Xu Nian’an, who was currently drinking tea, choked slightly. She hurriedly set down the teacup in her hand, dabbed the corners of her lips with a handkerchief, and then raised her head under Yin Furen’s probing gaze, saying with a smile: “Mom, when I first married in, Sanlang was angry with me because of the matter regarding Pang Guniang. Now, although he no longer cares about Pang Guniang, he has gone to study at the Imperial Academy. I was thinking that it is better to let him first focus his mind on his studies and not be distracted.”

Yin Furen thought about it and understood, but she was still a little worried. “While that’s true, now that he’s studying outside and has more social interactions, I’m afraid that if there’s no one at home to keep him, he will inevitably want to go out more. I can help you keep him in check for now, but this is not a long-term solution.”

“The Fifth Branch’s Huanxu Tangxiong and his wife already have two daughters, but it’s not clear whether Er Tangsao can keep Er Tangxiong. This shows that the relationship between husband and wife is not solely determined by what happens in the bedroom. Since we’ve come to this point, regarding whether Sanlang should go out and play with Qian Gongzi, Erxi has different opinions from Mom. One wonders if Mom would like to hear them?” Nuanxing said.

Since Xu Nian’an married into the family, everything has been going smoothly in the First Branch. So, Yin Furen attached great importance to the words of this new daughter-in-law of hers and was willing to listen.

“You say it.”

“It’s like tasting a dish to know if it’s good or not; the same goes for people. According to Sanlang, in the conflict with Zhu Zhifu, Qian Gongzi helped him from the beginning and was even willing to go to the Emperor on his behalf through his father to testify and proving that Zhu Zhifu was at fault. Moreover, after Sanlang finished fighting with Zhu Zhifu and was stunned, it was Qian Gongzi who pulled him out of the academy and reminded him to go home and hide first. Forgive Erxi for speaking bluntly, but this should be the biggest thing Sanlang has had to deal with on his own, right?”

Yin Furen nodded.

“If that’s the case, this matter must have left a very deep impression on Sanlang, and this Qian Gongzi is an important figure in this incident. No matter how bad you say he is, in Sanlang’s eyes, he is a person worth befriending because he has only seen the good side of Qian Gongzi and has never seen his bad side. It’s like a dish; if you don’t let him eat it and only tell him it’s not good, how can he agree? Maybe because the dish looks and smells good, but you say it doesn’t taste good, it will arouse his curiosity and he can’t help but sneak a taste.”

Yin Furen frowned. “Are you suggesting that we let him play with this Qian Wuhui? What if he is led astray by him?”

Xu Nian’an smiled and said, “Does Mom think the lessons that have been taught to him over the past sixteen years can’t compare to a day spent with Qian Gongzi? Is Mom perhaps overestimating Qian Gongzi?”

“You’re still young and don’t understand. It’s extremely difficult for a man to learn well, but it is very easy to learn bad habits, it only takes a day or two,” Yin Furen said.

“Because of this concern, Mom thinks that by keeping Sanlang confined at home and not allowing him to associate with him will solve the problem? If Sanlang is fortunate enough to enter the court as an official in the future, and you tell him that a certain senior official has improper conduct and he should not associate with him, do you think that would work? What if this person happens to be his immediate superior?” Xu Nian’an asked.

Yin Furen was momentarily unsure how to respond.

“Mom, you can’t confine Sanlang forever. Since you will have to let go sooner or later, it’s better to let go sooner rather than later. If he goes out to play with his peers now, being innocent and childish, it’s fine because he is only sixteen years old. But if you confine him until he is twenty or thirty years old before letting him out, he will still be ignorant and unaware of human nature. He might become the subject of ridicule or even be framed by others, suffering great losses. It’s better to let him out now, let him gain experience, and then slowly discuss his thoughts with him, guiding him on how to understand people and how to deal with different kinds of people. After a few years of this, Mom won’t have to worry when he goes out with anyone anymore,” Xu Nian’an said.

Yin Furen thought for a while and nodded. “You’re right. Let’s do as you say. But you must remind him that there are certain things he must never touch when he’s out, so he doesn’t get into big trouble due to his youth and recklessness.”

“Erxi understood,” Xu Nian’an replied. She then inquired about Pang Daixue and Zheng Man’er’s affairs, learning that there were some developments. After bidding farewell to Yin Furen, she returned to Shenhui Courtyard.

Zhao Huanxi was not there.

The day before yesterday, Guogong Yé sent him a martial arts master. The master said that to practice martial arts, one must first endure hardships, so he instructed Zhao Huanxi to get up at the Yin hour (3-5 AM) every day to train with him for half an hour.

Zhao Huanxi was afraid that practicing in Shenhui Courtyard would disturb Xu Nian’an’s rest, so he set the training location in the small garden, which was also more convenient for Zhao Huanrong to join. Besides the morning practice, he would also invite Zhao Huanrong to the small garden after dinner for some training, as a way to aid digestion.

At the Xu hour (7-9 PM), Zhao Huanxi came back drenched in sweat, bathed, changed his clothes, and sat in the courtyard with Xu Nian’an, letting the evening breeze dry his hair.

“Tired?” Xu Nian’an peeled a grape for him as he sat down.

“It’s just fine.” Zhao Huanxi opened his mouth to take the grape, then very obediently peeled one for Xu Nian’an as well.

“After tomorrow, Mother agreed to let you go out and play with Qian Gongzi and the others,” Xu Nian’an said with a smile after they finished eating the grapes.

Zhao Huanxi was momentarily stunned, showing little joy on his face. He said, “Did you have to use a lot of persuasion again?”

Xu Nian’an shook her head. “Mother is just overly worried about you. She doesn’t really want to confine you.”

Zhao Huanxi lowered his head, wiping the grape juice off his fingers with a handkerchief. He muttered, “I know. Actually, I don’t really want to go out and play. It’s just that every time she says that, it makes me feel useless, like I’m inferior to others.”

“When you go out with them, you’ll realize it’s just all an illusion. The things they know how to play with are nothing special.”

Zhao Huanxi’s eyes lit up. “Dong Jiejie, I want to take you with me.”

Xu Nian’an smiled and scolded, “You’re talking nonsense again. They’re all young men. How can I join you? Besides, Mother said it’s getting hot and she wants me to bring people to clean up the various pavilions and halls in the Zhilan Garden, so that all family branches can move there to avoid the heat.”

Zhao Huanxi didn’t care much and said, “Then we must be staying at Yifang Garden, right?”

Xu Nian’an looked puzzled. “No, Mother said we are staying at Lǚyun Pavilion.”

“Lǚyun Pavilion?” Zhao Huanxi straightened his neck and turned his head to give her a somewhat strange expression.

“What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with that place?” Xu Nian’an asked.

“The place itself is fine. Lǚyun Pavilion is located in the bamboo forest below Mount Zhi. It doesn’t get much sun and has a breeze coming through the mountains, making it the coolest pavilion in the entire garden. It’s just that in previous years, Lǚyun Pavilion was always allocated to Zhao Huanxu. Wu Shenshen said it’s quiet there and suitable for studying,” Zhao Huanxi explained.

Xu Nian’an: “……”

“How many years have Zhao Huanxu stayed in Luyun Pavilion?” she asked.

Zhao Huanxi extended his long, fair hand and counted on his fingers. “One, two, three… Oh, I remember now. He moved there the year after Wu Shufu passed away. So, it’s been nine years.”

Nine years is enough time for someone to naturally feel that a place should belong to them.

“Dong Jiejie, why don’t you go and talk to Mother? Let’s not stay at Luyun Pavilion. Apart from being a bit cooler and quieter, there’s nothing special about that place. It’s surrounded by bamboo, which is quite boring. Yifang Garden is better. There are many flowers around to enjoy, a swing set, and it’s close to Lan Lake, making it convenient for us to go fishing and picking lotus. There’s no need to argue with the Fifth Branch over Luyun Pavilion,” Zhao Huanxi said.

“Has Mother argued with the Fifth Branch over Luyun Pavilion?”

“They argued. Originally, Mother didn’t insist on me staying at Luyun Pavilion. It was just that when the Fifth Branch wanted Lyyun Pavilion, they said some unpleasant things. They said, ‘Better to eat without meat than to live without bamboo, this is what the literati and scholars say. Since Xu Ge’er is studying, he should rightfully stay there.’ My mother didn’t like hearing that, so she said Luyun Pavilion is the coolest and should be given to me, the eldest legitimate grandson of the Guogong Residence. Neither side backed down. Later, Zufu talked to Mother about it, and she came back angry. After a few days, Zhao Huanxu moved to Luyun Pavilion.”

“宁可食无肉，不可居无竹”: This is a famous line by the Song Dynasty poet Su Shi. It reflects the traditional belief that bamboo symbolizes integrity, humility, and the spirit of a scholar. The Fifth Branch is using this high-minded quote to imply that because they are "scholarly," they are more deserving of the pavilion than the "materialistic" First Branch. Moreover, the name of the pavilion 绿筠轩 (Lǜyún Xuān) literally means Green Bamboo Pavilion.

Xu Nian’an thought, if that was the case, then getting Luyun Pavilion might not be easy. It was no longer just a matter of where to live, but also a matter of face for the two branches.

It seems that Yin Furen, seeing Guogong Yé’s positive attitude towards Zhao Huanxi, wants to test if he still leans towards the Fifth Branch as he did nine years ago when Wu Shufu passed away.

“Alright, I’ll talk to Mother,” Xu Nian’an agreed for the time being.

The two of them stayed in the courtyard for a while, and then the wind picked up. Looking up, they saw that the stars in the sky were obscured by clouds.

“It looks like it might rain tonight. You should go back to your room. I’ll go tell Xiaowei and the others to close all the doors and windows,” Xu Nian’an said, standing up.

“Okay.” Zhao Huanxi answered. He picked up the grapes and agilely took three or two steps back to his room. His light purple clothes and scattered long hair disappeared with a flick at the door.

Xu Nian’an watched him exaggeratedly and for the first time doubted whether it was the right decision to coax him into practicing martial arts.

Since Zhao Huanxi has to get up for martial arts practice at the Yin hour (3-5 AM), they both go to bed quite early in the evening, usually retiring by the beginning of the Hai hour (9-11 PM) at the latest, provided there are no other matters keeping them up.

In the middle of the night, Xu Nian’an was startled awake by a thunderclap, feeling groggy and disoriented. Unsure of the time, she only heard the loud thunder and the sound of wind and rain outside. The room was intermittently lit and darkened by flashes of lightning from outside the window.

She instinctively turned her head to look at Zhao Huanxi, who was sleeping on the inner side, only to find that his blanket was lifted, and he was not there.

Xu Nian’an paused for a moment, recalling a rumor she had heard about him: “At fifteen, when it rains and thunders, he still cries and looks for his mother.” So, is Zhao Huanxi crying and looking for his mother right now?

Xu Nian’an sat up from the bed, feeling bewildered and finding it hard to believe this absurd fact.

Just then, there was an urgent knocking at the door. Songyun’s voice could be heard amidst the sound of rain, “San Nainai, San Nainai, Taitai has ordered someone to bring calming soup to San Yé.”

Xu Nian’an got out of bed and noticed that Zhao Huanxi’s shoes were still on the floor. Adding with the fact that Yin Furen sent the soup over, so he didn’t go find his mother?

She opened the door and saw Songyun standing in the pouring rain, holding a large umbrella. She handed over a red lacquered food box that had already gotten wet, saying loudly, “San Nainai, San Yé always falls ill in such weather. Taitai asks you to have him drink this calming soup and take good care of him so that he can sleep peacefully.”