When Eleventh Lady returned to her rooms, Xu Lingyi had set down his book and was sitting in quiet thought. He looked up at the sound of her entering. “You’re back. How was Fourth Sister’s illness?”

“The imperial physician Liu Yizheng was called in.” Thinking of Fourth Lady — her prominent neck and protruding eyes — Eleventh Lady could not help softly sighing. “He says she must recuperate gradually — a year or two at the least, two or three years at most.”

Xu Lingyi nodded. “In that case, look through the household medicines and send some suitable ones over.”

Eleventh Lady nodded and studied his expression.

Xu Lingyi looked faintly puzzled. “What is it?”

“I was checking whether the Marquis’ temper had cooled down!” Eleventh Lady looked at him with a bright smile, a hint of teasing in her eyes — rather playful.

Xu Lingyi first stared, then burst out in an amused smile.

“And if it has cooled down? And if it hasn’t?”

“If it has cooled down… well then, I will sit with the Marquis for a little chat. If it has not…” Eleventh Lady put on an air of deliberate pensiveness, “I’ve only just come home, and I’m covered in dust from traveling — I really must change and freshen up first.”

Xu Lingyi burst out laughing. “Look at this dusty, disheveled state — go and change first! Then come and talk.”

The atmosphere lightened. Eleventh Lady went to the washroom, smiling. When she came back out, she found Xu Lingyi sitting at the low kang table, head bowed in thought, his expression somewhat distant.

Eleventh Lady padded softly across and sat down opposite him. “Is the Marquis worried about Qiao Yiniang?”

“Qiao Yiniang?” Xu Lingyi looked up, briefly uncomprehending. “Oh, no.” He gradually came back to himself. “Today the Emperor received Wang Jiubao, who has submitted a ten-thousand-word memorial. Ma Zuowen made a copy for me… Cabinet Elder Chen and Cabinet Elder Liang’s positions have been quite ambiguous…” Xu Lingyi was somewhat preoccupied.

Eleventh Lady quietly poured him a fresh cup of tea.

Xu Lingyi accepted the cup with both hands, and his expression settled again. He smiled. “That’s right — Cabinet Elder Liang’s family is holding a wedding on the twenty-sixth of the third month.”

“Oh!” Eleventh Lady’s face brightened. “Is Seventh Miss finally getting married?”

Xu Lingyi nodded. “By then, I’ll go to Duke Zhonqin’s residence and you go to the Liang Family to attend the wedding banquet?”

Eleventh Lady was rather surprised. “I was looking forward to seeing Lan Ting off myself!”

Xu Lingyi was also a little surprised. “Everyone is busy discussing the matter of the maritime ban. If I go to the Liang Family, I’ll inevitably be pulled aside with questions on all sides. As for our household and the Gan Family — there’s the matter of Yuan Jie’er between us. If you go, you may well end up hearing gossip. This way we’d neatly sidestep the trouble.”

Though she understood Xu Lingyi was being perfectly reasonable, Eleventh Lady still felt a pang of disappointment.

Xu Lingyi could only hedge, saying vaguely, “In any case, the date is still some way off — we’ll decide closer to the time.” He then turned to the matter of Qiao Lianfang. “…I’ve told the two nannies that she is not to leave her courtyard without your word. Just keep an eye on things. So she can’t go back and forth making contact with the Qiao Family.”

The relationship between Marquis Yongping’s household and Duke Chengguo’s residence was far too complex to be explained in a few words. Eleventh Lady naturally respected Xu Lingyi’s decision.

She agreed with a nod, and Xu Lingyi turned the subject, asking, “Just now you said you had something to say to me — what was it?”

Before this, seeing his expression troubled, she had assumed it was on account of Qiao Lianfang’s affairs, and had used a light remark to ease the mood. She had not imagined it was a complete misunderstanding. Still less had she expected him to have kept that passing remark in mind and ask about it earnestly now.

“It was nothing.” Eleventh Lady smiled. “Just wanted to have a little chat with the Marquis.”

In the lamplight, her smile was serene, and the sheen in her eyes was like a lake mirroring the evening glow — it was, momentarily, dazzling.

Xu Lingyi reached out instinctively and patted her on the head.

Always treating her like a small child.

Eleventh Lady tipped her head sideways.

Xu Lingyi’s hand met empty air.

He was taken aback.

“You’ve gone and messed up my hair again.” Eleventh Lady complained with a slight pout.

Xu Lingyi could no longer hold back his laughter.

The earlier unpleasantness dissolved completely, like smoke carried off by the wind.

Seeing the faint tiredness between Eleventh Lady’s brows, and remembering that she had gone out today, had just taken over managing the household, and had a great deal still to see to early tomorrow morning, a quiet tenderness stirred in him. He smiled. “You should sleep first — I still want to think over Wang Jiubao’s memorial more carefully.”

Eleventh Lady was indeed rather tired. After exchanging a few more light words with Xu Lingyi, she settled herself down to sleep on her own.

Half between waking and dreaming, she drifted into a warm embrace, and she adjusted herself a little, sinking deeper into sleep.

—

The very next morning, the news of Qiao Lianfang’s confinement to her quarters spread through the entire household. Wen Yiniang and Qin Yiniang both took great care to keep their distance from Qiao Lianfang. Xiu Yuan found that people looked at her differently when she walked down the corridors.

With that thought, her expression fell into shadows.

Coming the other way was Qin Yiniang.

Qin Yiniang led her maid Cui’er, and her whole face was alight with happiness.

Xiu Yuan stepped to the side.

Qin Yiniang’s smile dimmed slightly when she saw her. “Why, it’s Xiu Yuan!”

Xiu Yuan noticed that Cui’er was wearing a grass-green sleeveless vest and carrying a bright red felt blanket, and thought of the gossip the young maids had been spreading a few days ago — how Eleventh Lady had confined the Second Young Master to his quarters and how, fearing Eleventh Lady’s displeasure, Qin Yiniang had stayed up overnight making her shoes. The corners of her mouth curved faintly downward. “Where is Qin Yiniang off to?”

“Oh!” Qin Yiniang smiled with genuine simplicity. “Master Ji Ning has come to visit the Fifth Madam. I embroidered some scripture text and am asking her to help me have it offered at the temple — the Second Young Master has had a somewhat unsettled time of things lately.”

A woman who couldn’t read a single character — embroidering scripture!

Xiu Yuan laughed inwardly with contempt, exchanged a few flat pleasantries, and the two of them went their separate ways.

Qiao Lianfang had wept through several long spells and was vomiting heavily, and had grown gaunt and exhausted, her whole person hollowed out.

When Xiu Yuan came back, she said listlessly, “Well? Did you find any way through?”

Xiu Yuan shook her head, her expression downcast.

Qiao Lianfang had never in her wildest imaginings expected Xu Lingyi to treat her this way. She had turned every word of their exchange over in her mind countless times and could not fathom which sentence she had said wrong. She was frightened and frantic now, and desperately needed someone to help her form a plan.

And so she had sent Xiu Yuan out to find a way to get a letter to her mother.

But everyone, the moment they saw it was Xiu Yuan who was asking, either refused outright or agreed immediately but demanded such exorbitant fees for the errand that it amounted to open extortion. Xiu Yuan still feared those people would pocket the silver and never actually deliver the letter, leaving them with nothing.

Qiao Lianfang buried her face in the bolster pillow and wept quietly.

Xiu Yuan was genuinely afraid she might cry herself into something serious. She sat beside her, offering comfort without stop.

Qiao Lianfang groaned, “What’s the use of saying all this now. If I had known it would come to this, I would have just had my mother come to see me directly — I had only wanted Xu Family to make the invitation so that Mother could come with more face about it!”

But Xiu Yuan, listening to this, had a sudden flash of inspiration. “My Lady — Reverend Ji Ning is at the Fifth Madam’s.”

Qiao Third Madam was a devout Buddhist. Ji Ning often came and went from Duke Chengguo’s residence as well. When Qiao Lianfang was small, Ji Ning had even given her a sandalwood prayer bead bracelet that had been consecrated.

“You’re saying, have her help carry a letter back?” Qiao Lianfang’s eyes lit up.

“Yes!” Xiu Yuan said. “I heard from Qin Yiniang that Reverend Ji Ning came to the household today to see the Fifth Madam — while the two nannies are both outside, write quickly and I’ll go see what the situation is at the Fifth Madam’s.”

Qiao Lianfang nodded rapidly, dashed off a brief letter. Xiu Yuan tucked the letter into her knee-wrap, and then went to the Fifth Madam’s quarters.

Only to find the Grand Madam was there as well.

Xiu Yuan dared not approach, and hovered about uncertainly for quite some time. Then she ran into Qin Yiniang, who was just coming out from the Fifth Madam’s.

Qin Yiniang was startled to see her.

Xiu Yuan, feeling guilty, quickly smiled and offered, “I came to the garden for a little walk.”

Qin Yiniang sensed that this subject was not a safe one. She smiled and went on her way with Cui’er toward the garden gate.

Xiu Yuan then heard a commotion coming from within Zhaozhuan Hall, and afraid it might be the Grand Madam heading home, she had no choice but to make her way back.

Qin Yiniang and Xiu Yuan were going in the same direction; whether they went quickly or slowly they always ended up on the same path, and it was awkward to ignore each other entirely.

Xiu Yuan could only smile and make small talk with Qin Yiniang: “Did Yiniang manage to deliver her scripture?”

It is said one should not strike a smiling face — and besides, they all lived in the same courtyard and saw each other morning and night.

“It was delivered!” Qin Yiniang chatted with her.

“Why was the Grand Madam also at the Fifth Madam’s? Had she come to see Reverend Ji Ning?”

“The Grand Madam went to see the Second Miss,” Qin Yiniang replied. “She happened to run into Reverend Ji Ning there.”

“Ah!”

There was nothing more to say.

But the path was long.

Qin Yiniang cast about for something to fill the silence, and after a moment said, “Is Qiao Yiniang well?” The moment the words were out, she regretted saying them.

Xiu Yuan, however, took Qin Yiniang’s question as deliberate needling, and simply said outright: “Yiniang can’t understand why the Marquis became so angry. She’s been weeping day and night — she’s already grown quite gaunt.”

Qin Yiniang gasped. “That simply will not do — she is carrying a child.” After a pause, she added, “The Marquis is a man who holds old affections dear. Confining your Yiniang to her quarters is surely only a momentary fit of anger. Once Qiao Yiniang gives birth to a son, things will be fine.”

Give birth to a son? Who could guarantee the child would be a son?

Easy enough to say when it’s not your worry.

She gives birth to a son, rises in one step to the sky…

The thought stopped right there on that last sentence.

“How did Yiniang come to give birth to a son?” The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Qin Yiniang was visibly startled.

Xiu Yuan immediately realized she had said the wrong thing. She quickly recovered with a smile: “I was asking whether Qin Yiniang has any secret method for conceiving a son.”

Qin Yiniang stared blankly for a moment, then said, “I have no such method. But the previous Lady — the present Lady’s elder sister — conceived the Fourth Young Master by praying for a blessing from Reverend Changchun. I imagine there must be some method involved.”

Xiu Yuan’s eyes lit up with a gleam as she listened, and her mind already drifted elsewhere as she chatted distractedly with Qin Yiniang all the way to the east corner gate. Qin Yiniang went to see Eleventh Lady, while Xiu Yuan bolted back to her own small courtyard.

“My Lady, My Lady. I just heard something.” Xiu Yuan stood before Qiao Lianfang, breathless and flushed red with excitement. “Qin Yiniang says the reason Yuan Niang was able to give birth to a son was because she took a secret formula from Reverend Changchun.”

The listless Qiao Lianfang shot upright instantly, seizing Xiu Yuan’s hand. “What did you say?” Her hand was trembling faintly.

Xiu Yuan drew a deep breath and steadied herself, then said clearly and distinctly: “Qin Yiniang says that Yuan Niang was able to give birth to a son entirely because of a secret formula from Reverend Changchun!”

“Reverend Changchun…” Qiao Lianfang was overcome with jubilation. “He once came as a guest to Duke Chengguo’s residence. I remember that at the time, my great-uncle gifted him a pair of zitan wood paperweights…”

“My Lady, let’s mention this to Madam in the letter too!” Xiu Yuan said, pulling out the letter Qiao Lianfang had just written. “Have Madam help look into it. If it is true, she can also help make arrangements for you. Just look at Qin Yiniang — isn’t she exactly where she is today because she gave birth to a son? In terms of character or looks, there are so many women in this household who are far better than she is…”

—