Shiyiniang said nothing, and Xu Lingyi found himself entirely without interest.
He laughed self-deprecatingly, lost the desire to continue, and lowered his head to drink his tea.
“What did My Lord discover?” A soft, low voice suddenly broke the silence of the room.
Xu Lingyi started. He looked up. The wife sitting across from him had her head bowed, eyes fixed unblinkingly on the embroidery in her hands, still busy at work — had he not seen the slight upward curl at the corner of her lips, he might have thought he had imagined it.
Several days of silence, and now she had suddenly spoken… Was it because his words had piqued Shiyiniang’s curiosity? Or had her anger already run its course? Whichever it was, this was an opening to break the ice between them, and Xu Lingyi would not let it slip by.
A faint, quiet gladness came into his eyes.
“The women the Qu Family openly recommended to the Ministry of Rites are all known throughout their regions for their virtuous reputations. But as for the women they put forward through unofficial channels — I sent someone to make inquiries — and by all accounts, they are said to be extraordinarily beautiful in appearance.” The warmth and ease in Xu Lingyi’s voice was unchanged from before, though now it carried a trace of lightness.
These past several days had left him somewhat ill at ease. Now that she was willing to soften and speak with him again, lowering her guard just a little… Shiyiniang’s hands gradually slowed their work, and she looked up with an expression of attentiveness, offering them both a way forward.
A cold war was meant to make the other party understand her position — but a cold war that dragged on too long served no purpose other than to sow discord between husband and wife.
“This is a selection for the First Imperial Prince’s Principal Consort, not a selection of concubines for the Emperor — and only one Principal Consort will be chosen. How could someone remarkable in appearance possibly rival a woman of impeccable moral character when it comes to the likelihood of being selected? By conventional wisdom, the Qu Family should have already identified a woman of outstanding virtue and beauty from among their candidates to build support around her, with one or two additional names as backup, so as to ensure their recommended candidate would ultimately catch the eye of the Empress Dowager and Her Majesty the Empress. Yet the Qu Family’s conduct in this matter has seemed rather chaotic — pressing on both fronts at once, openly and covertly, until their people within the Ministry of Rites were placed in an extremely difficult position, not knowing which way to turn. As a result, the Yang Family managed to come out ahead.”
Shiyiniang raised her head and looked at Xu Lingyi, her expression one of undisguised surprise.
Xu Lingyi glanced at her with a quiet smile. “Still angry?”
“Yes, still angry.” Shiyiniang looked at him squarely and said with complete frankness, “The same thing happened with Sijie before. My Lord handed the child over to me without so much as a word of warning and left me beside myself with worry for days. And now this again… You never once think to inform me when something arises. How could I not be angry?”
“I also understand — a man of his word must honor his commitments. Even though My Lord’s agreement with Master Xiang was only a verbal one, it was still a promise My Lord made. Even if my heart were entirely unwilling, for the sake of My Lord’s reputation, I ought not say a word about going to meet the young ladies of the Xiang Family. I should see this marriage carried through with all due ceremony and festivity. But understanding is one thing; the resentment in my heart is another matter entirely.”
As she spoke, a trace of displeasure showed itself on her face once more. “My Lord also said — in arranging this match for Siyu, one consideration was his future prospects, and another was the harmony of the household. When brothers each have their own path to pursue, they will not be preoccupied with contending over the family estate. I found this reasoning perfectly sound. You planned everything so thoroughly and with such foresight, and you had the keen-eyed Second Sister-in-law to act as go-between. If you had only sat down and explained it all to me beforehand, even if I were dull-witted, I would have thought of your devotion to your children, of the generosity of the Xiang Family in offering their legitimate daughter to Siyu — and I could only have felt gratitude toward them and toward Second Sister-in-law. Where would there have been any room for resentment, or for making a scene about wanting to see the Xiang daughter and putting you, Master Xiang, and Second Sister-in-law all to shame? My Lord refused at the time — you must have thought I was being unreasonable and inconsiderate.”
When Xu Lingyi heard Shiyiniang say that “no matter how unwilling she might be, for the sake of his reputation she would see the marriage through with full ceremony and celebration,” he felt a pang of guilt. And when she spoke of “making a scene about wanting to see the Xiang daughter in a moment of anger,” he understood that it had only been words said in a fit of pique. His heart lifted with relief. When she then asked him “did you think I was being unreasonable and inconsiderate?” he quickly said, “No, no, not at all!”
Shiyiniang let that pass as though she hadn’t heard it. She continued: “My Lord does not know — those few days when I encountered Second Sister-in-law, I could not bring myself to say a word about it, let alone offer a word of thanks. A more magnanimous person would smile and let it go. But someone with less generosity of spirit might privately mock me for being ungrateful; or might feel they had accepted someone’s trust and given their best efforts, only to have gone to all that trouble for nothing. Now that I know the truth, how am I supposed to face Second Sister-in-law? And how am I to bring this matter up with her?”
Xu Lingyi felt deeply embarrassed. He murmured, “Second Sister-in-law is not the sort of narrow-minded person…”
That much Shiyiniang did hear. She sighed: “Precisely because Second Sister-in-law is not narrow-minded, we should treat her with all the more sincerity and show her proper respect. Otherwise, I would not feel so uneasy about this.” She continued, “And now that I think of it, if the Second Miss Xiang truly has the gentle and obedient temperament Second Sister-in-law speaks of, she would be quite a good match for Siyu. Even as his stepmother, I want what is best for him; I want his brothers and sisters-in-law to live in harmony and the Xu Family to prosper and flourish. For such a fine affair to have been stirred into such a state of turmoil!” And she gave Xu Lingyi a look.
He could not help but feel abashed. But his mind was still on the matter of Shiyiniang’s wish to meet the Xiang daughter, and he pressed on with some difficulty: “Then… the young lady of the Xiang Family?”
“Of course I will go and see her!”
Xu Lingyi gave a wry smile.
“Master Xiang has agreed to give his legitimate daughter in marriage to our family — could I, as the future mother-in-law, not ask a single question?” Shiyiniang said with a reproachful look. “After all, Second Sister-in-law is a daughter of the Xiang Family herself. Surely we cannot ask Second Sister-in-law to go and negotiate the betrothal gifts and the bride price with Madam Xiang?”
Xu Lingyi felt the tension in his chest ease: “Yes, of course she should be seen!” The smile could not be kept from his face.
Shiyiniang rose and called Yanrong in to help her change.
“Are you going now?” Xu Lingyi rose with her, looking at her with surprise. “Is that not a little too hasty?”
“Who said anything about going now!” Shiyiniang shot him a glance. “We would have to wait at least until after Elder Sister’s mourning rite is complete. I am going to Second Sister-in-law’s — right now.”
“What for?” Xu Lingyi was taken aback, his expression slightly tense.
Shiyiniang recalled what she had heard earlier about the discord between the first Madam Yuan and the Second Madam…
From the look of him, the old friction between Madam Yuan and the Second Madam had left Xu Lingyi as skittish as a bow-startled bird.
She suppressed the urge to laugh and said, “To thank Second Sister-in-law, of course. She helped bring about such a fine match for Siyu, and has relieved My Lord of a great worry… Not knowing is one thing, but now that I do know, I must go in person to express my gratitude to Second Sister-in-law.” She then paused for a moment and added, “Why does My Lord not come along? It would make the gesture all the more meaningful.”
Xu Lingyi felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The gladness showed in the very corners of his eyes and brows: “Of course I’ll come along! Of course I’ll come along!”
Shiyiniang covered her smile with her sleeve, called Chunmo in to help Xu Lingyi change, and went herself to wash up and freshen her appearance in the side room. She changed into a pale yellow jacket embroidered with grass-green propitious cloud motifs, and set off with Xu Lingyi toward Shaohua Courtyard.
Along the way, she took the initiative to ask him: “Will the First Imperial Prince Consort be chosen from the Yang Family?”
“That seems unlikely,” Xu Lingyi replied. “In the end, the Emperor himself will have the final say.”
“Then what My Lord finds suspicious about the Qu Family — what exactly is at the root of it?”
The maids followed at a considerable distance behind them. The two of them slowed their pace, talking as they walked.
“Marquis Jinghai has nine sons and three daughters. The first, fourth, sixth, and seventh sons are all legitimate; the rest are born of concubines. The Imperial Noble Consort is the second daughter of the third branch. The eldest son was designated as heir apparent thirty years ago. In recent years, as Marquis Jinghai has grown advanced in age, all household affairs have been managed by the heir apparent, who has built considerable prestige throughout the Fujian region. He came to court the year of the Emperor’s accession, and I had occasion to meet him several times. He is a man of remarkably composed and measured conduct.” Xu Lingyi’s expression gradually grew serious. “In the struggle for succession, the victor becomes the king and the vanquished the criminal — it is a risk that could bring ruin upon an entire family. No one would venture lightly without a substantial measure of certainty. The Qu Family’s conduct during the affair of the Fifth Imperial Prince was far too eager and impetuous. Because of this, I quietly sought out Wang Jiubao and asked him about the situation within the Qu Family, in case there was something I was unaware of.” He paused, his expression growing heavy. “But as it turned out, what Wang Jiubao told me was much the same as what I already knew. Then came this matter of recommending candidates for the First Imperial Prince Consort. In both instances, the approach was strikingly similar — insufficient follow-through, at times soft and hasty, at other times polished and careful…” He stopped walking and looked at Shiyiniang. “I suspect there is something wrong within the Qu Family itself.”
Matters touched by politics always grew complicated. Even if she knew, Shiyiniang felt she could offer Xu Lingyi little practical help. She said directly: “Then is it good for our family, or bad?”
“It is difficult to say just yet.” Xu Lingyi gave a faint smile, and smoothly shifted course: “Though I expect it is probably good.”
If it was good, that was enough.
Shiyiniang walked alongside him and turned the conversation to Siyu: “…Since you intend for him to pursue the path of the imperial examinations, finding him a teacher has become an urgent matter. I was thinking — when we go to Second Sister-in-law’s later — why not ask her to help find someone? She might know of a suitable candidate.”
But Xu Lingyi said, “Second Sister-in-law has been a widow for some years and has long since lost touch with most of her former acquaintances. How could we keep troubling her? I was thinking of sending Siyu to Master Jiang at the Qinxi Academy in Le’an to study. What do you think?”
Shiyiniang was mildly startled.
Xu Siyu was only twelve. To send him so far away to study — was he truly willing?
“Jade uncut will not become a gem.” The thought had barely flickered through her mind when Xu Lingyi continued: “Besides, Master Jiang’s scholarship and character are beyond question. Going there to broaden his horizons will open his mind and enlarge his perspective. It can only benefit him in the long run.”
“When did My Lord come to this decision?” Shiyiniang laughed. “And not a word of it mentioned to me.”
“You were the one who reminded me of it,” Xu Lingyi said with a smile. “Did you not say that reading ten thousand books cannot compare to traveling ten thousand miles? Since Siqin could follow Third Elder Brother to his posting and endure those hardships, Siyu ought to be tempered as well.”
Reminded was perhaps too strong a word — but perhaps it had nudged him in that direction.
Knowing how vast the world is teaches a person how small they are. Perhaps Xu Siyu would come to cherish the title of Marquis Yongping all the more — or perhaps he would come to understand that there are things in this world more important than a noble title. Though it was a double-edged sword, who could know the outcome without trying?
Shiyiniang smiled faintly. Shaohua Courtyard was just ahead.
—