Yan Rong had not thought the matter through carefully enough.

If one wanted to send Nanny Tao away in a proper and justified manner, there was no shortage of reasons to do so.

Shi’yi niang smiled and dismissed Yan Rong.

Hupo came over to offer counsel: “Madam, Yan Rong’s words do have some merit…”

“It is not as serious as she makes it sound.” Shi’yi niang smiled and cut her off. “There are plenty of ways to send Nanny Tao away.” At that, she arched a brow. “There are certain people I have never stopped worrying about. But even a tiger dozes off sometimes — I cannot watch them every single day. Whatever faults Nanny Tao may have, her heart in protecting Zhun Ge is not wrong. I kept her on in the first place simply because I feared that when I looked after Zhun Ge, I might overlook something, and having her there to observe could help patch any gaps.” Her expression then turned serious. “That said, Nanny Tao has always believed I have taken the place that should have belonged to Elder Sister, enjoying a fortune that was rightfully hers. Now that I am with child, she will only be more unsettled. You must keep a close watch on her. I have never expected Zhun Ge to regard me as he would his own mother, but I have no wish for the two of us to be at daggers drawn either.”

Hupo acknowledged the instruction and returned to her room, just beginning to think over how best to find out what Nanny Tao had been saying to Xu Sizhun, when Nanny Du arrived for a visit.

She quickly ushered Nanny Du to the heated kang beneath the window and served her the West Lake Dragon Well tea that Shi’yi niang had gifted her.

Nanny Du surveyed the small but neat room: the windows bright and the surfaces clean, hung with half-new curtains in a rich blue, a deep-red brocade quilt, and a pale yellow pillow. On the windowsill sat a small pot of slender bamboo, the arrangement at once dignified and proper.

She gave a quiet nod of approval and lowered her voice to explain her purpose: “…When the Fourth Young Master returned from the temple, he went to pay his respects at the old residence where the late Fourth Madam had lived. Upon returning, he actually told me that the Fourth Madam had loved flowers, and that the family had gone to great lengths to have Ji Ting’s daughter-in-law cultivate rare specimens in the heated greenhouse of the rear garden. He said keeping them for one’s own amusement was fine, but giving them away to everyone was likely to invite jealousy and backfire, making people say our household was extravagant.”

Nanny Du was the most trusted and capable person at the Grand Madam’s side. At times, she spoke on behalf of the Grand Madam herself.

Hupo was startled and hurried to explain: “I must ask Nanny Du to consider this fairly. Though our Madam does enjoy flowers and plants, she hardly possesses the powers of Empress Wu Zetian to command all flowers to bloom at once. It is merely that the household has a heated greenhouse, and Ji Ting’s daughter-in-law has clever and capable hands, allowing blooms to open a few days early or linger a few days late. As for the matter of sending flowers as gifts, apart from Grand Madam Gan’s household, Madam Lin’s eldest daughter-in-law, and Lady Huang of the Yongchang Marquis estate, no others have been given any. These ladies are either family by marriage or old friends who have shared hardships together…”

Nanny Du saw that Hupo was growing anxious and realized she had misunderstood her meaning. She laughed and reassured her: “Hupo, do not be alarmed. What manner of person the Fourth Madam is, the entire household knows. A single word of criticism from one person cannot make her bad, just as a single word of praise cannot make her good. My Grand Madam also wished me to tell you as much.”

Hearing that, Hupo immediately rose to her feet. “Please speak your instructions, Nanny!”

Her respectful bearing was like a cold bowl of chilled mung bean water drunk in the heat of the sixth month — refreshing from the inside out — and Nanny Du’s voice softened several degrees further: “Our Grand Madam’s meaning is this: the Fourth Young Master is young and has always paid no mind to such small matters — why has he suddenly taken an interest in them? She asks that you pass a word to the Madam: some things ought to be looked into properly. Lest those who enjoy stirring up trouble use it to lead the young master astray and ruin a perfectly fine young gentleman.”

Hupo listened, and her expression grew grave. She quickly replied: “Please set your mind at ease, Nanny — I will be certain to pass on every word.”

Nanny Du gave a faint nod. Seeing that the main business was done, she asked after Hupo: “I heard your mother and father are still at the estate in Yuhang — why not say a word to the Madam and have them brought here to be properly looked after in their old age?”

Hupo smiled: “They have lived in the south all their lives and are used to it there. All their old neighbours are close by. Even though I am not at their side, they have people to talk and laugh with — their days pass quite happily enough.”

“Then you will be left here in Yanjing!”

A flush rose to Hupo’s cheeks. “I serve the Madam. Wherever the Madam is, that is naturally where I will be.”

Nanny Du smiled and gave a gentle nod, as though satisfied with this answer, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then rose to take her leave.

Though Hupo found Nanny Du’s inquiry somewhat puzzling, she was intent on passing the Grand Madam’s message to Shi’yi niang without delay and had no time to dwell on it. She hurried to Shi’yi niang’s rooms.

Shi’yi niang’s brow furrowed slightly. She asked Hupo: “Where is Zhun Ge?”

Hupo replied in a low voice: “In the Fifth Young Master’s room.”

Xu Sizhun was rather confused.

When his mother was dying, she had urged him again and again that Nanny Tao was the person she trusted most, and that in future he must always listen to Nanny Tao, making him swear never to disobey her wishes. Yet when he had done as Nanny Tao said and told Nanny Du about his mother giving away the flowers, Nanny Du had merely laughed and told him: giving away flowers was a small matter, and the imperial family had a broad and magnanimous spirit — they would never reproach the Yongping Marquis household over such a thing. He had thought of the Grand Madam’s words about how great figures often lost much over small matters, and argued: “Even the greatest embankment can be broken by an ant’s burrow. It is precisely the small matters that deserve the greatest attention.”

Nanny Du had simply laughed and praised him: “Our Fourth Young Master has grown in his learning under Master Zhao — he understands everything now. I will speak to the Grand Madam about this matter, and let the Grand Madam have a word with the Fourth Madam so that she does not send flowers to others in future.” She had then sent a young maidservant to escort him back to his room, while she herself called in the household manager who had been waiting under the eaves: “The Grand Madam is only temporarily helping the Fourth Madam manage the household affairs. For important matters such as which cloth to use for summer garments, I think it would be better to inform the Fourth Madam…” Her manner suggested she had not given much weight to what he had said.

Xu Sizhun was somewhat disheartened. He wanted to ask Xu Sijian about it, but Xu Sijian had gone off to the outer courtyard with Xu Siqin as soon as lessons were over. According to Xu Sijian’s manservant, Xu Sijian’s maternal family had moved out of the Loyal and Diligent Earl’s estate and set up their own residence elsewhere, so his maternal grandmother was now free to entertain guests at home as she pleased. His maternal grandmother had missed him and Xu Siqin greatly during the two years they had been away from Yanjing, and often sent people to invite them to dine, or had their maternal cousins take them out for outings — he was hardly free.

Xu Sizhun could not help feeling a little dejected.

Xu Sijie then asked Xu Sizhun: “Fourth Brother, Fourth Brother, do not be sad. If Third Brother will not play with you, I will play with you.” He then had Xi’er fetch a centipede kite: “…I am giving this to you.”

In spring, Shi’yi niang had invited craftsmen into the household to make kites for the two brothers and had even let them learn to make kites alongside the craftsman. To show off his skill, the craftsman had brought in a hundred-legged centipede kite. Xu Sizhun had admired it greatly, but Xu Sijie also liked it, so he had given it to Xu Sijie. He had not expected Xu Sijie to give it back to him now.

He was rather touched, and in imitation of Shi’yi niang, ruffled Xu Sijie’s head: “You keep it. When the time comes, we can fly it together!”

Xu Sijie still felt a slight reluctance to part with it, but seeing that Xu Sizhun would not take it, he let out a breath of relief and happily had Xi’er put it away, saying: “Then Fourth Brother must not be cross anymore. Let us go fly kites!”

Xu Sizhun looked at those eyes full of eager anticipation and felt a warmth rise in his chest — he thought there was no one in this world kinder to him than Sijie. He told him about Shi’yi niang sending away flowers: “…I am rather worried. That is why I wanted to say something to Mother about it!”

Xu Sijie listened quietly until he had finished, then nodded very seriously: “Then Fourth Brother should speak to Mother about it.”

“But I am the younger generation — would it be proper for me to go and say such a thing?”

“Then do not say it!” Xu Sijie, having heard him out, agreed with this as well.

Xu Sizhun was caught somewhere between laughter and exasperation: “Well — should I say something or not?”

Xu Sijie tilted his head and thought for a long while, blinked his large phoenix-shaped eyes, and declared solemnly: “I will follow Fourth Brother’s lead!”

Which was as good as saying nothing at all.

Xu Sizhun looked at his guileless and carefree expression and could not help but sigh in discouragement. He thought it would be good if Xu Sijian were here, yet a vague feeling told him that even if Xu Sijian were here, he would probably not understand the conflicting feelings in his heart either — and he felt all the more adrift.

When he heard that Shi’yi niang had sent for him, he went to her somewhat listlessly.

The late spring sunlight was bright and radiant, warming the heart just to look upon it.

Shi’yi niang and Xu Sizhun sat on the beauty’s bench beneath the flower trellis, taking in the sun, dappled shadows falling across them both.

“Zhun Ge, Nanny Du has told me everything that worried you.” She smiled warmly at him and spoke without preamble. “Thank you for giving me this reminder.”

In the sunlight, Shi’yi niang’s gaze was candid and sincere. Xu Sizhun’s face flushed crimson.

“No — no need to thank me!” He bowed his head in embarrassment. “I… I… Master Zhao says I am the Yongping Marquis’s heir, and that I must one day look after Grandmother, Mother, Elder Brothers, Elder Sisters, and Younger Brothers and Sisters.”

Shi’yi niang drew Xu Sizhun into her arms: “Zhun Ge is a fine young heir!” Her relief carried within it a measure of genuine joy.

Xu Sizhun raised his head, his gaze bright as the morning stars, the corners of his mouth lifting irrepressibly.

“The matter of sending flowers was indeed not quite prudent.” Shi’yi niang spoke to him warmly and intimately. “However, the ladies I sent them to are all very good friends. Grand Madam Gan, for instance, is not only a senior relation of your Third Uncle’s wife, but also served as my ceremony sponsor when I came of age, and we share a very close personal friendship — rather like you and Jian Ge’er…”

Xu Sizhun nodded as he listened.

“…And then there is Madam Lin’s eldest daughter-in-law, who is your eldest elder sister’s husband’s aunt, and Grand Madam Huang, who is a girlhood friend of the Grand Madam.” Shi’yi niang smiled. “Because I know these ladies well and understand that they would never gossip, I dared to send the flowers to them.”

Xu Sizhun smiled, a little abashed.

“I — I have wrongly blamed Mother!”

“Yet Zhun Ge’s instinct to keep a low profile, to think that someone might use this as a pretext to attack our household — that already shows a degree of bearing befitting an heir.” Shi’yi niang smiled and drew her arm around Xu Sizhun more snugly. “Elder Sister would be overjoyed to know. And now I too can set my mind at ease, knowing I may leave things in Zhun Ge’s care.”

Zhun Ge pressed his lips together in a smile, the gloom of the past two days swept entirely away.

After seeing Zhun Ge off, Shi’yi niang had Hupo help find a copy of Matters of People from the Primer of Youth, folded the corner of the relevant page, and had Hupo deliver it to Master Zhao.

“This…” Hupo looked at Shi’yi niang in puzzlement.

“Just deliver it.” Shi’yi niang smiled. “Master Zhao is an intelligent man — he will understand the meaning behind it.”

Hupo curtseyed her acknowledgment and delivered the book to Master Zhao.

* * *