Lin Jiayue had never imagined she would suffer such terrible consequences from a single slap. After she struck that old hag surnamed Li, the other matrons from Xiuyan Pavilion dragged her into the room. Those matrons did rough work daily and possessed frightening strength—not only could she not break free, she couldn’t even curse at them. A soft cloth was stuffed in her mouth, while other nannies stood by with a pile of items that looked delicate but filled her with unease.
“Concubine Lin is quite fortunate. These implements were specially made when our ancestors established the clan and founded the household. In a hundred years, no one has had the pleasure of using them.”
Nanny Li selected a pale yellow jade board from a large lacquered fan-shaped tray. The board was forearm-length and palm-width, wider at the front and narrower at the back, thin, smooth, and translucent.
Lin Jiayue struggled and mumbled. Nanny Li said, “Release Concubine Lin.”
“Old hag, I want to see if you dare lay a finger on me.”
Lin Jiayue was somewhat afraid, but she was certain these servants wouldn’t dare do anything to her. “Jiang Xingjian is always extremely courteous when he sees me and never says a harsh word. You servants who wait on people—how would you dare treat me poorly?”
Qi Shun’s wife snorted with laughter. “The Young Master and Young Madam are considerate of servants. They’ll say a few kind words and reward a couple of coins even to those who empty the chamber pots in the household. Concubine, you mustn’t think it’s because you’ve somehow won the Young Master’s special favor.”
“Moreover, the Young Master’s name is not something you can call directly.”
Nanny Li smiled. “Since I don’t know where to begin teaching these rules, I’ll first correct Concubine’s habit of speaking recklessly without respect for superiors.”
She pulled a soft cloth from the redwood washing stand, soaked it thoroughly in cold water, then wrapped it around the rhinoceros horn disciplinary ruler.
As Lin Jiayue watched her approach closer and closer, she couldn’t help but feel afraid.
“Concubine Lin needn’t be afraid. The rhinoceros horn ruler is thin and wrapped with a cold water cloth. Though it hurts when struck, it won’t leave marks or truly injure you.”
The moment she finished speaking, Lin Jiayue heard a sharp crack, and her cheek immediately began to throb with pain.
When something thin and tough struck her face, her cheek quickly heated up. But because it was also wrapped with a cloth soaked in cold water, that heat remained suppressed beneath the skin’s surface. The swelling sensation of pain that couldn’t be released made Lin Jiayue feel her gums and tongue root go numb.
“Crack.”
With one strike of the ruler, Nanny Li recited loudly, “A virtuous woman guards her mouth, speaks no baseless words, engages in no frivolous behavior, involves herself in no filth, and places herself in no suspicious situations.”
“Crack…”
“Womanly virtue means quiet righteousness, womanly speech means simple elegance, womanly work means thorough prudence, womanly appearance means refined grace… Recite it aloud!”
Lin Jiayue’s limbs were firmly pinned down. She clenched her teeth tightly and refused to speak no matter what.
Nanny Li sneered coldly. She repeated the same phrase over and over. With each recitation came a crack.
She had served at Madam Jiang’s side since childhood—fifteen years at the Liang household plus over twenty years at the Marquis residence—and no master had ever spoken a harsh word to her. Now to have been slapped by a junior concubine, these decades of dignity were completely wasted.
In the past, though she looked down on Lin Jiayue, she had never thought to deliberately make things difficult for her. But now it was uncertain to what degree these rules would need to be learned.
“Pure, single-minded, and steadfast—the way of conducting oneself…”
“Pure, single-minded, and steadfast…”
Unable to withstand strike after strike, Lin Jiayue finally couldn’t hold out and slowly began to speak.
Seeing her compliance, Nanny Li snorted coldly. “Invite Concubine Lin over to learn with this old servant the rules of movement, lying down, stepping, and sitting.”
She tossed down the ruler and signaled to a young maid with a servant’s bun to change Lin Jiayue’s clothes.
The young maid hastily stripped off Lin Jiayue’s garments. She felt only shame but was powerless to resist.
The new clothes had been starched with some unknown substance and were stiff as boards, painful and uncomfortable to wear.
Then another matron stepped forward holding a roll of embroidery needles, which she quickly pinned onto Lin Jiayue’s dress and skirt.
Nanny Li took out a long, thin cane and said coldly, “Please follow this old servant in learning the proper movements for bowing.”
Lin Jiayue felt all her teeth had lost sensation from clenching, yet she had no choice but to follow Nanny Li’s movements. But the clothes on her body were like iron plates, and with the slightest carelessness, silver needles would pierce into her flesh. After just a few steps, she was drenched in sweat, suffering unbearably.
“Crack.”
The thin, long cane struck Lin Jiayue’s leg. “When standing, don’t sway your skirt.”
“Crack.”
“When walking, don’t turn your head.”
“Crack.”
“When speaking, don’t part your lips widely.”
“Crack…”
“Walk lightly with slow steps, keep hands folded and voice low…”
It wasn’t until the middle of the night that Lin Jiayue suddenly woke from her dreams, her mouth involuntarily shouting out a phrase about the principles of proper conduct, with only purity and chastity as one’s duty.
Coming to her senses, she couldn’t help but sob aloud.
“Ahem, would Concubine Lin like some tea?”
“No… no need.”
With red eyes, Lin Jiayue lay back down under the quilts, never before hating this era so much.
The carved canopy bed was heavy and exquisite. A single wooden carved bed contained both a vanity and small table, and inside the bed were dozens of delicate wooden boxes for the user to store various ingenious items.
When she first saw it, she was very pleased and couldn’t help but imagine what kind of luxurious extravagance the canopy bed in Lanting Courtyard’s main residence must be.
But outside the canopy bed was the embroidered couch for the night-watch maid. It was said to be for convenient care, but in reality, if she turned over at night, someone would speak up with instructions. And outside the couch where the personal maid slept was the side room for rough-work maids, and beyond that slept the watch-keeping matrons.
If she talked in her sleep at night, by the next day it would be spread far and wide.
Lin Jiayue stared at the blue gauze curtain above her head, biting the quilt and crying silently.
Half dreaming, half sleeping, seemingly awake yet not fully awake, she suffered through the night. Before the sky had even brightened, Lin Jiayue was shaken awake again by Nanny Li.
She had barely endured yesterday and was fantasizing that today Jiang Xingjian would come looking for her, would appear like a hero on colorful auspicious clouds to rescue her from fire and water. But this wishful thinking was seen through at a glance by Nanny Li.
Nanny Li sneered. “Is Concubine Lin hoping the Young Master will appear?”
Lin Jiayue pressed her lips together and said nothing.
“Heh, this old servant will tell Concubine the truth. Such foolish wishful thinking is really unnecessary. The current Emperor, Imperial Consort Jiang, and Consort Yun have returned to the palace from their summer retreat. The Young Master and Young Madam entered the palace before dawn today to have an audience with the Emperor. Even when they return from the palace, the two of them must still go to the Song household to pay respects to the bride’s family.”
“Without three to five days, the Young Master and Young Madam won’t return.”
Lin Jiayue’s face showed shock, her complexion turning pale with a greenish tinge. Seeing this, Nanny Li said, “The Young Madam is one blessed with good fortune. Concubine Lin should pray early that the Young Master and Young Madam can produce a noble heir. Otherwise, drinking too much contraceptive tea will make it difficult to conceive in the future.”
“Though children born to concubines must be sent to the legitimate mother to raise, if you’re obedient and properly beg the Young Madam, she might not necessarily refuse to show mercy.”
Lin Jiayue bit her lip until traces of teeth marks oozed tiny spots of bright red.
She was here suffering hardship for Jiang Xingjian’s sake, yet Jiang Xingjian was entering the palace to see the Emperor together with Song Wan, even going to the Song household?
Lin Jiayue’s heart shattered with hatred, but she didn’t know that Song Wan’s palace visit wasn’t going any more smoothly.