Xu Lingyi’s hesitation made Shiyiniang laugh quietly to herself.

The content that came after that turning phrase — that was surely the very point for which Xu Lingyi had gone to all this trouble to speak with her today.

In truth he was overthinking it.

Faced with a matter of such consequence as what amounted to a separation of the household and questions of one’s future prospects, she had no desire whatsoever to be blamed for Xu Lingyi’s decisions. Whatever he decided, she would present herself as wholly compliant and deferential.

“Is there something the Marquis would like to instruct me in?” Shiyiniang offered him an easy way to begin.

But to her surprise, Xu Lingyi’s face flashed with a look of something like embarrassment.

“It is like this…” His pace of speech was slightly slow, giving the impression of a man who had considered the matter with care. “Among the three of us brothers, I need not be said; Fifth Brother serves in the Imperial Guards; and if Third Brother were also to take up an official post, I fear it would stir up talk.”

A thought flashed through Shiyiniang’s mind.

Could he be thinking of…

“The Marquis’s meaning is?” A certain gravity crept into her voice.

“My thought is that one cannot hold all the advantages at once.” Xu Lingyi fixed his gaze steadily on Shiyiniang’s eyes. “Come next spring, I intend to resign my post as Commander of the Five Military Commands, so that Third Brother may enter official service.”

How very clever.

Shiyiniang truly could not help herself — the corner of her mouth curved upward.

Resigning the post of Commander of the Five Military Commands, yet retaining the rank of Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince — trading a third-rank position for a seventh-rank county magistracy… Neither the Emperor nor the Censorate would find much grounds for objection. And in doing so, he would at the same time pull himself back from the tip of that precarious prominence and cool the intense heat that had been gathering around the Xu household of late. What was more — even if the Third Master had already seen through Xu Lingyi’s true purpose, unless he were of the hardest heart, he would likely still feel grateful to his younger brother for this apparent sacrifice. If the Third Master could thereby be brought to stand wholly on the side of family loyalty from this day forward, then no matter how much the Third Madam kicked and struggled, she would never amount to anything.

A single arrow striking several targets at once.

But then — why tell her any of this? Did he fear her opposition? In her understanding of him, for a matter touching on the family’s honor and fate, he ought not to trouble himself over a wife’s objections…

Shiyiniang could not help looking toward Xu Lingyi.

And in his eyes she caught a glint of something probing.

So it was that he did not feel certain of her…

In a flash, Shiyiniang suddenly understood.

In the past, Yuan Niang must have had very serious conflicts with him over exactly these kinds of matters. And so he had tested her, again and again.

Something of a forced examination, perhaps — but at least there was the opportunity to take the examination.

Shiyiniang smiled: “The Marquis has been troubled by the foot ailment. It really is time to rest properly at home.”

Xu Lingyi’s gaze sharpened as he heard the words.

What Shiyiniang said was true.

The tree that stands tallest catches the most wind.

She was sheltering beneath this tall tree — naturally she hoped it would spread its branches wide and grow in lush abundance, but she hoped even more that it would stand fast through wind and rain.

“I will likely be living in retirement at home.” Xu Lingyi’s gaze burned steadily on Shiyiniang. “And I dare say it will be difficult to re-enter official service after that.”

Shiyiniang could not help a small, quiet sigh within her heart.

To think how many people spent their entire lives striving to be able to retire at thirty-five or forty and then begin to enjoy life… Xu Lingyi was not yet thirty.

Thinking of her own circumstances, not knowing when they would reach an end… she felt an unexpected pang, tinged unmistakably with envy: looking at him, she was quite sure he had no hobbies to speak of whatsoever, so even if he were to retire at home, it would be a complete waste.

Yet she did not dare let any of this show — and only smiled, brilliantly: “The Marquis has labored for the household these many years. If you could now be quietly at home, tending to flowers and keeping birds, leading a leisurely life — I find that a most wonderful thing indeed.”

Xu Lingyi made no reply. The look in his eyes as they rested on her held a flicker of bewilderment.

He could hear that she meant every word — and moreover, her tone carried with it a faint note of longing.

A woman who is virtuous and devoted naturally upholds her husband’s choices with sincerity. But to envy — why would she envy?

And Shiyiniang, having caught that strange look in Xu Lingyi’s eyes, felt a small jolt inside.

Her answer had seemed perfectly proper — so why was Xu Lingyi not satisfied?

Where had she gone wrong? This was not the moment to examine that question — she needed to find a way to redirect his attention, and think it through carefully on her own later that night. In any case, for the time being he was sleeping in one of the Yiniangings’ quarters, so in the evenings she could do as she pleased.

“Marquis — should the matter of your resignation perhaps be discussed with Mother first?” Shiyiniang let a look of concern show at her brow. “After all, Third Master’s provincial posting is bound up in it as well…”

Xu Lingyi looked at his wife’s eyes, which held a sincere and earnest quality — and felt a vague, inexplicable oddness within him, though he could not say precisely where it lay.

In truth, he had been considering the very same thing. That Shiyiniang had arrived at it as well came as a mild surprise. But then he thought of how she had persuaded him that day not to rush into separating the household — and it began to feel entirely natural. He immediately put aside those peripheral feelings and asked Shiyiniang: “Have you any idea how to go about it?”

The resignation, the official appointment — this had all come at her far too suddenly. Never mind that Shiyiniang’s thoughts were still somewhat unsettled; even if they had not been, without sufficient certainty, she would not have dared to speak too boldly in front of him. And besides, she felt that with Xu Lingyi’s characteristically cautious nature, and given her current standing in his estimation, he would certainly not have laid this out for her so plainly before things were settled — unless he had already begun moving ahead, and matters were showing early signs of progress. In which case, she only needed to express her own perspective in a suitably vague and noncommittal way…

The thought flashed through her, and Shiyiniang lowered her gaze slightly, allowing a faint look of unease to color her expression: “I am ashamed to say it — I have no particular idea just at this moment. I only feel that after so many years of campaigning for the household, if the Marquis could now be peacefully at home, that would be a truly wonderful thing…”

She spoke unhurriedly, and those words — “if you could now be peacefully at home” — settled like a spring breeze, filling Xu Lingyi with a tranquil, spreading ease, and the expression on his face warmed.

“I only worry. The Marquis has planned all of this with Third Master’s prospects at heart, and Third Master is a discerning man who will understand. But Third Sister-in-law is, after all, a woman of the inner quarters — she may not have the same perspective as Third Master. It would be best to sound out Third Sister-in-law first and see that she is at ease, so as to avoid any misunderstanding later that would only let the Marquis’s good intentions go to waste…”

Xu Lingyi found himself nodding.

“And there is Mother as well. Third Master grew up at her side from childhood — for her to hear suddenly that he is to be posted to a province, there must be a reason that she can believe in. Without one, would she not be grieved? After Third Master has gone, how will the household affairs be arranged? What of the business matters? Mother is a woman of foresight — in my humble view, you will not go wrong consulting her at this moment.”

“Quite right.” Xu Lingyi gave a slight nod, rose, and put on his shoes. “It is getting late. Let us go over.”

It seemed her guess had not been far off. Not only had Xu Lingyi long since made up his mind — he had already begun to act on it.

Shiyiniang was still turning this over in her thoughts when she knelt down to put Xu Lingyi’s shoes on for him.

Xu Lingyi pulled her up at once: “Just call a maid!”

All the maids had been sent away — then to call a maid back specifically for a pair of shoes… what would people say?

Shiyiniang smiled and knelt down again: “These are small things, the Marquis need not trouble himself over them.”

Xu Lingyi did not insist further, but his expression held a faint awkwardness, as though he were genuinely unaccustomed to it.

Shiyiniang thought about it, and realized she had truly never before knelt like this to put his shoes on.

For a moment, the room was still and quiet, only the faint soft rustle of sleeves moving through the air.

…

Xu Lingyi and Shiyiniang arrived at the Grand Dowager’s a quarter of an hour later than usual. To their surprise, the Third Master and the Third Madam had not yet come.

Shiyiniang privately guessed — could it be that they too, like herself and Xu Lingyi, were home discussing how to handle all of this?

Several of the younger members of the family were gathered around the Grand Dowager, chattering and laughing. Seeing the two of them enter, they all came forward to pay their respects — and even Zhun Ge, who had once shied away at the sight of Xu Lingyi, now followed behind Zhen Jie’er and offered his father a somewhat clumsy bow.

Something stirred in Xu Lingyi at the sight.

All the better. Once he had resigned his post, he could stay at home and apply himself to educating this troublesome child properly.

The Grand Dowager had not seen her son in two days, and promptly clasped Xu Lingyi’s hand and drew him to sit beside her on the kang: “What has happened? No social engagements today?”

Xu Lingyi smiled: “There will never be a shortage of social engagements. It was simply that I was thinking of Mother. So I did not go out today.”

A young maid lifted the curtain: “The Fifth Master and the Fifth Madam have arrived!”

Everyone was surprised.

The Third Master and Third Madam, who were expected, had not come; and yet the Fifth Master and Fifth Madam, who were exempt from daily attendance, had appeared.

The Grand Dowager said with some wonder: “How is it that they come at this hour?” Before the words had fully left her, the Fifth Master and the Fifth Madam had already entered with smiling faces.

The Fifth Master wore a bright red pongee silk straight-collar robe and was draped in a dark ink-green kesi crane-feather cloak, which set off his face — fair as polished jade — and his tall, upright bearing all the more. The Fifth Madam wore a slate-blue long-sleeved jacket embroidered with roses and butterflies, a silver-pink skirt scattered with printed flowers, and her jet-black hair wound simply into a chignon at the nape. Perhaps owing to her pregnancy, she appeared somewhat fuller than the last time Shiyiniang had seen her — yet her face was as round and radiant as the full moon, and her complexion was excellent.

Xu Siqin and the other children went forward with cheerful grins to offer their greetings to the couple — it was plain to see that they were on very easy and affectionate terms with this uncle.

“Goodness, how can you come without putting on a cloak!” The Grand Dowager immediately instructed Nanny Du beside her, “Quickly — quickly, give her my hand warmer.”

“Mother, I am perfectly fine!” The Fifth Madam stepped quickly to the Grand Dowager’s side. “Do not believe me? Feel my hands.” And she held them out.

The Grand Dowager felt them — they were indeed very warm — and her expression softened a little, but she still said with reproach: “Even without the cold, you must still take care.” She nevertheless tucked the hand warmer into the Fifth Madam’s hands. Then added: “Whatever the matter is, just send a servant woman with a message. Coming all this way in the late evening — what if you were to slip and fall? What then?”

The Fifth Madam looked toward the Fifth Master with a soft, teasing smile — which left the Fifth Master blushing red to the ears and utterly at a loss for what to do with his hands and feet.

“I have good news to tell Mother. So I was in a hurry to come.”

Everyone was startled. The Grand Dowager laughed warmly: “What good news!”

The Fifth Madam was already covering her mouth, laughing: “Mother — you are going to have another grandchild!”

Shiyiniang felt her heart give a sudden lurch, and she could not help looking toward Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi could barely conceal his astonishment. He looked at the Fifth Madam, then looked at the Fifth Master standing to one side with an expression of fright edging into his face, and a gathering anger began to show at his brow.

“Another grandchild?” The Grand Dowager’s face had gone slightly pale. “Danyang, what are you saying?” As she spoke, she gripped the Fifth Madam’s hand tightly.

The Fifth Madam said gently: “Mother, Xiaolan is with child.”

The Grand Dowager looked toward the Fifth Master, her eyes sharp as a blade.

—