Chapter 111: Hello Chang’an
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**Chapter 111: The Teacher of Women**
"Does Lord Wei recognize her?" Having just been “honest” with him, Chang Suining now asked without hesitation, no longer considering whether her words might reveal any flaws.
This sense of ease made her somewhat regret not having disclosed her "condition" to Wei Shuyi sooner.
"Of course I recognize her," Wei Shuyi replied, looking at the woman who had just stepped down from the sedan chair. "This lady is the wet nurse of the earlier mentioned... the prince."
He paused slightly when mentioning "the prince," and then, fearing that Chang Suining, with her brain condition, might not understand, he lowered his voice to add, "That is to say, the deposed emperor."
Chang Suining nodded in understanding.
She was well aware that the woman was the wet nurse of the deposed emperor Li Bing.
But what happened after Li Bing was deposed?
While her attire seemed rather ordinary, not overly extravagant, her demeanor and presence indicated that she still enjoyed a level of prominence.
Li Bing had been buried with the honors befitting a prince, yet this wet nurse of the deposed emperor could still appear in public with dignity, and she was addressed as "madam" by Wei Shuyi. Aside from the "magnanimity" of the current emperor, there must be some other explanation for this—
As expected, Wei Shuyi continued, "This lady is no ordinary person... Back when the prince was still in power, she enjoyed considerable prestige, and even the concubines of the harem respected her greatly."
Chang Suining was not surprised.
Li Bing had lost his mother at a young age and was raised by this wet nurse. Furthermore, this wet nurse was never one to be soft-hearted; while Li Bing was diligently acting as a foolish monarch, she had control over many matters in the harem, which was completely normal.
Wei Shuyi added, "At that time, no one expected that as the political situation became increasingly chaotic, the first person to speak up and petition for the deposition of that 'holy emperor' was precisely this lady."
"During the morning court session, in front of all the officials, she bravely requested the deposed emperor's removal, passionately detailing the emperor's foolishness with tears in her eyes—"
It was this moment that truly opened the curtain on the deposition of Li Bing.
"I see." Chang Suining inferred the rest without needing Wei Shuyi to elaborate further. "For someone so clearly righteous, who cares deeply for the country and the court, it’s only logical that she would be praised and treated well afterwards."
This was also understandable from the perspective of the future and of the people at large.
However, it remained uncertain whether her audacious action to petition for the deposition of the emperor was a matter of opportunism or if she had received guidance from a "wise person."
No wonder she viewed such a grandstanding figure with the eyes of a petty person; she had some understanding of whether such righteousness truly existed.
Chang Suining had experienced the character of Li Bing’s wet nurse during her youth with A Xiao.
Or rather, one could say that surviving the bloody struggles of the royal princes while raising a motherless Li Bing meant she was particularly adept at navigating the path of survival—though one couldn't say this was wrong.
"Indeed, she received praise from the holy emperor and was granted a first-rank title, earning respect from everyone." Wei Shuyi smiled as he continued, "After leaving the palace, she served the deposed emperor closely until his death."
"This further garnered her commendation... Having lived in the palace for so many years, her virtues, speech, and demeanor made her a role model for women, which is why she is regarded as the teacher of all women and is respectfully called ‘Madam Jie’ by everyone."
"Teacher of all women?" Chang Suining repeated, gazing at the figure of the woman who had entered the building. "Why would I catch the attention of Madam Jie?"
Wei Shuyi waved his folding fan with a smile. "I’ve heard that Madam Jie is also fond of poetry and often holds poetry gatherings, inviting the ladies of the capital to attend. She may very well be here to show her support."
If he dared to say “show support,” then Chang Suining was inclined to believe him: "That's wonderful! This means my apprenticeship banquet will shine even brighter today."
Wei Shuyi smiled and gestured with his folding fan towards the stairs below. "Aren't you going to welcome her?"
Chang Suining nodded. "Such a person should indeed be welcomed."
As Wei Shuyi followed her down the stairs, he chuckled, "You must know that in the capital, if anyone can earn a compliment from Madam Jie in public, it will surely lead to a good reputation, and even during matchmaking, they can elevate their status."
Chang Suining remained noncommittal.
She had no interest in matchmaking.
When they reached the second floor, she first found her seat and sat down.
Seeing her sit, Wei Shuyi raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going down?"
"Didn’t I already come down from the third floor?" Chang Suining replied while adjusting her dress. "Isn’t this sincerity enough?"
Wei Shuyi fell silent.
For an ordinary person, it wouldn’t be sufficient.
For Chang Suining, it was even a bit excessive.
Thus, he sincerely nodded, "It’s very sufficient."
Chang Suining looked towards the lower floor.
More than two hundred people had arrived today; if she were to greet each one, she would be exhausted.
Moreover, she had no connection with Madam Jie, who had come uninvited, and she was uncertain of the latter's purpose in being here.
...
"This lady, please hold on."
In front of the poetry table on the first floor, a young attendant bowed and stopped the nearly sixty-year-old Madam Jie.
"Today, the seats in the building are already full, and there are no guests leaving, so we cannot accommodate any more visitors. We hope for your understanding."
Madam Jie’s calm expression did not change.
The maid beside her raised her brows slightly and asked loudly, "Have you consulted the host of today's apprenticeship banquet before refusing my lady entry?"
The two young attendants, both around twelve or thirteen years old, did not recognize the person before them. They exchanged glances, and one of them said, "Please tell us your identity, madam, so that we can go upstairs to inquire and then respond to you."
The maid with Madam Jie held her expression. "My lady is Madam Jie of Daosheng Workshop."
The attendants were visibly surprised, clearly having heard of her, and after bowing, they hurried upstairs to inquire.
The upstairs area was noisy, and after finding Chang Suining, who had just come down from the third floor, the attendant returned downstairs, taking nearly half a quarter of an hour.
"Madam, Chang family’s lady invites you to enter," the attendant reported, bowing.
Looking at the empty staircase behind the attendant, the maid beside Madam Jie frowned slightly.
After waiting so long, the Chang family lady had not come down to greet them in person upon hearing of her arrival?
One must understand that with her status and reputation, even the top-ranking noble ladies who invited Madam Jie to teach their daughters etiquette would come personally to extend the invitation.
The maid felt displeased: "Madam..."
This Chang family lady was truly neglectful and impolite!
Recently, she had heard that this young lady acted arrogantly; now, it seemed to be true.
Madam Jie showed no sign of annoyance; she merely glanced at the thick stack of new poetry papers on the poetry table.
The attendant quickly added, "Madam Chang has instructed that you need not compose poetry or prose but may go directly inside."
Madam Jie nodded slightly and stepped upstairs.
Her appearance was clearly unexpected, and soon many ladies gathered around her to greet and pay their respects.
Among the ladies who had come today, besides the invited Duan family mother and daughter and others like Yao Xia, there were also those who had come in later groups, some genuinely fond of poetry and others hoping to forge connections.
However, the number of women was limited; more than two hundred attendees were only a few dozen, and the commotion now was far less than the uproar caused by the sudden arrival of Grand Tutor Zhu an hour earlier.
Yet, Duan family did not step forward to greet her.
Wei Miaoqing furrowed her brow in silence.
Two or three years ago, her mother had brought her to a poetry gathering hosted by Madam Jie. At that time, she was around thirteen or fourteen years old and had chased after a butterfly, accidentally falling into a flowerbed and injuring her hand. This had earned her a reprimand from Madam Jie, who had scolded her with a stern face, saying that as the legitimate daughter of Marquis Wei, her behavior was too unruly, and if she didn’t learn to restrain herself, how could she be a proper wife in the future?
Amidst the seemingly gentle and kind responses around her, her mother had confusedly remarked, “That’s odd; it’s not even summer yet, so why are there cicadas buzzing?” Ignoring Madam Jie’s darkening expression, she had taken Miaoqing and turned to leave.
On the way back, her mother had shared an eight-character maxim—“If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have come at all.”
Since then, Madam Jie had not invited her mother to any more poetry gatherings, and they would often avoid Madam Jie’s self-righteous presence in their daily lives.
But she hadn’t expected to run into her here today.
As soon as she saw Madam Jie, the memory of that day’s public reprimand resurfaced, making her feel both ashamed and angry. "Mother, shall we go back?"
"Why should we leave?" Duan Shi glanced at the elder Madam Jie, who was a generation older than her. "We came here as legitimate honored guests with an invitation. Why should we avoid someone who came uninvited?"
Wei Miaoqing thought about it and agreed, sitting up a little straighter.
The title of "Teacher of All Women" was quite grand, but while Chang Suining had specifically sent an invitation to her mother, she hadn’t thought to send one to Madam Jie!
As Wei Miaoqing pondered this, she subconsciously glanced at Chang Suining and suddenly found her much more agreeable.
When she saw Madam Jie arrive, Chang Suining also stood up, walked up to Madam Jie, and said, while bowing, "I have long heard of your esteemed name, Madam Jie."
Madam Jie discreetly assessed the young lady before her. This had become almost a habit for her after leaving the palace; she would evaluate every woman she encountered, giving each one a mental rating.
However, compared to the numerous women she had met before, this girl was quite different and not what she had imagined.
Her impressions stemmed from what she had heard—
Arrogant, ostentatious, restless, the most beautiful woman in the capital.
While it was true that she was strikingly beautiful in both features and demeanor, her attire was simple, lacking ostentation, and there was no trace of makeup on her face; she appeared unadorned.
The hands she raised while bowing had no nail polish and even showed thin calluses.
More than these external signs, what captured Madam Jie’s attention was the girl’s demeanor.
When she arrived, there was no fear, no delight, and no anxiety.
Nothing at all.
Madam Jie withdrew her gaze and looked around at the bustling crowd of Scholars, smiling as she said, "I heard that lady Chang from the General's Mansion is hosting a grand poetry gathering today. I came uninvited, hoping I haven’t disrupted the guests' enjoyment."
If it were an ordinary “sensible” young lady, she would know how to respond to this—apologizing for not having sent an invitation.
Or rather, such a statement was an opportunity for Chang Suining to respond in a way that preserved face for both parties: Madam Jie would receive respect from her junior, while Chang Suining would demonstrate her understanding and humility as a younger person.
But unfortunately, Chang Suining had never believed that unconditional self-deprecation and humility were virtues worth promoting.
If she were ever to self-deprecate and be humble, it would surely be an act with ulterior motives.
"This was merely an apprenticeship banquet, and it coincidentally turned into a poetry gathering—" Chang Suining turned her head and instructed a servant, "Please take Madam Jie to her seat."
The servant replied, "Yes," and gestured for Madam Jie to follow.
Seeing Madam Jie being shown to her seat, Chang Suining returned to her own place. Wei Miaoqing looked surprised. "She really just left her there?"
"How can you say she left her? She made an exception to invite her up and treated her politely," Duan Shi replied. "By that reasoning, wouldn’t it mean that all the guests in the building today have been neglected?"
Wei Miaoqing whispered, "But Madam Jie doesn’t think like an ordinary person… Whenever she arrives somewhere, isn’t she always surrounded by the hosts?"
"Then there’s nothing to be done," Duan Shi sighed lightly. "No one asked her to come here."
As Madam Jie sat down, she glanced at the figure of the young lady, her eyes flashing with a hint of displeasure—indeed, the rumors were not unfounded; she had not been wrong about her.
When she looked at the young ladies who followed Chang Suining closely, chattering incessantly, her frown deepened even further.
At this moment, one of her maids leaned closer, her voice low and respectful. "Madam…"
Madam Jie’s gaze turned cold as she nodded slightly.
She hadn’t wanted to resort to such a measure, but clearly, such a peculiar character wouldn’t heed anyone’s authority. If she continued to act so flamboyantly, it would surely disrupt the decorum among the women of the capital.
…
Inside the Ganlu Hall of the palace, the Holy Emperor had also heard about the grand event at the Dengtai Tower today.
"It’s been a long time since there’s been such a lively poetry gathering in the capital; that’s not a bad thing," the Holy Emperor said as he put down his red brush, sitting behind the dragon table.
In a prosperous age, a grand occasion was indeed welcome.
However, there had to be distinctions regarding the nature of such occasions—
If the one organizing today’s poetry gathering was an official from the court or a member of the royal family, she certainly wouldn’t be pleased.
A young lady’s apprenticeship banquet, which happened to turn into a poetry gathering, conveniently avoided all the things she was wary of.
It wasn’t that she herself was a woman but looked down upon women or regarded them as non-threats—rather, precisely because she was a woman, she understood all too well the challenges women faced.
Even as she had reached this position today, the road ahead remained uncertain.
She had ascended to this position through careful maneuvering, as well as favorable timing, location, and support from others…
Every step she had taken along the way was one that no other woman could easily replicate or imitate.
Even if there were particularly outstanding women, they could never truly become her rivals.
Thus, she could view this poetry gathering, which had a spirit of inclusivity, with an appreciative attitude.
"Having so many Scholars gathered together is indeed a rare occasion. Mingluo, go on my behalf and see if there are any good poems or writings today," the Holy Emperor instructed Mingluo. "Do not make it known, nor use my name, so as not to disturb the scholars."
Mingluo understood and responded, "Mingluo understands."
The pen in a scholar’s hand can often be a sword.
Her aunt had once ascended to the throne using that very sword.
Those who had wielded it knew well the importance of vigilance and caution.
A poetry gathering was a good thing, but if something inappropriate that harmed the imperial dignity were to emerge from it, it could no longer be called a grand occasion—if there were truly those who lacked sense, they would not have a good outcome.
The one who facilitated this poetry gathering would inevitably be implicated as well.
After pondering these thoughts, Mingluo exited the Ganlu Hall, changed out of her official robes, and left the palace.
…
As the fireworks died down, a sudden wailing echoed outside Dengtai Tower.
(End of this chapter)
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