Chapter 18: Inviting a female teacher to "experience the fire of jealousy for the first time".
Ta Xue Xuan is located to the left of Gan Quan Palace, and is considered a separate palace area of Gan Quan Palace.
In the pitch-black night, the palace path was dimly lit on both sides; it would be much better if lamps were lit.
Qian Yin, carrying a food box, strolled through the palace paths. Before long, she saw the king's entourage and immediately knelt down to kowtow in respect.
Judging from this direction, the King is going to Ganquan Palace to visit the Queen tonight, and the two will be very affectionate during the mourning period. Since the Queen returned to Qin, all the concubines in the harem have lost favor. Xia Ba Zi, who was once very favored, has a bad temper and often takes her anger out on the palace servants.
The young lady who entered the palace at the same time as Qian Yin is on duty at Xia Ba Zi's Liu Yun Palace. Tonight, she will be serving the Queen again. I wonder what will happen to the young lady tonight...
Thinking this, Qian Yinbian sighed repeatedly, but there was nothing she could do.
A few moments later, the king departed. She got up, dusted herself off, picked up the food box again, and headed back towards Taxue Pavilion.
Located behind a shady bamboo grove, Taxue Pavilion is very quiet and pleasant, and even in the sweltering summer nights, it is not very hot.
When she led Yin back, she bumped into several palace maids carrying water to help the young lady wash up. She frowned and pinched their ears one by one, saying, "What are you doing? The young lady wants almond milk. What are you doing bringing water in now? The water will get cold soon. Hurry up and boil some more!"
The palace maid covered her reddened ear and admitted her mistake in a soft voice, "Yes, I was wrong."
Qian Yin was exasperated. "You little brat, you have no sense of propriety at all." This young lady was favored by His Highness the Crown Prince, how could she be treated so lightly? "If His Highness the Crown Prince finds out, he will surely send you back to the Yongxiang Palace."
The palace maid was terrified and covered her face in fear, too afraid to speak.
Seeing that she was only scared and did not resent her scolding, Qian Yin softened her expression. "Go on, don't boil the water too hot. Come back in when I call you. I'll be on night watch tonight, so you can rest a bit."
The palace maid was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly in gratitude, thanking Sister Qianyin profusely.
These words were meant to reprimand the palace servants, but weren't they also a reprimand to himself?
Qian Yin composed herself, checked that the almond milk in the food box hadn't spilled, and went inside with a smile.
Indoors, Banban was engrossed in looking at the fabrics, muttering to himself when he read something interesting, and imitating the characters in the picture book.
After lying down for a while, her arms went numb, so she lay on her side, raised the cloth high, casually crossed her legs, and wiggled her toes.
A short while later, someone lifted the curtain and made a noise. Banban suddenly got up and pulled back the bed curtains. "Qianyin, you're back?"
The person in front of her was indeed Qian Yin. She carefully opened the food box and took out the almond milk. "When I went to the kitchen, the cook immediately started cooking for you as soon as he heard that it was almond milk that you wanted, and he didn't even accept the money I brought."
"That saves money too." Using a corner of the bed curtain to hold it closed, Banban closed the cloth sketchbook and got up. She immediately noticed the red and blue marks on Qianyin's forehead and asked in surprise, "What happened to your forehead?"
"It's nothing." Qian Yin touched her forehead, lowered her eyes, and said with a forced smile, "It was dark and I was thinking that you were in a hurry to eat this almond milk, so I tripped and fell."
"I'm in a hurry to eat, but not as concerned as your face." Banban sighed softly. "You wait."
Qian Yin was slightly taken aback, hurriedly put down the almond milk, and turned her head to see that Ji Xiaoniang was almost burying her entire upper body in the box she had brought. After rummaging around for a while, she pulled out a small porcelain bottle.
The wax-colored bed curtains and the burning fire reflected each other, casting a pale yellow hue onto her undergarment.
"Here, take this. It can remove scars."
Qian Yin held her hands helplessly, staring blankly at her.
"You don't mean you want me to apply it for you, do you?" Banban asked suspiciously; she didn't have the time for that.
"No, no... this servant wouldn't dare." Qian Yin hurriedly took the porcelain bottle, somewhat taken aback, and subconsciously complimented, "Young lady, you are truly the kindest mistress I have ever met." As she finished speaking, her eyes gradually welled up with tears.
Banban hummed indifferently, waved his hand casually, and turned his head. The maid was in tears, almost kneeling down to express her gratitude.
This startled her. "Oh dear, hurry up and apply it!" she exclaimed, raising her voice in a huff.
Qian Yin wiped her eyes, glanced at her young master's blushing face, and nodded with a smile.
In this palace, the lives of palace servants are of utmost importance; it is not uncommon for them to be beaten or killed at will. However, if they fall ill, it can be fatal. The medicines in the clinic would not be given to lowly servants; if they wanted them, they would have to spend several times the market price to buy them.
A cream that can prevent scarring—you can imagine how expensive it is. This little bottle is something Qian Yin could never afford in her entire life.
The young master so easily tossed it to her, as if he had no intention of taking it back.
Why do those palace servants look down on such a good girl and belittle her?
Previously, her respect for Ji Xiaoniang stemmed from the awe she felt towards the Crown Prince. At this moment, that admiration subtly shifted. She gripped the porcelain bottle tightly, carefully applied a layer to her forehead under the lamplight, and then served Banban even more diligently.
The almond milk in the palace tastes much better than the one at home, perhaps because it is more delicate, or perhaps because it uses more expensive ingredients.
After using almond milk, I washed up feeling quite tired and then went to bed.
Qianyin sat down behind the curtain outside the screen to sew and mend. The fabric in her hands was a gift from her master to the servants. With nothing else to do, she planned to embroider a stove cover.
I slept without any dreams.
The next morning, Banban woke up early and called Qianyin, asking her to help him get dressed and wash up.
"Why don't you rest a little longer, young lady? You don't have to pay your respects to anyone anyway." Qian Yin tied all the bed curtains, thinking to herself that it had gotten hot lately and it was time to use ice.
Banban sat there in a daze for a while, then looked through the wide-open lattice window and judged that it was a nice day. "My cousin said someone delivered stationery today, and I want to see it."
Qian Yin smiled knowingly, finding the word 'stationery' quite apt. However, as she gazed at the girl's bewildered face, she secretly wondered, "Could it be that the young lady is worried about the other princesses in the school?"
Banban nodded quickly, "Qianyin, you understand me. I didn't sleep much last night." She said seriously, sighing.
Qian Yin: "..." I heard right, she was snoring softly last night. I went to the toilet halfway through my night watch and accidentally knocked over the copper kettle on the table leg, but I couldn't wake up my mistress.
"Then you've suffered, young lady. You should rest more during your lunch break today."
After getting everything ready, someone was sent to deliver breakfast.
A bowl of exquisite and delicious millet porridge, with tender millet grains visible as the spoon stirs it, rich and sweet osmanthus fragrance, and garnished with finely chopped lotus leaves, is incredibly tempting.
Banban loves milk cake, so there's a plate of it on the table, served with diced shiitake mushrooms and minced pork. It's fresh, fragrant, and delicious, and it's just right to eat with a spoon.
The palace loved to eat mutton, but mutton had a strong gamey smell, so everyone preferred pork. Therefore, Taxuexuan ordered more pork, duck, and chicken.
In addition, Qian Yin took the jade shrimp dumplings out of the steamer and let them cool down a bit before eating. "Would you like some dipping sauce, young lady?"
Banban nodded, "Yes, yes, more vinegar."
Condiments were scarce in the Qin Dynasty, and there were only a few kinds. Dipping dumplings in vinegar was her usual favorite.
These jade shrimp dumplings are made by wrapping shrimp in vegetable leaves and skewering them with a utensil, making them look like dumplings.
However, the dough wasn't soft enough to make real dumplings, which was always a regret for Banban. She wasn't very good at cooking either and didn't know how to help the cook.
As Qian Yin served her young mistress her meal, she explained what she knew in detail, "The princesses' school is located in Jingyin Palace by the lake. The curriculum isn't too complicated, so please don't worry, madam."
"The female tutor was a specially established female official position, who taught the princesses knowledge related to rituals, weddings and other activities. Other subjects included music and weaving."
Qian Yin's words left Banban bewildered. Sacrifice? What's that?
Do we even need to learn wedding-related things? What exactly do we need to learn?
She hesitated for a moment, then asked, "What about writing and reading?"
Qian Yin was slightly suspicious, "Studying?"
She pondered for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "Perhaps this is a personal choice among noble families; many women don't have the opportunity to study."
"If noble ladies want to study and learn to read, they must be taught by a lady-in-waiting."
“You must have a female tutor at home, young lady.” She covered her mouth and smiled.
"No." She had no idea how strict the female teacher would be; she had escaped unscathed at home thanks to her cousin. "My knowledge was taught to me by my cousin."
Qian Yin was stunned by these words, unable to connect the intimacy in them with His Highness the Crown Prince. Although she knew how much His Highness the Crown Prince doted on her, she never imagined it would reach this point.
She was at a loss for words. "Then, young lady, you must invite a special female tutor. The tutor will come to our Taxue Pavilion."
Banban thought for a moment, "Do all the princesses have their own tutors?"
Qian Yin nodded, "That's right."
"Then I'll have one too." She said this reluctantly, but she didn't want to fall behind the others.
Next, Qian Yin gathered the six princesses in the palace who still needed to continue their studies.
Most of King Xiaowen of Qin, Ying Zhu's daughters were married off. Of the remaining three princesses, besides Princess Yangman who was close to marriageable age, there were Princess Nongyu and Princess Youning, who were just over ten years old.
Prince Chu of Qin, who was about to ascend the throne, had few children. He had only two sons, namely Crown Prince Zheng and Prince Chengjiao, and three princesses: seven-year-old Yang Jiang, six-year-old Su Yang, and six-year-old Ying Yue.
Banban didn't really care what kind of temperament they were, but she perked up her ears when Qianyin talked about Yangman and Yangjiang.
As they were talking, a servant came from outside the pavilion to report that a female official had arrived.
It seems there's no need to say whether you want it or not; Ying Zheng has already made all the arrangements.
They called for someone to come in, only to find that a eunuch had brought a group of servants and maids with a lot of things. Upon closer inspection, the trays were full of items such as writing brushes and ink sticks.
The lady-in-waiting was a woman over thirty years old, with black hair, a spirited demeanor, and a smiling face. "This concubine, Madam Lu, greets you, young lady."
She was dressed neatly, and even her walk was measured, but her skin was firm and her expression was youthful, making it hard for Banban to tell whether she was stern or gentle.
At this time, "妾" was a self-designation used by women, not an actual title for someone's concubine.
"Mr. Lu." Banban stood up to greet her, first offering a sweet, ingratiating smile.
Lady Lu found the young Zhao Ji to be adorable, with a sweet smile on her face. Her expression spoke volumes; she was simple-minded and charmingly naive.
However, since she was a teacher, and Xiao Zhaoji was neither a princess nor a noblewoman, she accepted her courtesy, waved her hand behind her, and said with a smile, "I have brought the books that you need to study, so please review them. We will officially begin classes tomorrow."
As soon as he finished speaking, several monks deftly put down two boxes of bamboo slips.
With a 'thud' as the wooden crate hit the ground, Banban's small body trembled, and the surprise and distress on her face were impossible to hide.
Qian Yin knelt on the ground, picked up a roll, poured it out, and presented it to her.
She flipped through them, glanced at them, and whispered, "So many?"
Lady Lu pretended not to notice Little Zhao Ji's miserable expression and smiled slightly, saying, "I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince mentioned that you have learned more than a thousand characters, are familiar with the Three Character Classic, know some of the Book of Poetry, and have completed the 'Elementary Learning Guide'."
"Yes," Banban replied absentmindedly.
Unbeknownst to her, her cousin had taught her so much.
However, she mostly learned the Book of Songs to sing, and only then did she realize that the military songs her aunt taught her were actually Qin army songs. No wonder her cousin was unhappy when she sang them so softly.
Banban then asked Lu Shi why she performed the sacrificial rites, and Lu Shi answered them one by one. Banban didn't quite understand what Lu Shi was saying, but she knew that there were special sacrificial systems for learning weaving, praying for abundant offspring, presiding over funerals, and worshipping deceased elders.
Musical principles are simple; everyone needs to learn them.
Especially the chime bells.
If there were outsiders present, they would understand the situation once they heard Lu Shi recount these things.
These are things that princesses usually have to learn. Most princesses marry into other countries to become queens, or perhaps marry important officials.
In short, the task is to manage the central administration.
The Crown Prince wants Xiao Zhaoji to learn these things, and the King has agreed. Even a fool should know that both father and son intend for Xiao Zhaoji to be the Crown Prince's future wife.
The Crown Prince's wife is called a Lady, or even a Queen.
It can be said that Xiao Zhaoji was learning these things in preparation for becoming queen in the future.
Both Madam Lu and Qian Yin, who were present, knew exactly what was going on, but Banban's mind went blank. Just listening to all this had exhausted her. Her thoughts drifted, and she began to think of other random things. "Jingyin Palace is behind Ganquan Palace, so is Chengkun Palace also very close to Ganquan Palace?"
What she was thinking about was that Ganquan Palace was the entire area where the Queen lived, and it was very large. Ji Changyue now lived in the main palace, so it would be convenient for her to visit Ying Zheng and study there, since she had always kept a very strict eye on him.
Upon hearing this, Madam Lu was surprised and shook her head in denial, "It's not close at all, on the contrary, it's quite a distance."
Seeing that Banban was puzzled, she explained, "Ganquan Palace is also called the Southern Palace, which is directly opposite Xianyang Palace, which is the Northern Palace. The area where the princesses go to class is also considered the inner palace, so it is naturally behind Ganquan Palace. However, His Highness the Crown Prince is different."
"The Crown Prince is in charge of the Eastern Palace, which is the residence of His Highness the Crown Prince. It has a complete system of monarch and ministers, which has transcended the scope of the inner court and belongs to the outer court."
"Chengkun Palace is located to the side and front of the East Palace, making it convenient for the Crown Prince to meet with the Grand Tutors and even the inner court officials. It is not a place that the empresses or even princesses can easily go."
After hearing this, Banban was preoccupied and sent Lu Shi away without saying much.
That evening, Ying Zheng invited her to dinner, and she couldn't help but say, "I don't want my cousin to pick me up for class tomorrow."
Ying Zheng picked up a piece of roasted mutton and asked in surprise, "Why do you suddenly say that?" He glanced at Qian Yin, who was serving the dishes.
Qian Yinxin said it wasn't the servant's fault, as she hadn't had a chance to secretly report it in the afternoon.
Banban picked up a slice of raw fish, gave one piece to Ying Zheng and one to himself, looking quite depressed. "Chengkun Palace and Jingyin Palace are so far apart. With this much time, cousin, you might as well sleep a little longer. You're already tired enough during the day."
Upon hearing this person speak words of care and consideration, Ying Zheng didn't immediately react, his gaze shifting from the sashimi on the plate to his cousin's small face: "...?"
"What's with that expression?" Banban was startled, but quickly calmed down, realizing that what she said made a lot of sense. "Cousin, your aunt is very strict with you. I want you to get more rest. What if you get exhausted?"
"It's nothing." Ying Zheng found it amusing and wanted to pinch her to confirm whether it was true or not. He did pinch her, and her face felt soft and warm to the touch.
Banban was so pulled that she couldn't eat, and was stunned for a moment: "What are you doing?"
"I've confirmed that this is still my cousin, and that she wasn't replaced by someone else."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Banban pushed his arm away, puffing out her cheeks, "I'm angry!"
"Alright, alright, I understand. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, cousin. I'm very grateful." He said seriously, "You're so thoughtful today, cousin. Who knows how reasonable and gentle you'll be tomorrow?"
"This is my good fortune."
"So bookish," Banban muttered to him. "I don't care about other people, I only care about my cousin."
She thought she had been petty and that her words had nothing to do with gentleness, but she didn't expect that the boy across the table would burst out laughing upon hearing them.
She asked him what he was laughing at, but he didn't answer.
However, having learned from past mistakes, he didn't keep laughing.
"Mr. Lu said that no one can easily go to the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace."
Sensing the regret in her voice, Ying Zheng put down his chopsticks. "Want to go and take a look?"
Banban immediately became interested, but then hesitated because of Mr. Lu's words. Her eyes darted around, and she politely declined, "Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"
"This will be your residence in the future, so what's wrong with that?" Ying Zheng didn't care at all. Besides, he could tell that this person was pretending to be reserved, but in reality, every inch of his skin was eager to try.
Qian Yin, standing to the side, felt a jolt of surprise, thinking to herself, "Just as I thought!"
—As expected, this young lady is destined to be the Crown Prince's wife!
Banban had no idea what Qianyin was laughing about, so she didn't ask her.
Banban was unaware, but Ying Zheng knew.
He glanced at Qian Yin, a relaxed smile playing on his lips.
He has never liked ambitious people, but he found that Qian Yinwei was ambitious in every way, and he did not dislike him.
Without hesitation, after having dinner, Banban was in a great hurry to leave with her cousin.
The cool night breeze was very refreshing, so the two of them went for a walk, which allowed them to enjoy the scenery along the way.
The palace was indeed vast; after walking for a short while, a palanquin was handed over.
She was very talkative, but Ying Zheng could always respond to her every word; if he couldn't respond, he would remain silent.
Upon arriving at the East Palace, the guards lowered their spears and knelt to pay their respects. Ying Zheng told them to rise, and turning around, he saw Banban looking up at him. "What is it?"
"It's not quite what I expected." Banban curiously linked arms with him. "I thought it would be very grand." Now it seems that apart from having more guards, there's nothing special about it?
"They were pretty much the same to begin with." What exactly was she fantasizing about?
As the two were talking, a sudden voice came from behind:
"Brother Wang."
The two of them turned their heads to look back.
A girl of about six or seven years old lifted her skirt with joy, her fair face beaming with happiness, and rushed forward, "Brother King!"
Ying Zheng never liked to get too close to people, especially those he wasn't very familiar with.
He reacted extremely quickly, taking a half-step to the side, when a servant immediately used a bow to stop her from rushing in, saying, "Greetings, Third Princess."
Banban looked dazed, as if it took her a moment to process what she was seeing before she realized that this person was her cousin's biological sibling. After a few seconds of confusion, she obediently greeted the Third Princess in the manner of a servant, "Greetings, Third Princess."
"Ying Yue, what are you doing here?" Ying Zheng frowned slightly.
He had only recently returned to Qin and was not close to his brothers and sisters in the palace. They would only exchange a few words when they met occasionally.
Yingyue had never been this affectionate before.
"I've come to see my brother, I have important matters to discuss." Ying Yue only then noticed that there was a strange young woman beside Ying Zheng. After roughly guessing who she was, the joy on her face gradually faded, and she nodded and beckoned to her with the air of a princess.
"What is it?" Ying Zheng asked succinctly, not wanting to talk; he had important matters to attend to.
Should we say it here?
Ying Yue was slightly taken aback, and subconsciously frowned as she looked at Ji Xiaoniang again, not very willing to speak.
Ying Zheng was impatient. "If you won't tell me, then go find your father." With that, he pulled Banban inside.
"Hey, I'll talk!" Ying Yue hurriedly stopped her. The pampered girl was suddenly treated so unkindly that her eyes welled up with tears of grievance. But when she remembered what she was going to say, she blushed a little. "It's Meng Tian. I asked my mother to organize a horse racing festival and invited many young ladies. I wanted Meng Tian to be the referee, but he has already refused. I'm too embarrassed to ask him again, so I'd like to ask you, Brother Wang, to help me make peace."
Ying Zheng understood everything. His younger sister was in love with Meng Tian, but she was shy.
This is a trivial matter, and whether he agrees or not is irrelevant. He was too lazy to argue, so he nodded and said, "Okay, but whether he agrees or not is not something I can decide."
Yingyue immediately frowned, wanting to say no, it was absolutely necessary.
But with outsiders present, she was too proud to pester them, so she slunk away.
After leaving the East Palace, she asked the accompanying eunuch about the young woman's background.
The eunuchs answered each question in turn.
Ying Yue didn't take it seriously. "Childhood sweethearts? My brother is still young. In a few years, they'll be nothing special. How could the Crown Prince's wife be the daughter of a merchant from Zhao? He's far from being old enough to get married."
The eunuch looked around solemnly, signaling her to be quiet.
Ying Yue only remembered after she finished speaking that the current queen was also the daughter of a merchant from Zhao, and her face became somewhat gloomy. "It was she... who stole my mother's queenly position."
Yingyue was born to the former Lady Han, now Consort Han, and shares the same mother as Prince Chengjiao.
Even though she knew it wasn't Queen Zhao's fault, how could she not feel regretful that she had gone from being the legitimate daughter to an illegitimate one?
After seeing off the Third Princess Yingyue, Ying Zheng turned around and found that Banban seemed to be in a daze.
He tugged at her hand, raising an eyebrow: "What are you spacing out about?"
Banban snapped out of her daze, looking at her cousin's face, which was so outstanding it seemed to belong in a storybook, and a look of bewilderment spread across her face.
"What's wrong?" He softened his voice and touched her face. "Are you unhappy?"
I couldn't quite put my finger on it, and I found it very strange.
When the third princess called her cousin "Brother King," she immediately felt a fire rise in her heart. It didn't burn her much, but it dulled and suffocated her heart.
Before, only she called Ying Zheng "brother," but things changed after she returned to Xianyang.
It doesn't seem to be about whether she has a brother or not; she just can't explain it.
Thinking of this, she felt uneasy. When her cousin asked her what was wrong, she told him the truth, "Cousin, I don't want to hear the Third Princess call you brother. Am I being strange?"
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