Four Seasons Brocade – CH 005

Chapter 5 ☆、 Worried about Passing the Imperial Examination

While discussing calligraphy, Third Master Rong, feeling an urge to write, also penned a piece: “Be the first to worry about the world’s troubles. Enjoy the world’s pleasures after everyone else.” These two phrases were not usually on people’s minds; only those striving for advancement and seeking the welfare of the people remember them. Clearly, Third Master Rong’s political ideals were very noble, but he had never had an opportunity to put them into practice.

The calligraphy on this piece was in the same hand as the two pieces hanging on the wall behind Master Rong. Ah Wu realized that Master Rong’s pen name was “Nanshan,” likely taken from the phrase “leisurely seeing the Southern Mountain.” She wondered if this name was a gift or something he chose himself; it was probably a way to encourage himself when things did not go well—even without official success, he could still find refuge in the Southern Mountain.

Rong Jie and Rong Yin, seeing that Master Rong was eager to write, were naturally delighted and pestered him for guidance. Ah Wu, on the other hand, picked up a stack of manuscripts on the table and began to read. These were Master Rong’s latest works in the eight-legged essay style. After carefully reading them, Ah Wu gained a deeper understanding of Master Rong.

Ah Wu was renowned for her talent and held herself in high esteem while residing in the Princess’s Mansion. She disdained ordinary women’s poetry, always striving to outdo men. Therefore, she studied under her brothers’ tutors and prepared essays for the imperial examinations. She even fantasized about what it would be like if she were a man; her ornate writing would surely catch the Emperor’s eye, bringing her fame and making all men ashamed.

Thus, Ah Wu was quite familiar with the current essay style and adept at its structure, including the introduction, development, opening, and conclusion. This Third Master Rong’s writing was subtle and restrained, substantial, and possessed a profound and understated elegance, quite different from the ornate and elaborate style favored by the servants.

Ah Wu recalled in her mind the chief examiner of the spring imperial examination in the twenty-fourth year of the Longqing reign. It must have been the tutor of Xu Lizhai, a Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet. Grand Secretary Xu’s writing style was unconventional, bizarre, and ornate. While the language was rich and beautiful and easy to recite, it felt empty after reading. Third Master Rong’s writing clearly did not meet his standards.

Furthermore, Ah Wu could not recall ever hearing of anyone from the Duke of Anguo’s family passing the imperial examination.

Ah Wu put down Third Master Rong’s manuscript and sighed softly.

After Ah Wu and her two siblings left, Lady Cui prepared a late-night snack for Third Master Rong. After they finished eating, she took off his shoes, washed his feet, and helped him to bed comfortably.

After the bed curtains were drawn, the candlelight from outside shone softly, making Lady Cui’s face appear even more beautiful, stirring Third Master Rong’s heart. Just as he leaned closer, he suddenly noticed a new wrinkle at the corner of Lady Cui’s eye, and his heart ached.

Lady Cui felt Third Master Rong’s fingers stroking the corner of her eye and asked anxiously, “What’s wrong? Has another one appeared?”

“I will love you no matter what you look like,” Third Master Rong quickly changed the subject, afraid of upsetting Lady Cui.

But Lady Cui was still saddened. “How come another one has appeared in just half a year?”

Third Master Rong naturally knew the cause of Lady Cui’s wrinkles. He pulled Lady Cui into his arms and kissed her cheek. “If I do not pass this time, I will not take the exam anymore. I will listen to Father and help with household affairs.”

Lady Cui was truly anxious now. She turned over and looked up at Third Master Rong. “How can that be? I know you are talented, Third Master. Even if I do not pass this time, there’s always next time, and the time after that. Third Master, you must not be discouraged.”

“I pity you for working so hard. For my sake, you have not even bought a single piece of jewelry all these years. I am truly sorry, Yilan,” Third Master Rong said, sniffing Lady Cui’s temple.

“For you, for these children, I am willing to endure any hardship. I only beg you, Third Master, not to lose heart. Our entire family is counting on you.”

Third Master Rong did not speak, only tenderly stroking Lady Cui’s cheek.

Lady Cui knew he was truly determined this time; otherwise, he would never have said such things. This man was as stubborn as an ox, unchangeable. She could only accept her fate.

Third Master Rong only stayed at the Duke’s Mansion for four days, spending each day instructing Ah Wu and her two siblings. When he left, Lady Cui watched from the side gate until the dust kicked up by his horse disappeared before turning away.

After Third Master Rong left, Ah Wu’s health had almost fully recovered. She returned to Lady Cui’s side, intending to pay her respects to the Old Madam.

“Why the rush? You are not fully recovered yet.”

Lady Cui’s words implied that she did not want Ah Wu to go to the Old Madam’s room to pay her respects. The Old Madam had always looked down on the third branch of the family and especially disliked Lady Cui. Since Ah Wu’s predecessor was so hopeless and incompetent, she naturally despised the third branch even more, never giving Lady Cui a kind look, and never even glancing at Ah Wu’s predecessor, never treating her as a granddaughter.

Ah Wu’s predecessor had cried countless times over this. Lady Cui, feeling sorry for her daughter, always found various excuses to make her avoid the Old Madam’s presence when paying her respects, which further displeased her.

Ah Wu, of course, did not want to be treated like this, but her health was improving, and hiding from people was not right; she did not want to be unreasonable.

Besides, staying confined to Lady Cui’s small courtyard was not a solution. She wanted to go out, to see her parents at the Princess’s Mansion again, and to know what would become of her Ah Wu body if she were reborn in Rong Wuyou’s body.

That day, Ah Wu rose early. Zi-Yan styled her hair into two small buns on either side of her head and two glossy braids braided with pink ribbons and hanging down her shoulders, each end tied with a pink tassel, making her look adorable and charmingly innocent, irresistibly endearing.

Lady Cui led Ah Wu, the little one following after her, into the courtyard of the main house. As soon as they entered, a girl’s clear voice could be heard speaking, followed by bursts of laughter from inside.

Lady Cui led Ah Wu into the house, and the room immediately fell silent, as if Lady Cui were a wild duck suddenly flying into a flock of cranes.

However, this was only for a moment. Soon, everyone’s eyes were drawn to Ah Wu.

Fourth Young Lady Rong looked at Ah Wu with surprise, envy, and a hint of jealousy, feeling that after her illness, Ah Wu seemed like a completely different person. Ah Wu’s previous self was already a beauty. Although she used to be timid and hesitant, no one could deny her beauty; wherever she went, people would glance at her. Now, Ah Wu was even more beautiful, as if the sunlight itself were merely a backdrop.

Fifth Young Lady Rong looked at Ah Wu’s clothes. A pale yellow jacket embroidered with large red roses, paired with a deep blue embroidered skirt. Only someone with Ah Wu’s looks could pull off such a combination of red and deep blue, with its large, densely embroidered flowers, so perfectly showcasing her youthful charm and vivacity.

Most importantly, Rong Wuyou no longer imitated Fifth Young Lady Rong’s clothing style; this was what Fifth Young Lady Rong focused on.

“Sixth Sister, you’ve finally gotten better!” Fifth Young Lady Rong smiled and stepped forward, taking Ah Wu’s hand, showing her usual respect and affection for her younger siblings.

“Fifth Sister.” Ah Wu looked up and smiled sweetly at Fifth Young Lady Rong, letting her pull her along as they walked into the Old Madam’s house, still the same little follower Fifth Young Lady Rong had always been.

“May Old Madam enjoy boundless blessings and peace.” Ah Wu bowed respectfully to Old Lady He, then stood quietly beside Fifth Young Lady Rong without saying a word.

“Hmm, looks much better now. Her studies cannot be neglected; our daughters should not be like ignorant village women,” the Old Madam said indifferently.

“Yes,” Ah Wu replied obediently, so quiet and well-behaved that no one dared to say anything more.

Soon, the room returned to its lively atmosphere. Fifth Young Lady Rong, adept at making the Old Madam happy, told many jokes she had read in books, some from Ancient and Modern Jokes, others from The Forest of Laughter.

Now, Fifth Young Lady Rong’s mother, the eldest’s wife, was in charge of managing the household affairs. Of the three daughters-in-law, she was the most skilled at flattering people, and thus, only the voices of the two of them and the Old Madam could be heard in the entire room.

The second’s wife wore a dark yellow floral jacket with a black skirt, looking quite old-fashioned, almost as old as the Old Madam. With a round, kind face, she sat to the Old Madam’s right, casually offering her words.

Fourth Young Lady Rong was a concubine’s daughter from the second branch, but her monthly allowance and seasonal clothing were no different from Fifth Young Lady Rong’s. Since the first three daughters of the Rong family had all married, there were few girls left in the Rong household, making them all precious.

Ah Wu watched coldly as Fourth Young Lady Rong and Fifth Young Lady Rong, one like the straight man in a crosstalk performance, the other like the comedian, with the Old Madam naturally as the audience. However, the mark on her lips was too deep; even her smile carried a sharp edge. It was a wonder that Fourth Young Lady Rong and Fifth Young Lady Rong went to such lengths to please her.

Breakfast was served shortly. The Third Madam served tea and set out chopsticks, while the granddaughters sat down to eat with her.

Ah Wu silently ate the food before her. She ate whatever Lady Cui put on her plate; to her, the food was all the same. The rice was fine Bijing rice, but it could not compare to the Hutian Bijing rice that the royal family specially provided to the Imperial Princess every month.

In the past, Ah Wu liked to have a bowl of shad soup for breakfast, stewed with tender bamboo shoots, or a shad with fermented rice wine. This shad was known as one of the “Three Delicacies of the Yangtze River,” extremely precious. Because it died immediately after being caught, it was incredibly valuable when transported to the capital and was presented to the palace as tribute every year. Since this fish was sweet and warm, appetizing, nourishing, and replenishing, the Princess was very careful about what Ah Wu ate, and every year several baskets of it would go directly to the Princess’s Mansion.

As for the appetizing pickles on the table, the pickle makers at the Princess’s Mansion used specially selected water from Yuquan Mountain for pickling, and the sauce used was “He Jiang Xiang,” transported from Sichuan all the way there. The pickles were crisp, delicious, and appetizing, far superior to the pickle makers at the Duke’s residence.

Fifth Young Lady Rong ate only half a bowl before putting down her chopsticks to rest, but Ah Wu did not look at her, continuing to eat. Everyone said being able to eat was a blessing; in her past life, she could not eat much, but in this life, she had finally earned a healthy body, so she could not let it go to waste. She finished two bowls of porridge, a golden cake, and a meat bun before calling it a day.

When Ah Wu put down her chopsticks, she realized everyone was staring at her as if she were a monster. Fortunately, Ah Wu’s eating manners were truly elegant, and others only marveled at her large appetite, saying nothing more.

Fourth Young Lady Rong was surprised that Sixth Young Lady Rong was not imitating Fifth Young Lady Rong anymore. In the past, whenever Fifth Young Lady Rong stopped eating, Sixth Young Lady Rong would stop; even if she was starving at lunchtime, she would still imitate Fifth Young Lady Rong’s graceful, delicate movements.

The Old Madam glanced at Ah Wu. “Sixth girl, you did the right thing today. From now on, you should learn from your fifth sister. In our family, there are rules for eating. If it’s not on your plate, it’s not yours. If you insist on eating it, people will laugh at you for being ill-mannered.”

It turned out that Fourth Young Lady Rong and Fifth Young Lady Rong, being mischievous, had deliberately placed Sixth Young Lady Rong’s favorite dish—stir-fried shrimp with silver teeth—opposite to her, urging Sixth Young Lady Rong to eat it, inevitably making a fool of herself.

Ah Wu naturally did not understand the reason, but she understood the Old Madam’s words; the bias was self-evident.

Lady Cui stood to the side, her face grim, her lips tightly pressed together. After the meal, the three generations chatted about their sons for a while, and Lady Cui and Ah Wu naturally became mere decorations, unable to get a word in edgewise, nor did they intend to.