“He did not!” Wen Yiniang said. “The Marquis did not ask further. He simply answered the Senior Madam with a single ‘Understood.'”

Shiyiniang was silent.

If it had been herself — coming home to find that of the three concubines who had been with child when she left, one had died along with her child, one had shut herself away attending only to her own small life, one had been sent to her sister-in-law’s care by her mother-in-law — and her mother-in-law told her that everything was perfectly normal, that the one who died had simply met with an accident… As a son, as a husband, as the head of the Yongping Marquis household, what else could she say beyond “Understood”?

But would the perceptive Xu Lingyi think nothing of it?

Shiyiniang doubted it very much.

Otherwise, for a concubine who held no particular significance to him, how would he have found it in himself to say “I’m sorry”?

Walking out of Wen Yiniang’s room, the sun blazed overhead and tree shade spread across the ground. Not a voice could be heard. The silence made one’s heart grow still as well.

Shiyiniang walked slowly back to the Senior Madam’s quarters.

Xu Sizhun was still asleep. The Senior Madam, who had been taken by the Fifth Madam to watch the Daoist Master Changchun perform his rites, had not yet returned.

Yu Ban, seeing Shiyiniang’s forehead damp with perspiration and her face flushed, hurried to fetch water to help her wash up. “The weather is truly hot today. Madam’s face has gone quite red.” She did not ask where Shiyiniang had been.

“Is it?” Shiyiniang smiled and washed her face. She had just changed into a fresh garment when the Senior Madam and Fifth Madam returned.

“…the Daoist Master said our Xin Jie’er has a destiny of six catties,” the Fifth Madam was saying, holding Xin Jie’er in her arms, her brow brimming with joy. “When the Daoist Master read my own fate, I was only four catties and eight taels.”

The Senior Madam chuckled warmly and asked Shiyiniang, “Zhun Ge’er didn’t disturb you, did he?”

“Not at all,” Shiyiniang answered simply, then instructed Yu Ban to bring water so the Senior Madam and Fifth Madam could wash their faces, and steered the conversation toward matters in the outer courtyard.

That evening, when she saw Xu Lingyi, she told him about Yi Yiniang’s summons.

Xu Lingyi listened with a contemptuous snort. “That sort of person will say anything to save her own skin. Pay no attention to her nonsense.” He then added, “In the future if you encounter something like this again, you must at least let me know first. What if she were cornered and turned vicious and hurt you or the child?”

Shiyiniang had something on her mind and softly answered, “Yes.”

Thinking of Xu Lingyi’s protection of Qin Yiniang all these past ten years, it was clear that in Xu Lingyi’s heart Qin Yiniang had done nothing wrong. She could not help asking: “My lord, what exactly happened back then?” Her tone carried a trace of hesitation.

Xu Lingyi’s expression gradually grew grave. “What are you trying to say?”

That stern look stung her.

Shiyiniang smiled and said, “Nothing. I was just a little curious.” She rose to her feet. “Let me call the little maids in to help the Marquis wash up. Fifth Madam said the Daoist Master Changchun will be conducting another rite here tomorrow. The Marquis has another full day ahead — best rest early.”

When her spirits were low, she would smile more brightly than usual, then launch into a rapid succession of words.

Xu Lingyi stepped forward two paces and caught Shiyiniang’s arm as she turned to call the little maids. “Shiyiniang, did you hear some rumour? Your elder sister… though she could be wilful at times, she was not the sort who…”

Not the sort who what?

Shiyiniang was suddenly struck with understanding. She raised her gaze and looked directly at Xu Lingyi.

He was defending Yuan Niang.

Which meant Xu Lingyi believed this affair had been Yuan Niang’s fault.

But was Qin Yiniang truly without any fault at all?

In those clear, dark, luminous eyes, his own reflection was mirrored back at him.

Their transparency made him feel ashamed of himself, bringing to mind all the old affairs from years before.

He knew better than anyone what Yuan Niang had become in the end. Otherwise, why would Shiyiniang have married him? Otherwise, why would the Tenth Miss have been left a widow so young?

But the dead were gone, and there was no longer any meaning in pursuing the matters of the past.

Xu Lingyi sighed, and gently drew Shiyiniang into his arms. “All right, don’t be angry. Tomorrow I am sending Yi Yiniang away. The rites have been called off.” He added, “Those are all things of the past. The people who knew the inside of it have been dealt with. Even if someone says something, so long as we pay it no mind, it will settle down on its own.”

The people who knew the inside? Knew what? Was there something she herself did not know? Had she been too quick to assume, because of what Qin Yiniang had done this time with the curse on Xu Sizhun?

A faint shock passed through Shiyiniang’s heart. She gently pushed away from Xu Lingyi, sorted out in her mind what Wen Yiniang had told her, and laid it out to him plainly and concisely: “…In my view, my elder sister’s fault lay in being far too lax and negligent. Wen Yiniang’s fault lay in being far too cautious and self-protective. Qin Yiniang’s fault lay in being too rigid and inflexible, too utterly without adaptability. Even the late Tong Yiniang was not entirely without fault — she was carrying an heir, nothing could have been more important than that; if she felt unwell, she should have said so. My elder sister, knowing of it, would certainly not have left it unattended. Though all bore some measure of fault, as the mistress of the household, my elder sister bore the greater responsibility. Yet from the Marquis’s tone just now, it sounded as though the entire fault lay with my elder sister alone. What exactly did happen?”

Xu Lingyi gazed at her earnest, forthright little face, and his expression grew somewhat wistful.

If Yuan Niang, back then, could have looked at him with such candour…

“I did not believe your elder sister could have done such a thing,” he said, his voice low and measured, heavy as slow-moving water. “I only wanted one word from her. But she was all sharp voice and hard manner — one moment saying the matrons were lazy and neglectful, the next blaming it on Qin Yiniang for not being clear in her speaking, and even the Second Sister-in-law came in for reproach, for meddling in the Fourth Branch’s affairs — there was no mention anywhere of her own part in it…” His tone was laden with unmistakable disappointment. “She was to be the Yongping Marchioness from that day forward — this whole family was to be upheld by the two of us together. Even if she had made a mistake in this, we were husband and wife. Why could she not tell me openly and plainly, so we could work out together how to see the matter through — instead of blaming this person, then blaming that one? To say nothing of the fact that the Second Sister-in-law was acting on Mother’s orders when she stepped in to care for Qin Yiniang — even if the Second Sister-in-law had overstepped and interfered in our affairs, given that Second Brother was already dead, that the Second Sister-in-law had no children and was alone in the world and would have to depend on us in the future — why could she not have been more generous? Letting Qin Yiniang and the child live with the Second Sister-in-law for over a year — what would outsiders make of that when they heard? What would they think? And what would the servants do once they knew?” Words stored in his heart for years poured out now that they had somewhere to go — unstoppable as a river breaking its banks. “Was this not putting the knife handle in someone else’s hand so they could stab her whenever they wished? Why could she not have been more magnanimous — bowed her head to Mother, acknowledged some fault, said a few words of gratitude to the Second Sister-in-law, and brought Qin Yiniang and her child back… It need never have come to such an unresolvable end.”

Xu Lingyi’s face was as dark and still as deep water.

“I even hoped there was still some way to turn the matter around,” he said, a flash of self-reproach crossing his eyes. “I went — in secret — to ask Qin Yiniang, and walked back and forth myself the route from the east wing to the main room to Tao Mama’s quarters, again and again… Not only did I find no inconsistency in what Qin Yiniang had said, but I even learned something further…” He stopped short.

“Learned what?” Shiyiniang could not help clenching her fists tightly.

Xu Lingyi was silent for a long moment.

“The maid keeping night-watch in Yuan Niang’s room heard Qin Yiniang weeping outside!”

The maids who kept night-watch usually slept on the plank bed at the foot of the sleeping platform.

Shiyiniang stared at Xu Lingyi, astonished.

Xu Lingyi gave a slight nod.

Shiyiniang lowered her eyes.

“Do you know what Mother said to me,” Xu Lingyi said quietly, “when I came home?” Without waiting for Shiyiniang to reply, he went on: “Mother told me to have a good heart-to-heart talk with Yuan Niang, to tell her not to wear her every feeling on her face like a child. When she was pleased, she was all smiles and gifts for the concubines; when she was displeased, she turned cold and ignored them. Getting into a temper with people like that — where was the composure and magnanimity a mistress of the household ought to have? When I heard this, I wanted nothing more than to find a crack in the ground and disappear into it. Think of it — when the Second Sister-in-law first came into the family, Mother had guided her step by step, almost as close as mother and daughter, and how warm they had been. But as for Yuan Niang… if Mother had something to say to her, she actually needed me to carry the message.”

Xu Lingyi sank down onto the chaise. The weariness in his brow was profound.

Shiyiniang could not help walking over and sitting down on the embroidered stool beside the chaise.

“My lord,” she said, her voice soft as the gradual dawn wind, “at that time, my elder sister was only sixteen or seventeen years old. She did not want to tell the Marquis because she was surely afraid of being blamed. If the Marquis had told her clearly at the outset — that even if she had made a mistake, he would forgive her, and would help her see things through — my elder sister, for the Marquis’s sake, would certainly have been willing to do anything asked of her.”

Xu Lingyi’s expression shifted.

“In this world,” Shiyiniang said softly, “there is no such thing as a grievance — only whether it is worth it or not.”

Xu Lingyi stared at her, wordless for a long while.

The next morning, very early, the little maid who had kept night-watch in Xu Lingyi’s room came quietly to Shiyiniang. “Fourth Madam, the Marquis did not sleep the entire night!”

Shiyiniang smiled and nodded, and gave the little maid a handful of candy.

The little maid went away grinning.

At breakfast, Shiyiniang observed Xu Lingyi closely.

Skin fair and luminous, gaze bright and clear — where was any sign that he had gone the whole night without sleep?

Could it be that the Senior Madam had taught Xu Lingyi the same — not to let one’s emotions show on one’s face?

Her mind was wandering idly. She looked up and saw the Senior Madam smiling warmly, watching her with evident interest.

Shiyiniang was somewhat at a loss.

The Senior Madam had already turned to Xu Lingyi. “Sending Yi Yiniang off to Shanyang this morning?”

Xu Lingyi answered, “Yes — departing at the start of the si hour. By then traffic at the city gate should be neither too heavy nor too sparse.”

The Senior Madam nodded, then smiled and glanced at Shiyiniang. “Now that Yi Yiniang is gone, the two of you may move back and rest in your own quarters. Having one of you in my east side room and one in my warming alcove, keeping my maids running in circles — I shall have no one left to pour tea and fetch water at night.”

But had she not brought her own maids? She hadn’t dared to make use of the Senior Madam’s personal attendants — only two of her own maids had come, but still.

Shiyiniang respectfully answered, “Yes.”

She supposed that since they were all adults now, each with their own habits, perhaps the Senior Madam felt a little inconvenienced having them here and had used this as a pretext to send them back.

“Mother,” Xu Lingyi had quite a different interpretation, “Steward Bai is in the process of selecting maids for the household these two days. Would you like a few more added to your rooms? The monthly wages can come from my own private funds.”

Nanny Du, standing to the side, burst out with an involuntary laugh.

Shiyiniang and Xu Lingyi looked at each other in bewilderment.

The Senior Madam had already broken into laughter. “These two thick-headed geese!”

* * *