Shiyiniang was also somewhat worried.

Before the new year, a censorate official had impeached certain noble and aristocratic households for massively encroaching upon private farmland, and the Zhou Family was among those listed. The Emperor ordered these noble and aristocratic households to return the land, and summoned them to the palace for a stern reprimand. Even so, some imperial relatives and in-laws continued to pay lip service while secretly doing otherwise — returning small plots in place of large ones, or underreporting their holdings. Elder Chen submitted a memorial requesting the Emperor to reclaim the official lands granted to noble and aristocratic families as stipends and have the court pay annual salaries in their stead.

As this matter touched upon an extremely wide range of interests and was of the utmost gravity, and since the year’s end had also arrived, the Emperor used the excuse of the new year celebrations and set the memorial aside without issuing a response.

Zhou Shizheng had once gone to Xu Lingyi over this matter: “…Without the manor lands, relying on the court to pay annual salaries — wouldn’t we then have to live at the mercy of the Ministry of Finance and the Imperial Treasury? You know how those supervising secretaries at the Ministry of Finance are. Their official rank may be nothing to speak of, yet they are absolutely full of bureaucratic airs. One word from them — ‘the national treasury is empty, payment will resume when appropriate’ — and we’d have no choice but to grease their palms. The silver is a small matter; what I fear is that the dignity of the noble and aristocratic families would be utterly destroyed…Yinghua, this matter absolutely cannot be allowed to happen. You must oppose it to the end.”

If the granted lands were reclaimed, the Xu Family would also suffer no small loss — setting aside the two longevity estate lands of a hundred acres each that the late Emperor had granted to the Grand Madam, even the horse grounds in Baoding Prefecture were granted lands.

A single stone stirs a thousand waves — all the more so when one’s own interests were at stake. Xu Lingyi had already heard about this, and smiled wryly: “Let’s first see what the Emperor’s position is before deciding anything!”

Zhou Shizheng saw that he was not very enthusiastic and was rather displeased: “Yinghua, this is not a matter concerning only one household. Don’t let everyone’s hearts grow cold because of you.”

It sounded as though everyone naturally looked to him for direction.

“Am I not also living off the granted lands?” Xu Lingyi furrowed his brow. “But the reign title has only just been changed. I haven’t the slightest idea of what the Emperor is thinking, and now is not the time to act on sheer recklessness alone!”

“If not, then why would I come to discuss this with you?” Zhou Shizheng widened his eyes. “Just two days ago, the Emperor summoned me to the palace. The entire conversation was about how you’ve been biding your time and laying low these past few years — the matter of land enclosure. Apart from those few fallen households, only your family and that young fellow of Weinbei Marquis were not mixed up in it. The Emperor told me to learn more from you. I won’t concern myself with the others; I’ll simply follow your lead!”

“Since that is the case, what is there for you to worry about?” Xu Lingyi laughed. “Just stay by my side and you’ll be fine!”

“Precisely because I’m worried!” Zhou Shizheng muttered. “Others may not know the affairs of your household, but I do. Your family has many ancestral memorial lands, and the Grand Madam’s longevity lands can later be converted into ancestral memorial lands as well. No matter what the Emperor decides, he surely cannot take away your family’s ancestral memorial lands too. Besides, you also have that tribute from the army — that must amount to a hundred thousand taels a year, yes? It’s not that I don’t wish to give the Emperor face, but I must be in a position to do so. Setting other matters aside, even now there are several elderly grand madams from my great-grandfather’s generation who must receive three hundred taels of support money each year. Surely I can’t let that tradition end in my hands? That kind of reputation I cannot afford to bear.” Having said all this, he was still not satisfied, and called for Denghua: “Go tell the kitchen that I’m staying for dinner. First bring me a steamed abalone, then a shark fin with jade cover, stir-fried sea cucumber, roasted suckling pig, whole-roasted lamb…”

The fact that he could sprawl so boldly in the chaise longue that Xu Lingyi habitually used and call for such dishes showed, in itself, the depth of the friendship between Zhou Shizheng and Xu Lingyi. Denghua naturally did not make a single sound of objection, but respectfully acknowledged the order, repeated all the dishes Zhou Shizheng had requested without error, then lowered her gaze and quietly withdrew.

Xu Lingyi smiled: “I still have some excellent Jinhua wine here. Would you like a few jars?”

“Of course, bring a few jars!” Zhou Shizheng said without the slightest ceremony. “And not only that — filch a bit of the Laojunmei tea the Emperor gave the Grand Madam as a new year’s gift for us to have a taste.” As he spoke, he rubbed at his slightly protruding throat. “Eating such nourishing things, Longjing and Wuyi teas just won’t do!”

Xu Lingyi laughed heartily: “You think it’s still like when we were children — ‘filch a bit to taste’.” He then instructed the page boy standing nearby: “Go tell the Grand Madam that young Zhou the Third from the Zhou Family is here, and wants to filch her Laojunmei tea for a drink.”

Before long, the page boy came back carrying a white porcelain jar with blue flower motifs, holding half a jin of tea: “The Grand Madam says to send it back with Lord Zhou to have a taste.”

Zhou Shizheng smiled broadly and took it.

The meal stretched on until the moon hung high above the willows before he finally took his leave.

Shiyiniang attended to Xu Lingyi while he changed his clothes: “Is the Marquis thinking of ‘gods fighting while mortals suffer’?”

“‘Gods fighting while mortals suffer’!” Xu Lingyi murmured, repeating the phrase twice, then smiled. “Those two sentences of yours are aptly applied.” He then waved his hand, indicating he did not need to change into his usual Taoist robe, and settled onto the large heated platform by the window in his middle robe, picked up his teacup for a sip, and sighed: “The reclaiming of granted lands and such — it is all nothing more than a pretext. Who does not know that this matter is of the utmost gravity, and that one misstep could offend all the noble and aristocratic families of Great Zhou? Elder Chen is simply using this matter to test what the Emperor’s true attitude toward him is, so that he knows where the boundaries lie when he acts in the future. Otherwise, why would he choose the new year season to write this memorial? If the Emperor also wants to test Elder Chen’s stance, then he certainly will not agree to reclaiming the granted lands. That being so, with court officials submitting memorials and the Grand Secretariat deliberating, there will be no definitive conclusion for a year or two at least — why should we jump out and stir up trouble? One careless move, and we may even hand those officials a handle to use as a weapon against us, putting the Emperor in a difficult position…” Here his words slowed to a pause. “What I fear is that the Emperor genuinely intends to rectify court governance and approves Elder Chen’s memorial… in that case, things would become difficult to handle.”

Xu Lingyi was the Emperor’s maternal uncle. When the time came, all the noble and aristocratic families would look to him for their cue. If he graciously allowed the Emperor to reclaim the granted lands, he would become a sinner in the eyes of the noble and aristocratic circles, and the Xu Family might well be ostracized by that circle; if he argued with the Emperor, the Emperor was a new ruler at the very moment of establishing his authority — he might very well seize upon Xu Lingyi to make an example of, to cow the rest into submission.

The best approach would be to divert everyone’s attention toward the Empress’s maternal family — but the Empress’s father happened to be Zhou Shizheng, his childhood friend…

“Since the Emperor has set the memorial aside without responding, he surely has his own thoughts on the matter.” Shiyiniang retrieved his casual shoes and helped him change into them. “Just as the Marquis said to Lord Zhou — better to observe the situation first. There are always more solutions than there are difficulties!”

“‘There are always more solutions than there are difficulties’!” Xu Lingyi heard this and replied with a serious expression: “Once again, my virtuous wife has given me a fine turn of phrase.”

Shiyiniang looked at his pretended manner and burst out laughing.

Xu Lingyi seized the moment to pull her into his arms…

Thinking of this, she could not help but feel a faint flush rise to her cheeks. The carriage also came to a stop, and the voice of the maidservant accompanying them drifted in through the carriage curtains with careful caution: “Madam, we’ve arrived at the inn!”

Shiyiniang hastily collected her thoughts and glanced somewhat guiltily at her two daughters-in-law. Jiang Shi’s expression was a little dazed, while Ying Niang was waiting for her answer with a face full of anticipation — both expressions were within the range of normal. Only then did her heart settle.

“Your father-in-law has always been careful and steady. Nothing will happen to him!”

Ying Niang listened and nodded, then promptly stepped out of the carriage first. She turned to help Shiyiniang down, and Jiang Shi, Xu Sizhun, Xu Sijie, and a large group of maidservants and maidenly attendants followed close behind, surrounding her as they entered the western wing courtyard that had been reserved for them.

Jiang Shi quickly directed the maidservants to replace the bedding and utensils they had brought along, and arranged for the servants to go to the kitchen to boil water and prepare meals.

Shiyiniang sat at the square table in the main hall, counting the days.

It had been nearly three months now. Everyone had waited and observed for quite some time — it was probably time to discuss the matter once more… Could it be that the Emperor was summoning Xu Lingyi to the palace in such haste over this very matter?

That night she slept fitfully, and at the first glimmer of dawn the following day she set out for Yanjing, arriving only at lamp-lighting time in the evening.

Xu Lingyi had not yet returned.

The Grand Madam asked, puzzled: “What is this? Were you not together?”

Not wishing to worry the Grand Madam, Shiyiniang smiled: “We ran into Lord Zhou at the city gate. The Marquis was dragged away by him!”

The Grand Madam laughed upon hearing this: “Dragged away by him — nothing good can come of it. I think you need not wait for him tonight. Better to rest early. We’ll be fortunate enough if the man returns tomorrow!”

Shiyiniang smiled and agreed, and together with the Second Madam coaxed the Grand Madam off to bed.

The Second Madam saw her to the door and said: “I’ve heard the Emperor intends to reclaim the granted lands from the noble and aristocratic families. If it truly comes to that, let us not sacrifice the greater for the lesser. Whatever the Emperor says, we’ll do accordingly. As long as the Emperor holds you in his eyes, how could you ever go short of a meal?”

“I will relay Second Sister-in-law’s words to the Marquis.” Shiyiniang felt that they all had only a superficial understanding of court matters, and that words of comfort like these were best left unsaid — lest they influence Xu Lingyi’s judgment.

The Second Madam saw that she was not interested and had no wish to say more, so she nodded and returned to her room.

Jiexiang helped her let down her hair, and said in a low voice: “Second Madam, some people love the magnolia, while others are particularly fond of the tuberose. The Fourth Madam has a fondness for matters of the inner household. Even if you speak of it, she would not understand.”

The Second Madam gave a faint smile and said nothing.

Jiexiang breathed a quiet sigh of relief, helped her settle down for the night, tucked in the corners of her coverlet, extinguished the lamp, and tiptoed away.

From the still, darkened room, shrouded in night, came a long, drawn-out sigh: “She need not concern herself with these things — there will naturally be someone to concern himself with them on her behalf…Come to think of it, she too is a woman of great fortune!”

Shiyiniang returned to her room and had Hupo search the bottom of the trunks for a few cleverly designed silk handkerchiefs: “Send these to Weinbei Marquis Manor. See whether Weinbei Marquis is at home or not.”

She had heard Xu Lingyi say that the Lin Family’s granted lands were also considerable. If this was about the reclaiming of granted lands, the Lin Family could not possibly sit still and watch!

Hupo returned promptly: “Marquis Lin is at home. Lin Madam says to thank you. Marquis Lin is deeply vexed over the matter of reclaiming the granted lands, and once things are settled in a few days, she will come to visit you.”

Shiyiniang nodded and sat in her room in quiet contemplation.

That being the case, Xu Lingyi’s summoning to the palace had nothing to do with the matter of reclaiming the granted lands? If so, why had he remained in the palace overnight?

She slept a fitful sleep and the moment she opened her eyes the next day, asked: “Has the Marquis sent any word?”

The duty attendant Lengxiang quickly replied: “The Marquis returned last night. Seeing that the Madam had already retired, he was afraid of disturbing you and rested in the outer study.”

Xu Lingyi had always been particularly fond of waking her in the middle of the night, then taking advantage of her drowsy state to do as he pleased — and called it, most flatteringly: “You look your best when you’re half asleep!”

Shiyiniang was stunned.

She finished her grooming and, not pausing even for morning meal, went directly to Xu Lingyi’s outer study.

—