Ten days flew by in the blink of an eye until one fine day when the last snowflake fell, Governess Kong that Wang Shi had been eagerly awaiting for finally arrived. It was said that her origins were the latter generation of the Shangdong household's Kong branch family and from a lowly palace maid, she rose all the way to the rank of an ill.u.s.trious female official. Over the past ten years, the emperor had changed multiple times yet she safely retained her post as an official in the Six Bureau. She resigned a few years ago due to advancing age and retired with honour and favour.

Currently, many duke, marquis, count households and other distinguished families invited various retired palace officials to their houses to instruct their daughters in rules and etiquettes. Minglan reasoned that this would add market value to the girls.

This governess has previously been at Duke Ying, Duke Zhi and even Marquis Xiangyang's household teaching several n.o.bel daughters. Everyone praised her character of being gentle, patient and meticulous when teaching rules. Unlike other governess who would punish and beat students at will, she would still educate well without these methods. Wang Shi was surprised that Old Madame Sheng had a enough high reputation to be able to invite this highly qualified governess and came to Shou'an Hall to proffer her endless grat.i.tude.

Having the ability to stay in the palace as a female official for over ten years and not run into any major difficulties, Minglan figured that the governess was relatively safe and after meeting, it was as she expected. Governess Kong is only a few years younger than the Old Madame, her build thin, eyes not big, her nose not high with a round bread like face that seemed to exude friendliness. She came dressed plainly in silvery gray brocade with fur embroidered on her cuffs and hair that was bound with a simple white jade pin, her whole appearance seemed very modest and neat.

She greeted the Old Madame according to palace etiquette, but was hurriedly held up by the Old Madame, both then sat on the couch and started chatting. She looked like an ordinary person but once she started talking, she gave others the impression that they were being cleansed by spring wind, every motion smooth, modest and dignified. Sheng Hong and Wang Shi smiled and accompanied them seated at the side. Hualan was so excited to the point where her face turned shades of red, deliberately restraining her movements, not daring to utter a single word. Molan sat elegantly, maintaining that perfect smile, listening to the two elders speak. Wang Shi was afraid that Rulan would act immaturely and embarra.s.s the Sheng family so she forbid her from attending.

"His Excellency Sheng as an official is upright, kind in governing and I have frequently heard of you in the capital. Now the descendants fill the halls, the household's young masters and young misses are all n.o.ble and beautiful, like the snow tree. Old Madame indeed is fortunate." Governess Kong said with a smile on her face.

"In truth, being able to have a person as busy as you here, is indeed my luck. I humbly hand over my Big Girl to you, if she does anything wrong please feel free to beat and punish her, you need not restrain yourself." Old Madame Sheng smiled and gestured at Hualan.

"What are you talking about, Old Madame? Although I may have some reputation now, it was merely awarded to me by n.o.bility. After all, I was merely just a slave in the palace. According to my interpretation, rules are to be used to manifest virtue and uphold ethics and not for tormenting others. Rules have to be learnt but not studied to death, it is sufficient to have the correct att.i.tude. Besides, how bad can the Old Madame's granddaughter really be." While Governess Kong spoke she looked at Hualan. It was as if Hualan received a surge of motivation, she sat upright with her back straightened, her eyes glittering with antic.i.p.ation, using her body to express her determination.

"Governess being able to attend, is really thanks to Mother's fortune. If Governess has a spare moment from teaching Hua'er, could you speak to us of news from the capital, so we who live in the countryside may gain knowledge." Wang Shi said.

"Prefecture Quan to Prefecture Deng, from the south to the north, abundance of treasures and people. As high as the skies and as wide as the sea, Madame has already seen tall mountains and wide rivers and naturally knows the local conditions of the country all over. That knowledge is above that of this old woman who has never moved in her lifetime, Madame is simply too modest." Governess Kong humbly smiled. These words made Wang Shi's whole body perspired from her pores,[1] her smile became more comfortable and could not conceal her happiness.

Governess Kong spoke very slowly yet did not make others feel she was procrastinating. Her words were few but when others listened, every syllable and sentence was naturally appropriate. Minglan watched from the side impressed, her att.i.tude both respectful and demure. Wang Shi and Hualan originally thought a strict governess would come and had already prepared mind and body for suffering. They didn't expect that Governess Kong would be so friendly and nice and were even happier and more thankful towards Old Madame Sheng. Initially, Wang Shi prepared rooms and servants for Governess Kong but she tactfully expressed that she would like to stay at Shou'an Hall for the night, to reminisce about the past with Old Madame and Wang Shi naturally obliged.

That night, Governess Kong slept in Old Madame Sheng's room.

"I'm surprised you were willing to come, I originally did not dare invite you." Old Madame Sheng said.

"I grew really sick of those influential official families. Every one of them has a thousand faces and their bellies persistently trick and scheme to no rest. I have gone through one lifetime of guessing others' thoughts, to the point where those n.o.bilities' bellies appear in my dreams. I initially thought that the days after retirement would be more comfortable but who expected that I would get busier. Might as well take advantage of you to escape the capital and have several peaceful days to myself. Not to mention, I am already old and am bound to return to my roots like a fallen leaf."[2] Governess Kong face fell from her composed self to an exhausted state.

"Have you found a place to settle down? If you don't have one, you must seek me out." Sadness shone in the eyes of Old Madame Sheng.

"It's not necessary, I've already found a place. I still have a distant nephew in my hometown, he does not have parents and I do not have an heir. It would be nice to pa.s.s our days together, moreover as you can probably tell, this old body of mine does not have many honest days of work left. I do not want to keep torturing myself." Governess Kong sighed, appearing liberated.

Old Madame Sheng felt a slight sense of pity, lowering her voice she intoned "You did not have it easy in this lifetime. When you were already betrothed, the name on the missive to enter the palace was obviously your younger sister. Yet you were forced to impersonate her and enter the palace by your stepmother, hindering you for a lifetime."

"What do you mean by not easy?" Governess Kong smiled mischievously "The acc.u.mulated experiences of my lifetime is more rich and more exciting than any normal persons, disregarding delicious food and fine clothing, I have served through three emperors! I have seen five empresses! Not to mention, Imperial concubines who were like carps crossing the rivers were all an eye-opener! Furthermore I did not have to worry about food and clothing and was able to live until a ripe age of sixty, there is not much to complain about. On the contrary, that younger sister of mine, stole someone's lover, married someone else, poisoned a pregnant concubine and ended up divorced, ruining her life with a bad reputation. My stepmother lost the family fortune because of her and ultimately ended up in dire straits. I definitely came out ahead of them." While chuckling she said "When I first heard the news, I stole a whole bottle of fine wine from the imperial cellar to celebrate!"

Old Madame Sheng smiled "You are still the same. Appearing to be respectful yet wild and unruly on the inside."

Governess Kong was slightly sad "If I'm not like this, how could I endure all these years." Having said that, suddenly in a strange voice, towards the Old Madame she said "On the contrary, why have you cultivated your moral character to this extent? Where has your vigour and vitality from those years all gone?"

Old Madame Sheng shook her head and helplessly said "At the end of the day, Hong'er is still not my own child, why is there the need to be unpleasant. Moreover, I am also tired,those years past, so what if I tormented everything into a mess, it is still all for naught."

Governess Kong sneered "I see that the more you have lived, the more you have degenerated. Why not think back on the days of Empress Jing'an who certainly had more difficult days than you. Two of her sons died and her daughter was kidnapped, the royal family couldn't allow the bride to be divorced, what could she do? When Emperor Taizong favoured her, she was happy, when he snubbed her, she was also happy. One year she said to several of us, 'There are too few women who follow their heart in this lifetime, family background and marriage are all out of our control. We ought to find some joy for ourselves with singing to accompany the wine,[3] for how ever many days we have left'. Although her life was short lived yet she lived everyday immersed in joy. After the death of the princes, Emperor Taizong longed for her company everyday but she fell sick and never woke again..." Governess Kong's voice grew softer and Old Madame Sheng also was slightly dazed. Both thinking back on that reckless and free spirited woman who lived her life without abandon.

Governess Kong hushed for a long time "It is fortunate that the former Emperor ultimately recognised her youngest son, so that she perpetuated her line to her descendants. I fastidiously listened to her words and never accepted viciousness into my heart. When it is time to act foolish, act foolish. When it is time act low, act low. Time to eat, just eat. Time to enjoy, just enjoy. All so I would not live this lifetime in vain. If it was someone with your rough temper entering the palace at the time, you would have already died eight hundred times over!"

Old Madame Sheng's mind drifted to memories of her tender and tough youth, feeling a little dispirited. Flinging it to the back of her mind again, she changed the subject. "Alright, let's speak of this no more, now what do you honestly think of my family?"

Governess Kong rolled her eyes "A total mess, there's no rules and the first person with no rules is you!" It seemed like she was suppressed for a long time in the capital and finally seized this opportunity to loosen her tongue. Old Madame Sheng was helpless and could only allow her to continue.

"Your family's Old Master was really something, he strove to acquire a big piece of family property and among his three sons, two have made a name for themselves. Nearing the end of his life, he personally divided the household but unfortunately not long after he pa.s.sed away, your husband also died. If it wasn't for you, a concubine-born son like 'His Excellency' Sheng would have already had his bones chewed dry by that black-hearted Third Uncle of his. Only this piece of property could remain untouched. At the time you were wealthy and still young, Old Marquis Yongyi and his wife were still influential so remarriage would be a very real possibility. Even if you could not stay in Jinling and the capital, the skies are tall and seas wide, all you had to do was find a distant land to quietly pa.s.s your days. Marry a man, bear his sons, live your own little peaceful days, would that not be satisfactory! Yet you just had to be faithful to that heartless one and record the concubine-born son under your name. Supporting the entire Sheng household single handedly, finding a scholar master for him, helping him achieve scholarly honours and marry a good wife to bear and raise children. What happened after that, now that you have succeed and your health in decline? You withdraw to a corner of the world and become the living dead? It is all an unfathomable mystery!" Governess Kong was just short of shoving her fingers in Old Madame Sheng's face.

"Although you are not his biological mother but you are still his legitimate mother. You have treated him with a mountain of kindness, you have qualifications to hold your head high, what do you have to be worried about? Let me impart you a wisdom, sons are all worthless ingrates, once they marry a wife they forget their mother in the next breath. If you do not treat yourself properly, he will joyfully cast you aside! Our dynasty has uses filial piety to rule and if there is a least bit rumour of him being disobedient, he can forget about staying in officialdom! You ought to make your days a little more comfortable, even if not for yourself, then for the sake of that precious little girl of yours." Governess Kong spoke and inclined her chin towards Lihua Cabinet.

Old Madame Sheng who was sprayed with salivary tirade couldn't refute. However that reminded her of a topic to be discussed and hurriedly asked "Right, what do you think of that Ming yatou of mine?"

Governess Kong tilted her face, muttering to herself for a while and finally said "Pretty good."

Seeing the look of antic.i.p.ation on Old Madame Sheng's eyes, she then added a few more lines "The child is born with a good pair of eyes, she wants to live a simple life is bright, clean and open-minded. It seems like she understands everything while still not being totally clear but she is still happy and earnestly abides by etiquette. She knows how not to provoke someone even better than you. You treating her as your darling is not in vain."

Old Madame Sheng rolled her eyes and blushed "What darling? I treat all of the granddaughters the same."

Governess Kong impatiently waved her hands "Stop playing dumb, how many times have you filled her bowl to the brim with dishes during dinner just now? Even now I can still hear you nagging 'Ming yatou, eat more' and mere moments later, 'you're not allowed to be picky'. Whenever she stretches her chopsticks towards a dish a second time, Mama Fang at your side will secretly take note, do you think I am blind! Before she went to bed, you left me alone for quite a while, insisting on watching her take her medicine and go to sleep. I suspect that you waited until she completely fell asleep before leaving her."

Old Madame Sheng had no way out and confessed "That child sleeps a lot yet her dreams are not always peaceful. In a mere night she would wake up several times, sometimes in tears. I know her heart must still be suffering but she cannot voice her grievances. Tormented persistently through the night yet acting fine during the day, diligently reading her books and learning her letters, obediently listening to this old woman reminisce about the past. Speaking of which, it is strange. She is not as cultured as Concubine Lin who can write and draw well nor is she like Hua yatou who is clever and likeable but I feel she makes me happy and is the most considerate of them all." Speaking of this she suddenly felt disappointed.

"That is because you yourself have made progress, being treated unjustly for half your lifetime, you have finally learnt how to evaluate inner worth. No matter how pretty they are, it is still not as important as one's character and sincerity. That or maybe you just have been lonely for so long and that now having a child for a companion everyday, no matter what she's like you cannot help but make her your darling." Governess Kong's gaze was sharp and her words were on point.

Old Madame Sheng pointed at her and scolded cheekily "You! This old weathered goods! This strict prune mouth! Why did you not die in the palace? Releasing you into the world only brings harm to others!"

Governess Kong glared "That is only natural, have you not heard that the good never live long and the bad live on for a millennium?"

The two old ones laughter echoed through the night.

Holding onto her stomach laughing, Old Madame Sheng wiped her tears from her eyes and worriedly stretched her neck towards Lihua Cabinet to steal a peek but was caught by Governess Kong "Stop looking! The noise would not have woken your precious little granddaughter. Did she not drink a bowl of soup to calm her nerves? If she is awake, we would've heard. Quickly, there is more I have to say to you."

Old Madame Sheng thought about it and it rang true, she then turned back. Governess Kong sternly said "I am just an ordinary girl from Shandong, you were the marquis daughter from Nanjing. Due to Empress Jing'an, it was fate that we got to know each other, still I have some words of advice."

Old Madame Sheng sternly nodded her head. Governess Kong continued "I know that you have been treated unfairly for half your lifetime, sparing no effort to struggle yet people merely die around you and feelings fade with time. Because your heart has turned cold you are not willing to remarry and merely reside in the Sheng family to pa.s.s the rest of your days. Let me ask you this, how many more days do you think you can you live like this?"

Governess Kong saw that Old Madame Sheng wore a sorrowful expression, she continued "Empress Jing'an said something before she died, I will now gift it to you today 'The world is such that man proposes, heavens disposes. We as women do not have it easy but if you can do something, do it and whatever happens next depends on the heavens. It was difficult for our parents to raise us and no matter what we should not waste this life. However we want to live, that is how we should live. One day the days will inevitably turn better. Since you still have breath in your chest, you ought to live properly, speak out when you see unfairness, scold when you see wrongs.' You should take after Nanjing Xu family's Eldest Young Miss and shake up the rules in the household. Furthermore you can live more comfortably and leave a good precedent for your Sheng family's descendants. Do you not think this is logical?"

Old Madame Sheng was on the verge of tears and she took out her handkerchief to softly dab the corners of her eyes "Ultimately, we are still old sisters. Only you remain who will speak these heartfelt words to me today. Your kind intentions, I as an older sister receive it humbly... ... In any case, I have to at least hold on until Ming yatou marries."

Governess Kong consoled immediately, satisfied her intentions achieved "This line of thought is correct, Sixth Young Lady is still young. She only has you to rely on in the future, you don't have to hope that she becomes a millionaire, simply finding a good family to marry into is good enough."

These two women really know the realities and cruelties of life very well. There is no such thing as a dream for them, everything has to be realistic. I believe this is maturity in a way. Next up, studying under Governess Kong

[1]. Chinese people apparently sweat from happiness don't ask me why, it was my ancestors who made this s.h.i.t up Eers

[2]. 落葉歸根 (Luo Ye Gui Gen): Idiom that means all things will eventually return to their source

[3]. 對酒當歌 (Dui Jiu Dang Ge): Meaning life is short, make merry while you can