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Blue Clouds, Jade Tree (1)
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Yu Lingxin’s heart first violently jolted, but when carefully looking again, she suddenly felt that the handwriting actually wasn’t Xun Che’s. Although indeed a bit similar, but in the structure and composition, there ultimately lacked a bit of loftiness.
Besides, based on his personality, he won’t let Bai Guo bring over an invitation and directly leave on the table like this.
“Where did this invitation come from?” Yu Lingxin didn’t tear open the invitation, just directly asking Shuangye.
Shuangye, these days, have been following Wen mama’s instructions in studying accounting together with Gancao, and making copies of the old and somewhat worn-out account books in her dowry. Upon hearing, she hurriedly came over to look, “This invitation was received after you went over to the old madam’s place this morning. The gatekeeper said that the Wen’an Marquis Manor’s second miss wishes to invite you over to admire flowers.”
Turns out, it was Xun Ying’s invitation. Yu Lingxin was somewhat surprised, casually taking out a short hairpin to cut open the envelope. The calligraphy on the blue clouds and jade tree letter paper inside was much more graceful, two neat and tidy rows of characters, saying that currently, the chrysanthemums and osmanthus in the Wen’an Marquis Manor’s gardens were blooming, the fragrant splendid, thus inviting friends and relatives of the same generation over to the marquis manor on the tenth of the eighth month to admire flowers and compose poetry.
After seeing clearly that it was indeed Xun Ying’s invitation, Yu Lingxin unexpectedly had a very slight moment of disappointment. However, in the next moment, she hurriedly reminded herself that having dealings with the relative families’ young ladies of the same generation was what she should be doing that this time.
Moreover, going a layer deeper, it was very possible for there to be another meaning in this matter.
In her past life, when occasionally hearing Xun Che mention Xun Ying, although full of grief and sorrow, but from Xun Che’s words, as well as judging from Xun Ying’s little library that was full of books, Xun Ying should be a quiet and gentle girl that genuinely loved books.
Xun Che once said, if their mother really were to let go and not bother, Ying’er can even ignore eating and drinking, just sitting all day in her library reading.
Since that’s the case, why would Xun Ying want to hold a poetry gathering? Especially given Wen’an Marquis Manor’s position in the capital at present, if they really were to hold this kind of poetry gathering or flowering gathering, then the young ladies of the same generation afraid will be two to three times more than the ones at Chang’de Count Manor’s birthday banquet that day.
In this kind of gathering, the guests can drink tea and chat, or look at flowers and compose poetry, being as leisurely as they like, but as the host, the preparations and planning need to start from sending out invitations to the various families, to receiving the replies, arranging horse carriages and personnels to welcome and send off, the seating arrangements at the banquet, the scenery and location for the viewing, the writing table, brush, and ink for composing poetry and verses, as well as arrangements for in case someone wants to suddenly play the qin or flute, or an impromptu dance and such.
Additionally, there was also the marriage ties and relations between the numerous families, which ones were close, which ones were distant. It’s fine if everyone can all be joyous and harmonious to the end, but young ladies were all delicate guests. What if there’s some disagreement or quarrel, causing them to cry or cause a scene? Or what if some family’s youngster were to intentionally or otherwise be rude and such?
Those kinds of tedious and complicated scenes, even for Yu Lingxin who was used to managing the household, just thinking about it all felt taxing, yet the usually quiet loving Xun Ying wanted to arrange?
But, if this were to be linked together with the matter that Madam Su, who at this time was still in the Yu Manor, mentioned, then it just somewhat made sense.
To put it more bluntly, if it really is Xun Che pushing this so called Xun family poetry gathering from behind the scenes, then it’s wanting fight with the Zhu family to the end.
It won’t just be competing in governmental affairs in the six ministries. Even outside the court, on this kind of matter, using the family private school to win over the family members of the mid-ranking officials, he similarly can compete in.
After all, starting a private study or poetry club, this kind of thing, was much easier than actually employing a renowned teacher to mentor the younger generation’s literary works and win top marks. In the past life, it was just that aside from Cheng’en Duke Manor’s Zhu family, no other high-ranking official or noble was willing to waste this energy to go do.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
But now, if Xun Che really were to start it up like this, then in reality, the people that were willing to have dealings with the Xun family were still much more than the people that were willing to go to the Zhu family’s private school.
The reasoning was very simple. For any official family young lady, if they were to mention to someone, they received Wen’an Marquis Manor’s second miss’s poetry gathering invitation, going as a guest, it ultimately gave more face than going to Cheng’en Duke Manor’s private school to study and being deeply grateful to them.
After the afternoon meal, Madam Su and Su-shi finished talking, but didn’t return to the old madam’s Dongli Residence again, instead directly sending someone to invite Yu Lingxin to the main courtyard.
Ganlu was somewhat on guard, but Yu Lingxin just smiled, taking along Xun Ying’s invitation.
Not at all surprised, after arriving in the main courtyard and drinking half a cup of tea, Su aunt-in-law, who wasn’t able to persuade Yu old madam earlier, began complimenting Yu Lingxin again, still feeling that little girls were easy to convince, especially Yu Lingxin, who in the first twelve thirteen years was all just a soft-tempered one.
It’s not that Su-shi completely didn’t try to stop her own sister-in-law. The eldest miss seemingly was different from before, but Madam Su didn’t listen. As a daughter of Cheng’en Duke Manor’s side branch, Madam Su’s birth although wasn’t considered high, but she got along quite well with Cheng’en Duke Manor, and what she relied on was precisely this flowery tongue of hers, so how can she not be able to convince Yu Lingxin, this kind of thirteen year old little girl?
Yu Lingxin just listened with a smile, sitting properly upright on the chair, her back and waist straight, yet also appearing comfortable and very much at ease. Her elegant face was full of smiles, seemingly listening to Madam Su’s every word, yet on the inside, she’d long spun eighteen circles already.
In the last lifetime, the reason why the Yu family got tied to death on the Zhu family’s boat, a very large factor of it was precisely because of the Su family acting as a in-between. Even Yu Yunxin’s husband in the end was also an indirect relative of the Zhu family.
However, she can’t say that she resented the Su family that much either. After all, it’s not like the Su family saw that the Zhu family wasn’t doing well, thus had the Yu family pushed in, but rather, the Su family genuinely felt that clinging on tightly to the Cheng’en Duke Manor was just setting foot on the clouds, and as such, dead set on following Noble Consort Zhu and the second prince, Wu Wang.
Just, these words, she was truly unable to say to Madam Su who similarly had the surname Zhu.
Yu Lingxin further didn’t have the ability to look after relatives outside of her own family. As such, towards Madam Su’s words that weren’t really considered to be of ill-will, she just politely listened with a smile.
After drinking another cup of tea, saying all that can be said, Madam Su finally asked Yu Lingxin directly, “That’s why, Ling girl, why don’t you talk to the old madam, letting you and Yun’er go to the Zhu family to study. The old madam loves you two this much, she certainly will allow it.”
“This is rather bad timing.” Yu Lingxin smiled, directly letting Ganlu have Xun Ying’s invitation taken out, “Please look, I’ve already received the Xun family younger cousin’s invitation. Previously, I heard that the Xun family younger cousin also has the intention of making a poetry club. Although I normally rarely gather with the Xun family younger cousin, but since the other party has sent the invitation, I ultimately will have to go.”
She paused for a moment, looking towards Su-shi again, “Madam, I want to take younger sister along as well. After all, in the Wen’an Marquis Manor, there are also quite a few sisters. This time, it’s also a poetry gathering, so presumably younger sister will also like, what do you say?”
The blue clouds and jade tree letter paper was Chengxin Hall’s best flower paper. When paired with Xun Ying’s pretty calligraphy, although just an invitation, it still appeared very valuable.
Yu Yunxin who was sitting to the side, upon hearing Yu Lingxin mention the Wen’an Marquis Manor and poetry, her eyes long lit up. At this time, seeing this invitation, she immediately just tugged the corner of her mother’s clothes.
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Madam su is not as bad I think. Even in the previous life, she wanted to make her stepdaughter stay with biological mother. I don’t think she would have known how she treats her.
But who know, she can become antagonistic here also.. 🤔