Visiting Madam Jiang
Jiang Du’s house is in the eastern part of Xuzhou. Pretending to be stopping by for a house call, you ask for directions from the innkeeper and set off. The sun is beginning to set, but the streets are still packed. Xuzhou is home to a thriving night market, one of the largest in the region. The predecessor of the current Emperor had abolished the strict rules governing the opening hours of markets, leading to a boom in markets that operated at night, or in the cases of large cities such as Chang’an and Yangzhou, around the clock. These markets dealt mainly in foods, clothing and accessories, and it was not uncommon for certain markets to attract a greater crowd at night than they would during the day.
Out of the corner of your eye, in the bustle of the crowd, you catch a flash of familiar red. You still your footsteps, slow down your pace, and begin winding through the throng cautiously. You are sure that the girl is following you.
“Hey, watch where you’re going, kid!”
You bump into a vendor hauling a large sack of candied fruits on his back. Apologizing, you help him pick up the scattered fruits. The vendor begins haranguing you for payment but you quickly run forward, disappearing into the crowd. There seems to be no sign of the girl behind you. Was it just your imagination after all? Cursing yourself for letting her get on your nerves and turn you paranoid, you make your way quickly to Jiang Du’s house before the sun fully sets.
You are greated by a cute, round-faced maidservant at the gates to his compound. Putting all thoughts of the aggravating Chi Qilin out of your mind, you put on your best palace smile.
“Greetings,” you bow low. “I apologize for appearing at such a late hour, but my master bid me send urgent word to Master Jiang Du.”
“I’m sorry, but the master is out at the moment. He will not be back for a week, I expect.”
You feign disappointment at her words. “Is that so? That is terrible! My master, Physician Yao Shunshi, had an important message for him. I cannot return before it is heard.” It is a typical method that you’ve used to gain access to merchants’ houses before, knowing that they are not around to prevent the money that they owe you for treatment from being subtly paid up on their behalf.
The maidservant seems at a loss, her long locks tumbling as she looks around her nervously. As a servant it would be too forward of her if she offered to convey the message to her master. She doesn’t seem experienced in the serving profession. “If I might ask,” you say, “How long have you been working here, miss?”
“Oh, I-I think,” she stutters, “perhaps about two months?”
“That explains why you look so fresh and vivacious,” you say. “Whenever my master sends me out on errands I always meet tired, old maids, so it’s a pleasant surprise to see a girl like you greeting me at the doorstep.” One thing you’ve learned from the chambermaids – youth gives you the license to be be blatant with flattery. They told you that an older man may be expected to lie to gain their favour, but a child’s mouth is honest. You’re not quite sure that’s true in any way, but it’s worked for you so far. “You must be the prettiest and youngest servant in the household,” you say.
“Oh, of course not. That’s not true at all,” she blushes. “All of the maidservants here are newly hired. I’ve heard that the master likes to take on young servants because…” She falters, but you do not need her to finish her words to get the idea. She continues, “That is why I cannot take your message. I am sorry. We are all new here.”
You smile at her comfortingly, offering her a way out. “Perhaps the mistress of the house could take the message instead?”
“Of course! You’re right!” she smiles. She runs off into the house to get Madam Jiang. You heave a sigh of relief. You would much rather deal with these nice, kind girls than the pushy ones like Yunzi and Qilin. It does not take the maidservant long before she returns with Jiang Du’s wife. She is tall and thin in both stature and face. Her expression is that of a frown as she scrutinizes you.
“What message is it, boy?” she asks in a snappy manner.
“Ah, something from my master, Physician Yao Shunshi. It… I can’t tell it here, Madam Jiang. We need some privacy.”
Madam Jiang sighs. “Are you sure it is important?”
“Very important, madam,” you say solemnly.
“Fine,” she sniffs, as she turns about and beckons at you to follow her. With a tip of the head to the maidservant, you follow Madam Jiang into the house.
Walking through the hallways, you see that the maidservant at the gate was telling the truth – most of the maids you see inside the house are relatively young. This is another thing you learnt about getting in and out of compounds; the inhabitants are just as important as planning escape routes and identifying the location of the money box. In this case, it seems like it’ll pay off in another way. You are no expert yet, but experience has been a valuable teacher. Nothing instills the memory of a lesson well-learned like messing up and trying to escape a dozen angry cleaver-waving men.
Madam Jiang leads you into a small study and closes the door. Turning to you, she folds her arms under her chest. “Please be quick about it, boy.”
“There actually two things, Madam Jiang.” You see her frown in disapproval and quickly continue speaking. “The first matter involves this year’s invitation to Luoying Manor. My master told me that your husband was looking for someone to give it away to. He would be interested in obtaining it in return for a favour.”
“Give it away? I have not heard my husband speak of it. He was still planning to go when he ended up being called away to the capital.”
“I am also authorized to offer taels in return for the invite,” you say.
“Is that so?” says Madam Jiang. “We do not lack for money, but what are you offering? He will not be using the invite anyway.”
You open your pouch, showing all that you have. It is rather meagre, by Jiang family standards.
“Is that all?” sniffs Madam Jiang. “It would be hard to explain it to my husband if I let his invite go for so little. It would demean the invitation's value, even if it will be unused. I will have to think about it. Still, I have not heard of him wanting to give it away.”
“Well, that is strange. Perhaps my master heard wrongly, then.” You fall back on your second plan. “You must forgive my old master for believing such stories. Invitations are so hard to get, especially during a year in which fellows are selected. Everyone wants one. I believe your husband is one, madam?”
“Yes, yes,” she says bitterly. “Not like it does his ego any good.”
“I do not wish to cast aspersions on a gentleman’s character, but staying in the middle of winter with a group of eccentrics in a manor run by a reclusive beauty must worry you so, Madam Jiang.”
She laughs for the first time. “You have a way with words for one so young. Perhaps you aspire to grow up to be a no-good scholar like my husband? He’s also good with words.”
“Of course not, I am just a humble physician’s apprentice.”
“Yes, of course you are,” she says drily.
“If I may ask, though, I am personally interested in the invite. I’ve heard that the design changes every year, and that it cannot be forged by mortal hands. I wonder if it wouldn’t be-“
“It would be too much trouble, boy.” Madam Jiang cuts you off quickly. “I’m not going over to the second floor study to fetch it for you. Now, what is the second matter?”
“Ah, that is a rather sensitive issue. You see, my master has also heard rumours of… well, the maidservants in this house.”
At that, Madam Jiang’s face grows dark. “What do you mean?”
“Do not be angry, madam. My master wishes only to help. He understands that issues between men and women can be rather delicate, and that is why he sent me. He has heard of Madam Jiang, the dutiful wife who lifts the famed scholar Jiang Du to greater heights, and expresses his utmost respect. In return for a kind word in Master Jiang’s ear, he would be willing to perform a simple favour.”
“A favour?” Madam Jiang laughs again, her demeanour suddenly relaxing. “Hm, you certainly are tactful about it. Are you going to poison all the harlots he’s brought into the house? He never follows my advice on that part. I suppose rumours have spread so far that even the mountain-dwelling hermit physicians have heard of it. What a disgrace!”
You pause momentarily. Her candour is unexpected; you had only been fishing in the dark from what little you could observe. It appears that she has much resentment against her husband. You might have stumbled across something that could be risky. “Well, I… no, that would go against my code, madam. All I was expected to do was to offer you a cleansing medicine that would purge your body of ill humours and increase your considerable beauty, or some private physician’s lessons on the nature of the human body.”
There is a sudden predatory gleam in Madam Jiang’s eyes. A faint blush colours her cheeks. You don't like the way she's suddenly looking at you from head to toe. “Private lessons, you say? It's funny you should say that. I have not had any lessons in a while. My useless husband certainly doesn't teach me what he knows. What manner of lessons are we discussing here?”
“W-well,” you mumble, backing away slightly. Perhaps this was a mistake…
***
A. You give her the medicine. Of course, it is an actual cleansing medicine. The laxative you got from Cao’er this morning, in fact. You have heard of the placebo effect from Master Yao. You'll inform her of the side-effects beforehand. As long as she believes it works…
B. You give her ‘private lessons’.
C. You don’t offer any of the favours right now, telling her that you are only conveying the offer today and not the favours themselves.
***
1. You attempt to obtain the invite by sneaking into the second floor study.
2. You attempt to convince Madam Jiang to allow you to purchase the invite outright.
***
A1 or B1 would mean you take the invite quietly, while she is otherwise distracted or... uh... exhausted from learning.
A2 or B2 means you can bargain down the price or perhaps even get the invite by trading a favour.
C1 means you do some sneaking after pretending to leave.
C2 will be just as it says.
