The main courtyard was a cool canopy of green shade, cicadas calling without cease.

The bamboo curtain printed with purple speckles hung still and quiet in the doorway of the hall. The young maid on duty stood there in listless boredom, her gaze drifting.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, she immediately drew herself upright and looked toward the sound.

Seeing it was Eleventh Young Lady, a faint smile brightened her brow. As she gently lifted the curtain, she called out into the room, “My Lord, Madam has returned!”

Xu Lingyi came out of the inner chamber: “You’re back.”

He was wearing a deep navy blue robe patterned with dark charcoal ten-thousand-character plum blossom medallion designs in tussah silk, his black hair neatly combed and set with a boxwood hairpin. He was dressed quite formally, not at all in the casual manner he typically wore around the house.

Eleventh Young Lady was slightly taken aback.

Xu Lingyi had already retreated back into the inner chamber: “How is it over there? Who won?” His voice was calm and mild, carrying a touch of warmth, just as always.

Yet Eleventh Young Lady felt a quiet, inexplicable unease stir within her.

“The weather is so hot — it’s rare to all be gathered together like this.” She stepped smiling into the inner chamber. “Everyone seems quite happy…”

Her voice — along with her figure — vanished behind the curtain of the inner chamber and cut off abruptly.

Inside the inner chamber, Xu Lingyi stood in the center of the room, hands clasped behind his back, his expression grave. His cool and commanding gaze was like a mountain pressing down from above, making the very air in the room feel heavy.

Eleventh Young Lady’s heart sank.

Whatever this matter was, it was being kept even from the nearby maids…

She could not help but quicken her steps to Xu Lingyi’s side: “What has happened?” Her words seemed to tremble as they echoed through the room, fragile and faint.

Xu Lingyi opened his arms and enfolded her.

Through the thin summer cloth between them, she could feel the strength of his chest, the steadiness of his arms… and the anxiety that had stirred in her heart stilled at once.

She circled her arms around his waist, tilted her face upward, and gazed at him. Her quiet eyes were like a spring brook — flowing slowly, gently.

Whatever hesitation Xu Lingyi had harbored before vanished without a trace.

He thought: she looked delicate, but when it truly mattered, she was stronger, steadier, and more clear-headed than he had imagined.

His arms tightened, drawing that willow-supple figure into his embrace.

“The Qu family has accused Wang Jiubao of ordering former subordinates to pose as pirates and conduct illicit trade — with irrefutable evidence.” Xu Lingyi bent his head and murmured low in her ear. “Though it is not yet known how the Emperor will handle him, Wang Jiubao, as a precaution, has entrusted to me a grandson who is barely three months old…”

It hit like a bolt from a clear sky.

Eleventh Young Lady’s face was pale with shock.

Why had the Marquis of Jinghai chosen this moment to bring charges against Wang Jiubao? And of all the men in the entire court, why had Wang Jiubao entrusted his family’s bloodline to Xu Lingyi?

So many questions.

Yet she trusted Xu Lingyi’s judgment and his decisions above all.

“What are your instructions, my Lord?” Her voice trembled slightly at first — but by the time she reached the final word, her tone had become completely calm and composed.

“I’ve arranged for Qu family’s death-guard retainers to leave the child at the orchard under Wan Yi Zong’s watch tonight at the beginning of the hai hour.” Xu Lingyi’s voice was even steadier than hers. “You should now find a way to send Wan Daxian and his wife back to the estate, so that they can take in this child and raise him under their names.”

“Understood.” Eleventh Young Lady asked not a single question beyond that, but worked through the logistics aloud. “Though, it is already the beginning of the shen hour now — it will take Binju the better part of a day to get back… I’m afraid there may not be enough time.”

“Having Wan Daxian raise the child was the choice for two reasons: first, because he is your own personal retainer, loyal and devoted; second, because the place is an orchard, remote and off the beaten path — it’s unlikely anyone would pass through.” Xu Lingyi was entirely composed. “The child will cry, and Wan Yi Zong is a simple, honest man — hearing it, he could not leave it alone. By the time Wan Daxian returns home tomorrow, he can simply say the child was found abandoned and pitiful, and they kept him.”

Everything had been thought through.

Eleventh Young Lady nodded.

“Then I am going to Wang Li’s.” Xu Lingyi said quietly. “If anything comes up, send someone to inform me.”

Eleventh Young Lady murmured her assent and let go of him.

Yet Xu Lingyi held her quietly a moment longer before releasing her, and then turned and walked out of the inner chamber.

Eleventh Young Lady watched the bamboo curtain sway and drew in a long, slow breath, walking slowly toward the kang by the window — it was only now that she noticed her knees felt weak.

The leafy tree shadows played against the glass windowpanes outside. The Western floor clock ticked steadily away — all of it lending a certain stillness to the inner chamber.

Eleventh Young Lady called loudly for Qiuyu to come in: “Go — have Binju come to the manor at once.”

Qiuyu found this strange, but still respectfully bent her knees in acknowledgment and withdrew.

Eleventh Young Lady sat cross-legged on the kang, staring blankly at Jin Ge’er’s small agarwood toy horse beneath the kang table — until Qiuyu came to report “Wan Daxian’s wife has arrived,” and only then did she look away.

“Let her in.” She put on a smile.

“Madam!” Binju curtseyed in greeting, her face alight with the joy of seeing her.

Eleventh Young Lady had a small stool brought for her to sit on and served tea and refreshments.

Binju kept saying she could not accept, and took the initiative herself: “You calling for me at this hour — do you have some urgent instructions?”

“There is something.” Eleventh Young Lady said slowly.

Qiuyu, perceptive as ever, immediately withdrew with the other small maids from the room.

Only then did Eleventh Young Lady’s expression grow serious. She beckoned Binju closer.

“It is this,” she said quietly. “My Lord has a friend whose concubine bore him a son. The legitimate wife will not tolerate the child’s presence. My Lord has been asked to provide some care and assistance for the boy. He could not refuse, and so agreed. But you know the situation here in the household — my Lord could hardly bring the child home to be raised here. If we were to entrust the child to outsiders, we’d worry about gossip getting out. After thinking it over from every angle, we decided to ask you two to look after him.”

Binju was greatly startled.

If he was my Lord’s friend, he must be a man of wealth or nobility.

And their Daxian was only a small household manager…

“Madam, is… is someone like me up to this task?” she asked, gripping her clothes tightly, her expression uneasy.

“The child is only three months old. You cannot know a person’s heart from their face alone. Entrusting the child to strangers — I am not at ease with that. But your character and Wan Daxian’s I know better than anyone. Giving the child to the two of you — that I can trust.”

Binju, herself a mother, heard that the child was only three months old, and her heart softened at once.

There had been cases like this before — some people, sweet-talking in front of their employer, would turn around and treat the child as less than human. Some even deliberately mistreated the child and then claimed it had taken ill to extort money from their employers, or would sell the child off and run away with the money…

“Madam, please set your mind at ease!” she said with conviction. “I cannot promise many things, but this I can: the child will eat before my own Chang’an eats. I will care for this child well.”

Eleventh Young Lady was somewhat humbled. She said, “There’s no need to go that far. Treat the child the same way you treat Chang’an — that’s exactly right. We wouldn’t want anyone to grow suspicious and have the child’s legitimate mother come looking.”

Binju nodded repeatedly: “I know what to do!”

Eleventh Young Lady still worried that Binju might go too far in one direction or the other and arouse suspicion, and gave her careful, detailed instructions for quite some time before finally having Qiuyu see Binju out.

Yet she no longer had any heart for amusement.

After sitting in the room for a short while, Eleventh Young Lady rose and made her way toward the Drooping Line Water Pavilion.

A small maid came rushing toward her, her face panicked.

Seeing Eleventh Young Lady, she immediately curtseyed. “Fourth Madam, it’s terrible — Sixth Young Master and Second Young Miss have gotten into a fight…”

Before the maid could finish, Eleventh Young Lady was already running toward the water pavilion.

From a distance, she could already hear a chorus of overlapping cries.

Eleventh Young Lady’s heart lurched. She stepped wrong and nearly tumbled down the steps — only Qiuyu’s quick eyes and quick hands catching her arm saved her from a fall.

“What happened?” She rushed into the main hall of the water pavilion and saw at once that Xu Siyu was holding Jin Ge’er in his arms, while Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie stood awkwardly nearby, trying to comfort Jin Ge’er.

“Mother, Mother, Mother!” Jin Ge’er was crying, his face streaming with tears, twisting and reaching for Eleventh Young Lady to hold him.

Eleventh Young Lady hurried forward in two swift steps and took Jin Ge’er into her arms — only to discover a red mark on his cheek, as though something had struck him.

Her expression shifted slightly.

The Fifth Madam had already stepped forward, curtseying in apology.

“It was entirely our Xin Jie’er’s fault. She couldn’t win the card game against Jin Ge’er and slapped him.” Her face was flushed crimson, equal parts shame and embarrassment. “I’ve already disciplined Xin Jie’er, and later I’ll tell Fifth Master to give her a proper scolding as well.”

Eleventh Young Lady’s fury was surging inside her — but seeing Xin Jie’er in the arms of her wet nurse, crying just as pitifully as Jin Ge’er, gasping and heaving, she forced herself to swallow her anger.

“Children are all young — bickering and scuffling is normal enough.” Though the words were mild, her expression had stiffened.

The Fifth Madam could plainly see that, and kept her head lowered in continuous apology.

Eleventh Young Lady could not press the matter too far: “It’s all right — our Jin Ge’er will be fine with a little comforting. You go and look after Xin Jie’er. Children don’t mean any harm.”

The Grand Madam, watching all of this, stepped in as peacemaker: “Now that it has all been said, it’s settled. Upper teeth knock against lower teeth all the time — all the more so for people living under the same roof!”

The Second Madam also went to comfort Xin Jie’er: “There now, stop crying. Careful or Shen Ge’er will laugh at you — you’re the elder sister!”

Shen Ge’er, too small to join the boating outing, had been taken out to play in the garden by his wet nurse. He had just woken from a nap and was still being cradled in her arms, somewhat drowsy, when he heard someone mention his name and blinked his eyes open, looking around in all directions.

Xin Jie’er heard that, and her cries gradually quieted.

The Second Madam smiled and stroked Xin Jie’er’s head.

Jin Shi, who had been standing by in breathless silence, came forward to coax Xin Jie’er too: “Shall I make clothes for your Bai Bai and Lv Lv?”

Xin Jie’er nodded, and stopped crying.

Xu Sijian ran over to Eleventh Young Lady’s side and teased Jin Ge’er: “Look — even Xin Jie’er has stopped crying. Why are you still going?”

Jin Ge’er ignored him and pressed his face against Eleventh Young Lady’s chest, still hiccupping with sobs.

Xu Sizhun stepped forward and took Jin Ge’er’s hand: “I’ll take you to float river lanterns!”

Xu Sijie chimed in: “I’ll play the flute for you to listen!”

Jin Ge’er didn’t even lift his head from his mother’s arms.

“Look — your brothers all came to see you!” Eleventh Young Lady said gently. “Please don’t cry anymore. If you keep crying, you won’t be a good boy.”

Jin Ge’er buried his face in Eleventh Young Lady’s arms.

Xu Siyu thought for a moment, then said, “Jin Ge’er, if you stop crying, I’ll take you rowing tomorrow — would you like that?”

Jin Ge’er heard this and slowly raised his head.

Xu Siqin walked over laughing: “You can’t use the fact that Jin Ge’er is small as an excuse to trick him — his memory is excellent. Be careful he comes to settle accounts with you when he’s grown.” He added, “And don’t forget — you have the prefectural examination in just a few days. Where would you find the time to take Jin Ge’er rowing?”

—