Amber was placed by Lin Zeyan on the desk in the study. He lifted its chin to examine it carefully but saw nothing unusual about Amber.
Amber stretched lazily, full of energy after sleeping all day, showing no signs of distress from being confined. It shook its body, glanced at Lin Zeyan, then buried its head and began grooming its fur with its tongue.
Lin Zeyan caught a faint, refreshing fragrance. He leaned closer to Amber and found that the scent came from Amber itself. As for how Amber had come to carry this kind of incense, it went without saying—it was her scent.
Lin Zeyan leaned back in his chair, propping his head with one hand as he watched Amber groom its fur. Just moments ago, his cousin had been licked by Amber, and he remembered how her fair cheek had quickly flushed red. He stood up, picked up Amber, and went out.
"Go call Qingshi over."
Qingyan went to fetch him. Qingshu noticed the irritation in his master's brow and thought of what had happened earlier in the West Main Courtyard. At that time, he and Qingyan had been waiting outside when they heard a commotion from within. Peering inside, they had seen their master staring at the young lady cousin as if he had never seen a woman before.
Their master was proud by nature and completely ignorant in matters between men and women. Today was an exception. Could those servants' rumors actually be true?
Thinking this way, he felt that judging purely by appearance and family background, his master and the young lady cousin were quite well matched.
Qingyan returned with Qingshi. Lin Zeyan handed Amber to Qingshi and instructed, "From now on, take Amber to play at the Amber Pavilion in the back. Don't take it to the bamboo grove anymore."
Though Qingshi was surprised by this sudden order, he saw that his master's expression was not good and did not dare ask questions.
Before resting, Lin Zeyan thought of something and instructed Qingshi again, "By the way, remember to give Amber a wash."
Qingyan followed after him. Qingshu stayed behind and said to Qingshi, "Amber injured the young lady cousin today. Keep a close eye on it. I told you Amber was dangerous, but you said it wasn't."
Hearing that Amber had injured someone—and the Second Madam's most beloved young lady cousin at that—Qingshi was startled. But he was, aside from his master, the person closest to Amber. Apart from being fierce during hunts, Amber usually could not be bothered with people and had never shown any inclination to hurt anyone.
"Amber usually can't even be bothered to acknowledge people. How could it hurt someone?"
Seeing that Qingshi still harbored thoughts of arguing, Qingshu advised him, "You'd better keep a close eye on Amber, lest it injures someone and angers His Majesty."
At the mention of His Majesty, Qingshi perked up and argued no further.
After bathing and washing up, Lin Zeyan stared at the bed for a long time. His gaze was so prolonged that Qingshu and Qingyan thought there must be something on the bed and hurried to tidy it. But the bedding was changed daily and was as clean as new—there was nothing there.
Lin Zeyan waved them off. They reached the door but were called back. Lin Zeyan thought for a moment, then pointed to the lamp stands on either side of the bed and said:
"These two lamps—keep them lit from now on."
Qingshu and Qingyan hurriedly acknowledged the order, but inwardly they were puzzled. With the two lamp stands beside the bed left burning, the bed area would be brightly lit—how would their master be able to sleep? After all, in the past, their master could not tolerate even a single lamp left on while sleeping.
After that chaotic day, Zhao Lijia did not see her third cousin for several days. At first, she thought she might run into him when she went to pay her respects to her aunt in the morning, or perhaps when she went out to play she might encounter him at the gate or along the covered walkway. But none of these things happened.
She discovered that her Third Cousin went to court at the hour of Mao in the morning and usually returned at the hour of Wei. As long as she followed this pattern, she would not run into him.
It was not only that he vaguely disliked her—now Zhao Lijia also avoided Third Cousin as much as she could.
This morning when she rose, she went to pay her respects to her aunt at the hour of Chen. In truth, her aunt had no rule requiring such greetings, but recently her aunt and cousin-in-law had both been busy together with matters for Second Cousin's wedding banquet. Zhao Lijia wanted to join in the liveliness and, by the way, see if there was anything she could help them with.
When she arrived, her aunt and cousin-in-law were discussing matters in the main room of the West Principal Courtyard.
More than ten days had passed, and Zhao Lijia was no longer so reserved. She sat down in the seat beside Second Madam, glanced at what the two were doing, then looked at the crowd of serving women and maids standing around. It really seemed there was nothing she could be of use for.
And her aunt had no intention of giving her work either. Seeing her arrive, she told Biyun, who was beside her, to go to the tea room nearby to serve tea and snacks, then looked at what was in her hands and said, "Lizhi, your aunt is busy right now. You look around by yourself first."
Zhao Lijia obediently agreed, drank tea, ate snacks, and walked around the room a bit. Finally she came up behind her cousin-in-law and saw that she was arranging the seating for the banquet. She had even drawn a simple diagram, easy to understand.
At that moment Xu Lingyuan was pointing at the diagram and explaining the seating arrangements to Second Madam, seeing if anything still needed adjusting. Looking at the simple, easy-to-understand diagram, Second Madam found it clear at a glance and said with a smile, "I think there's no problem now."
But a perfectly good matter could not withstand someone deliberately creating complications.
Just as Second Madam finished speaking, Bizhi entered and said, "Madam, the Shizi's wife just sent someone to say that tomorrow Princess Tonghua and the Shizi's wife's three younger sisters will also come to observe the ceremony, and seats must be added in the first row of the women's guest seating."
The moment Bizhi finished speaking, Second Madam frowned. "The first row of the women's guest seating is for imperial clan wives and the ladies of the various dukes. The seats and order are all fixed according to rank and title. How can seats be added arbitrarily?"
This time it was the second branch hosting Lin Suiyu's wedding banquet, and it was also the first time Second Madam and Xu Lingyuan had hosted a large banquet. In the past they had only helped the Duchess, and decisions like this had never fallen to them, nor would they have fought to take them.
But this time it was the second branch's son getting married, and Second Madam wanted to handle it personally. She doted on her son. Although this marriage had come about poorly, in the end her son had agreed to it, and no matter what, she wanted to manage it well.
Now the Duchess had let go of the matter, yet the Shizi's wife still wanted to make trouble from within.
Xu Lingyuan knew how much effort Second Madam had poured into this, and she felt it herself as well. She patted Second Madam's hand. "Mother, don't worry. Let me think."
After saying that, she looked at the seating diagram she had drawn and began to ponder.
Seeing her daughter-in-law's reaction, Second Madam did not say anything superfluous. She looked at her, hoping she could come up with a solution.
Ever since Bizhi had entered and relayed the Shizi's wife's words, Zhao Lijia had been looking from one speaker to another in turn. She did not understand these matters very well, and now, seeing that her cousin-in-law seemed to have a plan, she also held her breath and watched her cousin-in-law quietly.
Xu Lingyuan raised her head as if she had an idea. She summoned her maid Wantang and instructed her:
"Go tell my cousin's wife that Princess Tonghua is my cousin's wife's mother, so she will certainly be given a seat in the first row. But the seating order in the first row has long been fixed by precedent and cannot be altered without authorization. Therefore, my cousin's wife's sisters will be specially given a seat in the second row, in the same row as the Lady of Langya Commandery, which will make conversation easier. Also prepare five Jade Forbidden-Steps with double-fish and lotus patterns as meeting gifts."
Wantang acknowledged the order and left. The Second Madam was momentarily stunned, then quickly understood: adding a seat to the first row would be an overstep, but adjusting the second row was fine.
Arranging the Shizi's wife's sister and the Commandery Duke of Langya's wife together—the Commandery Duke's wife was the Shizi's wife's aunt, of high seniority and strict temperament. With her keeping watch, the Shizi's wife would never dare to act out.
Watching her eldest daughter-in-law's calm arrangements, flawless and watertight, the Second Madam was filled with emotion, and felt boundless gratitude toward His Majesty. If not for His Majesty's bestowal of marriage back then, where would she have found such an excellent daughter-in-law?
The Second Madam smiled gratefully at Xu Lingyuan: "You've worked hard these past days. If not for you managing everything inside and out, Erlang's wedding could never have been so well arranged."
Xu Lingyuan said warmly: "What is Mother saying? This is all a daughter-in-law's duty."
Zhao Lijia looked at the two of them and smiled as well.
And so it came to the midday meal. The Second Madam wanted Zhao Lijia and Xu Lingyuan to stay and eat with her, but Xu Lingyuan said she had to go to the front courtyard at noon to pick up Huabao.
In the household, only the Shizi and the Shizi's wife's two children and Huabao studied in the schoolroom. Lin Zhang and Lin Yu were nine and eight respectively, and only Huabao was just five. The two older children didn't like Huabao, thinking she knew nothing, and refused to play with her.
Xu Lingyuan had told Huabao not to go to the schoolroom anymore—she was only five, and she felt that age was too young for the schoolroom. But Huabao insisted on going; even if Lin Zhang and Lin Yu ignored her, she would endure the grievance and tag along after them.
At noon the schoolroom had a one-hour break. They could have returned to the rear courtyard for their meal, but Lin Zhang and Lin Yu didn't go back and instead ate at the waterside pavilion beside the schoolroom. Huabao wanted to follow along too, so Xu Lingyuan had no choice but to bring maidservants to deliver food to her every day.
In the end, Zhao Lijia stayed to have the midday meal with the Second Madam, while Xu Lingyuan hurried to the front courtyard. Today she was a little late, and she was somewhat anxious.
When she reached the front courtyard schoolroom, she saw Lin Zhang and Lin Yu eating in the waterside pavilion, while only Huabao sat hugging her knees on the steps not far from them. Behind her, two maidservants—one crouching in front of her and one standing at her side—were saying something.
Seeing the eldest madam approach, both maidservants stood to the side and bowed.
Xu Lingyuan saw Huabao's lips pursed high and thought she was angry that she had come late, so she smiled and pulled her up, patting her bottom to shake off the dust. "Why are you sitting here? Look, your skirt is all dirty."
Huabao glanced back at Lin Zhang and Lin Yu, who were eating with relish, then resolutely turned her head back. It seemed she was speaking to Xu Lingyuan, but really she was speaking to the two behind her:
"Mother, I'm never going to the schoolroom again!"
Xu Lingyuan could hardly fail to see through her daughter's little scheme, so she answered: "All right, then let's go back."
Huabao, seeing her mother agree so quickly, felt a bit regretful. As she walked away she turned back again and again, but the two behind her didn't even look at her.
Huabao turned her head back angrily, her cheeks puffed out.
On the way, Xu Lingyuan asked Huabao what had happened. Huabao suddenly burst into loud wailing sobs. Xu Lingyuan had no choice but to stop and crouch in front of her, wiping her tears with a handkerchief.
"What's wrong? Will you tell Mother, Huabao?"
Huabao fiercely wiped her nose on Xu Lingyuan's precious handkerchief embroidered with orchids, then clutched the handkerchief in her hand and said: "Sister Zhang and Brother Yu—they don't keep their word!"
Xu Lingyuan and the maidservants behind her, Wantang and Fusang, all laughed.
Xu Lingyuan asked her: "How did they not keep their word?"
Huabao raised her head and said, "We all agreed that everyone would take turns being the king. Sister Zhang and Brother Yu have both been king twice already, and every time I had to be their maid. I even bowed to them saying 'Yes, yes' respectfully."
As she spoke, she crouched down and acted it out, bouncing like a spring. "But every time I want to be king, they won't let me!"