Spring in the Hall of Paintings

The sound of firecrackers crackled loudly in front of the Tong residence. After receiving the imperial edict, the servants cleared away the offerings and other items. The one who read the edict was the head eunuch Li Dequan, a trusted servant of Emperor Kangxi. The three brothers of the Tong family did not dare to be negligent and invited Li Dequan to the living room for tea.

Li Dequan bowed to the old matriarch of the Jueluo family and said warmly, “How have you been, old madam?”

The old matriarch of the Jueluo family twitched her wrist, and the wrinkles at the corners of her lips stirred slightly as she replied, “Thank you for your concern, Li Dequan. I am doing well.”

“Your son has made a name for himself. The Emperor has long said that you are blessed with descendants.”

Li Dequan moved a little closer to the old matriarch and lowered his voice, “The Emperor means that the Tong family is full of loyalty and valor, and that the merits of your family should be passed down. You should be close to Master Tong Guowei, as both families are of the same lineage. There were some unpleasantness in the past regarding… and the Emperor feels guilty about it.”

The old matriarch moved her lips and sighed, “It is the servants’ fault for causing the Emperor to worry about such trifles. Please convey my loyalty to the Emperor; the Tong family has no regrets.”

Li Dequan nodded and bowed deeply to the old matriarch before leaving the Tong residence to report back to Emperor Kangxi. The three brothers of the Tong family exchanged glances, and the eldest, Rongda, asked, “Does Mother know Li Dequan?”

“It’s just an old story from years ago,” the old matriarch said as she leaned on Nurse Chen and walked towards the Buddha hall. “You all should serve the Emperor well, for that would comfort your father’s spirit in heaven.”

Tong family’s youngest son, Rongzhi, had been promoted by Kangxi to the rank of second-class Imperial Bodyguard and granted the title of Light Car Cavalry Commander. The news was personally announced by Li Dequan, and it quickly spread throughout the noble families in the capital. Those who were friends with the Tong family hurried to offer their congratulations, and the Tong residence regained its vitality, filled with flowers and festivities, creating a lively atmosphere.

The three brothers of the Tong family had always been harmonious. The eldest, Rongda, was steady and had the demeanor of a true elder brother. The second, Rongxuan, was honest and reliable, never easily offending others. The youngest, Rongzhi, was known for his wit and charm, adept at navigating social situations. As the head of the Tong family, Rongda was only pleased about his younger brother’s rise, as it brought glory to the entire family. Rongxuan felt envy but bore no jealousy, knowing that with his abilities, he would also have his day in the sun. Thus, the three brothers entertained their guests together, displaying a brotherly camaraderie that prompted nods of approval and praise from the visitors.

The congratulating ladies focused on Rongzhi’s legitimate daughter, Yun Lan. She was stunningly beautiful, adept at dressing up, and had a sweet tongue. She was straightforward in her speech and actions, exuding the grace of a well-bred young lady. In response to the compliments from the ladies, Yun Lan remained gracious, neither arrogant nor proud, and her lively and witty demeanor attracted everyone’s attention.

Yun Wei stood beside the Fucha lady, unable to hide her envy. The Fucha lady subtly furrowed her brow, yet her expression showed no signs of change as she chatted peacefully with the other ladies, often praising Yun Lan a bit more.

With a joyous event in the Tong residence, the girls’ classes were suspended for the day. Yun Wei lowered her head, no longer gazing at her dazzling fourth sister, and fiddled with the handkerchief in her hands. Would her future be like her fourth sister’s? Could she catch up to her fourth sister?

In Yun Wei’s mind, these two questions continuously echoed as she caught a glimpse of her older sister Jingyi’s jealous expression, the jealousy in her second sister Yun Qing’s eyes, and the resignation of her fifth sister Yun Yi. Yun Wei smiled faintly, wishing she could be like her sisters, catch up to her fourth sister, and become someone as radiant as her was her greatest wish.

Yun Xin (the legitimate daughter of the main branch) asked, “Sixth sister, today is your birthday, right?”

Jingyi perked up at this, responding, “Third sister reminded me; today is indeed Sixth sister’s birthday. What a pity, though, with the joyful event in the Tong residence, besides our sisters, who else would remember?

“Sixth sister, don’t be sad. I’ll make you a birthday celebration, and we’ll have a good time. All we need is our fourth sister.”

Yun Xin looked at Yun Wei. Among the sisters, Yun Wei and Yun Lan were on par in terms of status and beauty. Yun Xin meant well, but Jingyi’s interruption felt like a mistake, prompting her to explain, “Sixth sister…”

Yun Wei smiled sweetly, holding Yun Xin’s hand, and gently said, “Third sister, thank you.”

The brief and sincere words made Yun Xin’s eyes turn red. As a concubine’s daughter, she was treated fairly well by Rongda’s wife, Lady Jueluo, but the struggles of being a concubine’s daughter were something that only the daughters in similar situations could truly understand.

Yun Xin had initially wanted to bond with her second sister, Yun Qing, who was also a concubine’s daughter. Yun Qing was the elder sister of Yun Lan, and the pressure she faced was even greater. Four years older than Yun Lan, she could never quite measure up to her in speech or action. When they interacted, Yun Qing would often lament the unfairness of fate, and Yun Xin, being perceptive, found her heart drifting away from Yun Qing. As for the concubine’s daughter of the second branch, Yun Yi, Yun Xin viewed her as someone who could recognize her place. Though outwardly dignified and gracious, in character, she was quite constrained by Lady Fucha, showing a certain pettiness that others couldn’t see.

Yun Lan and Yun Wei were of the same age, and Yun Xin knew that in the upcoming selection process, all the family’s glory would fall on her sisters. Watching Yun Wei struggle to catch up to Yun Lan filled Yun Xin with both admiration and heartache. She often thought that if she were in Yun Wei’s shoes, she couldn’t work as hard as Yun Wei. Thus, the usually quiet Yun Xin finally spoke up today, only to have Jingyi provoke her with those words. Fortunately, Yun Wei understood that had it been someone else, she wouldn’t have fared as well.

Yun Xin softly said, “Sixth sister, I wish you a long and beautiful life,” and squeezed Yun Wei’s little hand before stepping aside, standing quietly like usual.

“Are you really not celebrating your birthday? February twelfth is the day of fourth sister’s birth, and the entire Tong family is celebrating her.”

Yun Wei smiled lightly, her demeanor calm as she replied, “Sister Jingyi, on my birthday, my third uncle received the emperor’s praise and was awarded a title. That is much better than a simple birthday celebration. I can’t wait for another joyful occasion in the Tong residence next year.”

“You… you really are quite open-minded…”

Yun Wei blinked her innocent eyes and asked, “Sister Jingyi, why do you say that? Don’t you like the Tong family having joyful occasions? Ah…”

Yun Wei lowered her head, speaking softly, “Sister Jingyi is kind and generous, treating others sincerely. How could you not want the Tong family to have good news just because of a joke with fourth sister? It must be that I’m overthinking things. Please don’t blame me; I might have said something wrong.”

“You… you…” Jingyi’s face turned pale with anger, her chest heaving as she took a deep breath, waved her handkerchief, and turned to leave, being quite rude.

“Sister Jingyi,” Yun Wei called out, her eyelids hiding her thoughts as she pouted and softly murmured, “It’s Yun Wei’s fault for making Sister Jingyi angry.”

Lady Fucha had been paying close attention to her daughter’s movements and watched this scene without missing a thing. She lifted her teacup, took a sip, and a fleeting look of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.

“Lady Fucha, you have raised a good daughter.”

Lady Fucha looked up at the compliment, taken aback for a moment. Did she see it too? She nodded humbly and replied, “I’m sorry to have made you laugh.”

The lady removed a jade bracelet from her wrist and said lightly, “It’s a birthday gift for the young girl to add some joy. Lady Fucha, please don’t think it’s too much.”

“Th-this…” Lady Fucha hesitated to accept it, but the lady insisted on placing it in her hand. Then, she nodded at Yun Wei and resumed chatting and laughing with the people beside her.

Lady Fucha felt increasingly that the bracelet was too much to handle. Although Yun Wei tried to remain indifferent, she couldn’t help but feel envious of Yun Lan. After saying a few words to Lady Fucha, she returned to the courtyard of the second house to play some chess and calm down.