Fifth Madam was clearly trying to turn a grave matter into a trifling one.

How could Xu Lingyi not see through her.

He patted Xu Lingkuan on the shoulder and said to Fifth Madam, “Don’t be so reckless in the future!”

Xu Lingkuan nodded repeatedly. “I won’t, I won’t!”

Fifth Madam let out a breath of relief and broke into a smile.

Second Madam rose to her feet at just the right moment. “Everyone disperse! Let Zhun Ge’er rest properly — two doses of a calming and soothing decoction and he will be fine!”

The maids and matrons attending each person withdrew at these words. The Grand Madam, however, sat down on a low stool. Xu Lingkuan, Fifth Madam, and the others naturally stayed behind as well. They watched as the Grand Madam took Zhun Ge’er’s little hand gently and asked him in a soft voice, “Is there anything you would like to eat? How about I have Nanny Du make you a longan and lotus seed soup?” Her face was full of concern.

“I’m all right!” Zhun Ge’er said in a thin voice. “I just want to sleep for a bit!” His expression held a trace of exhaustion.

The Grand Madam heard this and quickly said, “Good, good, good. I won’t disturb you. Sleep for a while!”

Zhun Ge’er closed his eyes.

Eleventh Young Madam, however, carried over a cup of green tea. “Zhun Ge’er, come — rinse your mouth before sleeping.”

Zhun Ge’er opened his eyes again at her words, let Eleventh Young Madam help him sit up to rinse his mouth, then lay back down.

Eleventh Young Madam tucked the corner of Zhun Ge’er’s quilt snugly and urged the Grand Madam, “You should go back and rest. I will keep watch here!”

The Grand Madam considered this briefly, then nodded. “Very well. I will go back first. If anything happens, send someone to fetch me!”

Eleventh Young Madam assented, and the Grand Madam left with Second Madam, Xu Lingkuan, and Fifth Madam back to the inner courtyard.

Only the husband and wife Xu Lingyi remained in the room.

Xu Lingyi suddenly said in a low voice, “Would you say this counts as an ‘undeserved calamity’?” His tone carried a note of hope.

Though he claimed to believe in neither Buddhism nor Taoism, there was still some unease in his heart.

Eleventh Young Madam said tactfully, “When things reach their lowest, fortune turns. Zhun Ge’er will be fine!”

Xu Lingyi nodded.

A physician arrived, breathing heavily from hurrying.

He took Zhun Ge’er’s pulse and reached the same diagnosis as Second Madam — the boy had merely suffered a fright. He prescribed two doses of heart-calming and spirit-settling medicine. Eleventh Young Madam instructed Hupo to go decoct the medicine, then said no more of it. Together with Xu Lingyi, she settled on the twenty-sixth day of the fifth month for the banquet celebrating Zhun Ge’er’s investiture as Heir.

The stewards of the Xu household grew busy. Eleventh Young Madam went to see Xu Siyu.

In summer, the courtyard of Lijing Pavilion was ablaze with color — scarlet sage, rose of Sharon, coral bellflower, pomegranate blossoms, crape myrtle — all blooming like clouds of rosy haze. Wenzhu, who had been directing the small maids to sweep the courtyard, was startled to see Eleventh Young Madam arrive and in a low voice told the small maids to inform Xu Siyu, then hurried forward herself to receive her.

“Where is the Second Young Master?” Eleventh Young Madam asked with a smile.

“The Second Young Master was up at the fifth quarter of the mao hour. After breakfast he began practicing his calligraphy and has not rested since.” There was a hint of anxiety in her voice, as though afraid Eleventh Young Madam might find fault.

Although Wenzhu and the others had been selected by Eleventh Young Madam, it was Xu Siyu they spent their days with. If he could not even win over the people closest to him, there was no point speaking of establishing his own household.

Eleventh Young Madam gave a faint smile and nodded, then saw Qinxiang escorting Xu Siyu toward them at an unhurried pace.

“Mother!” His body was held stiffly upright; his movements, though proper, lacked ease, which made him appear slightly constrained.

“I came especially to see you,” Eleventh Young Madam said with a smile. “I heard you were up early practicing calligraphy — I hope I have not disturbed you?”

Xu Siyu was momentarily taken aback and bent at the waist, about to bow and reply, but Eleventh Young Madam had already turned and walked toward his room.

He could only follow along, saying in a low voice, “I was just getting a little tired from practicing and was about to rest!”

“That is good then!” Eleventh Young Madam smiled and went into his room with him.

The three-room dwelling had the bedchamber on the east side and the study on the west.

They went to the study.

On the broad writing desk lay a sheet of xuan paper half covered in writing; a wolf-hair brush rested on the brush stand with a drop of ink still pooled at its tip — clearly, he had received word of her arrival and rushed out to receive her.

Eleventh Young Madam pretended not to notice. She walked to the writing desk and examined his calligraphy.

“It is not well done!” Xu Siyu said, flushing slightly.

“Not at all,” Eleventh Young Madam said with fair-mindedness. “Your characters have an elegant, delicate composition, and your brushwork is rounded and smooth — there is a quality of refined refinement about it. However, it does lack a certain backbone. If you continue this way, it risks becoming merely commonplace.”

Xu Siyu’s eyes lit up. “Then in Mother’s opinion, how would one go about having backbone?”

“Your finishing strokes flow as naturally as passing clouds and flowing water — that is a rare quality. But your strokes as you write lack force; there is even some hesitation in them…”

Eleventh Young Madam discussed calligraphy with Xu Siyu for the better part of an hour, then stopped in briefly at Xu Sijie’s place before returning to her own rooms.

The next day, she went to see Xu Siyu again.

Xu Siyu stared at Eleventh Young Madam in surprise.

She spoke only of calligraphy with him.

At first Xu Siyu was somewhat distracted, but as Eleventh Young Madam spoke with great insight, he gradually became absorbed, and began to discuss calligraphy and painting with her in earnest.

The third day, Eleventh Young Madam came again. Xu Siyu brought out his old works for her to look through, and the two of them exchanged further commentary. It was not until mealtime that Eleventh Young Madam took her leave.

Xu Siyu walked Eleventh Young Madam to the gate. He raised his gaze to look at her and said softly, “…I will practice my calligraphy diligently!” It sounded like a declaration, or perhaps an explanation.

Such intelligence…

Eleventh Young Madam smiled and nodded, then said in a low voice, “Then I will not disturb you further. Tomorrow the household is holding a banquet to celebrate your Fourth Brother’s investiture as Heir, and will be hosting relatives and friends.”

Xu Siyu clasped his hands and bowed, then watched as Eleventh Young Madam departed.

He had barely turned around when a maid wearing a deep red rough-woven grass-cloth sleeveless jacket darted out from a side path. “Second Young Master, the concubine sent me to look in on you.”

Xu Siyu stiffened, gave a soft “Mm,” and nodded.

The maid was already stepping forward with a full smile to curtsy before Xu Siyu…

* * *

After the banquet, the Xu and Jiang families began to discuss the marriage arrangements.

The Xu family asked Prince Shun to serve as matchmaker. They exchanged horoscope cards, and Eleventh Young Madam had a necklace made — one with a pure gold double-fortune lock pendant, and another of pure gold set with a lotus petal design — then took from her own jewelry box a pair of south sea pearl earrings the size of lotus seeds, a pair of pure gold earrings inlaid with rubies, a pair of pure gold plain-bangle bracelets, a pair of pure gold filigree bracelets, a ring carved with a flat peach, a ring carved with a pomegranate blossom, a ring of pure gold set with a white jade gourd, and a ring of pure gold set with a jadeite ruyi. These she arranged together with a tin box of tea and a tin box of wine and sent them to the Jiang family as a small betrothal gift. Both families agreed to set the formal engagement after Ninth Miss Jiang came of age at fifteen, at which time the wedding date would also be fixed.

The progress of events pleased both families greatly. In particular, now that Xu Sijun had been invested as Heir, Master Jiang himself brought up the matter of Xu Siyu going to the Jinxi Academy to study.

“…Though traveling in summer is especially tiring, an inch of time is worth an inch of gold. If you set out now, you can reach Le’an by late June. If all goes well, the Second Young Master may still catch the children’s examination next spring.”

Xu Siyu’s registered domicile was in Yanjing. If he were to sit the children’s examination, he would have to return to Yanjing by the end of the year. Excluding travel time to and fro, Xu Siyu would have only five months to study — and this while Jiang Song had never even laid eyes on Xu Siyu.

Eleventh Young Madam drew in a sharp breath.

Was the Jiang family too eager? Was Master Jiang too presumptuous? Or did the Jiang family truly have such confidence?

“Yu Ge has studied with the clan school’s teacher for several years after all,” Xu Lingyi said, quite optimistically. “With the further guidance of a renowned master, I think extending the year is not an exaggeration.”

Extending the year — that was Jiang Bai’s courtesy name.

After the small betrothal gift was exchanged, the two families addressed each other by courtesy names.

Well then — once in Le’an, there are things that even if one cannot let go of, one must let go.

Eleventh Young Madam thought of what Hupo had told her: “…You had barely gone, my lady, when Qiao Yiniang’s little maid Xiaoyu went straight to see the Second Young Master. The Second Young Master dismissed those serving him and spoke some words privately — no one knows what was said. But that night he tossed and turned the whole night without closing his eyes. When he got up the next morning his eyes were ringed in blue. Wenzhu was so frightened she herself ran to Liufang Enclosure to fetch spring water to help compress the Second Young Master’s eyes.” She paused a moment, then continued, “Would you like, my lady, to send a different person to accompany the Second Young Master to Le’an?”

“There is no need,” Eleventh Young Madam said with a smile. “Who is not surrounded by those who are close to them, and who is not surrounded by those who are restless? Remove one and there will always be another. It is better to keep Wenzhu. Whatever one says, she was placed there by us. If she can remain mindful of the Second Young Master’s wellbeing, then she will be mindful of mine as well. What is more, we are not asking her to harm the Second Young Master.”

The thought flashed through her mind and Eleventh Young Madam said, “Then I will help Yu Ge’er pack his luggage tomorrow!”

Xu Lingyi took her to see the main rooms that had now been refurbished. “…The lacquer was just applied — afraid you might not be able to bear the smell. Wait half a month and you can move in.”

The black-lacquered courtyard gate, the covered connecting corridors, the floor-to-ceiling columns, and the window lattices had all been freshly lacquered. A large spirit wall had been added inside the gate, and the side gate leading to the east where the concubines lived had been changed to a plastered wall.

Eleventh Young Madam was quite surprised. She saw that Xu Lingyi had already walked around the spirit wall. She suppressed her inner bewilderment and followed.

On either side of the spirit wall were three wing rooms each, newly added. The original three-bay entrance hall had been converted into a main reception hall, with an additional ear room added on the right side. Behind the main hall were the principal rooms. The wing rooms on either side had each gained an ear room as well. The seven rear-service rooms at the back had been supplemented with three more wing rooms added to the west, and an entrance hall built to the east.

The scale of the construction far exceeded what Eleventh Young Madam had imagined — and that newly built entrance hall…

“What is this?”

“We cannot always be borrowing Mother’s flower hall,” Xu Lingyi said mildly. “In the future, conduct household affairs from the main hall up front.”

Eleventh Young Madam walked in a daze through the entrance hall, and saw the long narrow passageway between the east small courtyard and the main courtyard.

The rear service rooms were where the maids lived. The side gate through which the concubines had previously come and gone had been located beside the main gate. Now, however, it was positioned beside the rear service rooms…

* * *

Eleventh Young Madam soon finished packing Xu Siyu’s luggage. She did not know what instructions Xu Lingyi had privately given. She herself quietly slipped Xu Siyu a pouch containing five bank notes of twenty taels each. “…Keep it for emergencies.”

Xu Siyu stood there in a daze, only coming to himself after a long moment. He was just about to say something when Wenzhu called from beyond the curtain, “Qin Yiniang has arrived!”

He froze again.

“You are leaving — I had Qin Yiniang come to help you pack your things!” As Eleventh Young Madam spoke, Hupo had already lifted the curtain.

It had been barely a month since they had last seen each other, yet Qin Yiniang had become like a flower that had been deprived of sunlight — still pale and full-figured as ever, but stripped of her vibrant glow.

She curtseyed before Eleventh Young Madam, called out a soft “Madam,” and already there was a catch of tears in her voice.

Eleventh Young Madam gave a slight nod, then with her attending maids quickly left Lijing Pavilion.

Madam Jiang departed Yanjing on the fourth day of the sixth month with her daughter. Accompanying them was Xu Siyu’s traveling party.