Chapter 14 – Women’s College
As Ye Zhen and her maid strutted forth the silent corridors of the mansion, the laughter of the old madam suddenly rang out. Her age didn’t seem to dampen her lively mood! After series fleet of stairs, she finally arrived and the curtain quickly, “Third Miss Lu is coming, madam..”
Ye Zhen nodded to the maid with her usual smile, lowered her head and went in. “Grandma, I have come to greet you.”
Fourth miss Lu was already inside the room. She was sitting on the left side of the Old madam with a look of displeasure on her face. Carrying a particular dislike towards Ye Zhen, she was somewhat reluctant to pay courtesy the moment Ye Zhen came in, but nonetheless, gave a small courtesy afterwards for she was in the company of the old madam. Moreover, the old madam has sharp eyes for this things. If anything, Fourth Miss Lu shading Ye Zhen would spoil the old madam’s perception of her.
Wearing a calm dexterity, Second miss Lu lounged comfortably on the Old madam’s right, holding a round fan hiding the half of her face. “Third sister, you look rather better today.”
Ye Zhen laughed, “Well, that shows that this mansion has the spirit to make people well!”
Old madam Lu shook her head at the remark. “Yes, she looks better, but she’s still too thin and needs to take care of her body.”
“Grandma can rest a.s.sure that I will keep myself fair and plump. I just came in and heard you laughing happily, but what’s the pleasure?”
“Fourth sister here is talking about the college. A lady from a famous family looks down on us and was not shy in expressing it. Oh, but the poor gal lost herself in crying!” said Second Miss Lu.
Not all families, aristocrat and peasants alike, looks positively at Lu Family. It was just normal that such temperament as the Fourth Miss was used to make room for ridiculing her of her birth status. “It seems that college is quite fun.” As soon as Ye Zhen said this, what little smile left on the Fourth Miss Lu’s face was wiped away.
“Third sister, how can you so casually say that when you have never been admitted in college? You can’t say that in public without making a joke out of yourself!” Fourth Miss Lu felt a bit insulted.
Ye Zhen’s face was innocent and ignorant. “I haven’t been to college. Naturally, I don’t know what it is like. Next time my fourth sister takes me to have a look, then I will know.”
Old madam Lu nodded and said, “Yao Yao certainly didn’t have a women’s college back in the border town. But now that your eldest brother has some status, I’ll let him support you and let you go to the college to study. It doesn’t matter how many things you have to study. You just have to at least earn a respectable reputation, especially now that you are of age.”
The women’s college pa.s.sed down over a century has lost the original intention of Empress Duan Hui when she found it, which was to let those lonely women learn skills to make a living for themselves. Later, with the college’s reputation getting more and more famous over the time, only the girls from famous families are accepted by the college except only for the few girls from ordinary families who had literary talent that is superior. Plus, they also had to pa.s.s the infamous examination!
There was a flicker of contempt on the Fourth Miss Lu’s eyes. If it weren’t for Old Madam Lu’s presence here, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from laughing at Ye Zhen right in the face. In her mind, how could someone who grew in the border town be able to keep up with the college’s demands? Not to mention the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting! She wasn’t even acquainted with at least one famous figure in the college. If by some miracle she pa.s.ses, she would still be driven out like an outcast that she was.
“Still, third sister has to pa.s.s the exam even if she has eldest brother to support her. She is also too old, 15 years old. I’m afraid it’s too late,” Second Miss Lu said, followed by a scoff from the Fourth Miss.
“The college didn’t stipulate that you can’t go to school when one is aged 15! Besides, Lu Yaoyao can learn Four arts** just like those eleven or twelve-year-old girls!” Old Madam strongly disagreed then looked at Ye Zhen seriously. “Tell me child, I heard you studied medicine with your mother before. Would you like to go to the college’s Medical art to study then?”” Old lady Lu asked.
**T/N : Four Arts of China (四藝) includes qin (the guqin, a stringed instrument. 琴), qi (the strategy game of Go, 棋), shu(Chinese calligraphy 書) and hua (Chinese painting 畫).
Originally, practicing medicine was a dirty profession, but because Empress Duan Hui was a famous imperial doctor and founded the college by her own efforts, medical field was given another light especially in the women’s outlook. She also opened a medical center when she opened the women’s college. All women who graduated from the medical center have the opportunity to become women’s medical officers inside the Imperial Palace!
If she chose to become a female medical officer, will she have a chance to take revenge? If she wants revenge, she must find a strong backer. Looking across the capital, there is only one person she can find.
That is the Empress Dowager of the dynasty, the mother of Mo Rongzhan.
Back when she was still Ye Zhen wed to Mo Rongzhan, the dowager empress was kind to her.
“Grandma, I want to go!” No matter what method she uses, she will enter the palace. Only when she could do that can she have the chance of revenge! Only when she enters the palace can she obtain the power she longed for!
Not only did she want to be a female doctor, but she also wanted to make use of the position of the Lu Family to strive for more good things for her.
Lu Lingzhi used to manipulate her in a hypocritical way. Blind with hurt and anger,, she wished she could the things they did to her. Now she already knows that whether she poisons Lu Lingzhi or robbed Lu Wushuang of her ident.i.ty, it will never be enough. She will retaliate against them for how they treated her in the least ways expected!
The next time she met Lu Lingzhi, she would be firm and unafraid. She would instill in her mind that as long as she lived through her sister’s body, she is his cousin. In the presence of the enemy, she must forget Ye Zhen’s ident.i.ty.
Lu Lingzhi and Lu Wushuang, I’m back. Are you ready?