“This illness certainly cost them dearly.” Nanny Wang whispered to Lichun. “The several familiar physicians they called all said it was melancholy and depression, plus catching a cold…”

If the Grand Master truly cherished Third Miss, he would surely be moved somehow.

Indeed, that very night the Grand Master rarely spent the night at Xike Pavilion. The lights there stayed lit until the third watch before being extinguished.

The next day, the Grand Master sent people to Hanshan Temple to divine the fortune for Third Miss and Young Master Wang the Third’s match.

Once divination reached this stage, the marriage was essentially settled. No one would be tactless enough to divine an ill omen for such matters.

After the two families exchanged another letter or two, though the matchmaker hadn’t formally visited due to the Grand Madam’s absence, the marriage was set in stone, definitively arranged.

Third Miss hadn’t attended classes these past days, staying home to recover. She hadn’t even left her room for the Qiqiao Festival.

All her sisters had visited her.

This was Seventh Miss’s first time entering Xike Pavilion.

Winding waterways surrounded Xike Pavilion on all sides. Even in the blazing summer heat, the rooms remained refreshingly cool. Lotus flowers bloomed throughout the pond. Young maids bent at the water’s edge picking lotus seed pods, their giggling laughter carrying into the rooms.

Third Miss half-reclined on her bed, talking with Sixth Miss and Seventh Miss.

“Second Sister came to see me this morning.” Her tone carried undisguised joy, her eyes sparkling. Though still showing signs of illness, she had already gained a young woman’s charm. “This afternoon Sixth Sister and Seventh Sister came to see me too. Xike Pavilion hasn’t been this lively in so long!”

Fourth Yiniang was watching both Third Miss’s marriage prospects and Eighth Yiniang’s belly, wanting to advance and retreat with ease, standing invincible.

What beautiful thoughts!

Intense, undiluted hatred flashed across Nanny Wang’s face.

“Truly shameless…”

Second Miss shot her a glare.

Nanny Wang immediately swallowed her remaining words.

Some matters were better left understood—speaking them aloud would only lower oneself.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Second Miss rose and entered the west inner room, speaking gently with Ninth Young Master for a few moments before leaving the main hall.

Nanny Wang, Lichun, Ninth Young Master, and Seventh Miss all stood in the courtyard seeing her off.

“Seventh Sister, walk with me a while.” Second Miss suddenly smiled at Seventh Miss.

Seventh Miss suppressed the doubt in her heart and stepped forward with a smile to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with Second Miss out of the West Side Courtyard.

It was already past the first watch. The sky gradually darkened. Xiaohan held a lantern ahead for them as Second Miss took Seventh Miss’s arm into Baifang Garden, smiling at the gatekeeper. “Nanny Li, keep the gate open for Seventh Sister—she’ll need to come back in later.”

Gatekeeper Nanny Li smiled kindly at Seventh Miss, lowering her brows and eyes submissively in agreement.

Nanny Li didn’t behave this way with others. Even when Fifth Miss sometimes wanted to stroll through Baifang Garden at night, she would block her with a dark face, invoking the Grand Madam’s authority: “Proper families maintain strict household discipline. Fifth Miss must preserve the Grand Madam’s dignity and not learn from those lowly servant girls who run about day and night without restraint.”

Seventh Miss’s respect for Second Miss deepened considerably.

Though Second Miss stayed detached from matters, rarely getting entangled in the inner courtyard’s muddy waters, her status as the legitimate eldest daughter couldn’t change. The nobility of the Sun family of Duke Dingguo in the capital was also undeniable. Most remarkably, despite such status, Second Miss’s conduct remained completely free of arrogance.

The two walked silently for a while before Second Miss spoke. “Fourth Yiniang is too restless.”

Second Miss was always like this—either not speaking, or when she did, immediately striking at the core with definitive judgment.

Seventh Miss knew this wasn’t the time to hide her abilities.

“Does Second Sister want to eliminate her?” Seventh Miss raised an eyebrow.

Second Miss couldn’t help but smile.

“She’s Father’s cousin,” Second Miss’s tone actually relaxed somewhat in the darkness. “How could Father let her end up like Third Yiniang? The Qin family’s power shakes north and south. No matter how good Mother’s temper, if there’s no one at home to contend with her, how can Father feel at ease?”

Seventh Miss suddenly understood.

Second Miss certainly spoke directly.

The Grand Madam’s several siblings had either married into established noble families or held important positions. Imperial Tutor Qin himself had been tutor to two emperors—teaching the late emperor, teaching the current emperor, and now very likely to come out of retirement to teach the Crown Prince.

Though Master Yang also came from an aristocratic family, his ability to sit in his current position naturally owed something to the Qin family… With such a powerful wife’s family, and his own younger brother married to the Grand Madam’s cousin, if there wasn’t someone at home to balance the Grand Madam, was this position held for Master Yang himself, or for the Grand Madam, or for the Qin family?

Fourth Yiniang’s rise was inevitable, and as long as Master Yang lived, Fourth Yiniang might suffer temporary setbacks but could never fall too far.

Precisely because they saw this clearly, she and Second Madam could brazenly stir up trouble without scruple, wanting to create disturbances in the inner courtyard.

“Mother has persuaded Madam Xu to come this time…” Seventh Miss’s words remained half-concealed.

Second Miss could speak frankly because she was the Grand Madam’s own daughter and would soon marry out.

“Third Aunt’s visit is certainly to curb Second Aunt’s arrogance.” When Second Miss mentioned Second Madam, it was like mentioning a mischievous small animal—casual words carrying deep superiority. “Second Aunt’s maternal family isn’t successful, always constrained by the Qin family. She only gets away with things because Mother is from a second marriage and it’s awkward to assert her elder cousin status to discipline her. Once Third Aunt arrives, even if Second Aunt wants to continue playing the fool, it depends on whether Third Aunt has the mood to watch her performances!”

“Good news.” Seventh Miss relaxed. Having Second Madam abandon thoughts of adoption would indeed be the best thing for Ninth Young Master.

Second Miss looked at Seventh Miss with a smile.

In the dim candlelight, Seventh Miss appeared especially tender and delicate, pale jade skin revealing clearly visible light blue veins beneath.

Truly a porcelain doll.

Though still rather naive now, after another year or two of experience, she would mature.

“In deep household compounds, many shameful things happen.” She slowed her tone. “Especially in the Yang family… Mother is kindhearted. She was the youngest daughter back then, pampered and spoiled. Grandfather’s household never even had a concubine…”

A simple family, indulged by parents and elder siblings—this couldn’t cultivate the Grand Madam’s cunning. Even after so many years in the Yang family developing some methods, how could she compare to the Grand Master, who lost his father young and had to independently support the household?

Not to mention Second Madam and Fourth Yiniang—though Seventh Miss wasn’t clear about their backgrounds, presumably neither came from simple families. What simple family would force their chaste widowed daughter to become a concubine? What family could produce Second Madam’s ruffian, fallen household temperament?

So the Grand Madam couldn’t do without strategists.

Previously Eldest Miss had been the Grand Madam’s advisor. The Grand Madam hadn’t treated her poorly, giving her an excellent match.

Now, whose advice the Grand Madam listened to, Seventh Miss didn’t know.

Second Miss continued, “Currently Mother lacks someone to give her counsel.”

Her tone was very calm, as if discussing a beautiful flower.

Seventh Miss couldn’t help but look at Second Miss.

In the candlelight, Second Miss’s refined face showed complete indifference.

Many things—perhaps Second Miss wasn’t ignorant, just disdainful.

Seventh Miss lowered her head and sighed inwardly.

Second Miss was the legitimate eldest daughter—naturally she could be disdainful. Someone like herself had no right to disdain. Having an opportunity to climb upward handed to her, she should be thanking Second Miss.

“Second Sister, I…” She began, then didn’t know how to continue. “Little Qi is still young. I’m afraid my considerations may be inadequate…”

“It’s just to moderate Mother’s temperament.” Second Miss was somewhat dismissive. “Don’t let her lose sight of what’s important and tear apart relations with Father over small matters. The main courtyard must have the main courtyard’s magnanimity. The yiniang’s petty schemes can be suppressed but shouldn’t be seriously contested. Mother sometimes lacks this clarity. If you help speak a few words beside her, make her happy, offer advice as opportunities arise, matters will pass.”

Second Miss was truly worthy of marrying into a duke’s household. Her words carried an irrefutable certainty. They were indeed profound truths—the main courtyard shouldn’t compete with yiniang for favor, nor exhaust itself fighting with Fourth Yiniang over Third Miss’s marriage.

If it were Seventh Miss, she would have even more methods to torment Fourth Yiniang. The Grand Madam was indeed somewhat inferior in inner courtyard struggles.

Seventh Miss said hesitantly, “Little Qi will certainly do her utmost!”

“Good. You’re Ninth Young Master’s twin sister. Ninth Young Master’s dignity is your dignity.” Second Miss spoke with deep meaning. “Mother’s dignity is Ninth Young Master’s dignity… I trust that even without my saying so, you’ll do your utmost.”

Before Second Miss, Seventh Miss felt like she was naked and immersed in a cold spring, chills periodically penetrating to her heart.

“I actually asked you out to discuss Fifth Miss’s matter.” Second Miss sighed, rarely showing some irritation. “She’s exactly a second Mother—except she wasn’t born into the Qin family but into the Yang family. With her temperament, the suffering she’ll endure in the future will probably be endless. Unfortunately, changing rivers and mountains is easy, but changing one’s nature is difficult!”

Seventh Miss didn’t know what to say and could only lower her head silently.

The two had already passed Xike Pavilion. Second Miss had also chosen this longer route today, circling back to her Youhuang Cottage via the path past Xike Pavilion, Jieyu Pavilion, and Qilixiang.

“After I leave, there will be even fewer people to restrain her… At that time, you must—”

Second Miss had only spoken half her sentence when clamor arose in the distance.

From the direction of Qilixiang.