Episode 13

  More than ten days passed, and one day after the winter snow had cleared, Wang's long-awaited Kong Yiniang finally arrived. It was said that she was originally a descendant of the Kong family in Shandong, and rose from palace maid to female official. Over the past few decades, several emperors had come and gone, but she remained safely in her position as one of the six female officials, rotating through the posts. After retiring from the palace due to illness a few years ago, she had been living out her old age at Rong'en Temple in the capital.

  Nowadays, many aristocratic families or prestigious clans often invite some retired old palace ladies to their homes to teach their daughters etiquette and manners. Minglan understands that this is to increase the girls' added value.

  This nanny has taught several young ladies in the British Consulate, the Governor's Palace and the Xiangyang Hou Mansion. People say she is warm-tempered, patient and meticulous when teaching etiquette, unlike other nannies who often punish or beat them, yet she can teach them proper manners. Mrs. Wang didn't expect Old Lady Sheng to have such face, actually able to invite a nanny of such high caliber, and went to thank her several times at the Shou'an Hall.

  She can be a female official in the palace for decades without any style problems, Minglan estimates that this aunt is very safe, and after meeting, it is indeed so. Aunt Kong is about a few years younger than the old lady, slender, with small eyes, a low nose, and a round face like a big pancake, looking very kind. She wears a silver-gray plain woven silk jacket, only with a furry edge at the sleeve mouth, and on her head, she simply wore a white jade flat hairpin with a slanting pattern, looking very simple and unadorned.

  She originally followed the old rules of the palace to pay respects to the elderly lady, and was hurriedly helped up by the elderly lady. They were old acquaintances, so they sat together on the kang and chatted. This ordinary-looking person, once speaking, made people feel like a spring breeze. Every gesture was elegant and fluent, modest and dignified. Sheng Hong and Wang Shi smiled and sat beside them, Hua Lan's excited little face turned red, she restrained herself, not daring to say a word more. Mo Lan sat elegantly, maintaining a perfect smile as she listened to the two elderly people talk. Wang Shi was afraid that Ruolan wouldn't understand the situation and would lose face for the Sheng family, so she didn't let her come.

  "Governor Sheng is a just and honest official, governing the region with virtue. In the capital, he has long been known for his good reputation. Now, his children and grandchildren are all grown up, and the young masters and misses in the mansion are as elegant as flowers and trees. The old lady is truly blessed."

  "I'm so fortunate to have been able to invite you, a busy person like yourself. I can entrust this big silly girl of mine to you now; if there's anything wrong with her, just punish her as you see fit, no need to hold back." Old Lady Sheng smiled and pointed at Hualan.

  "What the old lady said, I may have some dignity today, but it's all because of your kindness, after all, I'm just a slave in the palace; In my opinion, rules are meant to demonstrate virtues and moral integrity, not to torment people; Rules need to be learned, but don't need to be followed rigidly, as long as you use your heart, besides, the old lady's granddaughter can't go wrong. Kong Yini said while glancing at Hualan, who seemed to have been inspired, sitting up straight with her back erect and eyes full of hope, as if using body language to express her determination."

  "Thanks to Mother's blessing, you can come this time. When Auntie has time to teach Hua'er in the future, also tell us about things in the capital, so that we, who are often away from home and live in the countryside, can broaden our horizons." said Wang Shi.

  "From Quanzhou to Dengzhou, from south to north, the land is rich and the people are prosperous. The sky is high and the sea is vast. You have seen great mountains and rivers, and you know the customs of the south and the north. Your experience should be above that of us old women who have never left our hometown. You're too modest, madam." Kong Yiniang's humble smile made Wang Shi feel so comfortable that she couldn't stop smiling.

  This nanny spoke very slowly, but didn't make people feel dragged down. She didn't say much, but every sentence was just right, making others listen intently. She was respectful and suitable, and Minglan watched from the side with great admiration. Wang Shi and Hua Lan had originally thought that a strict nanny would come, and they had prepared themselves to suffer. Unexpectedly, Nanny Kong turned out to be so gentle and kind, and they were even more grateful to Old Lady Sheng. Originally, Wang Shi had already prepared a house for Nanny Kong to live in and servants to attend to her, but Nanny Kong tactfully expressed that she wanted to spend the first night in Shou'An Hall, in order to chat with Old Lady Sheng about old times. Wang Shi naturally agreed.

  That night, Kong Yinniang slept in Sheng Lao Tai Tai's warm pavilion.

  "You're actually willing to come, I didn't dare invite you," said Old Lady Sheng.

  "I'm really fed up with those aristocratic families, everyone has a thousand faces, constantly calculating and scheming in their hearts. I've spent my whole life guessing people's thoughts, even thinking about the intestines of those nobles in my dreams. I thought that after resigning, I could spend a few comfortable days, but unexpectedly it still doesn't stop. So I took advantage of your excuse to escape from the capital and spend a few peaceful days; besides, I'm old too, and I should return to my roots like fallen leaves." Kong Yini changed her expression from calmness to fatigue.

  "Have you found a place to settle down? If there's anywhere that needs me, I'll definitely go." Old Lady Sheng's eyes showed a hint of sadness.

  "No need, I've already found someone. I have a distant nephew back in my hometown, he's an orphan and I don't have any children of my own. We can live together and take care of each other. Besides, you know as well as I do that I'm not long for this world, I don't want to be tied down anymore." Kong Yini looked relieved.

  The old lady had a hint of sympathy, and said in a low voice: "You've had a hard life too. You were originally engaged to be married, but your stepmother forced you to take your sister's place on the imperial concubine selection list, ruining your whole life."

  "What's not easy?" Kong Yiniang laughed, "I've experienced more exciting things in this life than ordinary people. I don't mention the food and drink I've had, but I've seen three emperors, five empresses, and countless noblewomen, it's really opened my eyes! And I can live a worry-free life until I'm 60, there's nothing to complain about; On the other hand, my sister married, eloped, poisoned her husband's concubine, was divorced, and made a name for herself as a prostitute. My stepmother spent all her family's money on her, and finally died in poverty. I'm much better off than them!" As she spoke, she chuckled, "When I first heard the news, I secretly drank a whole bottle of old cellar wine to celebrate!"

  The old lady smiled and said: "You are still the same, looking respectful on the surface but actually being unrestrained inside."

  Grandma Kong had a hint of sadness, saying: "If not, how can we get through it?" As she spoke, she suddenly shouted at the old lady in a strange tone: "What about you? How come your cultivation and self-cultivation have reached this point? Where did your usual demeanor go?"

  The old lady shook her head and said helplessly, "Hóng ér is not my own child after all, why bother to invite dislike; besides, I'm also tired, what's the point of turning the world upside down like before, it's still just an empty scene."

  "Look at you, getting more and more muddled with age," said Granny Kong with a cold smile. "Don't you ever think about how much harder life was for Empress Jing'an back then? Two of her sons died, her daughter was taken away, and the imperial family couldn't even let her leave. What could she do? When Emperor Taizong favored her, she was happy; when he neglected her, she was also happy. She once told us, 'Women have so few things that bring them joy in life. Their birth and marriage are all decided by others. They need to find their own pleasures, drink wine and sing songs, for life is short.' Although she didn't live long, she lived each day with abandon and relish. After her death, Emperor Taizong thought of her every day and eventually fell ill..." Granny Kong's voice gradually trailed off, and Old Lady Sheng also looked distracted, both lost in thought as they remembered that carefree and uninhibited woman.

  "Fortunately, the previous emperor finally made her little son the heir, so she can be said to have left a legacy. I listened to her words and never put nasty things in my heart. When it's time to pretend to be stupid, I'll pretend to be stupid; when it's time to be humble, I'll be humble; when it's time to eat, I'll eat; when it's time to enjoy myself, I'll enjoy myself. If the people who entered the palace back then had your temper, they would have died eight hundred times by now!"

  The old lady reminisced about her youthful years, a mixture of emotions on her face. She shook her head and changed the subject: "Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Take a look at my home, how is it?"

  "Utterly muddled, without any rules; the first one to be utterly rule-less is you!" She seemed to have been stifled in the capital for a long time and finally caught an opportunity to speak freely. Old Lady Sheng couldn't stop her, so she let her continue speaking.

  "Your father-in-law was a man of great character, who had built up a large family business and two of his three sons were quite capable. Before he passed away, he personally divided the family property among them. But things took a turn for the worse soon after he left this world, your husband also passed away. If it weren't for you, Young Master Sheng, as an illegitimate child, would have been bullied to death by that heartless Third Uncle. How could this family business have survived? At that time, you had money and were still young, Old Master Rong and his wife were both alive, remarrying wouldn't have been difficult. Even if life in Jinling and the capital was unbearable, one could find a remote place to live out their days. A man marries, has children, lives a simple life - isn't that wonderful?! You insisted on keeping your widowhood for that ungrateful son, putting his name on the family register, propping up the entire Sheng family, finding him a tutor, helping him pass the imperial examination, marrying him off, having children... and then what? You retreated to a corner, living like a dead person! It's simply unbelievable!" Madam Kong almost pointed her finger at Old Lady Sheng's face.

  "You may not be his biological mother, but you are his stepmother, and to him, your kindness is as heavy as a mountain. You can stand up straight and hold your head high, what's there to be afraid of? Let me tell you, sons are all ungrateful wolves, they marry a wife and forget their mothers. If you don't take care of yourself, he'll happily push you aside! In our dynasty, filial piety is the way to govern the country, if he dares to disobey even a little bit, he won't be able to stay in office! You should at least live a comfortable life, not just for yourself, but also for your precious daughter Xiaoyu." Kong Yini said, nodding her head towards the direction of Lihua's room.

  The old lady was splashed with a mouthful of saliva, and had no choice but to defend herself. Finally having something to say, she hastily asked: "By the way, what do you think of my Ming Yatou?"

  The old lady turned her face sideways and thought for a moment before saying, "Not bad."

  Look at Old Lady Sheng's expectant face, and add a few more sentences: "That child has a pair of eyes that are born well, calm, clear, open-minded, as if he understands everything, but not cold, still happy and contented, steady and polite, knowing not to show off in front of people, better than you; it's not in vain that you treat her like your own flesh and blood."

  The old lady gave her a glance: "What's this 'heart and soul' nonsense? I treat all of my granddaughters the same."

  "Stop pretending to be so concerned! Just now, during dinner, how many times did you add food to her bowl? After a while, you'd remind her 'Ming Yu, eat more', and then after another while, 'don't be picky'. Whenever she reached for a dish, the housekeeper next to me would secretly take note. Do you think I'm blind?! When Cai'er was sleeping, you left me here for half an hour, just to make sure she took her medicine before bed. You probably came back after she fell asleep!"

  The old lady sighed: "That child sleeps a lot, but can't sleep soundly all night. She wakes up several times at night and sometimes cries out in the middle of the night. I know she's hiding her sorrow and can't express it. At night, she tosses and turns, but during the day, she's as calm as usual, following me to read books and listen to my stories. It's strange, she's not as talented as Lin Niang or as lively as Hua Yatou, who could make me happy with her clever words. But I feel that she's the most considerate of all."

  "That's your progress, suffering for half a lifetime, finally knowing that when looking at people, it's the inner quality that matters, not the flashy exterior; also, you've been alone for too long, now with a child by your side every day, no matter how stubborn you are, you can't help but be concerned about being a good person." Madam Kong's words were sharp and to the point.

  The old lady pointed at her and scolded: "You this old goods, with such a vicious mouth, why didn't you die in the palace? Letting you out to harm people."

  "Of course, haven't you heard that good people die young and evil ones live for a thousand years?"

  The two old men laughed together as they spoke.

  She laughed so hard that she cried, and while wiping away her tears, she stretched her neck to look towards the pear blossom cabinet. She was pulled back by Granny Kong: "Don't look anymore, your little granddaughter won't wake up from all the commotion; she drank a whole bowl of calming medicine, didn't she? If she woke up, there would be some noise already; come back quickly, I have something to tell you."

  The old lady thought for a moment, then turned back. Kong Yiniang said seriously: "I am a civilian woman from Shandong, and you are the young lady of the Hou Mansion in Jinling. We met because of Empress Jing'an, which is also fate. There's something I want to advise you on."

  Old Lady Sheng nodded solemnly, and then Kong Yiniang said: "I know you've been wronged for half your life, struggling with all your might but it's all in vain, as people die and emotions fade away. Your heart has turned cold, and you're not willing to remarry, only living out the rest of your days in the Sheng household. But I ask you, how many more days do you have left to live?"

  Kong Yiniang saw Sheng Lao Tai Tai's sorrowful expression and continued, "Empress Jing'an said something before she passed away, which I'll pass on to you today: 'Man proposes, God disposes.' As women, our lives are not easy, but we've done everything we can. What happens next is up to heaven. Our parents didn't raise us easily, so we can't waste this life. We should live as well as we can, and one day, things will get better. Since you still have breath in you, you must keep living well. Speak out when you see injustice, scold when you see what's wrong, put on the airs of a Xu family daughter from Jinling, and straighten up the rules of the manor. Not only can you live more comfortably yourself, but also set a good example for the Sheng family descendants. Isn't that right?"

  The old lady's eyes turned red, and she gently wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief: "After all, we are old sisters, now only you can say such things to me. I appreciate your kind intentions; ... At least I have to hold on until Ming Yu gets married."

  "Seeing that the persuasion was successful, Kong Yiniang felt relieved and happy: 'You think so, it's just right. Liu Niang is still young, in the future she will have to rely on you. It's not necessary for her to be rich and noble, as long as she can find a good family to marry into.'"