Unlike most high officials and nobility who generally clustered their residences in Greater Shiyong Ward, Lesser Shiyong Ward, and Anfu Ward, Duke Dingguo’s mansion was located in the northeast corner of the capital, in Stone Stele Lane of Mingyu Ward. It occupied even more land than Duke Pingguo’s mansion. The few times Seventh Miss had visited before, Second Young Madam had led her through the gardens. But having come from Baifang Garden, when the two young madams looked at Duke Dingguo’s rear garden with its lush flowers and trees, it seemed nothing special.

However, Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master had been too young on their previous visits to the Sun family to know such places existed in the mansion for exploration. Now that they were older and Little Cuijin had visited a few times, seeing the Sun family garden, they found it wonderful.

Second Young Madam laughed and hugged the two children. Seeing their eyes spinning around, circling the scenery outside the windows, she couldn’t help laughing and instructed the young heir, “Yanping, take your younger brothers to play in the garden. Be careful not to go near the water.”

Though Second Young Madam had married early, her fortune with descendants was not strong. Her eldest son had died in infancy, and her third son had barely been raised to age three when a persistent cold proved fatal. Fortunately, her second son, Sun Yanping, was quite robust and sensible. At seven years old, he already conducted himself with the composure of a little adult. Hearing his mother’s instructions, he first responded steadily, then bowed to Seventh Miss. “Seventh Aunt, your nephew takes his leave.”

Only then did he lead Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master out, not forgetting to call for the wet nurses to follow along with Guyu and Chunfen.

The two noble ladies said nothing for a moment, watching the children leave the room. They vaguely heard Fifth Young Master ask Sun Yanping, “Why does Cousin also call her Seventh Aunt?”

Sun Yanping patiently answered, “Because Mother and Seventh Aunt are sisters. Mother’s sisters are called aunts.”

Seventh Miss couldn’t help smiling at Second Young Madam. “Yanping takes after his mother! So steady from such a young age.”

Second Young Madam’s lips couldn’t help curving into a slight smile. “His personality wins his grandmother’s favor. She says after his eighth birthday, she’ll petition the court to enfeoff him as heir and establish his status.”

She pursed her lips. “Actually, saying she likes his personality—it’s also because your brother-in-law is completely devoted and has elevated two concubines.”

Seventh Miss herself had emerged from a concubine’s belly. She could demand exclusivity from Xu Fengjia, but in front of Second Young Madam, she absolutely couldn’t speak overly progressive words. She could only smile and comfort Second Young Madam. “With more children, the household is livelier. At least it’s not like Ninth Brother—just married and the family already desperately wants seven or eight children immediately. The pressure to continue the family line is too great.”

There was another sentence she held back: even by Great Qin standards, Second Young Madam’s infant mortality rate was too high. If Sun Yanping didn’t survive, having concubine-born sons meant Second Young Madam could still follow Grand Madam’s old path rather than being reduced to adopting someone else’s child to raise.

Second Young Madam sighed and waved her hand. “Having one isn’t bad. Not like Eldest Sister—she’s about to turn thirty, with no news from her own belly, and even the two chamber maids she’s elevated have no news either. That’s truly anxiety-inducing.”

First Young Madam had followed her husband to posts in Jiangnan all these years. Only last year did she return with him to their hometown for mourning, naturally having more contact with Third Young Madam and Fourth Young Madam. The sisters in the capital rarely heard news of her. The last time Seventh Miss knew anything, she had written home again asking Grand Madam for several pretty maids.

“Brother-in-law must be thirty-five now?” She couldn’t help frowning. “Before their family’s old master died, I’m afraid…”

“They say the pressure is intense. They want to adopt the third son from Younger Uncle’s family. Eldest Sister hasn’t agreed yet, but spending mourning at home, facing an old lady day after day, the days can’t be comfortable.” Second Young Madam was quite helpless. “Forget it. For the sake of our parents, no matter what, it’s just enduring some unpleasant looks. Eldest Sister still has good fortune, better than Fourth Sister…”

Over these years, the sisters had various encounters, their days both good and bad. Except for the late Fifth Young Madam, Fourth Young Madam had the worst luck: two years ago when smallpox ravaged Jiangnan, not only did Fourth Brother-in-law die from smallpox, but Fourth Young Madam was infected while caring for him. Though she fortunately recovered, she was left with a face full of pockmarks. Fourth Aunt cried inconsolably, wrote to the capital, and asked Grand Master for money to build a family nunnery beside Fourth Brother-in-law’s grave. She personally moved into the nunnery with Fourth Young Madam to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures.

Thinking of the past, Seventh Miss was filled with emotion. “At the time in Baifang Garden, I didn’t think much of it. Blood sisters sometimes seemed like enemies—meeting like fighting roosters, you stepping on me, me stepping on you. Only after leaving did I realize that becoming sisters already represents years of karmic connection. The sisters who played together back then are now scattered across the land! Only Second Sister and I can meet regularly. The sisters from Second Branch are also all…”

Second Branch’s Eighth Young Madam and Tenth Young Madam had also married in recent years. Eighth Young Madam had married into the Li family, forming a marriage alliance with Twelfth Young Master—something no one had expected. Tenth Young Madam, being concubine-born, had her marriage arranged by Min Ge, with Min’s wife as matchmaker, marrying into a household in Shanxi. Reportedly the family rules were strict, and there had been no news since. Among the sisters in the capital, only Second Young Madam, Sixth Young Madam, and Seventh Miss remained.

“Having a few sisters together is already quite good.” Second Young Madam sighed. “Even Her Majesty the Empress—aren’t her sisters scattered across the realm? Now that the Marquis has gone to Guangzhou, besides me who can regularly visit the palace, there’s not a second relative who can enter!”

Speaking of palace matters, Seventh Miss couldn’t help glancing at Second Young Madam, weighing her attitude in her mind before smiling and asking, “Speaking of which, how is Sixth Sister lately? I haven’t entered the palace much recently and haven’t heard much news of her.”

Second Young Madam shook her head. “Same as always. Just seven or eight days ago when I entered the palace to see the Empress, I stopped by her place briefly. She said the days were boring and hard to pass, asking me to bring her a few books to read.”

Seventh Miss paused slightly. About to say something, she thoughtfully swallowed her words. “That’s good. If she can pass her days peacefully, that’s a blessing.”

Second Young Madam looked at her and sighed. “I’m telling you this as well—many things, once past, are past. There’s no need to resurrect them. Being able to live peacefully is enough.”

She had always been fair and upright. Regarding Fifth Young Madam’s death, though her attitude couldn’t match Grand Madam’s fervor, she had been quite active. Now to change her tone and say such words naturally surprised Seventh Miss.

She glanced at Second Young Madam and only then noticed that this young woman in her twenties, in this instant, revealed a weariness that carried the particular dejection of the elderly.

She had entered the Sun household in the bloom of youth, serving her parents-in-law with meticulous care. All the countless household matters, inside and out, required her personal arrangement. In the palace there was also a Crown Princess requiring her full attention. Though her natal family was powerful, compared to the Sun family, it still fell short. She probably endured considerable manipulation from her mother-in-law. Now finally having achieved success, becoming the rightful household matriarch, she still had a sickly mother-in-law to serve in the rear hall. Sun Liquan, using the pretext of continuing the family line, elevated one concubine after another…

Even if everyone envied her nobility, the private loneliness and heartache—only she knew.

More frightening still, Second Young Madam’s situation already counted as among the happiest of noble ladies. At least her own son had survived, soon to be established as heir. The concubine-born sons were all very young, the chamber maids obedient and compliant, making no trouble. Though her mother-in-law was sickly, she was ultimately reasonable. Her relationship with her sister-in-law could be called harmonious. Compared to many living corpses in silk and jewels, Second Young Madam’s days were truly quite good!

Seventh Miss felt somewhat frightened.

Suddenly, she dared not imagine whether marrying into the Quan or Gui families would mean living Second Young Madam’s life.

After commiserating for a while, Second Young Madam finally rallied her spirits and called Xiaohan in, nodding at her with authority.

Xiaohan lowered her eyes submissively and silently withdrew.

“She’s been quite obedient these years. I’ve promoted her to help manage the household by my side.” Second Young Madam casually told Seventh Miss. “Just not very favored before the Marquis!”

Unexpectedly, Xiaohan had been elevated to concubine status through such methods.

Seventh Miss thought of First Young Madam’s birth mother, who had also been Grand Madam’s personal maid. Though favored, she died in childbirth. For a moment, she felt that Xiaohan not being favored wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Before long, Xiaohan brought two middle-aged accountants into the room. Naturally, someone placed screens before the two mistresses to conceal their forms.

“These are accountants from our Sun family’s own properties, not from Embroidery Workshop. They’ve worked for the family for generations and are most reliable.” Second Young Madam explained to Seventh Miss. “Ask whatever you need to ask. I still have some matters to attend to below…”

Just seeing that Second Young Madam lent the Sun family’s own accountants showed that her management of the marquis’s mansion at such a young age was no accident. Seventh Miss approaching her must mean she didn’t want to alarm her natal family. Not providing Embroidery Workshop accountants showed consideration for Seventh Miss to the utmost. Actively withdrawing without inquiring into Seventh Miss’s intentions demonstrated Second Young Madam’s exceptional discretion.

Seventh Miss didn’t stand on ceremony. She rose and escorted Second Young Madam to the door, then pulled her hand and quietly entrusted, “Now that Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master are here, Second Sister, spend more time with the children… Tell them some things about Fifth Sister.”

Second Young Madam’s eyes immediately filled with sorrow.

“Good!” She nodded and tightly squeezed Seventh Miss’s hand. “I see both children have grown so sturdy… Little Five, knowing this in the underworld, can rest easy!”

Seventh Miss showed a slight smile and gently nodded.

After seeing off Second Young Madam, she paced back to the flower hall and sat down, softly requesting of the two accountants, “Gentlemen, please don’t be formal. Sit.”

The two accountants immediately stood with lowered eyes, perching on the edges of their chairs, settling down tremulously.

“Actually, asking you gentlemen to examine the accounts is for the sake of thoroughness.” Seventh Miss’s tone remained unhurried. “You gentlemen are both mature men of years and know the taboos involved…”

She drew out her tone.

“Young Madam, please rest assured!” One of the accountants pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, guaranteeing in a low voice, “We are all house-born servants, trained from childhood in how to speak and conduct ourselves!”

Seventh Miss nodded with satisfaction. “Good—I’m just giving unnecessary reminders. I wonder if you gentlemen have detected anything suspicious in these account books?”

The two accountants exchanged glances, then both knelt down and produced small notebooks from their sleeves. Prostrate on the floor, one began explaining in a low voice the irregularities in the account books.

This explanation lasted most of an hour.

Seventh Miss listened intently throughout. Even Lixia and Bailu beside her occasionally lowered their heads to record something.

After the two gentlemen finished, Seventh Miss sipped some tea before continuing to question.

“So you’re saying the biggest problems are in the main kitchen purchasing and gold and silver vessel losses?”

“Yes.” Both accountants’ answers were definite.

“Then by your estimate, roughly how many taels might the annual discrepancy be?” Seventh Miss adjusted her posture and casually smoothed her skirt.

“If tight, five or six thousand taels. If loose, four or five thousand.” These two accountants answered quite confidently—they must have anticipated this question and prepared accordingly.

Seventh Miss hummed acknowledgment and asked again, “Then, in your view, could ordinary accountants detect these irregularities?”

The two accountants exchanged glances, both momentarily stunned, neither speaking.

Seventh Miss waited a long while before clearing her throat in prompting.

“This… if they were accountants with over ten years’ experience, they could generally detect something amiss, but those less careful or more timid would mostly let it pass.” One finally dared to answer. “We dare not deceive Young Madam… the gaps here aren’t beyond negotiation.”

Contrary to their expectations, Seventh Miss nodded with satisfaction.

“I thought as much.” She murmured softly. “Clever, truly cleverly arranged.”

She waved at Bailu, rose and moved to the rear hall, not exchanging further pleasantries with the two accountants.

Having rarely visited Duke Dingguo’s mansion, Seventh Miss naturally had to go pay respects to Grand Madam Sun. Because Grand Madam Sun’s health was poor, she only rose in the afternoon. After lunch, Second Young Madam inevitably had to escort her in for the visit before coming back out to chat with the children. By then it was time to return.

Second Young Madam escorted Seventh Miss and her party to the main gate. Seeing Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master carried onto the carriage by the two wet nurses, with the young heir leaning against the carriage side talking to his younger brothers, her face showed a trace of smile. She turned to remind Seventh Miss, “Family harmony brings prosperity to all. Whatever happens, don’t make too big a move—subtlety should come first.”

Seventh Miss immediately knew her possible motives hadn’t escaped Second Young Madam’s perceptive eyes. This astute noble lady was advising her that even if she caught someone’s mistake, she shouldn’t be relentlessly aggressive and thus lose people’s hearts. She smiled.

“Second Sister can rest assured. Little Qi knows what to do.”

She joined Second Young Madam in gazing at the heavily curtained oil-cloth carriage—Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master had both boarded but still stuck half their heads out the window, reluctantly bidding farewell to the young heir.

Seventh Miss’s heart suddenly surged with melancholy: the household had brothers of similar age, but unfortunately the children in the Xu family could only be confined to Mingde Hall, unable to go out freely. They were far more distant from their paternal cousins than from maternal cousins…

She collected her thoughts and turned her gaze to the azure sky of early autumn, exhaling a long breath.

Everything had to be accomplished step by step.