Gong Dongning was the supreme commander — surely there could be no danger right at his side!

Eleventh Madam let out a long breath and paid even closer attention to the Right Army’s campaign.

After the Dragon Boat Festival, a military dispatch from Ganzhou reported that Gong Dongning had wiped out over ten thousand enemy troops in total, and using the captured warhorses to train new soldiers, sent three thousand cavalry thundering toward Datong in a swift surprise strike, killing two thousand, while twenty thousand Tartar troops fled toward Jiayuguan Pass — lifting the siege on Ouyang Ming. By mid-May, another victory report arrived: Gong Dongning had left the Sichuan Regional Military Commission’s forces to hold Ganzhou while he personally led the Guizhou Regional Military Commission’s forces to Datong to encircle and annihilate more than twenty thousand Tartars.

Xu Lingyi was overjoyed. “Abandoning Xuantong to march for Datong — cutting off the Tartars’ retreat, then joining forces with Ouyang Ming to attack Xuantong — reclaims the lost territory and relieves the threat to Yanjing at the same time.” He then called out loudly for Denghua, “Present my card — I need to request an audience.” His voice rang out clear and jubilant.

It had been a very long time since he had spoken like that.

A smile came over Eleventh Madam’s face as well. “Does this mean the odds of winning this war are very good?”

Xu Lingyi nodded. He sat down on the edge of the bed and said to her in a gentle voice, “That is why I must go to the palace — I need to persuade the Emperor to let Gong Dongning take command of all three armies. Otherwise, with two commanders for one army, there will surely be problems.”

In a situation like this, the Emperor should agree to Xu Lingyi’s petition.

Eleventh Madam felt a measure of ease settle over her heart.

Xu Lingyi carefully tucked the few loose strands of hair by her ear behind it, and said with warm tenderness, “The weather is fine today. Would you like to go and sit in the back garden for a while?”

She had not been herself since that day.

He knew it was an ailment of the heart. He had not called for a physician. He let her sleep when she wanted to sleep, and when she could not sleep, he let her do needlework or read as she pleased, deferring to her wishes in all things — and yet despite this, she had grown a little more pale with each passing day.

Perhaps it was because she had suppressed so much before — now that her mood lifted all at once, she actually felt a kind of exhaustion. Eleventh Madam lay against the large bolster pillow. “I’d like to sleep for a bit.” She felt languid and without energy.

Xu Lingyi looked at her face, nearly translucent in its paleness, his gaze filled with tender concern. “Then sleep. Jiang Shi and Ying Niang are here for household matters.” He casually tucked the corner of her blanket in, then could not help but offer some comfort. “Gong Dongning mentioned in his letter as well — Xu Sijin is remarkably clever, quick to learn and quick to grasp things, and he’s very fond of the boy. He’s had Xu Sijin helping him organize documents.” Fearing she might not understand what that meant, he explained further, “What Xu Sijin is doing now is rather like what a Grand Secretary does in the inner cabinet — gathering and organizing dispatches from the various commands and garrisons for Gong Dongning to review, then conveying Gong Dongning’s instructions back to each command. It seems minor, but through it one can come to know all matters great and small in the army, and there is much to be learned — it will benefit him greatly in the future.” He went on, “The Tartars have succeeded this time, so the northwest will not be at peace for the next few years. After the war, Gong Dongning will very likely be awarded the rank of Vice Minister of War and appointed Commander of the Right Military Commission to pacify the northwest. That is also his own intention — to keep Xu Sijin by his side for a few years of seasoning before gradually letting him stand on his own. There is no hurry.”

In other words, Xu Sijin would not need to go to the battlefield this time, nor need he contend for military merit — there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

“Commander Gong has thought of everything.” Eleventh Madam felt a few more layers of unease lift from her heart, and her brows and eyes lightened perceptibly.

Xu Lingyi watched her, and a slight upturn came to the corner of his mouth. His voice grew gentler still. “Then get some sleep quickly. Come noon, we’ll have the midday meal together — how does that sound?”

Eleventh Madam murmured her assent, turned over, and slept.

Xu Lingyi sat quietly for a while, then rose with careful, soundless steps and made his way to the study.

Eleventh Madam slept deeply and soundly. When she woke, she found the sun had already shifted to the west — the time for the midday meal had long since passed.

“Why did no one wake me?” she asked Lenxiang, who was helping her dress.

“My lord was still deciding whether to wake you when an imperial attendant arrived from the palace summoning my lord at once,” a young maidservant came in carrying a copper basin, and Lenxiang draped a large towel across Eleventh Madam’s front and helped her push back her sleeves. “My lord told us not to disturb you.”

Eleventh Madam washed her face. “Then my lord has not had the midday meal either.”

“Indeed!” Lenxiang said, and at that moment, Hanxiao had already brought in a bowl of bird’s nest porridge.

Perhaps from lying in bed too long, her body still felt somewhat limp.

Eleventh Madam finished the bird’s nest porridge, then tucked herself back under the covers. “Tell the kitchen to keep things ready — the moment my lord returns, serve the meal.”

Hanxiao acknowledged and went off.

Before long, Xu Lingyi came back from the palace. Rather than changing his clothes first, he came and sat down beside Eleventh Madam. “Still sleeping? Have you had the midday meal?”

“I have!” Eleventh Madam said with a smile. “I heard my lord had no time for the midday meal before going to the palace — you must be very hungry. Go quickly and change — I’ll have the maidservants serve the meal at once.”

Xu Lingyi, seeing she was in good spirits, gave a small smile and turned toward the washroom.

But Eleventh Madam quietly felt something was off.

Why did Xu Lingyi’s smile just now look somewhat forced? Could it be that the palace visit had not gone well?

Her heart tensed again.

When Xu Lingyi had finished his meal, she said quietly, “What did the Emperor say about Gong Dongning’s matter?”

Xu Lingyi’s expression flickered.

Eleventh Madam continued, “Though I do worry, my lord has always been a man of his word. If you tell me plainly, at least I won’t hear garbled second-hand accounts from elsewhere and be even more frightened.”

Was she maneuvering him into a corner?

Xu Lingyi gave a helpless smile, yet could not deny she had a point.

“The Emperor has left the Shandong Regional Military Commission’s forces — the Dengzhou Garrison, the Ninghai Garrison, the Jinan Garrison, and the Pingshan Garrison, ten thousand troops in all — with Ouyang Ming. All other forces have been placed under Gong Dongning’s command.”

Eleventh Madam was taken aback, then quickly understood. “The Emperor wishes to give Ouyang Ming a chance to redeem himself through merit?”

“Four hundred thousand troops, with two-thirds now lost.” Xu Lingyi said gravely. “Only by winning military merit can Ouyang Ming have any hope of escaping a death sentence.”

Even with the Emperor’s protection, it was only a “hope”…

Eleventh Madam felt a heaviness in her chest, and her thoughts suddenly turned to Fan Weigang. “And what of Director Fan?”

The light in Xu Lingyi’s eyes dimmed. After a long pause he said, “Had he perished together with Xuantong, there might still have been a chance to overlook it. But now…” He shook his head with a bitter smile.

Something stirred in Eleventh Madam’s heart. “My lord, have you learned of Fan Weigang’s whereabouts?”

Xu Lingyi was silent a moment, then said in a low voice, “He took his own life.”

Eleventh Madam drew a sharp breath. After quite some time, she said with quiet suspicion, “How is it that I heard nothing of this?”

Xu Lingyi’s voice dropped even lower. “One of his trusted attendants came to see me, asking me to petition the Emperor on his behalf — hoping that his family would not be held responsible.”

Eleventh Madam could not help but feel a pang of sadness. “With each new emperor, it is a new set of ministers. If this had been during the previous Emperor’s reign, he might still have had the chance to lead an army of ten thousand and earn some way to atone.”

Xu Lingyi also felt a measure of melancholy. “Which is why I sometimes think — one must either stand quietly to one side and stay entirely clear of the power struggles at court, or possess the skill to turn fortune with one’s hand and weather dynasty after dynasty without falling.”

Eleventh Madam looked at him, the very picture of a man burdened with concern for the realm, and could not help but purse her lips in a smile. “And how many reigns has my lord seen, then?”

“Three!” Xu Lingyi, seeing her in an unusually good mood, played along with a touch of pride. “From Jianwu to Yonghe to Xining — I am indeed a minister who has served three reigns.”

Eleventh Madam looked at his thick black hair and could not help but burst out laughing.

Xu Lingyi seized the moment and took her hand. “Get up — have a bite to eat and come with me to pay our respects to Mother.”

“Mm!” Eleventh Madam agreed, and leaned against his shoulder with a laugh.

Her body was soft as if without bones, her whole being gentle and yielding — quite unlike her usual composed composure.

Xu Lingyi smiled and kissed her cheek, then lifted her bodily and set her on the large kang by the window to help her put on her shoes.

It was the first time he had ever done this.

Eleventh Madam felt a little embarrassed. “I can do it myself!”

Xu Lingyi simply looked at her with a smile. “Lift your foot.”

Outside came the light sound of a maidservant’s footsteps. “My lord, Madam, the evening meal has arrived!”

Eleventh Madam hurried to put her shoes on, and cast a sidelong glance at Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi laughed beside her.

The atmosphere in the room grew warm and tender.

The maidservants, married serving women, and elder serving women all let out quiet sighs of relief.

Lenxiang even went to report to Hupo, “Madam and my lord have made up!”

Hupo’s face cooled. “When were Madam and my lord ever at odds? Madam was simply worried about the Sixth Young Master, that is all. Do not talk nonsense.”

Lenxiang quickly bowed her head. “This servant knows her error. It will not happen again.”

Hupo gave a satisfied “hmph,” but her eyes were already turning toward the main room — where Eleventh Madam, wearing a pale lake-green silk jacket and a light yellow grass-cloth sleeveless overdress, gold earrings set with red gemstones hanging at her ears, walked side by side with Xu Lingyi, speaking softly and smiling.

Eleventh Madam had had no heart for dressing herself up these past several days. By the looks of it, the clouds had parted and the sun had come out.

Hupo felt a smile bloom at the corners of her mouth.

The Old Madam was very pleased to see Eleventh Madam as well. “Your color is much better!”

Eleventh Madam smiled and refilled the Old Madam’s tea.

“It’s good that you’re feeling better.” The Old Madam did not drink the tea but reached instead into the crystal dish for some cherries. “We couldn’t even enjoy the Dragon Boat Festival properly while you were unwell.” She turned to the Second Madam. “Tomorrow, let us go to Liufang Pavilion and take the boats out. I haven’t been out on the water at all this year.” She was just like a child.

The Old Madam was not as she once had been — a boating outing would require robust serving women to attend closely to her.

The Second Madam looked to Eleventh Madam as if seeking her opinion. “Shall we go boating tomorrow?”

“Yes, yes!” Before Eleventh Madam could respond, the Fifth Madam had already said with a laugh, “These past days have been so stifling and unsettling for everyone — let’s take advantage of the fine weather and have some fun!”

Eleventh Madam felt it was rather too hot, but since everyone wished to go, she naturally went along with the group and agreed with a smile. She had Jiang Shi arrange the boating, and on the day of the outing she sat in the covered pavilion fanning herself with a round fan, watching as the Second Madam, the Fifth Madam, Ying Niang, Shen Ge’er, Cheng Ge’er, Ting Ge’er, and Zhuang Ge’er laughed and paddled about on Biyi Lake.

A cool breeze drifted past. She narrowed her eyes.

It was already midsummer. In the northwest, spring came late — but by now it should have arrived. Once the grass grew lush, it was the finest season for grazing. Miss this season, and a whole year was lost. And with Gong Dongning sending victory report after victory report, those Tartars must surely be longing to return home. With that, the war should end very soon.

With these thoughts, Eleventh Madam’s mood lifted further still.

Jiang Shi, attending at her side, smiled and offered up a tall blue-and-white porcelain footed fruit dish filled with water chestnuts and lotus seeds. “Mother, these were sent from Nanjing — please, have a taste.”

Eleventh Madam reached over and picked up a water chestnut.

Cries of excitement from Ting Ge’er and Zhuang Ge’er rang out across Biyi Lake.

Shen Ge’er had steered the two little ones’ boat right into a patch of lotus flowers, and the two young children were busily plucking blooms.

Jiang Shi smiled and asked Eleventh Madam, “Hearing that Commander Gong has won victory after victory, does that mean Sixth Uncle will be coming home soon?”

With the Old Madam present, no one dared to mention that Gong Dongning was serving as Commander of the Right Military Commission and was currently leading the Guizhou forces to do battle at Xuantong.

Eleventh Madam gave a small nod, and the smile on her face grew brighter. “Yes — Xu Sijin will soon be home.”

—