This time when Seventh Miss returned to her natal home, it was naturally filled with joy. On the third day of the new year, households with daughters would not receive outside guests but would properly attend to their married daughters who had worked hard at their husbands’ homes for a year. Therefore, even the Grand Master didn’t pass time in his small study but waited with the Grand Madam in the main hall for his two daughters to arrive.
Because Quan Ruiyun had also returned to her natal home and Sun Liquan had already gone to Guangzhou, at this moment aside from Xu Fengjia and a few younger generation members, there were truly only the original Yang family members. Upon meeting, they first exchanged new year greetings. The Grand Master held Second Miss and Seventh Miss’s hands, looked them over, nodded with satisfaction, and patted the heads of his three grandsons. Then he nodded at Xu Fengjia and smiled. “Fengjia, come with me.”
When Ninth Brother also moved to follow, the Grand Master said, “The last time you saw your sister was when she was ill and you went to visit her—you didn’t even speak properly. What great matter makes you neglect human relationships? You stay here and talk with your two sisters.”
The Grand Madam also smiled. “Not to mention how rarely Ninth Brother sees his two sisters, even I, his mother, only see him briefly morning and evening before he shuts himself away to study again. Today he’s finally come out to relax—don’t be so heartless. Even your mother hasn’t seen you much, and you want to hide outside again.”
With the Grand Madam speaking to this extent, what could Ninth Brother say? The Grand Master led Xu Fengjia out to the outer courtyard, while he sat in the main hall with his two sisters and the Grand Madam, engaging in lengthy idle conversation. However, although he sat there, everyone could see his thoughts were elsewhere.
Although they both lived in the capital, after Seventh Miss married she had no opportunity to see Ninth Brother. This young master from an official family had not a trace of pampered arrogance. Since failing the examination last year, he had devoted himself wholeheartedly to studying the classics with something approaching desperation—from the Grand Madam’s tone, even she as his mother rarely had opportunity to speak with Ninth Brother. For a pampered young master to reach this point was already extraordinary.
Although Ninth Brother was nineteen this year like Seventh Miss, this young master also didn’t seem nineteen at all, just like his sister. The aura about him had acquired something of a twenty-nine-year-old’s melancholy.
The Grand Madam held several grandchildren while chatting idly with Second Miss about the promotions and demotions of several close families in the capital, and mentioned that since the Qin family had emerged from mourning, the brothers had all received promotions. However, First Uncle Qin had been assigned an external post, while Second Uncle had come to the capital to serve at the Court of Imperial Stud. When spring came and he took up his post, the Yang family would need to provide much care and hospitality—such household trivialities. Seventh Miss smiled and agreed with a few words on the side, while carefully scrutinizing Ninth Brother with her eyes, momentarily feeling an inexplicable heartache.
Ninth Brother truly looked unhappy.
After a while, she said, “Ninth Brother has grown rather thin.”
She rarely showed such open concern for Ninth Brother in front of the Grand Madam. Hearing this, the Grand Madam was quite unaccustomed to it. She looked at Seventh Miss, swallowed, then smiled. “Yes, in previous years Ninth Brother’s cheeks were still plump, but this year his face has become somewhat pointed.”
Second Miss glanced at Seventh Miss and also smiled. “After all, they crawled out of the same mother’s belly—Seventh Sister sees Ninth Brother and immediately notices something’s wrong.”
If the Grand Madam had said this, it would certainly have been half dissatisfaction, half sourness. But when Second Miss said it, it was straightforward and open, as if the twin relationship between Ninth Brother and Seventh Miss was not a Yang family taboo at all.
Who knew how someone like the Grand Madam could have given birth to a daughter like Second Miss!
Seventh Miss didn’t respond to the Grand Madam’s remark. Instead, Ninth Brother shot the Grand Madam a glance and revealed a smile. “Second Sister also sees accurately. Last time when I went to the Sun family to deliver gifts, your old madam said I’d gained weight, but Second Sister privately told me not to study too hard, saying my eyes had become somewhat clouded from reading.”
Although this smile was genuine, with Seventh Miss’s keen observation, she still detected the perfunctoriness beneath it.
Seventh Miss sighed slightly in her heart, then quickly stood and grasped Ninth Brother’s face, examining it closely before frowning. “Second Sister didn’t mention it, and I truly didn’t notice. From now on, don’t study so late at night.”
She glanced at the Grand Madam and Second Miss but ultimately swallowed her words.
Ninth Brother looked at Seventh Miss and smiled. “I know, Seventh Sister can rest assured.”
Because Ninth Brother mentioned Grand Madam Sun, the Grand Madam couldn’t help asking Second Miss, “I heard the old madam’s health has worsened this year…”
A shadow immediately passed over Second Miss’s face. “This winter we’ve been very afraid she won’t make it through, but after spring arrives it should improve.—Unfortunately, Liquan has gone to Nanyang, and his concubine-born younger brothers have nothing good to say.”
In their own branch of the Sun family, there weren’t many descendants. The Empress’s other brothers were all serving in other locations, while the previous Duke Dingguo had several brothers all residing in the capital. Now they had multiplied into a thriving population and often visited the Duke Dingguo residence. With Sun Liquan away and his brothers not in the capital either, if the old madam passed away with no son at home, arrangements would be extremely difficult.
The Grand Madam herself had never served parents-in-law, but having managed a household, she wasn’t ignorant of these particular taboos. Her expression immediately darkened. “Explain carefully—this is no trivial matter! Great clans value reputation most. You must have a clear sense of some things yourself, how to block people’s mouths—”
Second Miss glanced at Seventh Miss and didn’t speak for a moment.
Seventh Miss immediately understood: some things could be discussed with the natal family but not with the Xu family’s heir’s wife.
She took the opportunity to stand and smilingly pulled Ninth Brother. “You accompany me to visit Seventh Aunt. Last time in the palace, I saw Sixth Sister still mentioning Seventh Aunt, wondering how she’s been lately.”
The Grand Madam quickly said, “Yes, yes, you should.”
She turned to instruct Second Miss. “Later you should also visit Seventh Aunt so you’ll have something to report when facing Imperial Consort Ning.”
Since Sixth Miss had gained favor, the Grand Madam’s attitude toward her naturally differed. Given her nature, this was expected—no one was particularly surprised. However, Ninth Brother’s face showed a trace of displeasure, though he quickly covered it, laughing as he withdrew from the room with Seventh Miss.
Seventh Miss didn’t rush to Seventh Aunt’s quarters. She glanced back at the room, tugged Ninth Brother’s sleeve, and said softly, “Let me look at your room.”
Although Ninth Brother was somewhat surprised, his face showed more delight. “Good, it’s rare for Seventh Sister to have interest in visiting my humble abode!”
Since becoming adults, the siblings had actually seen less of each other. Especially after Quan Ruiyun married in, Ninth Brother had been busy studying, and Seventh Miss had never entered his courtyard.
Seventh Miss gave Ninth Brother a look. “You’re grown now, still so undignified.”
Despite her words, her face involuntarily showed a trace of a smile.
After all, they were blood relatives. No matter how little contact they usually had, this familiarity could never be removed.
Ninth Brother’s small courtyard was near the second gate in the inner courtyard, arranged cleanly and elegantly. Although there were some valuable furnishings, it wasn’t extravagant. However, Quan Ruiyun’s embroidery could be seen everywhere, clearly showing the room had been carefully arranged by its mistress with great thought.
Seventh Miss walked around the room, then glanced into the bedroom, asking Ninth Brother, “Do you normally study here?”
“Not really.” Ninth Brother followed behind Seventh Miss with folded arms. “The study is actually outside the second gate. If Seventh Sister wants to see it, we can go look.”
“No need, it would require people to avoid us, creating quite a commotion.” Seventh Miss shook her head and sighed lightly. “Ah, I see you mostly sleep in the small study and rarely come here to rest, right?”
Whether a household showed signs of male activity was immediately apparent.
Since Xu Fengjia returned to the capital, although by custom he still had a room in the west wing for his things, now the couple lived daily in the West Three Rooms. Gradually, his court robes, regular clothes, and beloved small swords and such had appeared in the West Three Rooms. But Ninth Brother’s bedroom was cold and bare—not even one piece of his clothing was visible outside.
Ninth Brother first froze, then immediately understood Seventh Miss’s meaning.
With a trace of self-justification, he said, “Seventh Sister knows I’ve been studying quite diligently lately…”
His words gradually weakened under Seventh Miss’s gaze.
Seventh Miss sighed deeply, her heart truly filled with mixed emotions.
With Ninth Brother studying so dedicatedly, even Quan Ruiyun herself probably felt gratified. Although lonely herself, she surely wouldn’t show it and disturb Ninth Brother’s advancement. By contemporary values, a son and husband like Ninth Brother was already considered excellent.
But hadn’t the Grand Master been just as excellent many years ago? Ninth Brother was step by step desperately trying to transform himself into the next Grand Master…
Seventh Miss could bear it no longer. She grasped Ninth Brother’s hand.
“Why must you work so desperately hard?” she said softly. “Father is not yet sixty, in his prime years. He can work another ten, even twenty years. If he can continue sitting in the Grand Secretary position, even if you obtain the jinshi degree, in your official career, you’ll probably still…”
With the Grand Master already so prominent, if Ninth Brother also achieved success at a young age and rose to high position, wouldn’t the Yang family attract too much attention? Among Great Qin’s Grand Secretaries, many forbade their sons from taking office or only permitted them idle positions. They carefully cultivated their grandsons so that after their own deaths, when the original clamor had gradually dissipated, there would be successors in officialdom to hold up a protective umbrella for the family. Scholar-official families like the Yang family with connections to prominent households never placed all their chips on the official path. Especially as Ninth Brother was the only son in the family, his greatest duty was actually continuing the Yang family line.
Ninth Brother probably understood this principle. Even if he passed the examination in two years and became a jinshi at twenty-one or twenty-two, he wouldn’t achieve much in his official career.
Ninth Brother turned his face away.
He and Seventh Miss were no longer very similar now. On his handsome face, perhaps only the cool elegance emanating from those eyes still echoed Seventh Miss’s temperament. But unlike Seventh Miss, this face still retained much of the stubbornness and willfulness unique to young people, with threads of melancholy like a thin mist shrouding Ninth Brother.
“But…” he said softly. “Seventh Sister, I said before. I would grow up, I would protect you… Someday, I want you to hold your head high, not needing to suffer anyone’s cold treatment.”
Seventh Miss froze.
So many past memories surged to her heart with Ninth Brother’s words.
She felt her eyes rarely grow hot, tears almost spilling out.
Ninth Brother had kept this matter in his heart since childhood!
But how could it really be about supporting her? The current Seventh Miss had long since left Ninth Brother’s sphere of protection.
From childhood this child had understood everything in his heart, keeping it all inside. Even today he hadn’t forgotten, still striving to advance, but what he sought was not entirely to shelter her under his protective net.
From the moment he spoke these words, what Ninth Brother thought of was probably the birth mother he could no longer protect…
And no matter how much he advanced, Ninth Aunt could never enjoy Ninth Brother’s blessings.
She forcibly held back tears, tightening her grip on his hand, and said firmly, “If you can live, if you can live happily, that is the best protection for me, the best comfort for Mother. Shanjiu, you don’t need to be more excellent—you’re already excellent. You don’t need to be better—you’re already very good now… Sister and Mother only want you to be happy. Do you—understand or not?”
Seeing clouds gather on Ninth Brother’s face, Seventh Miss shook her head and rushed to say, “Moreover,” she sighed. “Moreover, to make progress in officialdom, often one must inevitably change—I don’t want you to become like Father. The current Shanjiu is already very good.”
Mentioning the Grand Master, Seventh Miss’s face couldn’t help flashing with genuine disdain.
Ninth Brother saw this and couldn’t help being moved. He opened his mouth to speak but wearily stopped, only sighing deeply.
“But this is all I can do.” He said softly. “I am—I so wanted to grow up, but after growing up I discovered that it was you, always protecting me… I’m still the same as back then, without any ability…”
Ninth Brother’s head slowly lowered, as if this statement carried infinite weight, enough to bend his shoulders.
Seventh Miss suddenly froze.
Only today did she realize that her own excellence had been an unspoken pressure on Ninth Brother, placing weight on this young man’s shoulders that he shouldn’t have to bear.
Just as she was about to find words to comfort Ninth Brother, her heart stirred again.
Ninth Brother’s words just now carried infinite meaning, seeming to have implications beyond the words themselves.
She immediately thought of the grievances between herself and the Grand Madam.
Ninth Brother had grown up at the Grand Madam’s side from childhood. With his devoted nature, even toward his twin sister whom he’d never dared get too close to, he valued her so much. Not to mention the Grand Madam—even if he never showed it in front of her, he surely couldn’t be without affection for the Grand Madam.
And what of Ninth Brother? When he was just a tiny child, he had the ability to make various arrangements behind the Grand Madam’s back, finding Third Aunt’s formal attire from years ago… Behind the scenes, he always had some pieces and resources that Seventh Miss didn’t know about and hadn’t inquired into.
Regarding his birth mother’s death, he couldn’t possibly lack interest in investigating. But once many matters were laid out on the table for discussion, for Ninth Brother, everything he said would be wrong…
Ah, this child was truly in too difficult a position, caught in the middle—many things truly couldn’t satisfy both sides.
Seventh Miss immediately decided: some matters, Ninth Brother needn’t know even a shadow of.
She said softly, “Who says you have no ability? Without you, how could I have grown up safely, how could I have legitimate daughter status? You don’t need to force yourself anymore, Shanjiu. You’ve already done enough, done well enough.”
A flash of surprise crossed Ninth Brother’s face, followed by a thoughtful expression.
“Sister has the same words.” Seventh Miss smiled and patted Ninth Brother’s shoulder. “If you truly love studying, then just study. If you’re trying to make special progress to protect Sister someday—as long as you can continue the Yang family line, you’re already protecting Sister.”
Nothing could deter mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law better than a thriving natal family—even more so in the next generation. The more male cousins Fourth Lang, Fifth Lang, and even Seventh Miss’s future children had, the louder their voices would be in the Xu household.
Although the words were joking, Seventh Miss’s tone was very sincere.
Ninth Brother’s eyes showed some amusement. The melancholy that had circled him for years since failing the examination seemed to gradually dissipate. He smiled. “Good, then you wait for me. In ten or twenty years, I’ll have seven or eight children to support you.”
Seventh Miss laughed heartily. “Seven or eight children—what do you take Ruiyun for?”
Mentioning Quan Ruiyun, the heaviness in her heart had also quietly faded. Although she couldn’t directly interfere in the couple’s affairs, Seventh Miss couldn’t bear to see Quan Ruiyun gradually transform into the kind of official’s wife the Grand Madam had become.
Think back—when the Grand Madam hadn’t yet married, didn’t she also have a young woman’s hopes? Many things accumulated bit by bit, day by day, to create the current situation.
She couldn’t help admonishing Ninth Brother again, “You must remember, you must treat Ruiyun well. Think about Mother’s life—if Father hadn’t been so promiscuous, how would she have ended up like this?”
She deliberately didn’t specify whether “Mother” referred to Ninth Aunt or the Grand Madam.
Though truly, both women’s lives had suffered greatly from the Grand Master’s promiscuity.
But Ninth Brother showed no confusion. He seemed to have grasped Seventh Miss’s meaning.
He suddenly asked Seventh Miss, “Does brother-in-law treat you well?”
Seventh Miss nodded without hesitation. “He does his utmost to treat me well.”
Ninth Brother’s eyes dimmed. He suddenly sighed. “In this world, many matters truly cannot clearly distinguish grievance from gratitude, right from wrong—who can say clearly?”
Seventh Miss couldn’t help but sigh deeply along with Ninth Brother.