The Grand Madam and Nanny Du had barely taken up their positions when they saw Second Madam accompanying Eunuch Lei as he made his unhurried way toward them.

“Eunuch Lei!” The Grand Madam smiled and moved forward to greet him.

Eunuch Lei quickened his pace at the sound of her voice.

“Grand Madam!” He bowed in greeting, his eyes full of warmth and good cheer.

The Grand Madam felt a flicker of ease in her heart, and invited Eunuch Lei to sit in the main hall.

Eunuch Lei gazed at the young maid who came to serve tea and said nothing.

The Grand Madam understood, and sent away those in attendance around her.

Eunuch Lei immediately broke into a broad, beaming smile as he rose to his feet: “Grand Madam, congratulations! Felicitations!”

The Grand Madam was bewildered.

Eunuch Lei then said in a low voice: “Her Majesty the Empress has been found with child!”

“Ah!” Even the Grand Madam, who had long schooled herself to keep all seven emotions from her face, could not suppress a look of joyful surprise. “Is this truly so?” And then, conscious of the gravity of the matter and knowing that Eunuch Lei would never joke about such a thing, she realized she had let worry cloud her judgment and spoken without thinking — not that she begrudged herself the lapse. She smiled all the more broadly, pressing her palms together and bowing toward the west. “Amitabha Buddha. Truly, this is the blessing of the Bodhisattvas.”

The joy Eunuch Lei had been holding back was now released without a trace of restraint. His face broke into a luminous smile: “His Majesty was so overjoyed when he heard — he went to the Ancestral Shrine just yesterday morning, and proclaimed he would observe three days of fasting and prayer, beseeching the ancestral Emperors Taizong and Shengzu to protect Her Majesty so that she might safely bring a prince into the world.”

Whether the child would be a prince was all well and fine — that would only be the icing on the cake. What truly gladdened the Grand Madam was that the Empress was with child, and the Emperor had gone in person to the Ancestral Shrine to offer incense — the affection between Emperor and Empress was as harmonious as strings in tune. She smiled with her eyes curved into crescent moons: “May the Emperor’s auspicious words prove true! May the Emperor’s auspicious words prove true!”

“In a couple of days, news will be released from within the palace.” Eunuch Lei smiled. “Her Majesty the Empress asked me to come ahead of time and let you know, so that you might share in the joy.”

“Many thanks to Her Majesty for keeping us in her thoughts!” The Grand Madam’s face was radiant. “This truly is the greatest of blessings!” She then inquired at length into the Empress’s daily life and well-being.

Learning that the Empress was in fine health and spirits, the Grand Madam went on to ask after the First Imperial Prince and the Third Imperial Prince.

“…The First Imperial Prince attends upon His Majesty every day at Qianqing Palace, assisting with the review of memorials — it is taxing work, and when he comes to pay his respects to the Empress, he looks quite a deal thinner. His manner, however, has grown considerably more composed and steady. At the first lecture of this month, the teacher was Senior Grand Secretary Liang, who praised the Third Imperial Prince before His Majesty, saying he is exceptionally gifted. His Majesty was very pleased and rewarded the Third Imperial Prince with an inkstone from the Duan region.”

“That is wonderful, that is wonderful!” The Grand Madam was more pleased by the moment, and then spoke of the First Imperial Prince’s marriage: “…Is there any word yet on when it might be settled?”

Eunuch Lei said tactfully: “Her Majesty the Empress is resting quietly in the Inner Palace these days, and is simply waiting for His Majesty to make the final decision. However, Her Majesty did say that this matter ought to be settled soon — the First Imperial Prince is no longer young.”

His Majesty certainly had no wish to select a daughter-in-law from the Yang Family. Had this been before, there would still have been some worry about the Emperor coming under the influence of the Imperial Noble Consort. But now, with the Emperor and Empress in perfect accord, and the Imperial Noble Consort’s influence at its most diminished, naturally the sooner the candidate for the First Imperial Prince Consort was determined, the better.

The more the Grand Madam turned this over in her mind, the more she felt this child had come at exactly the right moment. She said nothing further on the subject, and with a smile asked after Eunuch Lei’s health. As Eunuch Lei saw that the hour was growing late, he exchanged a few more pleasantries with the Grand Madam and rose to take his leave. The Grand Madam pressed him to stay a little longer, then personally saw Eunuch Lei to the outer gate, where Second Madam accompanied him onward to the inner ceremonial gate. She then caught Nanny Du’s eye — Nanny Du’s face had been filled with quiet anxiety — and the two of them made their way at a leisurely pace into the inner chamber.

“Her Majesty the Empress has been found with child!” The Grand Madam walked through the door and declared it with a heart brimming with joy.

“Oh my!” Nanny Du cried out, her eyes reddening. “Truly, this is the greatest of blessings!”

The Grand Madam nodded again and again, her own eyes growing a little moist. “In a couple of days, word will come out from the palace. I would like to go to Ciyuan Temple to pray for a stick of incense on the Empress’s behalf.” Then she said, “Go and call My Lord in. Tell him of this early — let him have some peace of mind as well. These days he has been worrying himself over Her Majesty’s affairs, and he has grown thinner because of it.”

That My Lord had grown thinner was nothing Nanny Du had noticed — but the Grand Madam’s deep and tender love for her son was something Nanny Du could hear plainly enough.

She smiled her assent and went personally to fetch Xu Lingyi.

When Xu Lingyi heard, he was indeed greatly pleased. He returned, and in a moment of slightly unguarded elation, took Shiyiniang’s chin lightly in his fingers — before she could protest — and leaned close to her ear: “Her Majesty the Empress has been found with child.”

“Truly!” Shiyiniang’s eyes lit up at once, all other thoughts forgotten. “How far along is the child?”

This might, perhaps, go some small way toward easing the grief of the Empress’s loss of the Fifth Imperial Prince.

“The diagnosis was made the night before last,” Xu Lingyi said with a smile. “Eunuch Lei just told Mother in person.”

Eunuch Lei was the head eunuch of Kunning Palace — his word would not be mistaken.

Shiyiniang felt genuinely glad for the Empress: “Then what do we need to prepare? Should we sew some little garments? Or perhaps send some delicacies into the palace?” But then she caught herself and felt her excitement had gotten ahead of her — unlike the customs of her own era, where sending food was a gesture of warmth. She quickly added, “Food cannot be sent into the palace, of course, and clothing must certainly have its rules as well… Or perhaps we might go in person to pay our respects to the Empress. I am not sure what protocols govern this — we ought to find out. Congratulations must be offered in person. This is truly wonderful news!”

When two people share the same joy, the gladness is doubled.

Xu Lingyi smiled, watching Shiyiniang’s animated enthusiasm.

“When the time comes, the palace will send word. After the first three months have passed, you may go to offer your congratulations to the Empress in person. As for food and clothing —” he said with gentle tact, “— the palace lacks for nothing. And the garments made to imperial specifications for princes and princesses are quite beyond what an ordinary household can provide in terms of the fabrics required.”

“Yes, yes, of course.” Shiyiniang smiled broadly, nodding earnestly. “I will go at the earliest moment to offer my congratulations to the Empress in person!”

Xu Lingyi nodded with a smile and said, “Mother would like to go to Ciyuan Temple in a couple of days to pray for a stick of incense on the Empress’s behalf. You should accompany her.”

“Of course!” Shiyiniang agreed without hesitation.

She too hoped to send up her sincerest blessing for this life that was about to come into the world.

A small maid entered and announced: “My Lady, a young novice from the Abbess Jining’s side has come to deliver a sutra volume to you.”

Xu Lingyi’s gaze sharpened slightly, his expression one of barely concealed disapproval.

Shiyiniang knew he disliked such things, and offered a smiling explanation: “The Abbess Jining came to see me earlier and spent quite a long while explaining the Heart Sutra to me. She also offered to send a copy she had transcribed in her own hand. It was hard to decline her kindness.” She added, “There is a saying: when in a strange land, follow the local customs. In some matters, it is better to go along with things. Knowing in one’s heart what is what is what truly matters.”

Xu Lingyi’s expression eased a little. He said nothing.

Shiyiniang felt this was not a pleasant topic to linger on, and recalled that he had just gone to meet with Ma Zuowen. She smiled and shifted the conversation: “Is there any progress in the matter of selecting the First Imperial Prince Consort? If it could be decided soon, the Empress would truly have cause for double celebration.”

“The name lists have only just reached His Majesty’s hands,” Xu Lingyi said. “Deliberations have not yet begun.”

Was there something at this moment more pressing than even that matter?

Shiyiniang could not help but show a flicker of puzzlement in her eyes.

Xu Lingyi looked at her, hesitated for a moment, then said quietly: “I have asked Zuowen to help me look into the circumstances of the Jinghai Heir’s visit to the capital all those years ago — in particular, to inquire into some matters that occurred when he was staying at the official guest quarters.”

Shiyiniang could not quite grasp the meaning behind his words.

“By all reasoning, if the Qu Family intends to advance further, they should be united as one — quietly building their strength over the next decade in preparation for the contest of succession. And yet all manner of troubles keep breaking out, drawing attention before their time and exposing their own weaknesses. I had assumed at first that the heir apparent had taken on new advisors and the change in approach was theirs. But upon close inquiry, there was nothing of note on the heir apparent’s side. What has been notable is the Qu Family’s sixth son — there has been one small move after another from him these past two years. But there must be a reason for it. As everyone knows, the Jinghai Heir Apparent has held his position for many years — he is shrewd and capable, and commands considerable respect. If the sixth son were after the title, the gulf between him and the heir apparent in terms of both age and standing is simply too vast. By all current appearances, there is absolutely no possibility of him inheriting the title.”

“Then what is it?” Shiyiniang said. “Surely it cannot simply be a quarrel between brothers. If so, even if the heir apparent could endure it, Marquis Jinghai would never permit the sixth son of the Qu Family to carry on making such a scene.”

“Which is why I suspect — could it be that something has happened to the heir apparent?” Xu Lingyi’s expression grew gradually more grave. “Marquis Jinghai would have to choose a new heir apparent from among his sons. All of them would be jostling for position, so that Marquis Jinghai could no longer rein them in…”

Shiyiniang was puzzled: “If things are as My Lord says, then his sons should be doing all they can to court Marquis Jinghai’s favor. Why then would they become even harder to manage?”

Knowing that she did not understand the subtlety of the matter, Xu Lingyi smiled: “To designate a new heir apparent requires Marquis Jinghai’s approval — but it also requires the Emperor’s support.”

Shiyiniang understood at once: “You mean — the Imperial Noble Consort?”

If things were truly as Xu Lingyi suggested, then the sons of Marquis Jinghai would stop at nothing. Some might try to win their father’s favor; naturally, others would take a different path altogether and seek connections through the Imperial Noble Consort.

But no sooner had the words left her mouth than a new question arose.

“But what exactly has happened to the Jinghai Heir Apparent? Is he gravely ill and close to death? Has he committed some offense that, if exposed, could be used to impeach him at any moment by a censor? There is a saying — the one who knows you best is not your friend, but often your adversary. How is it that Wang Jiubao knows nothing of this at all?”

Her voice was quiet and unhurried, but every question struck at the heart of the matter.

Xu Lingyi listened, and the corners of his mouth lifted in a quiet, gratified smile. “That is precisely why I have asked Ma Zuowen to look into the heir apparent’s affairs — when he was here in Yanjing five months ago, staying at the official guest quarters. If his health was poor, the evidence would show in what he ate and drank. If he committed some offense…” He let the sentence trail off. “The Qu Family, after all, are officials. The Wang clan — whatever they are — have always been outlaws. So this time, I have sent someone to assist Wang Jiubao in the investigation. With Wang Jiubao’s shrewdness and resourcefulness, he is certain to turn up something.”

Seeing that he had thought of everything, Shiyiniang nonetheless felt a surge of concern for the First Imperial Prince.

He clearly knew there was an irreducible conflict between himself and the Qu Family — and yet he would still be taking a wife with ties running through that very family.

“My Lord, the matter of the consort selection — do give it your attention,” she said thoughtfully. “Even if there is no expectation of swaying His Majesty’s decision, allowing someone with close ties to the Qu Family to be selected is still not a good thing.”

Xu Lingyi saw her concern and could not help but smile: “There are no permanent allies, only permanent interests. Never mind someone merely with close ties to the Qu Family — even if the Qu Family were to produce another Imperial Prince Consort, so long as she is not of the same branch of the family, that can only be to our advantage, not our detriment.”