Topics involving the emperor were best left unspoken.

Xu Lingyi smiled and steered the conversation elsewhere. “There is no rush on this matter. A teacher for a single day is a father for a lifetime. Academic learning is certainly important, but a teacher’s character matters even more. It is best to choose carefully.”

Shiyiniang nodded.

She thought of that Teacher Zhao who had once served as a private tutor at the Zhongshanhou Tang Family’s residence… What a pity there had been no fate in that. Otherwise, having someone with close ties to the Luo Family watching over Zhun Ge would have given her some peace of mind.

Shiyiniang carried a small trace of regret as she accompanied Xu Lingyi to the Grand Dowager’s quarters.

Everyone had already gathered. When they saw the two of them enter, they all rose to their feet. The Fifth Madam went so far as to tease them. “Why did the Marquis and Fourth Sister-in-law take so long? We have been sitting here long enough to finish an entire cup of tea. We are practically famished.”

She then stepped forward to fuss over Xu Sijie. “What a truly beautiful child!”

Xu Sijie stared at the Fifth Madam with wide, curious eyes.

The Fifth Madam was with child, and the Grand Dowager, fearing she might go hungry, had specially prepared refreshments for her. She had nibbled on those refreshments all the way back from Lotus Pavilion. Shiyiniang was not worried about her going hungry. Yet watching her fawn over Xu Sijie, Shiyiniang felt a vague sense of unease. She smiled and asked, “Where is Zhun Ge?”

“He is in the room playing Five-in-a-Row chess with Qin Ge and the others!” the Grand Dowager said with a smile, then turned to Xu Sijie, “Have you eaten?”

“He has!” Shiyiniang answered cheerfully, stepping forward to pay her respects to the Grand Dowager.

“Let him go play with Zhun Ge!” the Grand Dowager instructed, then leaned on Nanny Du’s arm and made her way to the eastern side chamber.

Binju quickly dipped into a curtsy. “Yes.”

Shiyiniang, remembering her promise, fell back a few steps and patted Xu Sijie on the head. “Jie Ge, you and Binju play nicely in Zhun Ge’s room. The Marquis and I have matters to attend to. When evening falls, I will come to fetch you. All right?”

A reluctance flickered through Xu Sijie’s eyes, yet he nodded and answered softly, “All right.”

Shiyiniang beamed a radiant smile at him, stroked his head once more, then let Binju carry him off to Zhun Ge’s room before heading to the eastern side chamber herself.

After the meal, everyone settled in the western side chamber to take their tea. Xu Lingyi turned to Xu Lingkuan. “How are you holding up? I heard you played until midnight last night — do you need to go back and catch up on some sleep?”

Xu Lingkuan immediately replied, “What is that to speak of? Had I not noticed Qin Ge and the others yawning away, I would have played straight through until dawn!” Then, remembering that his elder brother had never approved of his all-night revelries, his voice dropped off.

Yet Xu Lingyi had taken Shiyiniang’s words to heart and now regarded Xu Lingkuan as he would a colleague. And since that was the case, he could no longer reproach him for such private matters.

He turned instead to Third Master Xu Lingning, who was seated nearby. “By the look of things, we shall have a peaceful year.” Then he instructed Xu Lingkuan, “Since you are not tired, very well — Shiyiniang and I will pay a visit to the Jiang Family. If any guests come by while we are away, help receive them.”

Xu Lingkuan was overjoyed at first, then a note of worry crept across his face. “I — will I manage?”

“Is Third Brother not home?” Xu Lingyi said with a smile. “If there is anything you do not understand, there is Chief Steward Bai and Steward Zhao outside, and Third Master inside. Do not be too proud to ask.”

Xu Lingkuan could not help but look toward Xu Lingning.

Xu Lingning smiled and gave him a nod.

Xu Lingkuan was young and spirited; in the past, whenever anything arose in the Xu household, it had always been himself and his fourth brother who shouldered the burden. Now that he was to be posted elsewhere, such responsibilities needed to be handed to someone reliable. Last night, though Xu Lingkuan had let the children run wild in their play, he had still been composed enough to urge them all to rest before the second quarter of the hour of the Ox. Since his fourth brother clearly wished to test Xu Lingkuan’s abilities, naturally he would do his utmost to support him.

The Grand Dowager watched with a faint nod, her face brimming with quiet joy.

Though she was exasperated by this child’s lack of ambition, she harbored every hope that he might yet rise to it.

As for Xu Lingkuan himself, he was utterly delighted. He had never imagined that both Third Brother and Fourth Brother would agree to let him represent the Xu Family in receiving guests.

He leaped to his feet. “Third Brother, Fourth Brother, rest assured — I will give it my all.”

The Fifth Madam looked at her husband with a contented smile.

She had never expected this husband of hers to hold office or accumulate wealth, but if he could shoulder the family’s responsibilities, she was genuinely pleased.

The Third Madam, however, felt a quiet flash of displeasure.

After all, they were brothers of the same blood. During the New Year period, who knew how many high officials and nobles would take the occasion to call at the mansion and offer their congratulations? Such a conspicuous opportunity, and the Marquis had handed it straight to young, untried Xu Lingkuan. The thought flickered through her mind, then she remembered that she would soon be leaving the capital with her husband — what did any of this messy business have to do with her? If anything, Xu Lingkuan might well cause some great blunder before they even departed, and Third Master would be left to sort it out.

At that thought, she smiled.

Shiyiniang, though, felt a certain wistfulness.

Looking at Xu Lingkuan like this — it was not that he was unwilling to take on responsibilities. It was simply that no one in the family had ever regarded him as someone capable of it; he had never been given so much as a chance.

Seeing that the household matters had been settled, Xu Lingyi took Shiyiniang and set out for the Jiang Family.

When word reached Jiang Bo that Marquis Yongping had come with his wife to pay New Year’s respects, he was in the middle of drinking with a group of close friends and nephews while admiring orchids — and he was rather surprised.

Marquis Yongping would have been required to enter the palace for the morning audience. Reckoning the time, he must have come directly here after leaving the palace to offer his New Year’s greetings…

Some of the guests present exchanged glances of barely concealed envy.

Jiang Bo quickly sent a servant boy to inform his wife, said a few words to his companions, and made his way to the reception hall.

The Xu Family’s carriage drew to a halt before the Jiang residence’s ceremonial gate. Xu Lingyi and Jiang Bo withdrew to the reception hall, while Shiyiniang was welcomed by Madam Jiang into the inner courtyard.

Madam Jiang was a perceptive woman. The Xu couple’s visit was clearly a gracious, if implicit, declaration of their family’s commitment to the proposed marriage alliance. She could not afford to be negligent, and received Shiyiniang with all the courtesy due between two households on intimate terms — not only summoning her own children to pay their respects to Shiyiniang, but also introducing two visiting nieces and a nephew who were staying at the house.

When Shiyiniang learned that the two children were the legitimate son and daughter of Jiang Gui, she was taken aback.

Madam Jiang Gui was not in Taiyuan Prefecture spending the New Year with her husband — why had she brought the two children back to Yanjing?

Madam Jiang explained, “…She said that Old Madam Wang has not been well and she was worried, so she came back to look in on her.”

This struck Shiyiniang as stranger still.

Just that morning she had seen Old Madam Wang herself, and had noticed nothing amiss. And besides — if she had returned to visit her mother, why had the children not gone with her, but instead been left here at the Jiang residence?

She was thoroughly puzzled, yet could hardly press further. She had just given each child a gift of greeting money when a young maidservant came in to inform Madam Jiang: “The wife of Elder Chen has come to wish you a Happy New Year!”

Shiyiniang was quite surprised.

She had not imagined that Elder Chen and Jiang Bo would be on such intimate terms.

She glanced at Madam Jiang — her face was full of bewilderment; it was plain that Madam Chen’s visit was equally unexpected to her.

So Madam Chen was an uninvited guest.

Shiyiniang gave nothing away and quietly lifted her teacup.

—

The Xu couple did not linger long at the Jiang residence before taking their leave.

Jiang Bo and his wife personally accompanied them to their carriage.

Shiyiniang relayed Madam Chen’s visit to Xu Lingyi. “…I wonder whether you happened to encounter Elder Chen?”

“I did!” Xu Lingyi said with a faint smile. “It would seem that Elder Chen is in favor of lifting the maritime ban.”

Shiyiniang could not make sense of it. “But what does that have to do with the Jiang Family?”

Xu Lingyi looked at her with an amused expression. “Wang Jiubao’s clan has dominated the seas for so many years — do you imagine they did it on brute force alone?”

Shiyiniang thought of how, not long after the amnesty had been issued, Xu Lingyi had received a letter from Wang Jiubao.

“You mean to say…”

“Since the reign of Emperor Xiao, our dynasty has observed a policy of isolation and closure. Yet maritime trade yields enormous profit — enough to tempt men into desperate ventures.” Xu Lingyi’s smile faded. “Over time, others followed suit. Among the wealthy merchant families of Fujian, eight or nine out of ten have ties to pirates.” His words carried a deeper implication. “Now that Wang Jiubao has been granted amnesty, he wishes to persuade the Emperor to lift the maritime ban. If he can reach me, he can reach others.”

Shiyiniang still could not quite see the connection.

Xu Lingyi’s expression turned grave. “To lift the maritime ban, one cannot do it without the backing of the noble families — and equally, one cannot do it without the support of the scholars and literati!”

Only then did things begin to take dim shape in Shiyiniang’s mind.

When she had studied history, the maritime ban had always been discussed in terms of how it had stunted the nation’s development; and discussions of reform always concluded with the reformers’ tragic fates. She could not help but ask, “Marquis — do you favor lifting the maritime ban?”

Xu Lingyi heard the note of worry in her voice and smiled, reaching out to ruffle her hair. “I am a man retired from office on account of illness. Such weighty affairs of the court are naturally for the various Elders to deliberate upon — it is hardly my place to voice an opinion.”

Then why had he been studying the maritime maps?

Shiyiniang stared at him in astonishment and caught a glint of slyness flash in the depths of his eyes.

—

The two of them arrived home to find that their feet had barely settled before a servant boy came rushing up. “Fifth Master sent me to wait here and report to the Marquis the moment he returned — Elder Liang has been waiting in the outer study all this time.”

Elder Chen at the Jiang residence, Elder Liang waiting here for Xu Lingyi… Two Elders in a single day. It carried the unmistakable feeling of a storm gathering on the horizon.

Shiyiniang and Xu Lingyi exchanged a glance, then one went to the outer courtyard and the other made her way to the Grand Dowager’s quarters.

The Grand Dowager’s reception room was already full of guests.

Madam Liang, the wife of Commander-in-Chief Li, the wife of the Deputy Minister of Rites…

They chatted and laughed, played mahjong, and drank until the lamps were lit before finally taking their leave.

Shiyiniang collected Xu Sijie and started back.

Along the way she asked him, “What did you play with your brothers today?”

He answered without quite addressing her question. “Fourth Uncle’s house has very good pine cakes!”

Shiyiniang laughed.

Back in her room, Xu Lingyi had not yet returned. She called for Hupo. “Tomorrow, come with me to my maiden home. Pay a visit to Shanhu and make careful inquiries about the Yiniang’s situation.”

Hupo acknowledged the instructions respectfully.

Xu Lingyi returned reeking of wine.

Shiyiniang quickly called the maids to bring a hangover remedy, attended to him as he washed and settled down to rest, then turned and instructed the maids to place a teapot on the small stool beside the bed — fearing he might wake in the night crying out with thirst.

But he pulled her into the quilts. “Let the little maids see to these things. Come to bed yourself.”

The attendants in the room retreated at once.

The warmth beneath the quilts enveloped her instantly, and Shiyiniang’s heart began to pound.

Since that one time, Xu Lingyi had not… She had not imagined… Could the old saying truly hold — that wine is the go-between of desire…

She forced herself to remain composed and said with a reproachful air, “I was only afraid you might wake thirsty in the night. And now look — the maids have all been frightened off, and I shall have to see to everything myself.”

“I am not thirsty.”

The soft, mellow light of the horn palace lanterns filtered through the thin gauze curtain, allowing him to see her clearly — her jade-white face gradually flushing, like a red lotus blooming in full splendor in the sixth month.

He really ought to have changed that curtain long ago.

The corners of Xu Lingyi’s mouth curved high. He drew her firmly into his arms.

—