In the main room of the eastern side room, though handmaids and older servants stood packed throughout, one could have heard a pin drop.

Shiyi Niang sat on the edge of Jin Ge’er’s bed.

“Where does it hurt?” Her expression barely concealed her anxiety, but her voice was as gentle and composed as always.

Tears glistened on Jin Ge’er’s face, as fair as white jade. He pouted and pointed to his leg: “Here — it hurts!”

Shiyi Niang reached to roll up his trouser leg.

Jin Ge’er cried out: “Mother, it hurts so much, so much!”

Though she was frantic with worry inside, Shiyi Niang’s hands grew even more careful. She rolled the trouser leg all the way up to his thigh.

Fair and tender skin — not even the faintest mark.

No external injury…

Shiyi Niang thought about Jin Ge’er spending the past two days holding horse stances under Master Pang.

Could the sudden increase in physical exertion have caused muscle soreness?

She gave Jin Ge’er’s leg a gentle press: “Is it pain or soreness?”

Jin Ge’er could not answer.

Xu Lingyi’s figure swept into the room on a gust of cold air.

“Where is he hurt? Has a physician been called? Is it still hurting?” He spoke rapidly but every syllable was precise, his voice low and measured, carrying a quiet authority. As he spoke, he sat down on the embroidered stool beside the bed, his eyes scanning Jin Ge’er’s leg while he instructed Hongwen, who stood to one side with a stricken expression: “Bring Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu in!”

Hongwen acknowledged and hurried off.

“A messenger has already been sent to fetch a physician!” Shiyi Niang said urgently. “It does not hurt unless touched — only when touched. My Lord, do you think it might be from holding the horse stances?”

Xu Lingyi was himself a man trained in martial arts — surely he would know something about this.

“It should not be,” Xu Lingyi said, his expression very grave. The gaze he fixed on his son, however, was full of worry, betraying his true feelings in that moment. As he spoke, Hongwen had already returned with Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu.

The two boys clearly already knew what had happened, and looked deeply troubled. With both Xu Lingyi and Shiyi Niang present, they bowed properly before straining on tiptoe to look over at Jin Ge’er.

“The Sixth Young Master is complaining that his leg hurts,” Xu Lingyi said evenly, his gaze resting on the two boys. Even in repose, his air of authority made them tremble. “Has the Sixth Young Master knocked or bumped himself anywhere?”

Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu thought back carefully. Liu Erwu said: “This servant has followed the Sixth Young Master every day — these past few days the Sixth Young Master has gone nowhere except Xiumu Courtyard and Madam’s main room…” His voice trembled slightly.

A small head poked in from behind the door curtain, then quickly retreated.

“How is it?” Chang’an whispered to his brother from outside.

Chang Shun answered in his soft little voice: “Sixth Young Master has stopped crying. The Marquis and Madam are both sitting beside the Sixth Young Master!”

He’s stopped crying — so it must not hurt anymore!

Chang’an let out a breath.

He had cost the Sixth Young Master face, and though Madam had said he was in the right and even brought him and his brother into the household, his grandfather had still been a little worried the Sixth Young Master might not be well-disposed toward him. But unexpectedly, while the Sixth Young Master had not been as warm to him as to Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu, he had not found fault with him either.

Chang’an thought about this as he took his brother’s hand and prepared to leave, then noticed his brother had a sweet clenched in his fist.

Chang Shun said to his brother: “If you eat the sweet, it stops hurting!”

Chang’an smiled.

The Sixth Young Master really did treat Chang Shun well.

Come to think of it, the Sixth Young Master was actually quite a decent person.

He praised his brother: “Chang Shun is so good!”

An attendant came rushing in: “Quick — report to the Marquis and Madam — the Chief Physician Liu from the Imperial Physician’s Office has arrived!”

The little handmaid on duty lifted the curtain and entered.

Handmaids and older servants withdrew behind the screen, and Shiyi Niang rose and stepped aside from the bed to give the physician access to Jin Ge’er.

Chief Physician Liu could not help stealing a glance at Xu Lingyi. Seeing his expression unchanged, he quickly composed himself and began to take Jin Ge’er’s pulse.

“The Sixth Young Master’s pulse is deep and steady…” After a long moment, Chief Physician Liu said hesitantly: “There appears to be nothing amiss. Perhaps we might invite Imperial Physician Xie to examine him — he specializes in unusual ailments in children.”

Xu Lingyi immediately sent someone to summon Imperial Physician Xie. Imperial Physician Xie examined him at length and also found the pulse quite normal. Glancing at Xu Lingyi’s dark expression, he recommended Imperial Physician Wu. Imperial Physician Wu recommended Imperial Physician Kong… The imperial physicians filed in and out in an endless stream.

Shiyi Niang sat at Jin Ge’er’s bedside, chatting and laughing with him to keep him company, while inside her heart churned like boiling water. Every ailment she could recall from her previous life — leukemia, osteomyelitis — came flooding to her mind. She could only curse inwardly that this age had no ultrasound imaging, and berate herself for not having studied medicine when she had the chance…

Hearing the commotion, the Grand Madam and Second Madam arrived in quick succession. Seeing Jin Ge’er, who was usually full of life and energy, lying in bed, the Grand Madam sat down at his bedside and tears came to her eyes.

Second Madam, seeing that Shiyi Niang was distracted and beside herself, drew Xiang Shi aside and asked her the details.

Learning that none of the imperial physicians had been able to arrive at any conclusion, Second Madam took Jin Ge’er’s pulse.

“How is it?” The Grand Madam looked at Second Madam with hope in her eyes.

“The pulse is deep and steady…” Second Madam said hesitantly. “It seems as though there is nothing wrong…”

Hearing that, the Grand Madam immediately stood up and called loudly for Nanny Du: “Quickly — prepare my court attire. I must go to the palace. I will ask the Empress if she has any way to help!”

“Several imperial physicians have all said there is nothing wrong,” Xu Lingyi quickly said. “Let him lie still for a day and see how things are. Please do not have the Empress worry on our account as well!”

“It is precisely these sudden, inexplicable ailments that are most to be feared,” the Grand Madam said, thinking of her second son’s death. “You cannot simply let things be.” She insisted on going to the palace.

Shen Ge had gone to Xiumu Courtyard, and only there learned that Jin Ge’er was ill.

He went to see Jin Ge’er. Just as he entered the courtyard, Fifth Madam came carrying Cheng Ge to visit the sick. He followed behind his mother and entered the room.

The Grand Madam and the others gathered in a huddle, speaking in low voices about Jin Ge’er’s illness. Shen Ge went over and leaned on the edge of the bed, talking with Jin Ge’er.

“So you cannot go and hold your horse stance today?”

Jin Ge’er nodded despondently: “My leg hurts every time I move it.”

“Then I am going to pull ahead of you!” Shen Ge allowed himself a small flash of triumph. “Yesterday you held for five incense sticks and I held for two. If I do two more today, and two more tomorrow…” He counted on his fingers, “That will be one more than you!” He said this quite loudly.

Jin Ge’er glared at him, and said stubbornly: “Just you wait. When I recover, I’ll hold six sticks every day and catch up to you in a single day!”

The two children’s bickering immediately drew the attention of the adults.

“Shen Ge,” Shiyi Niang crouched before Jin Ge’er, her eyes carrying a flicker of hope, her expression urgently attentive, “what did you just say? You held for two incense sticks, and Jin Ge’er held for five…”

Shen Ge’s face went slightly red. He glanced nervously at Fifth Madam, and seeing that Fifth Madam was listening carefully to his every word, he finally said with some embarrassment: “I held the least… Sixth Brother held the most… two sticks more than what the master prescribed!”

“Really!” Like a sudden shift from darkness to light, Shiyi Niang felt a quiet hope stir within her. She asked Jin Ge’er: “You held your horse stance for a very long time yesterday?”

Jin Ge’er nodded eagerly: “I held it one incense stick longer than Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu.”

Xu Lingyi caught on as well. No longer handling Jin Ge’er with such careful caution, he kneaded Jin Ge’er’s small calf without ceremony, and after quite some time, let go and said evenly: “Try and see — can your leg move or not?”

Jin Ge’er stretched his leg out with some uncertainty.

“It doesn’t hurt as much as before!” His face lit up with delight. “Mother, it doesn’t hurt as much anymore!” Then he looked over at the Grand Madam. “Grandmother.”

Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

“That’s good, that’s good!” The Grand Madam held Jin Ge’er’s hand, overjoyed.

For a child so young, just beginning to train, prolonged horse stances would not only fail to strengthen the body but could actually cause injury.

“This is absolutely reckless!” Xu Lingyi’s expression darkened. He called Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu in. “How did this come about?”

The two boys lowered their heads: “Master Pang told him not to, but the Sixth Young Master insisted…”

The Grand Madam thought about the fact that Master Pang had been recommended by their eldest son-in-law, and though she held her tongue, her expression showed clear disapproval.

Shiyi Niang, immersed in the relief that nothing was seriously wrong with her child, took no notice of any of this. She hugged Jin Ge’er and kissed him again and again: “You child. No one can become stout by eating a single meal. You must go slowly. From now on you must listen to your master and not act on your own judgment. Now you know what trouble that leads to, don’t you!”

Jin Ge’er buried himself in Shiyi Niang’s arms.

Xu Lingyi rubbed his son’s legs.

“Thank goodness, thank goodness — nothing serious!” Fifth Madam let out a breath of relief — she too had only this one child, and if anything happened to him, it would be terrible. “I even had someone send word for Fifth Master to come home. Now we can all set our minds at ease.” She then told her handmaid to send a servant to inform Xu Lingkuan, so as to spare him unnecessary worry.

Xiang Shi quickly poured a cup of hot tea for Shiyi Niang: “Mother-in-law, please have some hot tea!” She also helped her to a small stool nearby.

Xu Sizhun came hurrying over upon hearing the news.

Seeing Xu Lingyi massaging Jin Ge’er’s legs, he stood respectfully to one side.

Shiyi Niang drank the tea and felt considerably better. Seeing Xu Sizhun alone, she felt it somewhat unusual and said: “Why is Jie Ge not with you?”

Xu Sizhun said with a smile: “We had lunch together. I kept him in my room to eat, but he said there were still passages he had not memorized. He is in his room memorizing them, and did not go to Shuangfu Courtyard this afternoon. I have already sent someone to tell him.”

“Since he is memorizing his coursework, do not call for him!” Shiyi Niang quickly said. “Studies come first — it will soon be time for the evening meal.”

After the evening meal, Xu Sijie would be coming to pay his respects to Shiyi Niang anyway.

Since Jin Ge’er was not seriously ill… Xu Sizhun sent a word to Biyu.

That evening Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie came together to visit Jin Ge’er. Xu Lingyi was not present, and Xu Sizhun looked at Jin Ge’er and laughed heartily. Jin Ge’er felt awkward, and hid his head in Shiyi Niang’s arms and refused to come out.

Shiyi Niang smiled and patted her son’s head: “All right, all right. Tomorrow remember to go and thank your grandmother, Second Aunt, and Fifth Aunt.”

Jin Ge’er muffled a sulky “mm” from within her arms.

Xu Sizhun was about to tease him a little more when Xu Lingyi and Xu Lingkuan walked in, deep in conversation: “…If we change masters, whoever comes next will certainly ask why Master Pang was dismissed. Then no one will dare discipline the children anymore. Better to have a frank talk with Master Pang. Once he understands my intentions, he will know how to handle Jin Ge’er…”

Xu Lingkuan’s attention had already turned entirely to Jin Ge’er. He nodded vaguely at his brother, and called out with a grin: “Goodness — so our Jin Ge’er is still bashful!”

Compared to Xu Lingyi, Xu Lingkuan was warm and easy, and all the children adored him.

Jin Ge’er turned his head and called out flatly: “Fifth Uncle.”

“How is it — does your leg still hurt?” Xu Lingkuan crouched halfway before the bed, looking at Jin Ge’er. “Once you are better, Fifth Uncle will take you out boating!”

Jin Ge’er’s eyes lit up, but then quickly dimmed again. He shook his head lightly: “When I recover, I need to go hold my horse stance. Otherwise I will fall behind Huang Xiaomao and Wang Erwu!”