Chapter 6: The Emergence of Genius

Xiao is now thinking about his eldest son, completely forgetting about the matter concerning the fourth daughter.

"Four Young Ladies, are you able to recognize these characters?" Although Aunt Jiang's family has fallen on hard times, she has indeed attended school for several years, so she is quite capable of providing the young lady with some basic education

In this dynasty, the left is regarded as superior. Although the left and right governors hold the same rank, Qian Feng, as the Left Governor, still overshadowed Song Xuan. A higher official can easily suppress a lower one, and in many matters, Song Xuan often felt constrained and hesitant. As a result, his dissatisfaction with Qian Feng was almost semi-public.

Xie Shuyuan naturally would not voice Song Xuan's words, yet the joy that once permeated his expressions had vanished.

When Su Yun and Xiang Yun removed the hairpins from Xiao's head, they heard Mama Shen beside them say: "Madam, the Tinglan Courtyard has become lively again these past few days"

There are rules in this household that prohibit discussing the merits and demerits of the master without permission. However, this gossip has not only spread within the household but has even reached outside, which is a blatant affront to Madam Xiao, the head of the household. This is something she cannot tolerate under any circumstances. Yet, if she were to react immediately, it would make her seem petty, akin to a lowly concubine.

At this moment, Xie Minglan was earnestly leaning over the pit table reading, while sitting beside her was her biological sister, the second young lady, Xie Mingfang. It is worth mentioning that Mingfang is three years older than Minglan, but now, in contrast to her intelligent younger sister, she appears somewhat dull.

Song Xuan possesses some habits typical of noble families. At this moment, he is indulging in his own pleasure and says: "Indeed, the Xie family has a profound scholarly heritage. You, my dear brother, have already become a top scholar, and now your daughter has achieved such success. In the future, she will surely have a bright prospect. I hope that when the time comes, you will not forget the proprieties of colleagues."

Xie Shuyuan's expression turned cold, and he no longer had the mood to speak with Song Xuan. He coldly said: "Lord Qian is still waiting for me inside; I shall take my leave first."

Upon arriving at the Suzhou Prefecture's Bureau of Revenue, they noticed the Right Bureau of Revenue Officer, Song Xuan, emerging with a somewhat ashen complexion. When they encountered Song Xuan, he paused, and they exchanged pleasantries. Xie Shuyuan engaged in some casual conversation, selecting only ordinary topics to discuss.

This time, however, it angered Xie Shuyuan, who scolded the servant furiously: "The study is a place of great importance; nowadays, anyone dares to barge in. Send her back, and from now on, without my command, they are not allowed to step into the study again"

Regardless of whether Xie Minglan is genuinely precocious or merely pretending, the Xiao family is not particularly concerned. However, when rumors about the Xie residence circulate outside, she is rarely seen to be angry.

Not only that, shortly after the master reprimanded Aunt Jiang's maid, he took a young servant to the main courtyard of the madam

Even though Song Xuan prided himself on his noble lineage, he could find no sense of superiority in front of Xie Shuyuan

Upon first hearing this, Xie Minglan felt a tremor in her heart, for she distinctly remembered that in her previous life, the lady had only given birth to three sons and had never had any twins. Although the sixth young master's name was still Qingzhan, what was the matter with this Xie Qingxi

In the Tinglan Courtyard

Although her husband is a newly appointed Jinshi, he only ranked fifty-sixth in the second class and still relies on his father's connections to secure a position. The mother-in-law in the household is very strict, setting rules from morning until night. Later, the mother-in-law even rewarded one of her own maidservants to be a concubine for her husband

Xie Minglan was momentarily taken aback upon hearing the name Xijie'er. Since her rebirth, she had heard this name more than once. Xie Shuyuan, who favored the pair of twins born to his wife, had actually named the girl according to the generation of the boy, which was a matter known to the entire household

However, Qian Feng held a considerable appreciation for Xie Shuyuan, which makes it somewhat strange that Song Xuan would stop Xie Shuyuan to speak.

At this moment, Xie Qingxi was still blowing milk bubbles while playing, but she had recently heard quite a bit about the Fourth Young Lady of the residence. Naturally, her first thought was, could she be a fellow townswoman?

The old servant heard from the people below that the Fourth Young Lady is indeed clever, but she is only one year old and can already recite poetry. Madame Shen spoke these words with a hint of disdain; had it not been for her own strict adherence to rules, she would likely have expressed even more contempt at this moment

Xiang Yun placed the hairpin and hair ornaments removed from the Xiao family in the jewelry box, while Su Yun, who was combing her hair, interjected: "I have also heard that some people say the Fourth Young Lady is a reincarnation of Xie Daoyun, which left me quite astonished. If this is merely gossip spread by the servants below, then I fear not many maids or matrons would even know about Xie Daoyun."

Upon hearing these words, Xie Shuyuan was genuinely infuriated. He usually regarded himself as a person of integrity and, being a top scholar, believed that his achievements were solely due to his own abilities. However, Song Xuan's remarks about Xie Minglan's intelligence implied that the Xie family was deliberately promoting their daughter to secure a favorable future for her

She never expected that she would have the opportunity to live another life. Although she was born into a wealthy family, she was merely the daughter of a concubine, and her marriage was in the hands of her legitimate mother. Everyone said that her legitimate mother had chosen a good match for her; her husband was a newly minted scholar, and aside from her parents, there was only a younger sister-in-law in the family. Once married, she would become the head of the household. Moreover, considering her relatively low marriage, her husband would surely rely on the influence of her family and would treat her with respect and affection.

Although the younger sister-in-law is already married, she is quite superficial, taking a few items from her dressing box every time she returns to her parental home. Moreover, her husband's family is not originally from the capital, and the residence they live in after marriage is still part of the dowry from the Xie family. Her husband receives a meager monthly salary, and since his family is not wealthy, all the gifts and social expenses are covered by her dowry.

She is just a girl, after all; how could she possibly turn the world upside down? The recent commotion has been quite lively, but what the master is most concerned about is still our Maoge's studies. Even though he hasn't returned today, he has sent someone to check on Maoge, and they said he would come back tomorrow to review the characters and books that the boy has written. Granny Shen also smiled, having seen many of the schemes in this inner residence; Aunt Jiang's tactic is truly not novel. Giving the Fourth Young Lady such a precocious reputation, she is not afraid that in the end, the boast will be exposed.

By the evening, Xie Shuyuan's anger had not yet subsided. He was practicing calligraphy in his study to calm his mind. Just then, the Jiang family sent over a maid with some soup, and a young servant conveyed a message saying that the Fourth Young Lady had learned a new poem and was waiting to recite it for him

Upon hearing the rumors about the Xie family, he naturally seized the opportunity to take a jab at him

Song Xuan is also a person from the capital, similar to Xie Shuyuan, who was both sent from the capital to Suzhou. However, the Xie family is of a clean lineage, while the Song family is of noble status. Song Xuan hails from the Anping Marquis residence in the capital and initially achieved success as a scholar in the imperial examinations, ranking 63rd in the second class, which pales in comparison to Xie Shuyuan, who was the top scholar.

At just over one year old, Si Gu Niang, Xie Minglan, is already exceptional. Typically, children at this age, even the more intelligent ones, can only speak a few words fluently, while the less capable ones are still babbling. However, Xie Minglan not only speaks but does so in a coherent and organized manner, revealing her remarkable intelligence in every word.

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Even Xie Shuyuan inadvertently remarked to the Xiao family, lamenting that Minglan was born a girl. This shows that the reputation of Xie Minglan as a prodigy has indeed spread.

Ever since she discovered that the Fourth Young Lady learns things exceptionally quickly, she has made it a point to teach her a few characters every day. Although the young lady is older and the family will hire a tutor to teach her, the foundational learning still relies on oneself.

On this day, there are not just millions of students; even achieving a place on the honor roll is exceedingly difficult, let alone becoming the top scholar. I only hope that Jun can attain half of his father's insight in his studies. The Xiao family grew up in the marquis's residence, and having been influenced by it since childhood, they naturally understand the challenges of the imperial examination.

Although it is said that Jiangnan is a land of outstanding people and abundant resources, with many successful candidates in the spring examinations, the capital is ultimately under the emperor's feet, and with the presence of the Imperial Academy, along with many great scholars residing in the capital, Xie Fang naturally hopes that Xie Qingjun will stay in the capital to study diligently

However, Jiang was determined to have the Fourth Young Lady make an appearance before Xie Shuyuan. After failing to persuade her to meet him once, he even sent a maid over again.

Xie Minglan innocently nodded and said, "Aunt, I know them all."

Although Xie Minglan was reluctant, Aunt Jiang was even more distressed, crying and making a scene. However, Xie Shuyuan was convinced that this was a good match. It was only after Xie Minglan entered the household that she realized this seemingly advantageous marriage was, in fact, quite unbearable.

Such unruly servants who create discord and gossip, if allowed to continue unchecked, will surely disrupt the peace of the household. Xie Shuyuan then turned to the Xiao family and said: "Madam, please investigate thoroughly; anyone found guilty should be handed over to the brokers for sale."

This time, the protagonist of the story is not Aunt Jiang, but rather the Fourth Young Lady whom Aunt Jiang is raising

Xie Qingxi lay on the bed and blew another bubble, indicating that the debut of this Fourth Young Lady is destined to be short-lived

Previously, due to the matter concerning the young lady, Xie Shuyuan did not openly punish Aunt Jiang, but he was indeed displeased with her. For several months, Xie Shuyuan had been cold towards her, which made Aunt Jiang, who usually took advantage of her physical discomfort to avoid paying her respects, come to do so obediently during this period.

However, after contemplating several times, Xie Minglan ultimately cast aside this notion. Wasn't the lesson from her previous life sufficient? If she were to recklessly place her future in the hands of others, it is likely that the outcome in this life would be even more dire than in the last.

The Xiao family naturally acknowledges this, but she continued, "Fourth Miss is so intelligent; not to mention the master, even I am pleased. However, with all the rumors circulating both inside and outside the residence, although there is some reputation, how can a girl from a family like ours allow outsiders to speak carelessly? This matter is also my fault; these past few days, Sister Xi has been feeling unwell, and I have been so focused on taking care of her that I inadvertently let those servants speak nonsense outside."

Aunt Jiang casually tested her, and seeing that she answered all the questions, she joyfully embraced her and said, "My good girl, Aunt really hasn't wasted her affection on you." In the end, she added a reminder, "If your father knew that you were this clever, he would surely love you even more. As long as you perform well, your future will certainly not be worse than that of the young lady born to the madam."

Madam Shen immediately comforted, "Our Jun Ge'er is truly exceptional in his studies. At just nine years old, he has already passed the preliminary examination and is now a scholar. I believe Jun Ge'er has the potential to become a top scholar. Although we are temporarily separated from each other, for the sake of Jun Ge'er's future, Madam should also find peace of mind."

However, Song Xuan was not concerned at all. He had just come out from a confrontation with Qian Feng and saw that Qian Feng had brought over his favored subordinate. Naturally, he was eager to seek compensation from Xie Shuyuan immediately. To be honest, Xie Shuyuan was also suffering on behalf of someone else at this moment.

Upon mentioning her second son, Xiao let out a low sigh and said, "As long as Mao is by my side, I have no worries. It is just that Jun is far away in the capital, and the thought of it makes my heart ache."

Jiang looked at the Fourth Young Lady as she attentively read the Thousand Character Classic, feeling an immense joy in her heart. Previously, she had been somewhat displeased with this daughter simply because she was a girl, but now she felt as if she had discovered a treasure.

Xie Minglan glanced sideways at her biological sister, her eyes revealing an indescribable complexity

After the two exchanged a few more words, just as they were about to bid farewell, Song Xuan suddenly changed the subject and mentioned: "I have always known that Brother Xie is knowledgeable and talented, but I did not expect that even the young lady of the family has the reputation of being precocious. For the past few days, I have only heard rumors; I wonder when I might have the opportunity to meet your niece, so that we can witness the prodigy who can read and write poetry at the age of one."

As for the bright future of this girl, it merely refers to marrying someone. The Xie family has a strict family tradition, with every member being a scholar. To suggest that one must rely on a woman to achieve success is not merely a simple mockery; in Xie Shuyuan's view, it has reached the level of insulting the reputation of the Xie family.

She dares to spread any kind of talk." Xiao said indifferently.

Regarding this suddenly appearing legitimate younger sister, Xie Minglan felt somewhat strange and also a bit apprehensive. In her previous life, the matriarch was not harsh on them, the illegitimate daughters, due to not having a daughter of her own. However, in this life, since the matriarch has given birth to a daughter, will she still treat them equally as she did in the previous life?

Xie Shuyuan said lightly: "She is just a girl, and I do not expect her to achieve the highest honors. However, studying makes one wise. When they are a bit older, I will invite a teacher back to educate them."

Moreover, Aunt Jiang had always enjoyed dressing up, and at this moment, she put in even more effort, transforming her daughter into a figure resembling a celestial child from a painting. Within a few days, rumors began to circulate even in Suzhou, claiming that a prodigy had emerged from the household of Lord Xie

Xie Shuyuan sent someone back before dinner, saying that he would stay in the yamen tonight and would not be having a meal. By evening, as the courtyard gate was about to be locked, he still had not returned, and Xiao knew that he must have stayed in the front study.

Thus, even if Xiao cried, in the end, she had no choice but to follow Shao Ge'er and accompany Xie Shuyuan to take office. Old Lady Jiang had considered keeping her in the capital, but Concubine Jiang insisted on following Xie Shuyuan to take office. Not only was Xiao unwilling, but even Xie Fang, upon hearing this, nearly had a falling out with the Jiang family.

He did not show it on his face, but respectfully replied: "It is merely a rumor and should not be taken seriously"

The Da Qi Dynasty is unlike other dynasties; not only does it place great emphasis on the imperial examination within the court, but even women of talent and reputation are held in higher regard. While families of modest means cannot afford to educate their daughters, in wealthy households, it is common for young ladies to be able to compose poetry effortlessly. Nowadays, the trend of women receiving education in the capital is increasingly flourishing, and even female academies are gradually becoming popular.

Xie Shuyuan felt that the only person in the entire residence with whom he could truly engage was indeed the Xiao family. She hailed from a marquis's household, and her perspective was certainly not comparable to that of ordinary concubines or secondary wives. While other concubines and secondary wives were solely focused on clothing and jewelry, the Xiao family could engage in the diplomatic affairs of a lady in society, which would greatly benefit his career.

Xie Qingjun is the legitimate eldest son of the Xiao family and also the legitimate grandson of the Xie family, which naturally makes him more distinguished than other young men. Therefore, when Xie Shuyuan was assigned to Suzhou, not only did Old Lady Jiang object, but even Xie Fang was reluctant to let his grandson accompany his son to Suzhou

***

In the past, Xie Shuyuan would only feel joy, believing that his daughter was indeed intelligent; however, today, this feeling of joy could not be expressed no matter what.

At this moment, it was just the beginning of autumn. Due to concerns about the two of them catching a chill, the Jiang family did not dare to have ice placed in the room. Xie Minglan looked around the exceptionally familiar room; the furnishings were luxurious and opulent. Not far from the warm pit stood a half-human tall gilded three-legged incense burner, and at this time, a faint fragrance permeated the room, sweet yet not cloying, refreshing and invigorating.

This front courtyard is the domain of Xie Shuyuan, and every move is closely monitored by the entire household. Now that Aunt Jiang's maid has been reprimanded, it didn't take long for the news to spread throughout the entire residence.

This statement is somewhat self-contradictory; even someone as profound and unperturbed as Xie Shuyuan has, for a moment, shown a hint of discomfort on his face.

Xie Shuyuan could roughly guess why Song Xuan's expression was not pleasant. The discord between the two governors of the Suzhou Provincial Administration was not a secret rumor within the office. The Left Governor Qian Feng was nearly fifty this year, and his official career was clearly nearing its end. However, Song Xuan was not yet forty and came from a prominent family in the capital, which naturally led him to look down upon Qian Feng.

Young ladies are not like young men; they can attend schools outside. Generally, affluent families hire tutors to teach their daughters at home.

The Xiao family has never taken the initiative to concern themselves with the matters of Concubine Jiang, yet this does not prevent Concubine Jiang from occasionally making a show in front of the Xiao family.

When Xie Minglan first spoke, even Jiang was taken aback, as it is indeed rare for a child to start talking at such a young age in September. However, it wasn't long before she attempted to teach Minglan to read, only to discover that she had an extraordinary memory, which truly delighted Jiang. Even when paying respects to the lady of the house, she couldn't help but mention the fourth young lady's intelligence in her words.

Song Xuan leisurely watched as Xie Shuyuan left in a fit of anger. Although Xie Shuyuan was a few years younger than him, his official rank was only one level lower. Moreover, he came from the Hanlin Academy, having spent six years there before being assigned to an external post. Now, after only three years in his current position, he had consistently received excellent evaluations and had recently been promoted to the governor of Suzhou

She is merely a concubine daughter of the Xie family, and the dowry is subject to established regulations in the public domain, so her legitimate mother naturally will not supplement her. Although the secondary wife is favored, the amount of silver she can access is indeed limited. After just two or three years, among the sisters who have married, she is living the most frugally.

Xie Shuyuan, as the Prefect of Suzhou, serves as the parental official of Suzhou Prefecture. His daily affairs are quite busy, to the extent that he cannot attend to his son's studies every day.

Xie Shuyuan was already displeased due to the rumors, and upon hearing the remarks from the Xiao family at this moment, coupled with recent events, how could he not realize that someone was stirring the pot behind the scenes? As for the person behind this, without the Xiao family mentioning it, Xie Shuyuan naturally thought of Aunt Jiang.

Thus, in this life, Xie Minglan made an exceptionally brilliant and dazzling entrance for herself

What they naturally referred to was Jiang's maid. Among the concubines in the ordinary households, only this Jiang concubine dared to send a maid to the study to urge the master repeatedly. Regarding this matter, Nurse Shen had often complained to Madam Xiao, saying that Jiang concubine was lacking in propriety

Not long after, even Xie Shuyuan came to know that his family had produced such a prodigious talent

However, the Xiao family did not take the opportunity to kick someone when they were down; instead, they said: "The master has been good at studying since childhood, and the fourth young lady is likely to have inherited the master's talent for learning."