RATMOFANF: Chapter 64

 Glossary

· Shen Jingxiu: The female protagonist, Li Ling's wife.

· Li Ling: The Heir of Zhenguo Duke Manor, Shen Jingxiu's husband.

· Cai Lun: The Chancellor of the National University (Official Cai).

· Liu Yunzhi: A famous talented scholar from Jiangnan.

· San Guniang (Third Young Lady): Li Ling's younger sister.

· Li Yu (Fourth Master): Li Ling's half-brother, son of a concubine.

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Chapter 64: Liu Yunzhi

"Brother Cai, who are you meeting? I could hear your hearty laughter from far away." As the words fell, a man in white robes, his demeanor ethereal and graceful, pushed the door open and entered.

After entering, seeing Cai Lun sitting and chatting with a woman, a hint of embarrassment appeared on his handsome face. He bowed deeply to Jingxiu. "I was unaware a lady guest was present. My apologies for the intrusion."

Cai Lun stood up and replied with a smile, "It's no matter. This is the wife of my close friend. She came today to enroll her younger brother."

As he spoke, Cai Lun turned to Jingxiu and introduced, "This is the famous talented scholar from Jiangnan, Liu Yunzhi."

Liu Yunzhi came from a prominent family in Jiangnan. He possessed both the refined elegance of a deeply learned scholar and the noble reserve of a scion of an official family in his bearing. He stood tall and straight, offering Jingxiu a slight smile.

Jingxiu stood up and slowly performed a formal greeting. "I have long admired your great reputation, Master Liu." Then, addressing both Cai Lun and Liu Yunzhi, she said, "I entrust my younger brother to you both. I shall take my leave now."

Cai Lun said, "Rest assured, Madam. I will certainly do my utmost."

With that, he called the page boy to see Jingxiu out.

After Jingxiu left, Liu Yunzhi strolled to a chair and sat down, smiling. "I never imagined there was such a figure among the noblewomen of the capital."

Cai Lun replied, "So, according to Brother Liu, only your Jiangnan produces such splendid and talented women, while our Chang'an is full of dull and foolish people?"

Liu Yunzhi took a light sip of tea. Raising his eyes to watch the woman's graceful, receding figure, he recited casually, "'She is dimly like light clouds hiding the moon; she floats fleetly like swirling snow in the flowing wind.'"

Cai Lun gave a light cough, shot Liu Yunzhi a reproachful look, and said meaningfully, "She is the wife of Li Ling, the current Commander of the Capital Patrol Office."

Liu Yunzhi withdrew his gaze, gave a light, disdainful laugh, and said contemptuously, "For such a crude military man to obtain such a woman is truly 'an ox chewing on peonies' (a brute unable to appreciate refinement)."

Although Cai Lun was well aware of Liu Yunzhi's unconventional nature, hearing him speak of his close friend in this manner greatly displeased him. He couldn't help but defend his friend: "Not all military commanders under heaven are the uncouth brutes you speak of, Brother Liu. If that were so, where would you place the likes of Cao Cao or Xin Qiji?"

Liu Yunzhi gently waved the jade-bone fan in his hand, his face still carrying a look of lofty superiority. He said disdainfully, "Those are merely a drop in the ocean. How can the sons of the Li family compare?"

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Jingxiu left the Jixia Academy, walked casually to the imperial clan school gate, and boarded her carriage. Danzhu quickly asked, "The Young Master has finally entered the official academy! But I've heard it's full of the sons of dukes and marquises. Won't the Young Master be bullied?"

Jingxiu sat down and replied with a smile, "In terms of family status, Xing'er naturally can't compare to them. But this is an academy; what matters here is talent and scholarship. If he studies well, who would dare look down on him?"

Bilü, who had been waiting, had already fallen asleep leaning against the carriage. Hearing the conversation, she woke up groggily. Rubbing her eyes, she said, "Miss, you're back."

Danzhu tapped her little head and scolded, "You little thing, greedy for food and sleep! If I'd known you'd just sleep when you came out, I wouldn't have brought you."

Bilü pouted and looked at Jingxiu with a pitiful expression. "When the Miss wasn't here, and there was nothing to do, I just drowsily fell asleep in the carriage." As she spoke, she picked up the plate of snacks from the small table and offered it to Jingxiu. "Miss, have a snack. You've walked a bit; shall I massage your legs for you?"

Danzhu tugged her little braid and chided, "Now you know how to be attentive."

Watching the two young maids bicker, Jingxiu reached out, selected a snack, and said to them with a smile, "It's already noon. San Guniang will be finishing at the official academy soon. Let's wait here for her and go back together." She pushed the snack box towards them. "You both have some too, to tide you over."

Jingxiu had always treated her maids well. Hearing this, the two young maids didn't stand on ceremony and helped themselves to snacks, eating along with Jingxiu.

When San Guniang finished her lessons, she saw Jingxiu waiting for her at the imperial clan school gate from afar.

She quickened her pace and ran over, saying to Jingxiu with a smile, "Elder Sister-in-law, did you come specifically to pick me up?"

Jingxiu took the book satchel from her hand and replied, "I was seeing my brother off to enroll. I saw you would be finishing soon, so I waited here for you."

Hearing that her elder sister-in-law had personally seen someone else off to enroll, San Guniang couldn't help but feel the vinegar jar tipping over again inside. But a brother and a sister-in-law were different. Although she felt jealous, it wasn't the same kind of displeasure as when she saw the Shen Jinglan sisters. The jealous feeling passed after a moment.

Danzhu and Bilü helped the two into the carriage. San Guniang leaned close to Jingxiu's ear and said mysteriously, "That Liu Yunzhi from Jiangnan has really come to our official academy!"

Having already seen him in the academy, Jingxiu was no longer surprised. She said casually, "Does he also teach at the women's academy?"

San Guniang nodded, then pouted again. "He only teaches us one lesson a month. It's not like the men's academy, where they can listen to his lectures every day."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

"She teaches us poetry. Today I even asked him for a copy of his poetry collection."

Jingxiu asked, "Did he give it to you?"

San Guniang shook her head dejectedly. "No, he didn't. But he said that whoever among us can compose a poem that satisfies him will receive a copy as an elegant gift."

"Then you must work hard," Jingxiu encouraged with a smile.

San Guniang lifted her little face. "Of course I'll work hard! Last year, Fourth Brother got hold of a piece of Master Liu's calligraphy from somewhere and went to show off at the family school. If I can get Master Liu's poetry collection, let's see what face he has left."

This San Guniang just couldn't get along with the Fourth Master.

Seeing her like this, Jingxiu couldn't help but advise, "No matter what, he is your elder brother. Don't always be at odds with him."

San Guniang, seeing Jingxiu speak up for Li Yu, remembered the incident from a while back. She asked Jingxiu, "Elder Sister-in-law, I heard that a while ago you sent someone to the kitchen to instruct them to make him midnight snacks every day and deliver them. Is that true?"

Although Li Yu's status in the Zhenguo Duke Manor was awkward, the Old Madam was broad-minded and did not neglect this grandson born of a concubine because of past events. The other masters also had no reason to make things difficult for him. Only San Guniang couldn't get along with him, ostracizing him everywhere.

Inciting the servants to treat Li Yu poorly was most likely also her doing.

Jingxiu looked at her and replied, "It was indeed my instruction to the kitchen."

San Guniang pouted. "Elder Sister-in-law, there's no need for you to be nice to him. He won't appreciate it anyway."

Jingxiu said, "I am merely doing what is appropriate for the mistress of the household and the elder sister-in-law. I'm not expecting his gratitude."

Seeing Jingxiu like this, San Guniang couldn't resist saying, "Elder Sister-in-law, do you know? That day you sent someone to deliver the midnight snacks to him, not only was he ungrateful, he even said you were only doing it to gain a good reputation since you've just taken over managing the household, and that your kindness was hypocritical posturing."

Jingxiu looked at her calmly and asked, "And how did you come to know these words?"

Seeing Jingxiu's unsmiling expression, San Guniang felt a pang of guilt and hemmed and hawed, "I... I also heard it from someone else."

Jingxiu just looked at her somberly without speaking.

San Guniang had never seen Jingxiu show her a stern face before. She stealthily tugged at Jingxiu's sleeve and mumbled, "Elder Sister-in-law, are you angry with me?"

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Jingxiu looked at her and nodded.

San Guniang said indignantly, "Why are you taking the side of that son of a concubine?"

As she spoke, San Guniang's eyes reddened, looking as if she was about to cry from hurt feelings.

Jingxiu patted her hand and said patiently, "I'm not taking Fourth Master's side. It's that I don't approve of your methods. Even if you are biased against him, you shouldn't use such means. If you dislike him, just keep your distance from him."

She looked at San Guniang meaningfully. "Inciting servants to bully him, eavesdropping on his private conversations... do these seem like the actions of an honorable person?"

Although San Guniang was young, she wasn't unable to distinguish right from wrong. But she insisted stubbornly, "I never told the servants to treat him poorly, and I certainly didn't plant anyone in his courtyard."

Seeing her protest too much, Jingxiu straightened her face and said, "It's best if you didn't do those things. If you did, then you are not the good younger sister I thought you were."

Although Jingxiu didn't scold her as severely as Li Ling sometimes did, her words always managed to strike a chord in San Guniang's heart. Just like now, hearing Jingxiu's brief, serious words made her heart skip a beat.

She glanced at Jingxiu's expression and muttered in a low voice, "I understand."

(End of Chapter)

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Translator's Note: check out my other work— My Younger Sister Insisted On A Marriage Exchange Wanting To Make Me The Wife Of A Marquis and The Marquis’s Beloved is a Black-Hearted Lotus (⁠*⁠＾⁠3⁠＾⁠)⁠/⁠～⁠♡

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