“Don’t cry.” Shiyiniang took out a handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes. “Did you not also say that it isn’t necessarily always the woman’s fault when there’s no child? Besides, you’ve only just married. There are many people who don’t have children until several years after the wedding. Look at me — there’s been no news either.”

Seventh Young Miss reached over and took the handkerchief to wipe her own eyes: “You and I are different.” She pouted. “The Marquis already has sons and daughters — Zhu Pingan is the only son in his family…” She felt all the more dejected.

“All the more reason you shouldn’t have run away,” Shiyiniang said, thinking of her impulsive nature. “Now that you’ve run off like this, if your husband gets angry and takes a concubine into his room, won’t that make you even angrier?”

Seventh Young Miss sat up, biting her lip, twisting her handkerchief in her hands, lost in thought.

Shiyiniang seized the moment to offer her a way out: “Stay here with me for a few days and let your husband worry. When he comes to fetch you, go back with him in good spirits. If you’re still upset about something, tell him — Shandong and Yanjing aren’t that far apart, and coming here to clear your head is perfectly fine, or going to stay with Fourth Sister for a couple of days is also good. Just don’t let yourself suffer needlessly.”

Seventh Young Miss said nothing, but her expression eased somewhat.

Shiyiniang smiled, and was just about to urge her to sleep, when Nanny Song returned.

“The Marquis says he’ll spend the night at Banyue Pavilion and asks Madam and Seventh Aunt to retire early as well.”

Shiyiniang nodded and was about to say “understood,” when Seventh Young Miss beside her gave a little “hm” and said: “At least he has some sense!” As if she were deliberately making things difficult for Xu Lingyi.

Although Seventh Young Miss could be spoiled and willful, she was not truly ungovernable.

Shiyiniang smiled and pulled back the quilt to lie down: “What are you two keeping from me?”

It seemed that over the matter of buying the horses, there were some lingering aftereffects.

“Never mind that!” Seventh Young Miss said fiercely. “The fact that I didn’t call him brother-in-law is already giving him face!”

Shiyiniang couldn’t help pressing her hand to her forehead.

This Seventh Young Miss — because of the history between Yuanniang and her, the Luo family simply called Xu Lingyi “the Marquis.”

She changed the subject and talked with Seventh Young Miss about visiting Fourth Young Miss the next day.

Seventh Young Miss was perhaps exhausted from the journey — after a few brief replies, she fell asleep.

The next morning when Shiyiniang rose, Seventh Young Miss’s quilt had long since been pushed aside. In the early morning chill of early summer, she had curled up against Shiyiniang’s side, lips pouted, sleeping like a child.

Shiyiniang smiled and pulled the quilt back over her, rose quietly, instructed the maids not to disturb her, had Nanny Song set breakfast at Xu Lingyi’s quarters, and after freshening up, went to Banyue Pavilion.

“Is Seventh Aunt still upset?” Xu Lingyi was wearing a lake-blue Hangzhou silk daoist robe. A night’s rest had left him looking refreshed and alert. In the morning light he appeared particularly clean and clear.

Shiyiniang ladled out a bowl of congee made with millet and liu-yue-xue herb and placed it before Xu Lingyi: “I’m not sure what it’s about — she’s been unhappy throughout.”

Facing Shiyiniang, Xu Lingyi looked genuinely sheepish: “That was poorly done of me. See what she likes or what she wants — have it bought for her. Consider it my way of making it up to her.” He still didn’t say what exactly had happened.

Watching these two play a guessing game with her, Shiyiniang found, oddly, that she felt settled and at ease.

She didn’t press further, and brought up the matter of Zhen Jie’er’s marriage prospects.

Xu Lingyi ate his millet bun slowly, listening as Shiyiniang went through the various families.

“…When you returned yesterday, the Marquis, Lin First Young Madam was in the middle of telling me about this matter — that is why she deliberately stayed a little longer.”

Xu Lingyi listened and said thoughtfully: “If it were the Shao family, that would naturally be good. They are a clan of a hundred-year standing, with many capable people. But their family has an unspoken rule — all eldest sons stay behind to manage the family affairs, and they likely would not leave Cangzhou. If he were a second son, it would be different…”

This was the same concern Lin First Young Madam had had.

Shiyiniang did not mention the fan painting incident, not wanting to complicate matters unnecessarily.

“Let us first have a look at the second young master of the Li family,” Xu Lingyi said. “If that does not work out, we can discuss it further.”

“Mm.” Shiyiniang nodded, and stayed to share a small half-bowl of congee with Xu Lingyi. When she returned, Seventh Young Miss was still sleeping; Nanny Du was waiting for her in the front hall.

Knowing Seventh Young Miss had not yet risen, she said in a low voice: “The Grand Matriarch says to have you come over for a moment.”

Shiyiniang did not know what it was about. She told a young maid to go wake Mu Fu to attend to Seventh Young Miss when she rose, and followed Nanny Du to the Grand Matriarch’s quarters.

“Seventh Young Miss must have had a quarrel with her husband!” The Grand Matriarch saw through it in one remark.

“Your eyes are truly sharp!” Shiyiniang said with a laugh.

“I’ve seen it all before,” the Grand Matriarch said with a warm chuckle. “From what I can see, Seventh Young Miss is a girl who cannot bear to feel wronged. Since she wants to come here and take refuge with you, just pretend you don’t know anything and let her stay. If she has nowhere to turn and runs somewhere else, that could only cause more trouble. But husband and wife — they fight at the head of the bed and make up at the foot. The Gaoqing side — you should still send someone there with word. These next few days, just accompany her around and let her clear her mind. When the other side sends someone to fetch her, bring husband and wife together and give them both a good word of counsel. Once she remembers the feelings between them, no matter how great the anger, it will pass. She’ll go back to Gaoqing in good spirits.”

Shiyiniang knew the Grand Matriarch was guiding her on how to conduct herself.

She nodded earnestly and smiled: “Fourth Sister isn’t feeling well, is she? Seventh Young Miss asked me to take her to see Fourth Sister today. I was thinking of going after lunch. While we’re there, I can speak with Fourth Sister about how to send word to the Shandong side.”

“That is an even more reliable approach,” the Grand Matriarch said approvingly with a nod. “After all, they are sisters of the same mother — and Fourth Aunt is the elder sister. Some things she can say that you cannot; some things she can do that you cannot.”

Shiyiniang smiled and replied “yes.” Then Seventh Young Miss arrived.

The Grand Matriarch waved her over: “I’ve been waiting for you to have breakfast!”

Seventh Young Miss was a little embarrassed: “I didn’t realize I’d slept so late.”

“Not late at all,” the Grand Matriarch said. “Your sister has matters to attend to and rises earlier than all of us.” She then called a young maid to serve the morning meal. Shiyiniang again shared a small half-bowl with them.

Fifth Madam came in carrying Xin Jie’er.

The little one had grown strong enough to hold up her head and was glancing here and there, adorably alert.

Seventh Young Miss was utterly enchanted by her.

She had given Xin Jie’er a solid gold neck ring the day before — judging by the look of it, that too must have weighed a good ten-odd qian.

The Grand Matriarch kept Seventh Young Miss to talk, while Shiyiniang went to the West Flower Hall to put the household affairs in order, and then had lunch at the Grand Matriarch’s. In the afternoon, she and Seventh Young Miss went to visit Fourth Young Miss.

Fourth Young Miss looked a great deal better than the last time, though compared with before, she seemed to have aged seven or eight years — quite different from the elder sister Seventh Young Miss held in her heart. And Fourth Young Miss, seeing her youngest sister, who had grown up before her eyes, suddenly appearing from faraway Shandong, was deeply moved. The two sisters embraced and wept before they could begin to speak.

When she learned that Fourth Young Miss’s illness could be cured with medicine, and that Shiyiniang had regularly sent people to inquire after her health, Seventh Young Miss was truly grateful and said magnanimously: “All right then — whatever business it is with the Marquis, I won’t hold a grudge.”

Shiyiniang heard this and broke into a private sweat.

Fourth Young Miss pressed her again and again to explain what had happened.

“It’s nothing, really,” Seventh Young Miss told Fourth Young Miss about Xu Lingyi purchasing her horses on the road. “…And it was also Eleventh Sister’s coming-of-age ceremony, so I came to the Xu residence first. The Grand Matriarch was very warm in her welcome, and by the time evening came it was too late to set out again, so I stayed there.”

Fourth Young Miss heard this with some puzzlement, but did not press further, and listened with a smile as Seventh Young Miss chatted cheerfully about amusing things in Gaoqing and scenes from the journey.

When Fourth Miss’s husband Yu Yiqing returned, while Seventh Young Miss was occupied talking with him, Fourth Young Miss lowered her voice and asked Shiyiniang: “What has actually happened?”

Shiyiniang gave a brief account of the matter.

Fourth Young Miss considered for a moment, then said — essentially the same thing as the Grand Matriarch: “…First, keep her settled. I will go and send word to Mother and Third Younger Brother.”

Shiyiniang nodded, relieved. They had dinner at Fourth Young Miss’s, and returned to Lotus Lane with Seventh Young Miss.

After paying their respects to the Grand Matriarch, Seventh Young Miss took the initiative to suggest going to have a look at Liufang Lodge.

In the height of early summer, Liufang Lodge was nestled against hills and water, surrounded by lush green trees and flowers. The main building was five bays wide, with a boat dock at the front and three additional rooms at the rear. Her belongings had all been arranged to her liking, and the young maids and coarse-work matrons were standing respectfully beneath the eaves. She was thoroughly pleased and announced her plan to go to Huguo Temple the next day for rice sausage.

Shiyiniang had someone go to the outer compound to inform Chief Steward Bai about the arrangement for the outing the next day.

Seventh Young Miss covered her mouth to suppress a laugh and shooed her away: “…Otherwise he really might end up spending the night in a concubine’s room, and then you’d come looking for me to settle the score.”

“Is that something a sister should say?” Shiyiniang gave her a sideways look and went back to her own quarters.

Xu Lingyi was not in the room, but had left Linbo behind waiting for her.

“The Marquis asks that you come to Banyue Pavilion.”

His eyes were flicking toward the space behind her, plainly checking whether Seventh Young Miss had followed along.

Shiyiniang smiled and went to Banyue Pavilion.

Xu Lingyi was in the study, looking over a stack of letter papers. Seeing her enter, he beckoned her over.

“I asked Ouyang Ming to look into it.” He handed the letter papers to Shiyiniang. “This Li Ji is truly quite impressive — have a look.”

Shiyiniang took the papers.

They were full of details about the second young master of the Li family, Li Ji — from his birth to the present day, all investigated with great thoroughness. Even the story of how, as a boy, he had been teased as “Young Miss Li the Second” on account of his delicate looks, and had driven himself to take up martial arts in response, was written out clearly.

“So what is the Marquis’s view?”

“Let it be Li Ji,” Xu Lingyi said. “To my eye, this boy is no ordinary fish in a pond.”

Shiyiniang thought of that one lingering, wistful glance from Shao Zhongran: “And what of the young master from the Shao family?”

“In terms of family standing, the Shao young master is naturally the better match,” Xu Lingyi said. “But generals and ministers are not born to their station — whether one becomes a dragon or a phoenix depends above all on the child’s own fortune. Besides, that Shao young master is far away in Cangzhou.” This settled the matter against a match with the Shao family. “In the next few days I will take some time to observe that Li boy myself, and see whether he is truly as shrewd and capable as people say. Then you can arrange to meet with Madam Li, so they may look each other over — there will be time enough for that.”

In the inner quarters, how could she possibly compare with Xu Lingyi’s connections and resources for inquiring into the background, character, and learning of prospective suitors?

She nodded in agreement.

Xu Lingyi then stood: “Come — let us go to Mother’s. We should tell her about this as well, and let her offer her opinion.”

In his heart he had already made up his mind. Speaking of it to the Grand Matriarch was, more than anything, a matter of respect.

Shiyiniang smiled and went with Xu Lingyi to the Grand Matriarch’s quarters.

The Grand Matriarch examined the letter papers carefully, then said with a smile: “What does the second young master of the Li family look like?”

“I haven’t met the young man yet,” Xu Lingyi said with a smile. “Though General Li cuts a handsome figure — I imagine his second son won’t be too far off the mark.”

The Grand Matriarch gave a slight approving nod, then said with a smile: “Seeing what you say of this second young master of Li, it puts me in mind of you when you were young. Mischievous enough to give people headaches, yet steady and sure when it came to proper matters.”

Hearing his mother’s praise, Xu Lingyi looked a touch sheepish.