Chapter 6: Lady Xue (Revised)

Mingguang Hall

Xu Jingyan sat before his writing desk. The characters he wrote were straight and balanced, showing great foundation, and the several guests nearby all praised them, yet he only grew more and more restless.

Yesterday, his wife had mentioned that she had arranged a match for their eldest daughter: Jun Hai, the second grandson of General Jun.

By the time the eldest daughter finished her mourning period, she would be sixteen. In the Great Yin Dynasty, being betrothed at sixteen was not considered particularly early. If she had no intention of becoming a female official, then although their family still held the title of the Duke's Mansion, they were far inferior to the Jun family, who held the Emperor's heart. Speaking of which, this was indeed a good marriage match.

However, previously, the eldest daughter had a marriage engagement with Jun Zhuo, the eldest grandson of the Jun family. Even if this matter had been covered up, the truly great and prominent clans knew full well. Now, to betroth the eldest daughter to the second son of the Jun family was, in any case, somewhat inappropriate.

Furthermore, Jun Hai was a child born of an external mistress, merely raised under Madam Jun's name. It was heard that not long ago, right on the main street, he had beaten his own personal servant half to death. Within two days of being carried back, that servant had passed away, a matter that could not even be covered up.

The eldest brother had died young, leaving only a son and a daughter. Even if the current Emperor held a prejudice against his eldest brother, the young children were ultimately innocent.

Xu Jingyan sighed, losing interest in practicing his calligraphy, and stood up to leave the room.

Xu Zheng hurried to light the lamp for his master, stepped forward, and whispered, "The Madam is copying sutras in the small Buddhist hall; Abbess Yuanheng of Miyue Nunnery has just left."

Pausing his steps, Xu Jingyan nodded and went straight to the back hall, though he felt indifferent in his heart. He did not oppose his wife's belief in Buddhism; whether it was Buddhism or Taoism, it was merely for self-cultivation, so if she believed, she believed. But associating with that lot of nuns from Miyue Nunnery was somewhat improper.

Nuns from Miyue Nunnery... Xu Jingyan sneered. How could anything coming out of such a den of filth and vice truly be a cultivator detached from the secular world!

The small Buddhist hall was filled with swirling smoke. As soon as Xu Jingyan entered, he felt stifled and could not help but frown. Seeing this, Shio felt uneasy and quickly pushed the window open a crack, then helped Madam Xiao stand up.

"Master."

Madam Xiao gave a slight bow and moved aside, allowing Xu Jingyan to sit properly on the couch, before personally walking over to pour him a cup of tea.

Mist drifted above the teacup.

Xu Jingyan's expression softened. After all, she was the woman who had borne his children; it wasn't that he didn't respect or cherish her.

After a brief thought, he still frowned and instructed, "Those nuns in Miyue Nunnery are not proper practitioners; do not get too close to them."

Madam Xiao hurriedly replied, "Please rest easy, Master. I know. It is merely for social obligations. After all, the Abbesses in Miyue Nunnery have some connections with the Ladies in the Palace; it would be difficult for us to be too dismissive."

That was true. Xu Jingyan nodded and said no more, closing his eyes and leaning back on the couch, letting Madam Xiao call two young maids to massage his legs.

"Also, regarding the eldest daughter's matter, you must pay attention. Do not respond to the second Young Master of the Jun family yet; let us observe further."

Madam Xiao's eyes flashed, and she said with a smile, "Master knows that our eldest daughter... to us, she is naturally wonderful, but her reputation is far-reaching, which makes things difficult for me. Because of her stubborn temperament, even our A-Man has suffered because of it. I only do this for the sake of our Duke's Mansion."

Xu Jingyan immediately fell silent, his brow furrowing.

The smile on Madam Xiao's face deepened. "Don't be anxious, Master. I specifically invited Lady Xue precisely because of that stubborn temperament. I expect that after three years, our eldest daughter will surely have matured. No matter whose family she marries into, if people say she was taught by Lady Xue, no one will be able to find fault."

The room fell into silence for a moment, leaving only the sound of shallow breathing.

…………

"...Respect and Prudence, Part Three. Yin and Yang possess distinct natures; men and women have different conducts. Yang uses strength as its virtue, while Yin uses softness as its utility. Man is valued for strength, and woman is beautiful for weakness. Thus, the vulgar proverb says: 'To give birth to a boy is like a wolf, one fears his ferocity; to give birth to a girl is like a mouse, one fears her cunning.' Nevertheless, in self-cultivation, nothing is better than respect; in avoiding strength, nothing is better than compliance..."

Lady Xue kept her head lowered, calmly reading to Xu Weishu. Even though the young lady before her had sleepy eyes, she did not lecture her. Looking at this girl who was like a delicate flower, Lady Xue felt somewhat caught between laughter and tears. She also couldn't help but feel deep disdain for the vision of the current Duchess—the one rumored to be gentle, virtuous, and a model for women.

What did they mean by "unattractive, arrogant, overbearing, self-important, and inherently unruly and difficult to teach"! What did they mean by "she hasn't liked reading since childhood and only recognizes a few characters now, possessing no knowledge whatsoever," and "she must be made to study the Four Books seriously, otherwise her future situation will be worrisome"!

In Lady Xue's eyes, if the girl before her was not considered beautiful, there would be no beauties left in the capital. Although her temperament was a bit direct, with her joys and sorrows displayed openly, and her manner somewhat lazy—not quite meeting the current requirements for a lady of a prestigious family—she was a rare, clear-headed child, full of spirit and kind-hearted. According to Lady Xue's own classification, the young lady of the Xu family was the most suitable type to associate with.

The Duchess, Madam Xiao, had paid a large sum to hire her as a governess for three years. Although the woman hadn't said it explicitly, having spent many years navigating the great households, how could Lady Xue not understand her intention?

Firstly, it showed Madam Xiao's virtue and her great care for the upbringing of her elder brother's legitimate daughter. Secondly, she wanted to use Lady Xue's mouth to smear another layer of ash onto this young lady's already poor reputation.

Lady Xue was not like ordinary governesses. If a young lady was truly a piece of uncarvable wood, she truly had the nerve to walk away. She was not like others who strictly adhered to professional ethics and kept their mouths shut to protect the master's reputation, only to accidentally spread rumors far and wide. It could be said that even though Lady Xue's abilities were certainly not to be underestimated, she still had a mixed reputation in the profession of a governess.

Madam Xiao's plan was clever, but unfortunately, she had misjudged her own niece.

Lady Xue couldn't help but smile with a hint of sarcasm. She was thirty-five this year. She had entered the palace at eight and left at twenty-eight, having wasted her time until now. Having drifted through the whirlpools of power in the imperial palace and the great aristocratic clans for many years, if her mind weren't clear and her eyes weren't sharp, she would likely have ended up like her former companions—resting in a grave in a mass burial ground.

She could indeed take money to do undignified things for a master, but she would never, under any circumstances, do something that offered no benefit and might damage her reputation just for the sake of a so-called passed-their-prime Duchess. Madam Xiao was far too confident.

As for whether the British Duke's Mansion would even exist tomorrow, how could it be compared to the past?

As usual, Lady Xue finished reading the book once, then watched Xu Weishu write two large characters. Even after three years of writing, Lady Xue still couldn't say whether they were good or bad; in the end, she could only manage to say—"They have character!"

There was no helping it; the original owner of the body had no patience. In the beginning, when practicing calligraphy, she only cared about the appearance, always demanding the best ink, the best paper, and the most beautiful posture. As for the results, she only thought they were good if she herself felt so. Later, when she fell into various tragic circumstances, how could she have the leisure to practice calligraphy?

As for Jiuwei... she had studied at Guixu until she was studying properly. As for practicing calligraphy, she certainly had no such leisure; as long as others could recognize what she wrote, that was enough.

Lady Xue pointed out that a few characters were too stiff and had her write them twice more before she was satisfied. She had Baoqin change the teacups and had Xu Weishu adjust her sitting posture, then they drank tea together.

Xu Weishu did not mind. Etiquette and regulations, after all, were not useless to learn.