Inner Residence arc ー Chapter 3 (Part 1): First encounter with the Teacher
When someone from modern times goes back to ancient times, the life that awaits them actually does not have poetic flavor.
Firstly, there are a lot of matters in life which one will find inconvenient. For example, no electricity, no flushable toilet bowl, no internet. Especially for the last item, for a university student, it is almost equivalent to asking for his life.
Furthermore, what makes a person more painful than killing the person is living while enduring hardships, for example, being imprisoned.
Life in the inner residence of the ancient times is tantamount to being imprisoned. In the morning when the day brightens I have to rise and after freshening up and being dressed up, I have to go to my parents' dwellings to pay my respects. After returning to my own room, if it is not reading books, it is playing some tunes and embroidering a few mandarin ducks. In short, if there is no irresistible reason that happens, one is not allowed to step out of the door.
The first few days, as Madam Xie and the others still had novel interest in me, they would come to see me and talk to me. I would then also take the chance to understand this world. As the days passed by, Madam Xie returned to her small ancestral hall and continued copying her Buddha scriptures while Elder Sister-in-law also went to be busy with her own matters.
I was extremely bored. There was no recreation in the small building, so under Yunxiang's directions, I went to find Third Elder Sister Xie Zhaoke.
Xie Zhaoke lived at Zhai Yue(Zhāi yuè)* pavilion, the image was very apt. She was clear and bright like the moon in the sky and I don't who she will be plucked by in the future.
*T/n: Literally means to pluck the moon.
Zhai Yue Pavilion was slightly bigger than my Yang Xin Pavilion and also had a much more imposing style. I still haven't entered and had already heard a traditional Chinese music sound which was pleasing to the ear. It turns out that the Xie Family had invited a specialist to teach Xie Zhaoke music and dance.
Xie Zhaoke's maid, BaoPing(Bǎopíng) saw that I have come and came other quietly, "Fourth Miss, Third Miss still needs to practise for a while before she can take a rest."
I asked, "She needs to practise every day?"
Baoping said, "Third Miss does not have it relaxed, she needs to practise poems songs and classics, needs to know the four arts of zither, chess, calligraphy and painting and she also can't neglect culinary arts and needlework."
I was wrong, I always thought that only modern times working women actually have it the toughest, not only do they need to know how to earn money and give birth, they even need to change the light bulbs on their own, yet I did not know that being a talented female in ancient times was also not a pleasant job. They needed to master all the eighteen types of skills* and it is all for the purpose of trying to please a man they don't even know how he looks like.
*T/n: The original text was eighteen types of martial arts but I changed it slightly so that it wouldn't be too misleading.
Xie Zhaoke was currently playing the zither. She was wearing a long snow white gown today, with a pale green Chinese waistcoat, her fine black hair styled highly, revealing her slender and snow-white neck, causing her whole person to be exquisite and delicate similar to a budding green lotus.
We were both sisters from the same family, why is there such difference of between the sky and earth? I heard that when Second Madam was living, she was also absolutely beautiful and moving.
I saw that she was extremely focused and it wasn't good to disrupt, so I could only bring Yunxiang as I went walking back.
I asked Yunxiang, "Where can I find some books to look at?"
Yunxiang gazed at me as if she was looking at a monster
"What is it?"
"Miss, since……since when were you literate?"
Now then did I recall that Xie Zhaohua had been deranged for more than ten years, naturally it's impossible for her to know how to read. Without any other option, I concocted a cock-and-bull story, borrowed the power of the supernatural beings and said, "It's probably Heaven taking pity on me, letting me regain my mind and also compensating for my deficiency."
Yunxiang was really gullible. She trusted me immediately and took me to the Xie Residence's library.
The Xie Family was after all a scholarly family and had an abundant book collection that was neatly arranged according to categories. The bookshelves did not have a speck of dust and an incense to prevent termites was even ignited.
I made Yunxiang leave and casually browsed on my own. I quickly found a book "Aspirations of Da Qi's* landscape" and sat down cross-legged on the wooden floor and started to read in high spirits.
*T/n: Referring to the country of Dong Qi.
The world was now split into four. The Nation of Qi was located in the East, so the great immortal whose name is unknown termed it as Dong* Qi. Dong Qi faced the black sea in the east, faced the Nation of Liao in the north and faced the Nation of Qin in the west. Distant from the west was another Nation of Li which did not have a common boundary. This was an unfamiliar world in a parallel universe.
*T/n: "Dong" means East.
The four nations were linked by the flow of the river called "Red River". When the "Red River" flowed into the territory of Dong Qi, it is called the "Blue Sky River*". The two shores of the "Red River" had picturesque landscapes and countless excellent venues for travel, honeymoon, recuperation and gatherings. Dong Qi was inclined towards literary in a thousand year, there were a certain number of outstanding youths in literature and there were also technological inventions which had great contributions emerged endlessly. It was probably because it was beside the sea, so the citizens ate much fish and could use their brains well.
*T/n: "Bi Luo Jiang" in Chinese. The original name sounds fancier. I'm sorry for my mediocre translation.
Dong Qi's greatest threat was Bei(Northern) Liao, just like how the people in the Song Dynasty had a headache when the Nation of Li and Xi(Western) Xia were mentioned. Once the nomadic tribes suffer snow calamities, they would need to go down south to plunder the spring next year. People's wife and children also need to eat, everyone also compelled by their own circumstances. An Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty* has currently yet to appear in Dong Qi, I reckon that within the political court the pro-war faction and peace advocates are disputing until a mess like a pot of porridge.
*T/n: Longest reigning emperor of the Han Dynasty. It is said that he expanded the territory and the Han Dynasty became the most powerful under his regime. You can read up more if you are interested. 🙂
I heard Yunxiang say that the Emperor was in ill health while the crown prince was also dead. My father is the grand tutor, the crown prince's grand tutor. Now that the crown prince has died, she did not know what he was doing now. Actually, looking at the whole Xie family, it was a very ordinary and normal family of the upper class. It also did not seem to have many relations with the conflict in the palace chambers.
While I self-cultivate and improve my character in this peaceful and safe place, waiting for the day the immortal send me back to my original body.
"Who is it?" Someone asked from behind.
I was surprised and turned my head back abruptly.
A man stood with his back facing the light. His broad pale green scholarly gown drooped lightly and the sunlight outlined a tall and thin silhouette.
"Who are you?" He asked again.
I stood up and said, "I am Xie Zhaohua."
"You are the Xie Family's Fourth Miss?"
I nodded my head.
He walked in and raised his cupped hands towards me in greeting, "This humble one is Song Zijing(Sòng Zǐjìng). I have disrupted Fourth Miss, please forgive me."
Ah, I have heard of this name. The teacher who has been invited by the house to teach "Guo Fu" and the two Ma cousin brothers. Yunxiang once mentioned to me with dreamy eyes.
Tutor Song's back was now straightened but his head was still bent down, as my face had something that should not be growing.
I was very curious and moved closer to look at him.
Song Zijing was in his twenties, had fair skin, two delicate and slender eyebrows, single-lid eyes which was slightly raised upwards, straight nose and gentle lips. He was indeed an elegant and refined scholar. Moreover, when he was stared at this rudely by me, he was also calm and collected, really a gentleman and dull like Chrysanthemum.
Now then I smiled while taking a step back, "Thanks for your trouble of teaching my nephews and niece, Teacher Song. Teacher Song, you have ended lessons?"
Song Zijing bowed, "Yes. I came over to search for a few books to read."
"Then that is a coincidence, I also came to find books to read, just that I am not familiar. Does Teacher Song know where those literary sketchbooks are?
"What?" He raised his head and looked at me, not understanding.
I hurriedly rephrased it, "If not, legends and series of supernatural beings are also fine."
Song Zijing looked at me flabbergasted. Now then I remembered that if the females in ancient times were not secretly reading "Peony Pavilion"*, then they should be reciting stories of famous women**. Reading random essays and odd things did not seem to be what I should do.
*T/n: Play by Tang Xianzu
**T/n: This may be either referring to a specific title or just the stories in general.
But Song Zijing only looked at me, then lowered his head again and extended his hand, "Fourth Miss, come this way."
He had a slender figure, graceful movements and the wind that blew by him had a faint tea fragrance.
He brought me upstairs. Upstairs was slightly smaller. The rays of light were bright and there shorter bookshelves on all sides. At an inconspicuous corner, it was really arranged with a few rows of novels about legends and stuff like Chinese opera and commentary.
I happily selected a few books, hugged them in my chest and nodded at him to express my gratitude.
He returned me a smile out of courtesy, "You are welcome, Fourth Miss."
I ran down the stairs thumping when I suddenly stopped and raised my head to ask him, "Can I go listen when Teacher is teaching lessons?"
Song Zijing stared blankly for a while and said, "Of course you can."
I said, "Then I'll come over tomorrow."
When Yunxiang knew that I met Song Zijing, her face immediately reddened.
I laughed, "That Song Zijing is indeed a person who is handsome and confident like a jade tree in the wind. On the contrary, I found it strange. Why doesn't he take the entrance test to achieve fame but instead come here to teach small kids?"
Yunxiang was good material for an intelligence job. She told me, "Song Zijing was originally one of our Dong Qi's four great talents. So many people desired him as their son-in-law until they wore out his doorstep. This reputation spread to the Empress' brother's family in the capital, resulting in that Miss Zhao to fall in love with him. I heard that Miss Zhao is fat, ugly, lazy, and stupid yet stubbornly wants to get married to Teacher Song no matter what. The Empress' brother had no choice but to visit and request for marriage. But what kind of person is Teacher Song, he can't possibly take a fancy to Miss Zhao and he rejected on the spot. They don't know who leaked this matter out and now everyone mocks at Miss Zhao's debacle. The Empress' brother held a grudge. After that when Teacher Song rushed to the capital to take the examinations, he bribed the examiner to not allow Teacher Song to pass no matter what. Teacher Song initially refused to except and continued to take the examinations for four consecutive years but he failed every single time. The fifth year, he might as simply did not enter the examination venue and wrote on the wall outside the venue. Our Master has also admired his talent for a long time. After he heard about it, he rushed over, saving him from the rods of the officers and soldiers and arranged for him to teach in the residence."
As she finished speaking at one go, I hurriedly passed over a cup of tea. "Then does the Emperor not know about the Empress' brother persecuting a literati?"
Yunxiang gulped down the tea and lowered her voice to say, "The Emperor's health has always not been good and is convalescing deep inside the palace. Prime Minister Li(Lǐ) and the Empress' brother have the final say in all the major matters of the country. All these are what I sometimes heard from what the Senior Master and Eldest Young Master said when I went to be an assistant at the study during New Year."
I didn't think that the polite and gentle Song Zijing actually had a firm and unyielding aspect to him.
I suddenly said, "This means that Teacher Song hasn't married yet right?"
Yunxiang blushed while she said, "Even….even though he still has yet to accept that wedding proposal, but now after such a commotion, is…is there still any house that dares to have…him as a son-in-law? Everyone is afraid of the Empress' brother."
Poor Song Zijing, no wonder his eyebrows didn't even lift when I harassed him, I suppose he must be scared of these living things called women.
The next day when I paid my respects to Madam Xie, I said that I wanted to go to the private school to listen to the lessons. Madam Xie was also very surprised at the start that I could read, then was extremely happy.
The Xie Family's private school was set up for the children of the family and relatives to learn. Apart from Miss "Guo Fu", Xie Lingjuan(Xiè Língjuān) and the Ma brothers, there were also a few other children who were similar in age.
When dear little Xie Xiaojuan saw me come, she was first very surprised, then very unhappy and lastly a little scared. It was probably because Eldest Brother went back to educate her and now she knows that I am after all her senior and she didn't dare to be impetuous with me like last time. She is worth teaching*.
*T/n: Adapted from a saying by Confucius that a young person can be nurtured.
Song Zijing was wearing a pure white long gown with broad sleeves and a small collar today, looking simple, elegant and spotless. I followed the customs and greeted him. He nodded his head mildly and was calm and generous. I then sat at the extreme end, at the back of the group of little kids.
Translator Corner:
I posted this late on the previous chapter so some of you may not have seen it. I’ll paste this here again.
I’m hoping to look for some help, especially editing, so if you don’t mind, please head over to the page. I am quite skeptical about my proficiency in English. 😦
I am also thinking of picking up a new one and I am opening up to requests. If you are interested, please check out the post. Thanks! ^_^
In addition, I have started a for a library collection of Chinese novels’ information, so if you like Chinese novels, you can already start checking it out even though I’m still updating it.