Four Seasons Brocade – CH 019

Chapter 19 ☆、 Nurturing Kindness, Ah Wu Teaches Her Servants

“Sister Zi-Yan, do you think if we could read and write, we could speak eloquently like the young ladies, with that…that air of elegance that only young ladies possess?” Zi-Shan asked longingly.

“Stop, take a break. You are always daydreaming,” Zi-Yan said with a laugh. “Do you want to be a young lady?”

“I do not want to be a young lady; I just want to be able to read and write so I can get married in the future…”

“Shameless! You are so young, and you are already thinking about marriage?” Zi-Yan stroked her cheek with her finger, teasing Zi-Shan.

“I think Zi-Shan has a point,” Ah Wu said, walking into the room.

Zi-Yan and Zi-Shan were both startled to see Ah Wu. Zi-Yan, however, was quicker to react, saying, “Miss, please do not listen to our nonsense.” Zi-Yan was unsure how much Ah Wu had overheard, her heart pounding, but thankfully, she had not spoken ill of her mistress.

Meanwhile, Ah Wu had overheard most of Zi-Yan and Zi-Shan’s conversation. She had originally gone to Lady Cui’s room, but since Lady Cui had a headache and did not like being disturbed, Ah Wu had returned first. Hearing their whispered conversation in the corridor, Ah Wu quietly listened in.

Ah Wu’s usual impression of Zi-Yan was that she was dull and unassuming, without any faults or anything particularly noteworthy. But after hearing her words today, her impression of her completely changed. She seemed to be a clear-headed and intelligent person, and not a bad person at all.

When Zi-Shan later mentioned reading and writing, Ah Wu belatedly realized that these two maids were actually illiterate. Ah Wu’s former head maid was not only literate but also skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She was both her servant and her playmate, and like Ah Wu, she had her own maids serving her—practically a half-young lady.

This was not unusual; in wealthy families, the head maids of young ladies with some status often acted like half-young ladies to reflect the young lady’s status.

Ah Wu herself had not truly cared for Zi-Yan and Zi-Shan, always intending to replace them. However, seeing that replacing them was not an immediate option, and now recognizing their potential, she began to consider other options.

Previously, Ah Wu’s servants were all trained and instructed by matrons, receiving excellent manners before being sent to serve her. To exaggerate slightly, only the most intelligent and capable had passed through numerous hurdles to reach her side. For those maids, getting to serve Princess Kangning was a huge achievement, and they all fought tooth and nail for it. Now that she was at the Duke of Anguo’s Mansion, Ah Wu no longer enjoyed this treatment. Even if new maids were chosen, they might not be good. Ah Wu had come to this realization, and a sense of novelty rose within her. She wanted to see how she could raise these two maids.

Unconsciously, Young Lady Ah Wu had already decided to play a rather fashionable game of raising children.

“Reading and writing are good things. Since Zi-Shan is so willing, I can teach you a little every day when I have some free time so that you will not be completely clueless when I read a book and do not know where to look,” Ah Wu said casually.

“That’s right, that’s right!” Zi-Shan smiled happily.

Zi-Yan also wanted to learn, but when she opened her mouth, she did not know how to begin.

Both Zi-Yan’s and Zi-Shan’s families were from Qingzhou. For generations, they had toiled the land for a living. Later, a famine struck, leaving them with nothing but tree roots to eat. Forced to sell themselves into slavery, they arranged with the matchmaker to sell the whole family together. Coincidentally, the Third Madam needed to buy a dowry for her marriage, and Lady Cui’s stepmother bought them—a twist of fate.

Because they were poor laborers, they held writing in high esteem. Even a scrap of paper with writing on it would be carefully preserved by Zi-Yan’s father. Zi-Yan herself longed to learn to read.

Ah Wu looked at Zi-Yan and smiled. “Teaching one is the same as teaching two. Zi-Yan, why not learn together?”

“Yes,” Zi-Yan quickly replied.

True to her word, Ah Wu dedicated half an hour each afternoon to teaching Zi-Yan and Zi-Shan, starting with the Thousand Character Classic. Although their foundation was weak, their diligence and intelligence made teaching them easy. Ah Wu felt she had found a new toy; this was the epitome of being a good teacher. Ah Wu was delighted; the two students were truly engaged, and their studies were genuinely effective.

It was Zi-Yan and Zi-Shan’s good fortune to have such a “renowned teacher” as Ah Wu.

Of course, Ah Wu also had her own motives. She did not teach them traditional ladylike lessons, nor did she expect them to behave like refined young ladies. Instead, she told them stories of loyal ministers and righteous servants. There were tales of loyal servants who sacrificed themselves for their masters and received great rewards, and stories of righteous servants who protected their masters’ wealth and were brought back by their spendthrift masters. These people were not only honest but also intelligent.

For example, Shen Shi in the latter story, after being banished to the estate by his spendthrift master, still devoted himself to his master’s affairs, managing a large estate, raising a fortune, paying off his master’s debts, and buying back the ancestral property. Of course, Shen Shi also lived a long and healthy life, and the master’s family was extremely grateful and treated him well.

The two maids seemed somewhat moved by the teachings, but seeing their expressions, Ah Wu knew it was too early to win their unwavering loyalty. How to manage servants, to make them devoted, and to share their master’s joys and sorrows could not be achieved permanently or effectively through money and power, especially with conscientious servants.

So Ah Wu pondered whether she should devise a scheme of kindness to completely subdue the two maids.

However, firstly, Ah Wu had no useful people or resources, and secondly, she was young; even if she set a trap, Zi-Yan and Zi-Shan might not necessarily come to her for help.

Besides, such a charade could easily be exposed and turn into enmity, which would be disastrous. Therefore, unless absolutely certain, it was best to avoid such things.

Thinking of this, Ah Wu had no choice but to abandon this opportunistic plan.

A slow and steady approach could also foster affection. Fortunately, Ah Wu was young, and the affairs of the household did not require her attention, allowing her the leisure to spend time with the two maids.

Later, Ah Wu not only taught the two maids to read but also introduced them to poetry to cultivate their character. In her spare time, she would read them the Spring and Autumn Annals and Records of the Grand Historian, properly raising them like young ladies. But that’s a story for later.

The capital was teeming with imperial relatives, nobles, and powerful gentry. Every month, countless banquets, large and small, were held for weddings, daughters’ marriages, birthday celebrations, and baby showers. But when it came to who hosted the most banquets, the Earl of Huating was undoubtedly the most well-received by the nobility.

The Earl of Huating’s prestige was not due to any particular ability of his but rather because he had a beautiful daughter. The current Consort Xiang, whom even the Empress had to defer to, was the Earl of Huating’s youngest daughter.

Consort Xiang had enjoyed the Emperor’s favor for over a decade, and her son, the Seventh Prince, was also highly regarded. Because of this, the Earl of Huating’s status naturally rose. On his sixtieth birthday, even the Emperor sent a birthday gift; how could the capital’s powerful and wealthy dare to refuse?

Consort Xiang was also known for her pettiness. Anyone who disrespected her family would be severely punished.

Ah Wu was aware of Consort Xiang’s inner turmoil.

Consort Xiang, despite her humble origins, placed great importance on such superficial appearances, putting on an extremely high and imposing air. Even the Empress in the palace did not have her grandeur. But who could blame her? She was favored by the Emperor, like the Emperor’s eye, untouchable, and no one dared to utter a single word against her.

It turned out that the Earl of Huating was originally a tofu pudding seller. Because his daughter gained favor with the Emperor, and it would not be appropriate for the Emperor to have a tofu pudding seller as a father-in-law, he was granted the title of Earl of Huating. Consort Xiang herself had once sold tofu pudding, and it was while buying it that she was harassed by a rogue. The Emperor, traveling incognito, rescued her, creating a legendary tale.

Because of this tale, and because the Emperor was infatuated with her, coupled with Consort Xiang’s deliberate promotion, she gained the reputation of being the most beautiful woman in the Great Xia Dynasty, and no one was allowed to mention her origins again.

Although no one dared to mention it, the older aristocratic families in the capital all knew about Consort Xiang’s lowly origins. Privately, they all looked down on the vixen Consort Xiang, but outwardly, no one dared to disrespect the Earl of Huating.

Of course, there was an exception: Princess Fuhui, Ah Wu’s mother from her previous life.

Princess Fuhui was the Emperor’s elder sister. The palace was rife with scandals, and the Emperor’s survival to this day was largely due to her influence; therefore, the Emperor had always held his elder sister in high regard.

In the capital, only Princess Fuhui dared to disrespect Consort Xiang and the Earl of Huating.

Both women were favored by the Emperor—one was his sister, the other his beloved consort. Two tigers could not share one mountain, and the two women were particularly at odds with each other. Princess Fuhui hated Consort Xiang for her seductive charm, which she believed tarnished the Emperor’s reputation. Jealousy also played a part. In the past, the Emperor was very obedient to Princess Fuhui, but after Consort Xiang’s arrival, her influence ruined several plans, and the Emperor’s heart inevitably leaned towards the beauty with whom he shared daily intimacy.

As for Consort Xiang, she also hated the Imperial Princess, hating her for her arrogant birth and constant disdain for her. The Imperial Princess often badmouthed her to the Emperor, so Consort Xiang frequently spoke ill of the Imperial Princess to the Emperor in return.

The animosity between the two women was more intense than that between the murderers of fathers.

Given this relationship, Ah Wu naturally disliked Consort Xiang as well.

This time, Lady Cui had to accompany the First Madam to the Earl of Huating’s residence for a birthday celebration. If it were any other family, Ah Wu would definitely insist on going, but the Earl of Huating’s residence was out of the question.

The place smelled like tofu pudding; Ah Wu had no interest in it.

Besides, the Imperial Princess would not even go to the Earl of Huating’s residence, so Ah Wu naturally wanted to go even less.