Shi’yiniang sat through the visit at the Xiang household as though on pins and needles, and after the midday meal excused herself on the pretext of worrying about Jin Ge’er being alone at home.

Madam Xiang did not press her to stay, and together with Madam Gao personally escorted her to the gate. Madam Gao even reached out to help Shi’yiniang into the carriage. “We have few relatives to speak of. If you have time, do come and sit with us!” The look in her eyes as she regarded Shi’yiniang was as tender and warm as a mother looking upon a daughter, and her every gesture carried the care of an elder — there was nothing forced or abrupt about it.

Shi’yiniang barely managed to suppress her surprise. She smiled and steadied herself on Nanny Song’s outstretched arm. “Madam Gao is too kind — I would be too embarrassed to come again!”

Madam Gao withdrew her hand quite naturally.

Shi’yiniang, watching this, felt a private admiration stir within her. She could not help but let her gaze drift back to Second Madam, who stood behind her.

Second Madam’s brow was slightly furrowed, and her expression carried a trace of awkwardness.

Shi’yiniang inwardly sighed and got into the carriage.

If she herself had encountered something like this, she, too, would have felt uncomfortable, wouldn’t she?

And so the moment she returned to Lotus Lane, Shi’yiniang immediately climbed into the small green-curtained oil-cloth cart and told the carriage-driving nanny: “To the Grand Madam’s rooms!” Yet when she reached the Grand Madam’s door, she changed her mind again. “To the Marquis’s rooms!”

The nanny started slightly, then respectfully assented, and sent Shi’yiniang to the outer study.

Xu Lingyi was in the midst of discussing plans for the coming year with his estate managers.

Though he had been idle at home for some years now and did not pay close attention to managing the estate affairs, he still commanded respect, and he had a talent for employing the right people. The income had more than doubled compared to when Third Master had managed things. He planned that at New Year he would invite the senior stewards to come home for a meal, as a mark of his regard for their years of hard work on his behalf.

When word came that Shi’yiniang had arrived, Xu Lingyi was quite surprised. He instructed a young manservant, “Please escort Madam to the small study, then brew a pot of Da Hong Pao, and have the kitchen prepare a few kinds of refreshments and send them over.”

The estate managers all bowed their heads and affected not to have heard anything.

Xu Lingyi continued to confer with the managers.

But it was plainly evident that his attention had begun to drift.

No man who had earned a seat in front of Xu Lingyi was simple-minded.

Before White Steward could so much as exchange a glance with those nearby, one of the men said, “My lord, I believe this matter still needs to be thought through more carefully. Perhaps we should be dismissed to deliberate further among ourselves? Once we have a thorough and sound proposal, we will request Your Lordship’s approval.”

Xu Lingyi felt that there were too many small and fiddly points to the matter — going on like this would never be done. Besides, he was not especially conversant in these things anyway. He might as well wait for the managers — who understood these affairs — to reach a decision among themselves, then review the result.

He gave a quiet “mm,” rose and walked briskly to the small study, leaving a room full of estate managers staring at one another.

Shi’yiniang was seated properly and upright in the armchair by the window, gracefully lifting a blue-and-white porcelain teacup for a small, delicate sip. Yet Xu Lingyi, knowing she had gone against her usual habits to come and find him, was certain she must be anxious.

Without waiting for his wife to speak, he dismissed the attendants in the room.

This spared Shi’yiniang considerable trouble.

She asked Xu Lingyi, “My lord — when you first said that Master Xiang was a good man, was it because you saw the potential in him to one day enter the Grand Secretariat? Or was it because you admired his uprightness of character and considered him a fine official?”

Xu Lingyi was a little puzzled.

But when Shi’yiniang’s expression turned serious, she never spoke without purpose. He answered candidly, “As for entering the Grand Secretariat — that requires a certain measure of fortune. As for exceptional integrity, he would likely have difficulty getting past the rank of Senior Third Grade. Old Master Xiang made many enemies in his day, and it seems Master Xiang has taken that as a warning — he has put extraordinary effort into cultivating connections, from the Grand Secretaries down to the minor clerks. He has no shortage of allies. And a man who rises depends upon others raising him. So I say — if fortune favors him, he may well enter the Grand Secretariat.”

Shi’yiniang did not waste words. She met Xu Lingyi’s eyes directly. “The Xiang family wishes to reopen the matter of a marriage between Siyu and the Xiang family’s second young lady!”

Xu Lingyi could not fully conceal his surprise. He said immediately, “And what did Second Sister-in-law say?”

Shi’yiniang told him truthfully, “Second Sister-in-law said nothing at all.”

Xu Lingyi made no reply, and fell into thought.

Shi’yiniang, too, was turning the matter over in her mind.

When Madam Xiang had raised the matter, Second Madam, who had been right there beside her, had not said a single word. Given Second Madam’s temperament, if she had been opposed, she would almost certainly have spoken up at once. Since she had held her tongue, there was surely some degree of willingness in her heart.

True, Second Madam had opposed the Xiang family match in the past — but not because she had a poor opinion of the Xiang family itself. Rather, it was because Xu Lingyi’s manner toward her had lacked a measure of respect. Yet what had followed — Madam Xiang’s behavior through to today’s banquet — had led her to feel that Madam Xiang acted too much on impulse, without sufficient regard for others’ feelings. And that had given her a certain reluctance to proceed.

Xu Siyu’s path would only grow broader from here. Perhaps they would not easily find a bride whose circumstances matched those of the Xiang family’s second young lady — yet finding a young woman of respectable family and good character with whom he might live in quiet contentment was by no means an insurmountable task. Why make the whole affair so complicated?

But the Grand Madam held Second Madam in unusually deep affection. If Xu Siyu were to marry the Xiang family’s second young lady, for both the Xu and Xiang households, it would indeed be a case of drawing two families who were already kin even closer together. She feared that even if the Grand Madam felt some reproach toward Madam Xiang for her discourtesy, she would still be glad to see the two families united.

And so she had come first to see Xu Lingyi.

She wanted to find a reason for herself not to oppose the match. And beyond that, she also wished to hear Xu Lingyi’s view. Compared to him, she was like a frog at the bottom of a well — she knew nothing of the wider world outside.

“If it were not for the broken faith of Madam Xiang in between, I think a match with the Xiang family would be quite a fine thing,” Shi’yiniang said. “I would like to hear your thoughts, my lord.”

The implication was that she did not look upon it favorably.

Xu Lingyi listened and reflected, then said slowly, “I recall you mentioning that Elder Dou’s niece is currently being matched — has Madam Dou said anything to you about our Siyu?”

Shi’yiniang paused, then said, “No, she has not!”

“Have you thought carefully about why that is?”

“Though Siyu has passed the prefectural examination, he is still far from a Presented Scholar — and even that grows harder the further along one goes. A family like Elder Dou’s would not necessarily give it a second thought,” Shi’yiniang said.

“That is only one reason,” Xu Lingyi said. “There is another, equally important one — the fact that we are imperial relatives. Those with foresight, like Elder Dou, have no wish to be drawn into the matter of the future heir to the throne, and so they naturally keep their distance from us with polite deference. While those who think only of immediate advantage are naturally eager above all else to form a marriage alliance with our family. The range we can choose from becomes quite narrow. And so when Master Xiang readily agreed to Siyu’s match in the first place, I was genuinely pleased — and deeply grateful. There is, after all, a fundamental difference between being Xu Lingyi’s in-laws by marriage and being the brother of Xu Lingyi’s widowed sister-in-law.”

Xu Lingyi was in favor.

Shi’yiniang still felt a lingering unease.

Xu Lingyi read her expression, thought carefully for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh. He took her hand and said, “If you truly cannot bring yourself to accept it — I will speak to Mother on our behalf.”

With him saying this, Shi’yiniang found it harder to hold her ground.

She gently withdrew her hand. “My lord, allow me to think on it a little more.” And she turned to walk back toward the inner courtyard.

On the way, she encountered Xu Sizhun.

“Mother — what are you doing here?” Surprise and delight lit up his face.

Shi’yiniang smiled at him and, seeing the direction he was heading, asked warmly, “Are you going to see your father?”

Xu Sizhun nodded. “Father asked me to come at this hour. He said he is meeting with the estate managers to discuss inviting the senior stewards for a New Year’s feast, and wants me to be there and observe — to learn something about managing the family’s affairs.”

“Then do listen carefully.” Shi’yiniang said a few words of encouragement with a smile. “The greater part of the family’s income comes from these estate affairs.”

Xu Sizhun nodded earnestly. “Father says the same. You need not worry, Mother — I will study closely under White Head Steward.”

Shi’yiniang smiled and said “mm,” and parted from Xu Sizhun.

As she raised her head, she caught sight of the upswept eaves of Xu Siyu’s rooftop.

She went to Xu Siyu’s rooms.

“If we were to arrange a match for you with Second Aunt’s niece, what would you think of it?”

She asked him sincerely and without pretense.

Xu Siyu’s face flushed crimson in an instant. His lips moved, but for a long while he could not bring forth a single word.

I am putting him in an impossible position.

Shi’yiniang rose to her feet. “Go on reviewing your studies. I will take my leave.”

Xu Siyu assented and walked Shi’yiniang to the door — yet just as she had one foot over the threshold of the courtyard gate, a voice came from behind, carrying a hint of bashful embarrassment: “Second Aunt has always treated me very well… and Second Aunt’s learning is very fine…”

What does it matter how Second Madam has treated him? What does it matter how fine her learning is?

Shi’yiniang grumbled inwardly — yet in her mind, everything was clear as ice and snow.

Xu Siyu had expressed his own wishes.

She returned home, freshened up, and went to see the Grand Madam.

Jin Ge’er and Shen Ge’er were napping side by side on the Grand Madam’s kang. The Grand Madam and Second Madam were seated nearby in the armchairs, talking. Seeing Shi’yiniang enter, Second Madam gave a slightly ill-at-ease nod in her direction. “You’re back.”

“All dusty from the road — I went to tidy myself up first.” Shi’yiniang offered this explanation for her late arrival.

Second Madam then rose and took her leave.

The Grand Madam asked Shi’yiniang, “What has happened? Yizhen’s expression seemed unsettled to me — as if she were ill at ease. I asked her, but she would not say a word. Did Madam Xiang say something again?”

Shi’yiniang then told the Grand Madam everything, precisely and in full.

The Grand Madam showed no sign of anger. Instead she looked at her with a measure of concern. “And what do you think?”

By now, if Shi’yiniang still could not see where the Grand Madam’s true intentions lay, it would mean she had wasted her two lifetimes entirely.

“I will do as Mother wishes.”

This time, her voice came out sounding rather more resolute.

The Grand Madam patted her hand and said softly, “Then go and talk it over with Old Four.”

—

Xu Lingyi held her close. “For Sijie and Jin Ge’er’s marriages in the future — whoever you like, we will go and propose to that family ourselves.”

The marriages of both the eldest son by a concubine and the second son by the main wife had not been matches Shi’yiniang had chosen, and he felt a quiet guilt in his heart about that.

Shi’yiniang was not the kind of person to dwell on grievances.

She had been anxious and careful before, feeling the weight of responsibility on her shoulders.

A life is something you live for yourself. Setting aside personal preferences — since all the parties involved felt this match was a good one, she had nothing more to worry about.

Each person must bear responsibility for their own choices.

She saw Xu Lingyi looking so solemn over what she had said, and could not help pressing her lips together in a smile. With a teasing glint, she said, “Very well — then I want to take the daughter of Prince Shun as my daughter-in-law.”

Xu Lingyi considered this for fewer than ten breaths before replying, “Prince Shun’s daughter? Certainly!”

Shi’yiniang knew he was a man who kept his word — Prince Shun held a place apart in the imperial family, and one could not simply take any princess one pleased as a daughter-in-law.

She was left completely at a loss for words.

But Xu Lingyi leaned close to her ear, laughing softly. “As long as you don’t mind that all his daughters are by concubines!”

Shi’yiniang was silent for a long while.

—