章 6: Kunning Chapter 6: Teenager’s heart
Seated outside, Jiang Xuening pondered the events involving Yan Lin, Zhou Yinzhi, and others from her previous life, paying little attention to the conversations inside.
Suddenly, the curtain rustled, prompting her to look up, and there stood Jiang Boyou.
Quickly rising to her feet, she bowed respectfully, greeted him with a polite "I have seen my father," and added, "It is a daughter's incompetence to disturb my father with such trivial matters…"
Jiang Boyou, feeling at ease, gestured dismissively and remarked, "The servants in your yard don't behave like typical servants, and the master doesn't act like a master. This should have been addressed long ago…"
"Ahem!"
However, before he could finish, Chang Zhuo cleared his throat twice beside him.
Jiang Boyou glanced at him, noticed him subtly shaking his head, and suddenly snapped back to reality.
It had been four years since this girl, Jiang Xuening, returned to the mansion. Adults like them could see her demeanor. Wasn't she aware that the maids in the house were deceitful?
Clearly, she knew.
However, these servants, regardless of their behind-the-scenes machinations, treated the second girl like a shining star, holding her in high regard as if she were the sole existence in the world.
Jiang Xuening also allowed these behaviors.
Ultimately, this child had been brought back from the farm after Wanniang's departure. Unfamiliar with the Meng family, she lacked acquaintances in Beijing initially. Despite her outward appearance of indulgence, she was fragile and sensitive on the inside.
The more vulnerable she was internally, the more she needed external support.
Jiang Boyou, achieving the third rank in the court and overseeing the crucial Ministry of Household Affairs, possessed insight into various matters and people, including his daughter. Advising Mrs. Meng against censuring her too quickly, he emphasized the potential harm to Xuening's feelings if she didn't adapt immediately, fearing she might perceive the household as singling her out.
Today, for reasons unknown, she wished to take action and approach him.
However, the more she pressed the matter, the less enthusiastic he needed to appear.
While she could manage her people independently, involving others hastily to reprimand those in her room might lead to excessive contemplation. If someone else scolded them on her behalf, she might overthink the situation, and the matter could remain unresolved once the anger subsided.
Jiang Boyou pondered for a moment, deciding to shift his approach. He suddenly altered his words, saying, "However, you've been quite protective of them regularly, and I can see that you've treated them well. It's not unusual for servants in the mansion to have unclean hands and feet. Seeking your father to uphold justice and manage household matters is common. We should handle such issues internally, without escalating them into a war."
What a seamless and natural transition.
Listening to this, Jiang Xuening observed Jiang Boyou quietly for a moment, grasping the nuance. She then turned around, stating, "Father is right. It was thoughtless of the daughter to approach you without careful consideration. Let me handle the matter within the household."
"Hey, don't!"
Why was her response different from what he anticipated?
Shouldn't she be angrier and more eager to punish these maids when someone spoke up for them?
Caught off guard by her words, Jiang Boyou quickly reached out, pulling her back, and offered a comforting smile. "Come here and tell me about it! Father won't let you handle it on your own. You must know that, as head of the household department in the imperial court, I detest uncleanliness the most! Without order in the family, how can one govern the country? Father won't allow any injustice to befall you!"
Wouldn't it have been better to say that earlier? Why play the retreat?
Her father, truly…
Though the corners of Jiang Xuening's lips subtly curled in amusement, a hint of an almost otherworldly melancholy suddenly surfaced. As a young girl in the mansion, even if the servant girls weren't ideal, major troubles were usually avoided, and if issues arose, she could manage them. However, after marrying Shen Jie, although he treated her well, he wouldn't handle everything for her as Yan Lin might have. In the palace, she was forced by the environment to navigate a precarious situation. Regardless of her initial ineptitude, she gradually honed a composed mindset and the skills to navigate social intricacies.
However, during that period, she appeared to be a completely different person compared to her youth.
Observing her, Jiang Boyou also sensed subtle changes in her demeanor, prompting him to inquire curiously, "In the past, you were very 'forgiving' toward them, and your mother and I were quite concerned. Why did you suddenly change your stance today?"
Upon contemplation, Jiang Xuening acknowledged that she had indeed undergone significant changes.
It would be better to provide a reasonable explanation.
Lifting her gaze and pondering for a moment, she replied without a hint of hesitation, "Yan Lin taught me."
Ah.
That rascal who frequently scaled the walls of their mansion…
Upon hearing this, Jiang Boyou stroked his beard and inwardly snorted, revealing a pensive expression.
After a brief moment, all the maids and women from Jiang Xuening's room assembled.
They quivered like leaves, their faces drained of color.
Concerned about potentially disturbing ongoing guests, Jiang Boyou had two chairs moved to the eaves outside his study, instructing the group of maids and women to kneel in the yard.
The commotion attracted attention, and many servants within the mansion peeked out from under walls and verandas to witness the scene.
Led by Wang Xing's family, those serving in Jiang Xuening's room couldn't fathom what had transpired in less than half an hour: first, the second young lady, whom they had coaxed, suddenly summoned them into the room and demanded the return of all previously taken items without warning. After a brief denial, they presumed the second young lady might reason with them, but instead, she immediately reported them to the master, ushering them all out to kneel.
Wang Xing's family felt even more perplexed.
When Jiang Xuening had sought the bracelet, they were initially startled, perceiving a drastic shift in the behavior of the once genuinely "obedient" second young lady. They struggled to comprehend her motives and the sudden change in demeanor.
Now, with Jiang Boyou supporting Jiang Xuening, she casually gestured to Lian'er, saying, "Go, bring two large boxes."
Lian'er fetched the boxes and arranged them according to Jiang Xuening's instructions.
Jiang Xuening took the tea that Chang Zhuo brought and, after blowing on it gently, took a sip. She then set it down and remarked, "I've already mentioned that if anyone takes my belongings in the room, it's best to return them promptly. I might overlook it."
Amidst the watchful eyes and the master's scrutiny, a hushed stillness settled below.
Not a single member of Wang Xing's family dared to utter a word.
A younger girl behind them nudged her companion, her resentment simmering as she suppressed her anger, solely focused on addressing this issue after overcoming the present challenges.
Observing their continued reluctance to speak, Jiang Xuening flashed a smile.
However, she refrained from engaging in much conversation herself.
Seated comfortably while the others knelt, with hot tea at her disposal and cakes to savor, she saw no cause for concern.
The courtyard's center was paved with sturdy bluestone slabs. Although the mansion's maids weren't considered delicate, many of them had not endured much hardship.
While kneeling might be tolerable for a short duration, some individuals gradually found it unbearable over time.
As knees began to shift, bodies trembled, and foreheads and backs grew damp with sweat, a servant girl finally succumbed to the discomfort. Anxious and indignant, she kowtowed, feigning a sense of injustice, "Second Miss has truly wronged the slave and maidservant. We have always strived to bring you joy in our service, enduring perceived grievances due to your temperament. No one dared to be disrespectful before you; it would be akin to courting death. However, the slaves believed that if we treated the master well, the master would reciprocate with affection. Little did we expect the second young lady to perceive it as a mistake, unjustly accusing us of stealing from the master! If you wish to present an account and scrutinize each servant individually, we may acquiesce. But none of us were aware of your intentions, and the servants tidied up without knowing what was happening. If the box contains too few items, it's our fault; if it contains too many, we are at your disposal. We hail from humble backgrounds, and where would we find the means to replace the missing items? How can you address this issue?"
A masterful display of distorting facts.
At first glance, it was the same individual who had contradicted her in the room earlier.
If not for considering that her hands were somewhat refined, Jiang Xuening might have slapped her by now.
Anticipating her inability to produce evidence, particularly the fact that she didn't account for her own belongings, they all knew this well. By persistently focusing on this point, they could potentially undermine Jiang Xuening's position. After all, she was accustomed to indulgence; if the rumor mill started churning, it might be challenging to dispel the allegations.
"You seek evidence, don't you?" Jiang Xuening arched her slender eyebrows, a smile playing on her lips as she spoke leisurely, "In the past, you were confident you understood who held authority in this household. Now, you seem audacious enough to challenge me. Do you truly believe I'm oblivious to the situation?"
A moment of bewilderment swept through the assembly.
Even Lian'er and Tang'er, the only two uninvolved individuals standing aside to serve, remained momentarily stunned.
Jiang Xuening glanced at the two girls, shifted her gaze from Lian'er to Tang'er, and then instructed, "Tang'er, fetch the account book."
At this moment, Lian'er found herself in a state of utter confusion. How could the girl possess an account book without her knowledge?
Even Tang'er, typically more composed, seemed momentarily bewildered.
However, Jiang Xuening swiftly dispelled any confusion: "The sixth book from the left on the third shelf from the top in my bookshelf. Go and retrieve it."
Upon hearing these instructions, Jiang Boyou, positioned beside her, shot her an odd look.
Maintaining her composure, Jiang Xuening sipped her tea, patiently awaiting Tang'er's return.
Upon hearing the mention of an "account book," the maids and women who were kneeling felt a violent tremor in their hearts. Some struggled to contain themselves, nearly collapsing to the ground.
How could the second young lady possess an account book? Someone who casually discards valuable possessions still keeps private accounts?
It was utterly perplexing.
Desperately hoping they had misunderstood, they knelt in panic, their gazes fixed on the Hanging Flower Gate, yearning for Tang'er to return empty-handed.
Their wishes, however, were not granted.
Tang'er returned from the Chuihua Gate, clasping a book with a thick blue cover in both hands. She presented it to Jiang Xuening with a greeting, "Second, Second Miss, the account book is brought as per your order."
Unfortunately, from their vantage point below, the kneeling individuals couldn't see it clearly—
Unbeknownst to them, the seemingly composed Tang'er had trembling hands!
Jiang Boyou, drawing closer, instinctively glanced at Tang'er's hands and nearly spat out the tea he had just consumed in astonishment.
Where was the ledger?
Emblazoned on the cover were unmistakable characters: "Junior Learning Qionglin"!
God only knew that there wasn't a ledger on that bookshelf at all. What Tang'er found, following Jiang Xuening's instructions for the sixth book on the third shelf from the top, was this children's enlightenment book!
However, with no alternative, she gritted her teeth and presented it.
In the midst of such a spectacle, Tang'er couldn't fathom the consequences for her master!
Yet, Jiang Xuening maintained her composure, calmly accepting the "account book" from Tang'er and perusing it meticulously. She recounted, "In March this year, on my eighteenth birthday, Mother added a ruby ruyi pendant with a pair of emerald heads; Father gifted pine smoke ink and Chengxintang paper; Prince Yan presented a pair of Ru kiln white porcelain flower goblets, a night pearl from Dashi Kingdom, and an entire piece of suet white jade with nine chains, and…"
There was also a mention of a snow-white little rabbit. Yan Lin had caught it while hunting, finding its pitiful and adorable appearance reminiscent of her. However, she had been indifferent to the rabbit, entrusting its care to the servants, who inadvertently caused its demise within two months.
The existence of an account book was a fabrication, for Jiang Xuening had no recollection of such details from her youth. But Yan Lin remembered everything vividly. During his confinement in the palace, he would share childhood memories with her, lying on her couch, gently caressing her cheeks with calloused fingers from martial arts practice.
It was an indelible memory for her.
As she lowered her gaze, having read for a while, she raised her eyes to scrutinize the group of people kneeling below.
However, kneeling seemed an impossible feat for them now.
One individual appeared on the verge of complete collapse.
Wang Xing's family, quick to grasp the opportunity, overheard that she recalled the specifics of everything in this supposed account book. Some items were distinctive, and if an investigation were launched, they could potentially be tracked down even if they were sold. This presented an imminent threat of prosecution. At this crucial juncture, she was willing to come clean.
With a resounding "boom," Wang Xing's family prostrated themselves on the ground and tearfully admitted, "The young lady is wise. My wife and I were misled by foolishness. Initially, we didn't dare confess because we underestimated the girl's discernment. We assumed that the girl wouldn't notice if we borrowed her belongings temporarily, intending to return them discreetly once our family had overcome our difficulties. Little did we expect the girl to see through our intentions clearly. The old servant's family watched the girl endure as others took her possessions, thinking the girl didn't mind. We contemplated using the girl's belongings to turn things around. When we were found out today, we were relieved. Please wait a moment; the old servant will return all your items in full. I sincerely request the girl's leniency, and I'm willing to make amends for my misdeeds. Whether you choose to reprimand or punish me, as long as I can remain by your side to serve, this old servant will be content!"
"…"
The young girls kneeling behind her were almost wide-eyed in disbelief.
They had encountered shameless individuals before, but the audacity displayed by Wang Xing's family surpassed any they had seen. Their ability to flatter knew no bounds.
Listening to Wang Xing's family, Jiang Xuening not only justified her acquisition of the items but also praised them. The remarkable aspect was that they admitted their mistake and expressed loyalty. To the casual listener, one might assume they were genuinely devoted servants!
She found the situation amusing.
Without hesitation, Jiang Xuening said, "Then go and retrieve the items."
Relieved, Wang Xing's family kowtowed three more times before rising. Flashing a fawning smile at Jiang Xuening, they withdrew to their room to gather their belongings.
Observing this, the others dared not resist. Initially dismissing the matter in the room, the fear of being called to kneel overwhelmed them. Witnessing Wang Xing's family's compliance, everyone knelt and pleaded for forgiveness. Subsequently, they returned to their respective rooms, admitted their faults, and began retrieving the items. They placed them carefully in the box that Jiang Xuening had earlier instructed to be placed on the ground.
After a while, pearls, emeralds, vases, and scrolls filled the box to its brim, forming a precarious pile.
Jiang Xuening, treating this group of people, pondered her own wealth. Even Jiang Boyou beside her couldn't help but be dumbfounded.
Indeed, the Mansion of Yongyi Hou was one of the two prominent households in the current dynasty. Considering the numerous gifts Yan Lin had bestowed before marriage, one might wonder if he had relinquished all his personal wealth to Jiang Xuening.
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