Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C027 pt1

Wushuang?

Noble young ladies generally must maintain decorum in public. Though not to the extent of never showing their teeth when smiling, they should not reveal surprise in front of others, lest they lose face.

Yet this time, Chen Yueyi was genuinely astonished.

For in her heart, Third Miss Mei Wushuang of the Mei family was merely an appendage of Mei Wuxia, a burden that Wuxia had to bring along each time.

Clearly, she was timid and weak, dressed in a rigid and peculiar manner, like a little widow, completely out of place among them, these noble young ladies. Yet, Wuxia, mindful of their sisterly bond, always insisted on bringing her along.

She and Wuxia were friends, so out of consideration for Wuxia's reputation, she would not utter any mocking words. However, others did not have such reservations, and there were too many instances of ridicule and sarcasm. If she did not witness it, it was fine, but if she encountered someone directly mocking her, she would have to stand up for her. Therefore, Chen Yueyi harbored some dislike and disdain for Wushuang.

Never did she imagine that Mei Wushuang would look like this!

"How did you become so…"

Wushuang blinked her eyes. "I have always looked like this. It's just that before, I was at home, and Master Qin was very strict with me, so I was like that."

"Master Qin?"

Mei Wuxia suddenly interrupted, "There are many people here. Let's leave this place first before we talk further, shall we?"

Chen Yueyi also knew that this was not a place for conversation with people coming and going, so she immediately led the group inside.

"I was just saying, why did you always dress like that? Clearly, you are a young lady who has not yet reached the age of fifteen, yet you dressed like a nun. By the way, who is this Master Qin you mentioned? I do know a female teacher surnamed Qin…"

Chen Yueyi was lively and somewhat careless. She was genuinely curious and surprised, so she pulled Wushuang along, talking as they walked.

That used to be her position.

Mei Wuxia followed behind with a somewhat unpleasant expression. Yet today, it had been taken by Mei Wushuang.

She forced a smile and walked over, saying, "Yueyi, let's not talk about these trivial matters. Didn't you ask me to help you entertain the noble young ladies? Let's attend to the main business first."

Only then did Chen Yueyi remember that there was still important business to attend to. "I almost forgot. There are quite a few people here today. My mother entrusted this matter to me. If I mess it up, I'm done for."

Mei Wuxia feigned intimacy, saying, "How could you mess it up? Don't you have me to help you?"

Wushuang glanced at Mei Chang and Mei E, who were following behind, and said with a smile, "Sister Yueyi, are there many people here today? Is it a poetry gathering, a flower viewing, or a garden tour? Usually, whenever I come to your mansion, I am always grateful for Sister Yueyi's care. If there are not enough hands and you need help, we can assist with some tasks."

Chen Yueyi was somewhat familiar with Wushuang. Although this Mei Wushuang was usually timid and weak, she was not the type to lack propriety. Seeing her today, she had a completely different impression.

Moreover, there were indeed many people today, and these noble young ladies each had their own quirks. Some even had conflicts with each other. If you kept them all in one place, they would surely start arguing. The most suitable approach was to let them do as they pleased: those who wanted to compose poetry could do so, those who wanted to enjoy tea could do so, and those who wanted to stroll in the garden could do so. Separating them into different areas would naturally prevent any trouble.

However, this required manpower to oversee. Chen Yueyi did not have many sisters, and she disliked her concubine-born sisters. It was also not appropriate to ask her close noble friends to come and help with chores. Now that someone was willing to help her, she was naturally very happy.

"Alright then, you can assist me and Wuxia."

A trace of gloom flashed in Mei Wuxia's eyes, but ultimately, in front of Chen Yueyi, she could not say anything. She could only give Wushuang and Mei Chang and Mei E behind her a meaningful look.

***

The noble young ladies generally followed their elders, first offering birthday greetings to the day's honored guest, Old Madam of Marquis Xuanping's mansion, before separating to engage in their own activities.

The madams and ladies were in one area, the noble young ladies in another, and the young masters and sons of various mansions were also entertained by those of similar age and status from their own families.

There was still some time before the banquet, so to pass the time, the noble young ladies flocked to the gardens within the Marquis's mansion for leisure.

Chen Yueyi was extremely busy, having to attend to every noble young lady without any negligence. Mei Wuxia also followed closely, assisting her. Meanwhile, Wushuang and the others, who were new to the scene, followed alongside, observing how Chen Yueyi entertained these noble young ladies.

The arriving noble young ladies would be led to a flower hall, and then they would be arranged separately.

If it happened that a certain Miss and another certain Miss were not on good terms, Chen Yueyi would specifically separate the two, and have them led to where those they were friendly with were staying.

This required skill. You couldn't have a maid lead the way; that would be too stiff, making it seem as if the person was being ostracized. Chen Yueyi had Mei Wuxia help her, mainly to do this. With a noble young lady accompanying them, the two sides could chat as they walked, making it seem more natural.

Because Wushuang and the others were not needed for the time being, they stood not far from there, conversing.

Mei Chang said, "This Sixth Miss Chen seems aloof and superior, but when she sees those of higher status than her, she changes her face again."

"Second Sister, keep your voice down," Mei E hurriedly said. "The elders are all like this, and the younger generation cannot avoid it." Every family was like this, not just the Chen family.

Seeing that Mei Wuxia was not present at the moment, Wushuang thought for a moment and pulled the two to a corner to speak. "Do you know what the biggest difference is between a legitimate daughter and a concubine-born daughter?"

Upon hearing this, Mei Chang and Mei E's expressions turned unpleasant, thinking that Wushuang was deliberately lecturing them.

"I'm not deliberately bringing up something you don't want to hear. Leaving aside other differences, the biggest difference between the two is the world they've seen and the people they've interacted with."

Wushuang glanced towards the flower hall.

There, a group of noble young ladies were conversing, their clothes fragrant and their hair adorned, each with their own bearing. Regardless of their appearance, their poise and manner were such that one could tell they came from a high background, either daughters of prominent families or descendants of renowned clans.

Looking again at the edges of the flower hall, there were many girls standing alone, forlornly, excluded from the group.

In fact, not all of the noble young ladies were legitimate daughters; there were some concubine-born daughters among them as well. Why were they not excluded? Naturally, they had their own exceptional qualities.

"The way people interact is all about how one conducts oneself. These people are still young, and not everyone is a snob, thinking that the difference between legitimate and concubine-born is insurmountable. It's just that interacting with them requires a method. One cannot force it, nor be timid. One needs an opportunity. As long as you can befriend one, she will naturally bring you into her circle, and you can go from one to two, and from two to three, befriending more people."

Mei E understood immediately, "So, you deliberately had us volunteer to help Sixth Miss Chen? You were creating opportunities for us?"

Wushuang nodded. "Many of them are indeed arrogant, but today they are guests at the Chen family, and the Chen family is the host. If you help Sixth Miss entertain them, even if they look down on you, they will still give you some face. This is the best opportunity to make contact. Whether you can befriend one or two depends on your abilities. Even if you don't, you can still show your face in front of others."

Mei Chang and Mei E's so-called 'seeing the world' was something they couldn't really articulate. But Wushuang's words were like a wake-up call, instantly giving them a clear direction.

Mei E's eyes flashed, while Mei Chang showed a hint of guilt. However, given her personality, even if she felt guilty, she wouldn't say it. Instead, she awkwardly said, "Why did you offer yourself up to be someone's errand girl?"

Wushuang smiled, not at all bothered. "Many people would fight for this errand."

Just like Mei Chang had said earlier, Chen Yueyi was much more attentive and considerate to noble young ladies from families of higher status than her own. And why did Mei Wuxia cling so tightly to Chen Yueyi? Naturally, it was because through Chen Yueyi, she could interact with people of even higher status. The Marquis Changyang's mansion was at the bottom of the nobility, but there were still people who fawned over Mei Wuxia, though they were mostly girls from minor official families.

Mei E was right. The elders were like this, and the younger generation could not avoid it. In another ten or twenty years, these younger ones would be the elders of the future.

The circles of imperial relatives, nobles, and high-ranking officials were like this; no one could escape it.

"Right, you've only talked about us, what about you?"

Wushuang smiled. "When I came before, I was always the target of their mockery, so I won't join in that fun."

***

Mei Wuxia had not yet returned, and Chen Yueyi was feeling anxious. Seeing Wushuang and the others standing in the corner, she immediately walked over with a girl wearing a pink dress.

"This is the Second Miss of the Marquis Changyang's mansion. If you don't know the way to the waterside pavilion, I'll have her accompany you to find Third Miss Shi." Chen Yueyi gave Mei Chang a series of winks, and then introduced the girl's identity, the daughter of a certain Lord from the Ministry of Personnel.

Mei Chang was a little flustered for a moment, and couldn't help but glance at Wushuang.

Wushuang smiled and said, "Second Sister, go quickly."

In fact, Mei Chang didn't know the way to the waterside pavilion either, but the Chen family had servants prepared, and the servants would lead the way. Saying that someone would accompany her was just an excuse.

Mei Chang suppressed her fluster and walked to the girl's side, generously smiling, "Let's go, I'll take you. That waterside pavilion is by the water, and several young ladies are there feeding the fish…"

The two went down the steps and walked away. Wushuang could still hear Mei Chang asking the girl how old she was, and then stating her own age. Mei Chang was bold by nature, so she wasn't afraid of being timid.

Wushuang said to Mei E, "Fifth Sister, did you see? Just learn from Second Sister like that. If you're really scared, it's actually fine to speak less."

Mei E nodded, but still somewhat uneasy, asked, "Third Sister, you know so much. How do you know so much?"

How did she know?

Because in the past, when she went out, she was always ostracized and ridiculed, yet she couldn't leave. She could only stay alone in a corner, pondering things when she had nothing to do, figuring out these principles. It was a pity that she couldn't use any of them.

As more and more noble young ladies arrived, even Wushuang was assigned to 'lead the way'.

Quite a few people knew of Third Miss Mei, thanks to Wushuang's reputation outside. Which noble young lady didn't know that the Mei family's Third Miss was an oddity? Other noble young ladies dressed as beautifully as possible, but she was a unique flower among a hundred blossoms, dressing both old-fashioned and rigid.

The key was that even when ridiculed, she didn't change.

Because of this, Wushuang had been discussed and mocked a lot in the past. Over time, everyone knew her. Even those who hadn't met her had heard of her great name.

Just now, when Chen Yueyi introduced her as the Mei family's Third Miss and asked her to help lead the way, those who heard it were simply astonished.

She walked in front, and the few young ladies behind her whispered amongst themselves.

Actually, only one person needed a guide, but when others heard the commotion, they all said they wanted to go together. Among them, a little girl couldn't help herself and walked to Wushuang's side, saying, "You're different now than before. You used to dress very strangely and were also ugly. Today, you are extremely beautiful."

This girl was the daughter of some civil official. Wushuang couldn't place which one, she was quite young, looking only twelve or thirteen years old. However, accompanying her was her cousin. Wushuang knew this girl; she was Fourth Miss Meng of the Earl Hetian's family.

Seeing her younger sister being so insensible, Fourth Miss Meng quickly stepped forward and said, "Yan'er, how can you be so rude?" She then said to Wushuang, "Third Miss Mei, please don't take offense. My younger sister is young and doesn't know how to speak."

Wushuang was unconcerned, smiling as she said, "It's nothing, not a big deal. Fourth Miss Meng need not be so." She then explained to the little girl, using the same words she had used earlier with Chen Yueyi.

In this way, her composure and lack of arrogance won the young ladies' favor, curiosity, and sympathy, and they all gathered around her.

"What kind of teacher could have managed someone like this?"

The young ladies all looked surprised. For them, almost every family would invite a female teacher to come and instruct the daughters of the household, but no family was like the Mei family.

"Then why were you the only one managed like this? Your eldest sister wasn't?"

Some people didn't know about the Mei family's affairs, but some did, and they quickly pulled back the person who had spoken out of turn.

"Oh, the Master Qin you're talking about, wouldn't that be the female teacher surnamed Qin that I know of?" one of the girls said.

Wushuang's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Which Master Qin?"

"Do I know the one you're talking about?"

The girls began to chatter.

"Actually, I also heard it from others. They said that a few years ago, there was a female teacher surnamed Qin who specialized in teaching young ladies etiquette in various mansions. She originally had a great reputation. If any family hired her, the daughters of the household who lacked proper manners would all be taught well. But once, she beat a certain family's daughter badly, and the elders of that family made a fuss. Only then did her past actions become known."

"It turned out that this person was a strict disciplinarian, and had already caused similar incidents before. It's just that they hadn't escalated. Most people just thought she was too strict and dismissed her. That time, it was only after the matter escalated that several families came forward to confirm it, and then this matter became known to everyone."

As she spoke, this girl also explained why someone would remember a female teacher from a few years ago.

Firstly, the matter had caused quite a stir at the time, and many families knew about it. Those who hadn't hired her were glad, and those who had hired her dismissed her after finding out. Secondly, it was also a coincidence. This girl's family happened to be looking for a female teacher, and she heard her elders mention that they had to choose carefully and not hire someone with the surname Qin, which was how she found out.

It was unexpected that this female teacher surnamed Qin had not appeared in public for a long time. Others had thought she had left the capital, but who would have imagined she was in Marquis Changyang's mansion?

In an instant, the atmosphere became strange.

There was no other reason than that none of the noble young ladies from various families were fools. Such a female teacher with a ruined reputation was still being invited back to teach the daughters of a family. It was impossible that the elders of the Mei family did not know about this. Even if they truly did not know, why was it that Mei Wuxia was not taught by her, but Mei Wushuang was?

Although the Mei family's affairs had happened a long time ago, it was not that no one knew about them. The main reason was that Marquis Changyang's title was originally at its end, but it had been extended for another generation.

It must be known that the noble families were most afraid of their titles coming to an end, so they naturally paid close attention. Having paid attention to the Mei family, they naturally also knew that the Mei family's title could be extended for another generation because Mei Zhan had made great military achievements and had also saved the Third Prince. Naturally, they also knew about Mei Wushuang's background.

In the past, there were rumors that Marquis Mei treated the orphaned daughter left behind by his half-brother kindly. Now, it seemed that there was something very suspicious about this.

What was suspicious?

For the noble young ladies, most of whom, even if they were not very old, had seen the dark secrets of the inner courtyards, it was something they could figure out with a little thought.

Thus, everyone looked at Wushuang with sympathy.