Chapter 34 – Visiting the Sick

Xie Fei followed Su Huaizhen into the Hall of Prudence and Caution, where the Emperor would usually read. The interior was simple, with no antique vases, only bookshelves filled with books.

Xie Fei entered to pay respects, but Xie Yi was engrossed in a book and did not even lift his head. He said, “Rise, there’s no need for formalities between brothers. Why have you come today? Has something happened at the Empress Dowager’s side?”

Xie Fei replied, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

He cautiously observed Xie Yi’s expression and reported, “The Empress Dowager has been devoted to self-cultivation, nothing unusual has occurred. Only Jingfei wrote a letter, entrusting me to present it to Your Majesty personally.”

Xie Yi said indifferently, “Oh, thank you for your trouble. But there’s no need to relay any more letters from the Fan family in the future. Su Huaizhen, burn it.”

Xie Fei: “…I obey Your Majesty’s command.” He had heard that this Jingfei was the niece of the Empress Dowager, who had entered the palace when she was young to accompany the Emperor. She grew up alongside him, and they were very close, having been betrothed early on. How had things deteriorated to this point? He couldn’t guess, but the court officials speculated that it must have something to do with the Empress Dowager. After all, the mother-son relationship now was just a facade.

Xie Fei thought for a moment and spoke up, “Empress Jingfei said that the Emperor may not read it, so she asked me to convey one sentence regarding her younger brother.”

Xie Yi said, “If she understands my character so well, why bother having you relay this message? And why would you risk offending the Emperor to deliver it? You probably think that Fan Mukun indeed has talent, and he passed the provincial examination. You’re afraid that I might hold a grudge against the Fan family and punish him by demoting him during the imperial examination.”

Xie Fei knelt and kowtowed, “I dare not, Your Majesty. Fan Mukun is indeed my friend, and he is exceptionally talented. However, I would never let personal feelings interfere with public duty. You entrusted me with the responsibility of attending to the Empress Dowager, and I dare not act privately. I can only report truthfully.”

Xie Yi smiled slightly, “You dare not let private matters affect public duty, yet you think I would take revenge for personal grievances during the grand ceremony of selecting talents for the state.”

Xie Fei didn’t dare say another word. Xie Yi said indifferently, “If I were to hold a grudge, he wouldn’t have qualified for the provincial examination in the first place.”

Xie Fei repeatedly kowtowed, “I deserve death, Your Majesty.”

Xie Yi seemed somewhat disinterested, “Rise. Come, play chess with me.”

Xie Fei stood up but only dared stand beside the bed, leaning slightly against it. It was spring, and the weather was warm after several days of clear skies, yet Xie Yi was still wearing silk-lined clothing. The tiger-skin cushion used in winter hadn’t been removed from the bed. Xie Fei felt a bit uneasy.

Looking at the chessboard, he initially thought the Emperor was reviewing chess strategies while sitting alone, but then he realized there wasn’t a single white piece on the board. Only black pieces were arranged in the constellation of the Big Dipper.

Xie Fei, steeped in painting and calligraphy, instantly thought of the famous painting Double-Screened Painting of Playing Chess. He was increasingly terrified, countless speculations swirling in his mind, a mix of shock and doubt. His face couldn’t help but reveal a hint of panic.

Su Huaizhen came over with someone to collect the chess pieces and served tea to Xie Fei.

Xie Yi leisurely picked up a black piece and placed it down casually, “Have you held any literary gatherings recently? The spring weather is beautiful; clear streams flow, and the distant spring is lush. Haven’t you gone out to enjoy the spring scenery?”

Xie Fei carefully made a move, “I only went to the Bai family’s villa by the riverside. They transplanted many peonies and tree peonies there. The flowers are thick and lush, very beautiful. I painted a few pictures.”

Xie Yi seemed quite interested, “When you have time, bring them to the palace for me to see. I remember last time you mentioned which marquis’s son also excelled in painting. I wonder if he has any new works. Bring them along for me to appreciate.”

Xie Fei said, “It’s Xu Shizi of the Zhenguo Duke’s Mansion. By the grace of the Emperor, he was admitted to the Imperial University. Unfortunately, these days have been cold, and I heard he caught a chill after drinking and has been ill for nearly ten days, unable to attend school. He couldn’t be invited to enjoy the spring either.”

Xie Yi paused with the chess piece in hand, glancing at Su Huaizhen, who immediately lowered his head and quietly retreated. Xie Yi then said, “Didn’t you say he isn’t very old? How could a young man drink so recklessly without self-control?”

Xie Fei defended Xu Chun, “Since entering school, he has been very diligent. He does not frequent frivolous places, and he is very moderate with socializing. I heard his older brother ranked fifty-third in the provincial examination, and he might have indulged a bit too much at the family banquet.” In reality, there were rumors in school that he felt ashamed after hearing his half-brother had passed the examination and thus had not attended school for several days. But naturally, such talk could not be presented before the Emperor. Xie Fei had sent someone to inquire about his health and delivered some tonics. Xu Chun only replied that he was unwell and thanked him for his concern, promising to return the hospitality after recovering.

Xie Yi said, “Hmm, ranking in the provincial examination should indeed be celebrated, but since he’s a shizi, how could he have an older brother?”

Xie Fei explained, “They don’t share the same mother. He’s a half-brother, born to a servant girl.”

Xie Yi nodded slightly, “In that case, it seems the main lady of the Zhenguo Duke’s Mansion is virtuous for allowing a child born to a servant girl to rise in status.”

Xie Fei was taken aback. Normally, it was only rumored that the Zhenguo Duke mourned his deceased elder brother and inherited the dukedom by default. His wife was the daughter of a merchant, lacking sophistication. The Zhenguo Duke’s mother-in-law married her off to their second son at the time to fill a financial void. Now, it seemed that Xu Chun wasn’t the wastrel he was rumored to be, and his half-brother, despite being a servant girl’s son, passed the provincial examination at a young age. This confirmed that the main lady was indeed virtuous, and Xie Fei agreed, “Your Majesty is wise.”

Xie Yi made a move then looked up as Su Huaizhen entered and asked, “I suddenly remembered that Liu Xu came yesterday for a pulse check. I was busy at the time, so I told him to come today.”

Su Huaizhen understood, “He’s waiting in the Hall of Snowy Comfort. Shall I summon him in for a pulse diagnosis?”

Xie Yi glanced at the unfinished game, “This chess…”

Xie Fei hastily rose, “I’ll take my leave first, Your Majesty. If you summon me again, I’ll come to serve.”

Xie Yi nodded slightly, then got up and left. Xie Fei hurriedly bowed to see him off. Su Huaizhen closely followed Xie Yi out. Along the way, they arrived at the nearby Hall of Snowy Comfort. Xie Yi asked, “What’s going on? Didn’t he submit homework yesterday? How did he get sick?”

Su Huaizhen said, “It’s my negligence. I asked Liu Shun, who said that Xia Chao has been personally delivering the shizi’s homework these past few days without coming to the Bamboo Branch Residence. Just now, I sent Liu Shun to inquire and found out that indeed, he caught a cold and developed a fever after getting drunk at the announcement of the provincial examination results. He’s been resting for nearly ten days. Doctor Zhou diagnosed him and prescribed medicine. He also gave acupuncture treatments, but there weren’t any major issues. However, the shizi dislikes taking medicine, leading to recurring symptoms, preventing him from attending school. Xu Shizi strictly ordered not to leak the information and not to inform the Zhenguo Duke’s Mansion, likely fearing that his elders would worry. Despite being ill, he hasn’t neglected his studies and homework.”

Xie Yi calculated the days in his heart. It was already the sixteenth day. How could a cold last so long? He got up, “I’ll go to the Bamboo Branch Residence to see him.”

Su Huaizhen hurriedly said, “Should I bring a physician?”

Xie Yi shook his head, “No need. For a cold, Doctor Zhou is sufficient. I’m afraid it’s a matter of the heart.”

After changing clothes, Xie Yi only took Liu Shun and went through the back mountain. As usual, he knocked on the door and entered. Chunxi received the horsewhip and reins, “Ninth Master has come? Young Master is resting upstairs. Let us go up to inform him.”

Xie Yi asked, “No need. Isn’t he ill? I’ll go up and see him myself. How did he get sick? I heard he caught a chill after drinking? Since it was a family banquet, shouldn’t there have been elders to discipline him? How did he get drunk?”

Chunxi, who wasn’t particularly eloquent, was momentarily at a loss for words in response to Xie Yi’s barrage of questions. He clumsily replied, “It’s just a minor cold. The shizi said it’s nothing serious and will get better with rest. At the family banquet…the shizi probably drank a few extra cups…”

Xie Yi did not expect an answer and quickly ascended the stairs. He saw that Xu Chun was not lying in bed but was lazily seated on a recliner, his hair not tied up. A green brocade quilt covered his legs, and he was looking sideways, dangling his fingers to tease a jade lion cat below the chair.

The cat had pure white fur and blue-gold bicolored eyes. Facing the small dried fish in Xu Chun’s hand, it was not in a hurry. It slowly meowed once, then, noticing the arrival of an outsider, nimbly jumped onto the cabinet and shelf and leaped onto the top of the multi-treasure pavilion, observing from above.

Xu Chun looked up and saw Xie Yi, surprised and delighted, “Brother Jiu! Why have you come?” He attempted to stand up.

Xie Yi reached out to press his shoulders, urging him to sit back down. Seeing the evident thinness and pallor on his face, his eyes slightly sunken, making them appear larger, he sat opposite on a lady’s couch and asked, “Lie down. I’ll sit here and talk. I heard you’re ill, so I came to see you. Where did the cat come from?”

Xu Chun said, “Second Cousin entrusted someone to send it from Minzhou. He said it’s rare to find such a high-quality lion cat with pure bloodlines, so he had it delivered…it can’t catch mice, one ear is deaf, and it’s not very affectionate toward people. I was thinking it might not be domesticated.”

Xie Yi said, “Indeed, I’ve heard that lion cats with blue eyes are often deaf. Since this cat has heterochromia, it’s likely that the ear corresponding to the blue eye is the deaf one.”

Xu Chun looked up at the cat and said admiringly, “Brother Jiu, you’re truly knowledgeable. How do you know everything?”

Xie Yi, originally worried about a mental block, Xie Fei did not expect him to still be lively in front of him. However, there was a tinge of melancholy in his eyes. He touched his forehead, asking, “Are you still feverish?”

Xu Chun said, “Much better, Brother Jiu, don’t worry. I just caught a slight chill. I’ll be back in a few days. Doctor Zhou said it’s not a problem.”

Xie Yi said, “Liu Po said you’re upset about family matters, refusing to take medicine and skipping meals, which is why you can’t recover.”

Xu Chun’s face betrayed his guilt, his eyes involuntarily avoided contact, saying, “Liu Po is getting old and talks nonsense.”

Xie Yi was merely bluffing, but seeing his reaction, he knew something was amiss. He asked, “So what’s the matter? It can’t be that you’re jealous of your half-brother passing the provincial examination and feel unhappy, right? I don’t think you’re that kind of person.”

Xu Chun hung his head, mumbling, “Who’s jealous of him? He’s good at learning and got in based on his own abilities. I have no reason to be jealous of him. I’m unhappy because my grandmother said she wants to record him under my uncle and aunt’s names to carry on the eldest branch’s lineage. There’s more than one illegitimate son, and there’s already Third Brother Xu Wei. Why specifically choose Eldest Brother? Isn’t it because he passed the examination? All these years, food, clothing, and education—what hasn’t my mother taken care of? Even though she now holds the title, what if she didn’t? How could the eldest branch shamelessly reach out for the fruit?”

Xie Yi was somewhat surprised, “Your grandmother is quite adept at this. Your eldest brother is a servant girl’s son and has been released outside. His lineage is questionable. Your grandmother takes him back and raises him under your mother’s care. Later, she transfers him to the name of the eldest branch’s lady. Through these maneuvers, a servant girl’s son becomes the heir of the eldest branch—for his future, perhaps. After all, being a servant girl’s son doesn’t sound good. Your mother has you as a legitimate son and would never record him as her eldest son. Your father must have agreed. What does your mother say?”

Xu Chun was listless, unconsciously pulling out the square pillow that the recliner was leaning against and hugging it tightly, kneading it, saying, “She said it’s a good thing for Eldest Brother to leave. I become the legitimate eldest son, without an illegitimate son overshadowing me. When we split the household in the future, it will be cleaner. Money isn’t an issue for her…she earns a lot. She does not care about these things. I am the one being petty.”

Xie Yi slowly asked, “Seeing how your mother dotes on you, why does it seem there’s a rift between you two? Could there be some misunderstanding? Mother and son share a bond. It’s better to clear up any issues early on. Such trivial matters shouldn’t harm the relationship between mother and son.”

Xu Chun kept his head down for a long time without speaking. Xie Yi saw drops of water stain the pillow he was holding, quickly spreading across the dark green satin pattern of the square pillow.

Xie Yi: “…”

It seemed the grievance was significant.

Xu Chun only let tears fall silently. Xie Yi had to take out a handkerchief from his sleeve and hand it to him. Xu Chun took it and wiped his face messily, saying softly, “Brother Jiu, you don’t know. My mother, in terms of ability and vision, is like a man. She despises the petty squabbles within the inner quarters.”

Xie Yi: “Your mother must have considerable business acumen. But these inner-quarter matters are related to your title. How could she not care?”

Xu Chun said softly, “Yes, my title is also crucial to the Sheng family. Aside from that, she has no attachment to the Xu family and absolutely doesn’t mind.”

Xie Yi slowly asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Xu Chun wiped away his tears and composed himself, saying, “This story starts with the generation of the Zhenguo Duke’s Mansion, my grandfather. My grandfather was serving as the governor of Yunnan at the time. When the border barbarians from Burma invaded, the court dispatched a large army to resist them. Grandfather was responsible for military supplies and salaries, but somehow, he was deceived by cunning subordinates and lost a batch of military salaries, reportedly as much as eight hundred thousand taels of silver. The Yunnan governor in charge of the troops immediately demanded that my grandfather make up for the loss, otherwise he would report to the court, accusing my grandfather of embezzling military funds, leading to confiscation of property and execution.”

Xie Yi nodded, “Yes, losing military salaries is a grave matter. If the battle were lost, all blame would be placed on your grandfather. An investigation could not be conducted swiftly at the time, so covering up the loss was indeed the most probable course of action.”

Xu Chun said, “Aside from the eight hundred thousand military salaries, another two hundred thousand taels of silver were needed to smooth things over. Grandmother was in the capital at the time. Upon receiving the news, she was extremely shocked and scrambled to raise funds, borrowing from relatives and friends. But it was only a drop in the bucket.”

Xie Yi nodded, “I assume this is when the marriage alliance with the Sheng family was formed.”

Xu Chun said, “Yes. At that time, the Sheng family’s foundation was not stable. My maternal grandfather, as the head of the family, was also in a difficult situation. He had offended the governor of Minzhou and was facing business suppression everywhere. The boatmen he hired were lured away at high prices, and one of the overseas ships capsized, resulting in heavy losses. Other relatives of the Sheng family said that my maternal grandfather was incompetent in managing the family and agitated to split the family, fearing that his offense of officials would involve the entire clan.”

Xie Yi nodded, “Indeed, one side sought power, and the other sought money.”

Xu Chun said softly, “My maternal grandfather told me that at the time, he only had Uncle and my mother as children. My mother displayed exceptional talent in arithmetic since childhood. From a young age, she helped my maternal grandfather manage accounts and assisted Uncle in handling the business. However, in Minzhou, women were looked down upon. If a family had fewer sons, they would be bullied. My mother took the lead in managing the business, and the clan members could not help but look down on her, slandering behind her back, trying to force my grandfather to marry her off and prevent outsiders from meddling in the family’s affairs.”

Xie Yi nodded, “Yes, in the hustle and bustle of the world, it is all about profit. Presumably, your mother, standing out in the family and managing the business on behalf of her father and brother, offended many elderly clan members, right?”

Xu Chun said, “Yes. Therefore, the official-business forces in Minzhou had nothing to do with the Sheng family. In the long run, the Sheng family was bound to decline. Under the mediation of a middleman, the then crown prince, my uncle, found a way to contact my maternal grandfather. He proposed taking my mother as a concubine, with the Sheng family providing silver to solve the military salary shortfall issue and preserve the title. In return, the Xu family would ensure the safety of the Sheng family’s business.”

Xie Yi nodded, “Your grandfather clearly cherished your mother and ultimately chose the second son of the Xu family for her to be the main lady.”

Xu Chun said, “This was decided by my mother herself. She personally came to the capital and, behind a curtain, observed the Xu brothers. Turning around, she set forth two conditions: first, not to be a concubine, but to marry Second Master Xu as the main lady; second, Grandfather’s family fortune was to be divided in half, with half serving as her dowry, and the Xu family’s debt would be paid from her portion of the dowry.”

Xie Yi nodded slightly, “She treated herself as a son, assuming the family’s responsibilities and sacrificing for the family. Therefore, she wanted to divide the family wealth equally with Uncle, truly extraordinary among women, a true heroine.”

“It seems her choice was also correct. After the engagement, the silver was presumably provided. The Old Duke returned to the capital but was still traumatized and fell ill soon after, passing away. The Xu family’s eldest son took over the dukedom but died prematurely. In the end, the dukedom fell into your father’s hands…The Xu family, having received so much silver from the Sheng family, could not back out and could only reluctantly marry your mother. If your mother had agreed to be the eldest son’s concubine at that time, it would have been a loss of both the wife and the silver in this deal.”

Despite his distress, Xu Chun couldn’t help laughing.

Xie Yi asked, “Who told you these things? I doubt it was your mother.”

Xu Chun said softly, “My maternal grandfather.”

Xie Yi said warmly, “Presumably, there was some misunderstanding between you and your mother, which is why your maternal grandfather told you these things, right? These are carefully selected words.”

Xu Chun was silent for a while before saying, “Actually, since I was born, I have been raised by Grandmother. She spoiled me immensely and forbade me from learning the ways of merchants. She always told me that I was a shizi and should be noble, not associating too closely with my maternal grandfather’s side to avoid picking up the stench of copper from a small family. My mother had to manage the household, and there was a huge business empire outside. Therefore, she could not take care of me. Grandmother taught me to read and recite books hand in hand, doting on me extraordinarily. In the capital’s high-ranking families, those who could be raised by their elders were considered fortunate. Therefore, Mother did not fuss over me much.”

Xie Yi nodded, “And then? Looking at how close you are to your mother now.”

Xu Chun said, “Probably until I was around five years old. Grandmother invited a renowned teacher, saying that he would teach me and Eldest Brother to read. Teacher Jia was very strict. I was beaten with a ruler every day, crying as I returned home, unable to memorize the texts or study. On the contrary, Eldest Brother was very intelligent and learned quickly. I went to Grandmother to complain, but she said that strict teachers produce excellent students. Eldest Brother was also beaten, so why did he not complain?”

Xie Yi: “Your eldest brother is two years older than you, right? Seven-year-olds are far more sensible than five-year-olds. Comparing you two isn’t very fair.”

Xu Chun said, “At that time, I was extremely aggrieved and ran to tell Mother that I did not want to study anymore. Because I was afraid Grandma would drag me back to continue my studies if she found out, I avoided people and secretly went to Mother’s room. She was not there, but I wanted to wait for her, so I stayed in the room. Exhausted from crying, I fell asleep on the bed.”

Xie Yi sensed something and didn’t ask further.

“When I woke up, I heard Mother talking to Auntie Hua behind the screen. Auntie Hua was persuading Mother to have another son with Father. She said that Father kept having illegitimate sons and daughters one after another, while Mother only had one son, which was not secure. Grandmother might be dissatisfied, and the sisters-in-law would have something to say. Taking a step back, for the sake of the Sheng family, it would still be better to have another legitimate son to ensure the title’s stability.”

Xie Yi glanced at Xu Chun. Currently, Lady Sheng still only had one legitimate son. There seemed to be a reason for this.

Xu Chun stared out the window, as if transported back to that sultry afternoon. It was so hot that he could not breathe, both inside and outside the window. He was awakened by the heat, his body drenched in sweat. His gauze robe clung to him, and his swollen palms throbbed with heat and pain. Initially brimming with indignation and anger, at that moment, he became eerily quiet and still.

Through the flower and bird-patterned screen, he saw his mother sitting outside, a calculating smile on her face as she held an abacus:

“The Sheng and Xu families’ marriage is merely a union of convenience, each seeking what they need. The Xu family wants money, and the Sheng family wants power. What I want is a husband I can control. Serving Grandmother, what’s that? It’s merely listening to teachings and serving occasionally. They want to save face, and the insinuations they make are laughable. Compared to the greedy and vicious clan elders of the Sheng family and the gossipy old women, they’re far less troublesome.”

“This is also the benefit of marrying into a family that values appearances. No matter how much they look down on people, they won’t tear the mask of the so-called high-ranking aristocratic family. The Xu family wants the money in my hands, so they can only pretend not to see me doing business outside. I don’t have to follow the three obediences and four virtues like marrying into other families, treating my husband as heaven. Do I not understand these truths? What vile mother-in-laws, mean little sisters-in-law, and troublesome sisters-in-law, who cares about their squabbles. They’re merely difficult guests to deal with.”

“But as for maintaining a respectful marital relationship and having a full house of children, I can no longer bear it. Mother, I’m too tired. Xu Anlin is like a dog. To be married to him, I have to constantly tighten the leash. Whenever I lose sight of him for a moment, the leash loosens, and the dog goes to eat shit. Fortunately, I bore a son on the first try. Otherwise, I’d have to continue accompanying him while he eats shit. Do you know how disgusting it is to have another child that looks exactly like him? I find it revolting.”

Xu Chun repeated these words verbatim. He was astonished that even though he was only a five-year-old child at the time, he could still recall them word for word after so many years.

Xie Yi looked at Xu Chun. His face was as pale as paper, his lips trembling slightly. Tears rolled down like beads. He repeated softly, “Brother Jiu, my mother said she finds it revolting.”

A wave of profound sorrow and guilt surged in Xie Yi’s chest.