The imperial banquet was grand and magnificent, and the fireworks that lit the night sky were a dazzling, glorious sight. But as one of the participants, Shiyiniang only wished for it all to be over as soon as possible — she was neither at the center of it all like the Emperor and Empress, waited upon by a multitude of attendants, nor could she receive the special consideration that the Old Dowager enjoyed. Standing in the biting cold wind on an empty stomach watching fireworks had become a genuinely miserable experience, all the more so with Xu Sijin’s three brothers still weighing on her mind at home.

After what felt like an endless wait, the first quarter of the xu hour finally arrived. The Emperor and Empress retired to the inner palace, and only then could the guests disperse. The roads outside were ablaze with lanterns and heaving with crowds, and it took half an hour of winding detours before they finally made it home. Both the Old Dowager and Shiyiniang were thoroughly worn out, their bones aching — only Xu Lingyi remained as spirited and alert as ever.

Hupo had come along behind the Third Master and Third Mistress to receive Shiyiniang, and as soon as she saw her, she came forward at once, supporting her arm and saying quietly: “Madam, please rest easy. All three young masters have settled in for the night at the Old Dowager’s.”

Shiyiniang let out a long breath of relief, mustered her remaining energy to accompany the Old Dowager back to her quarters, went with her own eyes to see that all three of them were indeed there, and only then was she satisfied enough to return to her own rooms with Xu Lingyi.

She immediately told him everything — the Imperial Noble Consort’s reprimand, and her encounter with Ren Kun’s wife, Jiang Jinkui.

As for Jiang Jinkui, Xu Lingyi smiled and said: “It can’t be helped. Everyone’s roots are tangled up with everyone else’s — you’re bound to run into her sooner or later. Just carry yourself steadily and don’t let it show.”

As for the Imperial Noble Consort’s reprimand, he smiled and said: “I heard about this as well. It would seem the Emperor is sending a signal to those censors. That said, the lanterns won’t be put out until the seventeenth of the first month. The Emperor shouldn’t make any move before then. If anything is to happen, it will be at least three days from now.”

Shiyiniang nodded, helped lay out the bedding, and settled in with Xu Lingyi to sleep.

The next morning, arriving early at the Old Dowager’s quarters, she encountered Xu Sijin and Xu Siyu, who had come to pay their morning respects. She smiled and brought up, before them all, their plan to disguise themselves as common attendants to go and see the lanterns: “…I was worried you might not keep your word. Yet to my surprise, you turned out to be true to it. Yesterday you stayed at home just as you said you would.” She made no mention of the fact that it had been Xu Siyu’s idea.

The Old Dowager was momentarily taken aback.

Xu Sijin’s face had already gone completely red: “It was wrong of us in the first place. Fourth Auntie has put me to shame with those words.”

Xu Siyu only smiled mildly.

Then the Third Mistress arrived with Xu Sijian to pay their morning respects. The Old Dowager kept her many confused questions in check until the Third Mistress had gone, then sent the children off to play in Zhun Ge’s rooms. Only then did she ask Shiyiniang: “…Something this significant — why did you not come to discuss it with me?”

Shiyiniang explained the whole matter from beginning to end: “…Since I had given my word to the children, going back on it would have been faithless. But refusing outright would have seemed overly stern.” She then described the arrangements she had made at the time.

She had chosen this particular moment to speak with deliberate purpose.

The Lantern Festival would not conclude until the seventeenth, so there were still two days remaining. If Xu Sijin and the others had truly abandoned their plan, then what she was saying now would simply be a story to share with the Old Dowager for her amusement. But if they had not, the final two days would be the most dangerous window — for one thing, the people keeping watch over them, seeing them behave so dutifully day after day, would inevitably let their guard slip; and for another, what had been agreed upon was the Lantern Festival period, not a specific day, so if they did slip out, it could not strictly be said they had broken their promise. Shiyiniang had also made use of this very fact. She had focused all effort on holding things together through the fifteenth, and then brought the matter to light. That way she had not broken her promise to the children; the Old Dowager, hearing of it now, would feel that she hadn’t joined the children in reckless behavior; and having the matter reach the Old Dowager meant the responsibility had been passed upward — if anything were to slip through, she herself could deflect the blame.

The Old Dowager listened and nodded quietly.

Shiyiniang was, after all, newly come into the household, and there were things she could not afford to do too forcefully. This way was just right — the children’s dignity was preserved, yet they were not left to run wild. That Shiyiniang had thought it all through so carefully put the Old Dowager’s heart at ease.

“To recognize one’s error and correct it — there is no greater virtue.” She thought it over and decided to do Shiyiniang a kindness. “Since they so wished to go out and enjoy themselves…” She gave instructions to Nanny Du: “Go and send for Manager Bai. Have him arrange for people to escort the three young masters out to see the lantern market.”

This outcome took Shiyiniang entirely by surprise. She quickly instructed Hupo to go and tell Xu Sijin and the others the news.

When the children heard, they came running out. Some bowed with grateful thanks, some laughed and leapt with joy. Zhun Ge simply tumbled into the Old Dowager’s arms: “I want to go too, I want to go too!”

Xu Sijie tugged at Shiyiniang’s skirt and stood to one side, giggling.

Of all of them, Zhun Ge was most likely the one the Old Dowager would refuse.

Shiyiniang was weighing this in her mind when the Old Dowager’s voice came, firm and unwavering: “You are to stay at home and keep your mother and Fifth Brother company.”

Zhun Ge pouted in disappointment, his eyes darting to Shiyiniang, yet he did not dare protest.

Shiyiniang simply pretended not to notice.

Lowering her head, the corner of her eye caught a fleeting contemptuous smile at the edge of Xu Siyu’s lips.

…

Xu Lingyi, on hearing of the Old Dowager’s decision, raised no objection. After a moment’s thought, he simply instructed Manager Bai to send extra people and to take every precaution. The Third Master also gave a mild nod: “Boys need to be out and about in the world. Reading ten thousand books is no substitute for traveling ten thousand miles — it’s good for them to get out and see things.”

The Third Mistress, however, was quite beside herself with worry, her face going pale: “It’s so chaotic out there. What if one of them gets knocked about or hurt? I think it’s best they stay at home. Ask Fifth Uncle to buy fireworks to set off in the yard — isn’t that just as good?”

Xu Lingkuan heard this and cheerfully volunteered to go along with them: “With me there, don’t worry!”

This settled the matter, and the Third Mistress’s words were duly ignored. Xu Lingkuan accompanied Xu Sijin, Xu Siyu, and Xu Sijian out to see the lanterns in the streets, while Zhun Ge and Xu Sijie stayed home with Shiyiniang to make glutinous rice balls.

Xu Sijie was overjoyed, shaping the dumplings into all manner of forms, one after another, impossible to stop.

Zhun Ge, however, had been sulking the whole time.

Shiyiniang encouraged him: “Sijian said this is the first time in his whole life he’s gone out to watch fireworks in the street. When he was your age, he wouldn’t have even dared to dream of it — because it had simply never been done before. You are different. Your elder brothers have all gone out, and now there is precedent. When you are their age, you’ll be able to go out too.”

Zhun Ge’s eyes lit up as he heard this: “That’s right, that’s right!” And he went off cheerfully to make glutinous rice balls with Xu Sijie.

“You’ve got it wrong. Rice balls are round!” he said, earnestly trying to correct Xu Sijie.

But Xu Sijie paid him no mind and went on making them however he pleased.

Children should be free to think imaginatively and without constraint. If it were Xu Siyu asking this, Shiyiniang might have responded, “And who says rice balls have to be round?” But it was Zhun Ge asking, and Zhun Ge would one day inherit the title of Marquis — it was better for him to err on the side of propriety than to err on the side of eccentricity.

Shiyiniang smiled and patted Xu Sijie on the head: “He doesn’t know yet — he needs to be taught gradually.”

Zhun Ge, seeing her speak up for him, quirked the corner of his mouth and gave a firm nod.

That afternoon they cooked the glutinous rice balls together in Shiyiniang’s small kitchen. Shiyiniang did not press the three Yiniangs to join, but everyone in her own courtyard had their share.

It was Yang Yiniang who was quickest-witted — drawn by the aroma, she came with her own maidservants to beg for some. She added: “If only the young miss were here, it would be even livelier.”

Shiyiniang immediately said: “The Old Dowager has already instructed Manager Bai — tomorrow morning, first thing, someone will be sent to bring Zhen Jie’er home.”

Zhun Ge cheered at the news.

Qin Yiniang then came along with her maidservants: “I heard there are rice balls.”

Shiyiniang didn’t mind, and told Lvyun to bring a stool for Qin Yiniang and serve her some.

Everyone laughed and talked, filling the air with warmth. Qiao Lianfang’s quarters, however, remained entirely silent throughout.

That evening Xu Lingyi returned from Prince Shun’s residence and, holding a white porcelain tea bowl filled with tieguanyin, leaned wearily against the large bolster and let out a long, tired breath: “The New Year is finally over.”

Shiyiniang covered her laugh with her hand and attended to him as he went to bed.

But the very next afternoon came the news — the Emperor had relieved Xu Lingyi of his post as Grand Commander of the Chief Military Commission.

At the time, the Third Mistress was with the Old Dowager, the two of them going over the New Year accounts. Shiyiniang sat listening to one side. The Fifth Mistress was nibbling on an apple.

“…Fourth Elder Brother is in the middle of handing it over to that Jiang Feiyun!” Xu Lingkuan, who had come to deliver the news, wore a look of quiet dejection.

The Old Dowager said nothing, and quietly lifted her teacup to take a slow, silent sip.

“So soon.” The Fifth Mistress’s expression was one of shock. She still had half an apple in her mouth. “Has the Imperial Guard come to stand watch?”

“No, nothing like that,” Xu Lingkuan replied, subdued.

“What charges were given?” the Third Mistress asked, carefully.

Xu Lingkuan said nothing.

The Fifth Mistress hastily swallowed the rest of her apple: “It could only be ‘conduct unbecoming.’ If it were ‘abandoning one’s post to the enemy,’ the Imperial Guard would already be there to arrest him.”

As she said this, she looked toward Shiyiniang.

Shiyiniang said thoughtfully: “Only the post of Grand Commander of the Chief Military Commission has been mentioned — what of the post of Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince? Has that been removed as well?”

Xu Lingkuan’s expression shifted to one of sudden realization, and his spirits lifted: “No, no — only the one post of Grand Commander has been removed. Everything else remains untouched.”

Shiyiniang thought of the Lantern Festival at the palace, how Imperial Noble Consort Qu had not been invited…

She felt that Xu Lingyi’s strategy had taken effect — the Emperor’s inclination had shifted in favor of the Xu household.

But this was still conjecture. The final answer would have to wait until she saw Xu Lingyi in person.

Keeping that in mind, a smile nevertheless rose unbidden in her eyes: “The Marquis had always intended to resign from the post of Grand Commander of the Chief Military Commission. Now that it has come to pass, it may be said his wish has been fulfilled. Fifth Master need not worry for the Marquis.”

The Old Dowager listened and gave a quiet nod of approval.

In life there are always rises and falls — that Shiyiniang could think this way was good.

The Fifth Mistress also let out a breath of relief: “If that is so, all is well, all is well.” She added some comforting words: “And with this, the Marquis can use the occasion to rest properly at home.”

The Third Mistress looked around at everyone, opened her mouth as if to say something, then held back. Later, seizing the opportunity of the afternoon when the Third Master returned to their rooms to change, she said to her husband: “Will our affairs go back and forth as well?”

“Don’t worry!” The Third Master reassured the Third Mistress. “If the Emperor gives no thought to the Marquis, he must still give some thought to the Empress!”

“Let us hope so.” The Third Mistress was still muttering when Qiu Ling came in to report: “Madam, the young miss has returned to the mansion.”

“Hurry!” The Third Master urged the Third Mistress along. “We have at most two or three months left here — best not to upset the Old Dowager right before we leave.”

The Third Mistress quickly helped the Third Master fasten his sash, and the two of them went to the Old Dowager’s quarters.

The moment they stepped into the main hall, they heard the sound of cheerful laughter coming from the inner chamber. Going in, they found the big kang by the window heaped with boxes of all shapes and sizes. Xu Lingkuan, Shiyiniang, the Fifth Mistress, and Xu Sijin’s group of brothers were all gathered around the Old Dowager’s kang, all of them smiling at Zhen Jie’er, who was nestled at the Old Dowager’s side — she was wearing a small pale blue jacket, her face bright and animated, clearly telling them something.

Seeing them come in, Zhen Jie’er called out in greeting: “Third Uncle, Third Auntie.”

The Third Master laughed warmly and went forward to pay his respects to the Old Dowager, but before he had even gotten a word out, a young manservant came running in: “The Marquis has returned!”

Everyone startled.

The curtain was already swept aside with a swish, and Xu Lingyi strode in with great steps.

Seeing his expression dark and unreadable, everyone’s heart gave a fearful lurch. The Old Dowager, most of all, hurriedly shifted to the edge of the kang and dangled her feet down, saying: “Fourth son, what has happened?”

But Xu Lingyi’s gaze swept the room and came to rest on Shiyiniang’s face.

“Shiyiniang,” his voice was low and heavy, tinged with an undercurrent of worry, “Wang Lang is dead.”