Indeed — this was neither the time for a return to report to the capital, nor a moment of imperial demotion or reassignment. That Third Master had simply returned like this was enough for the Dowager Matriarch to surmise the truth on her own. What was more, the Dowager Matriarch had always been lenient and generous with Third Master. He had gone out to serve as an official, yet not only had he brought no honor to the Xu Family — he had not even upheld his basic duties. One could only imagine how furious she would be.

“Then you must tell Mother soon,” Shiyiniang said. “You two spent half the day talking in the outer study, and then Third Master stayed for lunch before returning to Sanjing Hutong. With so many people in this household and so many mouths to speak, how could it possibly be kept secret?”

“It is only a matter of a day or two,” Xu Lingyi said. “These next few days, spend more time with Mother and keep her occupied with discussions about Zhen Jie’er’s wedding. I will tell her about Third Brother’s return step by step. With the happy occasion of Zhen Jie’er’s wedding at the forefront, even if Mother learns of Third Brother’s situation, her anger will be somewhat tempered.”

Shiyiniang nodded: “This concubine will follow my lord’s instructions.”

Jin Ge’er came pattering in, wearing only his inner garments.

“Sixth Young Master, Sixth Young Master,” Nanny Gu called out softly, her expression rather anxious as she hurried in after him.

“What has happened?” Before Xu Lingyi could finish asking, Jin Ge’er had already nimbly clambered up onto the bed.

“Sleep with Mother, sleep with Mother,” Jin Ge’er muttered, burrowing under the covers. He gripped the corner of the quilt tightly, as though afraid someone would come and carry him away.

Nanny Gu looked uncertainly toward Xu Lingyi and Shiyiniang.

Seeing his son like this, Xu Lingyi’s heart completely softened. He promptly waved Nanny Gu away, indicating she should withdraw.

Shiyiniang, however, felt her face grow rather warm.

Nanny Gu’s expression had made it plain enough that she was well aware of why Xu Lingyi had had the child sent to the side chamber to sleep.

She covered her awkwardness and moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

Jin Ge’er immediately scrambled up and flung himself into Shiyiniang’s arms: “Mother, tell a story, tell a story!”

She had just spent a good while telling him stories earlier, and had barely managed to quiet him down. Had Autumn Rain not come to find her, saying Xu Lingyi had returned and wanted a word with her, she would not have left a not-yet-sleeping Jin Ge’er in the care of Nanny Gu and the others.

Shiyiniang smiled and stroked his head: “Then go and fetch Master Zhao’s picture book!”

Jin Ge’er immediately obeyed, scrambling down from her arms and pattering off to the side chamber, then pattering back again, brandishing the picture book with a thoroughly pleased look on his face.

Looking at his adorable little face, not just Shiyiniang but even Xu Lingyi could not hold back a smile.

“So what story does Jin Ge’er want tonight?” Shiyiniang crouched down beside him, meeting her son at eye level.

“Kong Rong and the Pears!”

“Then you find the page with Kong Rong and the Pears. Mother will tell it to you.”

Jin Ge’er pressed himself against the bed and flipped through the pages until he found the illustration of Kong Rong offering the pears, then held it out to Shiyiniang. “Mother, tell the story!”

Shiyiniang was quite surprised.

She had not expected Jin Ge’er to remember. She had only hoped to introduce him gradually to recognizing characters through things that captured his interest.

“How clever you are!” Before Shiyiniang could say a word, Xu Lingyi had already swept Jin Ge’er up into his arms, lifting him high into the air.

Jin Ge’er giggled, his little face bright as a sunflower turned toward the light, its warmth reaching all the way into Xu Lingyi’s heart.

Just as he had done when the boy was small, he tossed him up twice.

Jin Ge’er’s laughter grew even more joyful.

Shiyiniang felt her heart leap into her throat.

“No, no!” She stopped Xu Lingyi. “Jin Ge’er is bigger now — not like when he was small. Even I can barely lift him anymore… be careful he falls to the ground.”

“He is only a few pounds,” Xu Lingyi said dismissively. Jin Ge’er then called out flatteringly to his father, indicating he wanted to be tossed again.

Shiyiniang hastily tugged at Xu Lingyi’s arm. “It is already the first watch of the night. If you play with him like this, he will be too excited to settle down.”

Xu Lingyi saw the sense in this, and smiled at Jin Ge’er: “Your mother says no.”

Jin Ge’er then turned to Shiyiniang with outstretched arms, wheedling and calling for “Mother.”

Shiyiniang did not pick him up, but asked him: “Does Jin Ge’er still want to hear a story? If yes, come to bed with Mother. If not, stay here and play with Father.”

Jin Ge’er wanted to play with his father and also wanted to hear his mother tell a story. He hesitated, glancing at his father — whose expression was mild and warm — then at his mother — whose face was gently firm — and, with an astute reading of the room, spread his arms toward his mother: “Story, story.”

Shiyiniang smiled and took her son in her arms: “We will tell the story of Kong Rong and the Pears.”

Jin Ge’er, sensing his mother’s delight, immediately pushed his luck further: “And then tell the one about ‘Guangguang breaking the jar.'”

Shiyiniang could not suppress a laugh: “It is Sima Guang breaking the jar.”

“Si… the jar!”

The name Sima Guang came out muddled and unclear, never quite right no matter how he tried.

Shiyiniang said it for him again, and he still could not manage it clearly.

Jin Ge’er had been speaking in strings of four characters since he first began talking, which was quite remarkable — but after more than a month, he was still stuck at four characters and struggled to add even one more.

One must not hasten what takes time.

Shiyiniang smiled and kissed her son’s cheek, pressed no further, wrapped him in a thin quilt, and began to tell the story.

Master Zhao’s picture book was lively and charming, with a small story per page, the sort more suited to children of five or six years old. It held little appeal for Jin Ge’er — he paid scant attention to the pictures and listened far more intently to Shiyiniang telling the story. Once the child was asleep, Shiyiniang said to Xu Lingyi: “The illustrations in the book are too sparse. A picture per sentence would be far better.”

While Shiyiniang told Jin Ge’er his story, Xu Lingyi had been gently patting Jin Ge’er all the while — which was why he fell asleep so quickly.

Hearing her words, Xu Lingyi was quiet for a moment, then said: “How about this — I am rather busy these days. You and Jin Ge’er carry on with Master Zhao’s book for now. Once June comes and things ease up for me, I will draw Jin Ge’er a new picture book.”

Shiyiniang was inwardly startled.

She had been planning to draw a picture book for Jin Ge’er herself… it had never occurred to her to ask Xu Lingyi.

The thought flashed through her mind, and then she pictured Xu Lingyi hunched over a desk in sweltering summer heat, drenched in sweat, drawing a picture book for Jin Ge’er while a page boy stood at his side frantically working a fan.

The image struck her as so funny that she felt a mischievous impulse rise up within her.

“Wonderful! Wonderful!” Shiyiniang smiled sweetly at Xu Lingyi. “Then Jin Ge’er’s picture book will be my lord’s responsibility.”

Educating one’s son was a father’s duty. In the past, he had been away fighting wars all those years and inevitably paid little attention. Now that he was home and at leisure, of course he ought to take charge. Then why did Shiyiniang’s expression carry just a hint of cunning?

Xu Lingyi looked at Shiyiniang, a faint flicker of puzzlement crossing his eyes.

Had he smiled too broadly just now?

Shiyiniang considered this, quickly changed the subject: “I heard that Master Zhao is thinking of sitting for the imperial examinations again. Is that true?”

Master Zhao had settled into a steady routine over the past two years, and in addition to teaching had begun to study with great diligence. She had caught wind of some talk about this. If it were so, she would need to begin making preparations early and find a new tutor for Zhun Ge’er.

Xu Lingyi looked at Shiyiniang, whose expression had turned thoughtful, and wondered if he had been reading too much into things. He pushed the thought aside and said: “I have spoken with Master Zhao. By his tone, he does indeed intend to sit for the next examinations. So I had the accounts office increase his annual tuition fee by fifty taels.”

This would bring Master Zhao’s annual salary to one hundred taels. As the treatment of a live-in tutor went, there were likely precious few in all of Great Zhou who could compare.

With such generous regard from his employer, if he did pass the examination — was he to leave, or to stay?

Shiyiniang smiled: “Master Zhao will surely not accept the money.”

Xu Lingyi, seeing that Shiyiniang had understood his intention, smiled and said: “He did indeed decline politely. But I also told him that what I have entrusted to him is not merely the children’s academic progress, but the future of Marquis Yongping’s household. The additional compensation is only my way of announcing to the world what he is worth to me.”

Shiyiniang was privately taken aback.

With those words spoken, no matter how Master Zhao felt about it, there was likely nothing for him to do but accept.

She had not expected that Xu Lingyi, who ordinarily spoke so little, would be capable of such a smooth turn of phrase.

The thought flickered through her, and yet it felt entirely fitting.

Had Xu Lingyi been unable to say things like that, he would not have gotten to where he was today.

“Besides,” Xu Lingyi said evenly, “there is no telling how many people have spent ten years at the Imperial Academy before finally passing at a single sitting. A few more years of quiet, dedicated study can only be of benefit to him — there is no harm in it.”

So Master Zhao had been maneuvered into staying, just like that.

Shiyiniang quietly mused on this inwardly.

—

The next day, when Qiao Lianfang and Wen Yiniang came to pay their respects to her, Shiyiniang kept Wen Yiniang behind: “Make a full and exact copy of the eldest young miss’s dowry list, then come with me to the Dowager Matriarch’s rooms so that the Dowager Matriarch may look it over.”

Wen Yiniang was startled.

She had already been grateful that Shiyiniang was entrusting her with helping to prepare Zhen Jie’er’s dowry. She had never imagined she would also be included in Zhen Jie’er’s wedding arrangements.

She quickly rose to take her leave: “I will go and make a copy of the eldest young miss’s dowry list at once.”

Shiyiniang gave a nod.

Xu Siyu came to pay his respects.

“I came back too late last night — the inner courtyard had already been bolted — so I did not wish to disturb you.” His expression was somewhat serious. “Mister Fang the Tan Hua — I have arranged for him to come tomorrow morning.” He paused, showing a hint of hesitation.

Mister Fang the Elder Brother had become Mister Fang the Tan Hua.

Shiyiniang noted this quietly.

Xu Siyu had indeed grown up. He knew that now was not the time to speak of private ties between friends.

“There is no one else here,” she said — she had dismissed the attendants from the room when Xu Siyu entered. “You may be Qin Ge’er’s younger brother, but you are the eldest son of our branch of the family. Your brothers and sisters will be relying on you greatly in the years ahead. This affair, though small in itself, is still a dispute between two families, and I have been at something of a loss over how to handle it. If you have any good ideas, you ought to help.”

Xu Siyu listened, his expression flushing slightly. He replied “Yes,” then spoke carefully: “I first went to Elder Brother’s rooms, wanting to hear his thoughts before speaking to Mister Fang the Tan Hua. It would have made things easier. But Elder Brother told me that he neither wishes to divorce his wife, nor to separate from her.” As he spoke, he glanced at Shiyiniang and, seeing not the slightest trace of surprise in her expression, a flicker of astonishment passed through his eyes. “Once I had his answer, I went to Mister Fang the Tan Hua. He had barely seen me before he pulled me urgently into the room and said a great deal about how his Elder Sister-in-law’s situation in this household was precarious — and that as her elder brother, he absolutely could not stand by and watch his younger sister be mistreated. He also said he had already written a letter and sent his personal page boy overnight back to Huzhou to ask the family’s elders to come forward and reason with our family.”

“And how did you respond?” Shiyiniang asked.

“I said, in family matters, each party naturally believes themselves to be in the right,” Xu Siyu replied. “But even so, no one comes calling like this — not to make peace, but to start by demanding a separation between husband and wife. You say that Elder Sister-in-law is being mistreated in our household, yet in our view, everyone in this family — from the Dowager Matriarch at the top to us younger siblings — holds Elder Sister-in-law in the highest regard. We genuinely cannot understand where this talk is coming from. So my mother wishes to ask you: what exactly is going on?”

—