After everyone was seated, Qingqing and Yafu were finally allowed to sit down. The three tutors, although benevolent in appearance, were quite haughty in their interactions with Qingqing and Yafu. The Crown Prince gave a slight shake of his head to the two, smiling to reassure them to sit down comfortably. Just as the tutors were about to start the lesson, a sweet voice was heard outside, “I’m terribly sorry, I’m late again.” A young woman about Qingqing’s age entered, followed by a timid maid who placed her books down and then left. The woman was dressed in a light blue floral brocade, with a red fox fur scarf. Her hair was adorned with an eight-treasure jade hairpin, and a purple rose at her left temple made her skin look like fine jade. She had dimples that appeared and disappeared, and a natural blush on her cheeks that was far more enchanting than any rouge. Even Qingqing, a girl herself, couldn’t help but be enchanted by her charm. Her tardiness seemed to be a regular occurrence, yet the tutors showed no signs of reproach, instead, they smiled and told her to sit, indicating she might be a princess. Seeing two unfamiliar faces, she approached gracefully and bowed, “You must be the daughters of Right Minister Lin.” Qingqing and Yafu returned the bow, and Yafu, holding her hand, asked, “And who might this lady be?” The woman replied, “My father is Chen Fusheng.” Yafu immediately recognized her, “Ah, you must be Miss Chen Yuzhen, daughter of the Left Chancellor.” Indeed, she was the renowned beauty Chen Yuzhen of the capital, as clear as jade and as precious as pearls. If Yafu was like a vibrant peony, then Chen Yuzhen was like a noble peony, too elegant for any maid to outshine. They exchanged pleasantries as if they were long-time friends, making Qingqing chuckle inwardly. Despite her sweet smile, Yafu was secretly envious. A beautiful woman can least tolerate another woman more beautiful than herself, even if she was just a girl, not yet a woman. After they sat down, Yuzhen nodded to Qingqing. The Grand Preceptor then spoke, “I heard that both of you are prized students of the world’s first scholar, Mr. Liu?”
He referred to Mr. Liu as “Liu someone,” indicating his lack of respect. After all, the title of “first scholar” was highly coveted, and Mr. Liu, being just a commoner without official titles, could hardly be acknowledged by this lofty Grand Preceptor. Qingqing stood up and replied, “Thanks to Mr. Liu’s meticulous guidance, we dare not claim to be his ‘prized students’.” Yafu interjected, “Mr. Liu is merely a common scholar from the people; if not for the responsibility of educating the princes, he would not dare to call himself the ‘first scholar’.” The tutors smiled at this, and Qingqing’s admiration for Yafu’s wit grew. Perhaps Yafu was indeed a bit too clever and dismissive of her older sister, but her quick thinking was often useful. Qingqing initially thought the Grand Preceptor was just praising their academic prowess, but realized he was actually concerned with the title “first scholar.” It seemed that surviving in the palace required understanding people’s inner thoughts. However, they were only there to study, which relieved Qingqing somewhat. The Grand Preceptor continued, “Your lessons are not aligned with those of my students here, so we will ask you a few questions to determine how you can join the classes.” It was clear they were about to be tested, and the two could only nod in agreement.
The Grand Preceptor pondered for a moment, then bowed first to the several princesses, “Your Highnesses, this old servant was merely testing their studies, with no intention of offending you three.” The princesses, unsure of the reason, assumed he wouldn’t truly be rude, so they nodded in agreement and watched with interest. He asked, “There’s a saying that ‘a woman’s virtue lies in her lack of talent.’ May I ask why the two young ladies wish to study?” It turned out he was worried about offending the princesses with that saying. Ya Fu, more versed in human affairs than Qing Qing, though still young and less talented, turned to Qing Qing, hoping she would recall the wisdom Mr. Liu had imparted when they first met. Qing Qing also intended to answer with “women must understand the principles of governance,” but feared the teacher was asking not about governance but about a woman’s “virtue” or “lack thereof.” Answering too literally might make her appear ignorant, embarrassing Mr. Liu and bringing disgrace to the Lin family’s second daughter. After a brief moment of contemplation, Qing Qing quickly smiled and said, “Everyone knows the use of the useful, but no one understands the greater use of the seemingly useless.” This implied that while people understand the value of tangible utility, they often overlook the profound value of what seems useless. The three teachers were surprised by Qing Qing’s quick thinking and logical response, which neither offended anyone nor failed to answer the question. The Crown Prince, clapping his hands, stood up and exclaimed, “Grand Preceptor, it seems we’ll have another headache from Miss Lin besides Yu Zhen in the study room from now on.” The Grand Preceptor, hands clasped behind his back, returned to his seat, “This is the blessing of this old servant; I fear nothing more than dull students.”
In that instant, Qing Qing’s sense of inferiority in front of these “beauties” diminished significantly. For at that moment, the Grand Preceptor no longer looked down on her, no longer thought she was there due to her father’s connections. Now, no one would think she was there because of her father’s influence. However, everyone was more curious about this intelligent young woman, why she was so plain-looking? Her water-green lotus leaf cinched waist robe wasn’t luxurious, yet it was well-tailored, perfectly outlining her burgeoning figure. But her face, like a chestnut scorched by the sun, starkly contrasted with the fair skin of her neck and hands. Perhaps if she shed that layer of skin on her face, she might be beautiful. Standing beside the princesses and young ladies, she resembled a comical clown. Yet, not a single person here looked down on her or considered her a clown — anyone Mr. Liu would take as a disciple couldn’t be simple, because Mr. Liu himself was far from simple. Perhaps every person of talent naturally invites a second look.