Wang Yiniang, concubine to Luo Zhensheng, respectfully served the tea, then withdrew with light footsteps and considerately slid the latticed door shut behind her.

“What brings you here so unexpectedly?” Luo Zhensheng lifted his teacup and took a gentle sip.

“I have just come from Fourth Sister’s.” Shiyiniang held her teacup and looked Luo Zhensheng steadily in the eye. “Fourth Sister told me that Elder Brother has been asked to speak to the Zhu family about the adoption.”

Unlike her usual gentle manner, Shiyiniang’s gaze carried an uncommon gravity that surprised Luo Zhensheng considerably.

“Fourth Sister did indeed speak to me about this matter,” he said, deliberating. “However, I wish to hear Second Uncle’s views first. I have already written a letter and sent someone to deliver it to Shandong.”

As ever, Luo Zhensheng acted with his characteristic steadiness.

Shiyiniang felt somewhat more at ease: “Seventh Brother-in-law once promised Seventh Sister that should she remain without children, he would adopt a son from among our sisters and raise the child in Seventh Sister’s name…” She laid out the whole situation for Luo Zhensheng from beginning to end. He listened, his brow creasing steadily: “Does Second Uncle know about this?”

“I cannot say whether he knows,” Shiyiniang replied. “But Fourth Sister knows. Now that Seventh Sister is asking Seventh Brother-in-law to honor that promise, and since we have not yet spoken with Seventh Brother-in-law directly, we know nothing of what has truly been happening within the Zhu family. Fourth Sister has also asked me to speak to the Marquis — if the matter is brought before the courts, to have the Marquis quietly discourage the courts from intervening. I felt this was not appropriate, so I have come to speak with Elder Brother first before saying anything to the Marquis.”

Luo Zhensheng thought it over and said: “You have done the right thing. For now, do not say anything to the Marquis. Wait until Second Uncle’s letter arrives and I have met with Seventh Brother-in-law — then we will speak of it further. If Fourth Sister comes looking for you again, you may speak to her plainly.”

Shiyiniang agreed, then said: “Fourth Sister is full of righteous anger over this matter, and Second Uncle has always had a soft spot for Seventh Sister — and we are only the younger generation, after all. Elder Brother, do you think we ought to inform Father about this? Giving Fourth Sister’s own young son over to Seventh Sister as an adopted heir — how would we ever explain ourselves to the Yu family afterward? Second Uncle and Fourth Sister are both caught up in the heat of the moment and may not be seeing things clearly — yet we cannot simply let them do as they please. Using a debt of gratitude to demand repayment reflects poorly on the family’s conduct.”

“Precisely.” Luo Zhensheng gave a slight nod. “This matter is, after all, one that belongs to the second branch — yet it has been brought to us, and to refuse them would be both unfeeling and unreasonable. But if we allow Seventh Sister to carry on in this way, it will not only bring friction with the Zhu family but may even damage relations with the Yu family. The only recourse is to ask Father to intervene on the matter of Second Uncle.” He paused a moment, then said: “This is what we shall do — I will write a letter, and since the Xu household has access to the army’s courier relay, please have the Xu household dispatch it at emergency six-hundred-li speed to Yuhang. Second Uncle must be made to come out and manage Seventh Sister himself. If that proves impossible, then Father must be brought to Yanjing.”

“Then let me help Elder Brother grind the ink.” There was no time to lose — delay would bring complications. Shiyiniang rose to her feet.

Luo Zhensheng was also a practical man. He and Shiyiniang went to the study together.

The moment the letter was in hand, Shiyiniang immediately took her leave.

Luo Zhensheng walked her to the door: “As for Seventh Sister — go and look in on her often these next few days. She has never suffered such humiliation before, and her heart is in pain. Go and offer her what comfort you can — she will feel better for it.”

“Elder Brother need not worry!” Shiyiniang took Nanny Song’s arm and climbed into the carriage. “I know what needs to be done.”

Luo Zhensheng nodded, his gaze following the carriage until Shiyiniang was gone.

Wang Yiniang had been standing behind him, head lowered, the whole while.

The moment she returned to Lotus Lane, Shiyiniang immediately instructed Nanny Song to find Steward Bai, then hurried back to the main chamber herself.

Having gone half the day without seeing his mother, the moment Jin Ge’er caught sight of her, his large phoenix-shaped eyes brimmed with tears and he threw himself into Shiyiniang’s arms.

Shiyiniang laughed and held her son: “If only you could call me ‘Mother’ — how wonderful that would be!”

Jin Ge’er looked up at her with wide eyes, utterly bewildered.

Shiyiniang laughed, kissed him on the cheek, and spoke to him tenderly: “Was Mother not home — were you good while she was away?”

Jin Ge’er covered his little mouth with both hands and giggled, as though to say “I’ll never tell.”

Shiyiniang gave a soft, helpless laugh: “Answering a question with something else entirely — I wonder if you understood a word of it.” She settled down on the kang with Jin Ge’er.

Steward Bai arrived.

Shiyiniang handed him the letter: “There is a matter of some urgency over at Bowstring Lane, and a letter needs to be sent to Yuhang at emergency six-hundred-li speed. I know the Marquis has always drawn a clear line between public and private affairs — this puts you in a difficult position. But I must ask you to help make the arrangements.”

The unspoken meaning was clear: do not tell Xu Lingyi.

Some things are concealed from those above but not those below.

Steward Bai smiled and said his “yes, my Lady,” accepted the letter, and withdrew.

Shiyiniang went to change her clothes.

She did not want Xu Lingyi drawn into this affair.

She had originally hoped to talk Si Niang round — for then, without anyone’s support, Seventh Sister might be more willing to listen to reason. But now, even Si Niang had taken this stance. And with Luo Zhensheng asking her to go and persuade Seventh Sister — loyal counsel is unpleasant to the ear; all that persuasion might well have the opposite effect, making Seventh Sister resent her. If you told her to go left, Seventh Sister would insist on going right…

In a flash of clarity, she suddenly thought of Fifth Madam Dan Yang.

Were they not the ones who could talk to each other about anything? And her own elder brother was himself an adopted heir. On the matter of adoption, she and Seventh Sister must have something in common. And Fifth Madam, though somewhat given to willfulness, never lost her head in matters of real consequence. So long as the Xu family’s good name was not at stake, what did it matter if she was laughed at a little by Fifth Madam over something to do with her own family?

Her mind made up, Shiyiniang quickly freshened herself up and went to Fifth Madam’s quarters.

Fifth Madam was playing a game of tossing sand-bags with Xin Jie’er when the announcement came — and she was not a little surprised. Though the two of them were always all smiles when they met, there had always been a kind of veil between them, and they had never truly been able to be close. And Shiyiniang, for her part, never came to Fifth Madam’s door unless she had a reason.

She walked out to greet Shiyiniang at the gate with a smile: “Fourth Sister-in-law, how is it you have time to come and sit with me today?” Then, seeing she had brought only a single young maidservant, Fifth Madam felt an inward jolt, though the smile on her face did not falter. “How is it you have not brought Jin Ge’er along? Our Xin Jie’er is so very fond of playing with Jin Ge’er. She often tells me — Sixth Brother is not at all like Seventh Brother, who cries for no reason.”

Since she had come to ask a favor of Fifth Madam, Shiyiniang saw no point in speaking around the matter.

She exchanged a few pleasantries, then said: “I have just come from my Fourth Sister’s — Seventh Sister is at Fourth Sister’s house.”

“Oh!” Fifth Madam listened with surprise and delight. “That Seventh Sister — and here I’ve been thinking of her every single day. She’s come to Yanjing and didn’t even come to see me.” But as she spoke, she noticed there was not the slightest trace of joy in Shiyiniang’s expression, and her own face stilled. She said in a quieter voice: “Has something happened?”

Shiyiniang inclined her head: “Let us go inside first.”

Fifth Madam nodded with a grave expression, and the two went to the inner chamber, where they dismissed the attendants.

“I went especially to see Seventh Sister.” Shiyiniang told Fifth Madam everything from start to finish, quietly and in full.

Fifth Madam stared at Shiyiniang in astonishment, her feelings complicated.

She had not expected Shiyiniang to lay bare all these family disputes before her and ask for her help in persuading Seventh Sister.

But gradually, a sense of admiration began to rise in her.

From the sound of it, Seventh Sister had already fallen into something of an obsession. Shiyiniang, in an extraordinary situation, had chosen an extraordinary course of action — that did show both courage and resourcefulness.

“Shall we invite her to the mansion under the pretext of welcoming her, or shall I go with Fourth Sister-in-law to Madam Yu’s house to call on her?” Fifth Madam asked Shiyiniang.

Shiyiniang let out a quiet breath of relief.

This meant Fifth Madam had agreed to help her go and persuade Seventh Sister.

“Let us go together to Fourth Sister’s to see her,” Shiyiniang said. “She is not herself at the moment — asking her to come here would mean giving notice to all manner of people, and I fear her health would not hold up.”

“Very well.” Fifth Madam said. “Then let us go tomorrow — I want to see her too and have a good long talk with her.”

“Then I leave it in your hands, Fifth Sister-in-law.” Shiyiniang thanked her courteously.

Fifth Madam then asked about the gift Fang Shi had given Jin Ge’er: “…what sort of book was it? One day, Fourth Sister-in-law, do take it out and show me. When our Shen Ge’er has his first birthday, I want to ask for one as well.”

“Come to me any day and I will take it out to show you!” Shiyiniang laughed. She exchanged a few more words with Fifth Madam, then rose and made her way back to her own chamber.

Xu Lingyi was in the middle of a game of peek-a-boo with Jin Ge’er. When he saw Shiyiniang come in, he smiled: “What took you to Dan Yang’s quarters?”

“Seventh Sister is here, so I went to tell Fifth Sister-in-law,” she said with a smile. “We have arranged to go together tomorrow — she will accompany me to see Seventh Sister.”

Xu Lingyi did not give this a second thought. “How is Seventh Aunt faring at the moment? I heard Zhu Anping is now in Jinan Prefecture.”

“That is precisely why she is waiting here for Zhu Anping to come for her!” Shiyiniang replied with a smile. “For the next few days, I may be making rather frequent trips to Fourth Sister’s!”

Xu Lingyi had no suspicions. He gave a sound of assent and said: “Zhu Anping needs to make a trip to Jiangnan soon. Keep her in Yanjing — that way, when he comes, he won’t waste time searching for her everywhere and still have to make it to Jiangnan in good time.”

With the winter solstice approaching, Zhu Anping still had to travel to Jiangnan — by the looks of it, the matter must be quite pressing.

What ill fortune — the very moment for the storm clouds to gather, and now this business of adoption had to come up as well.

“The Marquis need not worry,” Shiyiniang said, stifling a quiet sigh within her heart. “There is still Fourth Sister.”

Xu Lingyi asked nothing further.

The following day, Shiyiniang and Fifth Madam met up as arranged and went together to pay their morning respects to the Grand Madam.

Third Madam and Fang Shi were already there. Third Madam was seated close beside the Grand Madam on the large kang by the inner window, murmuring away — it was not clear what they were saying. The Grand Madam’s expression was calm and unhurried; she sipped her tea and told the young maidservants to feed the birds and water the flowers — the picture of someone only half-listening with an air of easy indifference.

When Third Madam saw Shiyiniang and Fifth Madam come in, she broke off at once, stepped forward to greet them both, and then excused herself on the pretext of delivering Jin Ge’er’s first birthday expense ledger to the household management office, taking Fang Shi with her as she left.

Fifth Madam immediately went to the Grand Madam’s side and took her arm: “Mother, what was Third Sister-in-law coming to tell you?”

The Grand Madam replied lightly: “Singing the praises of Qin Ge’er’s wife — saying she is sensible and needs no guidance on propriety — and hinting that she would like to return to Shanyang.”

Shiyiniang smiled faintly.

Fifth Madam said in a rush: “And did you agree?”

“I was just about to agree,” the Grand Madam said, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. “And then you two came in — so naturally the matter fell through.”

Fifth Madam covered her mouth and laughed.

Then the two of them went to Si Niang’s house.

Si Niang, upon seeing Fifth Madam, was visibly a little uncomfortable. When Fifth Madam went to the side chamber to visit Seventh Sister, Si Niang could not help murmuring to Shiyiniang in a low voice: “Why did you tell Fifth Madam?”