Zhou Dehui knelt on the ground, his voice clear and distinct, yet unable to conceal his unease. “…We had originally given our word to Official Li, but then received the invitation from Fifth Master. Our troupe’s second-in-charge took a few apprentices to Official Li’s, while I brought a few apprentices here. Being short-handed, we temporarily borrowed two general hands from another troupe. I never imagined they would give offense to the Young Heir and Fifth Young Master. I truly deserve death.” With that, he knocked his head firmly against the ground three times without hesitation. “I have already had the man bound up. He is kneeling just outside the door, awaiting Madam’s judgment.”

Shiyiniang did not respond to him immediately. Instead, she lifted the teacup beside her and used the lid to skim the bright green tea leaves floating on the surface.

The crisp, clear sound of porcelain lightly tapping rang through the quiet room in soft, wavering pulses — giving one the unsettling feeling that the slightest additional force would smash the cup entirely. Just like his predicament at this moment: all it would take was one burst of anger from the woman holding the cup, and he would be shattered to pieces.

Like a great stone pressing down upon his heart, Zhou Dehui lowered his head even further.

“Now, teaching our Fifth Young Master a few lines of opera — in itself, that’s not such a great matter. Our Fifth Young Master simply has a fondness for this sort of thing.” Only when Shiyiniang noticed Zhou Dehui’s body give a faint tremor did she adopt a casual, offhand tone. “However, comparing our Fifth Young Master to an opera performer, and then crowding around to mock and laugh at him — that is rather too discourteous.” Since there are so many people in this world who resemble one another, deliberately sidestepping this matter would only be more likely to draw other people’s attention. Far better to treat it with an ordinary, composed manner. “What’s more, you are people who make your living out in the world — your craft lies in being observant and sharp-eyed. Our two Young Masters came today to attend a celebratory banquet: one was dressed in cut silk, the other in Shu brocade. That man had the audacity to behave as he did even knowing who they were — which shows he is an extraordinarily bold individual. If I were not to punish him today, I fear he would go on to do things that would bring trouble down upon the troupe master in the future. Yet if I were to punish him myself, from what the troupe master is saying, this person was temporarily borrowed from another troupe — which would only mean shaming the troupe master.” And with that, a note of hesitation entered her voice. “It really puts one in a difficult position.”

Before coming, Zhou Dehui had already prepared himself for the worst outcome. Hearing now that Shiyiniang’s tone had softened somewhat felt no less than the voice of a bodhisattva, and he quickly said: “All faults and errors lie entirely with me for my failure to judge character well. Madam’s magnanimity is boundless. I will not allow that man’s filth to taint the Young Heir, Fifth Young Master, and Young Master Sun. Once the performance is finished, I will deal with him according to our troupe’s rules and drive him out of Yanjing.” As he spoke, he knocked his head against the floor again in earnest.

“Please rise, Troupe Master Zhou.” Even after so long a time married into the Xu household, Shiyiniang still had not grown accustomed to people prostrating themselves before her in this way. “I, too, am here as a guest today, and I have no wish to dampen Third Master’s enjoyment of the occasion. Since Troupe Master Zhou has already decided what is to be done, I see no need to mention this matter to the Marquis or Fifth Master when I return home.”

Zhou Dehui retreated with a face full of gratitude.

Xu Sizhun looked as though he wanted to speak but stopped himself.

“What is it?” Shiyiniang asked with a smile.

Xu Sizhun fumbled for words. “Since that man isn’t from the De Yin Company, how could Troupe Master Zhou deal with him according to their rules…” He looked somewhat unsatisfied.

Shiyiniang was startled, and then broke into laughter. She stepped forward and drew Xu Sizhun close, planting a kiss on his forehead.

Xu Sizhun turned crimson. “Mother…” He had no idea where to put his hands or feet.

It had been several years since Shiyiniang had kissed him like that.

“Our Zhun Ge’er has grown up!” The look Shiyiniang turned on him was filled with warmth and pride. “He knows how to use his mind and judge right from wrong.” She then drew him by the shoulder to sit down on the heated platform. “What you said is quite right. That Zhou Dehui did not tell the truth from the moment he walked through the door. Think about it — since it was your Fifth Uncle who sent the invitation, and the performance was to be held at your Third Uncle’s house, even though it may not be quite the same as coming to our household, they would not dare bring just anyone along carelessly. You must understand, on occasions like these things tend to be rather chaotic, and the inner and outer quarters are not always so strictly separated. If someone brought along turned out to have stolen something and was caught, or gave offense to a woman of the household, there would be no punishment severe enough. So this person could not possibly have been borrowed on the spot from another troupe. And even taking the most conservative view — even if he was borrowed from another troupe, it would have to be from a troupe with a very close relationship to theirs, one whose background Zhou Dehui knew thoroughly, and who often accompanied Zhou Dehui to perform at private occasions like this when they were short-handed. Practically speaking, that would make him half a member of the troupe. Otherwise, Zhou Dehui would never have said he would deal with him according to their troupe’s rules.”

Xu Sizhun nodded.

“The moment he opened his mouth, he mentioned it was your Fifth Uncle who sent the invitation, and that he had already made a prior commitment to someone else — implying that it was out of deference to your Fifth Uncle’s face that he went to the trouble of arranging to come to your Third Uncle’s house for this performance. Hearing that, we would naturally feel a degree of sympathy. He then immediately added that he had already had the man bound up, waiting just outside for us to pass judgment. Hearing that, some of our anger would subside. Then he brought up the fact that today was your nephew’s full-month celebration — out of consideration for family ties, we wouldn’t want to make a great scene of it. Working the situation this way, pushing here and pulling there, the whole matter would naturally be reduced from something large to something small, and from something small to nothing at all.”

“Mother, since you saw through all of this, why did you still…” Xu Sizhun looked at Shiyiniang in bewilderment.

Shiyiniang smiled. “Because I was quite satisfied with how Troupe Master Zhou ultimately decided to handle the matter.”

Xu Sizhun did not understand.

Shiyiniang said quietly: “Every trade has its own circle of people, and every trade has its own rules and customs. Dealing with someone according to troupe rules means opening a formal hall before the patron deity of the craft, inviting esteemed elders of high reputation, and meting out punishment in front of all the apprentices and disciples. The De Yin Company is the foremost of the three great opera troupes in Yanjing and carries great influence in the world of opera. That man offended you and your brother, and Zhou Dehui will deal with him according to the troupe rules. Even if Zhou Dehui does not drive him out of Yanjing, once the other troupes learn of what he has done, none of them will dare take him on. He will never be able to perform in opera again after this. That is quite sufficient. There is a saying — even a cornered dog will leap over a wall; even a desperate rabbit will bite. Both are driven to it by having no choice. That man, though he can no longer perform in opera, can still do other things. As long as there is one thread of hope left to him, he will not act recklessly. Why would we want to bring ourselves unnecessary trouble?”

There was one further reason Shiyiniang did not tell Xu Sizhun.

If she were to personally deal with this man, it would inevitably alarm the Grand Madam, Xu Lingyi, Xu Lingkuan, and even Fifth Madam, and make Xu Sijie once again the center of everyone’s attention.

The past was a source of pain for Xu Sijie.

But the truth could not be kept hidden forever.

She intended to wait until Xu Sijie was a little older, and at the right moment, tell him herself the “story” of his own origins — rather than wait for him to hear some ugly, distorted version somewhere, and then go from person to person in grief and distress seeking confirmation… Xu Sijie had not been born of her body, but he had grown up beside her. She would not allow a child of hers to suffer such humiliation. This was also the reason why, from the very beginning, she had been so meticulous — even more so than she had later been in selecting maids and nannies for Jin Ge’er — in choosing the women who served Xu Sijie. And it was why she took him everywhere she went. Only when he was at her side would those people dare not speak carelessly, reducing the chances of Xu Sijie hearing those rumors and gossip.

So when she had ultimately mentioned Xu Lingyi and Xu Lingkuan at the end, she was in fact warning Zhou Dehui that if he failed to keep his promise and drive that man out of Yanjing, the Xu household would not let the matter rest.

How could Xu Sizhun know all the twists and turns within Shiyiniang’s heart? His eyes shone brightly as he looked at her. “Mother, you are remarkable! You even know their troupe’s rules?”

Shiyiniang couldn’t help but feel a flash of embarrassment.

She quickly said: “I only heard about it from someone else. Not like you — able to go out and about with your father, seeing these things firsthand and finding out whether they are true. Then she smiled, “Insight into all things is scholarship; understanding human nature is also a form of knowledge. So you must apply yourself diligently to following your father and learning the management of practical affairs. Then when you encounter crafty and cunning people, they won’t be able to deceive you. And in the future, when your younger brothers face danger, you will be able to protect them well and prevent others from bullying them.”

“I know!” Xu Sizhun said in a loud, determined voice. “I will study hard, and I will also diligently follow Father to learn how to manage practical affairs. Then no one will be able to bully my younger brothers.”

Shiyiniang smiled warmly and nodded at him.

Xu Sizhun broke into a bashful smile in return.

Shiyiniang seized the moment. “You are the eldest brother. If you ever find yourself in a situation like the one earlier, simply take Jie Ge’er by the hand and lead him away. Do you understand?”

But to her surprise, Xu Sizhun’s expression froze at that. He lowered his head, face flushing deeply red.

Shiyiniang was somewhat taken aback. She thought for a moment, then said gently: “It’s all right — our Zhun Ge’er was encountering that kind of situation for the first time, so of course he felt a little nervous. He will know what to do in the future.”

But Xu Sizhun shook his head, and with a stiff, difficult look stole a glance at Shiyiniang, then said in a low voice: “I — I was frightened!”

Shiyiniang was startled.

Xu Sizhun went on. “…There were so many of them… Nanny Nan was about to go and report it… I was frightened… I grabbed hold of Nanny Nan’s arm…”

Shiyiniang burst out laughing.

Xu Sizhun looked up in bewilderment.

Shiyiniang’s eyes were bright, with a trace of mischievous delight. “You were frightened of them — but have you ever considered that they were frightened of you too?”

“They were frightened of me?” Xu Sizhun stared at Shiyiniang in astonishment. “There were so many of them — how could they possibly be frightened of me?”

“In this world, having more people on your side is not the only thing that matters.” Shiyiniang said unhurriedly. “Think about it — those people may have had greater numbers, but your status is higher than theirs. One word from you to Troupe Master Zhou and they could be dealt with according to the troupe’s rules, or even driven out of Yanjing entirely. They knew this perfectly well. So why, then, did they still crowd around and laugh at you both?”

Xu Sizhun looked deeply puzzled.

Shiyiniang encouraged him: “Think back to how things were in the moment.”

“We went backstage…” Xu Sizhun recalled, “…the moment they saw us, they all stepped back and stood to one side with their hands at their sides… When they heard me ask whether there were any great swords, they all crowded over… someone even brought us tea, and someone showed me how to brandish the great swords… Only the person sitting in the armchair didn’t move… That person took the initiative to perform opera for us. He asked us whether we enjoyed it, and if we did, we could summon him to come and perform for us in future — and if we wanted to learn, he would be willing to teach us… His face was heavily powdered, but it wasn’t like our maids Yuhua and the others, where it smells pleasant — it smelled strange and unpleasant… I pulled Fifth Younger Brother and wanted to leave, but he blocked our way, absolutely insisting on teaching us opera. Nanny Nan came inside and tried to take me away, and that person kept pleading…” He looked at Shiyiniang timidly. “So I listened to him sing two lines… Fifth Younger Brother thought it sounded wonderful and started to learn from him…”

Even without hearing the rest, Shiyiniang could guess what had followed.

Just like so many people new to the world — knowing perfectly well in your heart that you don’t want to, yet not knowing how to refuse, and so being taken advantage of by degrees…

She asked him quietly: “You see — when you first walked in, they proactively asked what you wanted, and even brought you tea. Just like the attendant boys in our household. So at what point did they start laughing at you both?”

Xu Sizhun didn’t answer immediately. A look of dawning comprehension slowly spread across his face. “It was when Nanny Nan scolded them… and I grabbed tightly onto Nanny Nan’s arm… and when Fifth Younger Brother sang opera for them…”

Shiyiniang spoke with pointed implication: “You see — when you showed no fear of them, they all acted according to your wishes. The moment you revealed a frightened expression, not only did they stop fearing you — they began to mock you. So this isn’t a matter of who has more people. It is a matter of who has greater courage.”

Xu Sizhun lowered his head, his fists clenching tightly.

—