Chapter 73: Eavesdropping on the gift of the twins to Jiang?
On the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, Geng Ying was already in front of the mirror, dressing herself up and putting on her makeup.
Ah He laid out the new clothes on the couch and tried them on for her one by one. He looked at Ying from left to right and said, "I think the plum green crepe one is the best, with the blue-green jade sea pearl flowers. Come here, I'll draw a flower headband for you."
Cong Ying held her shoulders, dipped a brush in gold powder, and drew a phoenix tail on her forehead.
Ah He was very happy. She turned around in the mirror for a few times, then looked up at Cong Ying and said, "Sister, you paint too. You are beautiful too!"
Cong Ying smiled, but chose only a plain, pale purple silk dress. Her dark hair was tied into a side bun, and she pinned it with several matching hairpins. If it weren't for her beautiful appearance and temperament, this outfit wouldn't have stood out in the crowd.
The two of them rode in a carriage to the princess's residence, where they saw magnificent gates and towering eaves. Officials were constantly passing through, bearing official documents. It was as impressive as the prime minister's residence. Cong Ying handed the invitation to the guards at the side door, and soon someone arrived to greet them. It was none other than Xue Luwei, their old friend.
Xue Luwei, over a decade older than Congying, had once come from a scholarly family, renowned for her talent even in her youth. She later married the Zheng family, but after her husband's death, she refused to obey her uncle and aunt's orders to remarry a superior of Mr. Zheng as his second wife, causing a falling out with both her in-laws and her own family. Afterward, Xue Luwei lived a secluded widowhood for several years, enduring years of poverty and loneliness. Until recently, upon Congying's recommendation, she became a female tutor at the Imperial Court. Respected by her students and favored by the princess, she lived a perfectly happy life. Upon hearing that Congying was coming to the banquet today, she had been waiting to greet her.
Cong Ying looked her up and down and said with a smile, "Sister Xue, where did you become an immortal? I haven't seen you for so long, and it seems like you've gone back in age."
Xue Luwei said: "Don't make fun of me, I see you look very happy, good things are coming!"
After exchanging pleasantries, Xue Luwei led them through the many flower-lined gates, not to the main courtyard banquet hall, but to the quiet and secluded courtyard. Cong Ying asked inquiringly, and Xue Luwei explained, "It's still early, and the bustle of people out there would be chaotic and boring. Why don't you come to my place and sit for a while? It won't be too late to go back when the banquet starts."
"It turns out Sister Xue also has a residence in the Princess's Mansion."
Xue Luwei smiled meaningfully: "Her Royal Highness the Princess is very respectful and treats us very well."
Xue Luwei's courtyard was small and exquisite. Incense burned in the open hall, and a maid served tea as soon as she sat down. Cong Ying's eyes fell on the tall embroidered screen behind her. She studied it for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Is there some kind of cave behind this screen?"
Xue Luwei's hand trembled slightly as she held the tea. "Why do you ask?"
Cong Ying said, "Although this embroidered screen is gorgeous, it's too big for your hall. It's not quite right. It looks more like it's just a screen."
Xue Luwei said, "The princess has given me this gift. I have no choice but to leave it here, as there's no better place for it. Ah He, come to me and I'll give you some crispy candy."
Xue Luwei calmly turned Congying's attention away. Ah He walked up to her and, following Congying's instructions, knelt on the ground and kowtowed, "Jiang Conghe, thank you, Sister Xue, for the reward."
Xue Luwei hurried to help her up and couldn't help laughing and said, "This gift is too big, Sister Xue can't bear it."
Ah He: "Sister said that this is how we should bow when entering the Princess's Mansion."
Xue Luwei looked at Cong Ying and asked, "Are you going to teach Ah He to worship the princess?"
Zong Ying's eyes shifted from the screen and she replied, "Ah He is a pure and innocent person. Although she lacks talent in studies, she is making rapid progress in riding and archery. If there is hope, I would like to ask the princess to take her in as a concubine. Perhaps she can serve the princess at her beck and call in the future to repay her kindness in cultivating her."
Xue Lu smiled softly and said, "If you ask, the princess will definitely agree."
"Why?"
"Even though you wore a veil on the day of the debate, the princess still knew your identity, which is why she invited you to the teacher's banquet today." Xue Luwei paused and asked her, "Aying, what do you think of Taiyi?"
Cong Ying had suspected this and wasn't surprised. She scraped the foam from her teacup intermittently, pondering, "The aristocratic families at court are clinging to one another, becoming sworn enemies to curry favor with the Xie family. While the humble and upright respect the princess, they see her as a weapon to crush the aristocratic families and lack much genuine affection. The princess needs to cultivate loyal officials, and she must use the Taiyi Women's Academy as a reservoir. Therefore, cultivating scholars and nurturing talents is precisely what the princess should focus on right now."
Xue Luwei glanced quickly at the screen, then turned back and asked, "In your opinion, how serious is it?"
Cong Ying seemed to have a draft in mind and listed three points in one breath:
"First, invite renowned teachers. A teacher not only imparts knowledge, but also serves as the symbol of the school. Currently, most of the teachers at Taiyi Women's School are female officials and staff members that the princess has brought with her. There may be two or three, like Sister Xue, who are highly talented but lack reputation. The princess should invite the great scholars of the Hanlin Academy with great courtesy, such as Li Ping and Zhou Yi, who have been repeatedly commended by the emperor and have a high reputation. They can be invited to add to the reputation of Taiyi."
"Secondly, the teaching should be divided into specific areas. For women, female precepts are merely a perfunctory measure for outsiders, and poetry and prose exchanges can be postponed for now. The Taiyi should focus on teaching two types of subjects: one is current affairs and classics, such as lessons for the imperial examinations, for the future; the other is extremely practical knowledge, such as arithmetic for financial management, martial arts for military command, and astrology for divine intervention. These are extremely important skills for the court, and if the princess has great ambitions, she will need them in the future."
"Third, strictly enforce the law. Since its establishment, the Taiyi has been plagued by criticism of morals. The world has long been harsh on women, and it will take time to change these customs. Princess, you should make it clear in the Taiyi that all women in school are forbidden to engage in romantic affairs. If a man outside the family deliberately solicits them, please, Princess, disregard the feelings of relatives and nobles and execute them immediately. To avoid criticism from court officials, this is necessary."
After she said these three things, she drank the tea in the cup and moistened her throat.
Xue Luwei listened intently, pondering for a long time before taking a deep breath and saying, "In the past, there was Lu Su's 'Strategy on the Couch'. Now I hear that you have written a memorial on academic research. What you have said today is worthy of a long essay, presented to the princess in person."
Cong Ying smiled and said, "My identity is not suitable."
"Why is it inappropriate? Are you afraid that the princess will be suspicious of you, or are you afraid that Prime Minister Xie will be unhappy?"
Cong Ying said, "I have already promised Xie that after marriage I will become a teacher at Congshan Academy."
There was a very slight sound coming from behind the screen, but Zong Ying seemed unaware of it and did not look up.
Xue Luwei was silent for a long time due to surprise. After a while, she said awkwardly, "I heard that Congshan Academy is very strict with female teachers. I didn't expect that they would agree to you so quickly... It's... It's rare."
Hearing that she was really insincere, Cong Ying smiled and said, "It's getting late, let's go to the banquet hall and wait."
After leaving Xue Luwei's residence and passing by a resting pavilion, Cong Ying saw that there was no one around, so he took Xue Luwei's arm, leaned close to her and whispered:
"Sister Xue, there's one thing I haven't told you yet. I'm the granddaughter of Censor Jiang and the future mistress of the Xie family. With my status, the princess might listen to my occasional comments. But if I stay by her side for a long time, how can I guarantee that she won't become suspicious if I say something inappropriate? Although I wish the princess the best, I'm not sure of her feelings, so serving her closely may not be a good idea."
Xue Lu understood immediately: "You mean, although the princess governs properly, her desire to recruit talented people may not be sincere?"
Cong Ying said, "I wouldn't dare to gamble. In the princess's heart, whether my little display of cleverness is worth her letting go of her past grudges. In life, it's better to be Jiang Taigong than Yang Dezu. Sister Xue, there's no need to let the princess know this."
Jiang Taigong did not serve King Zhou of Shang, and only met King Wen of Zhou at the age of seventy; Yang Dezuo became famous at a young age, but was suspected and died early.
Xue Luwei didn't dare to make this promise on behalf of Princess Chun'an. She could only sigh and say, "Aying, you are sometimes so smart that it makes me feel distressed. It's a pity that your talent is wasted."
＊
After the two left, the maid pushed open the gorgeous screen in Xue Luwei's room.
Behind the screen was a square sandalwood coffee table and two rose armchairs. Princess Chun'an sat facing east, and Prince Jin sat facing west. Both of them looked unhappy. Prince Jin looked even paler due to his illness, and he looked at the other with sarcasm.
Princess Chun'an was the first to sneer, "Listen, she hasn't even married into the Xie family yet, but she's already accepted a position at Congshan Academy. She's determined to marry Xie San, but do you have any regard for her? It's a pity that you, as a prince of the Great Zhou, can't even compare to Xie San's finger."
Prince Jin was unhappy and retorted, "From what Lady Jiang submitted in her academic report, it's clear she has serious concerns about the Taiyi Women's Academy. She's unwilling to serve at the Taiyi Academy even under these circumstances. It's clear that the princess's past misdeeds have caused her to view you as a scourge. The princess should reflect on herself."
"You are slandering me. What evil deeds have I done?"
The King of Jin spoke in a cold and slow voice:
"Old Censor Jiang passed away, and Xue Huanjin led his troops to search the Jiang residence. Was it the princess who did this?"
"Gan Jiu caned Madam Jiang for cheating in the Spring Examination. Was it the princess who did it?"
"They were suppressing bandits at Guikuzhang and wanted to borrow Wang's knife to kill Xie San. But was it the princess who did this?"
Three consecutive questions left Princess Chun'an speechless.
Prince Jin picked up the jade ring he had just dropped, and Empress Dai Zheng stood up. Before leaving, he said one last thing to Princess Chun'an: "If we join forces, one for personal gain and the other for her heart, we will have a chance to win her over from the Xie family. If not, the princess and I will have nothing to say. If she really marries the Xie family in the future, I will turn around and help the Xie family fight against the princess. Please don't blame me, princess."
After saying this, he left indifferently.
Princess Chun'an, used to being scolded by the censor, had never been so angry as she was today. After Prince Jin left, she threw the teacup and cursed, "You bastard! He's threatening me! With his immense abilities, can't I live without him and that Jiang Congying?!"
Gan Jiu came over upon hearing the noise and quickly calmed her down. He also offered a suggestion: "Why don't you send a few beauties to the Prince of Jin to make him forget about Jiang Congying. They can also be of use to the Princess."
Upon hearing this, Princess Chun'an looked at her, sighed, looked at her again, and seemed to want to say something but stopped herself.
Finally, he said, "The banquet is about to start up ahead. Sweetheart, go and do your work."
Princess Chun'an dismissed everyone and sat quietly with her eyes closed to recuperate. When she was calm, the words Jiang Congying had just said kept coming to her mind.
First, invite famous teachers widely; second, teach in detail; third, strictly enforce the rules and regulations.
Her words flowed like a rhinoceros horn comb, straightening out the princess's recent hazy and chaotic thoughts, giving her a sudden enlightenment and making her feel very happy.
Occasionally, when her mind was wandering, the princess found Jiang Congying's tone somewhat familiar. Following her ups and downs, she seemed to be able to imagine her expression, which must be smiling, relaxed and at ease... In fact, it coincided with the princess's imagination of the noble demeanor of the people of Luoxiang Mountain.
But she is the daughter of Jiang and the wife of Xie...but she is not from Luoxiang Mountain.
The more Princess Chun'an thought about this, the more upset she felt. She ordered someone to bring her pen and paper so she could write a letter to Luoxishan, asking her how she could capture this person.
"...Although she is the daughter of the Jiang clan, the Jiang clan has disbanded, so there is no need to worry about her. But she is the wife of the Xie clan, and the Xie clan is powerful, so how can we seize her?"
"The Prince of Jin's son is useless and cannot compete with Xie San. If I give my beloved twins to the daughter of the Jiang family, will I be able to win her heart?"
After finishing writing, he sealed it with wax and ordered someone to send it to Xuandu Temple as soon as possible. Then he dressed and went to the front hall to attend the banquet to invite teachers.
At the same time, after returning home, Prince Jin went to pay a visit to Princess Xuande.
He knelt before the princess and bowed deeply, then said weakly, "I wish to marry Fourth Lady Jiang as the Princess of Jin. I beg you, mother, to help me."
Princess Xuande was having lunch when she put down her chopsticks with a smug look on her face. "A few days ago, you were so sure that I should mind my own business. You didn't want to burden others with marriage and children. And in just a few days, you've changed your mind?"
The Prince of Jin had already understood the Princess's temperament, so he pretended to be sad and depressed, coughing slightly while saying self-deprecatingly:
"It's not that I'm unwilling, but I don't dare to humiliate myself... Third Young Master Xie won Madam Jiang's heart before me. He's handsome and healthy, how can a half-dead ghost like me compare? Besides, Madam Xie is good at winning people over. I'm afraid Madam Jiang already considers her her mother. Mother, you once wanted to whip Madam Jiang, but how can you compare to Madam Xie?"
Upon hearing this, Princess Xuande's face changed drastically. She stopped eating and drinking tea, and stood up and cursed, "How can this be absurd! How can Cheng Danyin compare with me?"
As soon as these words were spoken, King Jin knew that the right string had been struck.
Mrs. Xie's name is Cheng Danyin. When she was young, she had some entanglements with Princess Xuande. The past was unknown to outsiders, but fortunately, these two people were his mothers, so he was able to find out everything.
Princess Xuande grew increasingly furious as she pondered this. She paced back and forth for a long time before angrily snarling, "How dare I argue with you? I'm putting this out there: Jiang Congying can only be the daughter-in-law of the Xiao family and can only call me mother-in-law. Cheng Danyin, forget it!"
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