Chapter 37 - The Eldest Lady
Xie Qiao unveiled the curtain and looked outside.
The wall that surrounded the Xie family home was right in front of her eyes. There were many people at the front entrance but she could not see what they looked like.
The housekeeper of the Xie family home was waiting at the door.
With a respectful look, he personally stepped forward and waited for Ms. Lu to get out of the carriage.
.
"Where is the Master?" Ms. Lu got out of the carriage and only caught sight of the servant. When she did not see her husband and her stepchildren, she frowned slightly.
"The Master and the Eldest Young Master are still in the military camp at the moment. I thought you would only be back in half a month"s time. I didn"t expect it to be so soon. I have sent someone out to inform the heads. The Second Young Master and the Young Lady are in the academy now," the housekeeper quickly replied.
"Academy?" After Pei Wanyue got out of the carriage, she was puzzled and spoke up in a weak and slightly hoa.r.s.e voice.
"Oh, it was opened by the royal family. Uncle Xie...Your dad, spent a lot of money dredging in order for the two young ones to be admitted into the Academy," Ms. Lu replied.
Pei Wanyue pursed her mouth, "I never expected girls to be able to go to school too. There is no such thing in Liao Zhou…"
"Yes, Liao Zhou is a small place and is relatively remote. It is not surprising that ladies are kept at home under tight watch and not allowed to study at the academies. There are three well-known large academies in the imperial city, all of which accept ladies. The situation in other nearby cities is similar. This is all due to Empress Dowager Jiang"s credits." Ms. Lu explained.
This Empress Dowager Jiang had a deep affection for the late Emperor, and she had been his childhood sweetheart since they were young.
Empress Dowager Jiang was born into a general"s family. She had a hearty and generous personality. From the day she became Queen, she had been encouraging girls to enroll in academies.
Although this was met with great resistance, some progress was made.
Most ladies that came from large families had to study and learn philosophy.
Many people wished to marry a highly-educated wife from these academies. After all, if the wife had an education, she could better educate her children in the future.
Pei Wanyue showed a look of yearning.
"Mom, when I was at my home in Liao Zhou, I used to... read books." Pei Wanyue spoke in a very faint voice.
Ms. Lu was stunned, and then she understood what was meant by her daughter. She calmly replied, "When your dad comes back, I"ll tell him about this. The Royal Academy is not easy for one to gain admission, but going to the other two academies is still possible."
Pei Wanyue could not help but clench her fist.
"If I wish to join an academy, I would certainly join the Royal Academy!"
"Who did not want to gain good education or be the top scorer in the government entrance examination?"
Pei Wanyue was reluctant to say this directly. She only nodded her head gently.
Immediately after, the housekeeper began to ask his men to unload things. Just as they prepared to go to work, Xie Qiao got out of the carriage.
The housekeeper was taken aback.
"Are you... the Eldest Lady?" The housekeeper took in her presence all at once.
"I feel strange. There is only one lady beside Ms. Lu, and I am reluctant to ask vocally whether the lady is Ms. Xie or Ms. Pei. If I address her wrongly, Ms. Lu might get angry with me."
Ms. Lu had really forgotten about Xie Qiao.
Xie Qiao"s presence was just that unimportant to Ms. Lu all along the way!
When the housekeeper said that, Ms. Lu"s facial expression changed completely, "Qiao Er, this is the housekeeper, Yuan Rong. He is the old man who followed the Master earlier. If you want a favor, just ask him."
"It is Yuan Rong"s pleasure to meet the Eldest Lady." The housekeeper glanced at Xie Qiao and was a little surprised. He raised his eyebrows slightly and said in a lighthearted tone, "The Eldest Lady"s courtyard is ready. I shall lead you there."
Xie Qiao nodded her head slightly.
Everyone was very curious about the Eldest Lady, and they could not help but take a few more glances at her at that moment.
They were deeply shocked in their hearts.
They heard that the Eldest Lady who had been raised elsewhere was coming back home. The maids and even the servants of the family were curious about her for a while.
They all knew that the Eldest Lady and the Eldest Young Master were monoamniotic twins. So they all felt that the Eldest Lady"s physical appearance could not amount to much.
They had never expected her to grow into a fine lady like this!