Spring in the Hall of Paintings

Yun Xin’s wedding preparations were in full swing, with Mrs Jueluo making grand arrangements for her dowry. Yun Xin’s future husband was not only the youngest legitimate son of the Right Inspector, Lord Shumu Lu, but he was also greatly favored in his family. The most important factor, however, was that the match was well-regarded, making it an excellent match for the concubine-born Yun Xin.

Such arrangements caused Yun Jing, also a concubine-born daughter, to feel imbalanced. She couldn’t understand why Yun Xin was getting such a good match. Though Yun Xin had been disqualified in the final selection, many suitors had come to propose. On the other hand, Yun Jing had no one asking for her hand. She had missed the selection due to illness and was now past the age limit, which led to her being overlooked.

The third branch’s wife, Guo Luoluo, was quite upset with the situation and had a fallout with the eldest lord, Rongda. A girl like Yun Jing, being a concubine’s daughter, could at least register with the Imperial Household Department and arrange a marriage on her own.

In order to maintain her reputation for being virtuous or perhaps feeling guilty toward Yun Jing, Guo Luoluo tried to follow in the steps of the main wife, Mrs Jueluo, by seeking out an appropriate suitor for Yun Jing. However, since Yun Jing had never gone through the selection and had rumors surrounding her health, which claimed she had some hidden illness, no respectable family would dare marry her.

Although there were still some suitors who came to propose, most were from low-ranking families with little status. These suitors were attracted by the growing prestige of the Tong family and the position and title of Yun Jing’s father, Rongzhi. But with Yun Xin being a comparison, how could Yun Jing possibly find such a suitor appealing? For several days, Yun Jing was in tears and eventually locked herself in her room to recover.

One day, a suitor came to propose—he was a fourth-rank guard, reputed to be handsome, with a slightly modest family background. Yun Jing’s spirits lifted, and she sent her maid to inquire about him. However, she soon learned that Guo Luoluo had rejected the proposal, stating that Yun Jing had already been promised to a minor official from the capital, with the marriage set to be finalized in two days.

Yun Jing could no longer remain calm. She stormed into Guo Luoluo’s room, knelt before her without saying a word, and tearfully bid her farewell, saying, “Mother, after raising me, can’t you show a little more kindness and let me… let me shave my head and enter the temple? This way, I won’t delay Fourth Sister any longer.”

Guo Luoluo’s face turned pale with anger as she sent the matchmaker away. She was then interrupted by Mrs Jueluo, who had come to discuss the dowry for Yun Xin’s wedding. The marriages of both daughters needed to be coordinated. Mrs Jueluo, who valued the second branch’s wife, Fucha, had invited her to discuss matters with Guo Luoluo.

As the three women sat down to drink tea and chat, planning to discuss the dowries, Guo Luoluo, having heard from the old lady that Fucha had invited artisans from Jiangnan to create a “Thousand Crafts Bed” for Yun Wei, was moved by the idea. A Thousand Crafts Bed was a rare skill passed down from artisans’ families, and common folk would have to spend a large sum to hire artisans who could make such a bed. Guo Luoluo was considering asking if they could also have a Thousand Crafts Bed made for Yun Lan. Before she could even open her mouth, however, Yun Jing made her dramatic entrance, which left Guo Luoluo extremely embarrassed.

In fact, Guo Luoluo knew that she couldn’t hide this from Jueluo and Fucha, but saying it out loud in front of them made her furious and anxious. Guo Luoluo, who valued her reputation, felt as though her actions were clearly unfair to her illegitimate daughter for the sake of her own daughter. If this became widely known, it could affect her reputation as a woman of virtue. Though the old lady of the Tong family didn’t take charge of all matters, her presence was still significant, and Guo Luoluo, with her slight cunning, knew better than to push things too far.

Guo Luoluo forced a smile and said, “What’s wrong with you, Yun Jing? Perhaps you’re confused because of your illness. I was just discussing your dowry with your aunt and second aunt. You should focus on recovering and preparing for your marriage.”

Yun Jing, having rushed in so urgently, would not be dismissed so easily. She remained kneeling and refused to get up, crying as she said, “I’ve never complained about you, Mother. It’s just that I’m not your own daughter and I’m not as clever or sensible as Fourth Sister. The whole Tong family is counting on Fourth Sister. All I wish is to stay by the Buddha, praying for you, for Father, and for my sister. Please, Mother, have mercy on me.”

Yun Jing kowtowed, and Guo Luoluo became even more upset. How could Yun Jing be so ignorant? How could she be so tactless and still want to marry into a prestigious family? Guo Luoluo had given Yun Jing face by mentioning the presence of outsiders, but Yun Jing still dared to speak in such a way about the Tong family? It was truly infuriating. The whole Tong family was not counting on Yun Lan?

In Guo Luoluo’s heart, she actually didn’t want to marry her precious Yun Lan off to the Fourth Prince, who already had a legitimate consort. It was only after Yun Lan used her eloquent words, explaining the complex relationships and the benefits of the match, and with Rongzhi also agreeing, that Guo Luoluo reluctantly agreed to the marriage.

Now, hearing Yun Jing say this, it seems she is coveting wealth and glory, making her own daughter become a side concubine, casually disposing of the marriage of the illegitimate daughters. Moreover, who doesn’t know that the old lady has repeatedly emphasized that the glory of the Tong family is not in the daughters, but in military achievements and loyalty to Emperor Kangxi? Isn’t this clearly going against the old lady’s wishes?

Fucha quietly drank her tea, seemingly indifferent to the situation in front of her, but Guo Luoluo felt anxious and couldn’t care much. Who knew if Yun Jing would say something else? The second house of the Tong family also had illegitimate daughters, so why did it have to be her who had to deal with a tactless person?

Not to mention Yun Xin, who is perceptive and insightful. Yun Xin’s biological mother passed away early, and she had always been raised by Jueluo. The eldest daughter had already married off, and Yun Xin, with her imposing aura, could match the legitimate daughters in every way. As for Yun Yi, despite being a bit petty and raised by her birth mother and concubine, she greatly respected Fucha, which showed Fucha’s methods.

Guo Luoluo, with a dark expression, shouted towards the door: “Are you all dead? Don’t you know to come in and help the second young lady? She’s still sick.”

She firmly insisted that Yun Jing was ill. Guo Luoluo was extremely displeased with the maid who had let Yun Jing in at the door. The maids hurriedly came in, and when they saw the situation, they froze for a moment. The smart ones stepped forward and helped Yun Jing up, softly saying, “Second young lady, please get up first.”

“No… no…” Yun Jing struggled desperately. She knew that if she missed today, it would be hard to speak again. “Mother, I would rather become a nun than marry into a poor family.”

“Nonsense! Marriage is the will of your parents and the matchmaker’s words. How can you be so unruly?”

Guo Luoluo glared, slapped the table, and ordered, “Help Yun Jing back and have her study the rules for women. I think she’s gotten muddled.”

Several maids came up and forcibly pulled the crying Yun Jing away. The room fell silent again. Guo Luoluo’s expression was dark, while Fucha, setting down her tea cup, chuckled softly and said, “Sister-in-law, you don’t need to be like this. Jing girl doesn’t understand your good intentions, but we, as mothers, all know.”

“Ah, I wonder which loose tongue told Jing girl about this. It must have been the guard causing trouble.” Guo Luoluo took the opportunity to save face, explaining, “Although the guard holds a good position and is ambitious, but… but I fear he’s too ambitious. To be blunt, he’s very good at scheming, and there’s an old lady in the family who favors her youngest son. How could I bear to marry Yun Jing to such a family?”

“Baozhu, however, is different. Although not from a prestigious family, he is steady and honest. His family is simple, with only a widowed mother, and he is very kind. Yun Jing would be able to manage the household well there. Although Baozhu is a small official, he will soon be promoted, either transferred outside or go with the master to the palace to become a third-rank guard. It’s all good. Although his family has fallen on hard times and can’t compare to the glory of his ancestors, his family is still prosperous, and Yun Jing is well-matched with him. That’s why I arranged this match.”

“Sister-in-law, Yun Jing will understand and appreciate your efforts in the future. However, I must offer one more piece of advice.” As the eldest sister-in-law, Jueluo was entitled to speak. Guo Luoluo listened attentively. Jueluo became serious and said, “You can’t let Jing girl keep behaving like this. It may not be a big deal in front of us, but if outsiders hear of it… it will harm Lan girl’s future and damage your reputation as well. You must have a good talk with Yun Jing. She’s not a foolish girl. She will understand.”

“Big sister-in-law, I’m just soft-hearted and always want to pamper her a little more, but it has made her lose her manners. I will teach her properly.”

Guo Luoluo swore, and Fucha smiled, “Since we’ve come across this matter, let me say one more thing. Sister-in-law, Yun Lan is exceptionally intelligent, but she lacks a bit of steadiness. I won’t go into the rules, but if she is to marry into a family in the future, you must be more attentive for Lan girl’s sake. As long as Lan girl hasn’t been selected for a marriage match, these rumors will continue circulating and cause major trouble. Didn’t Yun Jing almost slip up today? A truly wise person would understand this.”

“Second sister-in-law, I understand. There won’t be such rumors again,” Guo Luoluo made up her mind. For Lan’s future, she would thoroughly reorganize things. Fucha nodded with a smile, her good intentions, however, were more about planning for Yun Wei’s future.