“There are countless pairs of eyes watching us inside and outside this court.” Xu Lingyi took Eleventh Madam’s hand. “We must not hear a rustle of wind and immediately fall into a panic. The moment we panic, mistakes are easy to make. The moment mistakes are made, they are easy to exploit. Once they are exploited, things we never did become things we might as well have done.” He smiled as he said it. “We meet force with stillness — let the winds blow from every direction, and we stand unmoved.”

Eleventh Madam had lived in Marquis Yongping’s household for so many years. One incident after another, each one seeming small, each one eventually brewing into a storm of some size. Where Jin Ge’er’s affair was concerned, she had naturally framed it in terms of political consequence. Hearing Xu Lingyi speak this way, her focus fell squarely on matters of the court.

“Meet force with stillness,” she could not help teasing him with a smile. “My Lord, is it truly that you intend to do nothing at all?” Her eyes sparkled with lively mischief.

Xu Lingyi laughed heartily: “Only that others will see me as someone doing nothing — that is all!”

This was the Xu Lingyi she knew.

Eleventh Madam pressed her lips together in a quiet smile.

Xu Lingyi then gave her instructions: “Keep a close watch on Jin Ge’er over the next few days — don’t let him go out. This business has all been attached to Jin Ge’er’s name, and I’m worried someone may have designs on him.”

Eleventh Madam nodded, and, under the pretext of visiting Gan Madam, kept Jin Ge’er close at her side.

At first Jin Ge’er managed well enough — when Mother and her lady friends were talking, all he had to do was stand quietly to one side. But then every single woman there beamed at him and took his hand to ask Mother whether he was betrothed yet, and most of them looked at him the way a starving person eyes a plate of pastries. There was truly no enduring it.

“I want to play cuju at home.” When Eleventh Madam tried to bring him to visit his Eleventh Aunt, he could hold back no longer. “The First Princess made a wager — if we lose the match, I have to run a full circuit around the western park. I have no intention of running.”

“Your Twelfth Aunt hasn’t seen you since last year’s new year celebrations.” Eleventh Madam coaxed him. “She asks about you every time she’s mentioned. When you were appointed Commander of the Xiaoling Guard, your Twelfth Uncle even sent a congratulatory gift on purpose — this is the perfect chance to go and express your thanks to your Twelfth Aunt in person. How can you not come?”

“We’ll see her anyway on the third — why go out before the new year for the sake of it?” Jin Ge’er said without concern. “I can thank Twelfth Aunt at that point, it won’t be too late.” Xu Lingyi’s cold gaze slid over him, and Jin Ge’er felt a jolt — his voice gradually dropped, and in the end trailed off into a near-inaudible murmur: “Fine, I’ll go — but after we’ve paid our respects to Twelfth Aunt, we come back straight away, and you mustn’t keep catching up with everyone and letting the conversation drag on and on with no end to it…”

“Is that any way to speak to your mother?” Xu Lingyi’s face grew stern. “You can’t even be bothered to pay calls on family — tell me then, what exactly are you willing to bother with?”

Jin Ge’er felt his father was being unreasonable, yet he also felt that arguing with his father would get him nowhere — and might even prompt his father to start thinking about arranging a match for him.

“I was wrong!” He offered Eleventh Madam an apology, but his voice carried a trace of aggrieved feeling. “I’ll never do it again!”

“Alright, alright.” Eleventh Madam smiled and drew her son’s shoulder to her, then said to Xu Lingyi: “He’s not unwilling to accompany me on family visits — he’s afraid that the moment people see him, they’ll ask whether he’s been betrothed.” She spoke up in Jin Ge’er’s defense.

Jin Ge’er’s face blazed crimson in an instant.

Xu Lingyi raised his brows in surprise, then smiled and said: “Our Jin Ge’er has grown up.”

Jin Ge’er’s face went even redder. He fumbled out a remark — “Let me go and see whether the gifts for Twelfth Aunt are ready yet” — and bolted from the room.

Xu Lingyi and Eleventh Madam both broke into peals of laughter.

The curtain suddenly stirred; Jin Ge’er poked his head back through: “Father, Mother — I don’t want a wife. I want to be the General of Jiayuguan!” The curtain fluttered, and Jin Ge’er was gone.

Eleventh Madam laughed until she could hardly breathe.

Even Xu Lingyi said: “That little rascal — whoever said you can’t be General of Jiayuguan if you have a wife?”

Before Eleventh Madam and Jin Ge’er even returned from Twelfth Madam’s, the story had spread throughout the household.

The Dowager Lady listened and chuckled without stopping: “Our Jin Ge’er is not young anymore — it’s time to start thinking about a match.” Then she sat there with Second Madam, working through her thoughts: “…The temperament must be good… the looks can’t be too poor either, or our Jin Ge’er would be getting the worse of the deal… marry a wife of virtue, the dowry and everything else can be discussed, but the family background must be unimpeachable… best if she’s a year or two older, so she knows how to be tender-hearted toward him…” The more the Dowager Lady talked, the more excited she became, as though she wanted to find Jin Ge’er his perfect match right then and there. She immediately called to Nanny Du: “The moment Eleventh Madam is back, have her come to me — I want to sit down and discuss this matter with her properly.”

Second Madam smiled beside her: “The new year is almost here, and she has much to keep her busy. Better wait until after the fifteenth. By then, the various households will all be holding lantern festivals — a perfect chance to take a look first.”

“We have to wait all the way until after the fifteenth?” The Dowager Lady was crestfallen. “That’s still more than twenty days away.”

“Haste makes waste!” Second Madam smiled. “If we rush and end up with a difficult temper, there’ll be no room for regret. A daughter takes after her mother — if the mother is virtuous and kind, the daughter can’t go far wrong. We still have twenty-some days, don’t we? Let’s go through all the mistresses with a reputation for virtue who have daughters of the right age. That way when the time comes and we look in person, we won’t be overwhelmed.”

“What a good idea!” The Dowager Lady brightened immediately and called Zhihong to grind the ink. She said to Second Madam: “Let’s work through it together.”

As if Jin Ge’er’s marriage could be so straightforward.

Second Madam was merely keeping the Dowager Lady cheerfully occupied.

She smiled in assent, took up her brush and sat upright at the small table on the kang bed, going through the various families with the Dowager Lady one by one, following the old lady’s lead…

The memorials impeaching Xu Lingyi arrived at the palace only to be retained by the Emperor without reply. The Censorate officials began to read the signs. Some felt this was a case of the pot calling the kettle black, not worth bringing to the court at all — those who had thought it was worth it were now regretting the embarrassment. Others felt that Marquis Yongping’s household was showing open contempt for the Censorate’s impeachment, and were therefore even less willing to let the matter go — the wording of their memorials grew ever more forceful. Others still felt that if arrogance and domineering behavior were to be judged, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner had Marquis Yongping beaten by a considerable margin, and that Chen Bozhi was plainly trying to use the merit of clearing the waterway and Marquis Yongping as a stepping stone to establish his reputation for bold, uncompromising conduct and intimidate those under him, all in order to cement his absolute authority over the canal system — and so these officials went ahead and submitted their own memorials impeaching Chen Bozhi. Some observed carefully and tried to divine the Emperor’s intent, and began playing deaf and dumb. Others, who had only stirred the waters for the sake of it from the start, now felt anxious and uncertain, without a clear direction.

Whatever the situation, the new year of Yonghe’s twentieth year arrived on schedule in the sound of firecrackers.

Fang Ji withdrew his gaze from the unbroken white snow outside the window. He lifted a cup of Daughter Red wine in a sweet-white porcelain begonia-shaped vessel and took a small, slow sip. The rich, mellow flavor drew from him a long, contented sigh. “Wenming,” he said, “I cannot help but say — your father’s move here is truly masterful.”

Wenming was the style name that Teacher Jiang had given Xu Siyu.

Yet Xu Siyu was not as optimistic as Fang Ji: “I fear everything will converge in the middle of the second month — if my calculations are right, Chen Bozhi will be coming to Yanjing for his annual report.”

Fang Ji laughed heartily: “Which is precisely why I say your father is brilliant — rather than waste words on the Censorate now, far better to wait for Chen Bozhi to arrive in Yanjing and then plead the case.”

Xu Siyu could not help but smile: “The way you talk, it sounds as though you have nothing to do with the Censorate at all.”

Fang Ji simply smiled and said nothing.

Something stirred in Xu Siyu’s mind: “Are you being transferred?”

Fang Ji gave a nod, and then smiled: “Guess where.”

Xu Siyu thought for a moment and smiled: “Hubei.”

Fang Ji could not help but clap his hands: “Wenming, nothing escapes you.”

“Stop giving me the runaround.” Xu Siyu smiled. “Where are you going?”

“Assistant Prefect of Wuchang.”

“Congratulations.” Xu Siyu raised his cup. “One step straight into the upper sixth rank.”

“It’s not yet a position where you govern a region in your own right.” Fang Ji was pleased, but not complacent. “If I want to rise further, without experience as a prefectural or county magistrate, it’s likely to be difficult. When the critical moment comes, you must lend me a hand.” He spoke with the candor of a true friend, without any ceremony.

“That goes without saying.” Xu Siyu also hoped Fang Ji’s path in the civil service would be smooth. “I’ll write to my father-in-law right away.”

“Not yet the right time.” Fang Ji smiled. “Wait until a vacancy opens up over there.”

“Fair enough.” Since Fang Ji already had his own plans, all he needed to do was cooperate. Xu Siyu smiled. “Just send word when the time comes.”

Fang Ji nodded, and then lowered his voice and mentioned a name: “…Willful and obstinate — a useful piece on the board.” He mentioned another name: “Righteous and inflexible — also worth deploying.”

Xu Siyu clasped his hands in thanks: “Much obliged, Brother Fang.”

“Think nothing of it!” Fang Ji raised his cup and drained it. They talked poetry and verse until the light faded and the sky grew dark, and only then did he take his leave and return home.

Xu Siyu rinsed his mouth, then went immediately to see Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi and Eleventh Madam had just returned from Prince Shun’s. Xu Lingyi’s expression was as usual, but Eleventh Madam, who had had a little wine, was glowing like a peach blossom.

Father and son withdrew to the east side room to speak.

Xu Siyu conveyed Fang Ji’s words. Xu Lingyi merely gave a nod and said “Understood,” his expression unhurried and unperturbed. Xu Siyu felt a trace of disappointment, bowed and prepared to withdraw. He was nearly at the door when he heard his father call: “Wenming — you look after your younger brothers. Well done.”

Father had called him by his style name.

Xu Siyu froze. He felt something sting at the corners of his eyes, and his vision blurred suddenly for a moment.

He lowered his head quickly. “I am the eldest brother — it is only right.” He bowed and left with quick steps.

Xu Lingyi sat behind the great writing table for a long while in silence.

When he returned to the inner rooms, his youngest son was already back from the palace, nestled at his wife’s side and murmuring something to her: “…He kept kicking toward that side, but luckily I was quick about it and didn’t try to block it head-on — let the ball hit that fellow right on the head. As for the Eighth Prince, he had bad luck — the First Princess glared at him with eyes wide open, looking as if she wanted to swallow him whole. That fellow had a decent temperament though: he got hit and didn’t get angry, and he is genuinely handsome. I could see the First Princess’s face going pink as she hid behind me, and she started speaking in this soft, delicate little voice. She must have taken a liking to him!”

Eleventh Madam hugged her son: “And how do you know all this?”

“I’m not oblivious!” Jin Ge’er grumbled, then saw his father walk in and quickly stood up. “Father, when did you come in? You should make some noise — you startled us!”

Xu Lingyi gave a mild nod. “Did you see Her Majesty the Empress?”

“I did!” Jin Ge’er nestled back down beside Eleventh Madam, then, noticing his father’s gaze fall on his shoulder, quickly shifted slightly and put about a fist’s width of distance between himself and her. “She even rewarded me with four gold ingots in the shape of the First Scholar. She’s asked me to come to the palace again on the sixth.”

—