Xu Lingyi knew that Shiyiniang was using this playful jab to make her position clear.

“Silent words!” He couldn’t help but sigh with some feeling. “Whenever you need it, just say the word.”

Their embroidery shop did business, and how could they avoid dealing with Huzhou — a relationship of over a decade. Others were well aware of their background, so it made little difference whether Xu Lingyi greeted them or not.

Hupo came in and brought the list of items to be sent to Guizhou for Shiyiniang to review. “If we send more things over, it probably won’t arrive until after the New Year. So I’ve also prepared some New Year goods.”

Shiyiniang nodded and added a two-hundred-tael banknote. “There may be a need to grease the palms of superiors. Master Pang and the others went along too, so during the New Year, red envelopes should be given as well.”

Hupo smiled and left.

Xu Lingyi sat there with a faint smile.

He hadn’t expected Jin Ge’er, young as he was, to conduct himself with such seasoned sophistication.

First, he had informed Prince Yong about the silver mine and secured his support. Then, using Prince Yong’s name, he drew Gong Dongning onto the same boat. He then feigned ignorance of Gong Dongning and encouraged the commander of the Pingyi Garrison and the commander of the Pu’an Guard to go into business together. The commander of the Pingyi Garrison and the commander of the Pu’an Guard had struggled with the problem for several days — no matter how they turned it over in their minds, there was no way to bypass Gong Dongning. In the end, they agreed to give Gong Dongning the largest share… so that if anything went wrong, there would be someone to take the blame.

Barring any accidents, the silver mine would begin producing silver come spring. Under these circumstances, even if he wanted to bring Jin Ge’er back, Prince Yong would likely not agree.

Thinking of this, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and a pleased expression crossed his face.

There are no walls without cracks. Since Jin Ge’er was already making such a stir in Guizhou, it was better for him to continue lying low at home — lest father and son, one inside and one outside, form a force of their own and unsettled the new Emperor’s heart.

Because the late Emperor had passed, the Emperor did not hold the customary banquet to reward the various princes, princesses, and prince consorts as he had in previous years. The New Year’s court audience was also waived. The reign title was changed to Xi’an.

On the third day of the New Year, the Empress Dowager summoned Princess Jiandu and her Prince Consort into the palace. The Emperor, the Empress, Prince Yong, Princess Yong, and Xu Lingyi and his wife accompanied them, and a simple vegetarian banquet was held in Ci’an Palace.

Wang Xian was a man of fine appearance. Before the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, he was neither servile nor arrogant, composed and gracious. Shiyiniang couldn’t help but inwardly nod her approval.

After the meal, the Empress Dowager kept the Empress, Princess Yong’s consort, Princess Jiandu, and Shiyiniang for conversation, while the Emperor took Wang Xian, Prince Yong, and Xu Lingyi to the warm chamber off the side hall. The Emperor asked about Xu Sijin: “…The Nanjing Commander is getting on in years and has requested retirement. Jin Ge’er is still too young. I intend to promote the Deputy Commander of the Nanjing Regional Military Commission to Commander, and have Jin Ge’er serve as Deputy Commander — let him build up his seniority there for a few years before deciding his next step.”

From the powerless rank-four Commander to the substantive Deputy Commander of the Regional Military Commission — it was, to say the least, a leap to the heavens.

Xu Lingyi quickly bowed to express his gratitude.

Prince Yong stepped forward. “Your Majesty, I think it would be better to deliberate on this matter further — Jin Ge’er is still very young. Even if he were to go, I fear he would not be able to command the respect of those men. Rather than putting him over the fire like this, it would be better to let him remain in Guizhou for two more years, receive a promotion in place, and then transfer to Nanjing Regional Military Commission — it’s not too late to do so then!”

The Emperor was taken aback.

Although the great ministers had been exempted from the New Year’s court audience, the various princes, princesses, and prince consorts had still entered the palace to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor on New Year’s Day. Princess Jiandu had seized the opportunity to tell him of the circumstances under which Jin Ge’er had originally made an enemy of Chen Ji. She had also wept, begging him by every means possible to find a way to bring Jin Ge’er back. She said that Jin Ge’er’s demotion had been entirely on account of him, and that now, in the middle of the New Year when every family was reunited, only Jin Ge’er was alone in Guizhou — with no one knowing whether he even had new clothes to wear… and that Marquis Yongping and Marchioness Yongping had no idea how much they were worrying and pining for him.

He recalled the first time he had seen Jin Ge’er — dressed in a crimson damask-woven jacket, his hair dark and lustrous, his skin as fair as jade, round and plump, grinning with his mouth wide open… He truly did not seem suited for such a desolate, remote place. Most likely it was the first time in his life he had suffered such hardship. A desire to make it up to him had stirred in the Emperor’s heart. He had not expected Prince Yong to oppose it — and not only to oppose it, but to argue the point with such reason and evidence that it was difficult to refute.

He couldn’t help but glance over at Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi was clearly also quite surprised. He stared at Prince Yong for a long moment without words, before finally coming to himself. He bowed and said: “Prince Yong speaks with reason. Xu Sijin is still too young and would find it difficult to command authority. Moreover, he is a member of the imperial consort’s family. Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and it is proper to employ men of virtue and ability to announce to the talented men of the realm that they are to serve Your Majesty. The matter of Xu Sijin can wait until a later time.”

The Emperor gave a slight nod but said nothing.

Wang Xian noticed that Prince Yong’s expression had visibly relaxed compared to a moment before, and was privately puzzled. He went back and relayed this to Princess Jiandu.

Princess Jiandu went to Prince Yong in indignation.

Prince Yong had no way to deal with her persistent badgering. He knew the Emperor doted most dearly on this full sister of his — if she truly pressed the matter, the Emperor might well close his eyes and pull Xu Sijin back regardless, and then his silver mine would be finished. After all, he could hardly go personally to Gong Dongning to demand his share of the profits — this was a business that could not be brought to light. So he reluctantly and tactfully recounted the whole affair to Princess Jiandu, then advised her: “…I will settle the debt with the Imperial Treasury and then wash my hands of it. If the Emperor were to investigate, it would bring shame upon the Emperor, myself, and the Empress Dowager. If he does not investigate, others will follow the example, and it will only harm the foundation of the realm.”

Princess Jiandu shook with fury. “It’s all your fault — why did you have to build that garden?”

Prince Yong smiled bitterly. “If I hadn’t built the garden, was I supposed to get tangled up in all the affairs of the court?”

Princess Jiandu fell silent.

She felt terribly sorry for Jin Ge’er.

First, he had been helping her with business when he ran into that dimwit Chen Ji. Now, Third Brother had used him as a pawn…

She turned and went to Shiyiniang’s place, chatted idly for a long while, and gave many gifts to Ting Ge’er, Zhuang Ge’er, Qing Ge’er, and Yingying.

Shiyiniang was thoroughly bewildered.

“Now that she’s married, it’s different, after all,” said Jiang Shi as she served tea to Shiyiniang. “Sometimes one wants to visit relatives, have someone to talk to — make things livelier.”

Perhaps so.

Shiyiniang gave a slight nod and set the matter aside, then went to find Xu Lingyi.

“Why is there suddenly talk of a promotion to hundredman commander?” She showed him Xu Sijin’s letter. “There’s been no word of any military merits, nor of anything particularly remarkable he did for the garrison. Could it be that Gong Dongning hinted to those below him?”

It seemed the men of Pu’an Guard and Pingyi Garrison wanted to keep Xu Sijin around for their own use…

Xu Lingyi smiled and took the letter, skimmed it quickly: “Let me look into what this is about.”

He wanted to buy his son a little more time. Once the silver mine business was running on solid footing and a trusted person was assigned to oversee it, even if Xu Sijin were transferred to another guard post, there would be no consequence.

Shiyiniang furrowed her brow. “Does this count as passing your test? He’s only been gone a year. I keep feeling there’s something happening there that I don’t know about!”

Xu Lingyi drew her shoulder into his arm. “Don’t worry yourself. I’m here.” Then he asked about her shop. “How is the embroidery thread business doing?”

“Quite well!” The furrow gradually smoothed from Shiyiniang’s brow. “There’s a merchant from Yangzhou who, seeing our business thriving, wants us to sell his shop’s fragrant powder on consignment. I sent someone to inquire — that household’s fragrant powder has quite a reputation throughout Jiangnan. Master Jian thinks there’s profit to be made, and is currently negotiating with them. If it comes together, we’re thinking of renting the shop next door and opening a fragrant powder store.”

“I recall that the palace’s rouge comes from the Hangzhou area. Selling only fragrant powder is rather limited — why not send someone to Hangzhou to look into it? If you sell both fragrant powder and rouge, the business might do even better.”

“That’s what I was thinking too,” said Shiyiniang with a serious expression. “I’m planning to visit Shun Wang’s estate tomorrow, to find out which places supply the palace with eyebrow pigment and lip paste — might as well have a complete range of goods.”

Xu Lingyi, seeing that she was no longer pressing the subject of Jin Ge’er, let out a quiet sigh of relief.

But Shiyiniang grew all the more suspicious. She summoned the nine-year-old boy named A’mu, the one Xu Sijin had brought back from Jiayuguan: “…I want to bring the Sixth Young Master back from Guizhou, but the Marquis won’t allow it. Would you dare go to Guizhou with the stewards?”

A’mu immediately pledged: “The Sixth Young Master saved my life. Madam need only give the word — I guarantee I will deliver your message. And it needn’t be with the stewards at that,” he added. “Even on my own, I could make it to Guizhou.”

Shiyiniang patted him on the head. “In a couple of days I’ll be sending clothes to the Sixth Young Master — you’ll go along with them. When you arrive in Pingyi, don’t say anything. Just look carefully at who the Sixth Young Master’s superiors are. How do they treat him? Who does he associate with day to day… Once you’ve gotten a clear picture, I’ll know how to help the Sixth Young Master navigate his path. If the Sixth Young Master asks, just say it wasn’t fun at the estate, and when you saw the stewards going to him with deliveries, you tagged along and ran off. Can you do that?”

“Yes!” The dark, ruddy-cheeked little face was full of determination.

Shiyiniang smiled and rewarded him with sweets and pastries, wrapped up some loose silver for him, and concealed a hundred-tael banknote inside his sash: “For emergencies!”

A’mu cheerfully set off with the stewards for Guizhou.

Shiyiniang kept busy with the opening of the cosmetics shop. From time to time Princess Jiandu would come to call, and she and Jiang Shi got on famously.

By the end of the fourth month, A’mu returned. He brought two sets of Miao silver headdresses — one for the Grand Madam and one for Shiyiniang — saying they were birthday gifts.

“The Sixth Young Master asked me how I had come. I told him what you told me to say.” A’mu seemed rather subdued. “But the very next day, the Sixth Young Master had Master Pang escort me to the post station, and said to stay at home and properly train under the Seventh Young Master’s martial arts instructor — that there would be uses for me in the future, and not to go running all over the place.” He reached into his chest and pulled out a letter, handing it to Shiyiniang. “The Sixth Young Master said, the moment I returned, I was to give this letter to you as soon as I saw you.”

Shiyiniang accepted the letter with a smile.

“Respectfully submitted to my venerable mother,” — the first line was ordinary enough; the second launched straight into complaints — “knowing that nothing can be hidden from you, let me speak plainly. I discovered a silver mine here. Private extraction is not feasible, so I sent a letter to Prince Yong…”

He then laid out the whole affair in full detail.

Sometimes, startling the snake by striking the grass is itself a method.

Shiyiniang stared at the letter in silence.

At first, the mine had yielded twelve or thirteen taels a day — now it was producing over forty taels daily… With gold flowing in by the bucketful, would Jin Ge’er still have any thought of going to Jiayuguan to be a General?

—