The large courtyard of the East Garden faces south and is separated by a garden full of flowers. The east and west wings and horizontal houses on both sides are connected with the long corridor and the main house, such as a square house with a tic-tac-toe house.

The two corridors are supported by rows of vermilion pillars, and the first courtyard leads to the last, and many carved birdcages are hung on the corridor. Ladies of lower status were only allowed to come and go through the corridors on both sides, so as to facilitate communication and passage, and to avoid passing through the courtyard of the main hall.

At this time, I suddenly heard Zhu Mama say: "The girl who can read and write is out of the ranks." The women looked up and saw the two mothers-in-law each pulling a banner scroll with lines of handwriting written on it. Zi Ning stretched his neck and looked, his head was as big as a bucket, one was cursive, the other was ancient seal, and he couldn't understand what to write.

The cursive script is slightly better, and I can barely make out a few familiar words, but the ancient seal script is next to each other, the strokes are curved and complex, and the writing is dense, all like tadpole scripts in the heavenly book, and I don't know what to say at all.

The women looked at each other, but no one answered for a long time. They came from poor backgrounds, and they used to be big girls, and they didn't know how to read and write. Zi Ning was ashamed, after reading the books for all these years, she was almost as illiterate as a blind person, and she didn't recognize either word.

A maiden stood up silently, bowed deeply to Ligu, and said gently and softly: "The little girl used to read some books with the princess and knew how to write. The girls secretly exclaimed, she came from the palace and served the princess, no wonder she could read and write. Looking at her good looks, her attitude is neither humble nor arrogant, and she has a strong bookish atmosphere, which is indeed different from others.

Ligu's fine eyes turned, and she looked at Mama Zhu with complicated eyes, then turned her head, said "um", and said, "You read this character." Raise her hand and point to the ancient seal and let her read it out on the spot and listen to it.

The girl raised her head slightly, folded her hands in her sleeves upright, her eyes flashed, and she read aloud: "Mandarin ducks are flying, and Bi Zhiluo is Luozhi." A gentleman for ten thousand years, Fu Lu should be. The mandarin duck is on the beam, and the left flank is on the left. A gentleman for ten thousand years, it is advisable to be blessed. Ride a horse in the stable, destroy it. Ten thousand years for a gentleman, Fu Lu Ai. Riding a horse in the stable, the straw destroys it. Ten thousand years for a gentleman, Fu Lu Suizhi. ”

This one is the famous article "Mandarin Duck" in Xiaoya in the "Book of Songs", repeatedly chanting "Ten Thousand Years of Gentlemen", full of deep blessings and affection for the gentleman. She reads in a crisp and melodious voice, and her words are clear and melodious, which is very melodious.

Xianggui whispered to Zi Ning: "This voice is very good, but I don't know what she reads, it sounds like a song." Zi Ning was also familiar when she heard it, sighed deeply, and said: "This rhythm is frustrated and aria, either the Book of Songs or the Book of Shang." She had read the famous passages of the Four Books and the Five Classics before, but the time had passed so long that she had forgotten only one or two of them.

Xianggui frowned, shook his head, and said disapprerovingly: "Who has those idle time, the whole diary and these things." ”

The other women listened to it in a fog, and they only felt very bored, but they didn't understand what Mama Zhu wanted them to do to read and write.

After she finished reading those words, Ligu nodded with satisfaction and asked, "What's your name?" Looking at her delicate appearance, especially her eyes were black and shining, she must be a smart woman.

The girl's clear eyes turned, her small lips moved slightly, and she replied quietly: "Back to my aunt's words, the little girl's name is Xia Wan." "The sound is very smart and light, and it is very comfortable to listen to.

Seeing that Xia Wan was literate and knew the rules, and she was from the palace, Aunt Li had the intention to woo and promote her, turned her head and smiled at Mama Zhu: "Mama take a look, this is a rare girl, Master Su must like it." ”

Zhu Mama's eyes smiled into a slit, obviously satisfied, and said: "Xia Wan is a top-grade maid, and she will go into the study to serve Master Su's pen and ink." After a pause, he continued: "Although these are all concubines, they can't be messed up in one place, they should always be divided into upper, middle and lower grades, and Anpai has to do their own things." Ligu said that is not the reason?"

Aunt Li secretly scolded the old fox in her heart, but her appearance was not revealed, and she immediately smiled with a smile on her face: "What Mama said is that the rules of the scholar clan are stricter, and the grades must be clearly distinguished, so as not to have no upper and lower dignity." ”

When the women saw that Xia Wan had set the top grade, they were a little anxious, envious and jealous of her. Zi Ning secretly looked at Xia Wan and saw that she was silent, only a shallow smile appeared on her face, but her eyes did not fluctuate at all.

Shi Tao suddenly walked out of the queue slowly, saluted and said, "Slave Shi Tao, I also know a little bit about reading and writing. Zhu Mama's eyes gathered on her, and she saw that her eyebrows were green, her mouth was like a cherry, her apricot eyes were moving, and the gold-pink skirt on her body was light and fairy, and she was indeed the first beauty among the ladies of the Tang Mansion.

Ligu wished that there were other maidens in the ranks, blocking the momentum in the palace, and was busy reading the cursive script of Shi Tao, Shi Tao smiled bently, and then read: "It is qi, the greatest to the strongest, and it is harmless to be directly raised, and it is stuffed between heaven and earth." It is also qi, with righteousness and Taoism......"

This is a passage from "Mencius", "I am good at nurturing my heroic spirit". The women stared at the cursive handwriting with curved hooks, and even though they heard it familiarly, they didn't recognize a single word.

As soon as Shi Tao finished reading it, Ligu immediately turned her head to Zhu Mama and asked, "This girl from Tang Mansion is both talented and beautiful, what does Mama think of her?"

Zhu Mama looked at Shi Tao quietly, and didn't say a word for a long time. The women couldn't help but look at Xia Wan on the left and Shi Tao on the right, one was elegant and refined, the other was gorgeous and charming, and the two of them had their own beauty in spring flowers and autumn chrysanthemums.

"Hmm!" Zhu Mama's eyes widened slightly, and she said unhurriedly: "The old man looks at this poem, his voice is not as good as Xia Wan, his posture is not dignified, and his eyebrows and eyes are still full of charm, I am afraid that Lord Su will not like it." After a little hesitation, he raised his eyebrows and said: "The poem is set to be a medium grade, go to the side house to serve, write down the valuable furnishings in the house, write down the names and quantities of various objects one by one, and check it by the grandmother in the future." ”

Although Shi Tao felt wronged, she was helpless, so she had to smile bitterly and thank her and retreat.

Zi Ning suddenly remembered that as soon as Manzhu entered the East Garden, she recognized the words "Qingshuang Garden" on the weeping flower door, and she probably recognized these lines of cursive writing. Hurriedly turned his head to look at Manzhu, but saw her looking down, as if she didn't plan to go out.

Zi Ning secretly thought to herself: "Crossing the Great Jin Kingdom, the previous smart and clever people can't use it, and I don't recognize all these tadpole-like seal characters, let alone write a word." It's so hurtful to think that I have been studying hard for more than ten years, and it is like being blind with my eyes open. ”

In the history of the Jin Kingdom, there are many calligraphy celebrities, and they attach great importance to the style of calligraphy, and there must be a charm of law in the handwriting, and the personality and calligraphy are integrated, so that they can be regarded as a person who can write.

Zi Ning knew in her heart that if she was asked to write with a brush, it would be more ugly than a hen's claw scratching the soil. couldn't help but sigh, and secretly cursed: "What nonsense the ancients said, saying that a woman is virtuous if she is not talented, how can there be such a thing! Ning'er, Ning'er, you have read about pigs in your books over the years, and you can't even write your own Chinese characters!"

I was depressed, and I turned my head to look at the green ring next to her, and saw her flat-mouthed eyes staring, looking helpless. Suddenly, he sighed in a low voice: "Ning'er, such a thing as reading and writing cannot be forced." If I learn embroidery, maybe I can still learn to write, it will be really difficult for people to die!"

Xianggui whispered: "That's it, that's it, the women of the Great Jin Kingdom don't be officials, and they don't go out on errands, so it's useless to read and write." Our daughters have nothing to do with books in their lives, and it doesn't hinder their lives, so who bothers with these? Mama is really strange, she doesn't choose the best ones with stunning appearances, but chooses to read and write!"

At this time, Zhu Mama ordered the maid to take out the purse and handkerchief she was wearing, and let the mother-in-law check the embroidery needle and thread one by one. A total of three maidens were selected, the needlework was done well, the names were noted, and they were all listed as medium grades. Cinnamon and vine beads were chosen, and the other was the frost goose.

Zhu Mama took a look at Aunt Li, and said with a meaningful smile: "The maidens from the palace have good needlework, and in the future, these middle-grade ones will sew close-fitting sachets and tassels for Lord Su, and if Lord Su can use them, they will work harder." ”

Ligu nodded again and again, and said, "The girls of the top grade and the middle grade serve the adults wholeheartedly, and the monthly money is also more generous." ”

Except for them, the rest of the wives are listed as inferior, and they can't get close to adults according to the rules. Zhu Mama looked at the rest of the maidens one by one, and the beautiful ones were assigned to go into the courtyard to live, and Zi Ning and Lu Huan and others were among them.

After the arrangement was completed, Zhu Mama said indifferently: "These fox-like things, they don't know how to read and write, and they don't know how to sew needles and embroidery. Send them to **, no one is allowed to set foot in the front yard without the summons of Master Su!"

After saying that, the maids and daughters went back to their rooms. Zi Ning and Lu Huan were full of worries, bowed their heads and hugged their little baggage, followed behind a group of inferior women, and walked all the way from the corridor to the Sijin Courtyard.

In the courtyard of the last entrance, many lush bamboos are planted around it, and the front and back are connected to form a dark green bamboo forest. A row of large houses that are transparent from north to south are divided into rooms, into which the low-grade maids and maids are separated from the maids and maids who do chores.

The women complained that their status was too different from Xia Wan, and when they saw that there was no one here, they felt even more unsatisfactory. The courtyard is the farthest away from the main hall, and if Lord Su doesn't take a look, they will never have a chance to be favored.

The house where Zining and Luhuan live is the most remote, and in the corner of the landlord's head, a small square patio yard is blocked by a flower fence, and there are only two rooms. The two of them lived in one of the rooms, and the other room was occupied by the two ladies of the palace. The flower fence is like a half-fan screen, separating a quiet space, and the other side is connected to the large courtyard outside, and looking out from the fence, the scenery can be seen at a glance.

Zi Ning bypassed the flower fence, entered the small courtyard, raised his eyes and looked around, the courtyard is a corridor that comes and goes, there are many green bamboos planted outside, the swaying green leaves, making a small sound, can't help but rejoice: "The scenery here is elegant and quiet, and you can call yourself a bamboo gentleman in the future." The bamboo leaves are verdant all year round, and they have a unique charm regardless of rain or shine. ”

Holding the burden in both hands, "Squeak" pushed open the old door, and as soon as he crossed the threshold, he saw that there were two wide windows in the house, and the carved window lattices were freshly pasted with a layer of semi-transparent green veil, which was ventilated and quiet. couldn't help but close his eyes and sniff deeply, and said happily: "Green Ring, look, this room is transparent, the light is good, and there is a good smell of bamboo." "Suddenly put the matter of the inferior concubine behind.

The room is spacious and peaceful, with two low beds placed side by side, separated by a gauze curtain of carved couch frames, and dressing tables and clothes boxes in front of the couches. A low square table was placed on the floor mat in the middle of the room, and the tea bowls, kettles, lampstands, and incense burners were all on the table, neat and clean. ————