The Third Lady had to leave, leaving Qingqing to talk with Mr. Liu. After a while, Mr. Liu finally spoke, “I heard that when you were just rescued by the Crown Prince, you were clutching that bracelet?” Qingqing looked up in surprise, realizing that Minister Lin had told Mr. Liu without informing the Third Lady, and nodded. Mr. Liu sighed and asked, “Why?” Qingqing lowered her head and said softly, “When I fell, I saw the bracelet sinking, so I reached for it without a second thought. Who would have guessed I’d be so lucky to actually retrieve it.” Mr. Liu exclaimed in surprise, “Is this bracelet so precious? You risked your life to retrieve it?” “This bracelet is indeed precious to me,” Qingqing said, lifting her wrist to look at the bracelet she had desperately retrieved. She continued, “It was given to me by my mother.” Mr. Liu looked at her with pity, his tone gentle, “Even if you lost it, she would at most scold you…”
“It’s not just because I’m afraid of her scolding; I value this bracelet more,” Qingqing shook her head. “Ever since I was born, I’ve brought endless troubles to my mother, yet I’ve never been able to repay her. If I can’t even keep something she gave me, I would feel guilty for life.”
Suddenly, there was a suppressed sobbing from the doorway, and Mr. Liu tentatively asked, “Is that the Third Lady outside?” The sound outside paused briefly, then slowly someone walked in; it was indeed the Third Lady. She had been outside the whole time. Seeing Qingqing’s bewildered look at her, tears began to flow even more fiercely. “Qingqing, you… you are so foolish…”
Qingqing had never seen her mother like this before and tears also fell from her eyes as she choked out, “I’ve always been a burden to you, Mother, I…” The Third Lady shook her head, “No, no… Having a child like you, I should be content…” She then walked over to Qingqing, hugging her shoulders in comfort. Mother and daughter shared a tearful smile.
Qingqing suddenly remembered something and exclaimed in wonder, “It’s really a coincidence. On such a cold day, a piece of remaining lotus leaf actually caught the bracelet. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have seen it if it had sunk earlier.” Mr. Liu laughed, “If it had sunk earlier, you wouldn’t have gone to retrieve it, and you wouldn’t have fallen into the pond.”
Chapter 85: Qingqing Has Grown Up
Qingqing thought for a long time before finally nodding, “That’s true.” The Third Lady remarked, “You usually seem quite clever, but sometimes you can be quite foolish.” Suddenly, a voice from outside said, “When was she ever clever? I can’t see any sign of it.” They turned around to see it was Mr. Lin. The Third Lady was both surprised and pleased. Since the year the Ghost Doctor left, Mr. Lin had not stepped into the east wing. Now that he had come today, was he here to reprimand Qingqing? But he wasn’t. He said, “Since the Crown Prince pleaded for you, I will not pursue the matter further. From now on, you will study well with Mr. Liu and Hong’er in the mansion.”
“What?” Qingqing seemed not to hear clearly, “Can I still study?” Mr. Lin snorted coldly, “Of course, my daughter Lin Pu must be educated.” With that, he flicked his sleeve and walked away.
Afterward, the Third Lady changed, becoming a truly good mother. Mr. Lin was pleased and often rewarded her, spending more nights with her. Qingqing gradually grew up. Her closest people were the Third Lady, Mr. Liu, Aunt Hong, and Lin Hong. Lin Hong, although a sibling to Ya Fu, had a completely different personality. Yu Zhen and Li Qin would visit her often, and her longing for the Fourth Prince finally cooled with repeated disappointments. Sometimes she thought, living in the Lin Mansion was much better than the palace. Although the rooms were not as grand, and the meals not as exquisite, there were no constant threats and cautious steps.
In spring, flowers bloomed, their fragrance spreading everywhere. Birds sang, and the world was lush with reds and greens, full of vitality. “Elder sister, Mr. Liu said we are to study ‘The Art of War’ today, why are you still reading ‘The Doctrine of the Mean’?” Lin Hong said, bowing as he entered the study. Now fifteen, he was a handsome and refined young man, his every move exuding elegance and grace. Qingqing burst into laughter, her face still dark, and said solemnly, “Hong’er, do you understand ‘Before the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are aroused, it is called the state of equilibrium. When these emotions are expressed, and all are in harmony, it is called the state of unity’?”
Lin Hong smiled, “Is my elder sister testing me?” Qingqing smiled back, shrugging her shoulders, hands spread out, neither confirming nor denying.
Chapter 86 – Chapter 95
Chapter 86: Old Books Should Be Reread
“These two lines reveal the goals of self-education, self-restraint, and self-monitoring.” “Uh…” Qingqing paced and thought, “The principle is right, but you haven’t grasped it thoroughly.” Lin Hong responded with an “oh,” waiting for Qingqing to elaborate. Qingqing continued slowly, “‘The Art of War’ speaks of strategy, and the pinnacle of strategy is to make your strategies invisible. Therefore, these goals of self-education, self-restraint, and self-monitoring are very important.”
Lin Hong laughed heartily, “Now that Mr. Liu favors you, you’ve become even more unruly. The more unruly, the sharper your tongue gets.” Qingqing bowed, “You flatter me, you flatter me!”
At that moment, Mr. Liu walked in and said, “Qingqing has only mentioned one aspect. You must also remember the saying, ‘Old books should be reread a hundred times; deep reading and pondering lead to self-understanding. One day, fame and fortune might come, but today’s leisure should not be rushed.’ Even though your achievements allow you to bypass the Four Books and Five Classics, never abandon your old textbooks.”
The two pondered for just a moment before nodding in agreement, respectfully responding, “Thank you, Mr. Liu, for your guidance. We will remember it in our hearts.”
Mr. Liu nodded with satisfaction, “Let’s start the lesson.” As he spoke, he picked up the textbook and slowly said, “I believe both the young master and the young lady have read ‘The Art of War.’ Just now, the elder miss mentioned ‘Before the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are aroused, it is called the state of equilibrium. When these emotions are expressed, and all are in harmony, it is called the state of unity.’ Do you know how this relates to the ‘Thirty-Six Stratagems’ ‘Smiling Tiger’ strategy?”
This “Smiling Tiger” strategy comes from an ancient tale where a Song general named Cao Wei, upon hearing of a betrayal, did not show fear but instead acted calmly, not pursuing the traitor, allowing the enemy to mistakenly think the traitor was sent to attack, thus eliminating them. But how does this relate to self-discipline? Qingqing slowly explained, “These two lines seem unrelated at first, but upon closer examination, they hide profound connections.” Qingqing smiled at the two, continuing, “Warfare relies on secrecy. Self-discipline and a smile are both excellent ways to conceal one’s true intentions. Just as Mr. Liu once taught me, the smartest kind of intelligence is the one that others can’t see, and one must know how to disguise oneself.”
Lin Hong continued, “In that case, I must be cautious with the sweet words from Mr. Liu and my elder sister in the future, treating them as mere talk, and be wary of the hidden strategies you might employ.”