After leaving White Egret Hall, the two men slowed their pace.
White Egret Hall stood on the central axis, with a road wide enough for carriages to race upon. Two neat rows of tall mulberry trees lined the path. With spring’s arrival, their new branches had sprouted, forming clusters of fresh green foliage that delighted the eye.
Second Master Yang gazed at the barrel-thick mulberry trees with the tenderness one might reserve for a lover, his eyes burning with intensity. “Third Brother, are you truly willing to move out of our ancestral home on North Street?”
“I’ve lived here since I was small. Married and had children—forty-three years now. These mulberry trees were planted when our great-grandfather was alive, over a hundred years ago. The mulberry tree in front of my Huaiyu Hall study was planted when I established my household. Move out? Make way for the Second Son? I’d rather die in Huaiyu Hall.” Third Master Yang’s eyes gleamed with malice.
“It’s not enough that the legitimate eldest sons have occupied White Egret Hall on North Street’s central path for generations. Aren’t the Second and Third Branches also legitimate descendants of the main branch? If anyone should move out, it should be their second and third sons! I want to pass my Mingshang Hall down to future generations.” Second Master Yang spoke with discontent.
After a moment’s hesitation, Third Master Yang asked, “Elder Brother, if you become family head, can you change this family rule?”
“Family rules?” Second Master Yang sneered. “Is there any rule written in black and white? I heard that in our grandfather’s generation, the struggle for family headship was too intense. By the time it reached Father’s hands, to prevent us brothers from fighting with Big Brother, they established that after Big Brother’s death, we brothers would have to move out of the ancestral home on North Street. Third Brother, you’re closest in age to the First Son and in your prime—haven’t you learned about weaving and judging brocade? Are you content to live at the mercy of your nephew in the future? Your Second Brother certainly isn’t.”
He patted Third Master Yang’s shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. We, brothers, grew up together, our bond is the closest. Second Brother won’t treat you poorly.”
Second Master Yang gazed southward and continued leisurely, “I believe in Prince Sheng. Everything he promised me has succeeded. He said only with me as the family head can the Yang family be preserved—I believe him.”
Third Master Yang steeled his heart and asked, “Second Brother, I just want to know one thing. Was there poison in that wine?”
“Poison? Haven’t you drunk it yourself? I drank it, you drank it, Prince Sheng, Minister Sikong, even my Fourth Son had a cup… There was no poison in that wine. Only desire and greed.” Second Master Yang said self-mockingly, “If a few cups of wine could truly restore youth, undertakers would have gone out of business long ago.”
It was Big Brother’s greed—he should have known better at his age. That night’s wine did indeed heighten pleasure, but one must learn self-control. Who could he blame for coveting Concubine Liu’s beauty?
The room was heavy with the smell of medicine. Yang Jingshan lay covered with a thin blanket, his face a sickly pale tinged with grey, his breath as weak as someone near death.
Madam Yang Shi dismissed everyone else and stayed alone with her son. Yang Jingshan weakly opened his eyes, and when his mother held his hand, he slightly curled his fingers.
“First Son.” Madam Yang Shi noticed and tears began to fall. “Don’t move. It’s good that you’re awake. Physician Gu said with complete rest, you’ll recover.”
“Brocade…” Yang Jingshan barely breathed out the word.
“Mother knows someone tampered with it.” Madam Yang Shi spoke for him to spare his strength. “Official Liu was too greedy. We can only say the Yang family’s weavers worked hard for several months to produce those four hundred waterproof brocades. We still have three thousand pieces from last year’s production in our secret warehouse. If the Military Commissioner wants brocade, we can provide it. We’ll call it a misunderstanding and put this matter to rest.”
Yang Jingshan’s mouth twitched slightly, one worry lifted from his mind.
“All these years, your Second Uncle’s desire to seize the position of the family head has never ceased. But everyone drank that wine—your father chose to drink it himself, who can we blame? The storehouse manager who was in charge ran away when you were injured. Your maternal uncle has already issued wanted notices. But what good will catching him do? He was drunk, someone stole his keys and switched the goods—he doesn’t even know who did it. Your Second Uncle leaves no traces. Even though we know his intentions, we can’t catch him at fault. Chengyu is still young. Your Second Uncle is too ruthless. We can only endure. Three more years, when Chengyu is sixteen and capable of managing affairs, we won’t have to endure anymore.”
Exhausted mentally and physically, Madam Yang Shi wiped her tears and said, “The brocade competition is in October. Your Second Uncle declared that if the Yang family doesn’t reclaim the title of Brocade King this year, he’ll replace you as family head. The Second Son can’t handle it. The grandsons are too young. Mother truly has no solution.”
Hearing this, Yang Jingshan stirred and nearly fainted, his vision going black. After catching his breath, he traced characters one by one on his mother’s palm.
“Silk? Silk handkerchief?” Madam Yang Shi mumbled these two words.
Yang Jingshan continued to write the characters for “study.”
Madam Yang Shi understood: “The silk handkerchief in the study?” She suddenly realized, “Ji Erniang?!”
Yang Jingshan blinked in confirmation.
“Mother understands now.” Madam Yang Shi stood up. “Rest easy, don’t worry about anything.”
How could she have forgotten about Ji Yingying? Last year, it was Ji Yingying’s color combinations that helped the Zhao family create the “Immortals by the River” brocade. She’d heard that this spring’s most popular fine green gauze in the city was dyed by the Huanhua Dyeing Workshop. If the Ji family could dye unique silk threads specifically for the Yang family, their brocade could surpass all others.
A thousand pieces of fine green gauze were thoroughly wrapped in oilcloth and loaded onto flatbed carts. Early in the morning, Ji Yaoting set out with the hired caravan to deliver the goods to the Military Commissioner’s mansion.
Remembering Yang Jingshan’s fate, the three women of the Ji family couldn’t help but worry, accompanying Ji Yaoting to the main gate.
“Don’t worry, I’ve personally inspected every piece of cloth. We even prepared ten extra pieces.” Ji Yaoting climbed onto the mule cart and departed with the caravan.
Madam Ji sighed, “Military Commissioner Liu’s demands are excessive and his methods ruthless. He’s only been in Yizhou for such a short time, yet all the dyers and weavers in Yizhou Prefecture already fear him.”
Zhang Siniang supported her inside and consoled her gently, “Master says that in previous years, the dyeing workshop earned wages only from dyeing silk. This year, our reputation has spread, and those coming to dye cloth have increased by fifty percent. We source the fabric ourselves now, and the profit is more than double that of dyeing silk.”
“Peace is wealth. When fame spreads, trouble follows.” Madam Ji disagreed with Zhang’s words.
Ji Yingying laughed beside them, “Mother doesn’t want to make money, but Brother wants to save up more for my little nephew.”
Madam Ji was startled by these words and looked at Zhang Siniang’s abdomen, “Siniang, are you with child?!”
Zhang Siniang lowered her head shyly, “I’m about ten days late. Master said after delivering the goods, he’ll invite a physician from the city to examine me.”
“The Ji family will have an heir.” The sudden joy made Madam Ji dizzy, and she steadied herself against the doorframe. “Mother is just too happy, don’t worry. Li mama, tell Tang mama to prepare a chicken soup for the young mistress every day from now on.”
“Mother, I’ve already instructed Tang mama to prepare extra dishes for Sister-in-law. Don’t get too excited,” Ji Yingying quickly stepped forward to support her mother, chiding, “Daoist Master Huaqing said you mustn’t experience extreme emotions anymore. You need to keep your mind peaceful.”
Madam Ji was too happy to mind her daughter’s words, just nodding repeatedly, “Good, good.”
Not long after returning to the main hall, a calling card from the Yang family arrived. Madam Yang Shi will personally visit the Ji family tomorrow.
This would be to formally discuss postponing the marriage between the Yang and Ji families for three years.