Hupo glanced toward Shiyiniang.

She saw her with her head slightly bowed, a contemplative expression on her face.

She couldn’t help but call out: “Madam…”

Shiyiniang startled slightly, looked up, and smiled: “What is it?”

“About Second Young Master’s plan to go Walking Away Illness…” If they had known nothing of it, that would be one thing. But now that they knew, if it were simply left unaddressed, there was bound to be gossip. Yet with Zhun Ge and a room full of maidservants present, she couldn’t say it plainly.

Shiyiniang saw Hupo’s faintly furrowed brow and knew well what she was worried about. She smiled and said: “Go and invite Manager Bai in for me.”

A flicker of puzzlement crossed Hupo’s eyes, but she assented and left.

Across the room, Zhun Ge was feeding Xu Sijie water to drink.

A little maidservant came in to report: “Madam, the First, Second, and Third Young Masters have come!”

Shiyiniang’s brow lifted slightly.

They had come sooner than she expected.

If it were her, now that adults had found out, the better course was to take the initiative and come to acknowledge the fault.

She just wasn’t sure whose idea that had been.

“Please show the three young masters in!” Shiyiniang instructed the little maidservant.

The maidservant responded and went out, then escorted the three of them inside.

Seeing both Zhun Ge and Xu Sijie nestled beside Shiyiniang, Xu Sijin and Xu Sijian both showed a trace of surprise. Only Xu Siyu wore a mild smile, his composure entirely unruffled.

The three paid their respects, and without waiting for Shiyiniang to speak, Xu Sijin had already said: “Fourth Auntie, this was entirely my fault. Please, Fourth Auntie, do not tell my parents or Fourth Uncle. We know we were wrong. On the day of the Lantern Festival we will behave and stay at home.”

Xu Sijian also nodded repeatedly: “Fourth Auntie, we promise we won’t go out.”

Shiyiniang gestured for a little maidservant to bring over the embroidered stools, then smiled and said: “Since that is the case, I will consider this as if I never knew. But you must also keep your word — you must not leave the mansion without your attendants and household guards.”

The three agreed in unison.

Xu Sijin then reminded Zhun Ge not to speak of this matter: “…We wouldn’t want Grandmother to worry.”

Zhun Ge naturally nodded his agreement.

Shiyiniang invited them to sit, and a maidservant served tea.

Only then did Zhun Ge dare to speak up and greet the three older brothers.

Xu Sijian pointed at Xu Sijie: “You spend every day playing with him?”

Zhun Ge nodded: “I’ve been telling Fifth Brother stories!” He looked quite proud of himself.

Xu Sijian grinned.

Hupo came in, saw that Xu Sijin and the other two were present, immediately stepped forward to pay her respects, and then announced with a smile: “Madam, Manager Bai has come!”

That was a rather skillful way to put it.

She said Manager Bai has come, rather than has been summoned here. That must have been her way of being mindful with Xu Sijin and the other two present.

Shiyiniang gave a quiet inward nod of approval, and smiled as she rose: “You brothers sit for a while — I’ll go and see what matter Manager Bai has come about. Afterwards we’ll all go to the Old Dowager’s together.”

The children agreed, and she went out to the main hall.

Manager Bai greeted her from a distance with a deferential bow.

Shiyiniang walked toward him: “Manager Bai, there is something I need your help with.”

Manager Bai, seeing her expression grow serious, stood there with his head bowed and eyes lowered, his demeanor one of great deference.

Shiyiniang told him about the servants’ robes she had found in Xu Sijin’s quarters: “…If it were simply the children playing about, telling the Marquis might seem like making a fuss over nothing. But if they’ve genuinely set their minds on this, and something were to happen, there would be no room for regret. So I would like to ask Manager Bai to have someone quietly keep a watch on them. At the very least it must hold through the Lantern Festival, so that no incidents arise.”

Manager Bai’s expression grew solemn as he listened, then he bowed and replied: “Madam may rest easy. I understand.” He paused briefly, then added: “However, keeping watch like this cannot go on indefinitely. It would be best to inform the Marquis.”

He was reminding Shiyiniang that since she suspected the three young masters had not procured those robes merely for the sake of Walking Away Illness, she ought to pass the matter on to those with greater authority without delay.

Shiyiniang had her own reasons for handling it as she had.

The three children had come together to appeal to her, and an outright refusal on her part would breed resentment going forward. So when Xu Sijin spoke up, she had agreed at once. She would wait until after the Lantern Festival and then find a natural opportunity to mention it to Xu Lingyi in a lighter way — she would neither break her word to the children, nor need to keep a constant vigil over them herself.

But hearing Manager Bai’s reminder, she was still genuinely grateful: “It absolutely must hold through the Lantern Festival!”

He had made his point, and whether or not it was heeded was another matter entirely.

Manager Bai said no more, but smiled and said: “Then this one will go and attend to things.”

Shiyiniang nodded, had Hupo see Manager Bai out, then returned to the room and said with a smile: “It is getting late — shall we go to the Old Dowager’s?”

Everyone responded, climbed down from the kang to put on their shoes, donned their cloaks, and the whole group made their way to the Old Dowager’s quarters.

With rumors swirling outside, the Old Dowager had closed her doors to visitors and handed all incoming and outgoing affairs to the Third Mistress. Worried that some tactless person might say something to unsettle Shiyiniang, she had proposed keeping Shiyiniang at her side, only requiring morning and evening greetings, and leaving Shiyiniang to spend the rest of her time in her own courtyard — which afforded Shiyiniang a welcome ease.

Seeing Shiyiniang arrive with the children, the Old Dowager beamed with delight. Once everyone was seated, she asked Zhun Ge: “You were telling Sijie stories again?”

As for Zhun Ge’s habit of spending his afternoons at Shiyiniang’s quarters, the Old Dowager regarded it with full approval. That stepmother and stepson could get along so harmoniously and naturally, like a quiet rain nourishing the earth, was exactly what the Old Dowager had long hoped for.

The expressions of Xu Sijin and the other two tightened, and only when Zhun Ge nodded did they finally breathe easy.

The Old Dowager smiled with quiet contentment, when a young manservant came running in: “An Imperial Edict has arrived.”

Everyone was taken aback.

The Old Dowager had already risen to her feet. She instructed Shiyiniang to hurry and change into her formal dress, called for Nanny Du to send people in to help her change, and dispatched someone to inform the Fifth Mistress, who was in the back garden.

Everyone dispersed to their own duties.

Returning to her courtyard, Shiyiniang encountered Xu Lingyi, who was already changing into his court robes.

Seeing Shiyiniang’s expression was somewhat grave, he smiled and reassured her: “There’s nothing to worry about. The palace is setting off fireworks on the fifteenth of the first month, and the Emperor has invited us to join in the festivities.”

Shiyiniang thought of Ma Zuowen of the Bureau of Protocol… he must have passed word to Xu Lingyi ahead of time. She set her heart at ease and went with Xu Lingyi to the main reception hall’s inner courtyard.

They had barely taken their positions when the Old Dowager, Xu Lingkuan, the Fifth Mistress, the Third Master, and the Third Mistress filed in one after another.

Everyone knelt to receive the edict.

Just as Xu Lingyi had said, the Emperor was summoning Xu Lingyi, the Old Dowager, and Shiyiniang to enter the palace on the fifteenth day of the first month to view the fireworks.

The Xu household gave thanks for the imperial grace. The Xu brothers accompanied the eunuch messenger, Eunuch He, to the outer courtyard, while the Third Mistress patted her chest and let out a long breath: “You gave me such a fright.”

The Fifth Mistress mused: “Why would the Emperor suddenly think of inviting us to the palace to view fireworks?”

A flicker of puzzlement crossed the Old Dowager’s eyes as well, but she wore an expression of serene composure and smiled: “The first Lantern Festival after the Emperor ascended the throne, he also summoned us into the palace to view fireworks. Perhaps he’s in the same mood this year.”

Neither the Third Mistress nor the Fifth Mistress felt entirely reassured by the Old Dowager’s explanation. Each with her own thoughts, they returned to their rooms to change.

That evening when Xu Lingyi returned, Shiyiniang could not help but take hold of his sleeve and ask: “…Could it be a trap?”

Xu Lingyi heard this and laughed: “Right now I am merely a fish on the chopping block. The Emperor has no need to lay a trap for me.” Then he added: “By the way, I ran into Shi Zheng the other day. He said that several of the Princesses have been speaking highly of you before the Princess Imperial — saying you have a gentle temperament, composed and unassuming. Going to the palace this time, you will certainly need to interact with the Princesses. You must conduct yourself with all due respect. Remember — good news travels slowly, but bad news travels fast. The Princesses are all known for talking a great deal.”

In other words, all the Princesses were tremendous gossips.

Shiyiniang couldn’t help but laugh: “Your concubine understands!” She turned and instructed Hupo to arrange for people to keep a watch on Xu Sijin and his two brothers: “…I had originally intended to keep an eye on them myself. But on the fifteenth of the first month I must go to the palace. You absolutely must keep a close watch for me. No matter what, nothing must go wrong that day.”

Hupo knew the gravity of the matter and immediately said: “Madam, please rest easy. I’ve already made the situation very clear to the attendants serving the young masters. Unless they wanted to throw away their lives, they would never let any of the young masters out of their sight.”

A full mobilization — if the three of them still managed to slip away despite all this, then she would simply concede defeat.

Shiyiniang’s heart eased a little.

…

Whether their plan had been discovered and abandoned, or whether the surveillance was too tight and gave them no opportunity, the alliance between Xu Sijin and his brothers dissolved. Xu Sijin and Xu Siyu still often spent time together, but Xu Sijian began making his way over to Shiyiniang’s quarters alongside Zhun Ge. Shiyiniang would prepare sweet tangerine water, rice wine, or osmanthus honey tea for them, and would clear the main hall of its ornamental arrangements so they could kick the shuttlecock, skip rope, or play a form of football. Occasionally Shiyiniang would change into a plain jacket and play with them for a while too.

Xu Sijian was quite delighted: “Fourth Auntie, now you have something over you as well, and it’s in our hands!”

Shiyiniang laughed and gave him a playful reprimand: “Who came running to me to plead for mercy? And whose idea was that?”

Xu Sijian grinned: “Second Brother’s. He said — strike first to gain the upper hand. If we admitted our fault, you couldn’t very well just punish us outright. And he was exactly right.”

Shiyiniang smiled faintly, and in a quiet, gentle tone guided Xu Sijian: “When I was your age, all I could think about was going out to play too. But the right way is to tell the adults at home. Adults have more experience and more foresight — they will arrange things properly…” She also shared a number of true cases of children going missing or being abducted — all collected for her by Manager Bai, all genuine incidents with real people and verifiable records. “If you don’t believe me, you can send your own attendant to make inquiries.”

Xu Sijian listened with some embarrassment and rubbed his head: “I didn’t say I don’t believe you. It was Eldest Brother who said we didn’t want a huge crowd trailing behind us everywhere — it would make everything inconvenient. So Second Brother came up with the idea.”

Xu Siyu again — she had underestimated how clever he was.

“A gentleman’s conduct is open and upright — there is nothing he cannot say before others. What inconvenience is there?” Shiyiniang smiled and patted him on the head.

Zhun Ge listening nodded vigorously, while Xu Sijian turned red in the face and laughed.

But after all, people came to play, not to be lectured.

Shiyiniang immediately laughed and changed the subject: “Sijian is so good at football — who did you learn from?”

“Second Brother!” Xu Sijian said brightly.

“Oh!” Shiyiniang was rather surprised. “Then does he know who Siyu learned from?”

Xu Sijian blinked his eyes with a very mysterious air and whispered: “Fourth Auntie, guess.”

Shiyiniang laughed: “Your Second Mistress!”

Xu Sijian stared at Shiyiniang with his mouth hanging open.

Looking across the entire Xu household, apart from the Second Mistress, who else would have the audacity to learn a game played by men…

“Fourth Auntie, you’re so clever,” Xu Sijian said, a sly gleam flickering in his eyes. “How about we have a shuttlecock competition?”

Shiyiniang blushed inwardly.

In her previous life she had no athletic ability to speak of, scraping through every physical education examination only because the teachers were kind enough to look the other way. And in this life, whether from psychological reasons or sheer habit, she was no less clumsy — even Xu Sijie could kick a shuttlecock seven or eight times in a row without stopping, while she could manage at most two.

—