Beauty, Power and Intrigue Chapter 46

Song Chuyi was not very familiar with Longgu Qing’s personality, but she vaguely sensed that he would not like hypocrisy and pleasantries, so she said, “Sure.”

Longgu Qing was preoccupied with matters in his mind, so he said no more. Song Chuyi’s performance today had truly shaken him considerably. The strategy was one thing, but on the other hand, she had actually determined from only a few records that they needed to guard against the Senior Official Gongsun Jian – this was truly no simple matter.

Longgu Qing knew full well that with men like Gongsun Jian in Wey, Song Chuyi would simply be unable to exercise her talents freely. Whether this plan could succeed was still unknown. He had to win over some of the pro-war faction to contend with Gongsun Jian and his allies. Only when all the states had already gone to war, when the arrow was on the string and had to be released, would the Marquis of Wey absolutely not go back on his word.

After returning to his residence, Longgu Qing immediately went out again to visit friends.

Song Chuyi watched Longgu Qing’s bustling manner and could not help but smile. This old man really was impatient – whatever he said he would do, he had to go do it at once.

Song Chuyi had already made the advantages and disadvantages clear, and she believed Longgu Qing would not recklessly leak the information, so she did not try to dissuade him.

The courtyard was utterly quiet, with no wind, and goose-feather-sized snowflakes drifting down silently. Song Chuyi stood beneath the corridor and watched for a while.

Zi Ya came out of the room, saw someone standing on the corridor, and was startled. Once she saw clearly that it was Song Chuyi, she quickly bent her knees and said, “My lord.”

Song Chuyi did not turn around, and asked, “How is Zi Zhao’s illness?”

“The steward this morning invited a physician to examine my sister and gave several doses of decoction. He said my sister’s fever has already broken, but her body is weak and she needs nourishment,” Zi Ya replied.

“Your lives are mine. As servants, you must do your utmost to help me watch over things properly. If you need anything, come and tell me freely,” Song Chuyi said as she turned around to look at her.

Zi Ya was wearing new clothes. Her pretty face was clean and fresh. Compared to Zi Zhao, she would not strike someone as stunning at first glance, but the resilience revealed between her brows and eyes added much to her appeal. Even among a group of beauties, she probably would not go unnoticed.

“Yes.” Zi Ya understood that Song Chuyi had said she would not treat them as slaves, but she had also not said she would cherish them like treasures. There had to be a distinction between master and servant. To receive such treatment, she ought to be endlessly grateful to Song Chuyi.

“My lord, would you like to go see my sister?” Zi Ya said softly.

“Ha.” Song Chuyi glanced at her with a smile. She had not forgotten that Zi Ya wanted to push Zi Zhao toward her. Having her go take a look was simply an attempt to make her infatuated with Zi Zhao’s beauty and unwilling to give her to someone else.

Zi Ya immediately felt the embarrassment of having her little scheme seen through, and could not help but lower her head uneasily.

“Zi Ya, actually, if you had just said, ‘The physician says it is nothing serious, but Zi Zhao is still unconscious and it weighs on one’s heart,’ I most likely would have gone to take a look,” Song Chuyi instructed earnestly.

Zi Ya’s heart trembled, and with a thud she knelt and prostrated herself on the ground. “My lord, I was wrong. I beg my lord to punish me.”

“Mhm, you should indeed be punished.” Song Chuyi nodded, bared her teeth, and said, “The scheme was too clumsy to bear looking at.”

Zi Ya was stunned for a moment. Song Chuyi said she should be punished, but it seemed it was not because she had harbored a little scheme, but because the little scheme was too obvious?

Song Chuyi bent down, reached out, and patted her on the shoulder, comforting her earnestly, “Most people cannot use it skillfully right from the start. Failing once does not matter. Look on the bright side, and keep working hard.”

The cold was biting. As soon as Song Chuyi stretched out her hand, it immediately stung with pain, so she quickly stuffed it back into her sleeve, tucked her hands together, and walked toward the room, murmuring, “I wonder if they have returned yet.”

Zi Ya lay prostrate on the ground, full of bewilderment, and secretly turned her head to glance at Song Chuyi’s back. After a moment, she remembered that no fire had been lit in the room, and quickly got up and followed inside to tend to the charcoal brazier.

Zi Ya carried the brazier into the room and saw Song Chuyi curled up into a ball on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling, not knowing what she was thinking. So she softened her movements and did not dare make the slightest sound to disturb her.

Once the brazier was burning, the room soon grew much warmer, and Song Chuyi became lively again. She called Zi Ya over, “Have you ever studied books?”

“I have read the Shi,” Zi Ya answered respectfully, kneeling and sitting before the couch.

The Shi, that is, the Book of Songs. Its contents not only express feelings, but can also let one gain a rough understanding of certain customs in various places. A woman who had read the Shi could be considered especially learned.

“Good.” Song Chuyi nodded. “Do you understand music?”

Zi Ya hesitated for a moment, then said, “My sister does.”

Not every noble lady understood music either. Song Chuyi asked again, “Do you know the Rites of Zhou?”

Zi Ya glanced at Song Chuyi, then lowered her head and said softly, “My sister knows.”

Song Chuyi sighed. Fine. Knowing basic etiquette meant one would not be considered vulgar. So she continued asking, “Can you play chess?”

This time Zi Ya answered smoothly, without hesitation, “My sister can.”

Song Chuyi looked at her, opened her mouth, and truly did not know what to say. So this girl was just an idler who had learned nothing at all. Actually, among ordinary noble ladies, Zi Ya’s level would not count for much, but having received the same education as her elder sister yet still being good at nothing was truly outrageous.

After a long while, Song Chuyi finally sighed and said, “Zi Ya, I’m afraid I have no choice but to sell your sister.”

“Master!” Zi Ya said anxiously, “I can learn.”

“Good. There is a scroll on the table. Take it and read it. If you do not understand, you may ask me.” Seeing her become happy, Song Chuyi continued, “The opportunity comes only once. If you cannot do it, then do not blame me for being ruthless.”

“I will certainly be able to do it.” Zi Ya’s gaze was firm.

“Go on, I will sleep a while.” Song Chuyi lay down.

Zi Ya rose, went to the table, took the bamboo slip, bowed, and withdrew.

Song Chuyi closed her eyes. She had originally planned to think about some matters, but unexpectedly drifted off into a daze and fell asleep. She slept so deeply that heaven and earth seemed dim, and she did not know how much time had passed. Then the door was pounded with banging sounds, and immediately afterward Ji Mian’s shouting rang out, “Huaijin, Huaijin, Song Huaijin!”

Song Chuyi turned over, pulled the blanket over her head, and continued sleeping.

Before half a quarter-hour had passed, there was a loud “bang.” Song Chuyi was so startled that she jerked and jumped up from the couch. In an instant, she saw that the door of her room lay in pieces on the floor, and wind and snow drifted leisurely in from outside.

“Ji Wumei, you bastard!” Song Chuyi also grabbed clothes and put them on haphazardly, not even bothering to put on socks, and rushed out like a gust of wind. In a blur she saw a crowd of people, but she had no time to pay them any attention. Seeing Ji Mian standing there stunned, she went up and grabbed him, “Right now, immediately, find someone to install my door!”

The treatment of retainers was better than that of ordinary dependents, but after being assigned separate courtyards, each month, aside from necessary expenses and special uses, everything else had to be covered by oneself. How could Song Chuyi not be anxious? She did not want to be exposed to wind and snow.

After a moment of silence, someone under the corridor asked, “Wumei, is this Master Huaijin?”

Song Chuyi was stunned for a moment, then looked in the direction of the voice. In the courtyard there were about twenty or more scholars, all neatly dressed in caps and robes, holding umbrellas in the snow, staring at her with their mouths agape.

“Huaijin… this… these are all people who admire your great name… who have come to visit…” Ji Mian said stumblingly.

What was going on? For a moment Song Chuyi did not react. For such a formal visit, should they not first send a visiting card to ask whether the host was available? She recalled and recalled again, but she had not received any visiting card either.

Seeing this, Ji Mian laughed loudly, reached out, and put his arm around Song Chuyi’s shoulder. To the assembled scholars he said, “See, I told you. Huaijin is a Daoist, free and easy, unrestrained by etiquette.”

Song Chuyi immediately understood. All of this trouble had been brought by Ji Mian.

“Truly free and easy,” someone said with a laugh and a sigh.