When Xu Lingyi looked at Yang Yiniang, his face had already gone expressionless, betraying neither grief nor joy.

Yang Yiniang breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Had that servant not come in and interrupted things when he did, the situation just now would have been nearly impossible to salvage.

In matters of life and death, a single moment is enough to change everything.

“My lord!” she said. She had fully composed herself. Every person had their own preferences; since composed and steadfast behavior had once moved him, she must never again play the part of a pitiful, touching beauty. More than that, she had to display a rigid, unyielding fortitude. The more conspicuous that fortitude, the more it would cover over the ambiguous conduct of a moment ago, giving the impression that it had been an inadvertent slip born of desperation. “Though I am coarse by nature, I understand that righteousness cannot yield to evil. I know the difficulty the Marquis faces, and how could my own heart be at ease? Yet as a daughter, obedience comes first. Brothers and sisters are bound by flesh and blood. I truly cannot…” As she spoke, tears glistened at her lashes, but she paused her words deliberately, blinking until the sheen of moisture slowly dissolved back into her eyes. “Should our family be so fortunate as to receive the Marquis’s aid…” Her expression shifted, and a look of resolve appeared on her face. “I am willing, from this day forward, to live by the light of an ancient Buddha’s lamp in penance, atoning for my father’s sins, and praying for blessings upon the Grand Madam, the Marquis, the Madam, and all the young masters and misses.” With that, she pressed the back of her hand to her forehead, placed her palms against the floor, and prostrated herself on the cold, water-polished stone tiles.

Her mind turned over and over in circles.

If she were in his position, she would not believe it herself.

One moment striving with all her might, the next vowing to enter a convent… Yet affairs had always worked by being driven to a dead end before finding a way back to life. The Yang Family had been ransacked. The third young mistress of the Tang Family had been sent to a temple to convalesce from illness. If she too were sent to a temple, what would people say? The Xu household had just lost two concubines — what excuse would they use now?

Beyond this stratagem, she could think of no better way to resolve the present dilemma.

Xu Lingyi naturally did not believe her.

“The light of an ancient Buddha’s lamp!” He gazed at the woman prostrated at his feet, and the corner of his mouth could not help but twitch, a trace of disdain settling between his brows.

Among women, she was counted as both bold and resourceful.

In only a few breaths’ time, she had already devised a plan to escape her predicament.

The thought had barely risen before the image of Eleventh floated into his mind — of her sitting on the large heated platform by the window, idly tending to flowers and plants with an air of unconcerned ease.

It was fortunate that he had not allowed Eleventh to accept her tea back then. Otherwise, who could say what trouble might have followed.

With that thought came another — the narrow, thorn-lined path leading to Half-Moon Pond.

Only one lantern. He wondered if she could see clearly by its light. It would be a pity if she scratched herself…

What important matter could she have come to see him about?

Come to think of it, he had been spending his nights at Half-Moon Pond these days… Every day she would chatter at him, and now that she was suddenly gone, he could not help but find the silence overly heavy when he was alone…

Thinking this, Xu Lingyi felt a sudden flutter in his chest.

Would Eleventh perhaps also find it a little strange — the absence of routine…

He suddenly felt a longing to see Eleventh, to know what had brought her.

But Yang Yiniang’s heart was clenching with dread.

She had her full attention fixed on Xu Lingyi’s every movement, and the mockery threading through his tone — how could she fail to perceive it?

At this point, she had no choice but to make him believe in her sincerity.

Yang Yiniang steeled herself and could only say: “My lord, I grew up in the countryside, ignorant of propriety, and cannot speak with great eloquence.” She slowed her speech, lending it a gravity. “But from a young age I was raised at my grandmother’s side and received her teachings. I know one must not speak falsehoods before the Bodhisattva. I beg the Marquis, in consideration of my wholehearted sincerity, to grant me permission to enter a temple to cultivate myself.” Then she lowered her body a little further, her bearing becoming even more respectful and humble.

Xu Lingyi came back to his senses, and a flash of mockery passed through his eyes. He raised an eyebrow, about to say something, when Linbo entered.

“My lord!” He whispered in Xu Lingyi’s ear. “The Madam has turned back!”

Xu Lingyi was startled. “Do you know why?”

“I do not know.” Linbo glanced at Yang Yiniang, who was straining her ears to listen, and lowered his voice further. “The Madam paused for a while at the Spring Blossom Pavilion, then turned back the way she came!”

The middle of the night — she had walked halfway and then turned back.

Then it could not have been something urgent.

Thinking that, something inside him began to churn like boiling water.

Perhaps, just as he had guessed — Eleventh had simply come to see him…

Xu Lingyi suddenly felt a restless agitation stir within him.

Since he had no intention of taking Yang Yiniang in, he had naturally thought about how to deal with her situation.

She was young — he could not simply leave her to wither away as a widow in all but name. If he arranged for her to remarry, she was after all his concubine in name, and there would be some loss of face. If he sent her home, her striking appearance, stripped of the protection of a powerful household, would likely lead to an even more wretched fate. The best course would be to have her change her name and identity — under the guise of an orphan — and for him to personally place her as an adopted daughter in the household of some mid-ranking official.

This was easier said than done.

First, he did not know Yang Yiniang’s true character. If she was a domineering sort, sending her recklessly into another household would only bring disorder and trouble to that family. Second, he did not know Yang Yiniang’s own wishes. If she refused outright, his unilateral efforts would be a case of good intentions gone wrong. Third, a suitable household was not easy to find. Those he knew well had no fitting match; those he did not know well risked delivering Yang Yiniang into a den of wolves, leaving him powerless to help if something went wrong.

With all this to consider, one thing led to another, and a second year arrived. First there was the matter of Concubine Qin, then Eleventh’s difficult labor — and the whole affair was shelved once again.

When Linbo had told him Yang Yiniang had come to see him alone, he assumed she had come on account of her father’s situation, and he had prepared to take the opportunity to speak plainly with her, to let her make her own decision.

But now, he suddenly found it dull — sitting here with Yang Yiniang, saying all these things, going through all these motions.

You could paint the hide and bones of a tiger, but you could never paint its soul.

Let it end here.

He rose abruptly to his feet.

“Since your sincerity is genuine, I will speak to the Madam. Within the next two days, you will be sent to a temple to practice in quiet retreat.”

“My lord!” Yang Yiniang raised her head upon hearing this.

Xu Lingyi stood looking down at her from above. His hands were clasped behind his back, his posture upright, his gaze ice-cold, his expression severe — carrying a faint, imperious disdain, as though surveying the world from a great height.

In a flash of lightning, she suddenly understood — she had been too clever by half.

Xu Lingyi appeared gentle on the surface, yet within him was a spine of iron.

He cherished the Xu household’s reputation, yet he would never endure humiliation and submission simply out of fear of others’ reproach.

In an instant, Yang Yiniang’s mind fell into chaos, and her body could not stop trembling.

Xu Lingyi could not be bothered to spare her another glance.

He pulled off his brocade robe — dampened by her tears — and tossed it over the grand armchair, then instructed Linbo: “Help me change my clothes. I am going to have a look.”

Linbo hurried to attend him as Xu Lingyi withdrew into the inner chamber to one side.

The room fell into utter stillness. Only Yang Yiniang remained, kneeling alone on the floor, accompanied by the warm jade glow of the lamp, and the brocade robe that lay beside it, flowing with dim, dark luster in the lamplight.

* * *

Eleventh had washed her hair, changed into a semi-worn rose-red jacket embroidered all over with gold, and made her way to the warm side chamber.

Little Jin Ge’er lay sprawled on his back on the heated platform like a small frog turned upside down, his expression peaceful and serene.

Eleventh smiled as she tucked his small hand back under the quilt. He pursed his lips and then raised it back to rest beside his head.

Nanny Gu quietly explained from the side: “Small children are all like this. When they are a bit older, their sleeping posture will improve.”

Eleventh nodded. Not wanting to wake the child, she sat down on a nearby armchair and asked Nanny Gu, who had followed her in, softly: “Is it cold at night?”

These past two months, Jin Ge’er had been extremely sensitive. If anyone nearby spoke or turned over, he would cry with his eyes shut for a long while. Eleventh had had no choice but to place him in the warm side chamber, where he slept alone on the heated platform. Two chaise lounges were placed side by side at the platform’s edge, and Nanny Gu and the night-watch maid slept on the chaise lounges. From that point on, Jin Ge’er slept through the night until dawn. But Eleventh worried that Nanny Gu was not accustomed to it.

“Not cold, not cold at all,” Nanny Gu quickly replied with a smile. “The room has a floor heating channel burning, and Zhuxiang placed two new quilted mattresses for me, plus gave me a gray squirrel fur jacket — to drape over my shoulders when I get up at night, and to lay over the covers the rest of the time. Not cold. Not in the slightest. Moving around sometimes I even feel overly warm.”

Tonight’s night-watch maid was Hongwen. Seeing Eleventh’s hair still slightly damp, she smiled and said, “Madam, shall I dry your hair for you?”

“No need!” Eleventh smiled. “Just focus wholeheartedly on looking after Jin Ge’er!”

The two curtseyed and answered “Yes.” Hongwen stood watch by the platform edge, and Nanny Gu saw Eleventh out of the warm side chamber.

On the other side, Zhuxiang had already prepared the brazier.

Smokeless, odorless silver frost charcoal, with orange peel and cypress branches added — once the hair was dried over it, not only did it carry no unpleasant smell, but there was a faint, delicate fragrance of citrus and pine-cedar.

Eleventh washed her hair every few days, and the young maids were extremely practiced at drying it for her. When the hair was half-dry, Zhuxiang would dismiss the other serving maids, then take out a boxwood comb and comb her hair while chatting idly.

“Madam’s hair is truly beautiful. So black, so thick.” Her voice, unlike Hupo’s brisk directness, had a certain gentle, winding softness to it. “Our Sixth Young Master takes after the Madam.” She gave a light laugh. “Madam, now that I think of it, our Sixth Young Master, like Second Young Master and Fifth Young Master, has a pair of large, beautiful phoenix eyes, and like Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master, has a head of jet-black hair… the more I think about it, the more Sixth Young Master resembles Fifth Young Master… This truly does bear out that old saying: a child resembles whoever raises them!”

She was telling her that even without Xu Lingyi’s favor, she still had two sons.

Eleventh smiled.

But Zhuxiang gradually let the smile fade from her face. She half-knelt, one knee bent and one knee on the ground, and pressed her cheek against Eleventh’s knee. “Madam, the lamb kneels to nurse, and the crow returns to feed its parents. We treat Fifth Young Master as well as we treat Sixth Young Master, and when Fifth Young Master grows up, he will be as close to Sixth Young Master as a brother.”

Eleventh felt tears well up as she listened.

She gently stroked the top of Zhuxiang’s head: “With all of you beside me, I am not afraid.”

Zhuxiang lifted her head, eyes brimming with tears, and bit her lips with an embarrassed smile.

A little maid came running in: “Madam, Madam — the Marquis has come back!”

A faint color of awkwardness crossed Eleventh’s face.

Half-Moon Pond was like Xu Lingyi’s war council chamber — whatever its outward appearance of leisure, it was no more than a facade. His return at this hour most likely meant he had discovered that she had turned back halfway…

There was no time to finish combing her hair, but at least she could put on earrings.

Zhuxiang quickly brought out the jewelry box.

But Eleventh felt a little awkward.

Zhuxiang had pulled her to the Spring Blossom Pavilion — she had surely seen through her intentions.

“No need!” Eleventh casually twisted her hair into a loose bun. “It’s practically time for bed anyway!”

Zhuxiang’s hand paused mid-motion, and a trace of amusement flashed through her eyes.

The Madam’s constitution was frail, but at least things between her and the Marquis were on some kind of footing again…

She stepped quickly to lift the curtain, and Xu Lingyi strode in.

Zhuxiang withdrew and gently drew the latticed door shut behind her.