Xu Lingyi raised his eyes — with a commanding authority that needed no anger to make itself felt. The Grand Matriarch found herself momentarily at a loss for words.
“As for seeking a match with the Jiang family,” he went on, settling back into his seat and considering slowly, “I must ask Mother to give the matter further thought.”
The Grand Matriarch recovered herself. She gave a quiet sigh and said with a rueful smile, “I understand that you are displeased. But I had my own reasons. First Madam Yuan was in great agitation, and you refused to yield a single step. With a hall full of distinguished guests outside, had I not agreed then and there, who knows what might have erupted next? Besides, the Jiang family is a household of unimpeachable distinction — they have produced two imperial tutors and command the profound respect of the world. They may well have no desire to be connected with us. I thought that even if I went to seek the match, there was no certainty the Jiang family would accept. Better to agree for now and consider the alternatives later.” She sighed again. “The Jiang family is a household of pure and honourable conduct — and of true moral stature. First Madam Yuan has always had sound judgement in these things. And your late father once said: in choosing a wife, choose one of virtue. The women who come from such households of generations of scholars tend to be perceptive and cultivated, and to conduct themselves with quiet integrity. That is why he thought nothing of others’ laughter and called three times at her door to seek your second elder brother’s wife.” A shadow of grief passed across the Grand Matriarch’s eyes at the mention of her deceased son. “As you yourself have seen, your second sister-in-law has proven your father’s words entirely right — gracious and even-handed in managing the household, steadfast and loyal after your second brother’s passing. That is entirely owing to how well the Xiang family raised their daughter. If Zhunge could wed a daughter of the Jiang family, I could not be happier.”
Hearing his mother speak of his late elder brother, Xu Lingyi’s expression softened somewhat. He said candidly, “Mother fears this may displease His Majesty, does she not.”
“You are right.” A look of quiet gravity settled over the Grand Matriarch’s face. “His Majesty and the Empress are still his original wife — and the Empress has borne him three sons. You first pacified the southern tribes, then campaigned in the northern borderlands, achieving great feats in preserving the realm. Our family is at this very moment like flowers brocaded on silk, like oil poured onto flames. How could I not be afraid? I fear the Emperor will grow uneasy. I fear men with ill intentions will speak against us in his ear. And I fear above all that a small misstep will bring harm to the Empress as well.” Her gaze sharpened as it fixed on her son. “We cannot afford a single wrong step at this point. We need only wait…” She raised a finger toward the heavens. “And our day in the sun will come.”
“Mother. The moon waxes full only to wane; water fills only to overflow.” Xu Lingyi’s expression was neutral. “There is nothing in this world that does not rise and fall in its turn. We cannot starve ourselves for fear of choking. We cannot refrain from everything simply because we fear others will take notice.”
The Grand Matriarch was taken aback. “You mean to say…”
Xu Lingyi gave a nod. “My reluctance to seek a match with the Jiang family has nothing to do with fearing the Emperor’s suspicion, nor with any doubt that the Jiang family would accept. I took on the burden of reviving this household. If I cannot even secure a daughter-in-law of learning and virtue for my own son, what is the point of speaking of anything greater? I might as well guard our old estates in peace and not have bothered going off to the southern tribes or the northern frontier at all.” His brow drew together slightly. “My main concern is simply that Zhunge is too young. To speak of a betrothal now, one must choose a girl near his own age. Children that young have not yet formed their characters — what seems fine now may not hold when they are grown. There are no shortage of such cases.”
The Grand Matriarch listened, nodding slowly.
“Yet if we were to choose someone a great deal older than Zhunge, I fear the two of them may not be well-suited later on.” A faint worry settled between Xu Lingyi’s brows. “I had always thought to wait until Zhunge was a little older, and then look more carefully on his behalf. He is the legitimate heir — his future wife will one day manage this entire household and set an example for the whole clan. This cannot be approached carelessly.”
The Grand Matriarch went on nodding. “Your reasoning is sound. And yet First Madam Yuan — we can wait, but I fear she cannot.” The resignation in her voice was plain. “And she has always been perceptive and foresighted. Now that she is reaching the end of her strength, she will not rest easy until she has seen every matter settled in place — of that I am certain.”
Xu Lingyi said nothing. He lowered his eyes and lifted the tea cup lid, brushing the floating leaves gently with it. “And so I must trouble Mother to weigh this matter carefully.”
“You mean…” The Grand Matriarch looked somewhat puzzled.
“Before I came here, I had people make some enquiries into the Jiang family.” Xu Lingyi took a slow, quiet sip of tea. “Among the Jiang brothers, Jiang Bai, Jiang Song, and Jiang Gui are all sons of the principal wife. Of these, Jiang Bai serves in the Hanlin Academy as Rector of Studies, and has three sons and two daughters — his eldest son and second daughter are legitimate-born. Jiang Song has returned to Le’an, where he has opened an academy called ‘Jinxi’, and has one son and one daughter, both legitimate-born. Jiang Gui serves as Prefect of Taiyuan, and has two sons and two daughters — his eldest son and eldest daughter are legitimate-born. Jiang Bai’s second daughter is two years old this year. Jiang Song’s eldest daughter is four this year. Jiang Gui’s eldest daughter is twelve. I wish to seek a match for Zhunge with Jiang Song’s eldest daughter.”
The Grand Matriarch mused aloud: “Children are young and their characters not yet formed, but they become who they are raised to be. Jiang Bai has navigated the rises and falls of officialdom, and his children may have absorbed some of the habits of wealth and status. Jiang Song teaches and nurtures students in the countryside — his children likely have something of that austere and upright spirit. For a noble house like ours, constantly in the currents of the day, one would far sooner have a daughter-in-law who keeps herself pure and unmoved by ambition than one who is artful and accommodating, goading her husband into contests for fame and power.”
“That is precisely my thinking.” A sharp glint passed through Xu Lingyi’s eyes, keen as a blade. “Though I suspect First Madam Yuan does not see it the same way. And she has a habit — beyond always wanting the very best of everything — of keeping something in reserve. I imagine this matter will be no exception. Before I came here, I had already asked Ma Zuowen of the Protocol Office to put forward a proposal to Jiang Bai on my behalf. If Jiang Bai has any foresight, he will understand that what is called purity must first rest on eminence before it can stand apart. The prestige of imperial tutors — that is decades-old history now. If his family wishes to continue in its distinguished standing, they will need to find a new path. If he lacks even that degree of vision, the Jiang family’s decline is not far off.”
“The men think ahead, I must say.” The Grand Matriarch smiled. “Jiang Song holds no office and no title, while Jiang Bai is Rector of Studies and a candidate for the cabinet. A match with Jiang Song is therefore a far better arrangement than one with Jiang Bai. And should anything ever arise, the two families are still related by marriage — it would be natural to offer one another mutual assistance. Even His Majesty, upon learning of it, could only conclude that we sought the more modest alliance out of restraint and humility.”
“That is why, on the surface, this must appear to be entirely First Madam Yuan’s doing — let everyone know what our family’s purposes are in seeking this match.” Xu Lingyi gave a nod. “But in the shadows, Mother must take personal charge of the matter, to prevent things from going awry and ending with Jiang Bai as our in-law instead.”
“I understand what is at stake.” The Grand Matriarch gave a small nod, then glanced at her son and hesitated for a moment before continuing: “There is one more thing. When I went to the palace to pay my respects to the Empress on the second day of the second month, I encountered the Imperial Noble Consort. She asked after First Madam Yuan’s health — then, in what seemed half jest and half earnest, she said that she had a younger sister of outstanding beauty, and that if you did not already have a wife, it would be no slight on her to be matched with you.”
Xu Lingyi gave a short laugh. “In that case, Mother need not trouble yourself any further with the Qiao matter — spare yourself the difficulty.”
The Grand Matriarch, seeing that her son showed not the slightest surprise, gave him a curious look. “Did you already hear something of this?”
Xu Lingyi’s smile faded. He replied with something apparently unrelated: “Let the Qiao matter serve as a lesson — better not to have more such troublesome incidents in the future.” He then rose to his feet. “It is late, and you have had a long day. Rest early. By tomorrow morning, word from Ma Zuowen should arrive. If no answer has come, the matter of the Jiang match should be dropped entirely thereafter — anyone who takes that long to respond is hardly someone we want to be connected to.”
The day had indeed been full of incident, and the Grand Matriarch was truly tired. She called Weizi to see Xu Lingyi out.
Weizi brought two small maidservants and lit the eight-panelled glass lantern. She escorted Xu Lingyi out of the courtyard.
Xu Lingyi’s personal manservants Linbo and Zhaoying, along with two young attendants in plain dark caps, were already waiting at the gate. Seeing Xu Lingyi, the two young attendants quickly stepped forward to take the lantern from the maidservants’ hands. Linbo moved forward at the same time, smiling and cupping his fist to Weizi: “Thank you for your trouble, Elder Sister.”
Weizi curtsied. “Think nothing of it.” She bowed once more to Xu Lingyi, then turned back with the maidservants and shut the courtyard gate.
Xu Lingyi, however, remained at the gate, his head raised to the sky — a sky thick with stars — and stood in silence for a long while.
Linbo and Zhaoying exchanged a glance, and in each other’s eyes found the same unease.
“Let us go.” After a long moment, Xu Lingyi finally moved, heading toward the rear flower hall behind the Grand Matriarch’s quarters.
Neither dared linger. Linbo led the two attendants ahead with the lantern, while Zhaoying attended at Xu Lingyi’s side.
Halfway there, Xu Lingyi said abruptly, “Have you got it all clear?”
“All clear.” Linbo replied at once. “Because First Madam sent Yanhong to summon him and ask him questions, and he saw that you had already retired, so he went along with her. Once there, First Madam was not present.”
“Yanhong had him wait there, and he did not dare leave. That is why he…”
“Hand him over to Steward Bai,” Xu Lingyi said quietly. “Tell him to find someone more capable to replace him.”
Linbo answered respectfully, and followed Xu Lingyi through the flower hall onto the east-west side passage.
“My Lord!” After hesitating for a good while, Linbo said in a low voice, “The back garden will likely have been locked up by now.”
Xu Lingyi paused. He stood before the latticed garden wall for a moment, lost in thought, then said quietly, “Then let us go to Qin Yiniang’s quarters.”
Linbo gave his assent and escorted Xu Lingyi in that direction.
When they knocked, the door was answered by Yuer, the personal maidservant of Wen Yiniang.
“My Lord!” she said, wide-eyed. “Why have you come here?” She caught herself at once and hurriedly added, “That is — I meant — we thought you would be staying in the small courtyard, so Wen Yiniang came to keep Qin Yiniang company.” She stepped hastily aside to let him pass, calling out inside that the Lord had arrived.
The small courtyard instantly stirred to life. Everyone scrambled into their clothes in a rush, lighting lamps and coming forward to pay their respects to Xu Lingyi.
Surveying this scene of sudden commotion, Xu Lingyi did not wait for Qin Yiniang and Wen Yiniang to come out and receive him. He simply said, “Let both the Yiniangss rest well,” turned on his heel, and went back to the Grand Matriarch’s quarters.
The Grand Matriarch had only just lain down. On hearing that her son had turned back, she hastily sat up and wrapped a robe around her shoulders. “What has happened?”
“Nothing.” Xu Lingyi said. “I’ll sleep in your warm room tonight.”
The Grand Matriarch looked at her son for a moment and asked nothing. She told the maidservants to open the trunks and take out the half-worn bedding that had been put away a few days earlier, and spread it out for him.
—
The following morning, a light rain had begun to fall, pattering softly onto the young leaves just beginning to unfurl, making them look greener than ever.
Eleventh Miss opened her trunk and let Tenth Miss choose clothes and jewellery.
Binju’s face was displeased, and she grumbled in a low voice to Dongqing by the door: “Why don’t they have her go through Fifth Miss’s things instead? They only do this because our Miss is too good-natured.”
“Keep quiet,” Dongqing said under her breath. “First Madam’s temper still hasn’t cooled. Be careful you don’t set it on our Miss too.”
Binju could only mutter, “I’m only saying this to you, am I not?”
The words were barely out of her mouth when a voice sounded at her back: “Is Eleventh Miss in? First Madam is asking for her.”
Both of them turned — there was Luoqiao standing behind them, smiling.
—