“The matter hasn’t reached a conclusion yet, so there’s no need for the Marquis to be too disheartened,” Luo Shiyiniang consoled Xu Lingyi. “Even if it comes to confiscation and exile, as long as the people are still alive, there will always be a day to restore the family’s standing.”

“True!” Xu Lingyi let out a long sigh. “As long as the people are alive, there is nothing to fear.”

Luo Shiyiniang saw that his expression was troubled, so she rose with a smile and tidied her hair. “The Marquis should rest early! Tomorrow you’ll likely have to busy yourself with the Wang Family’s affairs again.”

Xu Lingyi looked at her, her brows utterly serene and clear, and felt that he had been rather needlessly worrying.

No matter what the court officials said, in the end it was still the Emperor who had to make the final decision.

He had already done what he could to help and attended to what needed attending. Dwelling on such wishful thinking would serve no purpose. The only thing to do now was to steel himself and, when the Wang Family faced ruin, try to find whatever slim chance of survival might still remain.

Once a person’s mind was at ease, the expression on their face became composed.

He smiled and leaned down to blow out the lamp, chatting idly with Luo Shiyiniang about household matters: “While the weather is still fine, tomorrow take out Xu Siyu’s examination basket and curtain and give them a good airing. Then go to the temple to pay respects to the Star of Literature and draw a divination slip for Siyu… once he passes this hurdle, he will be a licentiate.”

Even though he never said anything about it ordinarily, he still kept it in his heart!

Luo Shiyiniang smiled. “The Marquis has spoken a little late. On the sixth day of the sixth month, I had already aired out all the things Siyu had used. As for drawing a divination slip, I was actually hoping to ask the Marquis to take Siyu yourself. Going in person shows sincerity. If I go as his mother, it amounts to nothing more than kowtowing. If the Marquis and Siyu go together, you can talk on the way there. You could also walk around the temple grounds. In this weather, many households have gone to the temple to escape the summer heat!”

Xu Lingyi fell silent for a moment, then said quietly, “I don’t really know what I ought to say to him…” His tone was a little hesitant.

“Then say nothing at all!” No one can read another person’s mind, and if feelings aren’t expressed, who would ever know what the other is thinking? Luo Shiyiniang did not want the children to live in this household harboring resentment. “Just accompany him, offer a stick of incense, and come back!”

Xu Lingyi said nothing.

Several days later, he suddenly proposed going with Xu Siyu to pay respects to the Star of Literature.

Everyone was taken aback.

Xu Siyu returned to his study and sat holding a book for a long while without taking in a single word.

At dusk, a violent rainstorm came down. The air cooled and grew fresh. The leaves of the spider lily plant beneath the window had been washed perfectly clean, glossy and a vivid green.

Xu Siyu simply set down the book in his hands and wandered aimlessly along the covered walkway.

Without quite realizing it, he had arrived at Danbo Study.

Several small maidservants were cheerfully plucking tuberose flowers there. When they saw Xu Siyu, a young woman, slender and graceful as fine jade, came forward: “Second Young Master, have you come to look for Fourth Young Master?”

Xu Siyu looked more carefully and recognized her as Ge Jin, the girl the Grand Madam had bestowed upon Xu Sizhun.

If he answered that he had not come for that reason, it would seem rather affected.

He smiled and said, “Is Fourth Brother in?”

“Fifth Young Master is with Teacher Zhao learning how to make a teapot,” Ge Jin said with a smile. “Fourth Young Master was a little worried that Fifth Young Master might waste the precious Yixing clay Teacher Zhao had shipped all the way from Yixing, so he went to the inner courtyard.”

Xu Siyu suddenly felt a pang of envy.

All these years, Xu Sijie had followed Teacher Zhao — making flutes one day, crafting teapots the next — and had learned many things that cultivated the character and nourished the spirit. Unlike himself, who had only ever skimmed the surface of things and never had the time to sit down and truly study any of them in depth!

The thought stirred his interest.

He left Danbo Study and went to Luo Shiyiniang’s quarters.

Luo Shiyiniang was not at home; she had taken Jin Ge’er to visit Grand Madam Gan at Zhongqin Earl’s residence.

Qiu Yu led Xu Siyu to the first side room at the western end of the rear wing: “Madam has set up a workshop for Fifth Young Master. Fifth Young Master often makes flutes and river lanterns here.”

The side room door was open. Xu Sijie was inside working with clay, and there was no sign of Xu Sizhun.

“Hasn’t Fourth Brother come by?” Xu Siyu sat on a small stool nearby, sipping tea while he looked around at the kites hanging on the walls and the river lanterns placed on the five-drawer chest.

Though Xu Siyu’s manner was gentle, Xu Sijie always felt that somewhere in this older brother’s very bones there was a kind of gravity — not at all like Fourth Brother Xu Sizhun’s easy-going nature. When Xu Sijie was with Fourth Brother, he could say whatever he wanted and do whatever he liked, free and unrestrained…

“Just a moment ago Fourth Brother made a river lantern here and went to Biyi Lake to try it on the water!”

Xu Siyu was a little surprised.

Ever since he had come home, the maidservants and manservants guarding the rooms had told him that over the past year or more, Xu Sizhun had often gone out with Xu Lingyi for social engagements, had made friends with several promising young gentlemen, and had also taken up martial arts training under a master… He had not expected that Xu Sizhun still loved making river lanterns as much as ever.

Xu Sizhun, walking toward Biyi Lake with his manservant Wang Shu, was muttering to himself: “If only I had come over earlier. Fifth Brother might not have started working with the clay yet, and he could have come with me to launch this new river lantern!”

Wang Shu smiled. “If Teacher Zhao hadn’t told Fifth Young Master to hand in a teapot first thing tomorrow morning, Fifth Young Master wouldn’t have been in such a bind…” His words were not yet finished when, from the grove nearby, a loud and brilliant cry of a crane suddenly rang out.

Both of them were startled. Xu Sizhun cried, “Let’s go have a look!”

The household kept two cranes, both belonging to Jin Ge’er. No ordinary person would ever dare to disturb them.

Wang Shu hesitated for a moment, wanting to advise Xu Sizhun not to meddle and to let him go check first, but Xu Sizhun had already set off in the direction of the crane’s cry. Wang Shu had no choice but to follow quickly.

From a distance, they heard a young girl’s clear, indignant voice: “You keep running, you just keep running…”

Xu Sizhun paused.

That was unmistakably Xin Jie’er’s voice.

He pushed through the trees in three quick strides.

“Second Sister, what on earth are you doing?”

Xin Jie’er, who had been chasing the crane with a wooden stick, turned around. Seeing that it was Xu Sizhun, she pressed her lips tightly together.

Xu Sizhun’s face darkened, and he scolded the two maidservants following Xin Jie’er: “Why haven’t you taken that stick away from Second Miss? You were sent to attend to Second Miss, and now look at her — what has she become?”

The two small maidservants glanced at each other helplessly. They looked at Xin Jie’er, whose clothes were in disarray, and both answered “Yes” together. One stepped forward to take the stick from Xin Jie’er, while the other gently coaxed her: “Young Miss, let’s go back quickly. If Madam finds out we snuck out, she’ll put us under house arrest again…”

Xin Jie’er was so furious her face turned a deep red. She raised the stick as if to strike the maidservant. “I’m going to tell Father! I’m going to tell Father!”

The maidservant did not dare dodge, afraid of being struck in the face, and turned her back.

Xu Sizhun’s finely shaped brows furrowed.

He stepped forward and seized the stick from Xin Jie’er, then said quietly to the maidservants, “All of you stand back! I am here, that is enough.”

The maidservant who had been struck hesitated. The other quickly tugged at her sleeve and murmured, “The Young Master is here. Someone ought to go and inform Fifth Madam as well.”

The maidservant who had been struck no longer hesitated. She curtsied and withdrew with the other maidservant.

Xin Jie’er was seething with anger. She moved to snatch back the stick, but she was not as strong as Xu Sizhun. Yet if she did not try, she could not swallow her resentment.

She let go of the stick and burst into loud sobs.

Xu Sizhun then told Wang Shu, “You stand back as well!”

Wang Shu did not dare go far and hid behind a large tree nearby whose trunk would have taken two arms to encircle.

Xu Sizhun put his arm around Xin Jie’er. “All right, all right. Don’t cry. Be careful your eyes go red and the servants laugh at you.” Then he gently patted her on the back.

“All of you bully me!” Xin Jie’er showed no gratitude and struggled in his arms. “It was clearly Jin Ge’er who hit me, yet Mother put me under house arrest. It was clearly you who were wrong, yet you still took away my stick…”

“It is entirely Fourth Brother’s fault,” Xu Sizhun said softly, apologizing to her gently.

Xin Jie’er gradually stopped her sobbing.

Xu Sizhun produced a handkerchief and offered it to her.

Xin Jie’er snatched the handkerchief from Xu Sizhun and wiped her own tear-streaked face.

When Xu Sizhun saw that her mood had settled, he took her hand. “Come, let’s go launch a river lantern!”

Xin Jie’er ignored him.

He held up the river lantern in his hand. “Look — isn’t this fun?”

Xin Jie’er did not want to look, yet could not suppress her curiosity, and stole a glance from the corner of her eye. Just that one glance, and her eyes immediately opened wide, a look of astonishment crossing her face.

Xu Sizhun felt a little smug.

“Fun, isn’t it! I just made it. It looks like a section of an old tree stump, but it’s a river lantern.” He spoke as he led Xin Jie’er toward the edge of the grove. “I spent quite a long time painting it brown. It’s a little lopsided too, so I patched a small piece of wood on there. In theory it shouldn’t sink… let’s go see if it will float!”

Xin Jie’er walked alongside Xu Sizhun while saying, “It’s so ugly. Not pretty at all!”

“Then what kind does Second Sister like?” Xu Sizhun said warmly. “I’ll make one especially for Second Sister!”

Xin Jie’er thought for a moment, then said, “I like peonies the most — can Fourth Brother make me one?”

“What’s so difficult about that?” Xu Sizhun said. “Let’s go to Fifth Brother’s place — he has his own workshop, with bamboo strips and small knives and everything. I’ll make you one right away!”

Xin Jie’er stopped in her tracks. “No, I don’t want to go anywhere near Jin Ge’er!” Her lips were pouted out so far you could hang a flask of oil on them.

Xu Sizhun also stopped. “Then we’ll have to wait a few days… until I can gather all the materials for making a flower lantern.” He made no effort to pressure her.

Xin Jie’er broke into a smile. A small dimple appeared in her cheek, making her look very sweet.

“Come on!” Xu Sizhun smiled as well, taking Xin Jie’er by the hand. “Let’s go launch the river lantern!”

In the evening light, Biyi Lake was covered in shimmering golden ripples.

The river lantern, shaped like an old tree stump, drifted slowly toward the heart of the lake.

“It works, it works!” Xin Jie’er clapped her small hands at the water’s edge. A smile of relief spread across Xu Sizhun’s face. “I knew it would!”

Xin Jie’er pulled at Xu Sizhun’s sleeve. “Fourth Brother, then hurry up and make me the peony river lantern!”

“All right!” Xu Sizhun smiled and led Xin Jie’er by the hand to sit on a nearby stone bench. “But you must stop going after Jin Ge’er’s creatures!”

Xin Jie’er heard this and immediately became displeased. “He was the one who made me angry in the first place!”

“But the crane didn’t make you angry!” Xu Sizhun said. “When you ordinarily walk through the garden, that crane always comes running over to be near you. If you hit it, it might never want to approach you again. Do you like having everyone ignore you?”

Xin Jie’er wavered. “R— really?”

“If you don’t believe me, shall we go and find the crane together?”

Xin Jie’er followed him skeptically.

—