Upon hearing that relatives from various families had sent birthday gifts, Xu Lingyi felt it necessary to go to the Grand Madam’s quarters to discuss the birthday celebrations: “…Even if we needn’t make a grand affair of it, we should at least host a few tables of wine.”

The Grand Madam shook her head. “It isn’t even a milestone birthday. The family eating a meal together will do.”

Xu Lingyi was about to persuade her further when the Grand Madam said, “Oh, that’s right — I heard the Emperor intends to send troops to the Northwest?”

“Your news reaches you faster than it reaches me.” Knowing his mother was worried about him, Xu Lingyi smiled. “I am still in mourning. Besides, the court is full of capable generals. His Majesty only honored me before out of gratitude toward the Empress. Now that my achievements are complete, naturally one must know when to step back.”

The Grand Madam nodded. “It is best that you think this way.”

“Did someone say something in front of you?” Xu Lingyi smiled. “Or is it someone who wants to go into the grain trade?”

“You clever thing,” the Grand Madam laughed. “It was your Third Elder Brother. He said the Lin Family had invited him to join a venture and asked whether I thought it was all right.”

Xu Lingyi could already tell from his mother’s tone what her answer had been, so he only smiled and said nothing.

The Grand Madam sighed. “When the moon is full, it begins to wane; when a vessel is full, it overflows. Many know this, but few can act on it.” She appeared deeply moved.

Xu Lingyi wanted to offer his mother some comfort, but could not think of where to begin. Just as he found himself at a loss, a young maidservant came in to announce: “Fifth Master and Fifth Madam have arrived!”

The Grand Madam’s face lit up with a smile.

Xu Lingyi felt a quiet relief in his heart.

Fifth Brother always knew how to make Mother happy…

A man and a woman then walked in side by side. The man wore a jade hairpin and a snow-white brocade robe; his face was as fine as polished jade, his temples as neat as if carved by a blade. The woman wore a lake-green plain silk jacket embroidered with flowers, her glossy black hair loosely pinned into a tumbling chignon, her eyes full of gentle feeling, her beauty as vibrant as a flower in bloom. Standing together, they carried themselves with an air even more refined and noble than the Golden Boy and Jade Girl before Guanyin.

“Come, come, come,” the Grand Madam said, her heart filled with delight at the sight of them. “Sit here beside me!”

Hearing this, Xu Lingyi rose to give his seat to Xu Lingkuan and his wife.

When Xu Lingkuan saw his mother, his face was full of joy. He had just called out a warm and affectionate “Mother!” when he looked up and saw his Fourth Elder Brother rising to his feet — and that joy drained away by seven parts.

He instinctively stepped back two paces and called out feebly, “Fourth Elder Brother…” — a sight that left both the Grand Madam and Fifth Madam speechless.

“Have you gone and done something wrong again outside?” The Grand Madam made eyes at her youngest son.

“No, no,” said Xu Lingkuan, usually so sharp, but now oddly dull. “Truly nothing. These past days I’ve been in the garden listening to opera every single day. I haven’t gone anywhere.”

The Grand Madam grew visibly anxious.

Xu Lingyi could see plain enough that his mother was trying to shield her younger son.

When their father passed away, his Third Elder Brother had been occupied with household matters while he himself had been occupied with affairs outside. Only their youngest brother had stayed at their mother’s side to nurse her through her grief — the bond between them was of a different kind. Since he himself could not comfort his mother, he had tacitly allowed his youngest brother to remain at her side to bring her cheer, and it was this that had nurtured a certain lightness in the boy’s character. Strictly speaking, the responsibility was partly his own — he could not always fault the boy for being flighty and impulsive…

With that thought, he smiled and came to his younger brother’s defense: “These past days he has been reporting for duty at the Imperial Forest Army every day without fail. Their Deputy Commander Li has spoken very highly of him! Mother need not worry.”

The Grand Madam exhaled a long breath of relief, and several more shades of ease entered her smile. “Good, good, good. So long as you can be this obedient, nothing else matters more.”

“Mother,” Xu Lingkuan immediately came back to life, smiling as he settled down beside her. “Please don’t be cross with me the moment you see me. Ever since Fourth Elder Brother reprimanded me, I knew I had done wrong. I’ve since corrected myself.”

The Grand Madam laughed. “All right, all right — I won’t say another word about it.” Her tone was utterly indulgent.

Fifth Madam smiled to herself and stepped forward to pay her respects to the Grand Madam and Xu Lingyi.

The Grand Madam pointed to a brocade stool nearby. “Little Fifth, go sit over there. Give your seat to your wife.”

Little Fifth pretended to grumble: “Just look at how you’ve spoiled Danyang — in a few days she’ll be lording it over me.”

“Danyang is nothing like what you say.” The Grand Madam chuckled. “Come, Danyang, sit here beside Mother.”

Fifth Madam quickly lifted her skirts and sat up on the kang, while a maidservant brought over a grand armchair for Xu Lingyi.

Once the maids had served tea, a young maidservant announced: “Grand Madam, Second Madam has arrived!”

“Invite her in quickly!” Before the Grand Madam had even finished speaking, Second Madam walked in carrying a carved red-lacquered box.

Seeing Xu Lingyi, she paused slightly: “The Marquis is here as well!”

Xu Lingyi rose and greeted her respectfully: “Second Sister-in-Law.”

Xu Lingkuan lifted the brocade stool he had been sitting on and placed it before Second Madam. “Second Sister-in-Law, please sit!”

Second Madam thanked Xu Lingkuan with a smile, then paid her respects to the Grand Madam and Xu Lingyi, and finally sat down. She then handed the box in her hands to Yao Huang, who was attending nearby: “Mission accomplished!”

Inside were the master and household keys and account books for both the inner and outer quarters of the Xu Mansion.

Xu Lingyi quickly said, “Thank you, Second Sister-in-Law. You’ve worked hard these past several days.”

“You are too kind, Marquis!” Second Madam rose promptly. “The family has always indulged my idleness in ordinary times. Now that I could actually be of help, it was only right that I do my part — how can it be called hard work?”

The Grand Madam smiled and said, “We are all family — no need for formalities. Everyone sit down!”

The two exchanged a smile and sat back down.

The Grand Madam then said, “Yizhen, we were fortunate to have you this time. Without you, Yuan Niang’s funeral would not have been carried out with such dignity.”

Second Madam smiled. “Mother told the Marquis and me to sit down and speak freely, so why are you being formal yourself?”

That remark made everyone laugh.

Just then a maidservant came in to announce: “Grand Madam, the Imperial Household Office says that, by the Empress’s order, two baskets of cherries have been sent over.”

“Quickly!” The Grand Madam was delighted. “Bring them in for a look.”

Small maidservants brought in the cherries.

Though said to be two baskets, they amounted to no more than twenty catties combined — arranged on a bed of green leaves, they were quite lovely.

The Grand Madam immediately had one basket taken away to be washed, then instructed Wei Zi: “Go and invite Third Madam and the children to come enjoy some.”

Yuan Niang’s funeral had just passed. Third Master Xu Lingning had gone out to express his gratitude to those who had sent funeral offerings yet not attended in person — people such as Eunuch Lei, who served at the Empress’s side — and was not at home. Qiao Lianfang, however, was at home…

Fifth Madam had just opened her mouth to remind the Grand Madam when she thought of how Qiao Lianfang’s standing was no longer what it once had been, and swallowed her words.

Wei Zi acknowledged the order and went.

The Grand Madam pointed to the other basket: “Send it to the Gan Mansion, the Sun Mansion, and the Luo Mansion.”

Second Madam’s parents had both passed away, and she had only a foster brother serving as Prefect in Xinyang — there were no relatives living in Yanjing.

Yao Huang hurriedly arranged for people to deliver the cherries.

Before long, Third Madam arrived with a few of the children.

The room grew lively with chatter and laughter. Even Zhun Ge, who had just lost his mother, managed a smile.

The Grand Madam handed the carved red-lacquered box to Third Madam: “You shall continue managing the household!”

Third Madam lowered her head in a show of shame: “Mother, please let Second Sister-in-Law manage it instead. I truly am willing but not able!”

The Grand Madam understood she was alluding to the incident at the spring banquet, and said with a smile, “One learns from one’s mistakes. Watch how your Second Sister-in-Law handles things this time around — you are sure to learn something from it. Just be more careful going forward.”

“Yes.” Third Madam bowed her head and accepted.

Fifth Madam pulled her to sit down: “Third Sister-in-Law, do hurry and eat some cherries — or they’ll all be snatched up.”

This drew a round of laughter, and Third Madam relaxed somewhat.

Xu Lingkuan then took the opportunity to raise the matter of the Grand Madam’s birthday celebration: “…In the morning, we brothers will come to offer you birthday greetings and then sit down to the birthday feast. After the feast, we’ll have Geng Changsheng perform a couple of acts for you, and in the evening we’ll go to Dian Chun Hall, where Little Fifth Fortune’s acrobatic troupe will put on a show…”

The Grand Madam watched her youngest son speak with such exuberant animation, knowing he had put genuine thought into the arrangements. She glanced over at Xu Lingyi, who was smiling as he watched his brother — yet his gaze seemed to drift far away — and the cheer of a moment ago dimmed somewhat.

“…Geng Changsheng’s business is sure to flourish in the future. Just on the strength of that name alone, every household holding a birthday celebration will invite him to perform…”

Xu Lingkuan was still rattling on with his ideas when the Grand Madam cut him short with a smile: “These past days there have been constant comings and goings. For tomorrow’s birthday, just have you brothers come here to share a birthday feast with me.”

“Oh!” Xu Lingkuan was a little disappointed.

…

That night, when he returned home, Third Master Xu Lingning of the Xu Family learned that Third Madam had once again been given the household keys. He could not help but smile: “Mother still has you in her heart, after all…”

Third Madam gave a cold laugh and cut him off: “What do you know? She is afraid that when Luo Family’s Eleventh Miss enters this household, things will be difficult to manage — so she is letting me, a daughter-in-law without proper standing, run the household for now, so that she can take back the keys whenever she pleases…”

“Why must you say these things again?” Xu Lingning lowered his voice. “Even though I am a concubine-born son, Mother has never treated me as an outsider…”

“Spare me!” Third Madam cut off her husband’s words impatiently. Then her eyes shifted, and she draped herself warmly over his shoulder. “What have you decided about the matter the Lin Family raised last time?”

Xu Lingning let out a few noncommittal grunts.

Third Madam raised an eyebrow: “I’m asking you a question. Can’t you say something properly? How is it that you can answer everything so clearly in front of the Grand Madam, but here with me, you can’t manage to get anything straight?”

Xu Lingning replied with displeasure: “Mother said — this venture is not to happen!”

“Why not?” Third Madam’s face darkened. “The Marquis of Jianning and the Earl of Shouchang are doing business with the Bureau of Waterways under the Ministry of Works — and theirs is a venture that costs them nothing, while we are putting in our own silver. On what grounds are we the ones who cannot?”

The Marquis of Jianning and the Earl of Shouchang were the two elder brothers of the current Empress Dowager. The Bureau of Waterways under the Ministry of Works oversaw all waterways, rivers, and transport vessels across the realm…

“That is different — the Empress Dowager rendered a great service to His Majesty…” Xu Lingning said vaguely. “Even if His Majesty knew of it, he would turn a blind eye.”

Third Madam laughed in exasperation: “What great service? She simply couldn’t bear a son and refused to be deposed, so she adopted His Majesty as her own. If it weren’t for the Xu Family — if it weren’t for His Majesty — she would have been pulled down by Noble Consort Ye long ago…”

Xu Lingning was so frightened by such reckless talk that he quickly covered his wife’s mouth: “Lower your voice, lower your voice — don’t let anyone hear you. Father left clear instructions on his deathbed: no one is ever to mention ‘the Xu Family’s role back then’ in front of outsiders.”

Third Madam pried his hand away from her mouth: “Fortune favors the bold; the timid die hungry. Xu Lingning, let me tell you — you still have two sons to raise! They are your own flesh and blood…” With that, tears began to fall down her cheeks.

—