Imperial Physician Liu responded with a deferential murmur of assent.

Eleventh Young Lady flushed crimson, yet could not bring herself to speak.

“Mo Yan…” Xu Lingyi furrowed his brow.

Eleventh Young Lady turned her face away and spoke, but her voice was no louder than the hum of a gnat.

Xu Lingyi could not hear her clearly, and leaned closer — only to see that Eleventh Young Lady’s neck had gone red as well.

He could not help but cup her face in his hand. It was hot to the touch, burning.

“You cannot even say it to me?” Xu Lingyi gazed at Eleventh Young Lady, his expression gentle.

Eleventh Young Lady lowered her eyelids: “You — you had better have someone else ask me.”

Xu Lingyi was taken aback.

Why?

A thought flashed through his mind, and a strange warmth stirred in his heart.

“Why should I not do it myself?” He held her gaze steadily, his expression rather earnest, his deep and mellow voice carrying a warmth that came with its low register.

Because it was simply too embarrassing!

Eleventh Young Lady was not quite sure how to explain it to him, and so only said: “Just — just have someone else ask, please!”

Her expression carried a faint trace of willfulness — taking on the quality of a gentle pout.

Xu Lingyi’s gaze deepened all at once: “Then — shall I have Nanny Song convey the questions?”

Eleventh Young Lady thought it over for a long while, then threw caution to the wind: “Very well, let Nanny Song ask then.”

Xu Lingyi smiled, and gently drew her into his arms: “Silly girl.”

His fingertips traced along her spine, and the vertebrae rose beneath them, pressing into his hand.

“Mo Yan…” He paused, startled.

When had Eleventh Young Lady grown this thin?

Xu Lingyi felt something catch in his throat. He did not know what to say.

Having someone else ask would feel awkward, certainly — but it would not leave her feeling as disoriented and flustered as having Xu Lingyi ask her directly. Weighing the two, she would rather have Nanny Song do it. Perhaps it was precisely because they were husband and wife that she was even less willing to expose certain intimate details of daily life to his eyes.

Being held by Xu Lingyi was making it a little difficult to breathe. She gently gave him a small push, and reminded him softly: “Imperial Physician Liu is still waiting outside the curtained bed.”

Xu Lingyi slowly released her.

Eleventh Young Lady let out a quiet breath.

Yet Xu Lingyi suddenly bent down and pressed a kiss to her cheek, and then asked again the very question Imperial Physician Liu had put earlier.

“My lord…” Eleventh Young Lady was startled.

He had changed his mind again.

The look in Xu Lingyi’s eyes as he gazed at her held something distant and profound.

“Do not make me worry,” he said, his voice soft and low. “Jin Ge’er is still so young.”

Tears suddenly gathered at the rim of Eleventh Young Lady’s eyes.

She thought of Yuan Niang, who had died of illness. She thought of frail little Zhun Ge’er…

Eleventh Young Lady leaned close to Xu Lingyi’s ear and softly answered the question Imperial Physician Liu had asked.

Xu Lingyi smiled and drew Eleventh Young Lady into his arms: “Close your eyes — then it won’t feel so embarrassing.”

“It is postpartum hemorrhage,” Imperial Physician Liu replied this time with certainty. “We will begin with the Yizhong Yiqi Decoction to tonify the center and replenish the qi. If that proves insufficient, we will add aconite.”

Xu Lingyi had composed himself. He considered for a moment, then said: “Given her present condition, could acupuncture be used?”

Imperial Physician Liu was greatly startled, and after a long while replied: “If acupuncture is to be used, the needles would need to be placed at the spleen shu point, the hidden white point, the hundred convergences point, the sea of qi point, the three leg miles point…”

The spleen shu point was on the back; the hidden white point was on the foot; the hundred convergences point was at the crown of the head; the sea of qi point was on the abdomen; the three leg miles point was on the leg.

Xu Lingyi did not hesitate, and asked only: “Will it be effective?”

Imperial Physician Liu recalled the matter of Xu Lingyi acting as intermediary just moments before, and said: “It is naturally faster and more beneficial than medicine alone.”

“Then proceed with acupuncture,” said Xu Lingyi with decisive finality. “As for my lady — I will speak to her.”

Imperial Physician Liu’s gaze toward Xu Lingyi became considerably more respectful, and he said deferentially: “Please have my lord dispatch someone to my residence to collect the needles. I will administer the treatment for my lady at once.”

Xu Lingyi gave a nod and stepped inside the curtained bed.

Eleventh Young Lady had not expected this at all.

She looked at Xu Lingyi, her expression complex.

“I know this is something of an astonishing departure from convention,” said Xu Lingyi, fearing she might refuse, and trying again and again to persuade her. “But the child is still very young, and postpartum hemorrhage is an extremely dangerous condition. For the sake of the child, you really must try this.” He also took her hand. “A physician’s heart is that of a parent toward the patient. In a physician’s eyes, patients are all like their own children — there is no distinction of male or female. What is more, I will be present while Imperial Physician Liu administers the needles. If you truly find it too embarrassing, I can have Imperial Physician Liu prescribe medicine to help you sleep, and then he can administer the needles once you have fallen asleep.”

“There is no need for that.” Eleventh Young Lady smiled faintly and took Xu Lingyi’s hand in return. “I will do as my lord says.”

Xu Lingyi exhaled in relief. Seeing that it was getting late and that the person sent to collect the needles from Imperial Physician Liu’s residence would still be a while in returning, he invited Imperial Physician Liu to have tea in the hall of the main chamber, and then asked in careful detail what precautions Eleventh Young Lady’s illness required.

“Though my lady’s illness was contracted during childbirth, the one thing this condition most dreads is excessive worrying and rumination,” said Imperial Physician Liu. “She also frequently feels fatigued and listless, with a tendency toward drowsiness and lying down. My lord would do well to counsel my lady to rest more and trouble herself less. With needles and medicine administered together, I believe she will recover quite soon.”

Xu Lingyi nodded, and asked further about what care should be taken in diet.

The two of them had been speaking for well over half a double-hour when a manservant arrived with the silver needles.

Imperial Physician Liu hesitated anew.

Xu Lingyi did not waver in the slightest. He rose and went to the side chamber.

Eleventh Young Lady asked Xu Lingyi in a low voice: “Must the inner garments come off as well?”

“Have you ever seen anyone receive acupuncture through their clothing?” Xu Lingyi replied with a smile. “Only the bodice stays on.”

Very well. She would simply treat it as going for a swim.

Eleventh Young Lady removed her garments and lay on her side facing the wall.

Xu Lingyi looked at that slight, slender figure, and could not help bending down to press a soft kiss to her back.

Like a butterfly’s resting touch — light, so light that one might almost miss it if not attending closely — yet it burned as if branded into her skin, scorching enough to be faintly painful.

She gave a small shiver.

Imperial Physician Liu’s hands never made direct contact with Eleventh Young Lady’s skin, yet he found each point precisely and inserted the needles accurately. Once the needles were in, the areas where they rested quickly produced a sensation of soreness, numbness, distension, and heaviness, which then spread slowly outward — like soaking in a warm spring, deeply comfortable.

Mo Yan had consulted traditional Chinese medicine before in her former life, and knew she had encountered a true master. Her body and mind both relaxed, and she felt greater confidence in her recovery. She closed her eyes and, without realizing it, drifted off to sleep.

Imperial Physician Liu was drenched in sweat.

He had been worried before about having to needle through clothing. He had not expected… This way, the placement would be far more accurate.

Imperial Physician Liu let out a long breath.

The greatest fear in acupuncture was a tense patient. Not only would the treatment be ineffective, but it was also easy to make errors.

Xu Lingyi, meanwhile, was full of concern. He had been watching Eleventh Young Lady’s expression carefully throughout. Seeing that her face, though taut at first, quickly softened into ease as she sank into slumber, he asked quietly: “How is she faring?”

“All is well, all is well,” said Imperial Physician Liu, gently working the needles with a light touch. “Sleeping is even better.”

Xu Lingyi asked nothing more. Once Imperial Physician Liu had completed the treatment, Hupo was left to attend at the bedside. Xu Lingyi then accompanied Imperial Physician Liu out of the side chamber.

A maidservant walked in, and upon seeing Xu Lingyi, quickly bowed her head and stepped to one side, pressing herself flat against the wall.

“Is it to be consecutive needlings, or every few days?” Xu Lingyi conversed with Imperial Physician Liu as they made their way toward the main hall.

“Consecutive needlings would be ideal!” Imperial Physician Liu had by now recovered his usual sharpness. “Though every few days would also work!”

Xu Lingyi smiled: “Then let us do consecutive needlings.” Turning back, he was about to summon a maidservant to tell the kitchen to bring a meal — when he noticed that the maidservant had gone into Eleventh Young Lady’s room.

The household affairs were all managed by the Grand Lady. To allow Eleventh Young Lady to rest and recover in peace, the Grand Lady had even taken Xu Sijie to stay at her side. Only the few maidservants whom Eleventh Young Lady was accustomed to had been left in the side chamber… What had this maidservant gone in for? He recalled also what Imperial Physician Liu had said about Eleventh Young Lady not being allowed to overtax her mind… He pointed at the maidservant: “What is this about?”

Fangxi, who was attending them on the way to the main hall, quickly replied in a respectful tone: “It is the person my lady sent to Bowstring Alley to leave a message.”

Was it about the marriage arrangements for the Twelfth Young Lady?

Xu Lingyi did not ask further. After seeing Imperial Physician Liu off, he summoned Hupo.

Hupo, without Eleventh Young Lady’s instruction, naturally could say nothing: “My lady only said to ask the Fourth Young Master’s wife to come over. As for the rest, I am not entirely clear myself.”

Such was Eleventh Young Lady’s temperament — the more pressing the matter, the more calmly she held it.

Xu Lingyi gave a slight nod and went to the side chamber.

Jin Ge’er had just finished his bath, and Eleventh Young Lady was entertaining him.

Seeing Xu Lingyi come in, she smiled and pointed at him: “Look — Father is here!”

Jin Ge’er stared at Xu Lingyi with wide, bright, ink-black eyes.

Xu Lingyi’s heart went soft. He reached out and patted Jin Ge’er’s head, then asked gently: “Have you eaten your fill?”

Jin Ge’er fixed him with an unblinking stare.

Xu Lingyi smiled and kissed the child’s little cheek, then lifted him into his arms and sat on the edge of the bed: “Do you feel any better?”

“The acupuncture felt very comfortable,” said Eleventh Young Lady with a smile. “As for everything else, I didn’t notice much difference.” Her words had barely left her lips when she saw Jin Ge’er squirming in his swaddling cloth. “Quick, quick, quick —” she hurriedly took the child back. “Our Jin Ge’er needs to relieve himself.” As she spoke, she loosened the bands binding the swaddling.

A stream of golden liquid arced through the air and landed on the polished green stone tiles.

“That little fellow!” Xu Lingyi laughed. “He’s quite clever.” His tone carried a faint note of pleased relief.

Eleventh Young Lady could not help smiling: “All small children are like this, aren’t they?”

“How can that be?” Xu Lingyi took the child back into his arms. “I’ve seen that boy in Prince Shun’s household — he didn’t open his eyes until he was half a month old, and was still urinating everywhere at one hundred days. Nowhere near as clever as our Jin Ge’er!”

One’s own child is always the finest!

Xu Lingyi played with the child with great delight, but Jin Ge’er was not particularly cooperative — he gave a yawn, pursed his little lips, and fell fast asleep.

Eleventh Young Lady, watching him, lifted the corner of the quilt: “Put Jin Ge’er down now. If you keep holding him, he’ll get used to it, and once there’s no one to hold him, he’ll fuss and cry.”

Xu Lingyi seemed a little surprised: “Is the child sleeping with you?”

Eleventh Young Lady did not answer directly, but smiled: “I am reluctant to be parted from him.”

Xu Lingyi recalled that time when Eleventh Young Lady had fallen asleep and he had just reached out to touch Jin Ge’er — and she had woken at once… Like a lioness; anyone who touched her cub would find her claws extended…

He carefully and gently set the child down in the quilt, then turned to instruct Qiuyu at his side: “Have a little maidservant bring water for me to wash up.”

A silence fell over the room.

Nanny Tian was anxious and made urgent eye contact with Eleventh Young Lady.

Eleventh Young Lady also felt it was a little inconvenient — if he were to stay the night here, what would become of Madam Gu? And without Madam Gu present, who would attend to Jin Ge’er if he woke in the night?

“My lord!” she said with a smile. “Jin Ge’er wakes several times in the night and is quite loud…”

Was that perhaps why Eleventh Young Lady had never been getting proper rest — why, unlike other women who put on weight after giving birth, she only grew thinner and thinner?

“I am at leisure now and have no early morning court attendance to worry about,” Xu Lingyi said without concern. “If he’s particularly noisy in the night, I can actually help you soothe him.”