Spring in the Hall of Paintings

As usual, Yun Wei rose early in the dim morning light. After freshening up, she instructed Moyu to fetch two books from the study. Leaning by the window, she softly recited as the day brightened, the sun rising in the east. Qinglu extinguished the candle, reminding her, “Miss, it’s time to greet the lady.”

Yun Wei’s long lashes fluttered like butterflies, her fingers lingering over the pages as she smiled, “Sister Qinglu, I don’t feel tired at all.”

Stretching lazily, she propped herself against the window sill, the fresh air hitting her face. Dew glistened on the rough ground, and a green-feathered, red-beaked parrot in the corridor flapped its wings, calling, “Miss is well, Miss is well.”

“Sister Qinglu, the lotus flowers have bloomed today!”

Yun Wei pointed to the pond, where pink and white petals trembled gently in the breeze.

“It’s a good day, of course the lotus flowers will bloom.”

Qinglu smiled as she assisted Yun Wei in getting dressed. Yun Wei’s attire was not as extravagant as Yun Lan’s, who loved to wear little accessories or have intricate embroidery on her skirts. Yun Wei’s outfit was more traditional, with patterns personally embroidered by Lin Mama. Every stitch and thread was exquisite, paired with simple yet elegant silver and jade accessories, complementing Yun Wei’s sweet and delicate features.

“Lotus flowers blooming? Today, today!” Yun Wei suddenly jumped from her stool, clutching her head. “It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.”

A strand of hair was caught in her comb. Qinglu rubbed her head and asked, “Miss, does it still hurt?”

“June 24th, today is June 24th,” Yun Wei said, rubbing her scalp where the hair had pulled. Realization dawned on her, “It’s my birthday!”

Qinglu laughed, “Finally, the Miss remembers.”

Yun Wei’s cheeks flushed slightly as she pouted, complaining, “Sister Qinglu didn’t remind me! Hmph, I won’t talk to you anymore.”

“Servant knows wrong, servant knows wrong,” Qinglu said, a smile in her eyes. Who could bear to see the young lady’s adorable little sulk? The lady treated her like a treasure, and the master was also fond of her. Not to mention, Second Master (Chengwu) had long been secretly preparing gifts for his sister.

“I heard from the lady yesterday that you won’t be going to school today.”

“No way! That’s unacceptable. If I don’t study for even a day, I’ll get lazy. I can’t match Fourth Sister’s intelligence; hard work can make up for my shortcomings. If I lose my diligence, how can I catch up to her?”

“Have Moyu prepare what you need for class. Don’t forget the rice paper on the desk; it’s for asking the teacher questions.”

“Miss.” Qinglu called out to Yun Wei, who was heading outside, her heart aching. “This is the lady’s wish. Fourth Sister also had a day off for her birthday.”

“I’ll go greet Mother. I’ll discuss it with her.”

Yun Wei moved lightly, lifting the curtain. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be lazy, but with Yun Lan as a comparison, the inherently proud and stubborn Yun Wei couldn’t bring herself to stop.

“Lady, the young lady has arrived.”

As the maid announced, Yun Wei entered the main room. Fucha was sitting in the main position, with Rongxuan and Chengwu beside her, while the concubine stood silently, gazing at the floor next to Fucha.

Yun Wei knelt on the prepared mat, performing the formal greeting as she bowed, saying, “Father, Mother, greetings.”

Rongxuan nodded, signaling her to rise. After Yun Wei bowed again, filled with gratitude, she said, “Today is my birthday. I thank Father and Mother for giving me life and for your nurturing.”

Fucha felt a pang in her heart, tears glistening in her eyes. She glanced at her husband, Rongxuan, and said with relief, “My dear, our daughter has grown another year older.”

“Mm.” Rongxuan was not good with words. Heartbroken for his daughter, he took out a prepared sandalwood box from his pocket and handed it to Yun Wei, saying seriously, “Be humble and diligent. Work hard.”

“Thank you, Father.” Yun Wei took the box and looked up at Rongxuan, tilting her head and smiling sweetly. She moved her lips and murmured softly, “Brother says the same thing, Father. You say this every year; I can recite it all.”

Fucha lightly scolded Yun Wei, “No nonsense. This is your father’s expectation for you; how can you get tired of hearing it?”

Rongxuan coughed to hide his embarrassment, and Fucha asked with concern, “My lord, am I not correct?”

The smiling, gentle, and virtuous lady held her cute little daughter in her arms, while her son Chengwu, who was talented and had a personality very similar to hers, was nearby. Rongxuan curved his lips and said, “Set the table.”

Fucha knew not to tease her husband too much, so she nodded and replied, “As you wish, my lord.”

They moved to the dining hall. The Tong family had not split up; the three brothers held important positions. The matriarch, Grandma Jue, felt sorry for her busy sons and exempted them from morning greetings, keeping only the customary greetings on the first and fifteenth days of the month. Thus, each household in the Tong family had separate breakfasts.

Fucha valued rules highly, and Rongxuan respected his legitimate wife, not interfering in domestic matters. The concubine, managed by Fucha, had lost her temper and quietly led the maids to serve the masters. Even her own daughter, Yunyi, had to serve diligently and could not act superior because of her mother.

In a respectable household, concubines would always be overshadowed by the legitimate wife. The children born to them would be registered under the legitimate wife’s name. In noble families, it was rare for a son to favor a concubine over his legitimate wife; if any descendant did such a thing, it would bring shame to the entire family and affect the unmarried daughters within it.

In front of Yun Wei was a bowl of longevity noodles. She used chopsticks to pick up the firm noodles and brought them to her mouth, savoring the familiar taste. With slightly reddened eyes, she looked at Fucha, who said, “Today is my dear Wei’s birthday, so I’ll say this: Yun Wei must not bite off the noodles.”

“Mm.” Yun Wei ate the noodles from the blue-and-white porcelain bowl. Fucha smiled with satisfaction, and Rongxuan also smiled at his wife. On their birthdays, Fucha would personally cook a bowl of clear broth noodles, which were very delicious. Rongxuan had heard Fucha mention that the soup and noodles were her family’s secret recipes, meant to be part of her daughter’s dowry—something no one else could learn.

After the meal, Yun Wei mentioned her plans to go to school. Fucha could not convince her otherwise and had to agree. Rongxuan favored his understanding and studious little daughter. Yun Wei gradually blossomed, her features becoming increasingly delicate, and her whole demeanor was charming; one could only wonder which young man would be fortunate enough to win her heart in the future.

“Master, there is a decree—a royal decree from the emperor.”

The steward Wang Shouqi rushed in, panting heavily. Fucha was startled and stopped Yun Wei, telling her to wait. Rongxuan, seeing nothing unusual, looked at his wife and children with calm, steady eyes and said, “It must be good news; this decree is for my third brother.”

“Is it about the unique ideas proposed by Uncle San?”

Fucha had heard Rongxuan mention that the third son, Rong Zhi, served as a third-class imperial guard and had a chance meeting with the emperor, offering suggestions on military training methods.

“After meeting with the emperor, my brother said that His Majesty just listened casually and might not adopt them. But today, a decree has been issued; my brother has caught the emperor’s eye, and a bright future is just around the corner.”

Fucha took Rongxuan’s arm and smiled lightly, saying, “My lord, this is also the glory of the Tong family.”

“Madam, come with me to receive the decree.”

Rongxuan secretly squeezed his wife’s hand and whispered, “Zhuohua, I, Rongxuan, will have my day too.”