Chapter 403

**Chapter 408: Stirrings (Part 2)**

Young Masters Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian got settled at Distant Fragrance Pavilion first, then went to join the elder madam for dinner.

Everyone was there except Lady Eleven.

The gathering of cousins and brothers was lively before they finally dispersed.

Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian went to visit Young Master Xu Siyu. The young men had the outer courtyard’s kitchen prepare a few dishes, brought out a jar of Jinhua wine, and shut the door to catch up.

Xu Sijian, being young and guileless, was quickly drunk under the table by Xu Siqin and Xu Siyu after only a few rounds. Xu Siyu summoned Xiao Luzi to put him to bed, then sat down with Xu Siqin for a talk.

"Don’t hide it from me—why did you suddenly decide to return to Yanjing?" Xu Siyu, used to carousing with classmates in Le’an, had long mastered the art of both dodging and pouring drinks, unlike Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian, who had always lived under their parents’ watchful eyes.

Xu Siqin, already slightly tipsy, offered a bitter smile.

"You know how my mother is—never satisfied, always reaching higher. In the end, she offended my father’s superior. My father had no choice but to send us two brothers back to Yanjing."

"Offended his superior?" Xu Siyu asked in surprise. "What exactly happened?"

Xu Siqin sighed. "The magistrate of Shangzhou had a daughter about Sijian’s age and wanted to arrange a marriage with our family. But my mother thought their status too low and refused. Instead, she set her sights on the daughter of the Shaanxi Education Commissioner..." He paused. "But the commissioner disdained us for having no official rank..."

Xu Siyu sensed things weren't that simple. "Still, that doesn’t sound like an offense."

Xu Siqin looked awkward. "My mother had the wife of the Shaanxi Military Commander act as matchmaker. Who knew the commissioner would be so arrogant? He outright refused, making the commander’s wife lose face. When she returned and told my mother, my mother grew angry and mentioned how the Shangzhou magistrate had once sought a marriage alliance with us, which we rejected. Somehow, the story got twisted as it spread until it became the magistrate desperately trying to push to marry off his daughter to either me or Sijian..."

Xu Siyu was stunned. "That’s incredibly insulting!"

"Exactly!" Xu Siqin said helplessly. "My father is lenient—if he saw some families truly couldn’t pay taxes, he’d turn a blind eye and waive them. As a result, tax quotas went unfulfilled for two years. The magistrate never said anything before. But after the rumors spread, my father was reprimanded by him for two months straight. By the time I left, his performance evaluation came back marked ‘poor.’"

Xu Siyu had no words and simply poured Xu Siqin another drink.

The room fell silent.

Xu Siqin downed two cups in quick succession before suddenly asking, “How is Yuan Jieer?”

“I don’t know,” Xu Siyu replied, his expression clouding over. “Not long after you left, I went to Le’an myself…” He took a large sip of wine and murmured, “Mother probably knows. I heard she’s been close with Elder Madam Gan.”

Xu Siqin didn’t respond. After a long pause, he took a deep breath and mustered a smile. “By the way, what’s ailing your mother?”

“She’s not ill,” Xu Siyu said softly, lowering his gaze. “She’s with child.”

“Ah!” Xu Siqin was surprised. Seeing Xu Siyu’s bitterness, he poured him another cup and teased, “Hey, didn’t you write to me saying you were solely focused on passing the exams? And that as long as you worked hard, Fourth Uncle would show some consideration for Qin Yi, leaving you with no regrets. So what’s this now? Was that just lip service?”

Xu Siyu glared at him. “Would I ever say something insincere to you?”

“Then why do you care?” Xu Siqin laughed. “Even if Fourth Aunt gives birth to ten children, what does it matter to you?”

“I don’t care!” Xu Siyu retorted. “When did I ever say I cared?”

“If that’s the case,” Xu Siqin said, “why so defensive?”

Xu Siyu fell silent, lips parting and closing before muttering, “You’re the one misunderstanding me…”

******

When Lord Xu returned to his chambers, Lady Eleven was eating millet porridge with preserved garlic sent by Elder Madam Gan.

He smiled and patted her head before going to change his clothes. When he came back out, Lady Eleven was hesitating with a clove of garlic in hand.

“What’s wrong?” Lord Xu asked, sitting across from her on the kang.

"It's really delicious," said Eleven Miss, placing the garlic clove back on the small dish. "But I'm afraid eating too much might not be good."

Xu Ling'an laughed heartily. "How about having some apples instead?"

Eleven Miss shook her head. "Never mind, I'd rather not feel unwell again."

Amber helped Eleven Miss wash up. By the time she returned, the maids had already made up the heated bed—these past few days, they had been sleeping on the large kang by the window in the eastern chamber.

Xu Lingyi then asked her about Yu Cheng's marriage: "...Has it been settled?"

"Most likely, yes!" Eleven Miss climbed onto the kang, though she wondered why Xu Lingyi suddenly brought this up. "Fourth Miss is quite pleased." Then, having a sudden thought, she smiled and asked, "Did Third Young Master ask you to help find good matches for Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian?"

Xu Lingyi tucked the quilt around her. "Not me. He asked Mother."

She had guessed correctly.

"Mother must be in a difficult position too," Eleven Miss's mind raced. "A matchmaker must weigh both sides—both families should be of similar standing. I agreed to arrange Yu Cheng's marriage only because Fourth Miss is gentle and kind, ensuring Elder Madam Gan's niece wouldn't face unreasonable harshness. For other families, I wouldn’t dare interfere." She then recounted how Third Young Master's wife had quarreled with her sister-in-law, leading to Yuan Jie'er's hasty betrothal. "...If Third Lady can’t even get along with her own sister-in-law, how could she with others?"

Xu Lingyi had seen how troubled the dowager looked after reading Xu Lingning's letter. He had intended to remind Eleven Miss, who was arranging Fourth Miss's marriage, but she turned out to be far more perceptive than he expected.

"You," he chuckled, removing his shoes and joining her on the kang, "always have a system for everything."

Eleven Miss smiled faintly.

She feared Xu Lingyi might push onto her the responsibility of arranging marriages for Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian. If the brides were mistreated by Third Lady after entering the household, how could she answer to their families?

Seeing Xu Lingyi drop the topic, she quickly lay down. "Let’s rest early tonight."

Glad she had eaten well and was ready to sleep, Xu Lingyi blew out the lamp and lay beside her, his hand naturally finding its way under her robe to rest on her still-flat belly.

Eleven Miss shifted slightly, finding a comfortable position, and soon fell asleep.

******

On Double Third Festival day, everyone came to check on Eleven Miss, knowing she was unwell, before heading to the flower hall for meals. After dining, they moved to Dianchun Hall to listen to storytelling.

Lady Zhou, however, sought out Eleven Miss.

"Are you expecting?" she asked bluntly, her sharp eyes missing nothing.

"The physician said the signs aren't definite yet," Eleven Miss replied with a smile. "We'll know for sure after another examination in a few days."

"Those imperial physicians," Lady Zhou scoffed, "always afraid of responsibility. I know these signs well—I'm certain I'm right."

Eleven Miss smiled and asked the maids to serve tea.

"These days must be tough," Lady Zhou sat by the kang and chatted. "It'll get better soon. Since it's spring, eggs are abundant—you should eat plenty..." She shared her wisdom at length before asking, "What arrangements have you made regarding His Lordship?"

Eleven Miss hesitated to admit Xu Lingyi had been staying in the inner quarters lately and answered vaguely, "No particular plans."

"That won't do!" Lady Zhou lowered her voice. "You must take precautions—select a chambermaid soon." She pointed toward the eastern courtyard. "Don't give anyone an opening."

Eleven Miss gave a faint smile but said nothing.

Some matters were unavoidable, but she would never take the initiative.

Lady Zhou took her silence as assent and sighed deeply. "With Lady Yang gone from our household, I had no choice but to console my husband and help him take a new concubine."

Eleven Miss couldn't hide her surprise.

"Otherwise he might think I can't tolerate Yang Shi," Lady Zhou said with a smile. "So this time, instead of promoting any of my maids, I found him a girl from a respectable scholarly family outside. Not only that, but she's also very beautiful—just as beautiful as Yang Shi."

Just then, Madam Huang arrived.

"I knew you were hiding here having a private chat with Eleven Miss!" Madam Huang said, eyeing Eleven Miss with a smile. "Are you pregnant?"

It was impossible to hide anything from these experienced matrons.

Eleven Miss repeated her explanation.

Before she could finish, Lady Lin arrived.

"I thought it looked like you might be pregnant," Lady Lin said cheerfully. "This is wonderful—you’ve finally gotten your wish." Then she added frankly, "Don’t bother with all those petty matters now. Your health is what’s important, and having a son is what matters most." She then inquired about Eleven Miss’s daily routine.

Chatting with them, Eleven Miss didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. They stayed until dusk, leaving only when it was time for dinner.

A few days later, Physician Liu came to take her pulse again and this time confirmed without doubt that it was a pregnancy. Only then did the Elder Lady and others dare to spread the news. Lord Xu even wrote a letter to be sent to Yuyao. The Second and Fifth Madams brought tonics to visit her. Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie babbled excitedly around Eleven Miss, guessing whether it would be a brother or sister, while Xin Jie’er amused herself walking back and forth in front of a full-length mirror, watching her reflection. Zhenjie brought several embroidery patterns for Eleven Miss to choose from: "Should I make a ‘Plenty Every Year’ bellyband or a ‘Joyful Reunion’ one?"

Eleven Miss smiled. "Just pick whichever you think looks best!"

Just then, the Empress and the Crown Princess both sent eunuchs to inquire about her condition, along with gifts of tonics.

The commotion had barely settled when Fourth Miss, upon hearing the news, arrived with medicinal herbs to see her.

"Fifth Concubine will be thrilled when she finds out!" she said, taking Eleven Miss’s hand. Her thoughts drifted to Seventh Miss, and her mood dimmed slightly.

Eleven Miss also thought of Seventh Miss, who still showed no signs of pregnancy, so she steered the conversation toward happier topics: "I heard Cheng-ge’s marriage has been settled?"

Fourth Miss, not wanting to dampen the mood by mentioning Seventh Miss, replied cheerfully, "We plan to have the betrothal ceremony in May, and the wedding after the girl comes of age. That way, our Cheng-ge can focus on his studies for a few more years." She added, "I came for two reasons—to see you and to ask Lord Xu to be the matchmaker!"