“Answer?” Née Sun mused.
“Indeed. The duchess always says that if one wants to see one’s true nature, we just need to look at the results of their actions and disregard their words. This will lead to the surest picture of that person. Although you said you’d never forgive Lord Qin, you still came back. This is a sign of your genuine feelings for Lord Qin. In the same vein, I feel that he must understand your sincerity and so has loved and respected you all these years.”
These words comforted née Sun, relaxing her taut heartstrings. Upon further thought, wasn’t that actually the case? She might kick up a right royal fuss, but she still cared about Qin Huaiyuan. Although he might glare and huff at her, he still very much respected her.
Née Sun murmured to herself, “Darling Hui is mature and her every word is a balm to my heart. But I really did start suspecting daughter Yi’s origins because of a careless word from my dear. Then I started arguing with my lord because of my suspicions. And… I’d decided to acknowledge daughter Yi when I returned today, but couldn’t control my temper just now and almost hit her…”
Bao-mama lowered her eyes and smiled, not saying anything.
Née Sun shook her head incredulously. “Nonono, darling Hui is so kindhearted. This is probably all a coincidence! Wouldn’t you say so, Bao-mama?”
The old servant swallowed her words of, “How can there be so many coincidences?” when she saw the direction née Sun had taken. She was just a servant; even the duchess hadn’t been able to set née Sun down the right path after so many years of explanations and exhortations.
What use would her words be now? Bao-mama spoke a few more words of comfort and quickly took her leave to return to the Ding Manor, leaving née Sun in silent thought.
At the same time, Qin Yining was returning to Snowpear Courtyard with Ruilan and Qiulu.
At this time, the paths were seldom traveled, so it was quiet all around. An occasional flock of birds would take startled flight into the air from a withered tree in the distance. The skies of early winter were a vivid sapphire, and the temperature a tad more brisk than the previous day.
Qin Yining strolled along serenely, her beige, damask cloak flaring open slightly with each step. Qiulu and Ruilan supported her on both sides, the former not letting a word escape from tightly compressed lips.
Ruilan, on the other hand, felt that Qin Yining was sure to rely on her in the future since she’d been pardoned today. Since she was going to be a trusted maid, it should be fine to say a word or two. “That was an ordeal just now, miss.”
Qin Yining smiled at the maid.
“Bao-mama is the duchess’ trusted confidante,” Ruilan continued, encouraged by the response. “A word from her is more important even the misses of Ding Manor. Miss Huining was clearly trying to make the senior madame slap you just now, why didn’t you make a big fuss about it in front of Bao-mama? You should let her know how tough life in this manor actually is, so that the duchess will come to know as well.”
Qin Yining dimpled in a slight smile, responding softly, “With the madame’s personality, it might not be a good thing to make a fuss. It might only drive her to further anger and hurt her health.”
Ruilan nodded and sighed at those words. “Fourth Miss truly cares for the senior madame. You’re not like Miss Huining at all, who incites the senior madame to rage just for her own matters…”
Ruilan’s voice trailed off as she realized the point Qin Yining had made. If someone like her could see it this clearly, how would someone as experienced as Bao-mama possibly miss it?!
If the fourth miss really had called upon her strong side from yesterday and gone head to head with the senior madame, she might not have come off worse for the wear, but it would detract from her nonetheless. A wild reputation of being domineering and overbearing might even make its way to the Ding Manor.
But allowing matters to develop as they had without saying a single word or reacting so forcefully had caused Qin Huining’s provocation to be repeated in front of Bao-mama once again!
It’d only been Qin Yining’s words before that claimed that Qin Huining was sowing discord. That clearly wasn’t enough to convince anyone. And after all, nothing was more convincing than seeing the truth with one’s own eyes, and hadn’t Bao-mama done exactly that today?
Ruilan looked at Qin Yining with worshipful eyes. “You did perfect, miss. This servant thought wrongly.”
Although Qiulu didn’t speak much, her wits weren’t blunt. She quickly caught up as her eyes were opened to what was going on. “Miss Huining brought this on her own head. She can’t blame our miss now if the duchess dislikes her.”
“Indeed, her intentions are malicious, so why cover up for her?” Qin Yining smiled slightly. The two maids also smiled as they shared the same, unspoken thought.
They were both greatly impressed by Qin Yining. She hadn’t said much, just a few noncommittal phrases. But that’d been enough to make the madame hesitate, then change her mind about hitting the girl. This was proof that they followed one who possessed wisdom and foresight! She had already thoroughly grasped née Sun’s personality.
Although much had occurred today, the group returned to Snowpear Courtyard in light spirits. Zhu-mama met them at the door with a smile. “You’ve returned, miss! The mama that the lord requested from the palace has arrived.”
Qin Yining looked askance at the yard at these words to see a demure woman of roughly forty years walk out. The woman smiled happy and bent her knee in greeting. “This servant is née Zhan. I’m in charge of teaching manners and rules in the palace. I’m here under the empress’ orders to keep the miss company for a few days.”
“The empress?” Qin Yining was a bit surprised at that particular revelation.
“The emperor was delighted to hear that the prime minister has found his official daughter. When His Majesty heard the prime minister speak of matters at home, he gave orders accordingly to the empress. Her Majesty is the model of the nation and arranged for this servant to come.”
“Please don’t stand on ceremony, Zhan-mama. This girl is coarse and will need much help from you.” Qin Yining politely welcomed the mama into the main residence, settling down to study hard.
…...
The Duke of Ding Manor.
Bao-mama carefully relayed all that had happened in the prime minister manor to the duchess. The duchess had a strand of jade rosary beads in her hand. She stroked the beads idly with a thumb, causing them to click crisply against each other. The pale-purple tassel adorned with gold beads at the bottom of it swayed slightly with each contemplative movement, perfectly complementing the duchess’ jade ring. The jewelry set looked quite beautiful.
After a moment of silence, her hands slowed, and halted, “So it looks like granddaughter Hui really did do it.”
The old servant nodded. “Yes, I could tell that the miss did indeed provoke the lady. You know of the lady’s temperament.”
The duchess rubbed her forehead with her right hand. “Daughter Han is straight as an arrow. She’d be the first to shoot off a cannon if someone rolled it next to her and loaded it with powder. I’d thought granddaughter Hui was a good sort. Why is she now…”
Bao-mama knew that the duchess was simply speaking rhetorically. She knew of everything and just wasn’t happy with how things had developed. She didn’t say anything else and busied herself with massaging the duchess’ temples.
The duchess gave a long sigh, “Granddaughter Yi really looks similar to Qin Meng?”
“Yes, just like a young Lord Qin. I actually feel that she looks a bit more perceptive than the prime minister, and is very filial as well. She quietly took the punishment even when the lady purposefully gave her trouble. She didn’t cause the lady any anger at all. She’s had such a hard life all these years, so it’s a wonder that she’s so mature and that her personality hasn’t been warped.
“It’s a rare situation where you have endless praise for someone.” The duchess start
ed to chuckle.
Bao-mama gave an embarrassed smile. “That’s because the girl really is likable.”
“I won’t tease you any further. As opposed to waiting for daughter Han to remember to bring the girl to me, I might as well go get her myself.” Duchess of Ding sat back in thought for a moment, “Send someone to take a look at the outer residence. Grandson Ming ought to be back by now.”
Grandson Ming was the duke and duchess’ eldest grandson, Sun Yu [1]
“Does the mistress mean to send the eldest master as the messenger?” Bao-mama was surprised.
“Yes.” The duchess thoughtfully tapped her chin, “If we send a servant, it will appear as if we don’t value her much. Since we want to invite her over for a visit, and granddaughter Yi seems like a good sort, then it is only right for me to prop up her status as her maternal grandmother. Grandson Ming has a good reputation outside and a high status amongst the scholars. He also gets along well with his uncle-in-law, so it’d be best for him to make a trip on my behalf.”
“The mistress is most thorough. The eldest master more than gets along with his uncle-in-law! Lord Qin likes the eldest master so much that he wishes Sir Yu was his own son!” Bao-mama passed the duchess’ orders to a maid with a smile, revising Qin Yining’s position in her own heart as well.
One had to know that the duke’s grandson wasn’t just any ordinary renowned noble. He was a legend amongst the younger generation of Great Yan!
Sun Yu, secondary personal name of Ming, was twenty six years old and yet unmarried. It wasn’t that he’d refused to get married, but that he was waiting for mutual love to flower with an unparalleled beauty.
He was a proper gentleman, refined and handsome, a leader among his peers. The most important was that he brimmed with talent and a nigh perfect comprehension of history, rules, and politics.
When Zhou and Yan had officially declared war on each other two years ago, Sun Yu had written an eloquent and vicious denunciation that flayed every bit of skin off Great Zhou, utterly humiliating them to the depths of despair.
Great Yan’s morale had soared, and his public denunciation inspired a great many hot-blooded youths to join the army. The emperor was greatly admiring of this kind of achievement and personally decreed Sun Yu to join the ranks of the imperial scholars.
This was when the saying of, “if I could have a son like Sun Yu” had first started spreading among the populace.
Even someone as cautious as Qin Huaiyuan had started publicly lauding this youth instead of staying away to avoid accusations of nepotism. The prime minister public praised him as “the talent of our era”. Because of Sun Yu’s official publication, his name was known throughout Great Yan and Great Zhou. It was said that the Prosperous Emperor [2] of Great Zhou had been so incensed by the diatribe that he’d fallen gravely ill for a while.
Such an unparalleled, talented, and handsome grandson was the treasure the duchess cherished above all else. To be willing to send him to the prime minister’s manor was a clear indication of how highly the duchess appraised Qin Yining!
* * *
1. Ming is is secondary, personal name, much like how Qin Huaiyuan is also known as Qin Meng.
2. Title, not the emperor’s name
Chapter 21: Jealousy Inducing
Chapter 21: Jealousy Inducing
In the main residence of Snowpear Courtyard, Zhan-mama snuck a look at the burnt incense stick and nodded with a smile. “Miss, you’re Prime Minister Qin’s official firstborn alright! You’re indeed uncommonly smart and only need a hint before comprehension. You’ve learned this standing position quite well! You should be tired by now, why not rest a bit?”
“Many thanks to Zhan-mama,” Qin Yining replied but didn’t allow her proper posture to lapse. Only her expression relaxed slightly.
The palace servant was even happier to see this. “You’re putting what you’ve learned into practice immediately. This shows a high degree of perception. Everyone understand rules and manners, but not everyone can execute them beautifully. What you need to do is to imprint these new habits into your bones. Make it so that every bone and muscle has these new memories. Only then will you gain a bearing that remains constant in the face of all changes.”
“Zhan-mama speaks truly.” Qin Yining nodded quite seriously as she felt the same way.
“I will thoroughly explain your every move and gesture in the future, whether when sitting, lying down, walking, every movement of your hand and feet, and every smile and frown. I will help you understand what feelings you induce in others with your motions and looks.”
Qin Yining blinked, trying to understand what the mama had just said. Zhan-mama couldn’t help but continue on when she saw the girl like this, “You’re a grown-up miss and will understand some things without me explaining them. For a noble daughter like you, your future entirely depends on the marriage you make. You have an exceedingly strong family background, so your future husband will be of a similar position.
“It is important to focus on the proficiency of your household duties, embroidery, character, and talents so that your in-laws like you. Interacting with others is a large part of life in these manors, so it’s vital that you honor your elders and coexist peacefully with the ladies. To precisely express a variety of thoughts with your motions, and to analyze others’ moods and mentalities from their mannerisms, isn’t something that everyone can learn. But you miss, can try to understand it.”
Qin Yining looked at eyes full of gratitude when she heard this. It was the first time that someone had laid out her future so clearly since she’d returned to the manor. And yet, the person who’d done so wasn’t her mother, grandmother, or any female relative, but a mama here to teach her rules and manners. She knew only that was the scope of the mama’s responsibilities, the palace servant didn’t need to say all this to her. Qin Yining was quite thankful for this additional attention.
Zhan-mama was quite delighted by Qin Yining’s limpid, expressive eyes. “Just like I can tell from the look in your eyes right now that you’re both happy and grateful—this is precisely what I mean. If you can use your own body language and be able to read that of others, you’ll have a much easier time in your future life. You might not have consciously thought all this through, but you’re already using the skills subconsciously. I can also sense your kind intentions.”
A faint blush had appeared on Qin Yining’s face as she nodded, “I understand.”
Zhan-mama continued, “Rules and manners can actually be split apart into two concepts. Rules must be followed. Breaking them would make a fool out of yourself, or even invite fatal attention. Manners on the other hand, is the ability to make others feel comfortable when you interact with them.
“This doesn’t only cover gestures, but also words and tone in conversation, one’s outfit, colors used and others. During this time, this servant will go over the principles of wearing clothes with the miss, explaining how different color combinations will change the perception of others, and what accessories go with what outfits. This will help you understand a person from just what they’re wearing when you meet others in the future.”
“Therefore, when I see someone, they may be wearing something on purpose to lure in others or enhance a certain feeling they’re projecting? Or it could all be a purposeful act for me?”
“Precisely, the miss is quite smart.” Zhan-mama’s smile deepened.
“No, this is due to the mama’s care. I grew up in the countryside and mountains and have never been exposed to any of this. It’s also likely that no one will explain all this to me in such detail. I have learned greatly from your pointers. This will all help me immensely in the future.” Qin Yining performed a curtsey out of gratitude. “I will have to rely on Zhan-mama in the future as well.”
The mama avoided accepting the girl’s gesture and returned a grand gesture as well. Although she was here on the empress’ orders, she truly liked and respected the young girl in front of her after an aft
ernoon together. The palace servant felt that the Qin fourth miss was both sincere and adorable, without a hint of superficiality to her. Having served in the palace all these years, she’d seen all sorts of women. There had been beautiful ones and smart ones, but one that was so pleasing to her eye like Qin Yining was a first.
She never once had the feeling that Qin Yining was over-fawningly polite to the point where she lost her dignity as the prime minister’s daughter, but also never had the feeling that the girl was prideful and couldn’t be bothered to even speak to others. She had maintained their relationship at a comfortable distance, making someone as worldly as Zhan-mama unable to keep from imparting some more knowledge to her. “The hour is growing late today and you must have other affairs to attend to, miss. This servant will take my leave now then.” Zhan-mama rose with a smile.
“Mama’s had a long afternoon. I’ve already ordered servants to prepare dinner. Will you stay and share a meal together?”
“This servant is quite gratified by the miss’ offer of food. However, you are the apple of the lord’s eye and have a noble identity. I would not dare impose on you. I thank you for your good intentions.” Zhan-mama declined with a smile.
“You are my rules teacher now,” Qin Yining shook her head with a smile. “You’re my master as well then. That a disciple shares a table with the master actually counts as the disciple overstepping themselves. Please don’t stand on ceremony.”
These words were simply too apt, making it impossible for the palace servant to refuse again. She also did want to spend more time with Qin Yining, so she accepted this time with thanks.
Dinner wasn’t quite that sumptuous, but Qin Yining had purposefully sent Zhu-mama to the main kitchen with silver to order some additional dishes. There were four meat and four vegetarian dishes, as well as one soup. Since Zhu-mama’s daughter-in-law worked in the main kitchens, the food tasted more sophisticated than ordinary offerings. Although the two kept to the rule of not speaking when eating, they felt that they’d grown closer after one meal. They enjoyed tea afterwards, and Qin Yining had Ruilan and Qiulu accompany the mama back to the guest quarters after dinner. Qiulu also remained at the mama’s side as a personal maid, with orders not to be lax on care at all.
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