A single line — “Then let him come back for a visit. It will also give him a chance to see Qin Shi in person” — sent a chill through Shiyiniang’s heart.

She could not help but murmur “My lord” under her breath. When she looked at him again, she saw Xu Lingyi’s face had settled like still water, the hand resting on his knee clenched tightly into a fist.

Truly, this was not a good topic to pursue.

Shiyiniang turned the subject: “After you left, Yi Yiniang made a scene demanding to see you.” She told him what had happened.

Xu Lingyi gave a cold laugh upon hearing it: “Nothing but a string of explanations. She can say a thousand things, ten thousand — but the fact remains that she introduced the Daoist healer Zhu to Qin Shi, and that knowing what Qin Shi was doing, she attempted to stop it rather than reporting it. For that alone, her offense is unpardonable. What she has to say is of no use.” Then he added: “If I didn’t need her to help draw attention away, I would have dealt with her long ago. There was no reason to wait until today.” As he spoke, a trace of hesitation showed in his brows.

Shiyiniang looked at him and said thoughtfully: “Is there something troubling my lord?”

Xu Lingyi considered for a moment, then said quietly: “Tomorrow morning, go back and change your clothes. When the concubines come to pay their respects, give each of them something to keep them occupied so they don’t wander about.”

This way they would not get caught up in the affair.

“My lord may be at ease,” she said in a steady voice. “Your concubine understands.”

Xu Lingyi nodded.

Shiyiniang had always understood his meaning. Had this matter not dragged her into it, had she not been with child, there were some things he would long since have handed to her to manage.

“As for Qin Shi,” Xu Lingyi said slowly, “she knows best what she has done. She has served at my side for these many years, and she can guess something of my temperament and disposition. If I were to rebuke her, once my temper passed, the matter would be considered closed. Were I to say nothing at all, then the matter might not pass so easily. In ordinary times I bore with her, for Siyu’s sake, and she most likely still harbors a thread of hope. To leave her in suspense for a day is one thing, but if the suspense drags too long, she may grow frantic and start creating scenes.” He paused briefly. “The whole household is now whispering that it was Yi Yiniang who frightened Zhun Ge. When you see Qin Shi, you might use her friendship with Yi Yiniang as a pretext and take her soundly to task for keeping bad company… A person will not give up so long as they believe there is still some hope. Give her a few days of false reassurance first. Once the storm dies down, we shall see.” He added: “She has a personal maid called Cui’er — pass a quiet word to her. When this is over, I will have her family sent to the farm estate in Jiangnan.”

Which meant Cui’er certainly could not stay.

Shiyiniang felt a chill run through her: “Your concubine understands. I will act according to the situation.”

Xu Lingyi, satisfied, gave a faint nod, and then inquired after Hupo: “…What date has been set?”

Shiyiniang’s blood ran cold.

Surely not Hupo as well…

“What is my lord’s instruction?” Her voice held a faint edge of wariness.

Xu Lingyi was absorbed in thought and paid no attention. He said quietly: “Have Hupo married off soon. And that Qiuhong as well. Once she is wed, the younger ones — Yanrong, Lvyun — can all be matched with suitable men and sent out. Then the people around you who need replacing can be replaced.”

Shiyiniang exhaled in relief.

Fortunately, Yanrong had long had a marriage arrangement with Cao An — she would only need to hint to the Cao family to come and formalize the proposal sooner, and it would not seem abrupt.

She gave a quiet nod: “Your concubine will set the wedding dates within the next few days.”

While they were speaking, Hupo said from beyond the curtain in a low voice: “My lord, Madam — your servant has brought wash water.”

Shiyiniang was not sure whether Xu Lingyi had finished with what he needed to say, so she glanced at him. Xu Lingyi gave a slight nod, and only then did she call for Hupo to come in.

They washed their hands and faces there. Xu Lingyi went to Xu Sizhun’s room, and Shiyiniang followed behind.

Xu Sizhun was asleep. The wet nurse was at the bedside keeping watch. The Dowager and Second Madam sat side by side in armchairs nearby, speaking quietly.

Seeing Xu Lingyi enter, Second Madam quickly rose.

“Zhun Ge is fine!” the Dowager said. “He slept fairly soundly this afternoon.”

Xu Lingyi gave a quiet “mm” and walked to the kang, gazing at Xu Sizhun with a still, intent look. A faint, subdued sorrow drifted in the depths of his eyes.

“Since Zhun Ge has accepted what the Elder of Changchun called his ‘Wuwang destiny,’ I believe we should invite the Elder of Changchun to come and conduct a few rites here.”

Everyone in the room was startled. Second Madam had already nodded in admiration: “That is an excellent idea, my lord. I say we waste no time — send for the Elder of Changchun first thing tomorrow to conduct the rites.” She then turned to the Dowager: “Mother, do you think we should also go to the temple to worship?”

“Go. Of course we go. Not only should we go — we should go quietly!” The Dowager’s words, spurred by Xu Lingyi’s suggestion, had a note of resolution.

The following morning, Xu Lingyi first sent Steward Zhao to Le’an to bring Xu Siyu back, then went to the outer courtyard to discuss with Chief Steward Bai the arrangements for inviting the Elder of Changchun and for the Dowager, Shiyiniang, and the others to make an incense offering at Ci’an Temple. Shiyiniang, meanwhile, returned to the main chamber.

Hupo helped her change her clothes, and said quietly as she did: “Yesterday at noon, I sent a little maid to see what was happening on Yi Yiniang’s side — and found that every single maid and matron from the Third House had vanished.”

“All of them?” Shiyiniang’s movements stilled for a moment.

Hupo nodded.

Wen Yiniang, who had been watching the situation develop all along, heard that Shiyiniang had returned and was the first to come and pay her respects.

“How is the Fourth Young Master?”

Shiyiniang did not hide it from her: “Still not fully recovered. But no more incense is needed — he is improving little by little.”

Wen Yiniang let out a relieved breath.

Shiyiniang took the opportunity to discuss with her the matter of Qiuhong’s wedding: “I thought, if Zhun Ge is still not well in a few days, perhaps we ought to hold a few celebrations. It would be a good time for your household to take in some new people too.”

Wen Yiniang was probably the most informed of all of them about what had really happened. Hearing this, she immediately nodded: “I’ll go and discuss it with them right away and give the Madam an answer this afternoon.”

The two of them talked over a few more details, and then Yang Shi and Qiao Lianfang arrived, one after the other.

Hearing that Xu Sizhun’s condition remained worrying, Yang Shi dabbed at the corners of her eyes: “Such a kind and gentle young master — how could such a thing happen to him.”

Qiao Lianfang said nothing, and sat to one side drinking her tea.

Qin Yiniang arrived, trembling.

Shiyiniang told them of Xu Sizhun’s illness: “…The Dowager is elderly, and I will be staying at her side these next few days to help care for Siyu. If anything comes up in the household, please consult Wen Yiniang.”

The concubines exchanged glances. Wen Yiniang, suddenly entrusted with such responsibility, was quite taken aback: “Madam…”

Shiyiniang stopped her with a single look.

Wen Yiniang suddenly composed herself.

She had studied how to manage a household too — if she had to step in and help for a few days, could she possibly not manage?

That thought flashed through her, and she rose and accepted with gracious ease.

Qin Yiniang’s heart was full of anxiety; she sat to one side without daring to make a sound. Qiao Lianfang was indifferent. Yang Shi took the chance while Shiyiniang was lowering her head to drink her tea to shoot Wen Yiniang a quiet, pursed-lipped smile.

Shiyiniang kept Qin Yiniang behind to speak with her alone.

“I hear you’ve been saying you fell ill and wanted to see Second Young Master?”

Qin Yiniang had on a dark red plain Hangzhou silk outer jacket. As Zhuxiang had described, her face was the color of wax, plasters at both temples, her eyes evasive — she looked like a withered eggplant that had been through a frost, nothing left of her former poised composure. Hearing this, she waved her hands urgently: “No, no, no.” Then, thinking she had misspoken, quickly nodded: “Just a little headache — two patches of plaster and it’ll be fine.”

Shiyiniang heard this and her expression turned stern: “First you say yes, then you say no — do you have an illness or don’t you?”

This sharp, pressing manner was the first Qin Yiniang had ever heard from Shiyiniang, and combined with everything that had happened these past two days, she stumbled out in a fluster: “A small ailment, a small ailment. The Madam need not concern herself.”

Shiyiniang ignored this and told Hupo: “Go, take my visiting card and have the outer courtyard manager call a physician for Qin Yiniang.” Then she added: “A proper illness calls for a proper physician. What are you thinking, slapping patches of plaster on your head like some ignorant village woman?”

Qin Yiniang’s face flushed deep crimson, and she said quietly: “Madam, the Fourth Young Master is ill and the household is unsettled as it is — if I go about calling physicians and making a fuss, won’t that just add to the chaos? That’s why I thought I’d just put on two patches and be done with it. There’s no need to call for a physician.”

“If you know the household is unsettled, then you should get a proper physician all the more.” Shiyiniang’s expression did not soften in the slightest at these words — if anything, it grew heavier. “You and Yi Yiniang — what exactly is between the two of you?”

Qin Yiniang flinched like a startled rabbit, a flash of panic in her eyes. Stammering, she said: “Your concubine doesn’t know which matter the Madam is referring to.”

“Aren’t they saying you are on the closest terms with her?” Shiyiniang said. “She’s been losing her senses — wandering about the courtyards in the middle of the night and frightening Zhun Ge. You are her closest companion, and yet in all that time you never noticed even a trace of something being wrong with her?”

Hearing this, Qin Yiniang felt as though she had drunk a bowl of iced mung bean broth in the height of summer — every inch of her body at ease at last. She quickly said: “Madam, though Yi Yiniang and I were on good terms, it was only the ordinary sort of friendship — needlework and the like. Nothing more than that. I ask the Madam to look into it clearly.”

Shiyiniang, seeing that her purpose had been achieved, lifted her teacup and took a light sip: “Yi Yiniang is being held under watch, awaiting Third Master’s word on how to deal with her. You stay in the household these next few days and don’t go wandering about. You don’t want to embarrass Second Young Master…”

She had not finished speaking when she caught sight of the curtain shifting, and through it, Zhuxiang’s face appeared with a note of urgency.

Shiyiniang made no outward sign. She issued a few more words of reproach, then let Qin Yiniang go.

Zhuxiang came in and whispered in her ear: “Madam, Nanny Tao has arrived!”

From the time the incident occurred until now, barely a day and two nights had passed, and Nanny Tao had already rushed over.

“Where is she?” Her voice grew a few degrees cooler without her noticing.

“Outside, only word has spread that the Fourth Young Master is ill,” Zhuxiang said. “She came in the night and said a few vague things. The gatekeeper, having just seen the Fourth Young Master’s wet nurse called into the household early yesterday morning, and now hearing first thing today that my lord has arranged for the Elder of Changchun to perform rites and that the Dowager herself will go to the temple to pray for the Fourth Young Master — assumed the Fourth Young Master was gravely ill, and let her in. She is heading toward the Dowager’s chambers now.”

Shiyiniang’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Madam, would you like to go and see?” Zhuxiang asked.