I thought of the same thing.
Shujia's class was going on, and Mr. Jiang was also thinking about his own things. He came here to be a teacher and was originally supposed to teach two students, but now there was only one left, and this one would soon stop studying, so he had to think about himself.
The Shi family paid him well. He had come here to earn money to supplement his family income, and now it was enough. He was also registered as a member of the bannermen, but he still received money and rice every year. If the Shi family were not legitimate bannermen, he would not have come here to be a teacher, no matter how rich he was.
Now, he was thinking again. Going to Hangzhou had broadened his horizons. If he could immerse himself in the culture for a while longer, and with his status as a distinguished scholar, perhaps he would find great fortune when he returned to Beijing. His return was a bit unfortunate, so he would have to stay for another three years. Mr. Jiang calculated, and it worked out. Shujia would have to stop studying in less than three years to prepare for the imperial examination, which would be a good opportunity for him to resign and take the imperial examination.
If I pass the exam, I might be able to get a better position with the help of the Shi family's connections.
What if I fail the exam?
Mr. Jiang hesitated. He wasn't young anymore. Should he continue to fight? His son was grown up and ready for school... Mr. Jiang thought for a long time and decided that perhaps he could continue teaching his employer's son. Guanyin Bao would be starting school in two or three years. If he taught well now, well, he might be able to stay.
By the time Guanyinbao reached the age to enter the official school, he would no longer need to continue teaching. By then, if he resigned, his son would be old enough to leave. If he was lucky enough to pass the exam, it would be good to have the support of his employer. I believe the Shi family would not refuse.
In this case, I need to continue to stay in the Shi family, and then I have to teach the remaining girl more carefully. Mr. Jiang made up his mind. I owe the boss a favor, and I will find a way to repay it in the future. Mr. Jiang is not a rigid person.
Shujia didn't know what he was thinking, but she was just wondering why Mr. Jiang suddenly seemed so excited.
Shujia was bewildered by Mr. Jiang's intensive lectures. He began to explain poetry and lyric writing in detail. She already knew the rules, but her writing was often rather sloppy. Now, forced by Mr. Jiang to compose a poem a day, she barely managed to improve her realm.
Another positive was that Mr. Jiang began to elaborate on the classics and history. Having already read the Four Books, he added some material from the Five Classics and occasionally covered some historical texts. Shujia was quite satisfied with this; as long as she didn't have to write an essay, anything was fine with her!
Mr. Jiang was quite satisfied. His original intention was to let his boss see his achievements in classics and history. As for poetry, the little girl was still young, so she could just write in doggerel, as long as the rhyme was right. Even if she didn't have the talent, as long as the rhyme and the tone were right, the rest could be filled in with allusions, which was enough for a girl.
Mr. Jiang constantly consoled himself with the idea that this was a win-win situation. He consoled himself for a long time before finally confronting Shi Wenbing with the full story. The gist of it was this: Your daughters are going to be selected for the imperial selection, especially the younger one, whose future is limitless. But look, the emperor values education so much these days. He's not just focusing on his own sons, but also on the royal family, from nephews to the princes of the royal family. He's recruited a whole bunch of them to study in the palace. A girl doesn't have to be a good student, but she can't be a fool when she's with her husband, right? Now that she's married, she has to... right?
Shi Wenbing was convinced. He had been harboring some vague suspicions of this, and now he understood it even more clearly. Perhaps only men understand the inherent weaknesses of men. He wanted her to handle everything, but he couldn't afford to offend her and appear incompetent. He wanted her to be able to manage the household, but he didn't want a housekeeper who only cared about the daily necessities of life.
Shi Wenbing looked up to the teacher, and the teacher felt a surge of guilt towards the Shi family. Shi Wenbing calmly said, "I'll leave it all to you, sir." Mr. Jiang's guilt deepened. While scholars can be far more formidable when they act like hooligans, many do have a delicate nerve. Shujia was also a good student, always diligent in her homework and attentive in class, which only made Mr. Jiang work even harder.
Seeing this, Shi Wenbing and his wife treated him even more politely. On May Day, Shi Wenbing gave him a holiday, and Xiluo Te even ordered some gifts to be prepared for Mr. Jiang's family. When Mr. Jiang returned after the holiday to express his gratitude, Shi Wenbing casually asked, "Who else is in your family?"
Mr. Jiang replied, "There are also my old father, my old mother, my wife, and our two children."
Shi Wenbing asked Mr. Jiang about his son, who was already ten years old and had started school. He hummed. He then asked how old his daughter was. Mr. Jiang was puzzled and replied, "My daughter is twelve."
Shi Wenbing already knew the structure of Mr. Jiang's family, so asking was just a prelude. So Shi Wenbing asked Mr. Jiang's daughter if she really wanted to enter the palace for the imperial selection, and hinted that if she didn't, he could help her.
Mr. Jiang was absolutely willing. These days, there are many palace maids as blessed as Concubine De, but even more, like Aunt Zheng, whose hair is nearly gray, can finally achieve this. No matter how loyal Mr. Jiang is to the emperor and his country, as a father, he couldn't bear to see his daughter suffer such a fate, right? Think about it, at thirty years old, after spending over a decade serving others, how could she not look old when she was released?
This kind of thing didn't require Shi Wenbing's involvement. Shi Jiaguang had many relatives of his own, and some of Hua Shan's five lieutenants actually worked in the Imperial Household Department. The Imperial Household Department wasn't entirely composed of bondservants; many of the senior leaders were from the Eight Banners. With just a few words, no paperwork was needed. When selecting someone, they could deliberately leave their name out, simply tick the name off the list, and the matter was settled.
That’s all in the past.
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Shujia and Shuxian have been seeing each other less and less lately. They used to attend classes together, but now they're not even in the same class. They do greet each other daily. Shuxian's demeanor has improved significantly, and Shujia has also changed significantly under her influence. One is special training, the other is immersion. It's hard to tell which is more effective at the moment. The former is the more obvious change.
Shuxian gradually lost weight, and Aunt Zhang was anxious and angry, not daring to speak. She was already a bit worried. The selection was like a second life for a banner girl, and especially so for a concubine's daughter.
Shujia visited her several times, only to find her practicing walking and reciting etiquette. She had lost considerable weight, and in May, due to her frail health, she had even suffered a bout of heatstroke. Shujia worried that the aunts were being too strict and putting too much pressure on Shuxian, so she quietly asked Madam Li. She learned that the aunts were actually advising Shuxian not to stress herself too much.
Back in her own courtyard, Aunt Wu also mentioned during her 'small talk': "Your sister is a little worried, which is not good. Young girls overthinking too much is harmful to their health." Then she heard Aunt Zhou say: "It's a good thing to think more, it's better than not being able to understand, but you can't let worries weigh you down."
At this time, they were doing needlework, and Shujia was surprised to find that the two aunts' needlework was even better than that of her own needleworker. Aunt Wu smiled at Shujia's surprise and said, "After leaving the palace, besides the many rules and regulations, this is the only skill we have. If it weren't for the generous support from the palace, we would have to rely on our hands to make a living."
Shujia paused and stopped talking. Aunt Zhou said, "Young lady, be careful with your hands. Last time the masters were reviewing the concubines, we had the honor of serving them. Your hands are as important as your face." Shujia pinned the needle on the cloth and stopped to listen.
The two aunts discussed this with Mrs. Xiluo. The second daughter was still young, so the same special training as the older one wasn't necessary. All she needed to learn was daily manners. So, she could focus on them daily. Instilling them into the bones would be more natural and proper than forcing them. Mrs. Xiluo agreed.
Aunt Wu said, "You explained it clearly. After all, it's from the Qianqing Palace." Aunt Zhou smiled and said, "Didn't it come out anyway?"
Shujia:... Damn, is she from the Qing Palace?
Your sister!!! Shujia roared inwardly. Aunt Zhou was clearly a veteran of Kangxi's side. She was still young when Kangxi took power, and later moved into the newly built Palace of Heavenly Purity. The servants back then must have been prudent men handpicked by the Grand Empress Dowager. By the time he got married, they probably didn't care much anymore. Aunt Zhou was moved in around that time.
Now it is the 24th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign, and Aunt Zhou is 30 years old. 30 minus 13 equals 17, so she entered the palace around the 6th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign... she is a veteran!
Mother, where did you dig up this treasure?! You even brought it home? Haven’t all the treasures from the Qianqing Palace been snatched up yet?! How many people are watching the Qianqing Palace?
The eunuchs were in charge of the Qianqing Palace, and the status of the palace maids was not very high. The Qianqing Palace was a complex of buildings, and even now there were princes studying there, so the palace maids were best kept away. Aunt Zhou herself was very low-key. In a place like the imperial court, if you dared to show up, someone would strangle you to death. So, if you didn't have the skills, it was safer to pretend to be a grandson. At least you could pretend to be a grandson. If you could pretend like that, you were no ordinary person.
Shujia's eyes widened as she asked Aunt Wu, "What about Aunt Wu?" Aunt Wu gave a reserved smile and said, "I used to serve the master in Kunning Palace." Shujia mustered up the courage to ask, "Which master?" Aunt Wu smiled softly and said, "The former Empress Renxiao."
Damn it!!! Shujia was completely speechless. Is this even possible?
After Empress Renxiao passed away, Aunt Wu's life wasn't as good as it had been before. Some of her companions even committed suicide. Aunt Wu knew that the person who had most excitedly crashed to death was actually demonstrating his loyalty, but he was too excited and didn't control the force well. No one is an expert at crashing their head against a pillar, and now, they accidentally killed themselves.
Aunt Wu had been a humble palace maid, neither up nor down. Even if someone was to be buried alive with someone, she wouldn't be the one to be buried alive, so she was safe. With a single word from the emperor, they were all transferred to various positions, free from bullying and deprived of their former status. When the new empress was crowned, the remaining members of the former empress's circle fell even more silent. They yearned for their former mistress, exaggerating her virtues and yearning for a quick retirement.
When she reached the age to leave the palace, her livelihood became a problem.
There are many senior maids in this palace, but the ones that are willing to be accepted into the palace are mostly those who are well-known in the palace. For example, they are all eunuchs. The one who serves tea in the Qianqing Palace is completely different from the one who sweeps the floor in the Imperial Garden, right?
Coincidentally, she met the Shi family who were looking for offerings, and she had a good relationship with Aunt Zhou. They entered the palace in the same year and were taken in together.
Shujia asked in a trembling voice, "What about Aunt Zheng and Aunt Wang?" They were from the same group, both from Zhongcui Palace. Shujia finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Xiluo Te had gotten two more from the people she had replaced in Cining Palace, she would have collapsed.
It's easy to imagine why the Shi family would pick a maid who has nothing to do with the family? Girl, don't forget, you, Mafa, are not a good person! The old man had a score to settle in his heart. He thought about it before his daughter-in-law took action. How could he give away so much dowry he had snatched?
Xiluotai labored tirelessly to find the right person, and after deciding on the candidate, she reported this to Huashan. The old man was upset. He had thought his daughter-in-law was reliable, so why was she being fooled by someone like her? So he abandoned the person he had prepared. He had originally thought that if the person his daughter-in-law had chosen was reliable, he would leave it alone, but if not, he had a plan.
Xiluo Te was astonished. She had thought it was impressive enough to have two former Zhongcui Palace maids (which was impressive to begin with), but she hadn't expected Hua Shan to be even more impressive. Well, two more is enough, so she kept them all. That's how the well-mannered aunts from the Shi family came in such large numbers at once, like they were in bulk.
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Time passed into June. On the first day of June, Kangxi could no longer sit still and took his son out to play, with Shi Wenbing also going along. June was the hottest time of the year, so Shi Wenbing and Xiluo Te decided to go with him, while Xiluo Te and the others took Hua Shan to a farm in the suburbs to escape the heat.
Hua Shan currently held no real official position. He had long ago lost his position as Grand Secretary, and had surrendered his general seal after the war. He now held only the title of Heshuo Efu (Heshuo Efu), and with the emperor gone, he didn't have to attend court. Shujia whispered, "It would be better to go farther away." She remembered that Beidaihe, Qinhuangdao, was a great summer escape, and it wasn't that far away.
Fu Dali, who was not accompanying the emperor, had originally taken leave from someone else to escort the family out of the city. When he heard the girl say this, he immediately burst out: "Girl, you don't know, do you?"
"Huh?" You know what? Is Beidaihe already crowded? We could have wandered around back then, the weather was great!
"How did you learn from your brother?" It was Xiluo Te who spoke. She first addressed her eldest son, then explained to her daughter, "According to our ancestors' rules, bannermen are not allowed to leave without permission. If you dare to wander off without permission, you will be expelled from the banner."
Next, there's the education. Bannermen were considered state property during the Qing Dynasty. Unless you were an official expatriate or on a mission with official documentation, even traveling was difficult. The worst hit were those with yellow and red belts—those who shared the emperor's surname. They couldn't even leave Beijing. If they did, they would be arrested and punished.
Do you think the government provides you with money and food, and you have no other demands? If you are allowed to run around, unable to find men for wars or women for the imperial examinations, then the government is being despised? It's just feeding you for nothing, but you can't use it?
This rule was truly perverse! Shujia was speechless. She had assumed her family was a count, after all. Even without their official titles, they wouldn't have to worry about their daily needs. Even if they needed a travel permit, they could easily get one. With the occasional parental outing, it wouldn't be far, and life would still be pretty good. Who knew there were such perverse rules?!
The Shi family had no choice but to escape the summer heat at a farm outside the city. Even those who could afford it were the only people in Beijing who could escape the heat at a farm outside the city. The farm was large, with cool tiled houses and shaded by green trees, though it had the distinct smell of a long-uninhabited house. After cleaning, burning incense, and repelling mosquitoes, they set out in the morning and settled in at dusk.
Seeing a smile on Shuxian's face, Xiluotai felt relieved. She was also partly responsible for the summer vacation. Xiluotai knew Shuxian was worried, as she could tell from her stubbornness and cautiousness. She was afraid she would get bored, so she took her out to relax.
Even though I wanted to relax, I couldn't wander around. There was no way I could wander around. The sun was scorching during the day, and there were mosquitoes and flies swarming at night. Only in the early morning could I go out for a walk in the company of others—and I'd driven away any idlers beforehand.
I eat a lot of wild vegetables and breathe fresh air every day, which is really good for my health.
After a few days of such good times, they received the news that the emperor had returned. The Shi family was very surprised. After living in the capital for a long time, they knew some things, such as this time, according to tradition, the emperor should not have returned so early after leaving the capital.
Sure enough, when they returned home and had just unpacked and put away the bundle, Shi Wenbing also came back with news - Kangxi came back so early because the fourth prince was sick with dysentery.
It seems Kangxi really loves the Fourth Prince! Shujia thought, even the fact that he could return so promptly from his tour of the Great Wall was simply because the Fourth Prince was ill. The impression I have of Kangxi is that he puts state affairs first, right?
Shi Wenbing sighed from the side: "The current emperor is really a kind father. When the eldest prince was sick, he stayed at court for nine days. When the crown prince was suffering from smallpox in the Three Feudatories, he stayed at court for twelve days just to take care of the crown prince personally. He really has the heart of a kind father..." Bulabula sighed with emotion.
Shujia: ...
She began to truly admire Kangxi. This guy genuinely wanted to be a role model, demanding and pursuing perfection in everything. Shujia felt that Kangxi's kindness to his son was partly due to his own childhood lack of fatherly love, and he desperately wanted to make up for it. And then, under his almost obsessive pursuit of perfection, the Digital Army suffered a tragedy.
That perverted method of reading a book 120 times, that perverted study time, that perverted relationship between father and son, no wonder his sons, who were the most devastated by him in their growth, all became twisted and perverted in the end... some were crazy, some were cruel, and all went to extremes.
Shaking her head, Shujia ignored Shi Wenbing's sighing face and ran to see Shuxian. This sister has been sick a lot lately. She's been to two or three doctors, all of whom said she's overthinking. When someone overthinks, they become even more worried when they hear others say they're overthinking.
Shujia would come over and talk to her about some gossip in order to distract her attention. As the date of the big selection drew closer, Shuxian became more and more concerned about it. Now that her demeanor had begun to take shape, she was more concerned about information from all sides.
After all, Shujia was her younger sister, and they had a pretty good relationship. Shuxian would quietly tell Shujia things she couldn't share with her parents, maids, nannies, aunts, or even her biological mother. Firstly, there was really no one else to talk to; in the eyes of the master, servants weren't allowed to discuss matters, and it was hard for her daughter to share her worries with others. Secondly, although Shujia had her own opinions, she was still young, and she probably wouldn't understand some of what she was saying. But having someone to listen to her was enough, and she wasn't afraid of others who overheard spreading the news.
Shujia heard Shuxian's worries, which were nothing more than worries about her future. Shuxian was very opposed to being a concubine, and her biggest worry came from this.
Shujia thought this worry was perfectly valid. There were only so many good men, and each man could only have one wife. But there were many women, so there were differences in status. The daughter of a General of the Plain White Banner or a Third-Class Earl didn't look like concubine material; she should have worn bright red.
However, those who can make the daughter of the commander of the Plain White Banner and the third-class earl as a concubine are not good people. There are only a few of them. The emperor... don't push it away. My father has no choice. Even if the emperor wants my father to be a concubine, he will just die at most. There is no other way.
The only two left are the eldest prince and the crown prince. It would be a tragedy for either of them to follow!
Shujia thought the crown prince was a complete idiot, no matter how much Shi Wenbing and the others raved about his exceptional talent and intelligence. He was the only legitimate son of the current dynasty, born to the Empress, and his father, who missed his mother so much, had raised him as both a father and a mother. He was cherished like the apple of his eye, doted on like a baby. And yet, he could lose his crown prince status just like that. How foolish!
Then he mentally cited supporting evidence—counting from his mother, he was the second son, and from his father, he was the second oldest survivor. He originally had several older brothers, but to prove that the prince was a fool, God had forced his brothers down so that only the eldest was left. If he wasn't a fool, who would be?!
As for the eldest prince, he proved a point: not all stupid people have to be ranked second. Once the eldest brother becomes stupid, his level is countless times stupider than the second brother!
The Suo-Etu and Ming factions were squabbling. Even a girl like Shujia, raised in seclusion, didn't need to know history to know they were at odds. The news spread like wildfire, yet both factions remained stubbornly stubborn and complacent. The Crown Prince's mother had died, so his closeness to his maternal uncle's family could be explained as a form of emotional transfer. Mingzhu and the eldest prince, seemingly unrelated, were so close, yet they were so close, and then they were at loggerheads with Soetu. What was your intention? Did you really think everyone didn't know? Did you think Kangxi was dead?!
That's not called seizing the throne; that's simply forcing the emperor to abdicate, okay? How did the fourth brother, who ultimately succeeded, do it? Be low-key, low-key! Do you understand?
He's stupid! Really stupid! One is indeed the most basic and only stroke that makes up the number two!
My sister is really worrying.
Shujia was interested, but among the several methods introduced by the cleaning staff, MS didn't find them reliable.
Finding a replacement was impossible. People in the palace had seen Shuxian, and while they couldn't confirm her appearance, they were prepared for the worst. Even if they succeeded, what would become of Shuxian? Who was she? How would her household registration be handled? Would her family agree?
What about faking death and escaping? Bullshit! With his citizenship revoked, it would be hard for him to survive outside with just a pair of natural feet from a woman under his control! He'd be lucky not to be trafficked if he didn't have anyone to rely on.
I guess Shuxian wouldn't want to use these two methods. Shujia first rejected these two unreliable ones.
The most reliable option is to put up a sign and report being sick. But Shuxian is sick this time, and there's always a next time! She won't be over the age limit in three years! It's too strange to be sick for several consecutive years. Unless she can hide away at home for a few years without going out or seeing guests, it's strange that she's fine normally and then suddenly gets sick.
Can we perform worse? This one is certainly possible. It would be best if we could get eliminated in the first round and marry off on our own. Shi Wenbing wouldn't let his daughter marry someone bad. When Shujia proposed this idea, Shuxian hesitated. "I'm not afraid that all the hard work I've put in now will be in vain. Later, even if I have to... tell others, I'll have to set rules. But, as for my father and mother..." How could performance that didn't match my usual practice not arouse suspicion?
Shujia said, "You'll know only after I tell you..." She didn't have any confidence. She wasn't sure about people's thinking these days, but using the interest analysis method should be possible, right?
The two worried about how to convince their parents. The elders there were also making plans for Shuxian's future, supposedly for her, but in reality, a preview of what would happen to Shujia. The Han Banner was considered third-class citizens within the Eight Banners, with few spots available for any good deed, including the imperial selection. However, the Han Banner's high-ranking officials were an exception, and the Shi family happened to be among them, so their family couldn't escape the sway.
The eldest prince and the crown prince are getting older, and the struggle will only intensify after their wedding. The Ming and Suo factions have long been at loggerheads, so how to gain a foothold must be planned early. Even if you want to be a loyal minister and follow the emperor alone, it depends on whether these two factions will let you go.
If the eldest prince was more honest and low-key, and there were no factional struggles in the court, Shi Wenbing would not mind, but Shi Wenbing was not optimistic about the eldest prince.
Xiluote was more devoted to her own daughter, but she was also not indifferent to her concubine's daughter. A woman's only concern was to ensure that her daughter would not suffer any loss, so she would rather avoid being a concubine.
Hua Shan was even more blunt. "That cunning Mingzhu, who the hell is he?! My granddaughter is going to follow the eldest prince, and he's going to drag my whole family down with him. Does he really think I'm stupid?!"
The three of them were unanimous in their opinion; Shuxian was determined not to give the princess to the eldest prince. But they didn't have the final say! How could they not give the princess to the eldest prince and then give it to someone they liked? Finally, they made up their minds and decided, "Let's just be rejected, okay?" Which noble family in the Eight Banners didn't have good children? It was true that Shuxian was a concubine, but they could only choose from the eliminated concubines, right? After all, they couldn't give the impression that they were on Mingzhu's side just because of a maid.
The struggle is still long, and it is not appropriate to make a conclusion now.
The question was how to explain this to Shuxian, and would she actually follow through? Xiluo knew Shuxian longed to stand up straight and steady in public. If you were to cut off her path to advancement, wouldn't that just create an enemy? Shuxian was the eldest daughter. If she didn't behave well, it would affect the family's reputation and the future prospects of her younger sisters.
The elders are worried. If strong pressure causes a backlash and a counterproductive effect, it will be bad. We all have to maintain our dignity.
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