The Dowager Marchioness saw that Eleventh Young Lady and Zhen Jie’er had barely gotten through half their meal, and rose to her feet. “Now that Jin Ge’er is better, we can all set our minds at ease. You are still in your confinement, so rest and take good care of yourself.” She cast a glance at Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie. “And you two — come back to my rooms with me for lunch and your afternoon nap. You still have lessons this afternoon!”

Xu Sizhun was overjoyed that his grandmother had let the matter drop, and grabbed Xu Sijie’s hand, nodding eagerly.

Eleventh Young Lady could not well detain the Dowager Marchioness, so she asked Zhen Jie’er to help see everyone out the door.

A junior maid sprinted over to Wen Yiniang’s rooms: “Yiniang, Yiniang, the Dowager Marchioness has left!”

In the room with Wen Yiniang sat Yang Shi.

Wen Yiniang had gone over to Eleventh Young Lady’s rooms early that morning and, on hearing that Jin Ge’er was unwell, had decided that Eleventh Young Lady likely had no inclination to receive visitors just then, and turned back.

She had run into Yang Shi along the way.

“Sister, you are up early,” Yang Shi said with a smile, giving Wen Yiniang a greeting courtesy. “You are already on your way back from Madam’s rooms!”

Even if she said nothing, Yang Shi would see for herself the moment she looked in at the main rooms. There was no point in doing something that harmed others without benefiting herself, so Wen Yiniang simply explained the situation.

Yang Shi was taken aback.

The child not feeding… that meant something was wrong with the child!

To go and visit at a moment like this would only add to the Madam’s distress.

She immediately linked her arm through Wen Yiniang’s: “I have been so busy with my needlework lately that I have not had a proper conversation with Sister. Since we have met today, let me impose on Sister for a cup of tea!”

Wen Yiniang understood that she too was trying to keep out of the way, and smiled as she invited her in.

Yang Shi asked about Zhen Jie’er’s marriage: “By my reckoning, someone from Cangzhou should have arrived by now, shouldn’t they?”

Wen Yiniang had a junior maid brew a pot of the finest Biluochun tea for her guest: “Madam has postponed the matter until after the First Young Lady comes of age!”

Yang Shi paused, then said: “So they would be waiting another two years.”

“Two more years is all the better,” Wen Yiniang said with a smile. “The older she is when she marries, the more mature and sensible she will be. Being a daughter-in-law is not like being at home — if you make a mistake, there is no one to shield you.”

Yang Shi raised her teacup and took a small sip, then spoke more privately with Wen Yiniang: “These past few days I have made some needlework as gifts for Madam and Sixth Young Master. But for some reason, Madam does not seem to take to them — she has never once used them. Sister entered the household earliest and is most valued by Madam. I have been wanting to ask Sister — what does Madam actually like?”

“My needlework is the worst of anyone here. If you asked me something else, I might manage an answer or two, but on this topic I am completely in the dark,” Wen Yiniang said, feigning ignorance with a smile. “The reason Madam values me is simply because I am good with an abacus!”

Seeing that Wen Yiniang had deflected so perfectly, Yang Shi could not help but privately curse her cunning. Strictly speaking, the two of them were rivals. She had never counted on Wen Yiniang giving her any useful advice. She had simply thought that, having always shown herself meek and deferential to Wen Yiniang without any of that closeness ever being returned, she felt, more or less, a little deflated. She also thought that since she had few close connections in this household, the best way to stay informed of what happened in the main rooms was to stay close to Wen Yiniang — that way, whatever came up, she would at least be in a position to respond.

So she chatted with Wen Yiniang about this and that for quite some time. Then a junior maid came in to report that Sixth Young Master had recovered.

Something indescribable stirred in Yang Shi’s heart, and the smile on her face faded by several degrees.

Wen Yiniang was a person well versed in the ways of the world. She looked at Yang Shi’s flower-like face and gave a quiet inward sigh. With feeling, she said: “What a relief — Madam first had a difficult labor, then Sixth Young Master’s brief illness. Now at last it is clear skies after the rain.”

Yang Shi was sharp and quick-witted; she immediately caught the implication, and quickly smiled: “Turning misfortune into blessing — that is Madam’s good fortune.” She then proactively linked her arm through Wen Yiniang’s. “Such good news — we must go and offer our congratulations in person.”

Wen Yiniang smiled and went with her toward the main rooms, where they saw a large crowd of maids and older maidservants surrounding the Dowager Marchioness and the Second Madam as they entered Eleventh Young Lady’s chambers.

Whether the Dowager Marchioness or the Second Madam — both women were courteous to Wen Yiniang, though there was also a measure of reserve between them. Unlike Eleventh Young Lady, who made her feelings plain — liking what she liked, disliking what she disliked — and yet somehow came across as the more approachable of them all.

Not wanting to join the crowd, Wen Yiniang pulled Yang Shi back: “Let us come back in a little while!”

Yang Shi hesitated, but seeing that Wen Yiniang was already walking away, she pressed her lips together and had no choice but to follow her back to Wen Yiniang’s rooms.

They had only just sat down and each taken a sip of tea when the junior maid came back to say the Dowager Marchioness had gone. The two of them then made their way to Eleventh Young Lady’s rooms.

When Zhen Jie’er saw Wen Yiniang and Yang Shi come in, she greeted them warmly.

Wen Yiniang had herself given birth, so she went forward and asked in a low voice about the details of the delivery. Eleventh Young Lady found it awkward to discuss, and gave a brief, breezy answer. Yang Shi, meanwhile, studied the child at Eleventh Young Lady’s side intently.

He was swaddled in a deep red cloth, his little cheeks rosy and flushed with sleep. His nose bridge was high, and his features bore a notable resemblance to Xu Lingyi’s.

Yang Shi lowered her gaze. She heard Wen Yiniang say with a smile: “Madam must recover her health as soon as possible. There is still a whole mountain of matters waiting for Madam to decide!”

Eleventh Young Lady nodded, and a faint look of weariness appeared between her brows.

Wen Yiniang saw it and rose to take her leave. “Tomorrow is Sixth Young Master’s third-day bathing ceremony. Do get your rest early.”

Prior to this, Eleventh Young Lady had been consumed with worry about the child. Now that she had relaxed, she felt far more exhausted than usual. Zhuxiang held up the door curtain for Wen Yiniang and Yang Shi. Zhen Jie’er also rose and said her farewells. Eleventh Young Lady kissed her child’s small face, then sank into the bolster pillow and was asleep.

Xu Lingyi came in, travel-worn and dusty from the road. He saw two faces side by side against the deep red bolster pillow — one large, one small — both with the same ink-black hair, the same serene expression. He could not help but break into a quiet, tender smile.

Zhuxiang hurried forward to greet him, but before she could speak, Xu Lingyi had already raised his hand — a signal for silence. He then retreated with light, careful steps.

“Why is the child with Madam? What about the wet nurse? Has one not been confirmed yet?” Xu Lingyi asked when he reached the main room.

“We have taken on a wet nurse by the surname Gu,” Zhuxiang replied quickly. “Madam said that Sixth Young Master has only just had a dose of medicine, so she wanted to keep him close for observation.” As she spoke, a junior maid was already bringing in a basin of water for washing.

She helped Xu Lingyi wash and freshen up, then had a junior maid bring in his meal. Xu Lingyi ate quickly, eating only a few bites, and then went to the antechamber.

When he heard that the child needed to summon Imperial Physician Wu, he had not thought twice — he had gone straight to the palace. While waiting for the Emperor to grant him an audience, he had turned over in his mind, again and again, what he would say — no matter who Imperial Physician Wu had been called to treat in the palace, he had to somehow secure the man’s release.

Coming out of the palace, he had seen the household’s manservant waiting outside the palace gate with a face full of urgency…. Xu Lingyi still clearly remembered that at that moment he had felt something almost like the anxiety of approaching home after a long journey away…

And then he saw these two faces, lying peacefully on the bed, safe and sound… An abrupt quiet settled over his heart — a deep and full contentment. He found himself reaching out to gently touch his son’s small face.

Eleventh Young Lady’s eyes flew open.

“My Lord!” she said, looking at him in surprise, her eyes bright and sparkling. A smile bloomed across her face, and her brow was lit with joy. “When did you return? Why did you not wake me? I sent a manservant to bring you word — did you see him? The important thing is —” she sat up, and said with emphasis, “— Jin Ge’er took Midwife Peng’s medicine, and he is perfectly fine now.”

It was as though she had been waiting all this time for him to return, simply so she could share this happy news with him.

For reasons he could not quite explain, Xu Lingyi felt a sudden lift in his spirits.

He pressed her shoulder gently back: “Stop worrying so much about the child — remember to look after yourself as well. Get back to sleep.” Then he added, “The manservant you sent, I did see him. Once I knew Jin Ge’er was safe, I parted ways with Imperial Physician Wu right there at the palace gate.”

Eleventh Young Lady turned her head — she had forgotten she was in the antechamber, where there was no tall clock to see. She laughed softly at herself. “What hour is it now? My Lord, have you eaten?”

“I have eaten!” Xu Lingyi drew out his pocket watch. “It is a quarter before the shen hour.” Then he asked: “What is it?”

A quarter before the shen hour… He had already eaten and changed his clothes… In other words, he had been back for some time already… How had he managed things with the Emperor? Had he been too insistent?

Eleventh Young Lady had many things she wanted to say to Xu Lingyi, yet she could not find the right words for any of them.

Her hand settled lightly on her son’s head, gently stroking his silky, smooth hair.

At dusk, Nanny Song returned, bringing medicinal ingredients with her.

“I should have been back long ago,” she said, her eyes crinkled into half-moon shapes with joy upon learning that Jin Ge’er had recovered. “But the Yu Madam kept me talking — she asked so many detailed questions, that is why I am back late.” She handed the medicinal ingredients over to Zhuxiang. “Two ginseng roots, each over fifty years old. The Yu Madam knows Madam gave birth and her body needs replenishing, so she sent them back specially for you.” She then added: “The Yu Madam also said there is a temple called Changchun Temple outside the Xuanwu Gate, and the abbot there is skilled in treating minor ailments in children. She asked me to come back and mention it to Madam, so the Sixth Young Master might be brought there for an examination. Since Sixth Young Master has now fully recovered, word should be sent to the Yu Madam to set her mind at rest.” She further reported: “As for Madam Qian — young Xin Ge is currently fulfilling a vow before the Lady Bean Goddess, so she says she cannot attend the third-day bathing ceremony, but she will definitely come early with young Xin Ge at the full-month celebration.”

Eleventh Young Lady listened with a slight nod, then instructed Zhuxiang to arrange for a maidservant to go at once and report the good news to Fourth Sister, and asked after young Xin Ge’s condition, then directed Hupo to go and look in on him the following day.

The next day, the womenfolk of the Yongchang Marquis Huang Family were the first to arrive, followed by the Lin Family of Weibei Marquis from next door, the Zheng Family of the Duke of Dingguo, the Tang Family of the Zhongshan Marquis… they arrived one after another in a steady stream.

Everyone came in and first looked at the child. Once the maids had served the brown sugar water, the guests settled at the bedside, sipping their drinks and asking whether Eleventh Young Lady’s labor had been smooth. At first, Eleventh Young Lady answered selectively. But as the questions grew increasingly uninhibited, she simply said it had been a natural delivery. Even so, this provoked Huang Third Young Madam into sharing all manner of things she had personally endured during her own labors, leaving Eleventh Young Lady’s face scarlet with embarrassment — only to have Lin First Young Madam laugh at her for it.

Finally, at the first quarter of the noon hour, Fifth Madam escorted the lingering guests from Eleventh Young Lady’s rooms to the main hall for lunch, and one of the palace midwives presided over the third-day bathing ceremony.

Into the basin went an assortment of silver ingots of every shape. The Dowager Marchioness, the Second Madam, and Fifth Madam each tossed in gold ingots — so many that the two midwives were beside themselves with delight, pouring out an endless stream of auspicious phrases, adding greatly to the festive cheer.

When the time came to actually bathe Jin Ge’er, he neither cried nor fussed. His pair of jet-black eyes, bright as polished obsidian, rolled around and around with great curiosity, so charming that even the ever-reserved and circumspect Zheng Dowager Marchioness was utterly captivated. After the bathing ceremony concluded, she held the child and gazed at him for a good long while before finally taking her leave.

—