Shiyiniang’s worry was not without reason.

When Xu Lingyi proposed sending Xu Sijin to the Shiyang Hundredman Post, Xu Sijin was not the least bit impressed.

In the course of preparing the private mine, how many difficulties had he not encountered, and had he not resolved them all in the end? His father wanted him to go to a guard post to gain worldly experience — was what he had done not worldly experience enough?

He wrote back to Xu Lingyi saying that the silver mine affair had only just been sorted out, and the profit shares had not yet begun to be settled. His own share was one thing, but Prince Yong’s share was not something he could afford to neglect. He would go once he had straightened out the lines involving the Pingyi Garrison, Pu’an Guard, Gong Dongning, and Prince Yong — it was not too late to go then.

His dismissiveness practically leapt from the page.

Xu Lingyi smiled and wrote back: “…This hundredman post falls under the jurisdiction of the Sichuan Commander-in-Chief. The Sichuan Commander-in-Chief, Ding Zhi, has been on bad terms with me. He is over sixty and could retire at any moment. He doesn’t give anyone face, and he is not only arrogant and overbearing but high-handed and willful. You need not go, to avoid giving him a pretext to find fault, since I would be too far away to help you. Prince Yong and Princess Jiandu are the Emperor’s full siblings, and the Emperor regards them most highly. On account of Princess Jiandu, the Emperor even disregarded court protocol and wished to appoint you Deputy Commander of the Nanjing Regional Military Commission. You must serve Prince Yong and Princess Jiandu well — once you serve them well, your future will follow.”

Xu Sijin read this and seethed for a long while without speaking. “If I were only chasing after a career, what was the point of coming to a guard post? I might as well have gone to serve under the Shun Wang in the Imperial Household. With my abilities, I’d probably rise even faster. It’s just a paltry Shiyang Hundredman Post. It’s just a Ding Zhi who won’t show Father face. It’s just some messy, unsettled connections that still need to be sorted out. Just you watch!”

That same evening he wrote back to Xu Lingyi: “I’m going to Shiyang at once!”

Xu Lingyi picked up the letter and smiled faintly. He did not tell Shiyiniang the details of what had been written, only the outcome. “I’ve had him sent to the Shiyang Hundredman Post. The Sichuan Commander-in-Chief was not alerted — I arranged it through a garrison commander, who doesn’t know Jin Ge’er’s identity either. This time, it really is up to him alone!”

If it could be said that Shiyiniang’s heart had been suspended all along, seeing him open a silver mine had put half of it to rest — his capability was there. Even if something happened, self-preservation would likely not be an issue. What remained now was experience to be gained through hardship.

She wrote to Xu Sijin instructing him to guard against arrogance and impetuousness, to settle his heart, and not to be careless and lose at a crucial moment.

Xu Sijin was outwardly dutiful in his response, but privately paid it no mind at all.

Chang’an remained behind in Pingyi while he went to Shiyang alone. Neither overbearing nor subservient, warm and generous, he quickly grew close to the hundredman commander and the veteran garrison soldiers. Though he had no family property, he was of fine appearance, sharp-witted and nimble, and it was not long before others were inquiring whether he had married, looking to take him as a son-in-law.

Xu Sijin couldn’t help feeling rather pleased with himself.

These people, at least, were not drawn to him because of his status or rank.

But he also feared giving offence, so he quickly said he had been engaged since childhood, and had simply not had the money to marry, which was why it had been delayed. Even so, some people hinted that he could settle in Shiyang and need not return to his hometown — in which case the engagement would naturally dissolve on its own.

Xu Sijin found it all somewhat laughable and exasperating. His thoughts remained mostly fixed on Pingyi, and Chang’an was frequently traveling back and forth between Pingyi and Shiyang.

It was at this time that an incident occurred which would leave a deep mark on Xu Sijin.

The grain rations and military pay of the Shiyang Hundredman Post came from its military farmland. The soldiers trained for six days and farmed for six days. The post had four ox in total. When it came to Xu Sijin’s turn to mind the ox, he lay on the slope sunning himself, and when he dozed off and woke again, the ox that had been contentedly grazing on the hillside were gone. Had those men not been afraid to slaughter the ox, he would have found four dead animals even after locating them.

The hundredman commander of Shiyang was furious.

The ox thief, however, cried out: “I was only playing a joke on him!”

Playing a joke? Where had he been when the hundredman commander, before all the men of the military settlement, ordered thirty military strokes of the cane? Where had he been when Xu Sijin beat his chest and declared that if the ox were not found within three days he would leave Shiyang?

They were all men of the same military settlement, and the ox had been found, so the thief was given ten strokes of the cane and the matter was closed.

But Xu Sijin had fallen into deep thought.

His opponents were not ordinary soldiers — what if it had been a hundredman commander or a garrison commander? Back when he was in Pingyi, he had also encountered such situations, and had resolved them with ease. How had he capsized in such a shallow ditch here in Shiyang? At bottom, it was because he had never taken Shiyang seriously.

Xu Sijin stood on the slope, watching the sun sink until it disappeared below the horizon, before finally turning and returning to his small earthen room. He settled his heart and wrote his father a letter discussing a famous battle at Songpan Prefecture from thirty years ago.

It was a long-overdue letter.

Ever since the silver mine had begun to produce silver, Xu Sijin had stopped engaging seriously with Xu Lingyi in discussing historically renowned battles.

Something had happened to bring about a change in his son.

Xu Lingyi, glad at heart, very much wanted to send someone to Shiyang to find out what had occurred. After long deliberation, he gave up the idea.

He had been guiding him for so long — now was the time to let go.

There were things Xu Sijin needed to face on his own.

His son’s letters, once perfunctory in three or four lines, gradually became substantive, and Shiyiniang too sensed a change in Xu Sijin.

She asked Xu Lingyi with delight: “Who is overseeing the silver mine in Pingyi?”

Xu Lingyi was quite surprised.

Shiyiniang pretended not to notice, and with calm composure before the mirror, began removing her ornamental pins. “Chang’an is no longer young. These years of following Jin Ge’er everywhere, his marriage has been delayed. I asked Qiuju whether she had any suitable candidates in mind, and each time she says to let me decide for Chang’an. I had a look — in terms of character and appearance, Yingtao from Jin Ge’er’s room is as good as any. She’s steady and composed, able to settle her heart. She tends Jin Ge’er’s rooms, cuts window paper, does needlework, and never wanders about aimlessly. When Chang’an follows Jin Ge’er away in the future, there would be no need to worry about the household. What do you think?”

His wife was protesting that he had been keeping things from her, wasn’t she?

“These matters — just decide as you see fit!” Xu Lingyi laughed and sat on the embroidered stool beside the mirror, drawing her close and saying quietly, “Why ask me? I don’t even know who Yingtao is.” His hand gently wound a strand of her hair around his fingertip.

Shiyiniang turned to give him a fierce glare.

Xu Lingyi burst out laughing.

Shiyiniang asked about Xu Siyu: “The Emperor is holding a special imperial examination in the ninth month — how confident is he? He mustn’t really end up with the third-tier pass — that would be dreadful. Fifth Sister’s husband has been a county magistrate in Wendeng for over ten years and hasn’t moved a single step. Elder Brother went to Huguang only a few years ago and is already a prefect.”

“Though Zichun has not been promoted, there isn’t an official at the Ministry of Personnel who wouldn’t give a thumbs up at the mention of his name,” said Xu Lingyi with a smile. “I can see he’s doing quite well where he is — no need to fuss over such things.” Then he asked about Sheng Ge’er’s wedding: “What date has been set?”

Sheng Ge’er’s bride was the daughter of Qian Ming’s same-year examination cohort, surnamed Huang, whose father served as county magistrate in Lintong. Both families had exchanged the first betrothal gifts the year before, but with the national mourning period, it had been pushed back to this year.

“The fourteenth of the tenth month.”

Xu Lingyi heard this with some surprise.

Shiyiniang explained: “Fifth Sister wants to hold the banquet in Wendeng, so she set the date in the latter half of the year.”

“Didn’t she say Wendeng was unpleasant?” Xu Lingyi smiled. “Zichun invited her several times and she wouldn’t go. I didn’t think she’d give Zichun this much face this time.”

Shiyiniang did not say much more.

Fifth Sister found Wendeng unpleasant and had lived in Yanjing all year round. Yanjing was fine, but there were only these relatives of theirs there. Wendeng was far, but Qian Ming was the local official of that place. No matter how distant the relatives, gifts must be given. But with a local official, it was different — if you happened to meet, you naturally gave a gift; if you didn’t, you needn’t. Otherwise Fifth Sister would not have gone to Wendeng.

“Fifth Sister will be taking Sheng Ge’er and Dian Mei’er to Wendeng in a few days,” she said with a smile. “I discussed it with Fourth Sister and Twelfth Sister, and we thought it would be good to send the gifts along early, so they’d have more money in hand when they arrived in Wendeng to purchase things.” The two then talked over the gifts, and the next day Shiyiniang went with Fourth Sister and Twelfth Sister to Sixiang Alley.

Fifth Sister was in the midst of packing.

The things she regularly used were still all in their usual places. There were only five or six trunks, packed with changes of clothing.

Seeing them arrive, Fifth Sister smiled and welcomed them into the inner chamber. “Next year Sheng Ge’er will need to return to Yichun in Sichuan to take the prefectural examination — it would be too much trouble to go back and forth, so I’m having him go directly from Wendeng to Sichuan. After the New Year, I’ll bring the new bride along to formally pay respects.”

“Then we wish Sheng Ge’er success in passing and becoming a licentiate!” Twelfth Sister said with a beaming smile.

Her brother-in-law had passed the metropolitan examination the year before and earned the status of an academician candidate, and was currently serving as an academy lecturer at the Hanlin Academy. Since her husband Wang Ze had interrupted his studies partway through, both of them kept a close watch on the children’s studies, and in conversation often liked to mention who among their acquaintances had passed such-and-such an examination.

Fifth Sister smiled and thanked them.

Someone came in to serve tea.

Fourth Sister gave Shiyiniang a meaningful glance.

Shiyiniang pretended not to see it.

Twelfth Sister was startled, and stared at the person serving tea. “Is this — is this not Zhuotao?”

“Yes,” Fifth Sister replied flatly. “Sheng Ge’er is about to be married, there’s much to be done around the house, so I had Zhuotao come back to help me.” She waved a hand at Zhuotao as though shooing a fly. “Go help Sheng Ge’er pack his things — Yulan is all that’s needed here to serve!”

Zhuotao murmured: “Everyone is busy helping Madam pack the trunks — I saw that there weren’t enough hands…”

Fifth Sister’s brow creased.

Zhuotao quickly stopped herself, curtsied, and withdrew.

Twelfth Sister glanced at Shiyiniang, and seeing that Shiyiniang had lowered her eyes and was drinking her tea with an expression of serene detachment, she followed her example and sipped quietly, then began talking with Fifth Sister about Sheng Ge’er’s studies. Once outside, however, she followed Shiyiniang back to the Yongping Marquis estate.

“Eleventh Sister, what exactly is going on?” said Twelfth Sister. “Fifth Sister isn’t going to Wendeng, and now she’s called Zhuotao back — then who is serving Fifth Brother-in-Law? Has she sent another person over? How can Fifth Sister be so muddle-headed? One more person means one more complication — isn’t she just making trouble for herself?”

“I don’t know the whole of it either,” said Shiyiniang with a rueful smile. “All I know is that Fifth Sister left Zhuotao behind in Wendeng. Somehow or other, Fifth Brother-in-Law made Zhuotao’s elder brother — Zhao Sheng, who used to keep accounts in our household — his grain and tax secretary. Word has it Zhao Sheng is quite formidable, and practically runs half of Fifth Brother-in-Law’s affairs in Wendeng.”

Twelfth Sister grew agitated: “The grain and tax secretary oversees land taxation, household registers, and marriage documents — it’s a lucrative post. Why didn’t Fifth Sister look into it? Does Elder Brother know about this?”

—