Happy Too Soon

"Have someone from the outer court take it to be mounted as soon as possible. Madam needs it urgently."

Ping Ye took Lin Yunwan's calligraphy to the second gate and gave the gatekeeper woman her instructions.

The woman dared not delay the mistress's business and readily agreed.

That day, when the mounted calligraphy was delivered to the outer court of the Wuding Marquis Residence, Lu Zhengliu had just returned from outside. His face was dark, and his swordlike brows were tightly knitted.

No one dared risk catching him in a bad mood.

Needless to say, he had surely suffered another rebuff somewhere over the matter of finding a tutor for the two young masters.

The calligraphy flashed past Lu Zhengliu's eyes. As though he had seen something extraordinary, he dismounted and raced after it, hurrying past the screen wall and through the inner court's flower-hung gate until he actually arrived at... Drooping Silk Hall!

Seeing his bedraggled appearance, Lin Yunwan paused with her brush and frowned. "Heir, what are you doing?"

Several strong servant women were carrying the calligraphy inside. They curtsied and asked, "Madam, which wall should we hang it on?"

Lin Yunwan pointed to the east wall.

Lu Zhengliu could not bring himself to move. He stared at the calligraphy the whole time as though he were gazing at a priceless treasure.

The look in his eyes was enough to make one's scalp tingle!

Even the maids of Drooping Silk Hall, to say nothing of Lin Yunwan, found it unsettling. What was wrong with the heir?

Unable to bear the way he was staring at her calligraphy, Lin Yunwan simply set down her brush, looked at him, and called out to him.

"Heir, is there something wrong with my calligraphy?"

Lu Zhengliu turned his gaze to her, and there was actually a smile in his icy eyes. "No."

"...?"

Lin Yunwan could not make sense of it.

Lu Zhengliu gazed at her and said, for no apparent reason, "I truly wore through iron shoes searching for it in vain."

With that, he let out a great sigh of relief and strode out.

The two maids, Ping Ye and Tao Ye, came over and murmured among themselves.

At last, they worked out what Lu Zhengliu had meant.

"Madam, could the heir be thinking of having you give the two young masters their first lessons?"

Ping Ye was deeply displeased. Young Master Chang Gong was one thing, but what was Young Master Qing? A seven-year-old child who showed not the slightest regard for propriety before his principal mother! He had not even been the child Madam had chosen, and now they wanted to dump him on her to raise and teach? In their dreams!

"If he really is thinking that, he's happy too soon."

Lin Yunwan spoke casually.

Ping Ye was lost in a fog. The matter was thoroughly upsetting, yet it really could not be avoided. Why would Madam say that?

After being busy for most of the day, Lin Yunwan was tired. She yawned and went to her room for a nap.

The two maids helped her lie down, then whispered to each other beneath the covered walkway.

Ping Ye was naturally furious.

Tao Ye gently coaxed her, "Can't you see? In all this time, when has Madam suffered a grievance or been taken advantage of by the heir or Old Madam?"

Ping Ye was silent for a while, then blinked.

That did seem to be true.

Take the matter of finding a tutor for the two young masters: it was the heir who had run into walls everywhere and suffered all sorts of trouble.

She still did not quite understand. "If this task really falls to our madam, she'll have to manage the household and teach the two young masters. How will she find enough time? If the slightest thing goes wrong, who knows what others will say about her? What else can Madam do?"

Tao Ye smiled. "Think carefully. Who did Madam seek the Bamboo Branch Calligraphy Model for?"

Ping Ye seemed to understand.

Tao Ye went on, "Madam already intended to give Young Master Chang Gong his first lessons, and the two young masters can't be treated differently, so there's no avoiding this. But Madam won't let herself be taken advantage of or suffer grievances. Just watch her!"

Ping Ye felt better, and even a faint sense of anticipation stirred in her heart.

Still, in the long run, Madam's position remained worrying.

"The way the heir treats Madam... it's very strange! That Cousin Miss's arrival was peculiar. I'm afraid she might harbor some crooked intentions while Madam is occupied."

"Even if a concubine can't shake Madam's position, I'm afraid the heir will keep treating her so coldly. If he has a son of his own by a concubine first, what will Madam do then?"

Tao Ye had no answer. She twisted her handkerchief, troubled.

When it was time for the evening meal:

"Madam, Old Madam asks you to join her for the meal."

"I understand."

Lin Yunwan changed her clothes and went over.

The meal was secondary; what mattered was discussing the two boys' first lessons, so no one made idle conversation at the table.

Ge Bao'er had been attending to Old Madam's meals in the courtyard for several days in a row, and she was in the room helping serve the dishes now.

After the meal, Old Madam Lu deliberately sent her away. "You must be tired too. Go back to your room and rest. Leave these things to the servants."

Ge Bao'er's hand paused. She was rather reluctant to leave; after all, this concerned her son's future.

In the end, she did not dare defy Old Madam.

"Bao'er will take her leave."

Old Madam Lu took Lin Yunwan into the inner room to talk, and Lu Zhengliu followed behind, lifting the curtain for them.

After leaving, Ge Bao'er looked back one last time and saw the room softly lit, her husband and another woman talking with an elder about her son.

She bit her lip and walked away, feeling aggrieved.

"Yun Wan, you said you were out of practice, but your calligraphy is clearly excellent! Zhengliu told me all about it."

Lu Zhengliu looked at Lin Yunwan, his eyes bright.

He had received an education and was well versed in military texts, and he had spent the past few days cramming as well, so of course he could tell good calligraphy from bad. Lin Yunwan could write such fine clerical script, and her studies were not lacking either; she was perfectly capable of being his son's teacher.

Old Madam Lu added, "When the old master was alive, he praised both your calligraphy and your learning. Why seek far and wide when what we need is close at hand? You can teach the two boys!"

Her attitude was so firm that Lin Yunwan could not refuse.

In truth, she had not intended to refuse, but she still said, "I can learn, but that doesn't necessarily mean I can teach. Every craft has its own specialty. Someone who has been a teacher would be better at guiding students."

She asked, "Has the heir still not found a teacher? If you appeal to their interests and show your sincerity in educating your sons, surely someone will be moved."

That happened to coincide with Lu Zhengliu's thinking; it was precisely the strategy he had used.

Only...

He lowered his head slightly and said, "Their interests are all much the same. For the Marquis's Residence, catering to their tastes is truly difficult."

He had already put aside his pride before those scholars and lost face. He was unwilling to bend his knees to their preferences again and again.

Lin Yunwan had nothing to say and gave a sigh.

Her sigh was soft, almost inaudible.

Even so, Lu Zhengliu felt as though his spine had bent, and he felt inexplicably uncomfortable.

Old Madam Lu, meanwhile, was somewhat annoyed. Why was it taking so long to get a definite answer when they were asking her to teach the children?

Before she could grow angry, Lin Yunwan said, "Teaching the children is my duty as their principal mother. I cannot shirk it."

Now that was more like it!

Old Madam Lu had only just begun to feel better when she heard Lin Yunwan say, "But the affairs of the Marquis's Residence leave me unable to be in two places at once."

"You're unwilling?"

Old Madam Lu grew anxious.

Lin Yunwan said mildly, "Let me make the unpleasant part clear first. I will do my utmost to teach them, but I cannot neglect the affairs of the Marquis's Residence either. How much they learn will depend on their own abilities."

"Of course."

Old Madam Lu breathed a sigh of relief.

Lu Zhengliu silently studied Lin Yunwan, then suddenly smiled.

Lin Yunwan was simply baffled.