The estate matter owed much to Xu Lingyi’s help. That evening when he returned home, Shiyiniang recounted her conversation with Steward Bai in careful detail and thanked him.

Xu Lingyi nodded with a composed expression and then got into bed to rest.

Shiyiniang could not help the slight curve at the corner of her mouth.

She wondered whether he had come to regard her as another burden on his shoulders. But then his shoulders were already heavy with burdens — one more probably made little difference to him.

With this thought in mind, she blew out the lamp and got into bed, her mood quite cheerful.

Xu Lingyi then suddenly said: “Why have you stopped reading?”

Shiyiniang was rather taken aback. She smiled: “I was afraid of disturbing you!”

“It’s fine,” Xu Lingyi said, his tone flat. “Read if you want to.”

Why had he suddenly brought up reading?

Could it be that he could not sleep and wanted to have a little conversation?

Shiyiniang had always had the habit of reading before sleep, and now that he had indicated it was acceptable, she naturally went along with it.

As she lit the lamp she said with a smile: “How did the Marquis know that I like to read a couple of pages before sleeping?”

Xu Lingyi had not known she had a habit of reading before bed. It was simply that he was in a low mood today.

Someone had brought an impeachment before the morning court, accusing a kinsman of Xuan-Tong Commander-in-Chief Fan Weigang of forcibly taking a commoner girl. The Emperor had flown into a great rage and ordered the inner attendants to send a writ of censure to Xuan-Tong by eight-hundred-li express relay.

Was it the Emperor feeling that Fan Weigang governed his household too laxly and had embarrassed the throne? Or was it an omen that, with the birds gone, the bow gets put away?

He had already dispatched someone to investigate and expected news soon.

But he did not know why he felt so stifled and oppressed.

A thousand-li embankment crumbles from an ant’s nest.

Fan Weigang had served at the Emperor’s side since childhood. Every one of those towering ministers who had once commanded all beneath heaven — had any of them not fallen over what appeared to be some trivial, inconsequential matter? Now he too was a third-rank military officer. Surely he had not grown blind to this truth?

Xu Lingyi heard the person beside him rustling and settling into bed, and forced himself to direct his attention to the small things around him: “What are you reading?”

“The Complete Gazetteer of the Great Zhou!”

“Still haven’t finished it?”

Shiyiniang smiled: “I only brought this one book with me.”

Only then did Xu Lingyi realize that Shiyiniang had never once asked anything of him.

He was silent for a good while, then said: “There are books in the east wing!”

He mentioned only the books in the east wing, not the rest of the household’s collection… Shiyiniang suddenly felt a wish to go and see the Half-Moon Pavilion.

She said with a light smile: “May I borrow them?”

Xu Lingyi made a sound of assent.

“I love reading unofficial histories and illustrated stories most. I find them very entertaining.” Shiyiniang smiled. “What does the Marquis enjoy reading?”

“The Records of the Grand Historian.”

A man who reads the Records of the Grand Historian — by reputation, such men tend to be ambitious…

Shiyiniang smiled faintly, turning the pages of her book with a soft rustle.

“Whereabouts have you reached?” Xu Lingyi asked, somewhat absently.

“Pingxiang.” Shiyiniang smiled. “It says to the east lies the Luoxiao Mountains, where the waters of Luoxiao originate and divide into two branches. The eastern branch is the Yu Xi stream, which flows downstream as the Xiu River and forms the boundary of Yichun County.” She tilted her head and looked at Xu Lingyi. “Fifth Elder Sister’s husband is from Yichun, but the Yichun in Sichuan.”

“There are many places that share names.” Xu Lingyi lay with his eyes closed. “The former Ministry of Rites remonstrance official was named Wan Chun, a native of Xinyu in Guangxi. The Court of Imperial Stud had a register clerk also named Wan Chun, a native of Xinyu in Jiangxi. One year, the Board of Personnel had an opening for a county magistrate in Gaozhou. The Ministry of Rites’s Wan Chun worked his connections, and at last someone agreed to secure the post for him. But after waiting over half a year with no word, he went to the Board of Personnel to ask. The Board’s clerk said that Wan Chun had already gone to take up his post. He made quite a scene there. The Board’s people grew suspicious, dug out the documents, and found that the man who had actually gone was the Wan Chun from the Court of Imperial Stud.”

Shiyiniang laughed: “You’re making this up! If he had worked his connections, he would have submitted a written request with his native place and age written out clearly. How could they possibly have mixed the two men up?”

That clear, delighted voice struck him right at the heart.

Xu Lingyi opened his eyes and saw, resting against the large crimson brocade bolster, a rosy face. A pair of eyes shimmered with a bright, liquid light.

His heart gave a sudden lurch. His voice came out somewhat stiff. “I’m not making it up. The Court of Imperial Stud’s Wan Chun happened to hear about it, found a clerk, and had the application switched. The Board’s people were not careful checking it, and so one man was slipped in for another.”

Shiyiniang found it all very amusing, her eyes curving into crescent moons: “And then what happened?”

Xu Lingyi’s gaze flickered.

Her face tilted upward, and where her collar fell open at an angle, skin white as porcelain was visible.

He suddenly recalled the marks he had left on her that day — they had bloomed on her like pink flowers — and then her delicate helplessness as she lay with brows drawn tight… Heat surged through him.

“There was nothing to be done but make amends after the fact!” Xu Lingyi gazed at her, his eyes burning. “The Board’s chief minister and deputy minister were both alarmed. After much deliberation, they promised that the first available vacancy would be given to the Ministry of Rites’s Wan Chun.”

But his hand had drifted up to gently brush her face.

Shiyiniang’s face flushed scarlet as the morning sky in an instant.

She was not some ignorant young girl — she understood perfectly well what he meant… yet the thought that she had known this man for barely more than ten days made her feel awkward all the same.

“Well, well, that’s quite good then!” she said in a bit of a ramble, trying to cover her unease.

Xu Lingyi looked at her flustered expression, and beneath that agitation glimpsed the composed, gracious bearing she usually carried — and the unease that had been pressing at the bottom of his heart dissolved at once, like smoke gone in the wind.

His arm was strong and solid, and with effortless ease he lifted her out from the bedding and drew her close against him.

Though she had braced herself for something, when her body suddenly fell against a scorching embrace she still let out a small startled gasp.

“Later, a vacancy opened up in Jinhua Prefecture for a prefect,” his voice dropped lower and lower, like a cauterizing hand resting on her shoulder that slowly, slowly trailed downward… “and so the Ministry of Rites’s Wan Chun was sent there.”

She felt as though she had fallen into a heated cauldron, and wherever she turned there was warmth. She could only keep rambling on: “…A prefect compared to a county magistrate, it’s, it’s even better than before…”

“Indeed!” Xu Lingyi looked at her completely lost expression, felt beneath his hands a body that was both impossibly delicate and slightly stiff, and continued a little absently, matching her words, “And in the post of Jinhua Prefect, he was quite diligent. Three consecutive years of evaluations all earned him ‘Outstanding.'”

His palm was broad and warm, slowly smoothing and caressing her, with endless patience… She felt warmth spreading through her whole body and could only fix her attention on the conversation between them.

“That, that’s quite good!”

“Mm!” Xu Lingyi felt the person in his arms gradually grow soft. He lightly nipped at her earlobe and murmured: “The man who went to Gao County also did well. He put down a tribal uprising and was promoted to Jinzhou Prefect, then three years later to Regional Inspector…”

Warm breath fell on her neck, and Shiyiniang gave a small, involuntary shiver.

Xu Lingyi noticed the change at once, and the corners of his eyes softened with a hint of a smile: “Two years after that, for meritorious service in overseeing grain transport, he was promoted to Provincial Governor of Gansu…”

The person in his arms trembled lightly, her cheek pressed to his face, burning hot.

He smiled faintly, turned with gentle care, and drew her beneath him.

……

Xu Lingyi held Shiyiniang, his hands tenderly smoothing her damp hair at the temples.

A relief — she had not refused him this time, as she had before.

At this thought, Xu Lingyi could not help but sigh quietly to himself.

She really was still so young. In the end it had come down to endurance for her…

“Shall I call a maid to attend to you?” Xu Lingyi asked her softly.

“Mm!” Shiyiniang lay still within his embrace, too exhausted even to move a finger.

Xu Lingyi got up to call the maids, then went to the washroom himself.

Dongqing helped Shiyiniang sit up. Where the collar of her garment was open, Dongqing caught sight of deep red marks across a shoulder white as fresh snow.

Her face flushed at once, and she quickly kept her eyes fixed downward in careful propriety.

……

Shiyiniang felt as though she had barely fallen asleep when she was woken by Xu Lingyi stirring beside her.

“The hour of Chou already?” Her voice was drowsy, languid with an unwitting grace.

Xu Lingyi smiled and ruffled her hair lightly, murmuring by her ear: “Sleep a while longer — you’ll still need to pay respects to Mother later.”

Shiyiniang was truly exhausted and afraid she would not be able to hold herself together when she reached the Grand Madam’s quarters. She gave a soft “Mm” and went back to sleep on her own.

Xu Lingyi called Xia Yi in to help him dress.

Dongqing was alarmed and quickly tugged at Shiyiniang’s sleeve.

Shiyiniang turned over and fell into a deep sleep.

Xu Lingyi ate his breakfast and then, as Zhaoing led several pages carrying lanterns to receive him, he hesitated a moment and went to look in on Shiyiniang.

She lay curled in her quilt, her long lashes resting still and quiet against skin of white jade, her face in sleep holding a certain tranquility.

Good — she seemed all right.

He rarely lost control of himself, and this time he had been reckless.

Xu Lingyi let out a long, slow breath.

……

In the morning, Qin Yiniang and Wen Yiniang came to pay their respects, but Qiao Yiniang was nowhere to be seen.

Wen Yiniang quickly offered with a smile: “Word is she caught a chill first thing this morning and is feeling unwell.”

Shiyiniang instructed Hupo to go and fetch a physician for her: “…Better not let it drag into something serious.”

“Elder Sister really does have the heart of a Bodhisattva,” Wen Yiniang flattered her.

Shiyiniang kept her expression mild, exchanged a few pleasantries with the two of them, and then went to the Grand Madam’s quarters.

Third Madam had arrived before her and was drinking tea in the outer hall. When she saw Shiyiniang, she came forward to greet her at once: “Fourth Sister-in-law, you’ve just arrived!”

Shiyiniang smiled and curtsied to her.

Third Madam produced a menu and handed it to her: “This is the one drawn up for your household. Sister-in-law, please have a look and see if there is anything you’d like changed.”

Could it be that Third Madam was also short of money? Why else would she be in such a rush?

Shiyiniang smiled and took the menu.

Breakfast was generous — five varieties of porridge alone, eight pastry items, and more than ten small dishes. Lunch was considerably simpler: five dishes and one soup for her, three dishes and one soup for the three Yiniang. Dinner was again ample — eight dishes and one soup for her, four dishes and one soup for the three Yiniang. The full thirty-day menu was laid out entirely, with no day repeating, meat and vegetables balanced, and snacks and fruit included.

Xu Lingyi would take breakfast and dinner at home… She had clearly put a great deal of thought into this.

Shiyiniang smiled and returned the menu to Third Madam: “Third Sister-in-law has gone to such trouble. Even if I were planning the meals myself I could not have been this thorough.”

Third Madam beamed with pleasure at that, and then brought up another matter: “The Grand Madam is pressing all those born in the Year of the Ox from each branch to leave the household quickly!”

It was not that Shiyiniang had been slow to send Dongqing away — she had dispatched people to the house on Jinyu Lane, only to find the property there in a rather dilapidated state. Not only did the walls need replastering, but furniture had to be arranged as well, and one delay had led to another.

“She will move out tomorrow,” Shiyiniang smiled. “As Third Sister-in-law knows, I took on some young maids recently, and I kept Dongqing on a few extra days to help train them.”

She would certainly not tell Third Madam that there were problems with her dowry house.

Third Madam, seeing her agree, could not help but relax, and after a few more pleasantries Fifth Madam came in, surrounded by a crowd of maids and nannies.

Third Madam turned to show Fifth Madam the menu drawn up for her household.

—