Jin Ge’er’s words surprised everyone, but they were more pleased than anything else.
Xu Lingkuan burst into hearty laughter and playfully gave Jin Ge’er a light punch on the shoulder: “Not bad, not bad. Our Jin Ge’er has only just begun his studies, and he already understands reason. Alright, alright, alright. When you have a day off, Fifth Uncle will take you boating!”
“Wonderful!” Jin Ge’er had not been boating yet this year, and his delight was written all over his face as he called out loudly, “Fifth Uncle, you mustn’t forget.” Then, thinking of Shen Ge’er, he added, “And Seventh Brother!”
“Of course!” Xu Lingkuan said with a laugh, turning his head to ask Xu Lingyi, “Jin Ge’er should be able to get out of bed in a couple of days, right?”
Xu Lingyi nodded. The warm smile of satisfaction in his eyes softened his stern expression somewhat, though he still appeared very serious: “He can be up in a couple of days!” As he spoke, he gave his son some instructions: “Whatever you do, you must use your mind — you cannot simply rely on brute force. Even in martial training, technique matters. When you hold a horse stance, think about why your master asks you to stand that way. Is it to train leg strength or arm strength? If it is to train leg strength, to what degree must it be trained before it is considered sufficient? And why must it be trained to that degree?”
While Xu Lingyi was speaking, Xu Sizhun stood to one side with his hands at his sides, listening respectfully. The moment Xu Lingyi stepped out to see Xu Lingkuan off, he immediately became lively again. He whispered to Jin Ge’er: “The master who teaches me martial arts said that the horse stance is for training leg strength. Only when your lower body is stable will you stop falling…”
Jin Ge’er perked up listening to this, and spoke to Xu Sizhun: “So when you first started holding the horse stance, how many incense sticks’ worth of time could you hold it?”
“Half an incense stick!” said Xu Sizhun. “The first few days were quite uncomfortable, but after a while, it gradually got better. Now I can hold it for three incense sticks’ worth. I can also shoot arrows at ten paces.” There was a touch of quiet pride in his voice.
For him, that truly was a great improvement!
Jin Ge’er was unimpressed: “Shen Ge’er can already hold it for two incense sticks!”
Xu Sizhun flushed with embarrassment but did not shrink back from the remark. A rosy blush rose to his cheeks, and he smiled: “I have been going step by step and have also reached three incense sticks. So you see — even small steps can cover a thousand miles.” He was by nature gentle and honest; even when pointing out that Jin Ge’er was too impatient for quick results, he phrased it very tactfully. But Jin Ge’er was too young and simply did not understand, retorting: “By the time I am your age, I will definitely be able to walk the plum blossom posts. If you do not believe me, just wait and see!”
“Alright!” Xu Sizhun said with an amused smile, teasing Jin Ge’er, “Then I shall wait and see!”
Jin Ge’er let out a disgruntled “Hmph!”: “I will make you lose so convincingly you will have no choice but to admit it!”
“I never made any wager with you — what is there to win or lose?” Xu Sizhun replied unhurriedly, which in Jin Ge’er’s eyes simply meant he did not believe him.
“Then let us make a wager!”
“Wager on what?” Xu Sizhun wore an indifferent expression, which only irritated Jin Ge’er further.
“You say what we wager on, and that is what we wager on!”
The two of them went back and forth, trading barbs, and listening to them, Eleven felt nothing but warmth.
She smiled and looked toward Xu Sijie, who had not said a single word since entering the room: “What is the matter? You have been so quiet today. Did a teacher scold you for not finishing your schoolwork?”
“No!” Xu Sijie quickly said with a smile, “Nothing is wrong with me!”
He avoided Eleven’s gaze, looking somewhat ill at ease.
Eleven found it puzzling. Thinking that the people around Xu Sijie were all people she trusted, she smiled and did not ask further, deciding to call Xi’er in the next day.
On the other side, Xu Sizhun had overheard their exchange and chimed in: “Mother, you need not worry. Just yesterday, Master Zhao praised Fifth Brother, saying that Fifth Brother has been diligent in his studies these past days and his schoolwork has been done very well!”
Eleven gave a slight nod.
As long as he can put his mind to his studies because of this, that is a good thing.
As they were talking, Xu Lingyi came in.
Xu Sizhun’s expression immediately grew tense, and the easy, relaxed manner of a moment ago disappeared. He exchanged a few constrained words with Xu Lingyi and then rose and went over to the Grand Madam’s quarters.
Eleven could not help muttering: “Could you not soften your expression even a little? The children are walking on eggshells around you — they look less like sons and more like servants.”
Xu Lingyi frowned: “There must be order between elder and younger, and distinction between superior and inferior. Surely you would not have me be like you, laughing and joking with them all day.” With that, he turned and went into the washroom.
Eleven pursed her lips at his retreating back.
Jin Ge’er quickly threw his arms around his mother’s neck: “Mother, talk to me!”
Eleven looked at her son’s fawning expression and could not suppress a laugh, planting a firm kiss on his cheek.
After one day of rest, Jin Ge’er was able to get out of bed. He bounced around like someone without a care in the world, clamoring to go to Xiumu Courtyard.
Eleven was still a little worried and gently squeezed his leg, asking if it still hurt.
“It doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t hurt!” Jin Ge’er shook his head, sounding a little impatient. “Mother, if I stay away any longer, I will fall behind Shen Ge’er!”
While Jin Ge’er had been resting at home, Huang Xiaomao and the others had naturally stayed home as well, but Shen Ge’er had not missed a single day following along at Xiumu Courtyard to practice the horse stance.
Eleven thought it was quite a good thing that the two children had developed this kind of attitude toward martial training.
“Alright! Go change your clothes.” She smiled and opened the tall yellow pear-wood cabinet carved with five hundred Arhats beside her, and took out a set of royal blue Hangzhou silk short jacket. “This was made for you by Grand Madam Gan — isn’t it handsome!”
Jin Ge’er loved it, nodding with a face full of smiles, chattering away with Eleven as he changed into it.
Eleven was just about to send her son off when a young male servant came running in urgently: “Madam, Eunuch Lei has arrived. He says he is here on the orders of Her Highness the Empress, to look in on the Sixth Young Master. The Marquis is accompanying him over now!”
How did Her Highness the Empress come to know about Jin Ge’er’s matter?
While she was still pondering this, the figures of Xu Lingyi and Eunuch Lei had already appeared at the entrance of the covered walkway.
Eleven took Jin Ge’er and went forward to meet them.
Eunuch Lei smiled warmly as he spoke: “This morning, Imperial Physician Wu from the Imperial Medical Office went to check the Crown Princess’s pulse, and it was only then that Her Highness the Empress learned that the Sixth Young Master had injured his leg. She was terribly worried and immediately sent this servant to come and see.”
Eleven was startled to hear this: “Is the Crown Princess unwell?”
Eunuch Lei smiled: “The Crown Princess is with child again!”
“That is wonderful news,” Eleven said happily. “I wonder when we may enter the palace to offer our congratulations!”
Ever since Fang Jie’er had given birth to the eldest Imperial Grandson, she had been recuperating and tending to her health.
“You may enter the palace to offer congratulations in three months!” Eunuch Lei chatted and joked with them for a while before rising to take his leave. “Her Highness the Empress is waiting for this servant to return and report!”
Xu Lingyi naturally could not detain him further, and personally saw Eunuch Lei out.
Eleven and Jin Ge’er were preparing to go to Xiumu Courtyard.
Then an attendant came on behalf of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to inquire after them.
After the exchange of greetings and pleasantries, and before Xu Lingyi had even seen that attendant off, the He Eunuch, who served the Emperor, arrived… followed by representatives sent by the households of Elder Liang, Elder Dou, Wang Li, and various others to make inquiries. Madam Zhou and the Third Mistress Huang came in person to call — in no time at all, the Xu estate was as bustling with carriages and visitors as if it were the New Year.
Xu Sizhun teased Jin Ge’er: “Lighting beacon fires to summon lords, aren’t we!”
Jin Ge’er did not understand the allusion, but he knew his older brother was not saying something flattering. Though he puffed up with indignation, he said nothing, and slipped away to quietly ask Eleven what “lighting beacon fires to summon lords” meant.
Eleven explained it to him.
He immediately understood, ran off to settle the score with Xu Sizhun, and Xu Sizhun ended up having to give him a Hetian jade carved turnip before the matter was considered settled.
Jin Ge’er then resumed practicing the horse stance under Master Pang’s instruction. Within just a few days, he was complaining to Eleven that it was terribly dull, and wanted to have Sui Feng hang all his pet birds under the eaves of Xiumu Courtyard: “…Even just hearing a few birdsongs would be something!”
Eleven found this both funny and exasperating: “Whatever you do, you must focus. If you are practicing the horse stance, then practice the horse stance — what is this about listening to birdsong!”
Jin Ge’er agreed and did not bring it up again.
Eleven did not give it further thought. But within a few days, she heard that every time Jin Ge’er went to Xiumu Courtyard, he brought along his several pet pugs. While he held the horse stance, the dogs would either trot circles around him or lie on the steps watching, barking wildly at the sound of unfamiliar footsteps. This left Huang Xiaomao, Liu Erwu, and the others rather distracted, though it delighted Chang Shun — he was either tugging on one dog’s ears or pulling another’s tail, amusing himself thoroughly. Master Pang found it insufferable and spoke to Jin Ge’er about it several times.
When Jin Ge’er stopped bringing dogs, he brought along several peacocks instead. While Master Pang was sternly correcting the children’s stances, those peacocks would be strolling leisurely about Xiumu Courtyard, and all the children’s eyes would drift and sway after them.
Master Pang’s expression grew very displeased. After much deliberation, he found an opportunity to take Butler Bai out for drinks.
Butler Bai rubbed his head for a long moment: “How about I speak to Guan Qing on your behalf? The woman who manages things in his quarters works as a head serving matron on Madam’s side.”
For the sons of noble and aristocratic households, their prospects lay in hereditary privilege. A private tutor’s role was therefore not as important as it was in official households where advancement required passing the imperial examinations. Furthermore, the sons of such houses, priding themselves on their distinguished pedigrees, could not help but look down somewhat on others, indulging their whims and behaving spoiledly. They would naturally pay no regard to those fallen scholars or provincial graduates who had spent ten bitter years over their books. Therefore, most people were unwilling to come to noble households as private tutors — not only did they risk being mistreated by unruly young charges without so much as a word in protest, but they had little hope of producing a student who would achieve glory in the imperial examinations, thus wasting years of their time and gaining no reputation for it. Not to mention that all valued letters over martial arts. A boxing and sparring master was little better than a household guard, and naturally received correspondingly less respect.
Master Pang had only come to understand this after arriving in the capital. He thanked Butler Bai again and again for his guidance, sighing with feeling: “I received great kindness from your household’s First Son-in-law, and it is because of that I agreed to come to this estate to teach the two young masters in martial arts. At the time, your First Son-in-law entrusted me again and again, urging me without fail to teach the Sixth Young Master a solid foundation. If not for that, I would not be so earnest about it!”
Butler Bai could not say much more on the matter.
The master who taught the Fourth Young Master in martial arts was considerably more easygoing than Master Pang. Having taught the Fourth Young Master for so many years, he treated it as little more than playing around together. Seen in that light, this Master Pang was the more straightforward and genuine of the two.
He found an opportunity to mention it to Guan Qing, and when Guan Qing heard it concerned the Sixth Young Master, he made a special trip into the main residence and told Hupo. Hupo did not dare conceal it from Eleven, and went to tell her immediately upon returning.
“I did not let him bring birds, so he brought dogs. The master told him not to bring dogs, so he brought peacocks…” Eleven found it both funny and helpless. That evening, after she finished telling Jin Ge’er his bedtime story, she spent a long time talking to him about “you must never be half-hearted in what you do, or nothing will ever be done well.” Only then did Jin Ge’er reluctantly agree never to bring such things to Xiumu Courtyard again.
As a reward for Jin Ge’er’s agreement, Eleven instructed the kitchen to prepare all manner of pastries and snacks the children enjoyed, and brought felt mats and small tables along, taking the children to the peach blossom grove beside Lijing Pavilion. They spread the mats on the grass beneath the grove, set up the small tables, and laid out the cakes and snacks. Everyone sat in a circle beneath the peach trees, eating, drinking, talking, and laughing. The spring breeze blew past, and peach blossoms fell like rain, rustling down onto their shoulders, lifting everyone’s spirits bright as the spring sunlight itself.
—