Lady Jiang assumed her daughter was simply dissatisfied with the meager sum of money sent by the Chengyuan Marquis Manor, and she waved her hand dismissively.
"It is a Marquis manor, after all; two hundred taels is quite enough. For all we know, the Marquis of Chengyuan might already be thinking that his own legitimate daughter was raised by mere merchants, turning out with such a shabby air that she has brought shame upon the manor."
Lin Jingyan felt the word "bestowed" grate harshly on her ears. Impatiently, she flicked her hand to signal the pageboy to step back.
"As for important news..." The pageboy, just about to retreat, suddenly slapped his forehead. "The eldest young master of the Chengyuan Marquis Manor has been taken on as a student by Young Master Xu of Guanxian Academy. I heard that Young Master Xu only made an exception because he gave face to the second young lady."
"What?!" Lady Jiang’s face contorted. Forget the silver—she chased after the pageboy, demanding, "Are you certain it was for Lin Jingyue’s sake?"
That was Guanxian Academy, the institution that had produced countless successful candidates, even top scholars and honorable graduates! Furthermore, the academy did not discriminate based on background; if a student showed exceptional talent, even if they were born of a merchant family, Master Xu would personally recommend them to the Emperor, allowing them to bypass the usual restrictions to take the imperial examinations.
Even if one lacked real talent, entering the academy and building connections with classmates could mean securing a "potential stock"—a powerful patron for the future. Ever since moving to the capital, Lin Hengan had been constantly hosting banquets and pulling strings, all to get his youngest son into Guanxian Academy. Yet, despite spending over a thousand taels, he had never managed to make any headway with the academy’s scholars.
Who would have thought—who would have thought that Lin Jingyue had such pull?
Had she known... Lady Jiang glanced at Lin Jingyan’s sullen face. She bit her tongue, but after enduring for a long moment, she finally spoke, her tone laced with a hint of reproach.
"If you had reclaimed your place in the Marquis manor, wouldn't you be the one with the connection to Young Master Xu? That is Guanxian Academy!"
Lin Jingyan’s face darkened completely. Since becoming the Crown Prince's Secondary Consort, few people had dared to blame her to her face. Even those noble ladies and wives who despised her or shunned her would only whisper behind her back; when face-to-face, they were as respectful as could be.
Now, being blamed by Lady Jiang, she couldn't swallow the insult. Recalling that the "noble patron" she had waited for in her previous life never arrived, she glared back.
"Mother, with Lin Jingyue’s stingy nature, what kind of connections could she possibly build? This matter must be a rumor. Besides, it’s just a small private academy—can it really compare to the Imperial College or the Imperial Academy? Mother, I’ll find a way to get Jingchuan into the Imperial College tomorrow. Making connections with its instructors and students—*that* is what you call a boundless future."
Lady Jiang brightened and waved for the servants to leave. "Are you serious? But... I heard your father say that only the children of officials can enter the Imperial College."
Lin Jingyan was brimming with confidence. "Mother, just tell Jingchuan and Father to wait. Within half a month, Jingchuan will definitely be in the Imperial College."
Lady Jiang remained half-skeptical, but she figured that since Lin Hengan couldn't find a way into Guanxian Academy for the time being, having an extra path wouldn't hurt. She didn't refuse. "Alright, Mother will wait for your good news."
***
Chengyuan Marquis Manor, Ximing Courtyard
After seeing Xu Wenzhou off, Zheng Jin led Lin Jingyue back to her brand-new courtyard. He muttered a name to himself: "Song Ming? Isn't that the current Minister of Rites?"
Before his newly acquired master left, he had assigned him the task of studying Song Ming’s poetry and essays. Yet, Zheng Jin had never heard of any connection between the Xu family and the Minister of Rites.
Lin Jingyue secretly shook her head. Her "dear" brother clearly used all his brainpower on martial arts.
"Brother, why worry about the reason? Just do as Young Master Xu instructed. Also, you must never tell anyone about this, including Uncle Zheng and the Marquis of Chengyuan."
Zheng Jin thought she had a point. He reached out to pat Lin Jingyue on the shoulder, though he quickly softened his touch as his hand landed. "Don't worry. With the warnings from you and Master, I will certainly keep my lips sealed and never mention a word to anyone. Jingyue, I don't know how to thank you. You... it’s just good to have you back. It’s good to be home."
By the end, his voice had grown slightly hoarse. Lin Jingyue pretended not to notice his suddenly reddened eyes.
"Why thank me between us? The Old Madame was frightened today; you should go and pay your respects... I am feeling a bit weary."
Zheng Jin turned his face away and nodded. "I owe my chance to learn from Young Master Xu to Grandmother; I’ll go to the kitchen right now and have them brew some calming soup. You—you go ahead and get some rest."
Before Lin Jingyue could reply, Zheng Jin strode away.
The entire Ximing Courtyard was left to Lin Jingyue and her maid, Bochun. Bochun helped Lin Jingyue inside and placed her small bundle on the table, saying indignantly, "Miss, in fifteen years, the Lin family didn't spend even fifty taels on you. Why did you have to..."
Lin Jingyue sat by the table and rubbed her temples. "You want to ask why I let the Marquis manor send them two hundred taels?"
"Yes." Bochun, pouring her tea, looked confused. "The eldest young lady gets ten taels of monthly allowance, while your treatment at the Lin family was worse than that of the maids in her courtyard."
What Bochun couldn't grasp was why, despite her mistress being the Lin family's biological daughter, her parents were so biased toward Lin Jingyan.
Lin Jingyue didn't answer immediately. Through the half-open door, she scanned the Ximing Courtyard. The small courtyard alone was larger than all of the Lin family's west wing put together, planted with rare and precious flowers. Not to mention the furnishings inside: the rosewood desk, the pearl-inlaid jewelry box, the Suzhou-made silk curtains, and the intricate thousand-craft canopy bed.
Almost everything here was of a quality that a merchant family could not afford, nor were they permitted to own. Just like the rule that merchant children could not take the imperial examinations, violating these customs was a breach of status, punishable by heavy fines or even the seizure of property. These were the expensive luxuries she had spent years in her previous life struggling to acquire only after she had earned an imperial title; now, having just been reclaimed by the Chengyuan Marquis Manor, she was already using them.
Lin Jingyue took a sip of the Lushan Cloud Mist tea, worth ten taels an ounce, and suddenly smiled. "Bochun, the Lin family did raise me for fifteen years, after all. I cannot be ungrateful."
Especially at a moment when she had just returned to the Chengyuan Marquis Manor. A good reputation was vital.
Bochun huffed. "It’s far too generous to the Lin family. By the way, Miss, earlier on the street, Steward Wang was targeting you at every turn. Was it because I scolded him when we got off the carriage? If I had known, I would have..."
"It’s not your fault. Steward Wang is the one with the problem. You did well." Lin Jingyue took out two taels of silver and offered them to Bochun. "The Old Madame is unwell, and my brother is rarely home. I am isolated in the Marquis manor; you are the only one I can trust."
"Miss, what are you doing? I can't take this, I..."
Seeing Bochun push the money away, Lin Jingyue’s smile faded slightly. "There will be people far more disgusting than Steward Wang and matters far more revolting than those of the Lin family in the future. Bochun, you and I have grown up together; I don't want to make things difficult for you. If you are afraid, or if you don't want to muddy yourself in this, you still have a chance to change your mind."
Bochun was stunned. She lowered her eyes, thinking for a moment before accepting the silver. "Miss, when I was being bullied by the Lin family servants, it was you who saved me, even though you were punished by the eldest young lady because of it... From that moment on, my life has been yours."
Lin Jingyue looked at the group of people hurrying toward the courtyard from outside, her tone as gentle as ever. "Then remember this: you are now the head maid of the eldest legitimate daughter of the Chengyuan Marquis Manor. No one—not a single soul—is allowed to bully you."