The following day, Pei Bingyuan was summoned to the palace.

The autumn mornings had turned cold. Pei Bingyuan arrived early and waited outside the Palace of Heavenly Purity for court to finish before being called in to attend upon the Emperor.

Once inside the Imperial Study, uncertain why the Emperor had summoned him, Pei Bingyuan was somewhat tense and ill at ease — only to find, to his surprise, that the Emperor led him into a side chamber.

A chess board, two cups of tea, and several small dishes of refreshments — it had very much the air of the way an ordinary household might receive a guest.

The Emperor sat down first and said, “Sit, Beloved Official Pei.”

Pei Bingyuan clasped his hands in a bow. “This official does not dare presume.”

The Emperor laughed openly and said, “Your two sons, in my presence, show none of this reticence of yours. They are quite bold.”

Imperial Attendant Xiao, attending to one side, added at the opportune moment, “The two young Masters Pei — asking the Emperor for a cup of tea or a taste of a refreshment, that sort of thing is entirely common with them.”

“Do sit, Beloved Official Pei,” the Emperor said. “I called you to the palace today simply because it has been some years, and I wished to have a conversation — there is no need to be anxious.”

Pei Bingyuan did not dare decline the imperial kindness further and sat down properly, but he did not touch the teacup, nor reach for any refreshment.

The Emperor chatted with Pei Bingyuan about various amusing stories involving Boyuan and Zhongyuan, and also spoke of how Taicang Prefecture grew more flourishing each year. By the time one game of chess had been played to its end, the tension had gradually left Pei Bingyuan’s whole manner.

“Beloved Official Pei, you have raised two fine sons. Father and sons together are all men of loyalty and uprightness — I am greatly heartened.”

“Your Majesty honors them too greatly. To devote one’s loyalty to the sovereign is the duty of every official.”

The Emperor tossed a white chess piece lightly in his palm again and again, in no hurry to begin the second game. He turned to his real purpose and asked, “How did Beloved Official Pei come to raise such exceptional men?”

Pei Bingyuan heard the question and was quiet for a moment, as many memories came rushing back. A mixture of gratitude and self-reproach showed on his face, and he replied, “To speak honestly, I am ashamed to say it — in earlier years I was a man who buried himself in narrow corners, rigidly absorbed in textual scholarship, so thoroughly bookish that I knew nothing of the ways of the world. In terms of imparting knowledge, I could not match their teachers; in terms of daily care, I could not match the elders of the household. I truly have no grounds to speak of raising them.”

He continued, “Whatever they have become may be better compared to the lush and flourishing vegetation of midsummer — thriving of their own accord, and in fact giving their father a great deal to learn from.”

What he meant, in other words, was that Shaohuai and Shaojin had arrived where they were today largely through their own doing.

It was a matter of natural endowment.

The Emperor said, “Beloved Official Pei, you are too modest. Even taking all of that as you say… over so many years, there must be things that have moved you?”

Pei Bingyuan thought of the white sesame plants that had grown taller with each passing season in Yuchong County, and then of the clear mirror of water in Taicang Prefecture. He could not help feeling some emotion, and said, “What I am about to say, I fear, may be something of an affront.”

“Go on — I grant you freedom from fault.”

Only then did Pei Bingyuan speak: “When an infant is born and one becomes a father, the bond of blood connects father to son — but the son’s true reverence is not something born with him. It must be earned, little by little, through one’s conduct, before genuine respect can be won. Just as in holding office — one must give oneself entirely to the people before earning their commendation.”

Merely sleeping and siring a child was, by itself, far from enough to make one a father in the true sense.

Every relationship required investment and cultivation.

In a world governed by “the father as the moral guide of the son, the sovereign as the moral guide of the official,” Pei Bingyuan’s words were indeed somewhat of an affront.

The Emperor fell silent for a long while. Pei Bingyuan grew uneasy, and the cold sweat began to form in his palms.

Sensing Pei Bingyuan’s anxiety, the Emperor quickly smiled to set his mind at ease, saying, “I was merely struck by the truth of what Beloved Official Pei has said, and fell into reflection for a moment.”

He then added, “Beloved Official Pei is right — and this applies not only to being a father or an official, but to being a sovereign as well. Whatever position one holds, one must first do it well before one can earn the genuine reverence of others.”

“Stay and play a few more games with me.” The Emperor finally placed his first stone and opened the second game, his spirits considerably higher than before.

……

As for the Jingchuan Earl’s household — one large family, each member with their own occupation to pursue, living in harmony and warmth.

The several daughters and their husbands were all busy with their affairs, but whenever they had a free day, they would come back for a visit.

The previous winter, the old general Situ Wuyi had fallen ill and passed from this world, and Situ Yang had brought Pei Ruolan and their three children back from Shanhai Pass to observe the mourning period in the capital.

Once mourning was concluded, both Situ Si and Situ Yun had reached the age for marriage arrangements, and it was likely they would remain in the capital from that point onward.

Situ Yang had not forgotten the promise made with Pei Shaohuai — every time he came to the Earl’s residence, after a few cups of wine, he would inquire with concern about when Pei Shaohuai’s term of office would end and he would return to the capital, saying, “My brother-in-law did promise me that he, as their maternal uncle, would find good scholarly husbands for my two nieces.”

Lu Yiyao had married into the Earl’s household and given Pei Shaojin a son, named Pei Zhengxu, who was nearly one year old — in another half month, the one-year birthday ceremony would need to be arranged.

She too was a good and capable wife.

Though Lu Yiyao carried the name of a gifted scholar, she did not hold herself above others with a lofty air. Within the rooms she and her husband enjoyed their shared pursuits of literature and art, but once outside the door, the needlework, household management, visiting and taking tea — none of these was neglected.

She was skilled in the kitchen and could prepare excellent dishes and pastries, which had spoiled Shaojin’s palate thoroughly, and she also frequently made nourishing, warming foods to send expressly to Lin Shi. Seasonal delicacies suited to spring, autumn, summer, and winter — timely and delicious — a gesture of filial devotion on her husband’s behalf.

The capital housed households of every kind of manner, and there were naturally those who commented with sourness that Lu Yiyao, as the eldest legitimate granddaughter of the Lu household, had been given in marriage to such a match — neither the legitimate heir nor the eldest son.

Lu Yiyao had offered no rebuttal, but simply selected a few invitations at random from among those Lin Shi had received, accepted the offers to attend tea gatherings at the households of Dukes and Marquises, and that put an end to all the sour words.

As little Xu’er’s first birthday approached, Lin Shi said to Lu Yiyao one morning at the greeting hour, “Xu’er is of the great-grandchildren’s generation of the Earl’s household. As with his elder brother and sister before him, certain shops and properties should be registered in his name at the one-year ceremony. Come with me to the accounts room and choose.”

In the accounts room, when Lin Shi spread out one sheet of property deed after another across the surface of the table and asked her to make her selections, Lu Yiyao could not quite hide her surprise, and murmured almost to herself, “So many…”

Lin Shi smiled and said, “They are all proper businesses and operations — they simply grew without us quite noticing, over the years.”

One needed to remember that Pei Ruozhu, before her marriage, had been a capable hand at managing the household properties, and Yang Shiyue, upon joining the household, had been no less so. With Lin Shi managing and overseeing from behind, the Earl’s household’s shops and businesses had been turning a profit steadily over the years.

Lin Shi added, “For fear of affecting Huai’er and Jin’er’s official careers, I had some of the properties sold off early, to avoid too conspicuous a profile… What remains now is just right. I won’t be expanding further.”

The implication being that there had once been considerably more.

……

Lin Shi did not have everything as she wished — she had her own source of quiet worry.

On the day of little Xu’er’s one-year ceremony, Lin Shi pressed Pei Ruoying repeatedly to hold little Xu’er and let the good fortune rub off on her.

Pei Ruoying knew perfectly well what her mother meant. After the birthday ceremony, she went directly to the Zhaolu Courtyard.

Over the past two years, Pei Ruoying’s Qing’an Hall had grown considerably — there were now four locations in the capital, and her medical skills had advanced in step with her growing reputation, which had spread far and wide. As a result, Pei Ruoying’s temperament had grown ever more composed and serene.

“Your daughter understands Mother’s concern, and it is not that your daughter does not wish to conceive again — only that the bond between parent and child is a matter of fate and circumstance,” Pei Ruoying said, her manner natural and her tone calm. She continued, “If fate brings him, he will come. If fate does not bring him, your daughter will raise Yin’er well and let her choose what she loves, and grow capable and free of worry — and that will be enough.”

Pei Ruoying and Chen Xingchen were both of excellent looks, and their daughter Yin’er was naturally the same.

After so many years, the two of them had not added another son, and Lin Shi could not help worrying.

Pei Ruoying went on, “Your daughter has studied medicine and its principles — if I cannot make peace with my own situation, how can I heal others?” In her eyes, this had never been a matter of great importance.

“What you say is true, and yet…” Lin Shi said with a frown. “You ought to consider your husband’s feelings in this — if he minds it, and the days grow long, resentment may eventually form. And then there is the matter of what your mother-in-law and father-in-law think.”

Generation after generation — the matter of bearing children had always been a burden for women.

Just two days later, Chen Xingchen came specially to offer his parents-in-law reassurance.

“I have heard of mother-in-law’s concern — Ruoying told me everything.” Between the two of them there were rarely words left unspoken overnight. Chen Xingchen said, “For one thing, I am the legitimate son but not the eldest — the burden of succession does not rest on me. For another, I have a younger brother below me, so this line is not without an heir. My feeling is the same as Ruoying’s — having Yin’er is enough.”

He added, half in jest, “In the end, the only hardship might be Yin’er’s — we’ll find her a son-in-law who marries into the household.”

“Mother-in-law and father-in-law also know that your son-in-law is obsessed with mathematics — once I sink into it, I tend to neglect the things around me. If there is anything I have not considered properly in ordinary days, I ask that you both speak of it to me… In this matter, it was your son-in-law who did not do enough for Ruoying’s sake.” Chen Xingchen said with contrition.

After Pei Shaohuai had gone south, he had purchased from foreign merchants a number of parchment scrolls from the Western traders, which contained various mathematical methods and formulas. He had sent these scrolls back to the capital for his fourth brother-in-law. For this period of time, Chen Xingchen had been occupied with translating the foreign text and working out whether the formulas within it were correct.

He was entirely in his element.

And had indeed overlooked a few matters closer to home.

Lin Shi, feeling more at ease, said, “So long as you two have spoken openly and think of each other, your father and I are reassured.”

……

After Pei Shaojin concluded discussions with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Personnel on the new sailing permit policy, the court’s imperial edict was swiftly transmitted to Fujian.

In the prefectural office, Pei Shaohuai received his brother’s letter and was greatly pleased. He summoned several of the clan elders of Shuan’an Prefecture to discuss matters.

“Between the cloth from Hejian Prefecture and the tea from Yangzhou — how full have the various clans’ merchant vessels been loaded?” Pei Shaohuai asked.

“Distributed evenly across the ships, I estimate the cargo holds are about half full,” Clan Elder Qi replied.

The several clan elders, seeing the look of pleasure on the Prefect’s face, guessed that good news was at hand.

Sure enough, Pei Shaohuai said, “Fill the cargo holds to capacity first. For whatever space remains, I have a way to source the goods.”

The clan elders were also delighted. If the Prefect had spoken, there would naturally be something in the works.

……

The sailing permit was a new policy measure, and the court’s edict could not bypass the Fujian Administration and be issued directly to Shuan’an Prefecture — and so Pei Shaohuai needed to make a trip to the provincial capital at Fuzhou Prefecture.

Fuzhou was considerably farther than Quanzhou, and even traveling by official vessel along the sea route, the round trip would take seven or eight days.

In his room, husband and wife packed his travel things and spoke together.

Yang Shiyue urged her husband to be careful in all matters, and Pei Shaohuai nodded in assent.

Pei Shaohuai then admonished Yang Shiyue in return, saying, “While I am away, unless there is pressing business, best not to go out — caution makes for a safe voyage of ten thousand years.”

So long as she remained at home, with the elite guards of the Southern Embroidered Uniform Guard holding station at both residences, his wife and children’s safety was assured.

“I know what is sensible.”

Pei Shaohuai added, “Also — before Commander Yan returns, please lend a hand to the County Princess on that side.” The County Princess Zhao was far along in her pregnancy, near to giving birth, and Pei Shaohuai suspected Commander Yan would likely be back within these few days as well.

Yang Shiyue checked over the items to make sure nothing was missing, and replied, “Official, see to the matters in Fuzhou first. The affairs at home — I have them in hand.”

As it happened, on the third day after Pei Shaohuai’s departure, Yan Chengzhao had not yet returned, and County Princess Zhao’s labor came on early — half a month ahead of expectations.

It was close to nightfall that day. Yang Shiyue had just finished the evening meal with little Nan and little Feng when the nursemaid from County Princess Zhao’s side came running over with Yi’er in her arms, and said anxiously to Yang Shiyue, “Lady Yang, it seems the County Princess is going into labor — would you please come and have a look?”

Yang Shiyue felt a jolt of alarm. Of all the times for it to come — both households’ men were away.

She was urgent but not disordered. She first called for Nanny Chen, kept little Nan and little Feng close by her side, and only then went together through the side gate of the front courtyard and into the Yan household.

“Little Nan, little Feng, Yi’er — you three wait here with Nanny. I’ll go in to look and then come right out.”

Yang Shiyue had Nanny Chen watch over the three half-grown little ones in a side room.

In the main room, County Princess Zhao lay on the bed, fine beads of sweat on her brow, the labor pains already coming in waves.

Yang Shiyue walked over, took the County Princess by the hand and helped her sit up, assessed the situation, and first sought to calm her unsettled spirits, saying, “I’m here — don’t be afraid.”

The County Princess bit her lip against the pain and gave a small nod.

Yang Shiyue continued, “There is still some time yet. I’ll go out first and settle the three children, and you have someone bring some food — eat a few bites between the pains to keep your strength up.”

County Princess Zhao clearly had Yi’er on her mind as well, and said, “Go and settle the children first, Shiyue. I’ll do as you say.”

It was not that Yang Shiyue was being skittish from past alarm — her husband had spoken to her about the situation. The enemies they had encountered this time harbored deeply malicious intentions and employed treacherous methods. Over the course of this year, Pei Shaohuai had shared and analyzed with Yang Shiyue every incident of disorder that had occurred in southern Fujian.

At a time like this, one could not afford not to take every precaution.

Yang Shiyue was still deliberating over where best to settle the children when Yi’er tilted her head back and asked, “Auntie, is this an urgent situation?”

Yang Shiyue, not quite following, gave a nod.

Yi’er said next, “Father said that if we ever face something urgent without warning, I should hide in the secret passage in the study. I know where it is.”

She added, “Little Nan and little Feng have been through it before.”

Beside her, little Nan and little Feng both gave nods of confirmation — the three of them had played together in the Yan household so often they had long since explored every corner of it.

Yang Shiyue considered this, and led the children to the study. Little Yi’er operated the mechanism with practiced ease: the bookshelf shifted aside, revealing a hidden passageway beneath.

“You go in and play for now — I’ll come and fetch you out shortly.” Yang Shiyue then said to Yi’er specifically, “No matter who calls you to come out — unless it is Auntie coming to fetch you — pay them no mind, and do not open the door. Do you understand?”

All three little ones nodded in unison.

Watching the children enter the passageway and seeing the bookshelf slide shut again, Yang Shiyue let out a quiet breath.

She walked to the front courtyard and called out toward the shadows along the high wall: “Is the Deputy Commander of the Southern Embroidered Uniform Guard here? Is the Deputy Commander of the Southern Embroidered Uniform Guard here?”

By the time she had called out the second time, a Embroidered Uniform Guard — not especially tall, but moving with remarkable agility — dropped down from the shadows and saluted: “What are Lady Pei’s orders?”

Yang Shiyue set out her plan: “Tonight events have taken an urgent turn, and I am concerned trouble may arise. I do not know how many men you have stationed in the shadows — if it is the same as usual, with guards spread across both residences, the numbers may be insufficient, and gaps may allow an enemy to enter through the opening. I have now brought the children into the back courtyard of the Yan household. You may concentrate your men and keep close watch over that one corner of the back courtyard.”

She added with emphasis: “Do not let any disturbance from outside carry in and disrupt things within.”

The guards posted by Commander Yan were certainly capable of protecting their safety — what Yang Shiyue feared was that at the most critical moment of County Princess Zhao’s delivery, if enemies chose then to create a disturbance, it might break the laboring woman’s concentration and will, and that would be a great deal of trouble.

A woman in labor — the danger was not only the blade from outside.

Yang Shiyue also said, “And furthermore — find a way to inform your commander and have him return as quickly as possible.” She trusted that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had their own ways of relaying messages.

If Yan Chengzhao could get back, County Princess Zhao’s spirits would be steadier.

The Deputy Commander thought it over and found Yang Shiyue’s reasoning sound, and so replied, “This subordinate obeys.”

With everything arranged, Yang Shiyue returned to the delivery room to see how County Princess Zhao was faring. The moment she walked in, she saw that the food on the table had barely been touched, and that County Princess Zhao had lain back down on the bed. Yang Shiyue asked, “Why are you lying down again? At this stage you ought to be up and moving.”

A woman who was neatly and cleanly dressed, with spotless clothing and hands, stepped forward to answer on the County Princess’s behalf: “In response to the Lady’s question — in this old woman’s judgment, the hour is still early, so I had the County Princess rest a little to conserve her strength.”

This was the midwife the Yan household had carefully selected and engaged, who had moved in several months ago.

Yang Shiyue had seen her around on ordinary days and thought she seemed like a competent midwife — only now, when it truly came to it, did she find the woman to be of inferior caliber.

Yang Shiyue thought quietly to herself that this was precisely the difficulty for Yan Chengzhao and his wife. They lacked neither power nor money, but two people who had each made their way alone in the world had come together with shallow roots — no elders in the household to lend support, still building their foundation. When it came to certain specialized needs, they had no choice but to look for someone from outside on short notice.

No one found from outside could compare to someone who had been kept close for years and was known through and through.

If something truly went wrong, making this midwife pay for it with her life would be no remedy at all.

Yang Shiyue wasted no time and said directly to County Princess Zhao, “County Princess — I have two nursemaids in my household who assisted with births in the Yang household before. I’ll have Nanny Chen send for them.”

County Princess Zhao was a sensible woman. She understood that Yang Shiyue would not make this suggestion lightly — it carried its own risks — and she gave an immediate nod without asking for an explanation.

As for the midwife before them, who had looked so convincingly the part but was in fact well below standard, Yang Shiyue instructed the Yan household nursemaid, “Take her away and keep a close watch on her. Deal with the matter afterward.”

“Yes.”

Yang Shiyue helped County Princess Zhao down from the bed and had her walk about for a while. About a quarter of an hour later, the two Pei household midwives arrived — neat and clean, properly composed — and entered the delivery room.

One nursemaid carefully felt the belly and said respectfully, “The baby is lying slightly to one side, but it is nothing to worry about. If this old servant helps the County Princess walk a little, he will come right.”

The other said warmly, “The County Princess has delivered once before — this time will also go smoothly.” She added with a smile, “The baby is in a hurry to come into the world — with such an impatient temperament, he might well be a lively little viscount.”

The remark was bold, but it eased much of the tension in County Princess Zhao’s heart, and she felt a faint stirring of anticipation.

Another hour passed, and now the labor was truly beginning in earnest. Yang Shiyue stepped out of the delivery room to avoid adding to the midwives’ burden.

The night was deep and dark, nothing visible beyond arm’s reach outside — only this courtyard, lit through the night without interruption. Just as Yang Shiyue had suspected — and just as well that she had been cautious — hurried footsteps could be heard from beyond the high outer wall, followed by the muffled sound of clashing blades. It was evident that the Embroidered Uniform Guards were doing their utmost to keep the noise contained.

Yang Shiyue had the serving girls carrying water in and out walk with deliberately heavy steps, to mask the sounds of fighting from without.

She prayed silently — that all would be well, and that dawn would come quickly.

At last, half an hour later, the clear and vigorous cry of a newborn carried out from within. Yang Shiyue allowed herself another quiet breath of relief — one more crossing safely made.

All that remained was to wait for the Embroidered Uniform Guards to suppress the enemy assault from outside.

And in the hidden passage beneath the study, three small bundles leaned together against the wall, whispering among themselves in low voices, waiting for their mother and their auntie to come and bring them out.

The inner chamber was very dark, lit only by a single lantern hanging from the high ceiling. Yi’er suddenly remembered something and said, “I know how to make it brighter in here.”

She reached out and worked another mechanism, and a shelf was revealed in the hidden chamber — arranged neatly upon it were more than a dozen luminescent pearls, each roughly the size of a palm.

Yan Chengzhao, who always moved about at night, had developed a peculiar fondness — he collected night-luminescent pearls, those rare sources of constant light in the darkness.

Such objects were also called “companion pearls” and “suspended pearls.”

“Oh—!” Little Nan and little Feng exclaimed in delight.

“Oh, right — last time you two gave me a box of gold, and Mother said I ought to send you something in return,” Yi’er said. “Why don’t you each pick a few pearls to take home?”

Little Nan asked, “Should we not ask Uncle Yan about this first?”

Yi’er waved her hand dismissively. “No need, no need — what’s Father’s is mine. And besides, a few pearls are hardly worth as much as a whole box of gold.”

She then asked little Feng generously, “Little Feng, would you like me to help you choose? Look — this one is the biggest, the brightest, and the most clear.”