“What standing does your Jia family have to challenge the Yan family?”
Wu You’s wife had been sent by Jia Mu, and she carried herself as though the Duke’s household stood behind her. Although she did not dare to behave too outrageously, she still held a certain disdain for Madam Lin.
A mere prefect’s wife from Songjiang, with an official title of the fourth rank, how could she possibly compare to the Old Madam of a Duke’s household?
Madam Lin considered herself Lin Daiyu’s aunt and was therefore entitled to make arrangements for her niece’s attendants. That was what true arrogance looked like.
As for Uncle Lin, he was wise to heed advice.
Wu You’s wife lowered her head and folded her hands respectfully before replying, “This servant would never dare to overstep. I am merely speaking the truth. Our Old Madam sincerely cares for Miss Lin, and everything she needs, from food and clothing to her daily expenses, will be of the finest quality. She will certainly not be treated poorly.”
The smile on Madam Lin’s face gradually faded. She spoke in a cool, indifferent tone.
“Are you suggesting that I do not sincerely care for the young lady, or that I would be stingy with her food and belongings?”
Wu You’s wife cleared her throat.
“That is not what this servant means. It is simply that our household is, after all, a Duke’s residence and has been established in the capital for generations. Everything we use is of the finest quality. Even if Madam Lin takes great care in making arrangements, the Old Madam will probably replace everything once Miss Lin arrives in the capital. Why go to all this trouble unnecessarily?”
Madam Lin’s expression turned completely cold. She gave a meaningful glance to Cai Ling, the maid standing beside her.
Cai Ling stepped forward and smiled.
“If Nanny cannot say anything pleasant, perhaps it would be better to keep her mouth shut. Otherwise, those of us serving below might hear such words and think that Nanny herself is narrow minded and incapable of recognizing true dignity. We might even mistake her for someone who thinks the Rong household in the capital is just as ignorant.”
“The Old Madam may have a kind and loving heart, but our Madam is no stranger to Miss Lin either. One is her niece, and the other is her granddaughter. Surely Nanny can tell which relationship is closer?”
“Or is the Old Madam sending someone to fetch Miss Lin to the capital in order to sever the Jia family’s ties with the Lin family?”
Madam Lin remained composed and spoke without warmth.
“Since your household looks down so much on our Lin family, there is no need for us to keep offering you a warm welcome when all we receive in return is cold treatment. Nanny, you may leave now.”
Wu You’s wife did not take her words seriously.
“In that case, please have Miss Lin pack her belongings. We shall not impose on you any longer.”
Madam Lin’s lips curved into a faint smile as she regarded Wu You’s wife with a meaningful look.
Wu You’s wife froze. A sudden chill crept up her back.
What did that mean?
Before she could make sense of it, several burly matrons suddenly appeared behind her. Without giving the people sent by the Rong household any chance to protest, they gagged them and dragged them away.
Madam Lin sat calmly on the couch, her eyes curved with a smile, looking entirely unruffled.
“My brother is still as softhearted as ever. Why tolerate such insolent servants and allow them to keep appearing before us?”
Cai Ling returned and spat in disgust.
“Just look at how arrogant she was! Anyone who did not know better would have thought she was the Old Madam of the Rong household herself. She actually dared to order Madam around!”
Madam Lin picked up the teacup beside her and slowly stirred the floating tea leaves.
“The Rong household does not seem to have very good rules. We must make sure they do not teach our Daiyu’er any bad habits.”
A master who treats servants with kindness and respect is a virtuous person. However, everything has its limits. If servants become so emboldened by such kindness that they dare to act recklessly or even defy their masters, then the master is simply too weak.
Even when dealing with guests from outside, the servants of the Rong household did not abandon their arrogance. It was not difficult to imagine how poorly the Jia family disciplined its servants.
As for whether driving these people out would offend Jia Mu, Madam Lin did not care.
The Yan family had always conducted itself this way. His Majesty already knew of their household’s principles. Not only did he not blame them, he instead admired the fact that talented people should possess a certain pride and integrity, and held them in even higher regard.
These people were fortunate. Had they lived a few years earlier, when her mother in law, Shan Dai, was in charge, they would probably have been beaten out of the residence.
And these were merely servants. Back then, Zhang Yin, the son of the Minister of Personnel, had behaved rudely when he came upstairs and offended Shan Dai. Had Elder Shan not personally pleaded for him, her mother in law would have had him beaten to death.
While they were speaking, the maid Cai Rui brought in the twelve maids Madam Lin had selected.
Madam Lin chose the older maids, Cai Yue, Cai Xiang, Cai Qin, and Cai Ju, to serve as Daiyu’s personal first class maids. Fei Xu, Fei Xue, Fei Hua, Fei Xing, Fei Qiong, Fei Yun, Fei Yu, and Fei Shuang were appointed as second class maids.
As for Nanny Wang and Xueyan, they would continue serving Daiyu personally, with all the privileges of first class maids.
Nanny Wang was Daiyu’s wet nurse and could not be treated like an ordinary maid. Madam Lin therefore ordered that her allowance be doubled.
Once everything had been arranged, Madam Lin rewarded them with an additional three months’ allowance.
“From today onward, Miss Lin is your mistress. As long as you serve her wholeheartedly, you will have plenty of benefits. But if I discover that any of you harbor disloyal intentions, do not blame me for showing no mercy.”
The maids were all hereditary servants born into the household, so they naturally knew how capable Madam Lin was. Now that their mistress had shown them both kindness and authority, they were delighted but also became more cautious. Each of them answered obediently.
Madam Lin instructed Cai Ling to escort them to Daiyu so that the young lady could look them over.
When Daiyu was young, she had only heard that her paternal aunt had married into the Yan family of Songjiang. She had also heard a few stories about Elder Yan and his wife.
However, those events had taken place a long time ago, and even her father did not know the details very well. He had merely told her that Uncle Yan was also someone who had earned the Emperor’s special favor. He had passed the imperial examinations and attained the title of top scholar at the age of fifteen, then became a prefect at twenty. Such rapid advancement was truly rare.
Today, after arriving in Songjiang Prefecture and paying her respects to her uncle and aunt, Daiyu was accompanied by her cousin from the Yan family.
This was Daiyu’s first time meeting Yan Xianzhi. Taking advantage of the opportunity to exchange formal greetings, she carefully studied her cousin.
Yan Xianzhi’s eyebrows were like a new moon, and her eyes shone like cold stars. There was a faint resemblance to her father, Yan Hong, in her features. Her skin was as white as snow, and her face resembled a pear blossom. When she was solemn, she looked like a sculpture carved from ice and frost. When she smiled and spoke, she was like a newly blossomed hibiscus.
Her expression and bearing closely resembled her mother, Madam Lin, and she also shared three or four tenths of Daiyu’s own features.
As Daiyu studied Yan Xianzhi, Yan Xianzhi was observing her as well.
Her younger cousin Lin Daiyu truly had brows like drifting smoke and eyes like dew on a cold morning. Whether she was frowning, smiling, walking, or sitting, there was not a single thing about her that was not beautiful.
Yan Xianzhi suppressed her astonishment at Daiyu’s beauty and began introducing her to Yuchi Tower.
“I usually live here alone. It is certainly peaceful, but sometimes it feels a little too quiet. Now that you have come, Daiyu, why not stay here with me for company?”
When she heard the words “Yuchi,” Daiyu remembered the stories about the Yan family that she had heard from her father and grew curious.
“I heard that your family possesses a priceless treasure bestowed by the Emperor. Would I be fortunate enough to see it?”
Yan Xianzhi naturally agreed. She led Daiyu to the third floor and unlocked the door with a key.
“This is the priceless treasure bestowed by the Retired Emperor himself.”
She began explaining its origins.
“Back when our grandmother was only ten years old, she displayed her talent before the imperial court. The Retired Emperor gave her a topic on the spot, and she immediately composed a thousand words without pausing to revise a single one. Her writing flowed seamlessly, and her words were as beautiful as embroidered silk. The Retired Emperor was so delighted that he bestowed upon her the title of ‘Gifted Lady of Literary Excellence.'”
“He also followed the precedent of Shangguan Wan’er of the Tang Dynasty, who had been honored for her literary talent, and gave our grandmother a jade ruler with which to measure the talents of everyone under Heaven.”
“Fearing that someone might rely on their power to force her into marriage, he also bestowed upon her a golden ruyi scepter. Anyone who dared to harass her would be killed without question.”
Daiyu listened with rapt attention and murmured, “What extraordinary talent must the Old Madam possess to have earned such favor from the Retired Emperor?”
Yan Xianzhi smiled.
“Our grandmother has already retired to the countryside with our grandfather, but fortunately, she left some of her writings here.”
After speaking, she asked a maid to bring out the Old Madam’s poems for Daiyu to admire.
Daiyu had been clever since childhood and could read ten lines at a glance. Before long, she had finished reading the poems, and for a moment, she felt as though their lingering fragrance filled her mouth.
Seeing how much Daiyu liked them, Yan Xianzhi had the servants bring out poems by another leading character in Pingshan Lengyan, the Old Madam Ping, Leng Jiangxue.
“Our grandmother and the Old Madam Ping knew each other when they were young. They were friends in name, but closer than sisters in affection.
Her literary talent was no less remarkable than our grandmother’s. The two of them married on the same day. Our grandmother married the top scholar, while the Old Madam Ping married the third place scholar. The twists and turns of their lives became a wonderful tale in their own right.”
Hearing this, Daiyu felt as though she had discovered a priceless treasure. She held the poems in her hands and read them through before letting out a sigh.
“So many talented women have lived in this world, yet they remain unknown. They are confined within their beautiful chambers and grand mansions, trapped in a tiny corner of the world where outsiders can never learn of their abilities.”
After saying this, Daiyu could not help feeling melancholy.
“An ancient poem says, ‘To waste a talent reaching ten thousand feet into the clouds, with a heart’s ambitions never once fulfilled.’ Though the poet wrote those words to mourn a talented man, they truly describe the fate of talented women throughout the world.”
Seeing Daiyu’s sorrow, Yan Xianzhi understood that she was lamenting the wasted talents of women. Not wishing to let her become too upset, she smiled and said,
“Daiyu, there is no need to be so sad. His Majesty is a wise ruler who hopes to establish peace for generations to come. Why would he allow talented women throughout the world to waste their lives within their inner chambers?”
“In recent years, the imperial palace has selected talented women several times. Some have been appointed as female officials, while others have become companions to the princesses. Although their positions are not the same as those of ordinary officials, they still hold official ranks.”
“If I remember correctly, you have a cousin who was selected to enter the palace and serve there a few years ago.”
Daiyu knew that Yan Xianzhi was referring to Yuan Chun, the eldest daughter of her second maternal uncle, Jia Zheng. She nodded.
“That is indeed the case.”
Yan Xianzhi leaned closer to Daiyu’s ear and whispered, “There is something I am not entirely certain about, but I believe there is a good chance it is true.”
“From what Father has said, it seems His Majesty wishes to follow the precedent of the men’s imperial examinations by establishing schools for women, holding examinations for female candidates, and appointing female officials.”
Daiyu was startled, her eyes widening in astonishment. She also lowered her voice.
“Such an important matter must be a closely guarded secret within the palace. How did you come to know about it, Sister?”
Yan Xianzhi smiled.
“His Majesty has transferred Father to the post of Governor General of Liangguang, which has reminded the Retired Emperor of our family.”
Although she knew more, she could not reveal anything further.
In truth, His Majesty had long been troubled by the incompetence of the spoiled sons of the great aristocratic families.
Take the Jia family, for example. Among the older generation, Jia She was utterly useless. Although Jia Jing had passed the imperial examinations, he devoted himself entirely to cultivating the Dao. Jia Zheng was mediocre and incapable of shouldering important responsibilities.
The younger generation was no better. Jia Zhu had been talented but died young. Jia Lian was skilled in worldly affairs, but when it came to studying, he was a complete fool. Jia Baoyu possessed some cleverness, but his thoughts were entirely occupied with romance and poetry. The likes of Jia Rui and Jia Huan were not even worth mentioning.
Among the grandchildren, Jia Rong and Jia Qiang were no better than Jia Lian.
Jia Lan at least seemed to have some sense of responsibility, but what could one person accomplish?
As the saying goes, “White sand placed in black mud becomes black as well.” Who could say whether Jia Lan would eventually be influenced by the Jia family’s ways?
What troubled His Majesty even more was that these aristocratic families were exceptionally good at raising daughters.
Their sons were all mediocre, yet they could enter the imperial court and become officials solely through the privileges inherited from their ancestors, wasting the court’s salaries. Meanwhile, their daughters possessed both virtue and talent, but were confined to their inner chambers and could only entrust their lives to these spoiled young men.
As time passed, the great aristocratic families gradually became too powerful to control. Their members could not be entrusted with important positions, yet the families themselves could not simply be abolished. This had become a persistent source of anxiety for His Majesty.
Yan Hong had long understood His Majesty’s concerns. He therefore secretly submitted a memorial, proposing that His Majesty follow the Retired Emperor’s precedent of seeking out talented women and entrusting them with important responsibilities. In this way, the aristocratic families could be encouraged to shift their focus from placing men in positions of power to cultivating their daughters’ talents.
At the beginning, female officials would naturally find it difficult to travel around the country and perform their duties in the same way as male officials. However, new official positions could be established within the palace, allowing them to shoulder important responsibilities there and assume some of the functions currently performed by existing institutions.
In doing so, His Majesty could gradually cultivate a power base of his own while encouraging the incompetent aristocratic families to redirect their resources toward their daughters.
Unlike men, women who lost their official positions and were left without employment would still be expected to marry within three to five years. By then, the resources their families had invested in them would have been completely wasted.
His Majesty could use this approach to weaken certain great aristocratic families and gain an advantage over them.
Moreover, the Retired Emperor had been the first to seek out talented women. By following his father’s precedent, His Majesty would not only create a commendable story but also encounter less resistance.
After the secret memorial was submitted, His Majesty did not give an explicit response.
However, the imperial decree appointing Yan Hong as Governor General of Liangguang arrived very soon afterward.
In the current dynasty, the Governor General of Liangguang held the rank of second grade. His Majesty had additionally bestowed upon Yan Hong the position of Left Censor in Chief, a first grade position. This was an entirely exceptional promotion.
For now, the imperial decree had not yet been publicly announced, and the Yan household remained peaceful.
After some time passed, however, their days of tranquility would likely come to an end.
This was also the source of Madam Lin’s confidence in not fearing Jia Mu.
Yan Hong was only thirty two years old, yet he had already risen to the rank of a first grade official and become a powerful provincial governor.
Furthermore, his appointment would last only three years.
In other words, if Yan Hong were promoted again after three years, he would become a Grand Secretary!
Clearly, Yan Hong was His Majesty’s uniquely favored minister.
Looking across the capital, the only person who could stand on equal footing with him was Wang Ziteng, the Commander of the Capital Army, who had been personally supported by the Retired Emperor.
However, because of the relationship between Yan Baihan and Shan Dai, Yan Hong also had influence with the Retired Emperor.
Both father and son of the Yan family had been personally appointed top scholars by the Retired Emperor. They were ministers favored by two generations of emperors. Furthermore, Shan Dai’s father, Shan Xianren, who was Yan Hong’s maternal grandfather, had once served as the Retired Emperor’s chief Grand Secretary.
In other words, even Wang Ziteng had to show some respect to this younger man.
What standing did your Jia family have to challenge the Yan family?
Lin Ruhai had married Jia Min, while Madam Lin had married into the Yan family.
The difference between these two marriages was considerable, and at least the Lin family understood that perfectly well.