Chapter 5: Filial Piety and Ji Lan (1)
The eldest unmarried daughter of the Shen family was Third Miss Shen Yuan, sixteen-year-old legitimate daughter of Lord Zhongyi. Her marriage had been arranged, scheduled for the following year.
As the oldest among them, Shen Yuan naturally assumed responsibility for her younger sisters. After seating everyone properly, she introduced Ji Cheng, their new cousin, to Su Yun and the other family members.
"This is Cousin Su Yun whom you met earlier," Shen Yuan told Ji Cheng. "She's Great-Aunt's granddaughter. You two appear to be the same age, though I'm unsure who's older."
When Ji Cheng shared her birthdate, they discovered Su Yun was precisely one day her senior - thus establishing "Sister Yun" and "Sister Cheng."
Fourth Miss Shen Qin, though also fifteen, trailed Su Yun and Ji Cheng by several months. As Princess Anhe's daughter, she'd been granted the title of County Princess at birth.
The family's sixth and seventh daughters had died young.
Eighth Miss Shen Zhi, only five years old, had already returned to her courtyard after morning greetings, deemed too young to remain in Ruiying Hall.
After introductions concluded, an unexpected silence descended.
Su Yun broke the quiet with a radiant smile. "Sister Yuan, I've long heard Grandmother praise your family's academy. They say you employ the most learned female scholars in Great Qin. Now seeing all you sisters - so cultured and well-read - I find the rumors don't do you justice."
Her compliment struck true. While accustomed to praise for their beauty, the Shen sisters particularly valued recognition of their cultivated minds.
The family indeed invested heavily in their daughters' education. Shen women enjoyed such sterling reputations in the capital that suitors flocked to their doors - even for the previous Second Miss, a concubine-born daughter whose suitors nearly wore through the threshold.
"You flatter us," Shen Yuan demurred. "Our teachers are indeed knowledgeable and virtuous, but none would dare claim to be Great Qin's most learned. Since Great-Aunt mentioned you'll be staying longer, you might join our studies if Grandmother approves."
"How wonderful!" Su Yun's dazzling smile lit the room.
Fourth Miss Shen Qin clapped excitedly. "Splendid! With Eighth Sister too young to join, our classes have been so quiet lately. Sister Yun's presence will liven things up!"
Shen Yuan teased, "You always think of amusement. Before Sister He married, you constantly begged her to do your assignments. Now you eye Sister Yun for the same purpose?"
"No! Absolutely not!" Qin protested, waving her hands urgently. "After Second Brother's scolding last time, and the endless lectures from elders, I wouldn't dare!"
"Second Brother scolds you?" interjected Fifth Miss Shen Cui. "I heard he made First Brother do his homework as a boy."
"Exactly!" Qin huffed. "He's like officials forbidding lamps while setting fires themselves! His tricks only fool Mother. Just wait until I expose him!"
"You'd truly report Second Brother?" Shen Yuan asked skeptically.
Qin deflated. "Well... just speaking idly."
Su Yun chuckled. "Truthfully, needing homework help isn't shameful. When assignments overwhelm us, staying up late harms both eyes and spirit. I've needed extensions myself."
"You studied formally in the south?" Qin leaned forward eagerly. "Of course your family employs tutors! When overwhelmed, what did you do?"
"I simply told the truth," Su Yun replied. "My teacher never punished me if I'd genuinely tried."
Qin stuck out her tongue playfully. "How brave! Our teacher makes us complete assignments before returning. I couldn't bear the embarrassment!"
As Su Yun skillfully maintained the conversation with Yuan and Qin, Shen Cui found herself repeatedly excluded after brief interjections. Resentment grew - she already disliked Su Yun's striking beauty, now suspecting deliberate snubbing. Were they favoring Yuan and Qin because her father lacked status and her mother came from merchant stock?
In truth, this stemmed from Cui's own insecurities. Even had Su Yun harbored bias, she'd never show it so crudely. Moreover, disparaging one Shen sister would lower her standing with the others.
Cui's fragile pride manifested in only addressing Yuan and Qin, waiting vainly for Su Yun's approach. The latter, being nobly bred, saw no reason to court coldness, deepening the misunderstanding.
When Cui glanced at Ji Cheng - silent yet attentive, smiling and nodding without apparent awareness of being overlooked - she wondered if the girl was simple-minded. Feeling kinship with this fellow outsider, she addressed her directly: "Sister Cheng, Mother mentioned you'll attend school with me?"
The phrasing implied Ji Cheng would be her study companion rather than fellow student.
"Indeed. I never imagined I'd study under Madam Lian again," Ji Cheng replied.
"How do you know Madam Lian?" Cui blinked. "Did Mother tell you? Wait - 'again'?"
Madam Lian, the esteemed tutor currently employed by the Shens, commanded respect even from the Duke and Earl. Her profound knowledge and moral integrity elevated her beyond ordinary instructors. Students adored her engaging teaching style that transcended rote learning.
When Madam Lian arrived two years prior, Second Miss Shen He - then unmarried and renowned as Beijing's literary prodigy - tested all tutors. Rather than debating, Madam Lian posed a single question that conquered the entire household.
"I studied under Madam Lian for two years in Jin Province," Ji Cheng explained.
Later, when the Shens sought eminent tutors, Ji Cheng's father recommended Madam Lian to his sister-in-law Madam Ji Lan. Though reluctant to part with her mentor, Ji Cheng recognized this connection's future benefits. Coincidentally, Madam Lian had old Beijing acquaintances and gladly accepted.
"So you're Madam Lian's former student!" Shen Qin exclaimed, properly noticing Ji Cheng for the first time.
Ji Cheng looked perplexed. "Former student?"
Shen Yuan smiled and explained, "Mr. Lian often mentions her former female disciple in front of us, saying she's clever and cunning, and that she learned much from her."
"Oh." Ji Cheng's face flushed instantly, never expecting Mr. Lian would praise someone this way.
"Who could have imagined we'd meet this legendary person someday!" Shen Qin exclaimed in delight.
Seeing everyone discuss Mr. Lian, Su Yun grew curious too, her eyes curving with amusement. "From how you speak of her, this Mr. Lian sounds remarkable."
"Yes, yes!" Shen Qin nodded vigorously. "It's the homework Mr. Lian assigns that I never finish, yet dare not claim I've tried my hardest." She launched into animated tales about their teacher.
Su Yun listened raptly before asking, "What question did Mr. Lian pose to Second Sister that convinced her?"
"Actually, it wasn't difficult," Shen Qin said. "She asked: If two people move a loaded cart - one pushing from front, one pulling from behind - can the cart still move forward?"
Su Yun blinked at the simplicity. Her instinct said "Impossible!", yet since it had stumped Shen He... "Could it move forward? But that seems..." She bit her lip. Had Shen He fallen for reverse psychology, answering "possible" when the truth was "impossible"?
Shen Qin shook her arm. "Yun-jie, answer!"
"I think it's impossible," Su Yun confessed.
Shen Cui burst out laughing. "Of course it's possible! What about downhill slopes?"
"Oh!" Su Yun knocked her forehead. "How could I forget that? How stupid of me!"
"You're not stupid," Shen Yuan reassured. "None of us guessed it either. Mr. Lian said we're too book-taught to see practical solutions. She shows us life wisdom we'll actually use. We're not imperial examinees - our reading should differ from men's. Mr. Lian lights new paths for us."
Su Yun nodded thoughtfully.
"Cheng-jie, did Mr. Lian test you with this?" Shen Qin asked.
Ji Cheng hesitated. This was actually the question she'd used to challenge Mr. Lian initially. The scholarly widow from Jin had been reluctant to teach a merchant's daughter until defeated in their wager. Smiling enigmatically, Ji Cheng remained silent, letting others assume she'd failed too.
Shen Qin chattered on: "Mr. Lian gives such strange tests! Last time it was a chess puzzle."
She summoned a maid with a chessboard. Su Yun paled - she played Go, not chess.
"Not playing!" Shen Qin arranged ten pieces in a triangle: one top, four base, with two and three in middle rows. "Flip four pieces so no three upright ones form equilateral triangles!"
Shen Yuan massaged her temples. "Ah-Qin, must you trouble Yun-jie now? Guests will arrive soon!"
"I just remembered!" Shen Qin pouted. "Second Brother solved it instantly yesterday."
"Not everyone's Second Brother," Shen Yuan retorted.
Su Yun's competitive spirit flared. She tried various combinations until new arrivals interrupted - granddaughters of Duke Qi's old friends, Misses Yan and Jiang.
As others greeted them, Su Yun kept staring at the board. Suddenly she gasped: "I've got it!"
True enough, flipping the apex piece, two central base pieces, and the middle of the third row left no equilateral triangles.
"Yun-jie solved it in tea-time!" Shen Qin marveled.
The group reconvened, Su Yun now mingling effortlessly. Where Ji Cheng earned respect through quiet grace, Su Yun's kindred background bred instant camaraderie.
By evening, Ji Cheng's cheeks ached from smiling. Even Shen Yuan and Qin looked drained.
Returning to Tiemao Alley, Shen Cui leaned heavily on her maid, propriety abandoned. Their black-curtained carriage awaited - Ji Lan having left earlier. Ji Cheng boarded wearily, every bone protesting.
(End of Chapter)
