Princess Wei Yang - C14
1- The Deposed Empress
2- The Unwanted Daughter
3- Slave no more
4- First revenge
5- The Pigs Have Escaped!
6- Seventh Prince, Tuo Ba Yu
7- Returning to the Li’s Estate
8- Benevolent Mother, Filial Daughter
9- Surrendered by Xiaojies
10- Li Zhang Le
11- Prime Minister, Li Xiao Ran
12- Tea Brewing Skills
13- Tit for Tat
14- Battle of Wits
15- Da Furen
Chapter 14
Battle of Wits
Da Furen[i] regained her calm composure and coldly scolded Lin Mama[i] “I assigned you this task specifically because strangers make me restless. I have told you repeatedly to bring her the new clothes quickly. How come you haven’t done it? Wei Yang is our Li family's San Xiaojie[i], the Prime Minister’s daughter. How can she tolerate your slowness? It’s unreasonable to make our San Xiaojie wear old clothes in public. Do you want to create misunderstandings between us, mother and daughter? Are you trying to make others think that I am treating San Xiaojie poorly?”
Listening to Da Furen’s words, Li Wei Yang remained respectful but couldn’t help laughing coldly inside. Da Furen was Da Furen for a reason; she wasted no breath beating around the bush. Every word she spoke was right on the mark. Wei Yang could have made the same point, but if she had, it would have embarrassed Da Furen. On the other hand, Da Furen easily shifted the blame onto Lin Mama.
Lin Mama reacted quickly, immediately kneeling on the floor and sobbing as she admitted her faults. She claimed it was all her fault, that her irresponsibility and incompetence led to this situation. Even though Da Furen had verbally assigned her the task, Lin Mamaknew that Da Furen’s real intention wasn’t to make new clothes for Wei Yang. The incident regarding Li Zhang Le had upset Da Furen, which was why she had been waiting for Wei Yang to come and beg for forgiveness. However, no one expected Wei Yang to seek out Lao Furen instead.
San Xiaojie appeared fragile, but she was actually very clever. If she had been any more foolish, she would have approached Da Furen to ask for justice and would have lost face in the process. Instead, she deliberately waited until both Da Furen and Lao Furen were present to bring up her case, putting Da Furen in a difficult position. There was nothing Da Furen could do but swallow her anger.
“Hurry up and apologize to San Xiaojie!” Li Zhang Le yelled.
Due to Zhang Le’s beauty, her speech radiated elegance and sophistication. However, to Wei Yang, her words seemed two-faced, leaving her disgusted and filled with hatred. Unlike Chang Xi and the others, who sought Da Furen’s favor through sweet talk and flattery to secure good marriages in the future, Wei Yang understood immediately that Da Furen intended to use them as stepping stones for Zhang Le’s future.
Continuing her acting, Lin Mama knelt before Wei Yang to apologize. “Third Miss, it’s all my fault. Nubi will immediately tell them to bring all the new clothes to you. I guarantee you will like them.”
Looking horrified and panicky, Wei Yang quickly backed away and glanced at Da Furen. “Mother, this, this is really…” She spoke slowly, stumbling over her words, as if she were begging for mercy on Lin Mama’s behalf.
Da Furen gently replied, “Wei Yang, don’t worry. Just leave everything in my care. If you feel any injustice in the future, I will help you teach these irresponsible servants a lesson!”
Wei Yang bowed in gratitude. “Thank you, Mother. I will leave everything in your hands.” After today, she was sure that nobody would easily look down on her.
Lao Furen examined Wei Yang and then called her over. “Come here, child.” Wei Yang walked over as Lao Furen signaled to Luo Mama. “It’s been a month since you’ve been here. I have a present for you.”
Luo Mama understood immediately and returned moments later with a small, floral-designed box. Inside were jewelry and accessories.
Chang Xi peeked inside and spotted an exquisite brooch adorned with begonia flowers. It was the brooch she had long coveted and had been seeking from Meng Shi. Despite spending so much time and effort on Lao Furen’s side, she had never received it. Yet today, Lao Furen was presenting it to Wei Yang. Jealousy and resentment filled her eyes as she glared at Wei Yang.
Wei Yang was taken aback; she had never expected Lao Furen to gift her such a valuable item. A warm sensation washed over her, and it was clear that the message conveyed was one of support for Wei Yang.
Feeling grateful toward Lao Furen, Wei Yang knelt down and kowtowed. “Thank you, Lao Furen. I will remember your kindness.”
Lao Furen smiled, pleased that Wei Yang understood her intentions.
In a blink, Da Furen’s expression stiffened.
Lao Furen quietly chuckled to herself. Anything that made Da Furen uncomfortable pleased her, so she reached up, pulled the gold phoenix brooch from her hair, and placed it into Wei Yang's hands. “Good child, this is my gift to you as well.”
Wei Yang shyly accepted the brooch and cast a quick glance at Da Furen. She noticed Da Furen’s face had turned green with envy as she glared at Lao Furen instead. Lao Furen, unfazed, laughed cheerfully.
Zhang Le quickly regained her composure and coughed gently. Da Furen immediately turned her attention to Wei Yang and, putting on a kind face, said, “Dear child, come over here! I prepared a gift for you earlier; I might as well give it to you now.”
Da Furen had selected some decorations that, while looking expensive, were actually quite useless. However, seeing the gifts that Lao Furen and Lao Furen had given, she felt compelled to respond. With everyone watching, Da Furen swallowed her anger, removing her onyx bracelet. Suppressing a pained expression, she placed the bracelet on Wei Yang's wrist. “This piece of jewelry is precious; it came from the palace. Take it.”
Having once been an Empress, she understood that Da Furen was telling the truth about the origin of this bracelet. Smiling, she said, “Thank you, Mother.”
Da Furen’s mouth curved slightly in suppressed anger, but she maintained her smiling facade. “Silly child, there’s no need for thanks!”
Chang Xi was overflowing with jealousy as she sneered maliciously, “Wei Yang, it seems you’ve hit the jackpot! Mother had actually intended to give that bracelet to Dajie, but she’s giving it to you instead!”
Upon hearing this, Wei Yang gestured to remove the bracelet. “In that case, Wei Yang cannot accept it!”
Da Furen was not going to let Wei Yang return the gift. She glared menacingly at Chang Xi before turning back to Wei Yang with a warm smile. “Silly girl, you are also my precious child. There is nothing wrong with giving it to you. You must accept my generosity!”
Seeing Da Furen’s double-faced personality, Wei Yang couldn’t be happier. “Then I will thank you again, Mother!”
Chang Xi’s eyes widened with resentment. Meanwhile, Li Zhang Le casually shifted her gaze to the silver incense burner, which was inlaid with lotus patterns and gems. She thought to herself how ignorant Chang Xi still was, despite the countless lessons Da Furen had given her. There were no signs of improvement. What was a bracelet, anyway? Today, Lao Furen had shown her support for Wei Yang, so how could Da Furen oppose that? Doing so would only give Lao Furen an opportunity to admonish them.
As Wei Yang was leaving, Luo Mama chased after her down the hallway. “San xiaojie! Lao Furen asked if you could, from now on, come by every day to brew tea for her.”
Li Wei Yang replied immediately, “Luo Mama, how could you say it like that? Being filial to Lao furen is something a granddaughter should do.”
Her obedient attitude pleased Luo Mama. Wei Yang did not take Lao Furen’s good intentions for granted.
Once back in her bedchamber, Wei Yang opened the box that Lao Furen had given her. It was then that she discovered a hidden compartment. Removing the red fabric covering this compartment, she found ten shiny silver coins.
Zi Yan could only cough, unable to say anything else.
Wei Yang was surprised. All the jewelry and clothing she had received were impractical. She couldn’t sell those gifts, nor could she give them to the servants in exchange for favors. Aside from the silver, everything else was useless in times of need. Lao Furen had known that today’s events were merely a performance, yet she still gifted Wei Yang this silver. Why?
Listening to Da Furen’s words, Li Wei Yang remained respectful but couldn’t help laughing coldly inside. Da Furen was Da Furen for a reason; she wasted no breath beating around the bush. Every word she spoke was right on the mark. Wei Yang could have made the same point, but if she had, it would have embarrassed Da Furen. On the other hand, Da Furen easily shifted the blame onto Lin Mama.
Lin Mama reacted quickly, immediately kneeling on the floor and sobbing as she admitted her faults. She claimed it was all her fault, that her irresponsibility and incompetence led to this situation. Even though Da Furen had verbally assigned her the task, Lin Mamaknew that Da Furen’s real intention wasn’t to make new clothes for Wei Yang. The incident regarding Li Zhang Le had upset Da Furen, which was why she had been waiting for Wei Yang to come and beg for forgiveness. However, no one expected Wei Yang to seek out Lao Furen instead.
San Xiaojie appeared fragile, but she was actually very clever. If she had been any more foolish, she would have approached Da Furen to ask for justice and would have lost face in the process. Instead, she deliberately waited until both Da Furen and Lao Furen were present to bring up her case, putting Da Furen in a difficult position. There was nothing Da Furen could do but swallow her anger.
“Hurry up and apologize to San Xiaojie!” Li Zhang Le yelled.
Due to Zhang Le’s beauty, her speech radiated elegance and sophistication. However, to Wei Yang, her words seemed two-faced, leaving her disgusted and filled with hatred. Unlike Chang Xi and the others, who sought Da Furen’s favor through sweet talk and flattery to secure good marriages in the future, Wei Yang understood immediately that Da Furen intended to use them as stepping stones for Zhang Le’s future.
Continuing her acting, Lin Mama knelt before Wei Yang to apologize. “Third Miss, it’s all my fault. Nubi will immediately tell them to bring all the new clothes to you. I guarantee you will like them.”
Looking horrified and panicky, Wei Yang quickly backed away and glanced at Da Furen. “Mother, this, this is really…” She spoke slowly, stumbling over her words, as if she were begging for mercy on Lin Mama’s behalf.
Da Furen gently replied, “Wei Yang, don’t worry. Just leave everything in my care. If you feel any injustice in the future, I will help you teach these irresponsible servants a lesson!”
Wei Yang bowed in gratitude. “Thank you, Mother. I will leave everything in your hands.” After today, she was sure that nobody would easily look down on her.
Lao Furen examined Wei Yang and then called her over. “Come here, child.” Wei Yang walked over as Lao Furen signaled to Luo Mama. “It’s been a month since you’ve been here. I have a present for you.”
Luo Mama understood immediately and returned moments later with a small, floral-designed box. Inside were jewelry and accessories.
Chang Xi peeked inside and spotted an exquisite brooch adorned with begonia flowers. It was the brooch she had long coveted and had been seeking from Meng Shi. Despite spending so much time and effort on Lao Furen’s side, she had never received it. Yet today, Lao Furen was presenting it to Wei Yang. Jealousy and resentment filled her eyes as she glared at Wei Yang.
Wei Yang was taken aback; she had never expected Lao Furen to gift her such a valuable item. A warm sensation washed over her, and it was clear that the message conveyed was one of support for Wei Yang.
Feeling grateful toward Lao Furen, Wei Yang knelt down and kowtowed. “Thank you, Lao Furen. I will remember your kindness.”
Lao Furen smiled, pleased that Wei Yang understood her intentions.
In a blink, Da Furen’s expression stiffened.
Lao Furen quietly chuckled to herself. Anything that made Da Furen uncomfortable pleased her, so she reached up, pulled the gold phoenix brooch from her hair, and placed it into Wei Yang's hands. “Good child, this is my gift to you as well.”
Wei Yang shyly accepted the brooch and cast a quick glance at Da Furen. She noticed Da Furen’s face had turned green with envy as she glared at Lao Furen instead. Lao Furen, unfazed, laughed cheerfully.
Zhang Le quickly regained her composure and coughed gently. Da Furen immediately turned her attention to Wei Yang and, putting on a kind face, said, “Dear child, come over here! I prepared a gift for you earlier; I might as well give it to you now.”
Da Furen had selected some decorations that, while looking expensive, were actually quite useless. However, seeing the gifts that Lao Furen and Lao Furen had given, she felt compelled to respond. With everyone watching, Da Furen swallowed her anger, removing her onyx bracelet. Suppressing a pained expression, she placed the bracelet on Wei Yang's wrist. “This piece of jewelry is precious; it came from the palace. Take it.”
Having once been an Empress, she understood that Da Furen was telling the truth about the origin of this bracelet. Smiling, she said, “Thank you, Mother.”
Da Furen’s mouth curved slightly in suppressed anger, but she maintained her smiling facade. “Silly child, there’s no need for thanks!”
Chang Xi was overflowing with jealousy as she sneered maliciously, “Wei Yang, it seems you’ve hit the jackpot! Mother had actually intended to give that bracelet to Dajie, but she’s giving it to you instead!”
Upon hearing this, Wei Yang gestured to remove the bracelet. “In that case, Wei Yang cannot accept it!”
Da Furen was not going to let Wei Yang return the gift. She glared menacingly at Chang Xi before turning back to Wei Yang with a warm smile. “Silly girl, you are also my precious child. There is nothing wrong with giving it to you. You must accept my generosity!”
Seeing Da Furen’s double-faced personality, Wei Yang couldn’t be happier. “Then I will thank you again, Mother!”
Chang Xi’s eyes widened with resentment. Meanwhile, Li Zhang Le casually shifted her gaze to the silver incense burner, which was inlaid with lotus patterns and gems. She thought to herself how ignorant Chang Xi still was, despite the countless lessons Da Furen had given her. There were no signs of improvement. What was a bracelet, anyway? Today, Lao Furen had shown her support for Wei Yang, so how could Da Furen oppose that? Doing so would only give Lao Furen an opportunity to admonish them.
As Wei Yang was leaving, Luo Mama chased after her down the hallway. “San xiaojie! Lao Furen asked if you could, from now on, come by every day to brew tea for her.”
Li Wei Yang replied immediately, “Luo Mama, how could you say it like that? Being filial to Lao furen is something a granddaughter should do.”
Her obedient attitude pleased Luo Mama. Wei Yang did not take Lao Furen’s good intentions for granted.
Once back in her bedchamber, Wei Yang opened the box that Lao Furen had given her. It was then that she discovered a hidden compartment. Removing the red fabric covering this compartment, she found ten shiny silver coins.
Zi Yan could only cough, unable to say anything else.
Wei Yang was surprised. All the jewelry and clothing she had received were impractical. She couldn’t sell those gifts, nor could she give them to the servants in exchange for favors. Aside from the silver, everything else was useless in times of need. Lao Furen had known that today’s events were merely a performance, yet she still gifted Wei Yang this silver. Why?
[i] Mama is a granny or wet nurse - Nubi is a young female slave - Nucai is a young male slave
Laoye (Master) is the master of the household - Furen is the Madam (Da Furen = First wife – Lao Furen = Old Madam (Matriarch or Old first wife or Madam or Elder) - San Xiaojie means Third Miss. The author played with the double meaning. Xiaojie in slang can be translated as prostitute or bitch or slut, the alternative less offenssive is 'Yatou' but still dismissive (dumb girl).
Laoye (Master) is the master of the household - Furen is the Madam (Da Furen = First wife – Lao Furen = Old Madam (Matriarch or Old first wife or Madam or Elder) - San Xiaojie means Third Miss. The author played with the double meaning. Xiaojie in slang can be translated as prostitute or bitch or slut, the alternative less offenssive is 'Yatou' but still dismissive (dumb girl).
Address forms, honorifics:
In ancient China, when a man had numerous concubines and children, the siblings were often referred to by the order of their birth or arrival into the household. For instance, Wei Yang is called San Xiaojie, which means "Third Miss," because she was the third daughter born. Da Xiaojie (Zhang Le) refers to "First Miss," while Er Xiaojie denotes "Second Miss."
In addition to these titles, they could also be called by their first names, such as Wei Yang. Among siblings, terms like "sister," "elder sister," and "younger sister" were commonly used, as well as similar terms for brothers. It's important to note that blood relation is not required to apply for these titles.
· To understand all the honorifics and address forms, go HERE
· To know more about the characters, go to the COMPANION
In ancient China, when a man had numerous concubines and children, the siblings were often referred to by the order of their birth or arrival into the household. For instance, Wei Yang is called San Xiaojie, which means "Third Miss," because she was the third daughter born. Da Xiaojie (Zhang Le) refers to "First Miss," while Er Xiaojie denotes "Second Miss."
In addition to these titles, they could also be called by their first names, such as Wei Yang. Among siblings, terms like "sister," "elder sister," and "younger sister" were commonly used, as well as similar terms for brothers. It's important to note that blood relation is not required to apply for these titles.
· To understand all the honorifics and address forms, go HERE
· To know more about the characters, go to the COMPANION
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