Eleventh Miss did as instructed, telling the kitchen to prepare food and wine, then returned to the Grand Madam’s rooms.

Seventh Miss was in the middle of recounting her journey: “…There was an inn called Gao’s Inn — the flatbread was baked so thin it was like a sheet of paper; rolled up with minced meat, it was absolutely delicious. But the rooms were so dirty I didn’t dare stay, so I kept the carriage in the courtyard and spent the night in it. And when I left, the innkeeper still charged me for the best room…”

The Grand Madam was laughing so hard she was nearly doubled over on the kang, and the children sat on the nearby armchairs, all listening with rapt delight — Xu Siyu in particular, his eyes bright.

Seeing Eleventh Miss come in, Seventh Miss broke off her story and smiled: “Did you find the Marquis’s wooden clogs?”

Since Xu Lingyi had used the clogs as a pretext to summon her, he clearly did not want others to know that Zhu Anping had come. She smiled: “Found them!” Then she urged the children to go rest: “It’s getting late…”

Zhun Ge still lingered reluctantly, but Xu Siyu had already risen to bow to the Grand Madam and to Eleventh Miss.

Eleventh Miss had Xu Siyu take Xu Sijie back to Lijing Pavilion, while she herself accompanied Seventh Miss and Zhen Jie’er westward. At Biyi Sluice Gate they parted — Zhen Jie’er went toward Shaohua Courtyard, and Eleventh Miss walked Seventh Miss to Fragrant Retreat.

“Seventh Brother-in-Law has come.” She raised her teacup and took a quiet sip.

Seventh Miss, who was in the middle of changing, stiffened.

“The Marquis is entertaining him with wine.” Eleventh Miss said. “With curfew soon, he’ll most likely stay in the outer courtyard tonight.”

Seventh Miss heard this but said nothing.

Eleventh Miss counseled gently: “Seventh Brother-in-Law has come all the way from Gaoqing with sincere intentions. You should at least give him a little face. Why not take tonight to think things over carefully and decide what to say when you meet him tomorrow.”

“What is there to say?” Seventh Miss lowered her head. “Unless I have a son, nothing I say will matter.”

“How can it not matter?” Eleventh Miss stepped forward and stood beside the carved flower screen. “The life you live is shaped by the people who live it. If what’s come between you is simply the trouble of having no children, then talk it through plainly. Either resolve yourselves to take in a concubine to bear a son who can be raised under your name, or ask Seventh Brother-in-Law to give you some time — see a doctor, pray at a temple — anything is better than running away every time things get difficult.”

“I…” Seventh Miss raised her head, her lips parting and closing, wanting to say something but holding back.

Loving spouses — who would want a third person intruding between them? But such words could not be spoken aloud; to speak them would be to appear jealous and petty.

Eleventh Miss understood her feelings. She said gently: “Seventh Sister, why not take this opportunity while you’re in Yanjing to see a doctor here? If there’s still no news after three or five years, you can decide what to do then — there’s still time.”

This would also give the Zhu family an account, and prevent people from gossiping that Seventh Miss had left home in a fit of temper over the matter of heirs.

Seventh Miss’s spirits lifted noticeably.

Seeing that she had understood her meaning, Eleventh Miss felt a measure of relief. She smiled: “If Seventh Sister is willing, I’ll ask the Marquis tomorrow morning to invite Seventh Brother-in-Law to the outer study, and you two can talk things through there. Seventh Brother-in-Law has made the rare trip to Yanjing — if you can resolve this estrangement sooner, you’ll have more time together to visit family and see the sights of the capital.”

Seventh Miss was moved.

“Then it’s settled.” Eleventh Miss smiled and rose to take her leave, returning to the Fishing Pavilion.

Xu Lingyi had not yet come back. She found some deep red silk thread, sat on the kang, and applied herself to braiding a plum blossom cluster cord.

Before long, Xu Lingyi returned.

Eleventh Miss dropped the slipper she had been stitching and stood up.

“What are you making?” Xu Lingyi was already striding over.

A slight flush of wine colored his expression. He looked at the deep red plum blossom cluster cord lying quietly in the small rattan basket: “Braiding a cord?”

“Mm.” Eleventh Miss answered briefly, tidying up with one hand and instructing a young maidservant to bring a sobering soup with the other.

But Xu Lingyi picked up the cord and examined it: “So fine, so intricate — what is it for?”

“To thread something onto.” Eleventh Miss took the cord back and set it casually in the small rattan basket.

Xu Lingyi settled himself onto the kang.

The young maidservant brought the sobering soup.

Eleventh Miss took it and handed it to Xu Lingyi herself: “Has Seventh Brother-in-Law retired for the night?”

Xu Lingyi nodded, raised the soup and drank it in one go, then let out a long breath: “He’s been settled in a guest room in the outer courtyard.”

Eleventh Miss took the bowl and placed it on the red lacquered begonia-shaped tray the maidservant was holding, then gestured to the attending maids, who silently filed out one by one.

“What did you two talk about?” She sat down beside Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi leaned back against the large cushion covered in pale yellow fine kudzu cloth: “He said they had a marital quarrel — he had upset Seventh Aunt so much she went back to her maternal home. He went to her family’s house the same night to bring her back, and that’s when he learned she had come to Yanjing. So he rode hard to follow her here.”

Only two days had passed before he found her.

Even if the grand canopied carriage had been conspicuous, it still took time to track down the information.

What surprised Eleventh Miss even more was that Zhu Anping had placed all the blame squarely on himself.

“What else did he say?”

“Not much beyond that.” Xu Lingyi said. “Since it was a marital dispute, it wasn’t my place to press further.”

Eleventh Miss nodded inwardly.

Seventh Miss had left home over the matter of a concubine — if that were to spread, she would inevitably bear the reputation of being ungracious. Yet Zhu Anping, whatever his actions might have been and however his feelings toward Seventh Miss truly stood, had been able to speak protectively of her even before an outsider. At the very least, he was a man who cared about appearances. Such a person was generally reasonable — and easiest to communicate with.

“I can see that Zhu Anping speaks and carries himself with boldness tempered by composure — he is not a reckless man. And for him to swallow his pride and chase her all the way to Yanjing…” Xu Lingyi said. “You should do your best to counsel Seventh Aunt. Let her stay a few days in Yanjing, then go back to Gaoqing with Zhu Anping.”

The root of the conflict between Seventh Miss and Zhu Anping was the matter of children. Without resolving that, even if Seventh Miss went back, there was no guarantee she would not leave again. And if this happened too many times, even the most loving couple would grow weary. Many marriages were ruined this way.

“I have already told Seventh Sister about Seventh Brother-in-Law coming to find her.” Eleventh Miss said pensively. “There are some things Seventh Sister still hasn’t been able to work around yet…” She shared with Xu Lingyi her idea of having Seventh Miss and Zhu Anping meet privately in the outer study.

“Certainly.” Xu Lingyi said. “Tomorrow I’ll invite Zhu Anping, and you bring Seventh Aunt to the outer study.”

Eleventh Miss nodded, and as she helped Xu Lingyi prepare for bed, she hesitated several times on the verge of speaking.

Xu Lingyi found this strange.

Eleventh Miss was not the kind of person to hem and haw.

“What is it?” His voice softened.

Though it touched on Seventh Miss’s privacy, if this matter was not understood clearly, Eleventh Miss felt Seventh Miss’s situation would be difficult to resolve.

Even so, she hesitated a moment before speaking: “Before Seventh Brother-in-Law married Seventh Sister, there were concubines in the household, and he had also kept a performer. I would like to ask you to sound him out — among those women, whether any of them ever had children.”

Xu Lingyi understood immediately: “Is this about the matter of heirs?”

Eleventh Miss nodded: “It would help greatly to know on whose side the difficulty lies.”

This was naturally something best asked of Seventh Miss. But she truly was not certain whether Seventh Miss knew anything about Zhu Anping’s life before their marriage.

“That may not be so easy.” Xu Lingyi poured a cool stream of doubt over her hopes. “Without a wife at the time, even if such things did happen, there would have been efforts to cover them up.”

That was true. Otherwise, Second Madam would certainly never have let Seventh Miss marry into the Zhu family.

Eleventh Miss was a little disheartened.

But Xu Lingyi laughed it off: “What is there to worry about? If there’s still no news after a few years, just bring someone into the household — problem solved.”

Talking to him about this was like playing music to a cow. Eleventh Miss changed the subject and brought up the matter of hosting the Jiang family: “…First there was my coming-of-age ceremony. If there’s still no movement on our end, they may feel we’re being rather neglectful.”

“Everything has converged at once.” Xu Lingyi said. “If Seventh Aunt’s matter can be settled in the next couple of days, set the date for the fifteenth. If there are still complications, send a Nanny over to pay them a courtesy call first and then arrange a time — delay it a few days.”

Eleventh Miss assented.

“And the Li family matter,” Xu Lingyi said, “cannot be delayed any further. Find a time in the next day or two to go and have a look. If you’re satisfied, go ahead and settle it. That way the Wang family matter can be resolved sooner too. Dragging it out too long risks turning it into a grievance.”

To decide Zhen Jie’er’s future so quickly — Eleventh Miss couldn’t help feeling a twinge of hesitation.

“What is it?” Xu Lingyi saw her expression and smiled. “Is it that you feel the Li family’s means are too modest?”

“That’s not it.” Eleventh Miss said. “What one’s father has, what one’s mother has — none of it is the same as what you have yourself. It’s just that I haven’t seen the boy, so I have no feeling for it.”

Xu Lingyi recalled how she had made a point of mentioning the match that First Mistress Lin had proposed. He smiled: “So you’ve seen the Shao family’s boy?”

“I caught a glimpse when I went to return First Mistress Lin’s courtesy call.” Eleventh Miss said. “Tall, good-looking. He and our Zhen Jie’er would make a very well-matched pair.”

This actually gave Xu Lingyi some pause.

Eleventh Miss’s judgment was generally sound, and if she said as much, she had her reasons. Besides, Zhen Jie’er was unusually tall for a girl.

He considered for a while, then said: “Still, wait until you’ve seen the Li family’s son.” His tone softened somewhat.

Indeed — he hadn’t even laid eyes on Li Ji himself. To reach a conclusion now was premature.

“Then I’ll find a time to go meet the Li family’s second son.” Eleventh Miss smiled and rose to attend to Xu Lingyi as he settled for the night.

Xu Lingyi noticed the faint outline of a red silk ribbon inside her collar — she had hung the jade pendant he had given her against her chest. He smiled, kissed her gently on the cheek, and then lay down.

—

Early the next morning, after paying their respects to the Grand Madam, Eleventh Miss accompanied Seventh Miss to the outer study.

Xu Lingyi and Zhu Anping were seated on the large kang by the window, drinking tea. Standing behind Zhu Anping was a young girl with almond-shaped eyes and peach-blossom cheeks.

Eleventh Miss was startled.

She looked again — it was Xiangyu.

She could not help but glance at Seventh Miss.

Seventh Miss’s face had already turned to iron.

“First Mistress,” Xiangyu fell to her knees with a thud, “you have wronged the Master… ” Tears poured down her face. “I have served you since I was small — if you don’t trust me, surely you at least trust the Master?”

Hearing this, Eleventh Miss quickly looked at Zhu Anping.

The handsome and fine-featured Zhu Anping’s expression was still as deep water, though the corner of one eye twitched almost imperceptibly.

“Xiangyu,” Eleventh Miss said with a smile, “please step back for now. Whatever you have to say can wait. I still have things to discuss with your Master and First Mistress.”

“Madam!” Xiangyu rose through tear-blurred eyes, her expression full of forlorn grief.

Eleventh Miss gave Hupo a meaningful look.

Hupo understood at once and stepped forward to support Xiangyu: “Sister Xiangyu, come wash your face with me.”

Xu Lingyi also stood, using the pretext of needing to speak with Eleventh Miss, and led her out the door.

Linbo came running up.

“My lord,” he panted, lowering his voice, “the Principal Consort of the First Imperial Prince has been selected!”

—