When Xu Lingyi returned, Eleventh Young Lady had her hair pinned up, was dressed in a small lake-green brocade jacket with a plain ground, and was holding Jin Ge’er in her arms, feeding him porridge.
Hearing the sound of movement, she turned her head: “The Marquis has returned!”
A smile bloomed across her face.
It gave Xu Lingyi a brief pause.
After only a few hours apart, Eleventh Young Lady seemed somehow different from the person he held in his memory.
There was something more open and unguarded in her expression — a kind of bright ease.
Like a bud just beginning to unfurl, having quietly burst into full bloom without anyone noticing, swaying with a living grace.
Xu Lingyi found himself struck with admiration.
Eleventh Young Lady had already turned back to set down her spoon, and was simultaneously handing the child to Nanny Gu and instructing a small maidservant to bring in water to help Xu Lingyi wash and freshen up, while herself going to help him change his clothes. “Marquis, are you all right? Would you prefer to eat something first and then sleep, or sleep first and then rise to eat?”
In the palace, they were all subordinates — how could he possibly have eaten or slept well?
“I’m fine.” Xu Lingyi knew she was worried, and opened his arms to let her help him off with his outer robe, lowering his voice: “His Majesty kept me with him through the night in conversation. When he left for the morning court session, I came home first.” He noticed the breakfast set out on the low table and added, “Let us eat before I sleep.”
Eleventh Young Lady nodded and instructed the maidservant to have breakfast freshly laid out, then continued to hold Jin Ge’er while feeding him porridge.
The little one, just as before, kept his mouth clamped tightly shut, squirming and twisting in Eleventh Young Lady’s arms no matter how she coaxed him, not eating a single bite, babbling and wriggling like a twist of dough.
Eleventh Young Lady couldn’t help but feel discouraged.
Nanny Gu watched from beside them and quietly murmured: “Madam, children this age — they have milk to drink. There is no need for porridge.”
While she was still speaking, Xu Lingyi finished washing up and came out. He caught the tail end of the exchange: “What is this? Not enough milk, so we are supplementing with porridge?”
“No,” Eleventh Young Lady had only just begun her reply when Jin Ge’er in her arms began waving his hands and feet, babbling and calling toward Xu Lingyi with great excitement, as though greeting his father — and nearly sent the porridge bowl on the table flying.
The attendants nearby either rushed to steady the bowl or moved to stand as a buffer beside Eleventh Young Lady, causing a brief flurry of flustered movement.
Xu Lingyi watched with amusement and took Jin Ge’er from her: “Missing your father, were you!”
Jin Ge’er beamed a wide, gummy grin at Xu Lingyi, softening every corner of Xu Lingyi’s heart. He looked back at Eleventh Young Lady: “What was that about just now?”
Eleventh Young Lady had the small maidservant take away the porridge bowl and rose to her feet: “I wanted to feed him a little rice porridge mixed with vegetable broth, but he would not eat it.”
Xu Lingyi glanced over at Nanny Gu.
Nanny Gu quickly said: “Marquis, I eat one old hen every day, two pigs’ trotters, two pairs of pigeons… My milk is more than plentiful. The Sixth Young Master cannot finish it all as it is!”
“If the milk is more than plentiful, then what is this business of feeding porridge for!” Xu Lingyi said at once. “Besides, the child does not like porridge!”
Was it not the custom, once a child reached a certain age, to begin introducing supplemental foods to make up for any nutritional deficiency?
But in ancient times, people believed mother’s milk was the most nourishing of all things, and some children were nursed until the age of seven or eight.
She could only murmur a vague assent.
Xu Lingyi sat down on the bed platform with Jin Ge’er in his arms.
Eleventh Young Lady ladled out a bowl of porridge and handed him chopsticks as well.
Jin Ge’er promptly grew impatient — squirming and calling out toward the door curtain.
Now that the weather had warmed, Eleventh Young Lady would take the baby out to stroll in the back garden on fine days. After only a few such outings, the child had grown reluctant to stay indoors.
Xu Lingyi, understanding that the child wanted to go out, laughed and patted Jin Ge’er’s little bottom, passing the child to Nanny Gu: “Take him out to play for a while.”
Nanny Gu curtseyed her assent, took Jin Ge’er, and went out through the door, surrounded by a cluster of seven or eight maidservants and matrons.
“Have Zhun Ge and Sijie gone to their lessons?”
Eleventh Young Lady smiled as she served him food: “They had barely left when you came back!”
Xu Lingyi gave a quiet “Mm” and said no more, concentrating on eating breakfast.
After the meal, Eleventh Young Lady attended him to the inner chamber to rest.
Xu Lingyi leaned against the headboard and at last spoke to Eleventh Young Lady of his time in the palace: “…From Fujian, a courier arrived at eight hundred li urgency. There is a village in Da’an with over a hundred households — the entire village was massacred by Japanese pirates.”
“What!” Eleventh Young Lady stared at Xu Lingyi in horror. “Every single person?”
“Every single one.” Xu Lingyi’s expression too was rather grave. “The news arrived at dusk. His Majesty summoned Elder Grand Secretary Chen and Wang Li into the palace to deliberate countermeasures. After the two had left, His Majesty was feeling agitated, so he called for me to keep him company in conversation.”
Eleventh Young Lady was somewhat astonished — and felt a weight lifted from her at the same time. She asked hesitantly: “Does this mean Fujian is to go to war again?”
Xu Lingyi asked, puzzled: “What has this to do with going to war or not?”
“If Japanese pirates have come ashore and slaughtered a village, is it possible to simply do nothing?” Eleventh Young Lady was even more puzzled.
“The most urgent matter is not going to war.” Xu Lingyi understood now, and said: “It is how to respond to the opposition voices at court.”
Eleventh Young Lady did not understand.
Xu Lingyi explained: “Think on it — there are still two Grand Secretaries in the imperial prison who opposed opening the sea ban. An event of this magnitude — will those people not seize the opportunity to submit memorials one after another calling on the Emperor to close the seas? His Majesty’s very concern about this morning’s court session is precisely why he summoned Elder Grand Secretary Chen and Wang Li for consultation.”
“And the matter of the village massacre…” Eleventh Young Lady was more concerned about this.
“Even if one wished to suppress the Japanese pirates, it cannot be done at this moment!” Xu Lingyi said. “The moment news of the village massacre spreads, it will give those who oppose opening the sea ban the perfect pretext. ‘Those who trespass against our people, no matter how far, shall be punished’ — with one phrase like that, righteous outrage will ignite throughout the court and among the populace. They will then raise the call to seal the borders and lock the nation away. With the tide of opinion running thus, if His Majesty continues to press forward, he will be provoking the wrath of the many. And all of His Majesty’s painstaking efforts will come to nothing.”
Eleventh Young Lady knew their concerns were all correct. Yet to simply abandon it like this… she still felt a simmering indignation.
“Does His Majesty intend to suppress the news?” she asked, hesitant.
“Suppressing the news is also impossible.” Xu Lingyi said lightly, a razor-sharp gleam flickering deep in his eyes. “The best approach is to find a way to prove that those pirates were actually disguised by someone. If the Qu Family could be implicated in it, and other Grand Secretaries at court as well, all the better.”
Eleventh Young Lady suddenly felt herself to be of a child’s intelligence compared to Xu Lingyi.
She opened her mouth, then stopped.
She was, after all, a woman…
Xu Lingyi, watching her, took her hand and said gently: “It will be all right. Whatever the truth of those who massacred the village, the court will give the common people an answer. His Majesty is also troubled in his conscience, and so wishes me to go to Fujian…”
Eleventh Young Lady was greatly alarmed. She seized Xu Lingyi’s hand and called out “Marquis” — her expression already showing faint traces of panic.
Having finally freed himself from all entanglements, to be drawn in once more now would be…
Before she could even open her mouth, Xu Lingyi had already taken her in his arms: “I have already politely declined His Majesty and recommended Jiang Yunfei in my stead!”
Eleventh Young Lady let out a breath of relief.
“Have no fear.” Seeing her like this, Xu Lingyi felt a warmth in his heart. “Now that I have stepped back, I will not involve myself again.” He paused for a moment, then said softly, “There is also the matter of the Crown Prince… One must not forget the rites of ruler and subject simply because he is one’s own nephew… Only when this passes will it truly be over…”
These were words Xu Lingyi had kept buried in his heart.
Eleventh Young Lady gave a slight nod: “Marquis, set your mind at ease. This concubine will guide the children well.”
Xu Lingyi, seeing that his wife understood his meaning, showed a look of quiet relief.
Eleventh Young Lady gently straightened his pillow and said softly: “Marquis was sleepless all last night. You should rest early. Whatever else there is to say can wait until later.”
Xu Lingyi gave a quiet “Mm,” lay down, and soon sank into a deep sleep.
Eleventh Young Lady sat by the bedside for a while, gazing at Xu Lingyi’s peaceful expression, and suddenly noticed that the look on Jin Ge’er’s face when he slept was remarkably similar to his father’s.
Even though she already knew the bedding was tucked firmly in place, she helped tuck in the edges once more, and only then tiptoed out.
Nanny Gu came in carrying the sleeping Jin Ge’er.
Eleventh Young Lady smiled and took her son, settling him onto the heated platform in the side chamber. She kissed the boy’s cheek, then covered him with his blanket.
Zhuxiang slipped in quietly.
“Madam!” she said in a low voice. “Wen Yiniang has come!”
When Yang Yiniang heard she was to be sent to the Dajue Temple, she had gone instantly ashen-faced, grabbing the hem of Eleventh Young Lady’s robe with tears streaming down her face: “Madam, never mind how good or bad the Dajue Temple may be — no one knows its reputation better than Qiao Yiniang herself. Madam had best summon Qiao Yiniang and ask…” But before she could finish her sentence, Eleventh Young Lady had already lifted her teacup.
Zhuxiang immediately asked Yang Yiniang to return to her quarters to rest.
Yang Yiniang had still refused to leave, clinging to Eleventh Young Lady and wishing to say more, but Eleventh Young Lady turned away with resolute composure and withdrew into the inner chamber.
Yang Yiniang would not go, and in the end it was Wen Yiniang who called in two serving matrons to carry her out.
Eleventh Young Lady had been wanting to see Wen Yiniang as well.
She went to the reception area in the eastern side chamber.
Wen Yiniang’s face was a deep purplish red. The moment she saw Eleventh Young Lady she dropped to her knees: “Madam, yesterday’s matter was all my recklessness…”
A lesson learned was enough — there was no need to press someone into a corner with nowhere left to turn.
She signaled Zhuxiang to help Wen Yiniang to her feet, and had a small maidservant bring a stool for her to sit on.
“It was precisely to prevent things of this nature that Taizong placed that plaque in the Jiaotai Hall: ‘The inner palace must not interfere in affairs of state.’ We women of the inner household often do not know the ways of the outside world, yet insist on overstepping ourselves — and in the end ruin everything, even squandering the foundations our ancestors built.” Eleventh Young Lady spoke with an air of meaningful implication. “In your conduct henceforth, Yiniang, you must take more care to think before you act.” Then she changed the subject: “I hear that Qiuhong’s father has returned to Yanjing — has there been any good news?”
Not pursuing the matter further was already the greatest of face-saving gestures.
Wen Yiniang, ashamed and remorseful, answered quietly: “Mother has already been informed of the full circumstances of this matter. She sent word back with Qiuhong’s father, telling me not to involve myself in family matters — just to serve the Marquis and the Madam with a peaceful heart. As for the matter of retiring to a nunnery as a lay devotee, it will take time to discuss with Third Uncle — Third Uncle holds Mother in great respect, and if Mother were to suddenly move to a temple, people would mock her for it; it must be handled gradually.” She added: “In any case, the shop has already been sold off, and Qiuhong’s father has nothing left to do. I have asked him to go to Yangzhou and attend upon Mother for the time being — if anything arises, he can be there to help manage things.”
The Wen Family was a household of some renown, not only in Yangzhou but throughout the entire realm of Great Zhou. For the widowed eldest sister-in-law to suddenly move to a temple without any proper explanation would indeed damage the family’s reputation.
Eleventh Young Lady offered consolation: “Since the Grand Madam has a clear understanding of the situation, she will certainly make a fitting arrangement.”
Wen Yiniang nodded repeatedly.
The two spoke for a while on other matters before parting.
Yuban came in.
“The Grand Madam asks whether for the Third Month Third Day celebration she should invite the De’yin troupe, the Changsheng troupe, or the Jiexiang Society. She also wishes to let the Fifth Master know in advance so he can make arrangements.”
* * *