Chapter 26

With the spring breeze and clear skies, the view outside was like jade floating in apricot mist. The boat moved very smoothly, occasionally punctuated by the sound of water. Yao Niang, looking out the window, had already lost the excitement she felt when she first boarded the ship.

This time, the third branch of the family, except for the matriarch, all went to Jin Ling together, with personnel arrangements made accordingly.

Zhen Shi and Xie Shi each occupied a main house, while Yao Niang and her four sisters now lived next to each other. Originally, everyone lived separately, which was fine, but now that they were all living together so closely, conflicts began to arise.

Yan Yingqi did not want to slack off on their studies, even on the boat, he still had Mr. Yu teach them. Naturally, this was also Mr. Yu's last year teaching them, as he would be preparing for the imperial examinations next year.

However, Yan Ningxin's academic performance was worse than even Yan Yingqi's young son who had just started his education. Therefore, Yan Yingqi proposed that the sisters take turns to help Yan Ningxin catch up on her missed lessons.

Teaching a student with ambition would be one thing, but Yan Ningxin was distracted and not particularly fond of reading. It wasn't that she was uneducated; rather, she constantly asked many questions and was quite restless, as if she had a thorn in her seat.

Today, it was Ying Niang's turn to teach Yan Ningxin. Her loud voice made Yao Niang cover her ears.

"I can't even read a book in peace; it's too noisy." Yao Niang stood up from the window, slamming things around in frustration.

Gu Mama advised, "Miss, why don't you take this opportunity to rest a bit?"

"Forget it, I'll go find my mother. It's quieter at her place." Yao Niang took two books and went to Xie Shi's quarters.

She saw her brother there and said happily, "Brother, why are you here?"

Yan Jingzhao smiled, "I came to bring Mother some toys to keep her entertained."

After leaving the matriarch, Yan Jingzhao naturally grew closer to Xie Shi. Especially after realizing that Gu Shi and the matriarch were aligned, he understood that even if Gu Shi gave birth to a son, he might be abandoned by the matriarch.

Thus, he grew even closer to his birth mother, Xie Shi, and could sense that she truly cared for him.

Xie Shi then asked Yao Niang, "Why are you here at this hour? Didn't you say you wanted to read yesterday?"

Yao Niang complained, "It's not that I don't want to read; it's because Fourth Sister is teaching Eldest Sister, and her loud voice is unbearable. I'm here to escape the noise."

"Yao Niang, you can be upset due to personality differences or conflicts with your eldest sister, but remember that your father feels guilty towards her. She is a pitiable person," Xie Shi said earnestly.

Yao Niang smiled, "I understand, don't worry. Anyway, we only teach for two hours, and I do try my best. If she doesn't learn, I won't get too angry."

"Yes, that's right," Xie Shi said.

Yan Jingzhao had to study, so he left first. Yao Niang stayed to read with Xie Shi. After Yan Jingzhao left, she asked, "Is Mother-in-law feeling better?"

Gu Shi had been terribly seasick since boarding the ship, leading everyone to think she was pregnant. However, the doctor confirmed it was just seasickness.

"She's a bit better, but still has headaches," Xie Shi said nonchalantly.

Yao Niang stretched lazily. Xie Shi offered her a meal, but Yao Niang asked, "Is Father coming over today?"

Xie Shi laughed, "Your father is with Concubine Feng."

Yao Niang pouted, and Xie Shi explained, "As the head of the family, although he treats us well, he must also care for the other concubines. Don't make such a face; it looks bad."

"I understand," Yao Niang thought to herself that it would be better if men only had one woman.

Gu Shi shared the same sentiment. Before leaving, the matriarch sent a maid named Cui E to serve Yan Jingzhao. With Gu Shi suffering from seasickness, the cabin smelled unpleasant. Yan Jingzhao needed to study during the day and rest at night, so he stayed in the front cabin, attended by Bao Hua and Cui E.

Gu Shi felt miserable. Her father had a concubine, but she was more like an old maid. In the Yan household, however, the concubines were all well-dressed and lively. Who wouldn't want to be a concubine?

Moreover, she had lost all control over the household, and even her husband pointed out that she rarely greeted Xie Shi.

Gu Shi thought that even if she were to greet anyone, it should be the true lady, Zhen Shi, who was officially recognized. But she knew that saying this would offend the entire family and publicly break with Yan Jingzhao.

So, she had to tolerate and show respect to Xie Shi.

"Now that I'm not as seasick, I need to recover quickly and pay my respects," Gu Shi said, patting her chest.

Xi Que supported her, "Second Lady sent over a jar of plums to help with nausea."

"Thank Second Sister-in-law for me and send a box of sweets from my room," Gu Shi acknowledged. She admitted that Oushi was skilled in these small gestures, but mere kindness alone was not enough.

Oushi received Gu Shi's return gift and set it aside, then resumed her embroidery. She was good at it, but still worried and went to find her husband, Yan Jingzhang. He was not bad and treated her with respect, though he lacked ambition.

Just as she was thinking about this, Aunt Yin arrived. Oushi quickly got up, had tea served, and they sat down to talk.

"Daughter-in-law, don't spend all day on needlework; take care of your eyes," Aunt Yin smiled, getting along well with her daughter-in-law.

Oushi continued sewing while saying, "Aunt, you're right, but I noticed that Second Lord often sweats, so I'm making more shoe insoles. Homemade ones have finer stitching and are more comfortable."

Aunt Yin was pleased. This daughter-in-law cared deeply for her son, being three years older and considerate of Jingzhang.

They chatted for a while, and Aunt Yin shared some of the undercurrents within the Yan family. "Why didn't Xin Wan come along? It's because the master and mistress don't want her as a daughter-in-law. The mistress has always been dissatisfied with Xin Wan, while the master shows no particular preference. This time, they left her in Jin Ling, ostensibly to accompany the matriarch, but in reality, it's because of this."

Oushi paused, "So that's why Xin Wan didn't come with us. The matriarch loves her so much, yet didn't insist on bringing her along?"

"That's the way of parents' orders and matchmakers' words. Our mistress is not as gentle as the second mistress, and our matriarch is not as strong-willed as the third matriarch," Aunt Yin said.

"Besides, Gu Shi is faultless in every way."

Hearing this, Oushi understood. Yan Jingzhao, the eldest son, was adopted into the third branch. Gu Shi came from an excellent family, with three prime ministers in her lineage, and her father was a grand scholar in the Imperial Academy. This marriage could benefit Yan Jingzhao's career.

Yan Jingzhao himself was intelligent, so his father approved of the match.

Oushi's successful marriage was not due to her own excellence but because Yan Jingzhang was not academically inclined. A match of equal status would be too proud and might look down on Yan Jingzhang, thus blocking Grandmother Yu's complaints.

Zhen Shi had already married Grandmother Yu's niece's granddaughter, so she would never allow Grandmother Yu's granddaughter to marry her own son.

That was why Grandmother Yu allowed Xin Wan to stay in Jin Ling.

In fact, Yao Niang knew this from the beginning but could do nothing about it. If Xin Wan's parents were alive, they might not have looked favorably upon Third Brother Yan Jingwen. But with both her parents deceased, she had no one to advocate for her.

After having dinner at the Jie family's place and returning, Yao Niang sat with a candle, engrossed in her book. She had grown to love reading more and more, always feeling that there was an endless world she had never seen within its pages.

In *Tiangong Kaiwu*, it is said that without encountering adverse winds, one can travel over four hundred miles in a day and night with favorable currents, or even a hundred miles against the wind.

From Nanjing to Beijing, by waterway, it takes about fifteen days if fast, or no more than twenty days if slow.

It has been around ten days since they departed from Nanjing. Today, she heard that Yan Yingqi specially gifted Yan Ningxin a set of top-quality writing tools and even gave her two boxes of pearls.

Gu Mama asked, "Why would Master do this?"

"Before Elder Sister came back, we three sisters had plenty of jewelry and clothes. Last New Year, she only received a hairpin from the family fund. Now Father is doing this, probably sending her some jewelry. Also, the other day when Fourth Sister yelled at Elder Sister, he might be worried she felt hurt," Yao Niang thought.

Gu Mama smiled and said, "Fourth Miss will likely feel jealous again."

"She really loves comparing everything. She can't stand seeing anyone better than her. Recently, she was also talking about legitimate and illegitimate births." Yao Niang knew Ying Niang well.

Midway through the journey, the boat needed to dock for supplies. Someone took the opportunity to board and pay a visit, claiming to know someone from the Jie family. Jie Shi was playing chess with Yan Yingqi when she saw the name on the visiting card, embroidered with intricate patterns, and immediately recognized who it was.

"Mother, who is it?" Yao Niang asked.

Jie Shi thought for a moment, "We'll know once she comes over." Then, she asked Yan Yingqi to step aside, saying it was a female acquaintance from Dongshan whom she used to be close to.

Before the lady arrived, Yao Niang glanced at the visiting card, "Mother, isn't she just the wife of a thousand-household commander?"

A thousand-household commander is merely a fifth-rank official. In the Great Wei, civil officials hold much higher status than military ones. The title of a thousand-household commander's wife is not particularly impressive.

Jie Shi smiled but did not speak. Soon, a mother and daughter entered. The mother was delicate and plain, while the daughter appeared more beautiful. Upon seeing Jie Shi, the mother prepared to bow, but Jie Shi quickly supported her.

"We were childhood friends; why go through such formalities?" Jie Shi looked at Lu Shi with nostalgia.

Back then, Jie Shi's father was only a supervisorial student, while Lu Shi's father was a state tutor, and her mother came from a wealthy merchant family. Lu Shi was their cherished daughter, and her circumstances were better than Jie Shi's.

After they sat down, Yao Niang invited Lu Shi's daughter to eat some pastries nearby.

"Sister Lu, it's been many years since we last met. How have you been?" Jie Shi had already noticed something amiss from the visiting card because Lu Shi had married a scholar named Chen years ago. However, the card now bore the name Lady Shu.

Jie Shi guessed that Lu Shi's previous husband must have died, and she remarried. Otherwise, given Lu Shi's personality, she wouldn't have come to visit so eagerly. Back when Jie Shi married Yan Yingqi, Lu Shi had spoken disdainfully of the Yan family.

Unexpectedly, Lu Shi spoke in a shocking manner, "These years have been indescribable, but now I've finally found happiness. After three years of marriage, I caught Chen and his cousin in bed together. His parents, who had once treated me like a daughter, suddenly turned against me, saying she was pregnant and demanding I accept her into the household. I couldn't bear it and divorced him. Later, I was tricked into another marriage, initially promised as a wife but ended up as a concubine. That person died after a year, and then I met him."

These were her most painful memories, shared with Jie Shi hoping for sympathy and support.

Jie Shi was astonished yet admired her decisiveness, "Sister Lu, you look radiant now. I assume your life is much better."

Lu Shi nodded sweetly, "Things happen for a reason. When I first divorced, I thought the sky was falling, but later realized it wasn't so bad."

"That's good. It's fate that we meet here. Who knows when we'll see each other again? This is Song Mama, who you know. If you need anything, you can find me in Anren District in the capital." Jie Shi smiled.

Lu Shi left feeling relieved, having obtained what she wanted.

At lunchtime, Yan Yingqi inquired about the visit. Jie Shi recounted the story, "She is brave and resourceful. Fortunately, things have turned out well for her. She has a daughter and a young son."

"Divorced?" Yan Yingqi saw admiration in Jie Shi's eyes and felt uneasy.

Jie Shi didn't notice, "Yes, she divorced and remarried this thousand-household commander, which turned out better."

Yan Yingqi glanced at Jie Shi and tapped his bowl, "Jie Lan You, you spend all day mourning others' misfortunes. Always sympathizing with someone, can't you just eat properly?"

Jie Shi rolled her eyes, "I understand."

After finishing their meal, they realized Yao Niang was not around. Yan Yingqi asked, "Where's Third Girl?"

"She ate too many snacks and said she wouldn't eat lunch. She went to learn painting. These young girls change their minds every day, unlike our time." Sometimes Jie Shi couldn't handle her daughter, especially when she sent over a pot of chrysanthemum and wolfberry tea after eating too many peanuts.

Yao Niang was indeed learning to paint, focusing on portraits. Earlier, she had a long conversation with Yan Jingzhao, which made her realize the importance of accurate depiction.

Her brother mentioned that their father was a vice minister of appointments, recommending officials to the emperor. Sometimes, he might forget faces. If she could accurately paint people's appearances, wouldn't that help her father? Besides, she had noticed that while she lacked the artistic flair for landscapes and flowers, she had a talent for portraits.

Yao Niang borrowed a few books from Yan Jingzhao and started painting those around her, beginning with Gu Mama, her wet nurse. Gu Mama was surprised, "Miss, you're really going to paint me first?"

"Of course. I decided to paint one portrait every day. You don't know how diligent the great calligrapher Wang Xizhi was." Yao Niang was a doer, preferring action over words, and her motto was persistence.

Even when teaching Yan Ningxin, she shortened the lessons to half an hour to have more time for painting.

Jie Shi heard that her daughter was painting portraits of the maids and servants but hadn't painted her own mother, feeling a bit jealous.

Yao Niang smiled, "Mother is too beautiful. I'm afraid I might make you look ugly, so I need to improve my skills."

"You little imp." Jie Shi shook her head.

Yao Niang spent her days reading, painting, practicing music, and embroidery, leaving her no time to notice that Guan Shi had recovered. Not long after her arrival, Guan Shi came to greet her.

Seeing her, Yao Niang stood up, "Elder Sister-in-Law."

Guan Shi smiled, "Third Sister."

Although Guan Shi still occasionally felt dizzy, she had improved significantly. Yao Niang asked, "How is your health, Sister-in-Law? I haven't seen you for half a month."

"I'm much better now. Thank you for your concern, Sister." Guan Shi was polite but kept a distance.

She disliked those who sought attention, especially girls like Yao Niang, who spoke eloquently and often dominated conversations, leaving no room for others to interject.

Yao Niang said, "We'll be arriving in the capital in a few days. Mother, I think my Mandarin has an accent. I need to practice more so that no one can tell."

"Yes, you should." Jie Shi nodded.

Yao Niang found her mother sometimes a bit absent-minded and laughed, "Mother, you can ask Father to teach you."

Jie Shi waved her hand, "Your father used to slap me when teaching me horseback riding. I dare not let him teach me."

"Riding horses? Do all women in the capital ride horses?" Yao Niang asked.

Guan, standing nearby, silently ate a mouthful of her parents-in-law's dog food. Such a scene was almost impossible in her own family; her parents' interactions were always proper and never casual like this.

Xie shook her head. "I haven't been in the capital for many years either. I've only heard about it from others."

Speaking of riding horses, none of the Yan sisters were very skilled at it. Yao Niang propped her cheek with her hand; she dared not approach horses, let alone small animals. Ying Niang liked fluffy dogs, and Qian Niang had raised rabbits and hamsters, but Yao Niang had never kept any pets.

"Sister-in-law, can you ride a horse?" Yao Niang spoke considerately to Guan.

Guan smiled and shook her head. "I can't either."

"In that case, you can have Big Brother teach you. He excels in archery and horsemanship. Even in the northwest, he could match the local men." Yao Niang teased.

Guan also showed a rare hint of shyness. She thought it would be nice if Yao Niang told Yan Jingzhao herself, but in reality, it was just a casual remark from Yao Niang.

As Xie had told her, matters between brother and sister-in-law were their own business. It was best to stay out of it.

Every person and every household has its own way of interacting.

Moreover, Yao Niang only spoke more to those who were kind to her. Guan had mentioned to the matriarch that she didn't do embroidery, and last time her brother bought her an ancient zither, her sister-in-law wasn't pleased. With such behavior, who would speak up for her? If she ever gained power, she would still face her mother's disdain.

Just as everyone has their own thoughts, so does Yan Ningxin. The more she learned, the more annoyed she became, especially since her relationship with Ying Niang had always been strained.

Especially after Yan Yingqi gave her the Four Treasures of the Study, Ying Niang always spoke to her with a hidden barb.

Today, when Ying Niang was teaching her, she rolled her eyes. "Elder Sister, it's been half a month, and you still don't know how to punctuate? I don't know how to teach you anymore. You studied in Prince Qi's mansion, yet you're worse than us. I think it's not Prince Qi's mansion's fault; you must be too stupid."

"What did you say?" Yan Ningxin couldn't bear it anymore and swept the books off the table, feeling furious.

Ying Niang snorted coldly. "It's true. My third sister came back from the northwest and caught up with us in less than two months. Look at yourself... Am I wrong?"

Tears almost welled up in Yan Ningxin's eyes, but she held them back. She rarely cried and knew that Ying Niang was just a bad-tempered girl without ill intent. But she couldn't tolerate being insulted like this.

Ying Niang's wet nurse and governess quickly apologized. "Elder Miss, our young miss is young and often speaks without thinking. Please don't take it to heart."

Again, it was because she was young and shouldn't be taken seriously...

Why was she always the one who had to give in?

Yan Ningxin looked up, clenching her fists tightly. Ying Niang didn't care; she was always stupid and didn't know how to behave, always using her background to gain sympathy and favor from her father.

"Fourth Miss's words are too harsh. How can she speak to her elder sister like that? Our young miss has endured silently since returning from Prince Qi's mansion and has never retaliated. Isn't this going too far today?" Jin Zhan, sent by the Crown Prince of Prince Qi to look after Yan Ningxin, naturally spoke up for her.

Ying Niang's wet nurse kept apologizing. "Yes, yes, our young miss knows she was wrong."

Back in Jin Ling, Yan Ningxin occasionally spoke with Zhou Lingguang, who understood her situation and offered some comfort. Now, she was alone, without close friends or supportive sisters, and even faced insults.

...

Yao Niang had just finished a bowl of silver vinegar noodles, feeling quite satisfied. Hearing Qingdai talk about the conflict between Ying Niang and Yan Ningxin, she felt a headache coming on. "I see that once we reach the capital, there will be many more such disputes."

"Fourth Miss's actions are indeed a bit excessive," Qingdai couldn't help but say.

Yao Niang nodded. "Yes, she takes advantage of Elder Sister having no mother. Children with mothers are naturally cherished. Like my brother, he is now very close to Mother, perhaps even more than me."

That's why, despite everyone praising Zhen, Yao Niang didn't entirely agree.

Mother Gu, originally Xie's maid, sighed at the turn of events. "Miss, you don't know how arrogant Wang Mama and Wei Mama were when our Lady wanted to visit the Master. After paying three times, they might allow her to see him once. Now, things have changed. Our Master is finally close to Lady, and these two old ladies can't cause trouble anymore."

"I heard that when the Matriarch returned, she was displeased with Mother right away, thanks to those two old ladies' complaints. Fortunately, we've managed to avoid them now, and they can't stir up much trouble." Yao Niang was well aware of the situation.

The servants usually behaved humbly before their masters, but Yao Niang didn't pay much attention to them. She never expected that these two insignificant people could cause such a big problem, giving her a valuable lesson.