Second Madam had indeed considered things from every angle, but Shiyiniang still worried a little about how Xu Siyu would react upon learning the truth.

Whatever else might be said, Xu Siyu was only a fourteen-year-old boy — and this concerned his own birth mother.

She gave a noncommittal reply: “I’ll wait for my lord to come back and speak to him about it.”

Second Madam heard the slight evasiveness in her words and smiled, lifting her teacup and taking a leisurely sip: “That’s right — consulting my lord is never wrong.”

Just then, a little maid came in to report: “Fourth Madam, the First Young Master, Third Young Master, and Fifth Young Master have come to visit the Fourth Young Master!”

That morning, the children had only been told Xu Sizhun was ill. Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian were a little older and more sensible, and they lived in the outer courtyard. Xu Sijie, though he lived in the inner courtyard, was young and still somewhat in the dark. Besides, Xu Sizhun had been sickly from childhood, and so the three boys had not thought anything suspicious of it. But as for Xu Sijie — Xu Sizhun had always been especially kind and close to him, and when it was ordinary times he hardly noticed, but now that Xu Sizhun was ill, he felt a pang of loneliness.

“Mother, when will Fourth Elder Brother get better?”

Shiyiniang was afraid they might notice something amiss, so she let Xu Siqin and the others take a quick glance at Xu Sizhun and then ushered them out of the inner chamber. Seeing Xu Sijie’s eyes filled with worry, she smiled and ruffled his head gently: “Grandmother, Second Aunt, and Mother are all here looking after Zhun Ge. He will be well again soon.”

Xu Sijie nodded, and said in his dutiful little voice: “Mother, I won’t disturb you. I won’t disturb Fourth Elder Brother either. I’ll be good and sleep alongside Nanny Nan.”

Shiyiniang gave him a big, warm hug.

Xu Sijie broke into a smile, his face bright with happiness.

Second Madam watched from the side with a sideways glance.

Shiyiniang walked the three brothers out: “In a few days when he’s better, you can all gather together properly.”

Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian smiled and agreed. Xu Siqin even added: “Fourth Aunt need not worry about Fifth Younger Brother — Third Brother and I will keep a good eye on him.”

“With brothers like yours standing together, what more could I ask for.” Shiyiniang smiled and watched them leave.

A small green-curtained oil carriage came hurrying up, brushing past the three brothers as they went.

Xu Siqin glanced over instinctively.

He saw Xu Sizhun’s wet nurse leap from the carriage without even waiting for the attending matron to set down the footstool.

“Fourth Madam.” Her eyes were red, clearly from weeping. “How is the Fourth Young Master?”

Having nursed him at her breast, carried him from swaddled infant through his first words and first steps — how could there be no feeling?

“It’s all right,” Shiyiniang said, standing at the Dowager’s gate where maids and matrons were still passing to and fro. She kept up a reassuring front. “I’ve had you come to help care for him for a few days.”

The wet nurse’s heart, which had dropped into her stomach, rose again. She followed Shiyiniang inside.

When she saw Xu Sizhun, the heart she had just steadied lurched once more, and tears spilled uncontrollably down her face.

Second Madam felt the wet nurse’s emotions were far too volatile and frowned. Shiyiniang too was afraid she would wake Xu Sizhun, so she reminded her quietly: “Zhun Ge has only just fallen asleep.”

The wet nurse quickly covered her mouth and wept in silence for a while before composing herself. “Fourth Madam, what does the physician say?”

“He received a fright,” Shiyiniang told her plainly. “He’s been somewhat confused since. You raised him from a baby — you know him through and through — so I’ve especially asked you to come and settle the young master’s nerves.”

“Fourth Madam may count on me,” the wet nurse said, and asked a little maid to find her a clean outer jacket belonging to Nanny Du to change into. Then she sat down at the edge of the kang, asked a little maid to bring hot water so she could wash her hands, and when that was done, felt Xu Sizhun’s forehead. “The young master is in my care now.”

Shiyiniang saw how very attentive she was and felt reassured. She invited Second Madam to the side chamber: “Second Sister-in-Law has also been busy all morning — please rest a moment.”

But Second Madam was thinking of the Dowager, so the two of them went together to the Dowager’s chambers.

The Dowager had just risen and was in the middle of dressing, and when she heard that Xu Sizhun’s wet nurse had come, she went at once to take a look. Seeing the wet nurse keeping careful watch at the bedside, she gave her a few words of instruction and asked Nanny Du to find the wet nurse a place to sleep: “Stay and help look after him for a few days.”

The wet nurse was more than willing, and curtsied her assent with words of “Please set the Dowager’s mind at ease.”

Fifth Madam came to see Xu Sizhun.

“Has he improved at all?” Seeing Xu Sizhun’s wet nurse there, she said: “So the wet nurse has come as well.” Noticing Xu Sizhun had not woken, she offered a round of comforting words to the Dowager.

The Dowager saw the hour growing late and kept Fifth Madam for the meal, then sent a little maid to ask where Xu Lingyi would take his noon meal.

The little maid was gone for nearly a stick of incense before she came back: “Dowager, my lord has gone out.”

Gone out at a time like this?

Shiyiniang was rather surprised.

The Dowager said thoughtfully: “Then let the meal be served.”

The little maid went off. Second Madam helped the Dowager to her feet, and the four of them — the Dowager, Second Madam, Shiyiniang, and Fifth Madam — went to the eastern side chamber for the noon meal.

After the meal, everyone went to look in on Xu Sizhun. Seeing he was still sleeping, Fifth Madam returned to her own courtyard, while Second Madam and Shiyiniang stayed and sat beside the Dowager.

Imperial Physician Liu arrived.

Second Madam and Shiyiniang withdrew to the heated side chamber, and the Dowager remained to accompany him.

Imperial Physician Liu was somewhat surprised to find Xu Sizhun still had not woken.

Second Madam, speaking from behind the partition screen, told Imperial Physician Liu in detail how Xu Sizhun had woken once partway through and what his condition had been at that time. Then she added: “I saw the Fourth Young Master was sleeping restlessly, so I lit a stick of incense I make myself for calming sleep.”

Imperial Physician Liu could not help but wipe a bead of sweat from his brow, and said in a low voice: “Without seeing the Fourth Young Master’s condition myself, I cannot prescribe medicine.” Second Madam had rather worked against herself with this.

“Oh dear!” she exclaimed, and quickly told a little maid to extinguish the incense burner. “It should be only a quarter-hour or so before the Fourth Young Master wakes,” she said.

Imperial Physician Liu could hardly sit comfortably face-to-face with the Dowager in the meantime, so he rose and said: “Then I will step outside to the courtyard — when the Fourth Young Master wakes, please have someone come and call me in.”

The Dowager conveniently had someone see him out.

And so they all waited for Xu Sizhun to wake.

Shiyiniang’s Hupo came over: “Dowager, Second Madam, Fourth Madam — Yi Yiniang is making a scene, demanding to see my lord. The matrons won’t allow it. She is in there wailing and carrying on about wanting to die. She is also saying that if the matrons won’t go and report it, then she can’t be held accountable for whatever she says to whomever she pleases. The matrons are afraid of not being able to answer for it, so they have pressed her down and gagged her. It just so happens that when my lord left, he specifically instructed them to keep a close watch on Yi Yiniang and make sure she comes to no harm — otherwise, there would be no way to account for it to Third Master. The matrons have been caught in a terrible bind, so they sent me specially to report to the Dowager, Second Madam, and Fourth Madam. They are asking the Dowager for instruction on what is to be done.”

The Dowager gave a cold snort and said: “What is there to figure out? Gag her, truss her up like a bundle, and throw her in the room. As long as Third Master’s reply comes back and she still has breath left, that’s all that matters.”

Hupo replied respectfully and withdrew.

The Dowager called Nanny Du over: “Go and ask Chief Steward Bai personally when word can be expected back from the letter sent to Shanyang. Get this business done quickly — the longer it drags, the more trouble can brew.” Her tone had grown even colder.

Xu Sizhun’s wet nurse, hearing all these veiled undercurrents, dared not stir up more complications. She quickly lowered her head and busied herself examining Xu Sizhun — only to discover that his brow was faintly furrowed, and he was murmuring restlessly in his sleep.

Her heart gave a start; she called out “Fourth Young Master” in a slightly louder voice than usual, drawing the Dowager, Second Madam, and Shiyiniang all to her side.

Just as Second Madam had said, Xu Sizhun gradually woke. The wet nurse held him and kept him soothed with steady words.

Perhaps it was the warmth stored in the deepest memories from infancy — cradled in the wet nurse’s arms, even though his mind was still hazy, he did not struggle and thrash the way he had before. Imperial Physician Liu felt relief ease through him: “Not to worry, not to worry. With someone familiar close at hand, he will slowly recover.” He then wrote out several calming prescriptions, and told the wet nurse a home remedy: at the noon hour each day, to use her thumbs to rub the area of Xu Sizhun’s left and right index fingers near the thumb, one hundred and twenty-eight times, “to help the Fourth Young Master circulate his vital energy.”

The wet nurse listened and learned the technique carefully from Imperial Physician Liu.

The Dowager then withdrew to the heated side chamber to speak with Shiyiniang: “I think the sooner we set the household affairs in order the better — ask the Abbess Jining to come and calm the spirits and perform the rites.”

The sorcery affair was of grave consequence. If it was not resolved and someone from outside caught wind of it, it would be very difficult to contain.

“As soon as my lord comes back, I’ll consult him.” Since Xu Lingyi had handled the matter throughout, she genuinely could not say where things now stood or in what state.

The Dowager thought of Xu Lingyi’s continued absence with faint displeasure: “That child — who knows where he’s gone off to. A pile of affairs at home waiting on him!”

Shiyiniang had no fitting reply to that, and was about to say something to soothe the Dowager when Second Madam, sitting nearby, said quietly: “He is most likely seeing to the matter of the Daoist healer Zhu — that business is not one that can easily be entrusted to others.”

The Dowager’s expression eased at that, but Shiyiniang felt her heart give an abrupt jolt.

Just how this matter would be brought to a close — she did not know…

Xu Lingyi returned very late.

His expression was composed, revealing nothing out of the ordinary.

Shiyiniang could not help but ask: “My lord — did you see the Daoist healer Zhu?”

Xu Lingyi neither confirmed nor denied it, and said quietly: “Don’t worry. There are no traces left.” Then, with the air of a man who did not wish to speak further on the subject, he reached out and gently patted her abdomen: “Has the child been troublesome today?”

Shiyiniang understood that such measures had been necessary, but her heart still held a flicker of sorrow. Seeing Xu Lingyi steer the conversation away, she simply let that small wave of feeling wash past.

“Quite well-behaved, really,” she said with a smile. “Only mischievous once at lunchtime.”

“Oh!” Xu Lingyi raised an eyebrow with interest.

Shiyiniang laughed: “Mother was afraid I could not bear the smell of fish and specially instructed that no fish be made. Instead, they prepared a dish of freshly picked garden lettuce in cold dressing — which I usually like very much. Who would have thought that today I could not bear the smell of it at all.”

Xu Lingyi laughed at that.

Shiyiniang then took the opportunity to bring up Xu Sizhun: “…Imperial Physician Liu said he will slowly get better.” Then Xu Siyu: “Following Second Sister-in-Law’s thinking, it would be best to tell Siyu everything plainly…” and she relayed Second Madam’s words to Xu Lingyi in full.

Xu Lingyi was quiet in thought for some time, then asked: “And what do you think?”

“My own thought,” Shiyiniang said after a pause, “is that rather than sending a letter, it would be better to have Siyu come back for a visit. Whatever needs to be said, we can discuss it as a family, behind closed doors.”

Xu Lingyi gave a slight nod: “Then let him come back for a visit. It will also give him a chance to see Qin Shi in person.”