Xu Siqin, Xu Siyu, and Xu Sijian, dressed in dark blue servant attire and small caps, knelt in a row on the floor. At the sound of movement, everyone in the room turned to look at Shiyiniang — everyone except Xu Siyu, who kept his gaze lowered, his face ashen white.

“Fourth Sister-in-law, you’ve finally come!” The Third Madam sat in a high-backed chair, her face pink and carrying an undisguised fury. She pointed to a crumpled white silk cloth on the floor in front of Xu Siyu. “Look at the fine thing your Siyu Ge has done!”

With a sweeping glance from the corner of her eye, Shiyiniang caught only the characters “Tianya” on the handkerchief — the handwriting was elegant, unmistakably Xu Siyu’s brushwork.

She darted another swift look at Xu Siyu.

The head that had been hanging low was now held high. His face was even paler than before, thin lips pressed tight, a note of tragic dignity and desolation about his brow.

Shiyiniang had already come to some understanding of Xu Siyu’s state of mind.

She gave nothing away in her expression and said coldly, “I have barely stepped through the door and haven’t even found my footing, yet Third Sister-in-law has come at me headlong with a torrent of rebuke. Those who know better will say you are venting your anger over the children. Those who don’t may think I’ve done something unforgivable. I truly don’t know what Third Sister-in-law means by this.” Her gaze carried a veiled edge of anger.

The Third Madam was momentarily taken aback.

Shiyiniang was always so yielding — why today had she…? But when she thought of how much hung on the events of the day, she could not stop to examine it too closely. She pressed on urgently. “What’s happened? Ask your precious son yourself!”

“Now that is strange, Third Sister-in-law!” Shiyiniang fixed her in a sharp gaze. “Siyu Ge has been punished to kneel. You speak no reason for it, and yet you would have me ask the one being punished. Is whatever Siyu Ge says to be taken as fact?”

She pressed with words, forcing the Third Madam to take a position — was what Siyu Ge said the truth, or not?

Her manner made the Third Madam flash a look of startlement.

Even Xu Siyu showed a trace of surprise.

But a gleam of relief crossed Xu Siqin’s face. He quickly said, “Fourth Aunt, this matter has nothing to do with Siyu Ge…”

Before he could finish, the Third Madam glared at him fiercely. “Elders are speaking — what gives you the right to interrupt?”

Xu Siqin made to argue further, but the Third Madam had already turned back to Shiyiniang. “I hadn’t the face to say it — but since you’ve asked, I’ll have to speak it plainly. Let you know just what your Siyu Ge has been getting up to.” She shot a sideways glance at Xu Siyu, who knelt there with his head slightly bowed and said nothing. “Your Siyu Ge — who knows where he copied these lines of verse — used my name to go calling at the Gan Family, and then, taking advantage of a moment when the madams and wives were not paying attention, he sneaked into the courtyard where Mei Jie’er lives…” She paused, letting her voice fall. “It’s a good thing my sister-in-law discovered it early. Otherwise, who knows what shameless thing might have happened!”

A boy of twelve or thirteen — in broad daylight — educated in the Confucian tradition of propriety. What could he possibly have done?

“Oh?” Shiyiniang raised an eyebrow. “And who, exactly, is this Mei Jie’er?”

“She is my elder brother’s daughter on the concubine’s side.”

“So she’s your niece!” Shiyiniang’s gaze was sharp as she looked at the Third Madam, laying heavy emphasis on the word “niece.” “That makes this quite confusing, Third Sister-in-law. Let me see if I follow — Siyu Ge is already twelve this year. A child of three feet knows better than to enter an inner hall. Yet our Siyu Ge, not at his own relatives’ home, apparently managed to walk through the inner gate, find his way all the way to Mei Jie’er’s courtyard, and not only reach her courtyard but actually encounter Mei Jie’er herself and do something shameless. The maids and wives of Zhongqin Earldom truly were ‘not paying attention’ in the most remarkable and convenient of ways, weren’t they!”

She spoke with biting sarcasm, and at the end, even glanced at Xu Siqin.

The Third Madam was left speechless.

Now that Shiyiniang sensed the Third Madam’s momentum faltering, she pressed forward and seized control of the conversation. She asked the Third Madam, “Where did this handkerchief come from?”

The Third Madam caught her breath and replied, “My sister-in-law brought it to me this afternoon…”

Before she had even finished, Shiyiniang interrupted her firmly, instructing Hupo at her side, “Bring that handkerchief to me. I want to see for myself just what lines were copied — apparently it’s so outrageous that it can’t be seen in public!”

Hupo had been startled the moment she entered by Shiyiniang’s forceful manner, and it took her a moment to come back to herself. She bent down, picked up the handkerchief, and presented it to Shiyiniang.

Shiyiniang took the handkerchief, unfolded it, and slowly read aloud: “Within the four seas a true friend awaits — though at the ends of the earth, it is as though he is near. There is no need to stand weeping at the parting road, for men of ambition do not share in the tears of leave-taking.”

As her voice fell, the Third Madam gradually composed herself. Like a drowning person grasping hold of a floating plank, she recovered her earlier composure. “Fourth Sister-in-law, look carefully. That is your Siyu Ge’s brushwork.”

Shiyiniang listened, then with a swift motion folded the handkerchief shut, murmuring to herself, “I don’t know whether I’ve read too few books, or whether the world has changed. Wang Zian’s poem is now being called ‘a jumble of nonsense.'”

Her voice was low, yet perfectly clear — every person in the room heard it distinctly.

The Third Madam’s face went faintly greenish.

But Shiyiniang had already turned directly to ask Hupo, “Who was attending to the Second Young Master today?”

Knowing that Shiyiniang was going head-to-head with the Third Madam, Hupo spoke and conducted herself with even more deference than usual. She lowered her head and clasped her hands and replied, “In answer to Madam, the one attending the Second Young Master today was Qinxiang.”

“Bring her in!”

Hupo acknowledged and went.

“Fourth Aunt, this poem was written at my request.” Xu Siqin, who had been quiet since his mother silenced him, took advantage of the moment and spoke. “Going to see Mei Jie’er — that too was my idea.”

“Be quiet.” The Third Madam was shaking with fury. “Don’t think that by dragging everything onto yourself, I won’t punish you. You knew what was happening and didn’t report it, letting Siyu Ge fall into this — when your father returns, I’ll tell him everything and have him punish you severely.”

“No,” Xu Siqin said urgently, “this was my fault. Second Brother had nothing to do with it…”

An argument like this could not lead to any conclusion and served no purpose.

Shiyiniang turned to Xu Siqin with a gentle smile. “Your mother is right. Brothers caring for each other and being united is a fine thing, yet that does not mean watching someone err without pointing it out. That is not what it means to be an elder brother.” She softly deflected Xu Siqin’s good intentions.

Xu Siqin was stunned.

A shadow crossed Xu Siyu’s eyes.

The Third Madam felt a measure of satisfaction rise within her.

An elder son born of a concubine, no less — recklessly crossing the boundary between men and women, exchanging secret tokens… Anyone with half a mind would seize upon this and not let go.

This was what she had counted on — which was why she had quietly summoned Shiyiniang here.

A glint of amusement came into the Third Madam’s eyes.

Just then, Hupo came in with Qinxiang.

Before they could finish paying their respects, Shiyiniang had already tossed the handkerchief in front of Qinxiang. “Was it the Second Young Master who wrote the characters on this handkerchief?”

Hupo had no idea what Shiyiniang was getting at. But she knew — in a scene like this, any lie made up on the spot was bound to have gaps in it, unlike the truth. So when coming over, she had repeatedly told Qinxiang to speak honestly. Even so, the sharpness in Shiyiniang’s brow still sent Qinxiang trembling, her lips parting and closing for a long moment without managing to utter a single word.

A gathering of people here was putting on a show — doing nothing but bullying him because there was no one to stand up for him.

Xu Siyu said quietly, “Mother need not ask further. The characters on this handkerchief were written by me.” A note of desolation ran through his voice.

Shiyiniang smiled faintly, and repeated to him what she had said to Xu Siqin: “Brothers being devoted to each other is a fine thing, yet you cannot take blame on yourself when someone makes a mistake. That is not helping them — that is harming them.”

Xu Siyu was startled. Xu Siqin, hearing this, smiled.

Shiyiniang turned to look at the frightened, unsteady Qinxiang.

Qinxiang steeled herself and nodded. “It was the Second Young Master who wrote it.”

The Third Madam breathed with relief.

“When was it written?” Shiyiniang asked her gently. “Where was it written? What kind of white silk was used? Where did the ink come from?”

Qinxiang was dumbfounded.

These details — how could she have noticed.

Before she could answer, Shiyiniang had already said, “So you don’t know?”

Qinxiang nodded instinctively.

“If you don’t know any of this, how can you say it was the Second Young Master who wrote it?”

Qinxiang froze, not knowing how to respond.

Shiyiniang immediately continued, “Is it because you recognize the brushwork as the Second Young Master’s?”

Qinxiang quickly nodded.

Shiyiniang at once said, “In other words, you only feel the brushwork resembles the Second Young Master’s — but you cannot be certain it was written by him?”

Before the words had fully left her lips, the Third Madam sensed something was wrong. Without waiting for Qinxiang to answer, she jumped in: “Who knows when Siyu Ge wrote it?”

“Indeed.” Shiyiniang smiled slightly, then told Hupo, “Go — call all those who attend on the Second Young Master. Let’s see if anyone knows when the Second Young Master copied this poem on such a handkerchief.”

The youngest of the three brothers, Xu Sijian, who had been kneeling to the side and staring wide-eyed at Shiyiniang, covered his mouth and silently laughed.

The Third Madam grew flustered.

The very reason she had waited until now to summon Shiyiniang was that she did not want the matter to blow up — did not want the Grand Madam to know. For if it came out, Xu Siqin would not escape implication either.

The Third Madam had no choice but to say, “It’s hardly a commendable matter. Why make it known to everyone?”

Her momentum had weakened considerably.

“That is precisely where Third Sister-in-law is mistaken.” Shiyiniang refused to let go. “Since this handkerchief was brought by the First Young Madam of Zhongqin Earldom, and Third Sister-in-law was not present, yet she has already determined it was our Siyu Ge who wrote it — this must mean the attribution came from Madam Gan. If we simply gloss over it without getting to the bottom of it, how do I answer to the Marquis?”

She brought Xu Lingyi into it.

“Both children have rushed to take the blame onto themselves — this shows how deeply they care for each other as brothers. If we don’t thoroughly investigate, should we punish Qin Ge? Or punish Siyu Ge? If neither is punished, how do we answer to Zhongqin Earldom? If both are punished, then we are sheltering the one who truly erred and wronging the one who only sought to protect his brother.”

She paused, and her expression took on a note of stern resolve. “This matter must be investigated — and investigated thoroughly. Not only those who attend Siyu Ge, but those who attend Qin Ge and Jian Ge as well. The inner compound must be searched, and the outer compound too.” Then, raising her voice just enough that everyone could hear, she said with measured gravity, “Otherwise — where does the reputation of the Xu Family stand?”

She then told Hupo, “Go — invite the Third Master and the Marquis.”

Then, in a voice everyone could hear, she seemed to speak as if to herself: “This is not only our family’s affair — it concerns the name of the Gan Family’s daughter as well. If we do not get to the bottom of it, I fear that young Mei Jie’er will have no choice but to take her own life to prove her innocence…”

Every face in the room changed at those words.

The Third Madam, who feared Shiyiniang would press the matter and let it spread to the whole world, and Xu Siqin and the others who were alarmed for Mei Jie’er’s sake.

“Mother, this was my doing.” After no more than a moment’s hesitation, Xu Siqin spoke with an expression full of resolve. “The last time Big Cousin was ill with smallpox, I went to see her, and I encountered Third Cousin, who was there at her bedside looking after Big Cousin…”

He spoke like pearls falling one by one — swift and urgent, as though afraid of being interrupted.