Four Seasons Brocade – CH 011

Chapter 11 ☆、 The Top Scholar’s Penniless Situation

Rong Jichang, upon arriving at the examination hall, found his cell cramped and cold, the wind biting, making his mind numb. When he saw the eight-legged essay question, he froze.

He could not believe it—the question was exactly the same as Ah Wu’s dream essay. These days, the more bizarre the question, the better; often, it was just a patchwork of sentences from the Four Books. This time, however, it was an original excerpt, leaving many astonished.

Rong Jichang wanted to write something different, but his mind was filled with that dream essay. No matter how hard he tried, he could not come up with a better sentence. Thinking of his family’s situation, he gritted his teeth and used the dream essay directly.

When the messenger arrived at the Duke of Anguo’s mansion, Rong Jichang was still in a daze. His whole family was overjoyed. The Old Master ordered firecrackers to be prepared immediately and generously treated the messenger to a meal.

Rong Jichang topped the provincial examination and participated in the palace selection on the first day of the third month, where he was personally selected by the Longqing Emperor as the top scholar.

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Rong Jichang was inherently talented and possessed a refined and handsome appearance. In his thirties, his elegant demeanor immediately won people’s favor. His answers in the palace examination were quick-witted and insightful, thus impressing the Emperor. He finally broke free from his cocoon and made a name for himself.

He finally released the pent-up frustration he had harbored for years.

The Longqing Emperor appointed Rong Jichang as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. After returning to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors, he could report to the Ministry of Personnel to take up his post. The Hanlin Academy was a prestigious and highly respected institution, requiring a long and arduous journey to accumulate seniority. Once one rose to prominence, it was like a phoenix soaring high. In the Great Xia Dynasty, all Cabinet Ministers had to be from the Hanlin Academy, although not every Hanlin member could enter the Cabinet.

Rong Jichang was brimming with ambition, eager to make his mark and fulfill his long-cherished wish. Ah Wu was also delighted, thinking that life would be a little easier from now on.

But as she leaned against the window, admiring the peach blossoms, Ah Wu suddenly felt something was amiss. How could it be that Third Master Rong’s passing the imperial examination with top honors elicited such a reaction from her, the Princess Kangning, that her first thought would be financial freedom, more clothes, and the ability to afford hawthorn cakes for breakfast? This thought was incredibly inappropriate.

Indeed, environment shaped one’s thinking.

Ah Wu shook her head, telling herself that she should aspire to Third Master Rong becoming a wise and virtuous prime minister, leaving his mark on history. Being the daughter of a Cabinet Minister, while lacking the prestige of a princess or county princess, in reality, the wives and noblewomen of officials would still be more eager to curry favor with the Cabinet Minister’s beloved daughter.

After dinner, Ah Wu went to Lady Cui’s room and saw her busy cutting clothes with scissors. Judging from the fabric, it was for Master Rong.

When Lady Cui saw Ah Wu enter, she smiled and said, “Making two sets of clothes for your father to wear when receiving guests.”

Ah Wu examined the fabric closely. The pattern was a bit old, but the material was fine brocade, and the colors were vibrant. Comparing it to Master Rong’s usual clothes, Ah Wu figured these clothes must be something from the bottom of Lady Cui’s dowry. But she could not help asking, “Was this a gift from the Old Madam?”

Lady Cui smiled and shook her head.

Ah Wu knew that the old woman who held power in the household would not have any such intentions. Her grandfather, the Duke of Anguo, had married such an ignorant woman; no wonder his sons were all unruly. Fortunately, her father’s biological mother had died early, and he had not been spoiled by his father or mother growing up, which ironically prevented him from being corrupted—a good shoot emerging from a bad bamboo.

Ah Wu thought to herself that if she were the Old Madam, even if she initially looked down on the third branch of the family, she should at least show some respect now. Although she was the legal mother, and he was legally obligated to be filial, he was not her biological son. When hearts were distant, nothing was easy, and even filial piety could lead to many complications. Not to mention, her uncles’ future prospects would likely be tied to her father.

Ah Wu had always looked down on the short-sighted, shrewish Old Madam of the Duke of Anguo’s Mansion. Now, having personally experienced her shallowness, shortsightedness, and cruelty, she looked down on her even more. She would never change her attitude just because she was her grandmother, and she absolutely could not tolerate groveling and fawning over that old woman.

Because Ah Wu did not try to amuse herself in front of the Old Madam and was the daughter of a concubine’s son, the Old Madam had not even given her a second glance.

Ah Wu’s feelings for the Rong family were based on the principle of “you treat me well, I only feel affection for you,” not on the emotional bond for giving birth to and raising her. She always felt a deep sense of gratitude towards her parents in the Princess’s Mansion. She felt even less affection for the Old Madam.

“Where’s Father? Out to meet friends?” Ah Wu asked, noticing Rong Jichang was not there. He had not eaten at home for over ten days.

“Yes, he said it was a gathering of fellow graduates.” Lady Cui, arranging fabric, did not look up.

Ah Wu observed that Lady Cui’s sewing skills were proficient; she was a skilled seamstress, clearly honed by life’s hardships. Among the ladies she had met, none possessed such skill. Embroidery and sewing were completely different. Young women practiced needlework, making small items like purses or handkerchiefs—that was considered virtuous. Making and tailoring clothes were the work of embroiderers.

For example, Ah Wu could now embroider purses; her needlework was quite skillful, and the stitches were delicate. However, she still lacked the ability to sew clothes, though she was willing to learn.

Ah Wu’s purpose in this life was to fill in the gaps in her knowledge. The poetry, calligraphy, and painting she excelled at in her previous life were no longer her focus. The focus was on those things she could not learn or do well in her previous life—she was here to perfect herself.

Watching Lady Cui tailor clothes, Ah Wu answered her questions, “Use black thread for the buttons. If you want something nicer, you can twist some gold thread. As for the style, simple Chinese knot buttons are fine; the simpler the better, so they will not go out of style. If you use this year’s trendy button designs, they might be out of fashion next year.”

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Although Ah Wu was not a modern soul, that did not prevent her from establishing a classic aesthetic sense.

Simplicity was timeless, and simplicity was fashionable.

However, this world was not without those who love novelty and extravagance, such as the “flamboyant” Fourth Prince.

Ah Wu could not find any other suitable words to describe Chu Mao. While his demeanor was not flamboyant, his style of dress was far too “flamboyant.” He wore a new outfit every year; for men, you could tell what was fashionable by what Chu Mao wore each year.

But this was utterly unreasonable. This kind of fashion should only exist among women, led by the empresses or princesses of the palace, yet it happened to a man.

The spoiled young men in the capital all loved to imitate Chu Mao’s style, because he had the effect of having his carriage overflowing with fruit thrown at him.

Ah Wu did not see Chu Mao often, but every time she did, his attire was extremely meticulous. She had never seen him use the same belt buckle twice, and his jade pendants and other ornaments were new every month, every day.

Of course, that was because the Fourth Prince had the means; the national treasury continuously supplied these nobles, something others could not compare to.

Thinking of this, a thought flashed through Ah Wu’s mind, but it was too fleeting for her to grasp.

However, Ah Wu noticed that Lady Cui was not wearing her favorite green jade bracelet. Jade needed to be nurtured to maintain its color, so Lady Cui almost always wore that bracelet, which had become smooth and lustrous, quite pleasing to the eye.

“Mother, where’s your jade bracelet?”

Lady Cui awkwardly touched her wrist. “Children should not concern themselves with such things.”

Needless to say, it must have been pawned. It seemed Ah Wu had been overly optimistic about the situation of her branch of the family after Third Master Rong’s success in the imperial examinations. This was understandable, given that she had never held an official position, and the Princess’s Mansion was always filled with people eager to curry favor with her. Having grasped the key point, Ah Wu put herself in her mother’s shoes and understood her current predicament.

Third Master Rong was now extremely busy with social engagements and also had to thank his mentors; he could not always expect others to pay the bill. His monthly allowance was simply not enough to cover these expenses, and Lady Cui was struggling to manage on her own.

“Now that the expenses are insufficient, even if the Old Madam does not care, why does Mother not talk to Grandfather?” Ah Wu felt sorry for Lady Cui; she had even pawned her only presentable possession.

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Lady Cui laughed at Ah Wu’s naiveté. “How could the Old Master care about such things?”

Ah Wu knew that the Old Master was just a rough, uncultured man, only good at fighting. Even after his leg injury and retirement, he still did not concern himself with such trivial matters, only caring about his own happiness and comfort.

The Great Xia Dynasty was newly established. Before following the founding Emperor in conquering the country, the Old Master’s father was a native farmer. Later, he was enfeoffed as the Duke of Anguo, but his demeanor remained that of a farmer. The Old Master inherited this from his father and remained a rough man. It was not until Third Master Rong’s generation that things improved somewhat, with spoiled brats of a noble family emerging.

Therefore, it was unrealistic to expect the Old Master to proactively inquire about whether Third Master Rong had enough money; one had to ask for it.