Chapter 56 Part 2: Musician
The women at Mingyi Hall saw the master and servant arrive but didn’t stop their discussions. Jiang Li faintly heard that they were talking about yesterday matter where she swept Liu Zimin’s face in the middle of the street. Among the n.o.ble ladies in Yanjing, the matter of taking initiatives in the middle of the street was hardly heard of. People usually would be in favor of the majority and wouldn’t understand the minority. In their eyes, Jiang Li’s action was shocking and going against the established practices. Therefore their gazes towards Jiang Li were as if they were looking at a strange kind and whether intentionally or otherwise, they isolated Jiang Li.
Jiang Li didn’t mind in the slightest and walked towards her sitting position and sat down. Even today’s Liu Xu was somewhat odd and actively greeted her.
This was somewhat new. Jiang Li understood clearly in her heart that Liu Xu took care of her based on the task entrusted to her by Madam Liu. As for her inner self, Liu Xu might not necessarily like her. However today, for the first time Liu Xu took the initiative to acknowledge her, even her smile was sincere.
Liu Xu blushed for a while then spoke to Jiang Li: “Yesterday I saw the entire scene where you opposed Liu Zimin at the gate of the Imperial College.”
“Oh?” Jiang Li smiled, “I went a little overboard.” When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Since the n.o.ble ladies here considered speaking out for justice was overstepping the bounds of what was proper, she wouldn’t deliberately make her independence known.
“No, no, no,” Liu Xu spoke a few “no’s” in succession then looked at Jiang Li earnestly while speaking: “Liu Zimin’s morality and conduct is wrong. In broad daylight he proceeded to blackmail and cheat. There were so many people in the crowd, only you dared to speak out the truth. Fearless, I truly admire you.”
Jiang Li was a bit astonished.
“Previously I listened to the rumors outside and wasn’t friendly with you. Now I already understood, it was me who was unclear in recognising people, nearly misunderstood a good person. Compared to those people who hid themselves among the crowd and enjoyed the scene, how much more brilliant were you since you dared to step forward and show your face.” She straightforwardly offered a simple salute to Jiang Li, “I was wrong in the past, today I’ll apologize. From now on, I won’t act like that anymore.”
Jiang Li smiled and said: “You’ve already treated me very well before.” Liu Xu was, in the end, Madam Liu’s daughter. A very magnanimous girl with self awareness, a very good young lady. Everyone likes a good girl, Jiang Li liked her very much.
Seeing Jiang Li’s smile which didn’t mind in the slightest, Liu Xu couldn’t help blushing. She said: “Yesterday when you were discussing with Liu Zimin, you seemed to have researched how to appraise counterfeit articles. Can you teach me?”
Jiang Li was a little dazed but immediately followed with: “What’s difficult about this, I can teach you.”
There’s once a time when Xue Huaiyuan was acting as the county deputy of Tongxiang that someone went to the yamen to file a lawsuit. It’s a family buying painting and calligraphy in a shop selling authentic paintings and calligraphy. They told the government official that the items they bought were counterfeit articles. Those counterfeits, compared to the counterfeit brought by Liu Zimin yesterday, were much more superior, to the stage where it almost could be pa.s.sed off as genuine articles. Both sides were at a standoff. At last, someone invited a master who happened to be travelling to Tongxiang to help resolve this matter.
At that time, Jiang Li was still young and just wanted to have fun. She hid within the ranks of the people in Xue Huaiyuan’s team and went together with them. She was discovered afterwards and Xue Huaiyuan had to apologize but Jiang Li felt that it was fun. The master saw that she was adorable and lovely so taught her a few principles to distinguish the authenticity.
A famous teacher trains a fine student. Jiang Li could be regarded as a half disciple of this master. Her level couldn’t be said to be very good, but it couldn’t be regarded as too bad. The counterfeit that Liu Zimin brought yesterday couldn’t be regarded as superior. In addition, Jiang Li was fully aware of Liu Zimin’s moral character. Thus, in a few words, she was able to make Liu Zimin give the game away.
Right in the middle of discussing the keys to appreciating ancient paintings with Liu Xu, a teacher came in. Jiang Li raised her eyes and saw a slender woman in a lilac long skirt with wide sleeves and narrow waist walking inside leisurely. This woman had delicate features, gentle and delightful. The young servant girl behind her held a guqin in her hands. It’s the teacher teaching guqin.
Compared to Ji Luo, this teacher seemed to have a much better temperament, extremely gentle.
Jiang Li looked at her and laughed in her heart. This woman could previously be considered her “good friend”, the first female musician in the capital, Xiao De Yin.