Stirring

"Madam, Young Master Qing has gone to complain to Old Madam."

Ping Ye looked at the little maid who had come from the Hall of Longevity and curled her lip. "She says you're to come over for supper, but she's clearly blaming you!"

After what happened with Qing's change of teacher, however, the people at the Hall of Longevity simply didn't dare accuse her openly.

Tao Ye was somewhat puzzled. "Old Madam dotes on Young Master Qing far too much. Madam, you're the mistress of the household." How could she consider the adopted second son more important than the mistress in charge? Old Madam was truly strange.

Ping Ye also sensed that something was amiss and couldn't make sense of it, so she muttered, "Could Young Master Qing have some special way of making Old Madam happy?"

Lin Yunwan said softly, "Be patient. Given enough time, everything will float to the surface."

She changed her clothes and went to the Hall of Longevity.

Though Old Madam said nothing to blame her on the surface, once they had finished eating, she still couldn't hold back and asked Lin Yunwan why she had beaten Qing. Afraid of offending Lin Yunwan, she added by way of explanation, "When a child does wrong, he ought to be beaten. I know you know how far to go. I'm not blaming you."

Lin Yunwan couldn't be bothered to speak herself. She called out, "Ping Ye."

"Yes."

Ping Ye repeated what Qing had said that afternoon, though she did not mention his bullying Lu Chang'gong. Old Madam would not stand up for Lu Chang'gong, but she would certainly be afraid that Qing had let something slip.

Sure enough, when she heard that Qing had said "he was the master of this household," her face changed with fright.

"Old Madam, Qing is so young. I wonder where he learned such words? Never mind that the Heir Apparent and I are still here; even my mother-in-law and you are healthy and will live long lives. Since when was it the turn of a seven-year-old child to run the Wuding Marquis Residence?"

Old Madam Lu's heart pounded as she listened, and she tried to gloss it over for the moment. "He's only a child. What does he know?" Her face turned vicious as she said, "I'll have someone find the servant who taught him to say that and punish them severely."

Though she spoke of a servant, Ge Bao'er's face appeared in her mind.

Who else could it be but her!

Looking reassured, Lin Yunwan said, "Since Old Madam is seeing to it, I won't meddle."

Old Madam nodded. "It's getting late. You should go back first."

Lin Yunwan had just risen and gone out when Lu Zhengliu arrived.

"Heir Apparent."

He stood motionless outside the threshold. Clearly, he had been standing there for a while and must have heard her conversation with Old Madam just now.

Lin Yunwan's expression was cold as she prepared to walk past him.

As though afraid she might misunderstand, Lu Zhengliu frowned and said, "I didn't come to blame you."

In the side room, Ge Bao'er had already poked her head out.

Lin Yunwan withdrew her sidelong glance and said to Lu Zhengliu, "Heir Apparent, would it be convenient to speak with you in private?"

He had intended to pay his respects to Old Madam first, but she heard them from inside and said, "Zhengliu, go on first."

"Yes."

The two turned around together.

Old Madam Lu was pleased, but when she thought of Qing, she slapped the table hard. "I thought Qing only listened to Ge Bao'er because mother and son share one heart. I never expected Ge Bao'er to teach him such things!"

Nanny Yan soothed her. "Old Madam, please take care of your health! Cousin Miss is so shortsighted. What great principles could she possibly teach Young Master Qing?"

Old Madam Lu snorted. "She wants to rise through her son's status. She's dreaming!" She smiled and said, "It seems to me that Zhengliu's attitude has already softened. There's no need to fear that the residence won't have a legitimate son in the future."

"Qing is my own great-grandson, so of course I dote on him too. But if there's a legitimate son, he can only come after Yun Wan's child. Legitimate is legitimate, concubine-born is concubine-born; there's a distinction between them—that's the rule our ancestors laid down."

Nanny Yan chimed in, "Even without a legitimate son, the Heir Apparent is still young. He's bound to say such nonsense as 'Qing is my only legitimate son.' What man doesn't take concubines? In a few years, the Heir Apparent should give the residence some concubine-born sons too. The things in the residence can't all belong to Young Master Qing alone."

Old Madam Lu did not commit herself.

Still, until the other children were born, Qing was naturally more important to her.

Smiling, she instructed Nanny Yan, "Go out and have a look at those two..."

Nanny Yan smiled suggestively as well and turned to go.

"I don't think a young child like him could have come up with such outrageous words on his own."

Lin Yunwan and Lu Zhengliu walked slowly out of the Hall of Longevity. A maid happened to be lighting the lamps in the courtyard, and in the warm light, their shadows stretched long across the ground. Seen from behind, one had slender shoulders and a narrow waist, while the other was tall and upright. They were a perfect match.

Lu Zhengliu kept pace with her and frowned. "That's certain." He made a point of adding, "You were right to punish him. If I'd heard him say it, I would have punished him too."

Lin Yunwan suddenly stopped and stared straight at him.

Lu Zhengliu froze. Somehow, looking into her bright, beautiful eyes, he found himself unable to look away.

"Heir Apparent, there's another matter I must speak up about."

"Go on." Even his voice had grown low and husky.

Lin Yunwan glanced toward the side room and said, "Though Cousin Miss is no longer young, she is still an unmarried woman. Qiao Da's words were unpleasant to hear, but they weren't entirely without reason. It's only right for you to be filial to Old Madam, Heir Apparent, but you should also avoid arousing suspicion."

"What do you say, Heir Apparent?"

Lu Zhengliu wasn't angry. On the contrary, he was somewhat... inexplicably happy.

He raised a brow and asked, "You don't like me seeing Cousin Ge?"

Lin Yunwan gave a mocking laugh. "You misunderstand, Heir Apparent. I'm speaking of your reputation and the reputation of the Marquis's Residence."

"I understand." Lu Zhengliu assured her, "I'll be more careful about propriety from now on."

He felt this was a good opportunity to talk to her. Remembering Old Madam's reminder, he asked about her family with concern. "Were your mother's eyes always like that?"

"You don't remember at all, Heir Apparent?"

Lin Yunwan's voice was a little cold.

Lu Zhengliu frowned and searched his memory, vaguely recalling a few things.

Lin Yunwan knew he probably couldn't remember, so she told him, "Before the Heir Apparent and I were betrothed, Mother's eyesight was already poor." Her voice grew sadder as she went on. "Later, after I married into the Marquis's Residence, she lost her sight completely..."

Even without her saying it outright, Lu Zhengliu had a vague feeling that Madam Lin's eye disease might be connected to the Lu family, perhaps even to him.

"Has she seen a renowned physician?"

Lin Yunwan said, "It's a chronic illness. There's no medicine that can cure it."

Lu Zhengliu said sincerely, "Mother-in-law is blind and still has to care for your young brother. Life is hard for her. You're the mistress of the Lu family; you can have the residence help the Lin Family buy a larger house and purchase some more young servants who are easy to direct. That would make things easier for Mother-in-law too."

Lin Yunwan knitted her brows and sneered. "There's no need to humiliate people like this, Heir Apparent."

"The Lu family is the Lu family, and the Lin Family is the Lin Family. I would never take the Lu family's silver to support the Lin Family."

"That's not what I meant. You've worked hard and contributed greatly to the Lu family's standing today. I only thought..." His tone was a little anxious.

Lin Yunwan's face was cold. "You've been away from home for several years, Heir Apparent, and don't understand the affairs of the inner household. It's lonely at the top. Hundreds of pairs of eyes are watching every needle and thread in this residence. If I used public resources for private gain and failed to conduct myself uprightly, the servants beneath me and the relatives in the clan would not obey even if I gave orders. How could I manage the household then?"

Lu Zhengliu pressed his lips together. "I spoke out of turn."

Lin Yunwan curtsied and took her leave.

Lu Zhengliu clenched his fist in secret, regretting somewhat that his words had been inappropriate.

When he turned around, Ge Bao'er was already standing beneath a lamp, her face pale. She must have heard something.