Xu Lingyi had been talking to the Dowager Lady about something when he saw Jin Ge’er come in, and smiled. “We were just talking about you.”

Jin Ge’er was startled, his heart immediately lurching. “About me? What about me?”

“Around the new year there are people everywhere — buying provisions, heading home for the holiday. After the new year it will be the same, with officials coming to the capital to report on their posts. Crowds everywhere. The more people, the more trouble.” Xu Lingyi smiled. “I think for the next little while you should stay at home like a good son — first, to spend some time with your mother and me, and second, to practice properly the set of boxing forms Master Pang taught you. He says it’s especially suited for close-quarters fighting.”

His father’s manner was warm and amiable, his smile easy and generous — yet for some reason, Jin Ge’er’s heart was racing faster than ever.

“Is that so?” He smiled back at Xu Lingyi, silently reminding himself to keep his expression natural. Father could not possibly have learned the truth so quickly.

Xu Lingyi simply gave a mild smile and turned back to the Dowager Lady to discuss the matter of the new year palace audience: “Her Majesty the Empress will be issuing a decree in the next day or two to exempt you from the formal audience. You can rest comfortably on New Year’s Day.”

The Dowager Lady smiled and nodded contentedly.

Two days later, a decree arrived from the palace. Not only was the Dowager Lady excused from the New Year’s Day audience, but Jin Ge’er was also summoned to the palace for a visit.

Xu Lingyi assigned him the very best of Marquis Yongping’s guard: “Go quickly and come back quickly. If you run into anyone, just act as if you haven’t seen them.”

Another remark that seemed to carry a meaning beneath its words.

Jin Ge’er did not dare say anything more, and agreed meekly.

Xu Lingyi burst out laughing. “Well, this is remarkably well-behaved today!” And without waiting for Jin Ge’er to respond, he laughed and went out the door.

Jin Ge’er wiped a touch of cold sweat from his brow, and, thinking of the palace visit ahead, quickly gathered his thoughts and turned his mind carefully to what he ought to say once he was there.

Xu Lingyi reclined in the study on his armchair and waited for Jin Ge’er to return.

The moment Jin Ge’er was back, he went to see Xu Lingyi. “…The First Princess wanted to see me. We talked about arrangements for the cuju match on the fourth.”

“Was that all?” Xu Lingyi watched him with an amused smile.

“Yes.” Jin Ge’er said promptly. “The First Princess wants to win the match.”

Xu Lingyi gave an indifferent “Oh” and said simply, “Go pay your respects to your mother and grandmother quickly — they’ve both been worrying about you.”

That was it — done and over.

Jin Ge’er had prepared a great many words, yet Xu Lingyi hadn’t asked a single question — like a fist swung hard into a pile of cotton.

He walked out of the study feeling a little deflated, and ran into Xu Siyu at the inner gate.

Xu Siyu greeted him with a smile: “Sixth Brother is back? How was the palace visit?” The very picture of a chance encounter.

Jin Ge’er’s spirits lifted. He smiled back: “Quite well. Where are you off to, Second Brother?” They fell into step side by side as they spoke.

“How did it go?” Siyu said quietly. “Did the First Princess agree to let Prince Yong handle the selection of the Prince Consort?”

That was what he was most concerned about.

“She agreed,” Jin Ge’er murmured. “And not only that — when the First Princess heard about the Bureau Director’s nephew, she was furious. She even decided to tell the Crown Prince about it. She said: rather than ask Prince Yong for help, she’d rather ask the Crown Prince.”

“What?” Xu Siyu grew anxious. “That won’t do at all. If Prince Yong steps in, that’s a brother caring for his sister. But if the Crown Prince gets involved, the Emperor might suspect him of using it to build connections among the court officials.” He furrowed his brow deeply, murmuring to himself, “This is my fault for not instructing you sooner. Now who is there to pass a word of warning to the Crown Prince in time?”

“Second Brother doesn’t need to worry.” Jin Ge’er, seeing his expression, broke into a grin. “The First Princess may appear headstrong and reckless, but once she puts her mind to something, she is quite cunning indeed — she never intended to speak directly to the Crown Prince. She was going to speak to the Crown Princess!”

Xu Siyu let out a long breath of relief.

Jin Ge’er smiled. “The First Princess also said: if the Chen family simply swallows their pride and lets the matter go, so be it. But if the Chen family truly tries to bring a complaint before the Emperor, then she will appeal to Her Majesty the Empress at that point.”

Only now did Xu Siyu genuinely set his mind at ease.

The Empress doted on her own family’s nephew, right or wrong be damned — what could anyone do about that?

A few days passed, and the Xu household began distributing new year red envelopes and pasting crimson window decorations. The scent of the new year grew stronger by the day.

There then came a visit from a man who claimed to be the close friend and fellow examination graduate of Grand Canal Transport Commissioner Chen Bozhi — a Hanlin Academy Scholar by the name of Gu Yan.

Xu Lingyi was at that moment in discussion with several of the head stewards. Hearing this, he did not even look up: “I’m not acquainted with Chen Bozhi. Ask him what his business is — he can leave a name card.”

Head Steward Bai hesitated briefly, then answered respectfully in the affirmative and went to the guest parlor to deliver the message.

One of the head stewards ventured a tactful observation: “Our rice warehouse in Dezhou does business with the canal transport. I’ve had the fortune of meeting this Grand Canal Transport Commissioner — he is quite a forthright and generous man.”

Xu Lingyi’s response was direct and unsparing: “Goodness knows how many men there are who go around claiming to know this person or that person. Our Xu family has so many businesses — if I were to sit down with every single one of them, I wouldn’t have time for anything else.” He looked around at the assembled stewards with a cheerful expression. “If Chen Bozhi truly had something to say, wouldn’t he come and see me himself? This tells you that this man Gu Yan is merely using Chen Bozhi’s name to angle for favors. I have always had no patience for this sort of person — it’s better not to see him at all.”

Somehow, this remark made its way out into the world with great speed.

Gu Yan was so incensed that he took to his bed for several days.

Jin Ge’er, Xu Siyu, and the others were utterly dumbfounded upon hearing it — Xu Siyu in particular. In his impression of his father, Xu Lingyi always maintained a great regard for appearances and decorum. Even if Gu Yan truly was angling for favors, Xu Lingyi would never so openly humiliate him like this… It was no wonder Father had already known about the conflict between Jin Ge’er and Chen Ji… And if that was the case, Father conducting himself in this manner seemed to carry a certain whiff of protecting his own… yet somehow it still did not quite fit with Father’s usual way of doing things.

He was turning this over in his mind when Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian came to call.

Xu Siyu was surprised, and welcomed them both into the study.

Xu Sijian walked to the study doorway, paused to look at the ginkgo tree he had planted with his own hands as a child, and stood there for a little while before coming inside.

Xu Siqin had already struck up a conversation with Xu Siyu.

“I heard from Jian Ge’er that the Five-Ward Constabulary is spreading a story that Jin Ge’er left the son of Grand Canal Transport Commissioner Chen Bozhi bedridden with injuries.” His expression carried some urgency. “How did such a story get out? Is there some misunderstanding? That Transport Commissioner is one of the Emperor’s favored officials — just the other day the Emperor granted his only son a title as a Regional Defender Commissioner.”

“Exactly!” said Xu Sijian, who had just stepped through the study door. He did not wait for Xu Sizhun to speak, but said in a grave voice, “The story is making the rounds with remarkable detail. I think we ought to mention it to Fourth Uncle.”

There are things that cannot be said by certain people.

Xu Siyu smiled bitterly to himself inside, yet outwardly expressed surprise: “A few days ago, Sixth Brother got into a brawl with some out-of-town ruffian and rescued a singing father and daughter. Could it be that this ruffian was actually Chen Bozhi’s son?”

“Oh! Was there such a thing?” Xu Sijian’s eyes lit up the instant he heard it. He called out to a nearby maid at once: “Quickly go invite Sixth Young Master here — tell him we have something to discuss with him.”

Xu Siqin watched him and shook his head: “When will you learn to stop overstepping like that?”

“But we’re at Second Brother’s house,” Xu Sijian laughed. “I’m perfectly well-behaved anywhere outside.”

Everyone exchanged a few laughs, Jin Ge’er arrived, and the events of that day were again recounted with great color and animation. By the time the hour was growing late, they went together to pay their respects to the Dowager Lady, Eleventh Madam, and Fifth Madam. The brothers took their midday meal together at Jin Ge’er’s quarters; Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian then returned to their own households. Jin Ge’er and Xu Siyu talked for nearly an hour more before Jin Ge’er went back to his own room.

Within a few days, the story spread everywhere in great commotion: how the son of the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, the newly titled Regional Defender Commissioner, had been publicly harassing a street performer, only to be soundly beaten by the sixth son of Marquis Yongping, the newly titled Commander of the Xiaoling Guard. Even Yu Yiqing was stirred enough to come and ask what on earth had happened.

“It’s only a story going around — I don’t really know what happened myself.” Xu Lingyi received Yu Yiqing in the small study. “And the Chen family has sent no one to speak to me about it. I suspect it’s mostly rumor. Even if something did occur, it’s between young people — we elders can’t very well stick our noses into the affairs of the younger generation.” He smiled then. “You’ve been overseeing the river works in Jiangnan all these years — it has been a hard posting. We seldom get to sit down together like this. I’ll have Eleventh Madam set a proper table, and we can drink and talk — never mind these unfounded rumors.”

Yu Yiqing thought about how, since he had taken up his post at the Ministry of Works, he and Xu Lingyi had indeed had far fewer occasions to share wine and conversation. He smiled and agreed, and drank until thoroughly intoxicated — he was carried back to his carriage by his attendants when he left.

No sooner had Yu Yiqing gone out the front door than Fang Ji came in through another.

“I’ve heard that someone at the Censorate is writing a memorial to impeach you, my Lord. They say you have failed to raise your son properly — that your youngest son, Xu Sijin, has been terrorizing Yanjing, that he even dared to assault the Emperor’s newly titled Regional Defender Commissioner, and is brazenly reckless and arrogant. They are requesting that the Emperor punish both you and Xu Sijin.”

Xu Siyu’s face changed color slightly.

He knew this had grown into something beyond his ability to manage.

Xu Siyu brought Fang Ji to see Xu Lingyi.

“…A matter unexplained is a matter unsettled,” Xu Lingyi said with a smile, after expressing his thanks to Fang Ji. “There’s benefit in letting it be heard.”

By his tone, he intended to bring the matter before the Emperor and let both sides have their say.

Fang Ji was reassured, exchanged a few idle remarks with Xu Lingyi, and then took his leave.

Over the following days, memorials impeaching Xu Lingyi and Jin Ge’er continued to pile up, yet Xu Lingyi made no response whatsoever. Fang Ji grew quietly anxious and asked Xu Siyu: “Do you know what the Marquis has in mind?”

Xu Siyu shook his head. “I’ve tried several times to raise it with Father, but each time he deflects before I can say anything.” He too was a little troubled. “I have no idea what Father has arranged.”

Since that was the case, there was no point pressing further.

Fang Ji had no choice but to return home and observe how things unfolded.

Rumors flew in every direction: some said the Emperor had heard the news and was outraged, and intended to strip Xu Lingyi of his iron-clad patent of nobility; others said the Emperor had remarked that the new year was close at hand and matters could wait until after the new year; still others said the Emperor had moved to punish Xu Lingyi and his son, only for military commanders across the realm to flood the court with petitions on Xu Lingyi’s behalf, leaving the Emperor in a quandary and eventually deciding to let the matter drop.

In time, the news reached Eleventh Madam’s ears.

“Did Jin Ge’er truly beat someone?” she asked Xu Lingyi with a suspicious frown. “Or is someone trying to frame you, my Lord?”

“Chen Bozhi is a third-rank official of the court and one of the Emperor’s favored men. If our Jin Ge’er had truly beaten his son, wouldn’t they have come to our door demanding satisfaction?” Xu Lingyi smiled. “As for framing me — there is no evidence of that yet. It will take careful investigation before we know.”

Eleventh Madam grew worried: “Should I go to the palace and sound out Her Majesty the Empress’s sentiments?”

“No need!” Xu Lingyi smiled. “Going to the palace at a moment like this would be as good as posting a sign that reads ‘no silver buried here.’ Let us carry on and have a proper new year. I have my own arrangements for this matter — you need not concern yourself.” He smiled again and cupped her face in his hands, his thumb gently brushing the corner of her eye. “Didn’t you say just yesterday that worrying ages a woman? Look — you already have fine lines at the corners of your eyes.”

“Really?” Eleventh Madam immediately fetched a handheld mirror and stepped out under the eaves for a look.

Under the bright daylight sun, she could see nothing of the sort.

She realized she had been teased by Xu Lingyi again.

She could not help breaking into laughter.

The gloom from a moment ago was swept entirely away.

—