Lin Shuang had been holding that breath for a long time. Madam had that kind of temperament, and in the past had the Master to shield her, plus a legitimate son by her side, so no one had truly dared to wrong her.

But now the Master was gone. The eldest young miss had made a show of force, only to turn around and leave for the manor. These past days, while it could not quite be called being wronged, the Third Branch’s persistent provocations had been real — even the concubine-born from the Second Branch had dared to drop cutting remarks. And the mistress-in-law from the family she had married into, the very person who should have been supporting her, had chosen this moment to pile on. Now that an opportunity had arisen to finally stand tall and be heard, her words came out with particular force.

But once the words were out, she felt a flicker of regret. She had spoken too much.

Having managed a household for an entire lifetime, the old madam understood all too well the bitterness woven into it. She furrowed her brow and asked, “Was it Zhi’er who took up the management on her own initiative, or did my in-law’s family ask it of her?”

“The eldest young miss proposed it herself. It was on the very day of the household search — the old madam of the Hua Family collapsed on the spot, and the entire household fell into chaos. No one could have predicted that the eldest young miss would step forward.”

“And in your eyes, how has she fared?”

“With ease and confidence.”

A smile came to the old madam’s face. “I had not seen it before. She came around so seldom, even to her mother’s family, and I had thought her the most quiet and unremarkable of girls — to have the ability and yet keep it hidden. That is far better than those half-empty vessels who slosh about and think themselves the finest thing in the world.”

Lin Shuang lowered her head a little further.

Zhu Old Madam was genuinely pleased. This was truly a case of a good shoot from a poor stalk of bamboo. Not that she thought ill of her own daughter — given that soft character of hers, she had somehow managed to raise what was, in effect, a tiger with teeth. She could not for the life of her figure out where things had gone right, but the outcome was good nonetheless. With such a formidable daughter to shield her, even without her son-in-law present, her daughter would not easily come out the worse for things.

“How is Bailin? I’ve already spoken with your grandfather — once some time has passed and attention has shifted away from the Hua Family, I’ll have him brought here to the Zhu household. His studies must continue. That is the foundation of the Hua Family — it cannot be abandoned.”

“The young master made an error and was punished by the eldest young miss — sent to the manor, not to be permitted to return for three days.” Lin Shuang hesitated briefly, then said anyway: “This servant has the impression that the eldest young miss will likely not allow the young master to come to the Zhu household.”

Zhu Old Madam frowned. “This is not the moment to dig in one’s heels over a matter of pride. What the eldest daughter-in-law did was wrong, but is holding onto that resentment worth more than Bailin’s future?”

“The old madam misunderstands. The eldest young miss is not one to be so impractical. Within days of the household search, she had already been seeking out a teacher. The Hua Family’s clan school will continue — a space has been prepared, and they are only waiting for the teacher to be in place.”

“Truly?”

“Yes. This servant would not dare to fabricate such a thing.”

Zhu Old Madam gave a small nod. If that was the case, there was no need to bring Bailin here after all. Before the Hua Family’s misfortune, the two households had been equals, and her grandson could have lodged at the Zhu household however he pleased. But now, for Bailin to come would be to live under someone else’s roof — and that was a wound that could not be healed by warmth and affection alone.

Zhi’er — she was indeed a pleasant surprise.

“Hearing all you’ve said has put my mind considerably more at ease. Since the Hua Family was searched, I have not had a moment’s peace.” Zhu Old Madam drew two banknotes from her sleeve. “When I heard it was you who had come, I thought to have you bring some silver back for Xuan’er to keep on hand. But now, hearing all this, perhaps there’s no need to give it to her — give it to Zhi’er instead.”

“This servant does not dare to take it.” Lin Shuang did not move forward. “This servant does not dare to put the eldest young miss in a difficult position. Please trust in the eldest young miss, old madam. If the eldest young miss truly finds herself in a dire situation, this servant would come back to seek the old madam’s help even at the risk of incurring the eldest young miss’s displeasure.”

Zhu Old Madam was persuaded by that last line and nodded. “Very well — have it as you suggest.”

As the evening glow spread across the sky, Zhu Bowen — currently serving as the Left Vice Minister of Revenue — returned home from the ministry to find his wife waiting for him at the courtyard gate. It had been some time since he had received such a welcome, and rarer still, she wore a smile on her face.

“Something happened at home?”

“Something like that.” Husband and wife went inside. The old madam helped him out of his official robe and into a comfortable home garment, then wrung a cloth and passed it over for him to wipe his face, before sitting down to recount the afternoon’s events in full.

Zhu Bowen listened with great attentiveness, and the furrow between his brows gradually eased. He and Hua Yizheng were of similar age and had grown up together in the capital. They had been close friends since childhood, and later colleagues at court — the bond between them was as solid as iron. Their families had always kept close ties, and even their children had known each other from a young age. It was after noticing that the two had developed feelings for each other that they had arranged the engagement. When the Hua Family’s calamity struck, it was not that he had been unwilling to plead their case — he simply could not.

The charge the Emperor had leveled against Hua Yizheng was that of forming a clique for self-serving purposes. If he and others now rallied together to speak on his behalf, it would only substantiate that very charge. Not only would they fail to rescue the Hua Family, it would bring ruin to all of them as well. What he could do was work through his connections in the northern regions, to ease the hardships the Hua Family’s men and boys would face there.

As for everything else — it could not be rushed. It would have to be handled gradually and carefully.

His greatest worry all along had been internal strife breaking out within the Hua Family itself — that was beyond his reach to address. But hearing this now, the situation was considerably better than he had anticipated. What he hadn’t expected was that Zhi’er would turn out to be the one holding everything together.

Thinking of that granddaughter of his — the one he remembered as a quiet girl who never quite stood out — Zhu Bowen found it genuinely difficult to reconcile that memory with the decisive, swift-acting person his wife was describing.

“She wouldn’t have spoken like that without having the confidence to back it up — then let things proceed her way. There is, however, one matter she is likely still troubled by.”

“What matter?”

“A little while back, I heard it mentioned that the old madam of the Hua Family had sent formal invitations to the teachers who had once taught at the Hua Family clan school. Very few responded.”

“Heartless, ungrateful creatures.” The old madam gritted her teeth with fury. “The Hua Family never treated them poorly. Without the connections my in-law’s family made for them, how would they have acquired the reputation they now enjoy?”

“It is human nature to seek good fortune and avoid calamity — not entirely incomprehensible. Hua Family sons have always started from a high level; an average teacher would not be well-suited to them. As it happens, I do have someone in mind — no great name to speak of, no academic title to his name, but his abilities are the real thing. I’ve already sent someone to invite him. Have word sent to Zhi’er, and tell her not to worry.”

The old madam voiced a thought she had been considering. “I’ve been wondering whether I ought to go in person. Not seeing them with my own eyes and knowing they are truly well — this heart of mine simply remains suspended in the air.”

“Taking care to avoid drawing attention is possible enough. She only asked that the women of each branch set aside the idea of seeking help from their families — she said nothing about family members quietly offering support and assistance on their own. It simply depends on whether there is the will to do so. This granddaughter of ours — I genuinely underestimated her before.”

“Indeed. Hearing what Lin Shuang described, I kept feeling as though the person she was talking about couldn’t possibly be my own granddaughter.” Zhu Old Madam shook her head with a smile. “Such a decisive and unbending temperament — I wonder who she takes after.”

Zhu Bowen adjusted his collar, a thread of exasperation in his voice. “The eldest daughter-in-law went too far this time. I’m still alive — it is not her place to step out and rebuke a sister-in-law who has already married out.”

“It’s also my failing. I’ve always thought that a woman’s life after marrying into another family is no easy matter, and since even a household like the Hua Family could shelter and treat Xuan’er so well, I saw no reason to impose rules so strictly on my own daughters-in-law. It simply never occurred to me that not everyone can be trusted with that kind of latitude. If that is the case, then she had better learn the rules properly.”

“As long as you have it in hand.”

“I do.” The old madam suddenly broke into a smile again. “Zhi’er had a point in her timing. If she had waited until both you and the eldest son were home before sending Lin Shuang back here to cry her story — the eldest branch’s household would not have had a quiet moment to themselves.”

“Let the eldest daughter-in-law keep it in mind. She ought to stop nursing resentment all the time.”

“Yes.”