Chapter 506

Chapter 512: The Heat (Part 1)

How could adults understand the thoughts of children?

After seeing the two children off, Eleven Lady yawned.

"You can rest after paying respects to Mother," Lord Xu said with a faint expression, though Eleven Lady detected a hint of teasing in his tone.

*She pretended not to notice*, and simply replied with a composed "Hmm," lazily leaning against the large pillow, unaware that a blush had crept onto her cheeks.

"Has Brother decided when to report to the Ministry of Personnel and return to the Hanlin Academy?" Eleven Lady asked casually, trying to sound indifferent. "Do you and Brother have any plans for today?"

She needed to instruct the kitchen on meal preparations.

Lord Xu's eyes gleamed with amusement, but he dared not tease her further, for fear of provoking her.

"He said he’d go to the Ministry tomorrow," he replied gently. "Originally, I planned to visit Wang Li with Zhenxing, but Zhenxing invited Jin of the Hanlin Academy to inquire about the Hanlin Academy’s affairs, so we’ll have to postpone."

So, Luo Zhenxing wouldn’t be staying for lunch.

Eleven Lady smiled. "I even had someone save fresh wheat to make lotus-wrapped cakes."

No sooner had she spoken than Luo Zhenxing arrived.

Eleven Lady quickly rose and handed him the prepared pouch. "I heard you’ve welcomed a new companion to your household. This is just a small token of my congratulations."

Inside were a pair of unadorned gold bracelets and a pair of pearl hairpins.

Luo Zhenxing accepted them with a smile. Then, Lord Xu and Eleven Lady went to pay their respects to the elder madam before returning to Bowstring Lane. Lord Xu headed to Wang Li’s place, while Eleven Lady went to rest.

Just as she had fallen asleep, Madam Huang arrived.

She had no choice but to dress and rise.

Madam Huang had come from Third Madam’s side.

She seemed agitated. "Your Third Madam is really... Seeing that the Fang family is easygoing, when they sent someone to measure the house for the dowry furniture, she actually had me take them to the courtyard at Three-Well Alley!"

If the Fang family measured the wrong house, they might assume Three-Well Alley (a secondary Xu family property) was the new residence. Filling such a large compound would likely exhaust the Fang eldest daughter’s dowry of ten thousand silver taels, and if left unfurnished, it would make her dowry appear meager.

Eleven Lady also found it excessive. After a moment’s thought, she asked, "What about Lady Liu, wife of the Minister of War...?"

Madam Huang shook her head lightly. "They say the Fang eldest daughter grew up under the care of the Fang matriarch, who left her a substantial dowry. The Fangs aren’t overly concerned about money, so I doubt Lady Liu would intervene."

Still, this arrangement was improper. If word spread, people might think the Xu family was plotting to squeeze their daughter-in-law’s dowry.

"Perhaps we should clarify with the Fang family," Eleven Lady suggested. "Three-Well Alley is Qin Ge'er’s property, while the bridal chambers will be set at Yongping Marquis’s estate. Let them decide where to take measurements."

Madam Huang sighed. "That’s what I thought too—I couldn’t bring myself to do such a thing."

Eleven Lady smiled reassuringly. "That’s precisely why the elder madam asked you to handle this—no one else could manage it as well."

Though she knew it was flattery, Madam Huang’s expression softened slightly.

"None of your flattery," she said, turning to Lady Zhou. "She’s notorious for her matchmaking..." She then mentioned Fang Jieer’s newborn daughter. "I heard the Zhou family petitioned the throne requesting the Emperor to select a consort for the Crown Prince. The Emperor did not comment, but the Empress Dowager rejected it, saying the couple had just married and the Crown Prince had only recently been appointed—they should focus on state affairs."

Eleven Lady refrained from further comment and simply chatted idly. "Two children in three years is rare even in all the Great Zhou."

Madam Huang laughed behind her sleeve. "I’d say it’s rare to see such a devoted pair!" After a long conversation, Madam Huang at last departed.

Song Mama came in to attend to Eleven Miss as she prepared to rest.

"Never mind!" Seeing it was almost noon, Eleven Miss asked Song Mama to bring her a cup of ginseng-infused water instead. "I might as well take a proper rest at noon."

Song Mama smiled and suggested, "Why not spend half a day at the Dangling Lines Waterside Pavilion?"

Back when the house was renovated, Eleven Miss and Lord Xu had stayed at the Dangling Lines Waterside Pavilion for several months. Though they later moved back, the furnishings there remained unchanged, with maids and older women still cleaning and airing the place. Song Mama’s suggestion was a hint that she could rest there under the pretense of leisure. However, since Eleven Miss wasn’t managing household affairs, she didn’t necessarily need to go to the Dangling Lines Waterside Pavilion just to rest.

"Perhaps later," she gently declined Song Mama’s proposal.

Sixi (Four Joys), who served Xu Sijie, came in. "Madam, the fourth young master took the fifth young master to the Grand Madame’s place."

Eleven Miss frowned. Lord Xu had strict rules about Xu Sizhun’s schedule—aside from morning and evening greetings to the Grand Madame and Eleven Miss, he wasn’t allowed to enter the inner quarters without summons.

"Wait outside. As soon as the fifth young master comes out, bring him back."

Sixi acknowledged the order and went to the Grand Madame’s residence. The time it takes half an incense stick to burn later, he returned. "Madam, the Grand Madame has kept the fourth and fifth young masters for lunch and a nap."

Eleven Miss instructed the maids to serve lunch. Meanwhile, the Grand Madame looked at the solemn-faced Xu Sizhun and laughed. "Your mother might have just recalled it casually—it doesn’t necessarily mean she’s ill! If you’re worried, you should ask her properly in person. You can’t jump to conclusions based on guesses in the future."

Xu Sizhun reddened with embarrassment and agreed.

The Grand Madame had Ge Jin, who had accompanied them, attend to Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie as they took their midday rest in the heated annex. She herself couldn’t help but break into peals of laughter.

Madam Du, who had overheard everything, also chuckled.

The Grand Madame then asked Madam Du to fetch a copy of *Shuowen Jiezi* (an ancient Chinese lexicon). "I’ll study it carefully—I need to think of good names for any future grandsons!"

In the afternoon, Fourth Madam Luo brought the newly entered concubine Wang Shi to offer greetings to Eleven Miss.

Eleven Miss invited them to sit inside and took a moment to observe Wang Shi while the maids served tea and snacks.

She was only fourteen or fifteen, fair and delicate, with her hair in a round coiled chignon adorned with a peach-blossom silver hairpin. She wore a pink Hangzhou-woven silk jacket and a blue-green moon-phase skirt, appearing slender and graceful. Sitting with her eyelids slightly lowered, she seemed very quietly composed.

When a maid offered her tea, she quickly stood up. Seeing Fourth Madam Luo sitting calmly, she blushed and sat back down, looking somewhat nervous.

Fourth Madam Luo, who had been speaking to Eleven Miss about Yingniang—"...caught a chill, so we left her at home"—noticed Wang Shi’s reaction and smiled. "Lady Eleven is of noble lineage and values propriety. Though you’re a concubine, you’re still a secondary mistress, especially as a guest here. When a maid serves tea, a nod of acknowledgment is enough—no need to stand." She seemed to be instructing her on etiquette.

Wang Shi’s face reddened further as she softly replied, "Yes."

Fourth Madam Luo explained to Eleven Miss with a smile, "Like me, she grew up in the countryside, so she needs more guidance. Fortunately, Aunt isn’t an outsider."

Eleven Miss smiled and returned to the earlier topic. "Yingniang caught a chill? Is it serious? Did you call an Imperial Doctor? What medicine was prescribed?"

Her questions came one after another, sounding urgent.

Fourth Madam Luo, touched, quickly reassured her. "It’s not serious. We had Imperial Doctor Wu from the Imperial Hospital examine her carefully. He said two doses of decoction would suffice."

"That’s good!" Eleven Miss smiled. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Fourth Madam Luo took her leave with Wang Shi.

That evening, when Eleven Miss went to offer greetings to the Grand Madame, the Grand Madame took her by the hands and scrutinized her closely. She asked if Eleven Miss was consuming two taels of edible bird’s nest daily, whether her stock was sufficient, and offered to share hers if needed, urging her to recover quickly. Later, away from Eleven Miss, she scolded Lord Xu. "She’s young and doesn’t know better, but you should. Look at Eleven Miss—her eyelids are shadowed. She’s still young and can endure it now, but in a few years, her health will decline. Do you really want to be known as a wife-killer?"

It had been years since Lord Xu had been reprimanded so harshly by his mother, and he felt uneasy. Returning to his quarters, he feared Eleven Miss would question him, but Song Mama informed him she had already gone to bed.

When he got into bed, Eleven Miss didn’t so much as shift.

Lord Xu was surprised.

He gazed at her intently.

He didn't see any dark circles under her eyelids, but felt she seemed a bit thinner.

He pulled Eleven Miss into his arms.

Eleven Miss let out a soft "hmm" without opening her eyes or greeting him, drifting back into sleep.

A few days passed like this, and Lord Xu began to regret his actions.

Had he known, he wouldn’t have indulged himself so recklessly. It was like eating through all his provisions at once. Better to take it slow, enjoying playful moments with Eleven Miss each day.

Eleven Miss, however, didn’t feel much of a difference.

After resting for several days, she gradually regained her energy. Every day, she listened to Madam Huang complain about the Third Madam while also keeping up with updates on Xu Siqin’s wedding preparations. Soon, it was late April.

Fourth Miss’s personal maidservant came to deliver news to Eleven Miss: "Our mistress has given birth to another young master—plump and fair, weighing eight catties [about 10.5 pounds]."

Eleven Miss rewarded the messenger, attended the Thirdday Ceremony, celebrated the full-month banquet, took care of the children, and prepared summer socks for Lord Xu. Amidst the busyness, the Dragon Boat Festival approached. After exchanging festival gifts with various households, it was suddenly mid-June, and the Fifth Madam gave birth to a son for Xu Lingkuan at dusk!

The Elder Madam was beside herself with joy, holding Jin Geer, who could easily roll off the heated bed (kang), and said, "We have Jin Geer to thank for this good fortune—not only did he arrive himself, but he also brought along a little brother!"

Xu Lingkuan chuckled while cradling the child. The Fifth Madam, lying in bed with a traditional Chinese forehead band, gazed at her husband with pride.

"What perfect timing!" remarked the Third Madam, who had stayed in the capital for her son’s wedding. "After the full-month banquet, we can proceed with Siqin’s wedding. Once that’s done, it’ll be time for the baby’s hundred-day celebration. This child came at the most fortuitous time possible."

Meanwhile, Eleven Miss thought of Xu Sijie—his small frame sitting perfectly straight, concentrating intently on tracing characters at the kang table.