Eleventh Young Mistress had no idea what Third Madam was scheming. It was not her place to comment at length, so she smiled and said, “This is wonderful. Just the other day the Dowager Marchioness was still asking after the First Young Master’s marriage. Now that she hears it has been settled, she will not know how pleased she will be.” She added, “You should go and report this to the Dowager Marchioness quickly — let the old lady set her mind at rest.” As for the rest, she asked nothing further.

Gan Laoquan’s wife thought of Third Madam’s instructions before her departure: “…Tell them the Fang Family’s background and connections — tell the Dowager Marchioness, Second Madam, Fourth Madam, and Fifth Madam all about it. Don’t let people think we can’t get on without them, arranging nothing but the sort of families they’ve been putting forward for our Qin Ge’er!”

She smiled and assented, but made no move to leave right away. She said, “That Fang Family is a prominent household from Huzhou. The late paternal uncle of Magistrate Fang was the original Surveillance Censor of the Censorate, the Honorable Fang Sui. And this Young Miss Fang — she is the eldest legitimate daughter of Magistrate Fang. From childhood she studied under her aunt and is not only accomplished in calligraphy but also skilled in music. Furthermore,” Gan Laoquan’s wife’s face showed pride, “the Young Miss’s paternal aunt’s husband is the former Vice Minister of Rites, the Honorable Jiang Huai of Jianghuaiyang.”

Eleventh Young Mistress did not know these names. But since Gan Laoquan’s wife was so proud of them, they must have been either eminent ministers or celebrated scholars.

She replied with a mild smile, “I spent my years in Yuhang rarely venturing beyond my own two gates, so I never heard of these two honorables. Nevertheless, to form a match with a prominent Jiangnan household is always a fine thing.”

Gan Laoquan’s wife, seeing Eleventh Young Mistress’s unimpressed air, felt rather disappointed. But Eleventh Young Mistress had already raised her teacup, so she had no choice but to smile as she rose to take her leave and went to the Dowager Marchioness’s quarters.

That evening when Xu Lingyi returned, Eleventh Young Mistress told him of this matter.

Xu Lingyi heard it and frowned. “Why were they betrothed to this family?”

“Is it not a good match?” Eleventh Young Mistress said. “From what I heard of Gan Laoquan’s wife’s tone, Fang Sui and Jiang Huaiyang seemed to be people of some renown!”

“They have some modest renown,” Xu Lingyi said. “In the forty-sixth year of Jian’an, when Princess Ancheng’s prince consort was caught smuggling salt, it was Fang Sui who impeached him. In the end, the Prince Consort was flogged forty boards of punishment, and to this day he still walks with a limp. As for Jiang Huaiyang — he had a talent for music and poetry and was a celebrated scholar of Jiangnan. He was implicated in the old case known as the ‘Witchcraft Gu Affair’ and resigned from office to live as a recluse…” His words trailed off here, and he paused for a moment. “How did this family come to agree to this match?”

Eleventh Young Mistress shook her head gently. “Your concubine truly does not know!”

Xu Lingyi thought for a moment, then said, “Let it be. Now that the betrothal has been set, anything more we say is futile. Besides, this is Third Elder Brother’s affair — it is not our place to interfere.” He added, “Fortunately, Third Elder Brother is due to return to the capital next spring — when we brothers meet then, we can speak of it face to face.” He then sat down at the edge of the bed and looked at the sleeping Jin Ge’er with a quiet voice. “Now that the child has completed his full month, I think you should move back to the main bedchamber. There is a heated side room there, and a wash room — it will be more convenient for both you and the child.”

Eleventh Young Mistress had also been planning to move. Sleeping with only a folding screen separating her from Nanny Gu really did not suit her. She smiled and said, “Why don’t we move tomorrow then?”

“Then tomorrow it is!” Xu Lingyi smiled. “I’ll have Linbo and Zhaoying come in to help you.”

“There’s no need,” Eleventh Young Mistress laughed. “If they come, I’ll only be less comfortable — we’ve been living in the side room for nearly a month, and there are bound to be some private things there.”

Xu Lingyi, hearing this, said no more, and after washing and grooming himself, lay down to rest.

The room was utterly still, broken only by the occasional soft crack of the sheep-shaped lantern in the corner as its lampwick sputtered, making the atmosphere feel all the more tranquil.

Xu Lingyi turned over, and his hand instinctively slipped inside Eleventh Young Mistress’s collar.

Her waist was so slender it seemed the slightest pressure would break it… her bosom just barely filled one’s palm… yet against her thinness, it seemed almost full.

A thought flickered through his mind. His thumb, of its own accord, found the soft peak there and began to brush against it gently. The warmth of his breath against her neck grew slightly heated.

“My lord…” Eleventh Young Mistress stirred uneasily and, with a kittenish air of displeasure, moved to push Xu Lingyi away.

“I know.” Xu Lingyi said with a low, gentle laugh, then kissed her on the cheek without any hesitation and relinquished his intent. “Sleep now.” His hand slid down to rest on her waist, though the response of his body was not something he could simply will into submission.

For some reason, Eleventh Young Mistress felt a pang of sadness.

She tucked her head into Xu Lingyi’s chest.

There were some things she could not erase, yet she had no wish to fan the flames either.

She wanted to say something, but did not know what to say.

After a long silence, her hand slipped gently inside Xu Lingyi’s collar… and was caught by him at once.

“Stop that.” His voice carried a trace of quiet amusement. “Go to sleep. Tomorrow there is still the move to manage.”

Eleventh Young Mistress felt her face burn with heat.

She did not withdraw her hand, but instead took hold of Xu Lingyi’s hand in turn, and called softly, “My lord.”

The atmosphere became quite charged.

Xu Lingyi hesitated for a moment.

He still remembered how, that first time, behind her bashfulness had lurked a rigidity and reluctant resignation… He placed her hand on his own waist, forming an embrace. “Go to sleep,” he said, then, as if soothing a child, patted her back gently.

Eleventh Young Mistress exhaled a quiet breath of relief.

She always felt so clumsy, especially when Xu Lingyi’s bright, phoenix-shaped eyes gazed at her with that deep, still intensity — she truly did not know what to do with herself… It was best if nothing happened… and yet why was there this faint, unsettled feeling in her heart?

Eleventh Young Mistress bit her lip.

Her shoulder was suddenly given a soft nudge.

She turned her head, and there was Jin Ge’er — his swaddling clothes loosened and his small jacket changed — one little hand tucked up near his mouth, gazing at her with eyes like black jade.

“Jin Ge’er!”

When had the child woken without her noticing…

Eleventh Young Mistress was about to sit up in a flurry of guilt when Xu Lingyi, beside her, had already scooped the baby up. “Nanny Gu, Nanny Gu…”

Nanny Gu came padding in with her outer garment thrown over her shoulders at a quick, light trot.

“My lord.” She took Jin Ge’er, changed his cloth diaper with practiced ease, then carried him behind the folding screen to nurse him.

The room fell quiet again.

Eleventh Young Mistress was mortified.

How had she not thought of it just now — Nanny Gu was still in the room… If things had proceeded… it was a good thing Jin Ge’er had woken up. Otherwise, would she not have been laughed at?

Her face flushed crimson, she turned over and lay with her back to Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi was somewhat puzzled.

He leaned over and studied her.

He saw Eleventh Young Mistress’s face flushed like a rosy cloud, her long lashes trembling like flower petals swaying in the breeze.

He thought of her bashful nature… Could it be that his refusal just now had left her embarrassed and indignant?

The thought flickered through his mind, and he suddenly felt a slight urge to laugh.

He was just deliberating whether or not to tease her a little when Nanny Gu tiptoed back in with the baby.

Xu Lingyi, knowing this little ancestor of theirs sometimes patted off to sleep in just two strokes, and other times lay there wide-eyed playing for half the night, stood up and took his son from her. As he always did, he paced slowly back and forth, gently patting his son to coax him to sleep.

Hearing the movement, Eleventh Young Mistress turned her head.

In the dim amber lamplight, the tall figure of Xu Lingyi cast a long shadow. He held the swaddled Jin Ge’er with gentle care, and the expression on his brow was one of serene peace.

The next day, Eleventh Young Mistress moved back into the main bedchamber’s inner room.

At noon, Xu Sijun and Xu Sijie came running to see their little brother.

“Mother, are you well now?” Xu Sijun held Jin Ge’er’s tiny hand. “Does that mean we can eat lunch here with you every day like before?”

Xu Sijie also said, “Mother, does that mean I can move back?”

Eleventh Young Mistress was not entirely well — Imperial Physician Liu still came to administer acupuncture every five days, and the medicinal broth had not been stopped.

“Of course!” She could not bear to disappoint the children, and besides, Xu Sijun and Xu Sijie both had mothers and maidservants attending them. “But first, you need Grandmother’s permission!”

Both children cheered with delight.

Jin Ge’er, lying on the bed, kept bending his arm in a determined effort to get his little fist to his mouth, but unfortunately he was dressed in too many layers, and for all his bending he could not manage it. He simply gave up, puckered his mouth, and burst into a wail.

Xu Sijun quickly tried to soothe him: “Don’t cry — don’t cry. I’ll go call the wet nurse for you right away.”

Jin Ge’er, of course, understood none of this, and wailed even louder.

Xu Sijie, not knowing where he had produced a sweet from, held it out, saying, “Here’s a sweet for you — please don’t cry!”

The sight gave Eleventh Young Mistress such a fright she broke out in a cold sweat, and she was just about to go scoop up Jin Ge’er when Hong Wen had already moved ahead of her and picked him up: “Fifth Young Master, Sixth Young Master is still very small — he can only drink from Nanny Gu. The things you eat, Sixth Young Master cannot eat.” She spoke while gently bouncing Jin Ge’er.

Eleventh Young Mistress breathed a sigh of relief.

She silently nodded her approval at Hong Wen’s quick thinking.

“Then when can little brother eat things?” Xu Sijie asked with a trace of disappointment.

Hong Wen was about to answer when Xu Sijun already said, “At least three years old!”

“Why three years old?” Xu Sijie was a bundle of curiosity. “When he’s three years old, can he eat anything?”

Xu Sijun nodded. “Because when you came to our family, you could already eat everything — and I even gave you all the crystal candies the Empress had bestowed upon me.”

Eleventh Young Mistress was quite surprised.

Xu Sijun had been barely six years old when Xu Sijie joined the Xu Family — she had not expected him to still remember it so clearly.

And Xu Sijie seemed to have grown somewhat hazy on the memories of those earlier times. He gazed at Xu Sijun with a look of some confusion.

Eleventh Young Mistress quickly changed the subject: “Zhun Ge, Jie Ge, didn’t you two make little red lanterns for Jin Ge’er? Go quickly and have Qiu Yu find them out so you can dangle them in front of your little brother to amuse him.”

The two of them, hearing this, scrambled over each other to run out, each coming back in carrying a palm-sized red lantern and swinging it back and forth in front of Jin Ge’er, trying to make him laugh.

Jin Ge’er’s eyes followed the red lanterns going to and fro, and he momentarily forgot to cry.

Just then a maidservant announced, “Madam, a wedding invitation has arrived from the household on Bowstring Lane.”

Counting the days, it was already mid-eleventh month — Twelfth Young Mistress’s wedding invitation ought to be arriving in proper form.

“Bring it in,” Eleventh Young Mistress called the maidservant in. “Has the Dowager Marchioness’s side received one as well?”

The maidservant replied promptly, “The Dowager Marchioness, Second Madam, and Fifth Madam have all had invitations delivered.”

Eleventh Young Mistress nodded, and the Dowager Marchioness arrived.

Eleventh Young Mistress quickly rose to welcome the Dowager Marchioness in.

The Dowager Marchioness saw the three children playing together and smiled with warm approval. “For Twelfth Young Mistress’s side — what are your plans?” She reminded her, “The date of Xian Jie’er’s marriage and Twelfth Young Mistress’s wedding are less than two days apart!”

“For Xian Jie’er’s side, I will go in person to add to her trousseau gifts,” Eleventh Young Mistress thought aloud. “As for Twelfth Younger Sister’s side, I will have to make a trip there as well.”

* * *