Chapter 480 - 177 Little Master
Luo Mingzhu had practiced a single character and then, feeling exhausted, she went to sleep after washing up. Yueyao rested for a while before reading some books.
After serving Mingzhu and seeing her off to sleep, Bai Yi came over and said to Yueyao, "Miss, you are truly amazing. Our master used to be threatened by the Marquis and the Princely Heir, saying that if she practiced writing, she wouldn’t be allowed to go out. To practice writing so calmly like today is a first." If only it could be like this every day.
Yueyao looked at Bai Yi and asked, "Doesn’t your master have something she’s particularly good at?" Everyone has their own strengths. Yueyao didn’t believe that Luo Mingzhu lacked something she excelled in.
Bai Yi shook his head, "No." He paused before continuing, "If I must mention something she is particularly good at, it’s that our young lady has a talent for martial arts. That set of fist and foot techniques you’re practicing, if it were our young lady, I’m sure she could master it in ten days."
Yueyao was somewhat surprised; she hadn’t expected Luo Mingzhu to have a talent for martial arts. She curiously asked, "If she has that talent, why didn’t she learn it? Is it because the Marquis wouldn’t allow it?"
Bai Yi gave a bitter smile and said, "The Marquis wasn’t opposed, for Marquis Jingning’s Residence comes from a military aristocratic family, and it wouldn’t be out of place for the young lady to learn martial arts. However, the Madam was resolutely against the young lady learning martial arts, insisting that a girl should stay properly within the boudoir. The Madam even went to the Empress Dowager with her complaints, and after that the matter was dropped. In order to extinguish the young lady’s interest in martial arts, she found a few maidens of noble family and additionally some women skilled in martial arts, and eventually, the young lady stopped pursuing martial arts." Bai Yi wasn’t very familiar with this Chapter of events, but he heard that the noble maidens were all gentle and graceful; on the other hand, the martial women were all robust, their imposing figures intimidating. Bai Yi guessed that the young lady must have been frightened.
The Lady of Marquis Jingning actually had a point: a girl with supreme martial skills would still end up marrying in the end and wouldn’t be able to join the army. Just like when her own mother found out her father was teaching her the Four Books and Five Classics, she also said that it was unnecessary for a girl to learn too much since she wouldn’t be taking part in the imperial examinations. Thinking of her parents made Yueyao’s mood darken again, "Doesn’t Mingzhu have other interests or something she particularly wants to do?"
Bai Yi shook his head, "No."
In truth, Yueyao felt it didn’t matter if Luo Mingzhu wasn’t skilled at anything; with such a family background, as long as one’s mind was clear and not fooled by others, one could live smoothly for a lifetime. Except now, with her having to accompany Luo Mingzhu on the mountain, Mingzhu’s constant demands were dragging her along, and after several months, Yueyao feared she would be exhausted to death. Yueyao’s intention was to find something for Luo Mingzhu to do so that she wouldn’t bother her all the time.