Having seen Shi Changqi off to the mouth of Taiping Lane, Ning Yi stood for a while beneath the parasol tree at the corner, watching the martial arts practice going on inside the Liu Academy.

The Shi Changqi he had just seen off was making his second visit. The first had been the day before—since Ning Yi and Su Tan’er had gone out that morning, the man had waited until the afternoon, and it was only after the two of them returned from a restaurant lunch that they finally met. The man had shown genuine sincerity and something of the manner of a true gentleman, and Ning Yi had been glad enough to make his acquaintance.

Setting aside their discussion of poetry, when Ning Yi bore no ill will and treated people kindly, that afternoon’s conversation had gone well. Shi Changqi, on leaving, had said he would call again in a few days—yet here he was, back again that very afternoon, having apparently heard somewhere of Ning Yi’s status as a son-in-law who had married into another household, and rushing over in a hurry to confirm it.

The weather today was relatively cool, sparing them the need to nap on West Lake specifically. Ning Yi and Su Tan’er were both at home; when Shi Changqi arrived, Su Tan’er happened to be out attending to shop business. The man exchanged a few pleasantries and then asked outright whether Ning Yi had indeed married into his wife’s family, catching Ning Yi somewhat by surprise. Ning Yi, naturally, admitted it readily enough, and the man’s mood grew increasingly agitated. He went on to ask whether Ning Yi had had some hidden hardship driving him to it, alluding obliquely that a real man ought to hold to great ambitions, that whatever difficulties he faced, he ought never to abandon his own family to marry into another’s—and when this veiled remark had no apparent effect, he pressed the point more forcefully still.

Ning Yi now looked to be barely past twenty; though his manner was composed, his youthful face lacked the overall force to carry much persuasive or intimidating weight. Shi Changqi, some twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, had come originally on the strength of Ning Yi’s reputation in Jiangning—but having found the conversation so agreeable once he arrived, he clearly now felt something of an older brother’s duty to guide and look after him. Having worked himself from restraint into open speech, he found himself growing rather irritated that Ning Yi merely stated facts without offering any defense.

At your age, to have abandoned your ancestors to marry into a merchant family, and with not the slightest sign of regret—how could a man of learning act so…

Shi Changqi’s manner grew steadily more severe. Ning Yi listened for a good while, then finally said with a smile, “Brother Shi, has something happened to upset you today?”

The question gave Shi Changqi a moment’s pause, but he remained somewhat unsatisfied. “Regardless, this business is… an unwise act, in any case. That a merchant family cares only for profit is one matter—but that Brother Ning’s wife should go about openly in public every day, we…”

“Brother Shi.” Ning Yi smiled and cut him off. “Have you come today to urge me to separate from my wife’s family?”

“…That’s not my meaning at all, only…”

Ning Yi waved a hand. “Family matters are trivial things, not really worth mentioning to outsiders—but I appreciate your good intentions, Brother Shi, all the same. My wife is a fine person. We’ve been married two years now, and our feelings for each other are good—she respects me, and I’m fond of her. Setting aside what came before, if we were to formally reclaim my original family status and separate the households, it would involve a great many complications, extremely troublesome ones, and in the end the only result would be to wound the family’s affections. I don’t know what Brother Shi thinks of this, but to me, the bonds between family members matter a great deal. What does Brother Shi make of that?”

Ning Yi had seen all manner of things in his life, and felt no anger at all toward this scholar’s sudden burst of righteous fervor. Though somewhat surprised by it, he had little real interest in probing further. Having deflected the man gently but firmly, he soon saw the now-speechless Shi Changqi off to the mouth of the lane, observing every courtesy—though in his heart he understood that the two of them were unlikely to have much to do with one another going forward.

Human nature was complicated, and Ning Yi had long understood this. When he had first arrived in this era, he had felt little about the scholarly airs and literary spirit of the time—neither disliking nor particularly approving, with little interest in engaging it, since he had never harbored any longing for this age to begin with, and so had no need to seek common ground with it. But over these two years of living here, he had come to appreciate the atmosphere and spirit of the times, much as he could appreciate a man like Shi Changqi—the things he held to were always worth some admiration, even if, having admired them, one simply smiled and moved on.

It was an overcast day just then, clouds having covered the fierce sun, and the martial arts academy at the corner had not paused its practice—several men were sparring with wooden swords within Ning Yi’s view. Ning Yi watched from outside the door; the men practicing occasionally glanced his way too, though knowing him as a resident of this lane, they had long grown used to his occasional idle watching.

In truth, the swordplay taught at the Liu Academy was nothing very profound—in this age, without the cultivation of someone like Lu Hongti, there was not much spectacle to be found in it. Ning Yi watched a while and was about to leave when a carriage rolled up on the opposite side of the road, and its curtain was lifted beside him.

“Brother-in-law.”

Inside the carriage were Lou Shuwan and her maid Aguo. Though at their very first meeting Lou Shuwan had looked upon Ning Yi with some measure of disdain, her manner in the time since, through her dealings with Ning Yi and Su Tan’er as a couple, had remained forthright and open—not particularly reserved, but with the proper bearing of a well-bred woman all the same. Now she sat fanning herself with a small round fan, glancing off toward the other side of the road.

“That was Shi Changqi just now. Does my brother-in-law know him?”

“Not very well. Is he well known?”

“Fairly well known around Suzhou and Hangzhou.”

“Oh.” Ning Yi nodded, glancing thoughtfully at Lou Shuwan, who did not dwell further on the subject. “Is Tan’er at home?”

“She went to the shop earlier—might be some while before she’s back. Come in and sit for a bit.”

“Oh, is that so…” Lou Shuwan considered this, then shook her head. “No, never mind—I was only passing by, and I have some matters to see to shortly. Give my regards to Tan’er for me, would you?”

“Of course.”

With that they chatted a moment or two more, then Lou Shuwan let the curtain fall, and Ning Yi turned back toward home. Once the carriage had passed further down the road, inside the compartment Lou Shuwan’s expression had already shifted into something altogether colder. Her little maid Aguo said softly, “Was that all Miss wanted, just the one look?”

Lou Shuwan smiled. “I only came to look casually—just wanted to see Shi Changqi leave, that’s all. What more is there to see?”

“But this way we still don’t know how badly they argued…”

“They can hardly have truly quarreled. When Shi Changqi left, his face was clouded and unhappy, but clearly whatever he’d meant to say either went unsaid, or was said and did no good. My brother-in-law really is an interesting one—actually walking the man all the way out to the corner. We’ve already seen quite enough. What would a little maid like you understand? Don’t bother me about it.”

Lou Shuwan closed her eyes, lost in thought. The little maid, sensing the mood, wisely fell silent. The carriage rolled on through the city of Hangzhou and before long returned to the Lou residence. Mistress and maid climbed down and made their way to a courtyard near the side gate. Lou Shuwan pushed straight through the closed door of the room, where a disheveled man was in the middle of flirting with a maid; seeing her enter, he hurriedly composed himself and fastened his outer robe. It was her second brother, Lou Shuweng.

“What is it?”

“I went to see how things were at Tan’er’s. Shi Changqi did go to confirm the matter with my brother-in-law, as expected—looked none too pleased about it.”

“Oh? Tell me, tell me…”

Lou Shuweng was a man of free-flowing wealth and equally free-flowing nights, and had only just gotten out of bed at this hour. As he washed and dressed, his face brightened with interest, and Lou Shuwan recounted the scene she had happened to witness. His expression turned somewhat disappointed. “Oh, so you only saw Shi Changqi taking his leave…”

“My brother-in-law walked him out, calm and composed. Shi Changqi’s face was terrible, clearly wanting to say more but holding himself back, looking utterly unsatisfied. You can all go ahead and mock him as you please from now on—nothing to be disappointed about.”

“It’s nothing.” Lou Shuweng pursed his lips. “Still, from what you say, that brother-in-law of ours has quite the composure.”

“It’s not composure. It’s that he’s not to be underestimated.”

“How impressive can a man who married into another family really be?” Lou Shuweng straightened his robes before the bronze mirror on the table. “They say he’s the foremost talent of Jiangning—I’ve met him a few times, and I’ve never sensed anything of the sort. Now Tan’er, she’s the impressive one—I wonder if she isn’t the one who built up his reputation herself. Wasn’t it just a few poems he wrote, after all…”

“I heard from Su Wending and Su Wenfang that when the Su family ran into trouble, and Tan’er fell ill, and her father was attacked—it was he who suddenly stepped in and turned the whole situation around. The Wu family was ruined in Jiangning in the process. It was only afterward that people realized how formidable this quiet, unassuming scholar actually was.”

“So they say, but in this month or more here, apart from trailing around behind his wife, what has he actually done? What ‘turned the situation around’—who’s to say that wasn’t Su Tan’er’s own doing all along? At most he knows how to hide his abilities—as for composure, he doesn’t really have to do anything at all… My own brother-in-law has plenty of composure too, doesn’t he?”

Lou Shuwan frowned. “Are you in one of your morning moods? If you’re going to talk, just talk—don’t drag me into it.”

“I’m just—”

Lou Shuweng turned back as if to argue further, and with a crack, Lou Shuwan slapped her palm down on the table. A moment passed; she drew a breath and gave a cold laugh. “A while back, Father mentioned he’d once thought of arranging a marriage between you and the Su family. Ever since, I’ve noticed you’ve taken quite an interest in Tan’er—and something not quite right where our brother-in-law is concerned too. Well, today I’ve seen it clearly enough…”

Lou Shuweng stood there facing away from her, then after a moment turned his head partway. “So what if I have some regard for her? What of it? She’s genuinely impressive—having some regard for her doesn’t mean I intend to do anything. Can’t I feel it’s a shame on her behalf? You’re my sister, and I feel it’s a shame for you too—what man with real ability needs to marry into another family… If you admire him so much, why not have him marry into ours instead…”

“Lou Shuweng, what utter nonsense you’re spouting!” Lou Shuwan snapped, then said, “Get out.”

With that she turned and walked away.

…

While the Lou siblings quarreled for no apparent reason on their end, Shi Changqi, for his part, was quite depressed as well. Lou Shuwan’s trip out to Taiping Lane to check on the situation had, in truth, had little to do with Ning Yi at all—it was mainly on account of him.

He had gone to call on Ning Yi originally with entirely sincere intentions, because Qian Xiwen thought highly of Ning Yi’s poetry, and had mentioned meeting him recently with a favorable impression as well. Their first meeting had gone well, and left a fine impression. That very evening, at a gathering in the pleasure quarters, he had mentioned this meeting in passing, saying that the foremost talent of Jiangning had come to Hangzhou, that he had met him, that they had gotten on splendidly, that the man was open-minded and unconstrained, of remarkable bearing, and so on.

Wherever there are people, there is rivalry, and the literary world is no exception—especially in gatherings at the pleasure houses, in front of women, where face matters even more. Shi Changqi’s own literary talent was considerable; since making his name in poetry, he was often the object of flattery, and was himself a man who cared about face. Having made this new friend, and finding him capable besides, he had naturally embellished the praise. The trouble was, he had praised too highly, and found himself unable to climb back down from it.

Suzhou and Hangzhou had their own regional pride, and being fellow poets, everyone present felt at least some resentment at hearing a man of Jiangning praised so lavishly. Shi Changqi understood this too, but Ning Yi’s earlier poems spoke for themselves, and he had confidence—the others, too, would be able to see the gap for themselves. But to act on a moment’s fervor and urge someone to go challenge the man in person was another matter, one that required some forethought. Ning Yi had been in Hangzhou over a month, yet none of this circle of scholars had actually met him—not knowing him firsthand, no one in the crowd was quite ready to act, until, as chance would have it, Lou Shuweng happened to be among them. Displeased with Shi Changqi, he waited until the man had finished his praises before speaking up.

That fellow married into his wife’s family.

Married into a merchant family, no less.

And this whole past month he’s been trailing after a woman doing business, with the woman doing all the talking…

Lou Shuweng was ordinarily a formidable man where such matters were concerned, and knew exactly how to time his words for effect. Just as Shi Changqi was in the middle of his happy boasting, he threw this out, neatly cutting off any room for the man to backpedal. You say you’ve made such a fine friend, praise him so extravagantly, and you’re so pleased about it—but did you know he’s married into another family…

Once he’d revealed this, the crowd’s mood turned gleeful, everyone joining in to needle Shi Changqi. His face flushed red on the spot: “Impossible—how could that be—how would you know—you’re lying!” Lou Shuweng did not explain how he knew, and Shi Changqi found himself with no way out, having to declare he would expose the lie the very next day. Shi Changqi knew Ning Yi would likely only be at home in the afternoon, but that morning, running into several people again, he was goaded further still, and rushed over to Taiping Lane in a hurry to confirm the matter himself, with Lou Shuwan merely having heard the amusing tale secondhand and coming to see for herself.

After confirming the matter, Shi Changqi found himself thoroughly at a loss. Had he learned of it calmly, in an ordinary state of mind, he might at most have found it strange, and even if he felt Ning Yi ought not to have done such a thing, he would hardly have gone charging to the man’s door to lecture him about it. Now, having made something of a fool of himself, when he went that evening to call on his teacher, he was somewhat distracted, unsure whether Qian Xiwen already knew of the matter and what his attitude toward it might be, and so said little. Qian Xiwen, however, noticed at once that something was on his mind, and after a moment’s thought asked, “Changqi, how did your visit to that Ning Liheng go yesterday?”

Qian Xiwen had assumed Ning Yi would prove extraordinarily gifted, showing off enough to leave his student thoroughly impressed. Though it was said there was no true “first” in letters, given the man’s poetic talent, it seemed plausible enough that he might have achieved just that. Instead, Shi Changqi hemmed and hawed for a while before finally saying, “…But, teacher, this Ning Liheng has actually married into another family—into a merchant household, no less. Your student truly feels that this man… this man…”

He could not quite find the words. Qian Xiwen frowned. “Married in? What do you mean, married in?”

Shi Changqi then related the whole affair in detail. Qian Xiwen, having heard him out, frowned in thought for a while without offering an opinion, then presently sent Shi Changqi away and summoned the old steward who had long served at his side.

“Qian Yu, have you heard about this business with Ning Yi?”

The old steward thought for a moment, then nodded. “This old servant… did hear something of it before, yes.”

“Oh?”

“I hear that since arriving in Hangzhou over a month ago, he has not called on a single literary figure, nor taken part in any literary gathering. He has some connection with the Lou family, but the contact between them seems light as well. His wife’s family runs a cloth business, and this past month he has done nothing but accompany his wife on her calls to various merchant houses, or amuse himself on his own—it seems he has no intention at all of making friends through letters or building up a reputation.”

“No wonder, then…” Qian Xiwen nodded. “I had been wondering why, after all this time, I still hadn’t heard his name mentioned by anyone…”

“From what I’ve seen, he certainly doesn’t look the part of some great talent. As for the matter with young Master Shi—this old servant heard something of that too, this morning. It seems… Master Shi was still praising Master Ning last night at the Zuihe Tower…”

Qian Yu related everything that had happened the previous evening in full. Qian Xiwen finally burst out laughing, shaking his head as he thought it over, and after a good while, gazing out toward the door, said, “The news came at the start of the month, Qian Yu, you already know of it…”

“Hm?”

“Qin Siyuan has entered the capital, and has now risen to Right Chancellor—beneath only one man, above ten thousand others, in all the realm. I’ve been thinking it over—when Ning Liheng came south, Qin must already have been preparing for his journey to the capital. And yet at such a time, he still took the trouble to write this letter, asking me to look after this Ning Liheng… The words are simple enough, but their meaning is hard to fathom…”

“From this, then, this Ning Liheng must be a disciple of the Qin family?”

“If he were merely an ordinary disciple of the Qin family, given Master Qin’s standing, he would hardly have written the word ‘look after’ on his behalf.” Qian Xiwen considered this, then gave an odd, almost bewildered laugh, shaking his head. “Ha—he must not be of Qin blood, or he’d never have married into another family. And if he’s a mere student of the Qin household, for such a man—one who’s married in, no less—to earn such favor from Master Qin… ha, this man… cannot be simple. Though for the moment, I confess, I can’t quite work it out.”

Qian Yu watched him rub his forehead in thought, and said, “Shall we invite him to call at the residence?”

“No need—calling him here directly would seem too pointed.” Qian Xiwen waved a hand. “It’s been a month or more since we’ve been in touch as well. In a few days it will be the Start of Autumn, and there’s a poetry gathering at Xiaoyingzhou. Write up an invitation, attach my calling card, and send it over—invite… invite his whole family to come out and enjoy themselves.”

“Yes, sir.”