The Emperor frowned slightly, showing his displeasure, “What kind of idea is this?” Mr. Liu explained, “Building snowmen isn’t an exciting idea in itself, but its significance is.” Seeing the Emperor’s interest, he continued, “The Crown Prince, Lin Gongzi, and the two young ladies have been reading and writing since childhood, full of knowledge. If they recite poetry, we might not have a winner by tomorrow.” Li Qin said, “Building a snowman can be done quickly, but how do we decide the winner?” Mr. Liu replied, “All of you will contribute to the country in the future, especially the Crown Prince and Lin Gongzi. Governing a country isn’t just about studying; you must also understand the hardships of the people.”
The Lesson of the Snowman (Part Two)
Although none of them, except Qingqing, had ever touched cold water, building a snowman was something anyone who had seen snow could do. Li Qin clapped off the snow from his hands and laughed, “So, how will Mr. Liu judge?” Mr. Liu, now holding three long, thin iron wires, measured each snowman. He inserted a wire into each, then said, “Each of you choose the snowman you think is the best, and then we’ll know the result.” They all stepped forward to examine the snowmen. The wire in the first snowman was inserted through the left ear, exiting the right; in the second, it went from the heart into the belly; and the third snowman’s wire was simply placed on the ground. Mr. Liu asked, “Which one is good?”
Everyone pondered, trying to grasp Mr. Liu’s intent. Suddenly, Qingqing clapped her hands, “Ah, I understand!” Seeing the Emperor’s knowing smile as he sipped his tea, she said, “Your Majesty indeed guessed the answer early on.” The Emperor chuckled, “It’s of no use for me to know; Mr. Liu is testing you.” Qingqing bowed and said, “I have an answer, I’m not sure if it’s correct.” The Emperor encouraged her, “Go ahead.” Qingqing explained, “I believe the second snowman represents the best approach. One should not let matters pass through one ear and out the other, nor should they ignore the people’s concerns. Instead, one should take these matters to heart and keep them in mind.” Everyone agreed that her answer made sense, though it was a simple test they hadn’t initially grasped. Mr. Liu looked as if he had anticipated Qingqing’s answer all along.
The Emperor was pleased, “The daughters of the Lin family have outdone my Crown Prince. Very well, a reward!” As soon as he spoke, an eunuch approached with a box, which the Emperor handed to Qingqing, saying, “Qingqing, this is my gift to you.”
The Imperial Academy (Part One)
Qingqing did not dare to refuse and accepted the gift. The Emperor continued, “From now on, both of Lin’s daughters will study in the palace daily, to also keep company with the princesses.” This was an immense honor, and even Master Lin knelt, saying, “My daughters are not very clever, I fear they might hinder the studies of the princes and princesses.” The Emperor waved it off, “The children of Lin are all clever. It’s just that rules prevent men from casually entering the palace, otherwise, Lin Gongzi could join as well.”
That night, after dinner with the Crown Prince, the Emperor left. Once he was gone, Master Lin called Qingqing and Yafu to meticulously instruct them on palace etiquette. He taught them to walk with decorum, to be humble and respectful, not to make the slightest mistake or say anything inappropriate. The next day, Yafu and Qingqing dared not be lax. Before dawn, they were up, preparing. The maids were bustling about, dressing them in palace attire and doing their hair. Qingqing, growing impatient with the fuss, said to her maid, “I’m going to the palace to study, not for a fashion show. Just bring a few more books for me, will you?” The maid, who had always looked down on Qingqing and her mother, replied dismissively.
At this moment, upon hearing Qingqing’s question, she pouted and said, “Miss, you’d better save those words for the master. I dare not make decisions.” Qingqing was about to continue when Yafu, standing aside, laughed and said, “Entering the palace is not like being in our Lin Mansion. Firstly, you must not lose decorum in front of others, and secondly, you mustn’t bring shame to our Lin Mansion.” She kept mentioning “our Lin Mansion,” as if there had never been any past grievances with Qingqing, appearing truly like caring, close sisters. Qingqing stuck out her tongue and fell silent. After finishing their makeup, the two had breakfast with Master Lin and then left with him in the carriage for the morning court.
Upon entering the palace for the first time, Qingqing realized that the Lin Mansion was nothing special. The two vermilion gates alone were twice as tall as those at the Lin Mansion. The huge marble slabs required at least three people to move. Even Yafu, usually so lofty, was momentarily speechless. Master Lin instructed the two girls, “Study diligently and speak cautiously,” and then left with instructions for the maid Xiaotang to take good care of them. After winding through the palace with a young eunuch for half an hour, he finally stopped and said, “Ladies, we’ve arrived.” Yafu smiled and curtsied, “Thank you for your trouble, sir.” She then took out a gold leaf from her sleeve to reward him. The young eunuch’s eyes lit up, and his attitude became much more respectful, “Oh, how could I accept gold from the young miss?” Despite his words, his greedy eyes betrayed his true feelings. Suddenly, a voice from behind said, “Second Miss Lin’s reward is an honor for you, take it.” The eunuch turned around, quickly knelt on one knee, “Thank you, Fourth Prince.” He then turned back to accept the gold leaf from Yafu, “Thank you for the reward, Second Miss Lin.” Qingqing couldn’t help but admire Yafu, thinking she was born to thrive in the palace. She then looked at the person who had just spoken, a boy around twelve or thirteen, wearing a silver fox cape, tall and handsome, looking very similar to the Crown Prince. Hearing him called “Fourth Prince” by the eunuch, she deduced he must be a prince.
Before Qingqing could finish her thoughts, Yafu curtsied again, “Greetings, Fourth Prince.” Today, Yafu’s attire was particularly charming, her smile radiant. However, the Fourth Prince merely gave a stiff nod, barely acknowledging her. Yafu felt snubbed, her face showing her discomfort. Soon after, the Crown Prince, the Seventh Prince, and three princesses arrived one after another. Qingqing and Yafu had to stand and greet each one. At the appointed time, three tutors arrived. These tutors for the imperial descendants were no ordinary teachers; there were three of them, each holding the rank of First Class Senior Official: Grand Preceptor, Grand Guardian, and Grand Protector. The Grand Preceptor was in charge of guiding the Crown Prince. Every time they met him, they had to bow at the palace gate, and the tutors would return the bow, always yielding at each gate. Once the tutors were seated, the Crown Prince could sit. When engaging in study with the tutors, one had to bow in fear and reverence. After the Crown Prince sat, the other princes and princesses took their seats according to age. When the Crown Prince left, he was escorted with a ceremonial procession.