Though the Luo Family had written in the seventh month asking for the specific wedding date, it was not until early in the twelfth month that Ying’er at last came as a bride.

After the bowing ceremony before heaven and earth and the meeting of the relatives, Xu Sijie and Ying’er went to pay their respects to the Grand Madam.

At the sight of the newlyweds dressed in matching bright red, the Grand Madam’s face shone with delight. She took Ying’er’s hand and nodded again and again, asking the Second Madam at her side, “Do you see her — doesn’t she look like Shiyiniang?”

In truth, the two looked nothing alike.

But the Grand Madam adored Shiyiniang, and the Second Madam was now in the habit of humoring the Grand Madam as she would a child. She smiled, studied Ying’er carefully for a moment, and said, “Now that you mention it, I do see a resemblance.”

The Grand Madam’s eyes curved into crescent moons with delight. She turned to Ying’er and said, “When your aunt married into this household, she was just about your age, and yet her manner of speaking and conducting herself showed not the slightest timidity. In that respect, you take after your aunt.”

Though Ying’er was naturally cheerful and spirited, she was after all a new bride, and to be praised like this by the Grand Madam made her cheeks flush a deep red.

“How could I compare to my aunt!” she said modestly. “Aunt has a wonderful disposition and is kind and virtuous — there is so much I have to learn from her.”

“Wrong, wrong!” Before the words had even left her mouth, the Third Young Madam of the Huang family, who had accompanied them, said with a teasing laugh, “You can’t call her ‘aunt’ anymore — now you must call her ‘Mother!'”

Ying’er colored with embarrassment.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Nanny Du brought over the prepared gift of greeting, and the Grand Madam also slipped a tourmaline bracelet from her own wrist and placed it on Ying’er’s. “This is for you as well.” Then she said, “Live well, and soon give the Xu Family many children to carry on the line.”

Both of them lowered their heads shyly and murmured their assent in voices as soft as the buzz of a mosquito.

The Second Madam presented a pair of east pearl floral hairpins as her gift of greeting.

Xu Sijie and Ying’er offered their thanks. The Third Young Madam of the Huang family said a few auspicious words to liven the occasion, and seeing that the hour was growing late, bid farewell to the Grand Madam and the Second Madam and went to join the wedding banquet.

The room grew quiet again. The Grand Madam let out a long breath and leaned softly back against the large pillow behind her. “Good. Now we only need to wait for Xin Jie’er to be married off.” She seemed to relax entirely, as if a task of great importance had at last been completed.

The Second Madam smiled with quiet understanding and handed the Grand Madam a hand warmer with freshly changed charcoal. “You’ve been up since this morning waiting, and now you’ve seen the newlyweds. Rest for a while.”

The Grand Madam gave a slight nod and closed her eyes.

The Second Madam tucked the Grand Madam’s padded blanket snugly around her, then sat quietly at her side keeping watch. When the Grand Madam’s breathing grew slow and even, she at last picked up a book and began to read.

Jiang Shi changed into a casual peony-red vase-patterned brocade vest and asked Baozhu, “Where is Ting Ge’er?”

“He just fell asleep!” Baozhu said cheerfully, pouring a cup of hot tea for Jiang Shi. “His wet nurse is with him — he had a wonderful time playing today. Rest easy, my Lady. These past few days have been quite tiring for you.”

With Xu Sijie’s wedding, though there was a mother-in-law to oversee matters, it had been Jiang Shi who handled the practical arrangements. She had only just breathed a sigh of relief now that the bride had been welcomed through the door without any mishaps.

Jiang Shi nodded and took a sip of hot tea, feeling her body and mind unwind a little. She was about to ask after Xu Sizhun when he came in.

With Xu Sijie’s wedding, the affairs of the outer courtyard had all been managed by Xu Sizhun.

“Husband!” Jiang Shi quickly rose to help Xu Sizhun change his clothes. “Have all the guests outside gone?”

“I’ll manage it myself,” Xu Sizhun said gently. “You’ve been busy these past few days as well.” He instructed a young maid to help him change his outer robe, and told Jiang Shi, “The Marquis of Weibei and the heir of the Marquis Yongchang have not yet left. They’re drinking with Father in the outer hall’s reception room.”

A slight frown crossed Jiang Shi’s brow, and she held something back.

“What is it?” Xu Sizhun asked with a smile. “Is something the matter?”

“Nothing,” Jiang Shi said with a smile, but then a trace of unease returned and she spoke anyway: “Husband, Father hasn’t yet retired for the night — is it all right that you’ve come back so early? Shouldn’t you be there attending to him?”

“I was going to stay and attend to him,” Xu Sizhun said with a smile. “But Father told me to go and rest early. And with Sixth Brother there as well, I came back first.” Then, as though remembering something, his smile brightened. “You should have seen Sixth Brother — holding a wine jug, filling up any cup that was empty, never mind whether someone was in the middle of speaking or eating. The Marquis of Weibei ended up keeping his cup in his hand and not daring to set it down, afraid that the moment he let go, Sixth Brother would fill it again…”

“Oh?” Jiang Shi laughed too, though her smile was a little strained.

Father’s indulgence toward that youngest son was beyond words.

Not only did he personally supervise his martial training, but even at an occasion like this, he indulged his antics with a smile.

And her own husband never seemed to know how to make himself agreeable to others…

“You too,” she said with a helpless sigh. “Sixth Brother is still young — you’re his elder brother. You could at least have looked out for him a little.”

Xu Sizhun gave an embarrassed laugh. “It was the heir of Marquis Yongchang who said that as he is an heir and I am an heir, he would feel awkward with me there — so Sixth Brother took it upon himself to do the pouring…”

If someone says something, you just take it straight to heart.

Though they were both heirs, the heir of Marquis Yongchang was of a senior generation…

Jiang Shi stifled a quiet inward sigh and said softly, “It’s getting late — you should rest early too, Husband. Tomorrow we still need to accompany the family from Bowstring Lane when they bring the morning-after gifts.”

Xu Sizhun smiled his agreement and fell to talking with Jiang Shi about the arrangements for the next day. “Big Cousin and Fifth Cousin attended the bride’s party together. They say they’ll be heading back to Yuhang the day after tomorrow. I was thinking of arranging a farewell dinner for them tomorrow evening at the Chunxi Restaurant…”

Big Cousin was Luo Jiamu, and Fifth Cousin was Luo Jiageng.

“Will the timing work out?” Jiang Shi said lightly. “Tomorrow Fifth Sister-in-law and Sixth Brother will be returning to visit her family. Bowstring Lane will need to keep them for dinner before they can come back — surely that won’t end early.”

“I’ll just pull Fifth Brother along too,” Xu Sizhun said carelessly, and headed off to the washroom.

Jiang Shi sat where she was for a long while without moving.

Xu Siyu, hearing that Jin Ge’er had been pouring wine in the reception hall, laughed heartily and bent down to pat the head of his daughter Ying Ying, who had come to greet him with a bow. “Ying Ying, Sixth Uncle is a clever rascal. The heir of Marquis Yongchang was clearly using Sixth Uncle as his instrument to get the Marquis of Weibei drunk. I wonder what he promised Sixth Uncle to get him to agree.”

Ying Ying had grown quite articulate. She blinked her large eyes and mimicked her father’s tone: “Sixth Uncle is a clever rascal!”

Xu Siyu roared with laughter.

Xiang Shi came in and, seeing this, smiled and said, “Ying Ying, you mustn’t say such things. How can you speak about your Sixth Uncle like that? It’s getting late — go to bed quickly.” She turned to Xu Siyu. “Father is lenient and kind; Mother is strict. Ying Ying loved her father, who was often away from home, a little more.”

She stuck her tongue out at Xu Sizhun, quickly said her “yes,” gave Xu Siyu a respectful bow, and followed her wet nurse out of the room.

Xu Siyu’s smile faded. He asked Xiang Shi, “Has Mother gone to rest?”

“Not yet,” Xiang Shi replied. “Mother says she wants to do a bit of embroidery, but from the look of it, she seems to be waiting for Father. So I came back first.”

Xu Siyu nodded and told her, “Don’t step back from managing the household affairs, but do pay more attention to what goes on in Mother’s rooms. Shoe-making, sock-sewing, tending to flowers and plants — when there’s nothing pressing, go and help out.”

Xiang Shi answered respectfully and served Xu Siyu as he washed up.

Shiyiniang waited until deep in the night before Xu Lingyi came home, a slight flush of wine on his face.

“Tomorrow morning Jie Ge’er and Ying’er still have the ancestral temple ceremony,” she said, catching him by the arm with a touch of reproach. “You had better not wake up tomorrow with a headache and be unable to get up!”

“I won’t, I won’t,” Xu Lingyi said, smiling, cupping Shiyiniang’s face in both hands. “Everything you care about, I always remember.”

The maid on night duty quickly lowered her head and pretended not to see.

Shiyiniang laughed and pushed Xu Lingyi’s hands away. “Go to sleep quickly. Stop making a scene while you’re drunk!”

“So this is what you call making a scene while drunk?” He tilted his head and looked sidelong at her, his large phoenix-shaped eyes bright and vivid. “You haven’t yet seen what I’m like when I’m truly making a scene.” Then suddenly he swept Shiyiniang up in his arms. “Tonight I’ll show you exactly what I look like when I make a scene!”

Shiyiniang gave a startled cry and quickly wrapped her arms around his neck. “Xu Lingyi…” Her voice carried a note of panic.

Xu Lingyi laughed out loud and set Shiyiniang down on the bed. “Just teasing you!” He affectionately stroked Shiyiniang’s face. “I really did drink a bit too much tonight.” With that, he lay down beside her. “Mo Yan — our Jin Ge’er is truly clever. Let’s take him into the palace for the New Year celebration this year!”

Shiyiniang was a little surprised.

In years past, Xu Lingyi had always found excuses to keep Jin Ge’er from entering the palace.

“My Lord, is it because you feel Jin Ge’er’s temperament has improved considerably?” she considered for a moment, and asked with composure.

“Mm.” Xu Lingyi gave a languid murmur of assent. “Zi Qi wanted to get the Marquis of Weibei drunk. Afraid that an ordinary manservant wouldn’t dare to keep pouring, he promised Jin Ge’er two hundred taels of silver to do it. Jin Ge’er refused the payment, and instead told Zi Qi that he was hurt — that Zi Qi didn’t regard him as a nephew. Zi Qi was so pleased that he kept saying what a sensible boy Jin Ge’er was. When the time came to fill the Marquis of Weibei’s cup, Jin Ge’er went around the table filling everyone’s cup — not a single one left out — yet he always managed to find the precise moment when the Marquis of Weibei and Zi Qi were in the midst of their drinking contest to top up the Marquis of Weibei’s cup yet again. And all the while he kept saying funny and witty things, leaving the Marquis of Weibei caught between laughter and exasperation — unable to refuse the drink. Now the Marquis of Weibei is well and truly drunk. Jin Ge’er and his personal attendant have helped the Marquis of Weibei to the guest room, and are now calling for sobering soup, bringing tea, fetching water…” He spoke, and his expression grew cheerful. “I think that even if the Marquis of Weibei finds out Jin Ge’er did all this at Zi Qi’s bidding, he won’t hold it against him. Mo Yan,” Xu Lingyi turned on his side and took Shiyiniang’s hand, “Jin Ge’er knows what he ought to do. He’ll be alright.”

Besides, in a family like theirs, it was impossible to avoid the palace forever.

Shiyiniang gave a soft “alright” in reply. “There are still certain rules and proprieties, my Lord — please make sure you teach them to him properly.”

Xu Lingyi nodded.

Once Xu Sijie and his wife had completed the third-day return visit to the bride’s family and the Luo cousins had been seen off, the household began to turn its attention to preparations for the New Year. Xu Lingyi called Jin Ge’er to his side and, while teaching him the proper etiquette for the palace, also told him which people would be found there, which eunuch attended which person, what responsibilities each eunuch held, and what sort of temperament each one had…

Jin Ge’er listened as though he were hearing a wonderful story, entirely absorbed.

On the first day of the New Year, he followed Shiyiniang into the palace in high spirits.

In previous years Xu Lingyi had always managed to find an excuse to beg off, and the Empress, seeing through his intent, had never pressed the matter. It had been since Jin Ge’er was still in swaddling clothes that she had last seen him. So when word reached her that Jin Ge’er had entered the palace, the Empress could hardly contain her excitement and told Huang Xian Ying, “Bring him in quickly — I want to see him!”

Huang Xian Ying glanced at the lapis blue cloisonné enamel water clock… The hour for the morning reception was almost upon them… Yet seeing that the Empress had already risen to her feet with a look of eager anticipation, she decided to bring the sixth young master of the Marquis Yongping’s household in first and deal with the rest afterward.

—