Binju explained hastily from the side: “My Lady, Fifth Young Master heard that you had come back and insisted on coming to see you — there was no stopping him…”

It was mostly because Xu Sijie was a young master now, and it would not do to actually block his way.

Shiyiniang looked at his clenched fist and asked gently: “Jie Ge, you want to give the candy to me to eat? You want to give me the candy floss that Zhun Ge gave you?”

Cradled in Binju’s arms, he kept his head bowed and said nothing.

Shiyiniang’s heart softened, and she let out a quiet sigh.

The instinctive refusal she had shown must have hurt this child.

She rose, reached out, and stroked his head. Her voice grew even gentler: “Jie Ge, do you want to give me the candy to eat?”

Xu Sijie raised his head and looked at Shiyiniang with uncertainty.

Shiyiniang smiled at him warmly and brightly.

The two of them regarded each other in silence.

Binju said uneasily: “My Lady, after you left, Fourth Young Master tried to teach Fifth Young Master to kick a shuttlecock — Fifth Young Master would not go along with it. Fourth Young Master brought out walnut crisps to coax him — still no use. I had no choice but to bring Fifth Young Master back. Then he would not go inside either — he wrapped his arms around the pillar by the covered walkway in front of the door and simply would not move. There was nothing for it but to wrap him in a cloak and keep him company as he stood there. When dinnertime came and he still would not let go, Dong Qing and I took turns coaxing him — and then we brought the lamb soup from the kitchen to try to lure him inside to eat… We had barely managed to get Fifth Young Master inside when someone mentioned that you had come back. He climbed down from the chair and ran straight to your room.” Her voice gradually dropped. “At first we were puzzled as to why Fifth Young Master’s fist was clenched so tight and he would not open it… and then we realized he was holding a piece of candy inside.”

Shiyiniang’s expression gradually became calm and serene. She spoke again: “Jie Ge, was the candy floss that Zhun Ge gave you very good?”

He gave a nod, then a shake of his head, and then slowly opened his clenched fist.

The rose-colored candy floss, its surface already melted from being gripped so long, was revealed in Shiyiniang’s sight once more.

Shiyiniang smiled and took the candy into her mouth from his palm.

It had probably been in contact with the sweat of his hand — there was a faint saltiness as it touched her tongue.

“Mm!” The corner of her mouth lifted, and a smile rippled through her eyes like rings on still water. “This candy floss is so sweet.”

Xu Sijie smiled, lips pressed together. His beautiful phoenix eyes were like stars in a summer night sky, shimmering with joyful light.

Shiyiniang instructed Binju: “Help him wash his hands, then find his candy for him — in case he hides it in the bed or under the pillow and it melts.” She thought again and felt it was not quite right, so she added: “Give him a small box set aside just for keeping his things — let him develop the habit of putting his belongings away properly.”

Binju quickly nodded in agreement.

Shiyiniang smiled and ruffled Xu Sijie’s head: “Remember — next time you want to do something, tell me first!” She then looked at him sincerely, asking his opinion with her eyes.

Xu Sijie nodded, and then suddenly spoke: “Candy sweet.”

Shiyiniang immediately broke into a wide smile: “Our Jie Ge is so good. From now on, just talk to me like that. Understood?”

Xu Sijie smiled and nodded.

Shiyiniang asked Binju: “Has he eaten?”

Binju looked pained: “He ate two dumplings.”

So he had not really eaten…

Shiyiniang thought for a moment and said: “Are First Young Master and Second Young Master still playing over at the Dowager Marchioness’s?”

They had entrusted all the children to Nanny Du while they were in the palace offering their New Year’s greetings.

Binju nodded: “When I came just now, all the young masters were taking naps in Fourth Young Master’s room.”

Shiyiniang smiled and said to Xu Sijie: “Would you like to come with me?”

Xu Sijie nodded eagerly.

Shiyiniang smiled: “What did I just tell you? Whatever you want to do, you must say it out loud. Understood?”

Xu Sijie immediately said: “I’ll come!”

“Very well then — eat all the dumplings Binju feeds you, and then I will bring you along.”

At that, Xu Sijie immediately pushed Binju’s hand away and bolted out of the room.

“Fifth Young Master!” Binju stamped her foot, hastily told Shiyiniang she was going after him, and rushed out.

Hupo, who had been attending nearby, smiled: “Are you truly going to keep Fifth Young Master by your side? There will likely be visitors coming to offer New Year’s greetings.”

Shiyiniang smiled: “Have the young maidservants take him to the inner room and keep him occupied with shuttlecock.”

Xu Sijie was not a clingy child — as long as Shiyiniang was somewhere he could see her, he would sit quietly. If Shiyiniang was in the east room receiving guests, a maidservant could take him to the west room to play, and he would certainly not make any fuss.

Having watched Xu Sijie’s habits these past few days, Hupo had come to understand something of his nature. Hearing Shiyiniang say this, she made no objection, and helped Shiyiniang change into a pink plain brocade short jacket paired with a moss-green trimmed-hem gauze skirt.

Xu Lingyi, who had already changed into casual house clothes, walked in: “Ready?”

His eyes brightened.

The pink brocade set her complexion aglow like a peach blossom.

“Ready!” Shiyiniang rose with a smile. “But Binju is still feeding Jie Ge — let us wait a moment.”

Xu Lingyi’s brow furrowed slightly: “What time is it already, and he still has not eaten? He needs to be taught proper habits.”

“He has only just arrived,” Shiyiniang said with a smile. “It takes time to adjust.”

Xu Lingyi said nothing more and sat down on the wide kang beside the window.

“Our kitchen made dumplings today as well — shall I have some brought out for Milord to eat in the meantime?”

“No need.” Xu Lingyi declined without a second thought.

Shiyiniang thought of how he never touched between-meal snacks, fruit, or midnight refreshments at any of his three daily meals, and did not press the matter. She smiled and sat down to keep him company.

“We should go to the Jiang Family’s this afternoon,” Xu Lingyi said suddenly. “Bowing one’s head to find a wife is only fitting. And besides, this match was arranged between the old patriarch of the Jiang Family and Jiang Bai — Jiang Song was not entirely pleased with it. Our household ought to show all the more sincerity.”

Politeness cost nothing — and at Xu Lingyi’s standing, others would only view it as admirable modesty.

Shiyiniang nodded: “Looking at the account books recently, for visits between relatives of this kind, gifts typically do not exceed fifty taels…”

“Fifty taels it is,” Xu Lingyi said without hesitation. “I will also have Steward Zhao pick out a few paintings from the storeroom to send along.”

Shiyiniang agreed and took the character-shaped token the Dowager Marchioness had given her — the one engraved with “Sizhi” — and had Hupo go and retrieve the paintings.

A young maidservant came to announce: “Fifth Young Master is here.”

“Show him in.” Shiyiniang nodded. Binju came in carrying Xu Sijie.

The moment Xu Sijie saw that Xu Lingyi was also present, his eyes immediately lit up and shone.

Binju led him forward to pay his respects to Xu Lingyi. He stood perfectly still where he was, his gaze fixed upward on Xu Lingyi — none of his usual lively spirit anywhere to be seen, leaving him looking somewhat dazed.

Shiyiniang found it funny and said: “You finished eating so quickly?”

With Xu Lingyi present, Binju was very respectful in her manner: “He ate nine dumplings.”

Shiyiniang nodded and smiled at Xu Sijie: “Our Jie Ge did very well.”

Xu Sijie was pleased.

Xu Lingyi, however, frowned: “Why does this child not speak?”

Xu Sijie immediately retreated two small steps backward, his small face clenching tight.

Shiyiniang could not suppress a laugh, and went forward to scoop Xu Sijie up: “Let us go to the Dowager Marchioness’s quarters.”

“Can he not walk?” Xu Lingyi rose and asked with puzzlement. “Let Binju carry him — you must be careful the child does not slip from your arms.”

Carrying a three-year-old was indeed something of an effort. Shiyiniang heeded his advice and returned the child to Binju, saying with a smile: “It is a good two cups of tea’s walk to the Dowager Marchioness’s quarters — Jie Ge is still too small for that.”

Xu Lingyi had only asked in passing.

He had no experience with young children.

He had been a father for the first time — the child had been in the womb when he left, and by the time he returned, the child could already run and jump about. By the time of Zhun Ge, he had already moved to the Half-Moon Pond, and then there had been the military campaign…

Shiyiniang, meanwhile, was already turning her thoughts to the visit to the Jiang Family.

New Year’s Day, just returned from the palace, and the very first thing was to call upon the Jiang Family.

It seemed that he had not only decided to see this marriage alliance through — he regarded it as something of considerable importance.

She also turned over in her mind something she had long kept tucked away — the question of finding a suitable teacher for Zhun Ge.

“Milord — did Second Sister-in-law not say recently that Siqin’s and Siyu’s studies have progressed well, and that she wished to engage a private tutor for them? The Jiang Family runs a local school in their home region. Why not ask them to recommend someone…”

Xu Lingyi shook his head slightly. “The two families have not yet formally exchanged the betrothal gifts.” He paused, then added: “And besides, the Jiang Family’s school places considerably more weight on the eight-legged essay than on poetry and belles-lettres. I think it would be better to let the matter rest.”

Shiyiniang thought of what Xu Lingyi had once said — that the late old Marquis had also once dissuaded Third Master from sitting the imperial examinations.

She also thought back to her own time in the Luo household. Whether it was the First Master or the First Mistress, both had urged Luo Zhensheng and Luo Zhensheng without exception to apply themselves to the eight-legged essay and take the imperial examinations, saying that poetry and belles-lettres were nothing but heterodox distractions. Yet the Xu Family’s approach was precisely the opposite — the children were not encouraged to sit for the examinations. And one had to bear in mind that in the Great Zhou dynasty, the only legitimate path to office was through the imperial examinations. All other routes were considered unorthodox, little better than the craft of a wild fox — not respectable. Xu Lingyi had both concubine-born and legitimate sons, yet there was only one Marquis title to pass on. To reduce friction between them to the bare minimum, the best course would be to encourage the children to make their own way — for at its core, the struggle over a title was a struggle over the means of survival. If the other sons had the ability to support themselves, their desire for the title would naturally be far weaker than that of those who could not fend for themselves.

Shiyiniang’s hope was that Xu Siyu and Xu Sijie would be capable of supporting themselves…

“Milord’s thinking is peculiar,” she ventured, trying to open a discussion. “I have only ever heard of households urging their sons and nephews to apply themselves diligently to the eight-legged essay. I have never heard of a household that sought a private tutor and then objected to the tutor knowing how to teach the eight-legged essay.”

Shiyiniang was a daughter of the Luo Family, raised within the inner quarters — and naturally the views she expressed reflected the Luo household’s perspective.

Xu Lingyi said: “We are different from the Luo Family.”

Shiyiniang paused.

Did he mean because the Xu Family held hereditary and unconditional noble titles?

Seeing a flicker of puzzlement pass through Shiyiniang’s eyes, Xu Lingyi could not help but smile slightly.

Shiyiniang was clever as she was — but she lacked experience in certain matters, that was all.

“Since the imperial examination system came into being, families of common origin have sought without exception to honor their household through this path. Upon entering official service, one is further protected by networks of fellow townsmen, fellow students, and examination cohort. Our noble families are different. We receive our charge from the Emperor and serve the Emperor with loyalty. Our glory and wealth rest entirely with a single man — the Emperor.” Xu Lingyi said circumspectly. “We must not reach beyond what is rightfully ours, and lose our place.”

Shiyiniang turned Xu Lingyi’s words over in her mind for some time before she fully understood.

For a family like the Luo household, the only path to a family’s flourishing was through the imperial examinations, and so mastering the eight-legged essay was essential. But for a family like the Xu household, it was enough simply to serve the Emperor well. To take a different route to office outside the examination system was, first, to fail to earn the recognition of those who had risen through examinations, and second, to lack in the field of official service the web of relationships formed by shared hometown, shared schoolmaster, and shared examination year. The only support one could rely upon was the Emperor’s favor.

Therefore, those of the Luo Family who wished to rise in the world had to depend on the imperial examinations; those of the Xu Family who wished to distinguish themselves had to rely on the Emperor’s recognition. Because their paths differed, the things they needed to learn were different.

And this, too, was surely a form of the Emperor’s art of balancing power, in order to keep those below him in check.

Shiyiniang was left momentarily speechless.