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.
