A Broken Bangle

"He's at the House of Falling Petals again?"

Mao Xiang whirled round and Xiaojun stepped backwards instinctively. "Yes, Madame," she whispered wretchedly.

"Gone to see Yao Manting dance, hasn't he?"

Xiaojun dared not answer.

Mao Xiang said nothing for a while, then she reached out and picked up the jade bangle lying on its bed of silk inside the wooden casket on her dressing table. She watched the light filter through the pure stone with hard eyes, untouched by the beauty of the stone. It was a breathtaking scene, one that a painter would have longed to capture; the white curve of her wrist and the perfect round of the bangle held up against the light, the heavy gold jewellery and the reddened lips on her profile.

There was a smash as she hurled the bangle to the floor in a vicious movement. "The old pervert," she gasped furiously. "How dare he humiliate me like this, abandoning me for some tawdry dancing girls. I'm a laughingstock, aren't I, Xiaojun? Do all the servants whisper about me behind my back?"

She cast herself down on the floor recklessly. "I was everything to him at first. The fairest woman in the world, he kept telling me. Now he's bored of me, he throws me aside like a toy. What did marrying him make me?"

Xiaojun swallowed miserably, not knowing what to say. Her heart wrung with compassion but she could only stand there helplessly with bowed head, as she had done so often before.

Jiyue's voice, smooth and soothing, cut in. "Madame. Lord Yang is a lover of pleasure and a coinosseur of beauty. It is to be expected that he might visit the brothel and have a few mistresses. Madame should not let it disturb her, or feel humiliated. Doesn't Lord Yang treat you well, and give you whatever you want?"

The maid stepped forward with a slight smile on her lips. She had come into the Yang manor not long ago to serve Mao Xiang. Graceful and demure, she never lost her calm, and was faultlessly behaved as a maid. Her doe-eyed face had a winning look of freshness, purity, and innocence, but there was something in her smile that made it unreadable and mysterious as the Buddha's.

Mao Xiang gave a short, sour laugh. "What's the use? They say I'm the most powerful woman in the district, but look at me. Lady Yang, yet I can't go out whenever I want, and I can't keep my husband from sleeping with other women! What kind of power is this?" She set her foot on the broken fragments and ground them viciously against the ground.

Jiyue bent down and gathered the shards of the bangle. "Madame is right. It is possible that Lord Yang might be enamoured enough to marry a concubine who would undermine your status in the Yang manor. As his legal wife you will always have the advantage, but if you lose his favour your position is not stable either. My lady should take precautions against this before such a thing happens."

Xiaojun jumped and looked at Mao Xiang, frightened. What had possessed Jiyue, normally so cautious and well-behaved, to speak so boldly?

There was a brief silence and Mao Xiang turned suddenly to Jiyue. "Insolent," she said sharply. "Who are you, wishing evil on me? Do you want your tongue cut out?"

Jiyue slapped herself across the mouth quickly. "Your servant forgot herself and spoke out of hand. Please forgive me."

Mao Xiang hesitated. "What do you mean by take precautions?" she said finally.

Jiyue bowed. "I only said so because I wish to help Madame. Would Madame be willing to listen to your servant's suggestion?"

Her mistress waved her hand impatiently.

"My lady, you can start by winning over the servants in the Yang manor. As of now, you are still an outsider to them. If you can win them over to your side, they will report to you on Lord Yang's doing, and speak a good word for you, as well as help you cover if you wish to do anything without Lord Yang knowing."

Mao Xiang considered this for a long time. "Servants," she repeated meditatively. "I have never thought it important to win their favour."

"Rest assured it is easily done. Madame just needs to be generous in giving small gifts of money to them, and promising to speak a good word for them to Lord Yang. You will win them over easily with time once they are indebted to you. Then, even if Lord Yang should take a second wife, or a mistress, the servants will continue to support you, and make life difficult for her. Would that not be convenient?"

Slowly, Mao Xiang nodded. "Go on."

Jiyue's soft, melodious voice continued. "If you can win over the servants, and the guards, you can rest assured that Lord Yang cannot do anything without your knowledge. Of course, his trusted men will be more difficult. I speak of Zhao Jing, Madame."

Mao Xiang made a face. "Ugh. That black-faced oaf who never smiles at me? I have no patience for him. He told my lord that he was spending too much money on me the other day--I heard the maids talking about it."

"Madame must continue to be civil to him as he will suspect you easily, and likely report to Lord Yang of your doings if you make any mistakes. With time, he may be won over to trust you. If not, Madame can find ways to remove him, if he threatens you."

Mao Xiang raised her eyebrows. She was clearly intrigued. "You have something in that head of yours, after all, Jiyue."

The maid bowed. "Madame praises me. Your servant only hopes to help Madame maintain her status and power in the Yang manor, as she deserves."

Xiaojun felt conflicted. Jiyue was so clever. She, Xiaojun, could never have thought of this, and she was awed. Yet she felt somehow uneasy. She was terrified of Lord Yang with his big booming voice and unpredictable moods, and just the thought of planning something behind his back made her nervous.

"If Madame would like, I can request Han Sheng to bring some silver from your honourable father next time he comes, for Madame to give to the servants at the right time."

Mao Xiang chewed her lip moodily. She had barely just started speaking again to her father.

At last she said, grudgingly, "Well, do that then. Father won't make a fuss, will he?"

"Of course. Sir Mao would do anything for you, Madame. You are his beloved daughter after all."

Jiyue paused, then spoke carefully. "What a pity that your honourable father is not a lord like Lord Yang. Then Lord Yang would definitely show you more respect. How could he dare slight a lord's daughter?"

Mao Xiang laughed shortly and stood up. "I don't need a reminder that you're just Father's spy, Jiyue." she said coolly.

She ran her finger down her throat absently. "Not that it matters much. Our interests are the same, after all. At least, for now."