The Fourth Lady

Chapter 10 Born from the Same Root

Qingyan brought Qingcong to the gardens and headed straight for the wayside pavilion. There, the ink and brush, leftover from yesterday, were still there. She ordered Baizhi to prepare some snacks, that way there was something to eat when they got hungry.

"Miss, there still some of the calligraphy paper you left from yesterday. What do you plan on teaching the young master today?" Zizhu looked to Qingyan and began to grate the inkstone with familiar hands.

Qingyan helped Qingcong up onto the stone stool and warmly said to him, "Cong'er, have you ever heard your fifth sister recite any poetry?"

Qingcong listened to Qingyan and shook his head, "I've never heard."

Qingyan picked up the brush and dabbed some ink, after pondering for awhile she wrote down Cao Zhi's [Seven Step Verse], this was the first poem Minning learned. Perhaps at the time Minning didn't understand the meaning behind this poem, but by now he should understand it.

"Burning the beanstalk to boil the beans, the beans in the pot cry out; originally born from the same root, why must we be at each other's throat?" Zizhu read the poem out loud in a light voice, "Miss, I recall this is Cao Zijian's [Seven Step Verse] from the Three Kingdoms period."

(TN: Cao Zijian is Cao Zhi's courtesy name)

Qingyan placed down the brush and nodded at Zizhu, "That's right, this is Zijian's [Seven Step Verse]." The placed this sheet of paper before Qingcong, "Read with me a few times, then Cong'er can read a few times, what do you think?"

Qingcong warmly smiled at Qingyan.

Burning the beanstalk to boil the beans, the beans in the pot cry out; originally born from the same root, why must we be at each other's throat!

Deng Yan struck the wooden fish* with a devout look, all the way until the servant girl by her side cried out, then did she put down the instrument. She stood up and looked to Linghua and expressionlessly said, "What's the matter?"

(TN: Those instruments used in reciting buddhist sutras to help keep the rhythm)

"Yiniang, just now I heard that the fourth miss took young master to the gardens to practice writing. Should I head there to retrieve the young master?" Linghua looked to Deng Yan as she said this.

of Linghua's words, "Are you sure it's the

in a docile manner, "That's right, it's precisely

As if recalling something, she immediately widened her eyes. When she looked to Linghua she cried out in an urgent voice, "Hurry,

the gardens, she unexpectedly heard the sound of Qingcong reciting the [Seven Step Verse]. She stood to the side and carefully

Qingyan said plainly as she looked to Deng Yan who was hiding behind

walked out from behind the rock formation. When Qingcong saw Deng Yan he ran

"Cong'er do you still remember what I've

head

you to call me mother, it's just that my

since Yiniang is here, why don't you recite the old verse I taught you to

didn't understand

root, why must we

do you have time tonight?" Deng Yan looked

meet with Deng Yan's eyes as she ate the

write again?" Qingcong, who was in Deng Yan's arms,

with a smile, and then as if remembering something she said, "Big sister

at Qingyan, then he left the gardens

she think of coming

is a decent ally, then why should I be against it?" As she said this, she picked up her brush and began

habit of practicing calligraphy was something Qingyan developed after she became empress. She naturally wrote on the

there's little water, sit

a literal translation of the proverb for

the pavilion for a while,

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