"Master, don't you think that the princesses or imperial daughters of the Qing Dynasty didn't have very good fates?" Lanqin couldn't help but ask.
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince was speechless, for indeed, few princesses of the Qing Dynasty lived long lives. Although they were the most noble women in the world, most were married off to the grasslands, and even those who didn't marry into foreign lands often lived difficult lives in the capital. Take, for example, the Fourth Princess, the only princess who didn't marry outside the capital, despite her mother being one of the Four Consorts and having two brothers! Yet, she still didn't live past twenty, dying young, less than five years into her marriage with her husband. In fact, the Fourth Princess's husband was a top scholar, handpicked by Emperor Kangxi, from a family with three generations of official rank and considerable wealth. He was gentle and kind, and the Fourth Princess was initially very satisfied with the marriage. However, after two years, having failed to produce a son, she began to quarrel with her mother-in-law. It's normal for daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law to have conflicts, but the Fourth Princess, being delicate and weak-willed, kept these feelings bottled up inside, which gradually took a toll on her health, eventually leading to her death. Although Consort De was furious, she couldn't blame the Prince Consort's family, because they hadn't really done anything wrong; it was the Fourth Princess's own fault for being so stubborn.
"My lord," Lanqin said passionately, "why does the Qing Dynasty raise princesses like flowers in a glass greenhouse, unable to withstand the slightest disturbance? This is completely at odds with their destiny. The princesses are delicate by nature, yet they are forced to marry far away to the grasslands. Although they become the principal wives of the Khan or his sons, the grassland environment is vastly different from the Forbidden City. The princesses are ill-suited to such a drastic change in environment, not to mention the cultural differences. Before their marriage, the princesses are cared for by governesses, doing nothing. They spend their days playing music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and doing needlework, believing this to be their life. In reality, aside from needlework, the rest is merely spiritual cultivation, offering no real help in adapting to a life drastically altered by a sudden change in environment. My lord, imagine such a delicate princess marrying into a family like the Xu family, or even a family outside the grasslands. If she only knows how to play music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but doesn't understand household management, then the tragedy of the Fourth Princess will be repeated."
Upon hearing these words, the Fourth Master's expression clearly darkened, and he seemed to have lost his appetite.
Looking at the Fourth Prince's expression, Lanqin couldn't help but reflect on herself: Had she gone too far? Was she criticizing Kangxi's princesses' upbringing? In fact, Lanqin had unconsciously begun to regard Wuxiha and Bechuk as princesses, because she knew that the Fourth Prince was going to become emperor.
“What you said makes a lot of sense. Besides learning music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, they can also learn cooking, tea ceremony, and gardening, as you just mentioned. As noblewomen, they cannot lack these spiritual pursuits, because I don’t want my daughters to just be housewives in the future,” the Fourth Master pondered.
Lanqin also agreed with what Fourth Master said, that spiritual aspects are definitely indispensable.
“What you say is true. They are not ordinary women. They are members of the imperial family, and the blood of the Aisin Gioro clan flows in their veins. Therefore, as such women, in addition to being proficient in cooking, tea ceremony, gardening, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and needlework, they should also study Confucianism and Mencius to make them understand the principles of things, and study the Twenty-Four Histories to make them knowledgeable about the past and present,” Lanqin said.
Fourth Master looked at Lanqin, making her feel a little embarrassed.
"What are you looking at? Is there a flower on my face? Or am I saying something wrong?" Lanqin said.
"I think you're good enough to be the master of the Ushiha people!" Fourth Master said. He had always known that Lanqin was a woman who was different from the Unalana, Li, Song, and Nian families.
"I can't do that. I can only talk about wanting to give Wuxiha and the others this kind of education, so they don't become weak princesses who know nothing and just sigh and wait to die. I also don't want them to lose their lives so early. What if they get married and their husbands have three wives and four concubines? If they don't have strong hearts, they'll be driven to death long ago," Lanqin said.
Fourth Master was taken aback by Lanqin's words and thought to himself: Is this little woman talking about me?
Lanqin seemed to realize she had said the wrong thing. Seeing that the Fourth Master's face did not change, she chuckled dryly and said, "Master, I did not mean anything by that."
“You’re right. Our Ushiha and Bechuk can’t be raised to be such delicate princesses. I want them to live to be a hundred years old,” the Fourth Master suddenly said.
Lanqin smiled and said, "Then, Master, you shall invite a proper teacher to teach them what I just wished them to learn."
Fourth Master nodded and said, "We've already invited teachers to teach them the zither, and then there's painting. They also need to learn the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as needlework, cooking, tea ceremony, and gardening."
Lanqin quickly suggested, "Why don't we set aside a space in our backyard to establish a small classroom for the Prince Yong's mansion, a place specifically for the princes and princesses in our mansion to study, similar to a private school?"
Looking at Lanqin's smiling face, Fourth Master thought that this little woman's brain was made of something strange, as she could think of everything so perfectly.
"Alright, you'll take charge of this matter. Have Nian's side prepare the furnishings and decorations, with the head nanny assisting. The master will come and invite him, but you'll have to arrange a schedule for the children, deciding which teacher to hire and what courses to take, okay?" The more Fourth Master spoke, the clearer things became in his mind.
"Deal! No problem!" Lanqin wished she could extend her hand and give Fourth Master a high five to seal the deal.
"Let's eat!" Fourth Master immediately picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.
The two of them ate with great relish. The Fourth Prince realized that Lanqin was not only a capable housekeeper—she hadn't caused any trouble since taking charge—but also an expert in raising children. Every word she spoke was reasonable, even touching on issues he had long dared not mention to his father, the Emperor. He couldn't control the princesses in the palace, but he could certainly manage his own daughter.
Lanqin was overjoyed, naturally because the Fourth Prince had listened to her advice, and her daughters, Wuxiha and Bechuk, were destined to be different from other princesses.
The next day, Lady Nian received a message from someone sent by the Fourth Prince, instructing her to prepare a courtyard for the princes and princesses in the mansion, and then equip it with all the necessary items to set up a primary school! The head nanny also received the same message, instructing her to select some younger servants to serve as their study companions!
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