With a crash, a teacup shattered against the floor, porcelain shards scattering.

“Heh. All these years hunting geese, only to end up pecked by a sparrow today…”

The mood in the side cabin of the pleasure boat was somewhat tense, the muffled sound of voices drifting in from not far away. Lou Jinlin sat in his chair, staring for a long moment at the hand that had just flung the teacup, before finally letting out a short laugh.

To one side of the room, Lou Shuweng reclined in a bamboo chair while a physician from the Lou household tended his wounds. The door was shut tight; the only others present were Lou Shuwan and her husband Song Zhiqian. Several of the Lou family’s relatives and younger members waited outside the door — they could clearly hear the sound of the shattering cup, but Lou Jinlin paid them no mind.

Back in the main hall, once Su Tan’er had delivered that impassioned declaration, whatever rebuttal the Lou family had prepared had, in an instant, lost all its force. Compared to the gravity of the affair at the outset, and the expectations everyone had carried, the entire situation had, in that moment, tipped suddenly in another direction entirely. Once Qian Xiwen and Mu Bochang had made their brief remarks, Lu Tuizhi — who had originally seemed inclined to help the Lou family secure a conviction against Ning Liheng — showed little further hesitation before setting the tone for how the whole matter would be resolved.

Lou Shuweng’s initial act had been, in principle, a righteous one, though carried out with excessive recklessness; the group of scholars who’d rallied to his cause out of righteous indignation deserved some credit for their sense of justice, though they too had acted impulsively. As for Ning Yi’s side — while his devotion was admirable, holding hands in public was likewise reckless, and he had, moreover, used excessive force in the fight, showing insufficient restraint…

Once Lu Tuizhi had spoken these words, whatever further commentary followed was little more than decoration. Ning Yi then offered a proactive apology, cupping his hands in salute; among the injured were two students of Mu Bochang’s, and when Mu Bochang grew visibly displeased, they hastily rose and deferred. Once a crack appeared within a group like this, the rest, however angry they remained inwardly, had no further recourse. Su Tan’er then offered, with a show of humility, to have the Su family cover the costs of treatment for everyone injured.

On the surface, Lu Tuizhi appeared to be dealing out fifty lashes to both sides equally, but in truth, there was no longer any possibility of convicting anyone at all — and if no conviction was to follow, the affair simply reverted to being a social gathering once more. There were still other matters to address, but with so many injured, Lu Tuizhi had the physicians attend to everyone first. Lou Jinlin, meanwhile, had a physician confirm that Lou Shuweng’s injuries were not minor, and requested a room where his son could rest for the time being — and it was only then that the fury he’d been holding back finally erupted.

At this point, who was right and who was wrong no longer mattered to him at all. The Su family were mere outsiders, and yet in front of everyone, they had dealt him a resounding slap in the face — even Qian Xiwen and Mu Bochang had ended up standing against him. This was not something he could simply let pass.

Lou Shuweng was still muttering “that vile woman” under his breath — not loudly, but clearly audible in the room. Lou Jinlin glanced at his son, then turned to his daughter instead: “Today’s affair, my family cannot let rest easily. Shuwan, whatever you think of it, from now on you are not to have any further contact with that Su Tan’er. I want to ask you — after the fight broke out down below, were you present at the scene?”

“Yes.” Lou Shuwan nodded, assuming her father meant to reproach her for stepping in to mediate at the time — but that wasn’t what Lou Jinlin was asking about at all.

“When the fight broke out, and people accused this Ning Liheng of carrying on with the maid, when you stepped forward, Su Tan’er had already arrived as well, hadn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“And she said nothing at all, at that time?”

“Mm…” Nodding for a third time, Lou Shuwan looked puzzled, glancing at her father.

Lou Jinlin leaned back against his chair, turning his head to look at Lou Shuweng.

“This woman had already worked out the reason for the fight, right from the start. From the moment she appeared, through boarding this boat, and through the entire proceedings after that, she said almost nothing at all. The two of you assumed she was simply too disappointed to speak — even I assumed the same. But if she’d truly intended to say what she eventually said, she could have told everyone about the relationship between the maid and Ning Yi the very moment she arrived below deck. Have you considered why she didn’t?”

Lou Shuweng blinked, thought it over, then seemed to catch on: “She… it was a lie, wasn’t it? She never actually promised the maid to Ning Yi at all. That’s why she said nothing down below — and only once we were on the boat did she realize this was the only way to save her husband?”

Lou Jinlin’s hand curled into a fist on the tea table, and he turned his head to regard his son, the fist nearly coming down on the table before he restrained himself, setting it down gently instead, and spoke, word by word: “What exactly is going through your head, Lou Shuweng?” A note of strangled fury crept into his voice as he growled, “Has that woman completely bewitched you!? Since when has this been going on!?”

“Wh-what… no, no, it’s nothing like that…”

“Heh. That woman had it all worked out from the very beginning — she knew this couldn’t be resolved down below. Had she said down there that the maid was already promised to Ning Liheng as a concubine, no one would have believed her once things reached the boat! She was waiting from the very start for the moment to speak. Heh — Shuwan, you told me earlier about that business with the box of silkworms she sent, and even after that, I still underestimated her. When it comes to scheming and calculation, the two of you, brother and sister, fall well short of her. Shuwan, this is exactly why I’m telling you not to associate with her any further — I don’t want you used by her without even realizing it!”

His words were harsh, and Lou Shuwan could only lower her head and remain silent. But after a moment, Lou Jinlin laughed softly: “Well, so be it. I’d heard the men of the Su family weren’t much use — but it seems they’ve produced a remarkably formidable woman after all…”

“But Father, right now both Qian Xiwen and Mu Bochang are standing on their side, and it was Qian Xiwen’s own invitation that brought them here — their connection…”

“It’s of no consequence.” Lou Jinlin waved a hand. “This time there was no preparation at all, everything happened in a rush — Qian Xiwen can afford to be indifferent to my family’s position on this occasion, doing nothing more than extending a small favor as things unfolded. But once my family takes a firm, unwavering stance, once he understands that clearly, how much more is he really going to be willing to do for this Ning Liheng? Enough of this for today — the two of you go on out, I’ll join you shortly…”

He gestured to his daughter and son-in-law, and Lou Shuwan and Song Zhiqian made their way out together. Along the way, Lou Shuwan’s expression remained placid, giving nothing away of her thoughts, while Song Zhiqian, too, seemed lost in his own musings, his head bowed — in truth, still turning over what Su Tan’er had said earlier. He had never imagined that a couple joined by such an arrangement could actually live together the way those two seemed to.

As they made their way to the main hall, many were already rearranging their seats; at the front, a number of the injured had already been bandaged up and were talking among themselves in clusters. Given how the earlier events had played out along regional lines, with Hangzhou coming out on the losing end, there was inevitably some lingering resentment among a few — but Tang Xiuxuan was already going around telling people things like, “A true man should be broad of heart, quick to correct his faults when wrong. Everyone here today was injured, true, but we were also, admittedly, somewhat too rash and too quick to judge without seeing the full picture. We men of Hangzhou have our own kind of bearing — let’s not dwell on this any further.” With such elders stepping in, the atmosphere eased considerably.

Some even walked up to Ning Yi directly: “This whole affair truly was my own recklessness — I offer you my apology here, Brother Ning, and hope you’ll think no more of it.”

Ning Yi returned the courtesy: “It was I who struck too hard — what fault could there possibly be on your side, sir?”

“Ah, though I was injured, it was entirely my own doing — but I won’t hide it from you, Brother Ning, I did land two blows on you myself earlier, and for you, that was simply an unfortunate accident. The fault, in the end, is mine.” Having said this, the two men shared a laugh, letting the whole matter go, the mood turning warm and cordial.

In truth, those willing to make such a gesture were, for the most part, men who didn’t fear the Lou family’s influence and had some standing of their own — taking such a stance actually earned them a measure of reputation. Before long, others began speaking as well, of the deep affection between Ning Yi and his wife, of Ning Yi’s fame as a poet. By this point, his hand had already been bandaged, and up ahead, Qian Xiwen could be heard speaking with a laugh.

“…To be honest, though this old man has read the classics for many years and seen a great deal of the world, I confess I’ve always looked somewhat down upon the practice of a man marrying into another family. It was only today, seeing Liheng’s conduct, that I found myself compelled to reconsider. Liheng, to have won such a wife — what more could a man ask for? You must treasure her well.”

Ning Yi nodded in agreement, and Su Tan’er bowed with a smile, offering her thanks for the elder’s praise: “In truth, it is I who am fortunate to have married my husband.”

Qian Xiwen nodded, smiling: “The depth of feeling between the two of you will surely be spoken of by others for years to come — a fortune for you both, one you should each cherish. And yet, today’s events truly are something of a pity to reflect on, Liheng. However this affair may be resolved today, a man’s status as a son-in-law who married into his wife’s family will always be constrained by the world’s judgment, and though the truth may be made clear today, in time you’ll no doubt find yourself misunderstood and misjudged again. This old man thinks that, given the depth of feeling between the two of you, whether it’s called marrying in or marrying out hardly matters anymore. Why not take this opportunity to amend your marriage contract? There’s little precedent for such a thing, but as far as this old man can see, it can certainly be done. With Prefect Lu here today, along with myself, Elder Mu, Elder Tang, and the rest — I would be glad to serve as matchmaker myself. The two of you could simply change your standing so that you are the one taking a wife, rather than marrying in. As for the lady’s side, simply set the original marriage contract aside, and the formalities of matchmakers and witnesses can follow as a mere formal courtesy afterward. I have no doubt your marriage would be praised and celebrated by all who hear of it, and going forward, it would spare you a great deal of trouble besides. Liheng, with your talent and ambition, you’re a man meant for great things — this would clear away no small number of obstacles from your path…”

Once he’d finished speaking, a certain hush fell over those nearby, everyone watching to see how the couple would respond. Had Qin Siyuan been present, he surely would have praised Qian Xiwen for understanding his intentions so precisely and acting with such decisive resolve.

For Qin Siyuan, seeing a man of Ning Yi’s talent cling stubbornly to his status as a son-in-law had always been something of a persistent worry. That he’d omitted any mention of Ning Yi’s status when writing to Qian Xiwen had, in truth, partly been a deliberate move — hoping Qian Xiwen might apply some pressure of his own on the matter. Of course, Qin Siyuan hadn’t truly expected Qian Xiwen to succeed in changing this stubborn young man’s mind; it had been, in some sense, a half-joking gambit from the start. And one of Qian Xiwen’s main reasons for inviting Ning Yi in the first place had indeed been to get a clearer sense of just what this son-in-law situation was really about — that he should now seize the moment to try to correct the couple’s standing was, fittingly enough, exactly the kind of move one would expect from a friend as astute as Qin Siyuan.

Perhaps even the slight hush around them was only imagined, because almost the instant Qian Xiwen finished speaking, Su Tan’er had already bowed her head and inclined her body: “In that case, this humble wife offers her thanks to all of you gentlemen — but I shall leave the matter entirely in Elder Qian’s hands, along with everyone else’s.”

Qian Xiwen chuckled warmly from his seat, and the crowd laughed along with him. Lou Shuwan and the others, watching this all unfold from behind, noticed that Ning Yi, too, wore a faint smile on his face; he turned to glance at his wife beside him. Su Tan’er’s head was lowered now, her face not fully visible, but beneath the strands of hair falling across her cheek, there was, faintly, the crescent curve of a demure, obedient smile.

“Then… my thanks to you, Elder Qian.”

Ning Yi cupped his hands together, and everyone listened intently to what he would say next, assuming the matter was now settled. But then, to everyone’s surprise, they heard him sigh. “However — in the years when the Ning family had fallen on hard times, so poor we could barely keep food on the table, it was only the Su family who offered us a helping hand. Liheng… it may well be for that reason that I chose to marry in. I myself have never minded my status as a son-in-law, and no one in the Su family today looks down on me for it either. To change things now on a sudden impulse would only create needless difficulty for a great many people. As I see it — my thanks to Elder Qian, but perhaps it’s best things remain as they are.”

Qian Xiwen’s brow furrowed, his gaze turning serious as he looked at Ning Yi, who merely returned his look with a smile and a bow. In truth, the matter could be either simple or complicated, depending on how one looked at it. With a prefect of Hangzhou and a great scholar like Qian Xiwen both willing to serve as matchmaker and witness, making everything proper and above board was, on the surface, a small enough thing to arrange. But the customs and rites of the world had their own fixed rules; once the two of them changed their status, amended the marriage contract, and went through the formalities of matchmakers and witnesses once more, however much everything else remained the same, what had been changed would remain changed.

Here in Hangzhou, for the time being, perhaps no one would say anything against it — perhaps, with men like Qian Xiwen orchestrating it, it might even be celebrated as a fine tale. But in the eyes of propriety and custom, it would still amount, in essence, to the son-in-law leaving the household to establish himself independently, and then remarrying Su Tan’er as though for a second time.

Though the marriage itself would remain unchanged, how would the Su family back in Jiangning view it? What might others say of Su Tan’er? There would inevitably be unkind talk. In truth, throughout this whole affair, it was he who stood to gain everything, while all the sacrifice and cost fell upon Su Tan’er — that was the crux of the matter.

These advantages, he genuinely did not care for in his heart. But as for what she would be sacrificing — he knew Su Tan’er’s temperament well; women of this era had precious little they could truly strive for or hold onto for themselves, and however much she loved him, however brightly she smiled, these things did, in truth, matter to her. Why put her through that unnecessarily?

In truth, he also carried a certain pride of his own. Bearing the status of a son-in-law might make certain things less convenient, but there was little enough he actually wanted to accomplish for now — and as for his own pride, even carrying the title of son-in-law, nothing he truly wanted to do would prove beyond his reach; he simply didn’t care about it, and in fact took a certain quiet satisfaction in that indifference. If pursuing this would only upset the family, then it wasn’t worth doing — it simply wasn’t important enough to matter.

Qian Xiwen studied him for a moment, then laughed, his tone still mild: “Ha, that Liheng should hold to such gratitude speaks well of him. But bearing the name of a son-in-law will always constrain what a man can freely accomplish. A man ought to have lofty ambitions, and with your talent, Liheng — accomplished in both letters and arms as you are — surely you’d wish, someday, to serve your country and make your mark? And besides, as a son-in-law, you cannot carry on the Ning family line… I have no doubt Tan’er understands these things as well as anyone.”

These two remarks carried a hidden edge, sharper than before. Ning Yi answered, still smiling: “In truth, Tan’er and I have already discussed this. When we have children, one can carry on the Su family business, and another can carry on the Ning family line — this need not be difficult at all…”

He spoke lightly, and yet it was still a refusal. Su Tan’er, moved nearly to tears by his previous refusal, knew that pressing the point further would only cause genuine offense, and quickly tugged at his sleeve, saying with a smile: “It’s only… only that he cares too much for my sake… Well, my husband has already decided that he’ll be traveling to the capital before long — this has already been arranged with Grandfather Qin. He’s simply too stubborn about these things. I… I’ll try to talk him around after this. Grandfather Qian, please don’t hold it against him — and you too, Your Excellency, Elder Mu…”

Having shown such resolve and strength of will earlier, she now cast herself as a woman flustered with worry for her husband’s sake, and Qian Xiwen couldn’t help but burst out laughing, finding it impossible to stay annoyed, only feeling that Ning Yi’s devotion to this wife of his was truly something else — clearly there was real affection between the two of them. He waved a hand: “Very well, very well. Since you’ll be heading to the capital soon anyway, I’ll leave this matter to Chancellor Qin to handle — this old man won’t make a nuisance of himself any further.”

Among the onlookers, only Lu Tuizhi had some prior knowledge of Ning Yi’s connection to Qin Siyuan; everyone else, hearing Su Tan’er mention some “Grandfather Qin” they were to visit in the capital, had been puzzled as to who this Grandfather Qin might be — but upon hearing Qian Xiwen’s words, they were all utterly astonished, hardly able to believe Ning Yi had such a connection.

Lu Tuizhi had earlier heard from Qian Yu that Ning Yi had some connection to Qin Siyuan, but hadn’t known the nature of it, assuming it was probably nothing very deep — otherwise, why would Qin Siyuan, now Chancellor and heading to the capital, have someone merely following his wife south to do business? He too was now taken aback, quietly revising his assessment of Ning Yi upward. He laughed along to smooth things over, then added: “I’d heard earlier that Liheng is the First Talent of Jiangning — I’ve heard those pieces, the ‘Prelude to Water Melody,’ the ‘Green Jade Cup,’ and they truly are marvelous. I hadn’t realized they were genuinely his own work…”

Since arriving in Hangzhou, Ning Yi hadn’t written a single poem or lyric, and most people had only a vague sense of this reputation — what had left the deepest impression, of course, was his having just single-handedly fought off dozens of men. Now, with Lu Tuizhi bringing it up, everyone’s interest was piqued. Lu Tuizhi continued: “Since Liheng has been in Hangzhou two months now without producing a single fine piece, that hardly seems right. Why not compose something now, and let us compare it against the talents of our own Hangzhou scholars — what do you say?”

At this, the crowd broke into laughter, curiosity stirring. Ning Yi considered it for a moment, then smiled as well. Lu Tuizhi addressed the gathering: “Today’s gathering is, after all, a poetry gathering, and composing verse is only fitting. It was rather unfortunate that things came to blows earlier. As I see it, we men of Hangzhou ought to be broad-minded — but after what just happened, we really must recover some face. So, gentlemen, don’t hold back — put on your finest display, and let Liheng see what our Hangzhou scholars are truly capable of. And between us, I rather hope you’ll all give him a proper good ribbing while you’re at it.”

Everyone laughed heartily at this. Lu Tuizhi continued: “As for the subject of this contest — so that no one dwells further on what just happened, let’s avoid making this place itself the topic. Liheng, having spent two months here in Hangzhou, must surely have some impressions of the place by now, and the rest of you are all Hangzhou men as well — why not write something grand in scale, with Hangzhou itself as the theme? What do you all say?”

The earlier events had left the mood somewhat strained, and Lu Tuizhi’s handling of the matter now showed real care. Setting a broad theme made the task easier for everyone, and easier to lift the mood — the assembled talents of Hangzhou, having lived here so long, would surely have material ready at hand, much of it excellent. An easy topic worked to both sides’ advantage; for Ning Yi, it amounted to a personal favor as well — since everyone already had verses prepared, comparing and discussing them afterward would go smoothly regardless, and the mood would lift naturally.

Once he’d finished speaking, the crowd nodded in agreement, many glancing toward Ning Yi at the front of the hall. Lou Shuwan knew Ning Yi was a talented poet, but had never actually seen him compose anything, and found herself curious. Su Tan’er, too, had never seen her husband take part in such a formal literary gathering, and turned to look at him. He simply smiled and nodded readily: “Very well — someone bring paper and brush.”

This was perhaps the most readily he had ever composed a poem in front of a crowd. People murmured among themselves: “He must have prepared this in advance.” “Let’s see what he comes up with.” Since the topic was broad enough, and everyone had their own stock of prepared verses — all fine work — someone else laughed and said: “I have mine ready too — let’s see how we compare.” Soon paper and brushes were brought forward, four or five sets in all, with many others watching on, waiting to see what would come of it.

The rice paper was spread out, Su Tan’er ground the ink, and Ning Yi picked up his brush. Those interested gathered into little clusters up front, some craning their necks to peer over one another’s shoulders. Lou Shuwan, having witnessed Ning Yi’s violence firsthand but never his literary talent, drifted over to watch as well. Before long, Ning Yi set brush to paper on the round table and began to write.

The crowd fell silent. Those farther off who hadn’t bothered to come see what the fuss was about now looked up in curiosity, sensing something was happening. At some point, someone murmured a name under their breath, and moments later that name had spread — passed from table to table, to others who were themselves writing poems and lyrics, so that they too might know what they were up against. Three characters: “Wang Hai Chao” — “Watching the Tide.”

“Wang Hai Chao.” “Wang Hai Chao…” “It’s called Wang Hai Chao.” “Over there, Wang Hai Chao…”

Wang Hai Chao, Wang Hai Chao, Wang Hai Chao, Wang Hai Chao, Wang Hai Chao…

“Wang Hai Chao? What’s that?”

Someone asked quietly.