouldn’t have failed to mention him…

At the thought of Pang Lun, her heart gave a jolt. She realized she’d nearly forgotten her undercover mission altogether.

The woman handed over a stack of clothing. Granny Gu then led her to the kitchen’s outdoor basin to wash her face and hands, then to another place to collect a ring of keys and some daily essentials. Finally, she stopped and pointed to a small mountain path nearby. “Lanze Pavilion is easy enough to find. Head up on your own. From now on, keep the place clean every day, burn incense morning and evening, make offerings on the first and fifteenth of each month, and remember that all supplies are rationed. If anything unusual happens, come down and find Madam Li—though I doubt it will.”

Lingran, arms full of belongings, gazed up at the little mountain. Wasn’t this the same one she’d climbed last night? She looked around—yes, there was only one such hill nearby. Remembering last night’s scene, she felt a wave of relief. The place was quiet and beautiful, perfect for one’s health. If Pang Lun’s people didn’t come to contact her, so much the better. Once she settled in, she’d have to find out what had happened to Yuan’er, Biqing, and the others—and think of a way to keep them all well away from Chu Liuxiang.

With renewed spirit, she marched valiantly toward Lanze Pavilion.

In broad daylight, she noticed a sign at the foot of the hill that read, “No Admittance to Outsiders.” Such wording was much milder than the “Trespassers Will Die” typical of martial arts novels—truly a touch of the twenty-first century.

Lingran wondered why that handsome young man had been alone up there last night. Thinking it over, she realized his vantage point overlooked the main hall of the Mirror Garden. When he offered his birthday wishes to the old villain, he’d used the phrase “Longevity Without End”—a most flattering gesture. Could he truly be infatuated with Chu Liuxiang?

The thought made her skin crawl, and she quickly forced her mind elsewhere.

With a name like Lanze Pavilion, there ought to be many orchids, she mused, but as she glanced around on her way up, not a single orchid was to be seen. How odd.

This time, left to her own devices, she strolled up the mountain at her leisure. She soon spotted the row of houses she’d seen the night before—a blend of Eastern and Western architectural styles, two stories high, with a projecting attic above. In front was a flat, open space, bare of any plantings, surrounded by lush green hills. Lingran couldn’t help thinking it would make a perfect site for a primary school or kindergarten.

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