By the time Seventh Miss returned to the Xu family, the sky had already darkened.

She first went to Leshan Residence to report to the Grand Dowager about Dowager Consort Xu’s affairs, then entered Qingping Courtyard to selectively share the day’s experiences with Madam Xu. Only then did she return to Mingde Hall utterly exhausted. While changing out of her formal patent robes and removing her jewelry, she couldn’t stop nodding off. After Lixia helped her bathe, she perked up instead.

“Where’s the Heir?” Seventh Miss stifled a small yawn and asked Lixia casually. “Have Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master eaten?”

“The Heir was invited out by some friends for drinks this evening and sent word that he might not return very early today.” Lixia dried Seventh Miss’s hair while softly reporting. “Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master were clamoring to see you before dinner, but they’re probably drowsy by now.”

Though the two children had very different personalities, neither was difficult to care for. Through accumulated time together, they had developed affection for Seventh Miss—their actual mother in practice, though nominally their “Seventh Aunt.” Several times when Seventh Miss had matters to attend to and wasn’t at Mingde Hall in the afternoon, they would ask their wet nurses for Seventh Aunt.

She changed into everyday cotton clothing, draped an outer robe over herself, casually pinned her hair in a loose small bun, then went to the east wing to chat with Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master for a bit. Though Fourth Young Master’s speech was still unclear, he completed the math problems Seventh Miss casually gave him quite clearly. Fifth Young Master was weaker at this—his whole attention was on clutching Seventh Miss’s leg, wanting Seventh Aunt to play blocks with him.

After staying with the two children for a while, Seventh Miss grew drowsy too. She had a few bites of food served in the third eastern room, then simply flopped onto the heated platform, held Fifth Young Master in her arms to play with a pellet drum, and asked Fourth Young Master, “Three blocks plus four blocks—how many blocks total?”

Before Fourth Young Master could answer, Seventh Miss’s head tilted and she fell into deep sleep. When she woke again, it was already daylight. The two children had long been carried into the inner room by their wet nurses—she had actually spent the entire night sleeping on the platform like this.

She had risen early yesterday and spent the whole day being careful with her thoughts, so she was truly exhausted. Seventh Miss got up with self-mockery. Seeing Shangyuan dozing at the foot of the platform, she woke her to wash up, yawning all the while, then returned to the third western room.

Just as she entered the third western room, she nearly collided head-on with Xu Fengjia. The young duke rose early every day without fail to practice a set of boxing in the courtyard. Seventh Miss had slept in a daze and never knew when he got up. Looking at the self-chiming clock today, she learned that five in the morning was when Xu Fengjia rose.

“The Heir rises early.” Seventh Miss hadn’t slept very comfortably and stifled another yawn, greeting him with slurred speech as she slowly entered the room. She collapsed at the foot of the platform and called to Shangyuan, “I barely ate anything last night. Now I’m quite hungry—hurry and have breakfast brought.”

Turning around, she saw Qiqiao emerge from the washing room carrying a basin of water. She smiled and asked, “Didn’t you know I slept in the third eastern room last night?”

“Young Madam has forgotten—this servant was not on duty last night.” Qiqiao smiled brightly. “This morning I eagerly fetched water and brought it in, only to find Young Madam wasn’t here. This basin of hot water was wasted.”

Seventh Miss smiled and nodded, gave her an extra glance, but didn’t say anything more.

She yawned and lazily looked through the glass window at Xu Fengjia’s back. This man had vigorous blood and energy—even in the bitter cold, he wasn’t afraid of freezing. Wearing only a close-fitting vest, he extended his arms like an ape in the courtyard and slowly began performing a set of Taizu Long Fist.

The maids on rotation all rose earlier than Seventh Miss, so naturally they were accustomed to seeing Xu Fengjia’s heroic form. Lixia yawned while crossing the courtyard, not even glancing at the Heir, and lifted the curtain to enter the room. Before long, her light footsteps sounded outside the third western room.

“Young Madam rises early today!” She smiled while opening the clothing chest. “Since it just snowed yesterday, wearing a cloak would be warmer today…”

Accompanied by Zhongyuan’s laughter, the women delivering food also entered carrying food boxes. Xu Fengjia came into the third western room while wiping his sweat. Nanny Xin and Nanny Tang also came over carrying clothes, ready to serve him in changing. Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master were also brought over by their wet nurses to pay respects to their parents…

The morning at Mingde Hall gradually became lively.

#

A few days later, Xu Fengjia went out again and didn’t return to Mingde Hall until after the third watch, reeking of alcohol. The smell even woke Seventh Miss from her sleep.

“Where did you go this time?” She asked while rubbing her eyes, half sitting up and fanning the air, finding fault with Xu Fengjia. “You reek of alcohol! Did you bathe?”

“A friend spilled an entire bottle of Fen liquor in my hair. I washed it several times but the smell won’t dissipate.” Young Master Xu’s tone was still quite sober though. He sniffed his black hair again, puzzled. “I thought it had faded quite a bit.”

Fen liquor was a famous wine throughout the realm, always renowned for its clear fragrance. Spilled in one’s hair, how could the smell dissipate so easily? Seventh Miss waved her hand and helplessly turned her head away. “Just sleep. Tomorrow when paying respects, if Mother smells it, let’s see how she scolds you.”

In great families like the Xu household, not only were the young men forbidden from having courtesans pour wine for them, but even drinking modestly with two or three friends required detailed reporting to the family—who they were with, where, how much they drank. If social engagements became slightly frequent, the family would lose face scolding them. The severity of the family discipline was something those frivolous, dissolute, declining families couldn’t imagine. Xu Fengjia wrinkled his nose and said sullenly, “Fine, fine, sleep, sleep.”

He was somewhat intoxicated after all and slept restlessly, constantly teasing Seventh Miss a few times. Only after succeeding once did he fall into deep sleep, but this left Seventh Miss tossing and turning, unable to sleep comfortably at all. Early the next morning, Xu Fengjia woke her again, whispering in her ear, “Did I forget to tell you last night that I’ve already met with Uncle Lian?”

Without realizing it, he had changed how he addressed him, now calling Eunuch Lian “Uncle.”

Seventh Miss jolted alert. Her sleepiness immediately vanished. She sat up halfway, rubbing her eyes. “You didn’t say—you met with him last night?”

“Mm,” Xu Fengjia responded in a low voice. “It happened that Feng Zixiu had also returned to the capital. He invited me to dinner, which made it legitimate.”

He paused, waiting for Seventh Miss to nod in understanding before continuing, “During the meal, I used the excuse of changing clothes to meet with Uncle Lian briefly. After all, His Majesty is very wary of palace servants associating with external officials… we only talked for less than half an hour.”

“I laid everything out plainly. The country has reached this point—though we say it’s prosperous, those of us who fight wars know best what the state of the national treasury really is. If His Majesty insists on obsessively searching for Prince Lu, this will inevitably slow the pace of tax reform as resources are diverted.” Xu Fengjia showed none of the lethargy of someone with a hangover. His eyes were bright and spirited. Even in the dim interior of the bed curtains, he still had vigorous energy, making Seventh Miss appear completely listless by comparison. “But this matter has dragged on too long. The first strike is strong, the second weakens, the third exhausts. If the friction between Father-in-law and Grand Secretary Jiao continues to develop, someone must fall. If His Majesty continues to delay on taxation, the Yang family will be in danger.”

Politics was never a one-person game. His Majesty’s prowess lay in being a master player who could utilize various factors to create advantageous situations. But even he could only guide according to circumstances. In the war between the two Grand Secretaries, he had no way to call a halt. Since the Grand Master and Grand Secretary Jiao’s struggle centered on tax reform, His Majesty’s position was basically his position on tax reform. If he delayed, the Yang family lacked the Jiao family’s foundation—a quiet exit from the stage would be inevitable.

“Why would Uncle Lian be willing to help?” Seventh Miss couldn’t help asking softly. “Whether the Yang family falls or not, what does it matter to him…”

“He also supports the single whip tax reform.” Xu Fengjia answered concisely. “Besides, regarding Prince Lu, no one around His Majesty wants to continue pursuing it. Not to mention the burden on the people—with his intelligence, within a few years in the South Seas, he’d at least become a local hegemon. Even if we send a few ships to the South Seas, what could we really do?”

Seventh Miss understood Xu Fengjia’s logic. In the minds of Great Qin people, though the South Seas were prosperous, they were still beyond civilization’s borders and had always paid tribute to the Central Plains. If Prince Lu was content to flee to the South Seas, clearly he had no ability in this lifetime to threaten the Central Plains again. Letting a fallen prince live was far more cost-effective than expending mountains of gold and seas of silver to capture him.

“What about His Majesty…” She was still somewhat worried.

“Now that Colonel Liao knows how to speak, I have no more worries.” Xu Fengjia pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Though His Majesty is clever, he’s not omniscient after all. In many matters, he should learn to let go.”

When mentioning His Majesty, his tone always carried faint intimacy, as if speaking of a closest friend. Seventh Miss couldn’t help being curious. These two had grown up together since childhood—their relationship should be very close. His Majesty’s prowess—Xu Fengjia should understand it best. So why wasn’t he afraid of His Majesty like the Grand Master was?

She lay against the pillow watching Xu Fengjia put on his clothes, couldn’t help asking softly, “Are you truly not afraid of His Majesty at all?”

Xu Fengjia’s hands paused while fastening his buttons. He thought for a moment, then smiled confidently.

“In this world, I fear no one.”

When saying this, General Xu naturally released an aura of authority, as if what he said was the most ordinary thing, with a special charm of lifting weight as if it were light.

Seventh Miss rolled her eyes and said nothing. After he left the room, she muttered quietly, “Big talk.”

After thinking about it, she smiled slightly again.

The next day when entering Qingping Courtyard, she consulted with Madam Xu. “Grandmother’s birthday is approaching. There will surely be many matters in the household. This daughter-in-law thinks it would be better to follow Fifth Sister-in-law and learn her household management methods, lest after the family divides in the future, I manage poorly and invite mockery, troubling Mother again.”

Though these words were tactfully phrased, Madam Xu naturally understood the meaning within.

“Good.” Madam Xu agreed immediately. “It’s about time.”

She looked at the large dark circles under Seventh Miss’s eyes, and her smile took on additional meaning.

#

A few days later, Min’s eldest daughter-in-law came to see Seventh Miss.

“Thinking that you’ve been married for half a year now, natal family can visit more frequently, so I chose a day to bring Nuannuan over to meet her cousin brothers.” Min’s eldest daughter-in-law was still the same—quick-spoken and not at all concerned about appearances. “Come Nuannuan, greet Seventh Aunt.”

Little Nuannuan’s birthday was only ten-some days apart from Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master’s. At two or three years old, she already spoke very well. She sweetly called out “Seventh Aunt,” then twisted her body to get down, wanting to go play elsewhere.

“Her birth mother is pregnant again.” Min’s eldest daughter-in-law chatted with Seventh Miss. “She’s about five months along now. Originally wanted to bring her to see you, but later didn’t want the trouble, so simply kept her home for convenience.”

That Nanyin could have such fortune was something Seventh Miss hadn’t expected. But Min’s eldest daughter-in-law seemed quite tolerant toward her, showing no jealousy. By Great Qin standards, she was quite fortunate.

“Peacefully nurturing the pregnancy is good. If this child is a boy…” She smiled at Min’s eldest daughter-in-law, who immediately understood.

She waved her hand generously. “I can’t be bothered raising one either! Even bringing Nuannuan over was just a whim. When I get home, I’ll still leave her with the concubine! It doesn’t matter whose name it’s written under—we’ll see when the time comes!”

That was indeed like Min’s eldest daughter-in-law’s character.

Seventh Miss lowered her head to add tea and didn’t respond for a moment. When she raised her head again, she saw Min’s eldest daughter-in-law looking out the window, as if expectantly awaiting something, or perhaps deeply contemplating.

Her heart stirred.

“Speaking of pregnancy.” She chatted with Min’s eldest daughter-in-law. “When Nanyin gave birth to Nuannuan last time, was the delivery smooth? Not to hide it from Elder Sister-in-law, but when I hear about cutting this and cutting that, I get terribly frightened.”

Min’s eldest daughter-in-law immediately laughed until she swayed back and forth. “You’re scared of this?! I never thought Seventh Sister would be so timid!”

“It’s not like Elder Sister-in-law, whose family has many famous physicians—you’ve probably heard such things since childhood.” Seventh Miss disagreed. “We have little experience, so naturally we’re frightened when we hear it.”

“That’s true too.” Min’s eldest daughter-in-law waved her hand dismissively. “Not to hide it from you, I’ve heard much more disgusting things since childhood—like someone’s intestines spilling out on the battlefield, then stuffing them back in to continue killing enemies… At first it was quite disgusting, but after hearing it many times, you don’t feel anything anymore.”

“That’s not how it works though.” Seventh Miss argued with Min’s eldest daughter-in-law. “After all, childbirth is women’s business. Hearing about episiotomies and cervical dilation makes it feel bloodily painful!”

“You needn’t worry. When giving birth, you’re in such pain that you can’t spare the energy to be afraid.” Min’s eldest daughter-in-law laughed while comforting Seventh Miss. “After giving birth many times, you’ll probably even find people’s scary descriptions exaggerated—it’s really not that terrifying!”

Seventh Miss looked at her and smiled, softly acknowledging with a sound.

With Min’s eldest daughter-in-law’s careless nature, she probably couldn’t remember a conversation from a year ago.

After chatting some more, Seventh Miss showed signs of fatigue. “I haven’t slept well these past few days. Elder Sister-in-law, please don’t mind.”

Min’s eldest daughter-in-law didn’t mind either. She glanced at the sky and smiled. “I should be going too. There’s a pile of matters at home as well. With Nanyin pregnant, I can’t let her overwork herself.”

“Ah, since you’ve come all this way, eat dinner before leaving.” Seventh Miss wouldn’t let Min’s eldest daughter-in-law go. “Let Nuannuan play more with Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master too.”

She yawned again and settled Min’s eldest daughter-in-law. “Once I get past this drowsy spell, I’ll be fine!”

Min’s eldest daughter-in-law thought about it and smiled. “Perfect. I was also acquainted with your eldest young madam before. I can go to Zhishan Hall to chat. After you wake up, I’ll come back!”

Seventh Miss hesitated momentarily, then readily agreed. She escorted Min’s eldest daughter-in-law to the door of Mingde Hall’s main room, watched her go into the distance, then slowly turned back to the third western room.

She propped her chin and sank into contemplation. Small matters from the past flowed through her heart drop by drop.

After spacing out for half a day, she finally called Lixia over to instruct, “Go to the front courtyard and tell them the Heir needn’t come back for dinner—I’m entertaining Elder Sister-in-law. After dinner, ask the Heir to escort Elder Sister-in-law home. Also, I haven’t been sleeping well lately. In a few days, send someone to invite Doctor Zhong to examine me and feel my pulse!”

After Lixia went down to arrange things, she sought out several medical books and began carefully reading through them.