Eleventh Young Madam did not wait for Hupo to come report — instead, Xu Lingyi arrived in person.
Hupo followed behind him, and though she tried hard to conceal it, her manner still betrayed a trace of tension.
Eleventh Young Madam found this quietly strange. The Grand Madam, however, seeing that Hupo was Eleventh Young Madam’s maid, suspected nothing amiss, and greeted her son cheerfully. “You are here!” She then instructed Weizi, “Tell the matrons to set out the meal!”
Everyone gathered and accompanied the Grand Madam to supper.
Eleventh Young Madam smiled and let the others go ahead, herself lingering at the back.
Hupo understood her intent. She stepped forward and in a rapid low voice said, “When I went, the Emperor was in the study speaking with the Marquis. I was stopped by the imperial guards at the wing room. I only dared say I had come to announce the meal.”
The Emperor’s sudden visit — could it be connected to what Madam Li had said?
A chill ran through Eleventh Young Madam’s heart. She gave Hupo the slightest nod, drew a deep breath, and with a composed smile went into the east wing room.
Back in the room, she stood before the kang and looked Xu Lingyi up and down — he was sitting there drinking tea.
Xu Lingyi found this peculiar and, after thinking it over, said, “Nothing has happened. The Emperor merely came on a whim to see me. There is no need to worry!” His tone was airy and unconcerned.
“It is not that I am worried about this,” Eleventh Young Madam said with a contained smile, her gaze steady on Xu Lingyi. “I only think the Marquis has remarkable composure. Somehow I never noticed that the Marquis had encountered bandits while in Shandong.”
Xu Lingyi was taken aback, and after a long moment said, “How did you come to know of this?”
Eleventh Young Madam then told Xu Lingyi of Madam Li’s visit.
As Xu Lingyi listened, his brow furrowed ever more deeply, and he said slowly, “Madam Li came to find you, asking me to speak to Grand Secretary Liang the Elder and recommend Commander Li for the Fujian Commander-in-Chief position?”
“To judge by what Madam Li said, that seems to be her meaning,” Eleventh Young Madam said carefully.
Xu Lingyi rubbed the rim of his teacup with his thumb, and for a long while said nothing.
“My lord Marquis!” Eleventh Young Madam, seeing that his brow carried still a measure of calm, could not help saying softly, “When you were in Shandong — did you truly encounter bandits?”
These words carried deep significance.
Xu Lingyi was quite startled.
He raised his head and looked at her, then deliberated. “Naturally, all one can say is that they were bandits!”
Eleventh Young Madam gave a calm, composed nod.
On Xu Lingyi’s face was an unmistakable expression of astonishment.
Eleventh Young Madam had courage and spirit.
While Eleventh Young Madam listened to Xu Lingyi’s words, she was already thinking to herself: in other words — they were not bandits.
She connected this to the disappearance of the Heir of Marquis Jinghai, and was about to ask something more, then thought better of it. This affair was truly too significant. Better to keep it locked in the heart than to let it escape from the lips. In the end, whether or not Xu Lingyi had been the one to act was not the crucial point — what mattered was how the Emperor viewed the matter.
“When the Emperor came,” she said, her expression turning grave, “did he mention anything about the disappearance of the Heir of Marquis Jinghai?”
Xu Lingyi’s eyebrow arched slightly.
The Qu family had dared to use a stratagem to lure him away and ambush him on the road, and he had dared to use Wang Jiu’s network of local connections, dispatching skilled and deadly retainers to eliminate the Heir of Marquis Jinghai. This plunged the Qu family into a succession struggle, a battle between legitimate and illegitimate lines — an internal upheaval that accomplished his aim of subduing the enemy without a single pitched battle. He had begun laying plans against the Qu family the moment the Qu clan’s daughter was enfeoffed as Noble Consort. Then, when the behavior of the man selling land in Zhangqiu had exceeded all normal bounds, his suspicions were aroused. He had gone to Shandong against the advice of those around him, using himself as bait. The Qu family’s men had indeed made their move. He had also thereby confirmed the intelligence he had received, and resolved to act with swift and decisive force to eliminate the Heir. To prevent anyone from linking the two incidents, he had handed over all who had survived to the Shandong Circuit Commander. Otherwise, the Emperor would not have appeared before him with a look of guilt.
He had concealed all of this from everyone else — but it had not been concealed from Eleventh Young Madam, who shared his bed.
She was a perceptive and sensitive soul. It was better to tell her the truth than to keep concealing it; at least she would not be left uneasy.
“The Qu family had been conducting themselves with no semblance of order of late,” he said with careful restraint. “Added to the fact that I have been keeping a low profile these days, the Emperor assumed this was the Qu brothers’ strife between themselves. He did not suspect anything else.”
Eleventh Young Madam thought of the death of the Fifth Prince, the exposure of Xu Sijie’s situation, the attacks and dismissal Xu Lingyi had suffered… turning what had been passive into active, until today — he had finally reversed the tide.
She let out a long breath. The heart that had been suspended ever since she heard Madam Li’s words finally settled back in place. Then she thought of Zhen Jie’er’s marriage.
Having lived two lifetimes, she had seen Xu Lingyi achieve distinction and renown, yet even then there were times of treading carefully and in constant apprehension. If Zhen Jie’er were to marry into the grasping, striving Li family and follow Li Ji’s official fortunes through all their rises and falls, she feared the girl would be exhausted to the bone within a matter of years.
Deep in thought, she heard Xu Lingyi suddenly say, “As for Zhen Jie’er’s marriage — let it be settled with the Shao family’s young man.”
Had the two of them been thinking of Zhen Jie’er’s marriage at the same time, without a word between them?
Eleventh Young Madam was momentarily startled.
Xu Lingyi continued, “Things of this world are never perfect in every respect. Compared to marrying far away, I would rather Zhen Jie’er live a stable life. The Li young man, though not bad, has a father who acts with dangerous boldness — he is not a good match. What is more, Commander Li made his rise through his wife’s family connections, so Madam Li will certainly place great importance on a daughter-in-law’s status and family background. Once Li Gongzi encounters difficulties, she will only encourage her daughter-in-law to run about lobbying on her son’s behalf. And Zhen Jie’er is gentle and accommodating by nature. In that situation, would she not become a second Madam Li? The Shao family is different — an illustrious clan of a hundred years, with a large and flourishing household, a steady family tradition, and it does not easily become entangled in court strife. With the protection of such a family, Zhen Jie’er can marry into the Shao household and devote herself to being a good wife and mother, living a quiet and peaceful life.”
Eleventh Young Madam was largely in agreement with this view.
The Li family’s foundation was thin — they were in their founding generation. Taking a daughter-in-law, they would naturally hope she could lend a hand. Bluntly put, if something were to happen to the Xu family, Zhen Jie’er would immediately become an embarrassment to them.
“And our Xu family’s predicament does not lie in the present, but in what lies ahead,” Xu Lingyi said, and a glint of sharpness flashed in the depths of his eyes. “Even if we do not seek allies, we must not take on a burden that drags us back.”
The Xu family’s crisis lay in the future question of who would be installed as Crown Prince and who would inherit the throne. The Shao family, having long established itself, would have lived through such upheavals many times before, and with a large household and great assets, would naturally act with great care. The Li family, when the scene descended into chaos, would be blinded by visions of gain, and in a frenzy of ambition, would not only refuse to remain neutral but might even seek the merit of having backed the winning side. If things went well for the Xu family, all would be fine; if they found themselves in a perilous situation, never mind solidarity — there might even be the possibility of turning on them…
Eleventh Young Madam gave a soft “Mm.”
“The Li family’s affairs — I will handle them,” Xu Lingyi said, looking at Eleventh Young Madam. “He wants to seek the post of Fujian Commander-in-Chief? In time I will appear before Grand Secretary Liang and say something. As for whether Grand Secretary Liang obliges or not — that depends on what Grand Secretary Liang has in mind and how forceful Commander Li’s own efforts are. As for the marriage, just say the two children’s birth characters are incompatible. That way the Li family will have less cause for grievance.”
That was the best outcome. There are times when it is better to give offense to a petty person than to a person of integrity.
Having discussed this, Eleventh Young Madam remembered Fifth Madam’s match-making for Zhen Jie’er. “…It would be better for the Marquis to make a decision sooner rather than later. Otherwise, if this drags on, our Zhen Jie’er will end up with an undeserved reputation for being overly particular.”
Xu Lingyi was quite surprised to hear this. He thought it over, then said, “I am afraid once the Marquis Jinghai stirs up this much noise, anyone with a measure of seniority will have their eye on the Fujian Commander-in-Chief post.” He actually suspected that the family Fifth Madam was proposing also wished to pull connections through Zhen Jie’er’s marriage, just as Commander Li did. “Let us first thing tomorrow morning go and discuss this with the Grand Madam, and then in the afternoon you can go and speak with Madam Luo the Elder about the matter.”
This was even better. They could use the excuse that Xu Lingyi had already given his word to another family, and decline Fifth Madam’s proposed match in a perfectly legitimate and face-saving way.
The husband and wife discussed and settled on this plan. Eleventh Young Madam saw Xu Lingyi off.
After moving back, they had resumed their previous way of life. According to the schedule, Xu Lingyi was staying in Qin Yiniang’s rooms these few days.
Eleventh Young Madam summoned Wen Yiniang.
Upon hearing that they had decided to form a marriage alliance with the Shao family, Wen Yiniang breathed a long sigh of relief. A gleam of happiness showed at the corners of her eyes and brows as she curtseyed before Eleventh Young Madam. “Madam — your great kindness and grace, the Young Miss will certainly never forget.”
Acting on one’s conscience — whether she remembers or not, what does it matter?
Eleventh Young Madam smiled and said nothing.
In the middle of the night, Yan Rong, who was standing watch, was jolted awake. A matron at the door said in a hushed voice, “Something is not quite right over at Qin Yiniang’s — the lights are blazing.”
Yan Rong gave the matron half a string of coins, sent a small maid to look into it, and herself went with light steps to the inner chamber.
The inner chamber’s partition doors were shut fast, the room within pitch black.
She pressed close to the door and listened — not a sound.
She hesitated for a moment, then turned and went back.
After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the small maid returned with her report.
“I do not know what happened,” she whispered. “All I know is that when the Marquis arrived everything was fine, then suddenly he instructed Qin Yiniang’s head maid Cui’er to prepare the east wing room. Cui’er knelt before the Marquis and kept kowtowing. The Marquis’s face went blue with anger, and he opened the rear door and went to Banyue Pond himself.”
Yan Rong was greatly alarmed. “He has already gone to Banyue Pond?”
The small maid nodded. “When I went, the Marquis was just coming out of Qin Yiniang’s courtyard!”
“Tomorrow help me find out what exactly happened,” Yan Rong said, then took out another half string of coins. “This is for buying yourself sweets.” The next morning, while helping Eleventh Young Madam wash her face, she told her of the matter.
Eleventh Young Madam thought on this a while, then said, “Since the Marquis has gone to Banyue Pond, he likely does not wish anyone to know of this matter. Let everyone leave it well alone.” Yet her own curiosity about what had so enraged Xu Lingyi as to send him off to Banyue Pond would not rest.
At breakfast she encountered Xu Lingyi, who said nothing of it. Eleventh Young Madam pretended she knew nothing and went to the Grand Madam’s rooms.
Upon hearing their decision, the Grand Madam thought for a moment and raised no objection. She only said, “Once married, she belongs to another family. Even in Yanjing, a married daughter rarely comes home easily, let alone with a journey of only three days to and from Cangzhou. Let this matter be settled as it stands.” Whether she was persuading Xu Lingyi and Eleventh Young Madam, or persuading herself.
Eleventh Young Madam proposed that they wait until Zhen Jie’er had turned sixteen before the wedding.
The Grand Madam was a little surprised.
Eleventh Young Madam explained. “Since she is to be married far from home and returning will not be easy, I wish to keep her with us a little longer.” She also feared that if Zhen Jie’er married too young, she might lack conviction and decisiveness when she encountered difficulties. She worried she might bear children too early and harm her constitution, or encounter difficulties in labor.
“Very well,” the Grand Madam said. “At a greater age, one’s conduct is also more measured and steady.”
Then Eleventh Young Madam went to Fifth Madam’s place and told her of the wish to form a marriage alliance with the Lin family.
Fifth Madam heard this and smiled. “We came a little late with our proposal.”
Whether she meant it or not, at least the matter was smoothed over gracefully.
That afternoon Eleventh Young Madam went to Madam Luo the Elder’s place.
Madam Luo the Elder heard the definite news and actually let out a breath of relief. “These past days all manner of people have been putting forward matches for Zhongran, and Zhongran has been listless and unresponsive — neither agreeing nor objecting. I was worried, and then you came!”
“It is simply fate,” Eleventh Young Madam said with a smile, chatting with Madam Luo the Elder and raising the condition that Zhen Jie’er would not marry until she turned sixteen.