Liu Tián Qǔ promised to do so before she changed the subject, "I would like to request that everyone keep the things I told you earlier of myself to yourselves for now." Although Liu Tián Qǔ told them a bit about herself to buy the Wu family's confidence, with just one look at the Wu mother and daughters, Liu Tián Qǔ could see that they had many secrets of their own. So she knew that they would know the value of holding a secret.
The words of the eldest miss confirm Liu Tián Qǔ's thoughts, "Young Master Liu, there is no need for you to worry. If there is one thing our family has learned the hard way, it is the value of keeping our lips sealed. My younger sister is a bit unruly. However, when it comes to keeping secrets, she knows how to keep her lips sealed."
The second miss looked at Liu Tián Qǔ and said in a solemn voice, "A person who can't guard their mouth is a person who won't live long."
Liu Tián Qǔ silently nodded in agreement with the second miss before looking back over to the eldest miss and Lady Wu Yǐn Rán, "I originally was going to place you and your family in a courtyard of the inner court. However, on second thought, I thought that you would like more space for the young misses to move around comfortably. So I decided to place everyone here in the outer courtyards and give everyone except the baby their own courtyard so everyone would have their own space." Liu Tián Qǔ explained to everyone.
"However, there are a few things I wish to explain first. First of all, you all are not restricted to your courtyards or the outer courtyard. Everyone is free to move around and explore. This is a beautiful residence with tons of gardens, ponds, and pavilions. There is even a vineyard where I am growing grapes and a fruit grove that I am currently in the process of expanding." Liu Tián Qǔ inwardly smiled to herself when she saw the second young miss eyes light up. She also saw the eldest miss, and Lady Wu Yǐn Rán glance over at the second miss.
"As I explained to everyone earlier, I just moved into this residence less than one month ago. This residence once belong to Elder Chen and the Chen Family."
The second young miss cut Liu Tián Qǔ off in astonishment and excitement as she exclaimed with wide eyes, "You mean the traitor that did all those wicked things the Han family and the Martial Families?"
Liu Tián Qǔ looked over to the Second Young Miss and said, "Yes," before continuing. She then informed the family of the upcoming imperial inspection and the many planned construction projects that would also be taking place. It was agreed upon that during the inspection, the family would stay in an inn in the Imperial City for three days.
Liu Tián Qǔ silently observed the family for several heartbeats before asking, " Is there anything in particular that you all want to learn or do?"
The second miss glanced at her mother briefly before saying, "I want to learn to read and write."
"I see no problem with that. Even my servants are learning to read, write, and do sums."
"What!" Lady Wu Yǐn Rán and her two daughters gawked in denial and disbelief.
Liu Tián Qǔ took a moment to explain the treatment of her servants and how her household was run. The more she explained, the deeper their shock became.
The eldest miss felt her brains scramble. In her father's manor, the slaves were treated as less than dirt. They were seen as expendable pieces of property. However, here in Young Master Liu Residence, the slaves lived better than she, her mother, brother, and younger sister had been previously living!
The second young miss felt a sense of vertigo. She felt so dizzy the room seemed to be spinning. Even when she was much younger, she wanted to learn how to read.
Her father always told her that reading was for scholars and noblemen of high birth. Women were discouraged from learning how to read. How is it that she was of noble birth but denied permission to learn, yet slaves were being taught to read?
It felt as if the whole world turned topsy turvy. The second young miss began questioning everything she was taught in her father's manor. If a slave can learn to read, write, and be granted opportunities. Why must she, a noblewoman whose ancestors help repel enemy invasions and save the country, be denied? Ah?! Why must she accept this?! She refused to accept this! If slaves could learn, then why couldn't she?!
The second young daughter was unaware that tears were pouring unchecked from her eyes. They were tears of fury. Secretly in her heart, she hated her father. Her mother thought they didn't know. But they did. She and her eldest sister knew that their mother allowed their father to hurt her so they can have food, clothes, and protection in her father's manor. She was very happy when they left her father's manor and changed their name. She hated her father and all his other wives and children.
Although her mother and eldest sister shielded her, the second miss knew just how very difficult things were for her mother and eldest sister in her father's manor. However, if they stayed in Liu Residence for a while, the second miss was sure that Young Master Liu would help them. She planned on accepting all his help shamelessly. When she became a famous rich person who could help protect her family. She would pay him back with high interest.
With tears dripping down her cheeks, the second daughter turned to her mother and eldest sister and said. "I wish to stay here in Liu Residence for a while."
"Alright, then we will stay," the eldest daughter met her sister's eyes and saw the turmoil that had torn through her younger sister. The Eldest daughter's heart hurt for her younger sister. She knew her younger sister's heart because she felt the same way. When she was younger, she even confided in her mother about her feelings regarding her father. Her mother told her she was free to feel however she wanted to feel. Then she mother cautioned her to keep her feelings to herself. If she went around expressing the negative feeling she felt towards her father, then others would see her as unfilial.
The Second Young Miss turned once more to the Young Lord and asked. "May I be allowed to attend lessons?"
"If you wish to attend the lessons of the servants, I will not stop you. However, when my tutor arrives, then I will have to insist that you study along with me under the tutor that will come to tutor me. You are a noblewoman, so you will need to learn more than just the basics of reading, writing, and mathematics."
With big eyes full of emotion, the second daughter asked, "You will allow me to study with you?" there was such hope, desire, and yearning in the second daughter's eyes that Liu Tián Qǔ's heart went out to her.
"I will have to insist on it. It's okay to join the lessons of the servants to learn the basics for now. However, when my tutor arrives, then I will have to insist you join the lessons I will be attending."
The second daughter bowed, "Thank you, Young Master Liu."
The Eldest daughter looked at Liu Tián Qǔ and said, "I will be attending lessons as well. However, I wish to one day become a general and restore my family honor. I want to learn martial arts." The eldest daughter was expecting the young lord to laugh at her or make a benign comment of discouragement.
However, the response of the Young Lord caused the teacup in the eldest daughter's hand to slip from her grasp and smashed to the table, spilling hot tea onto the table.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
"Alright, I will talk to my Commander and see if he can find someone to begin training you. I have approximately four hundred house guards now. I am sure someone could be found to begin training you on the basics until we can find a martial arts trainer capable of train you." Luckily the eldest daughter had drank some of the tea in the cup. There wasn't much tea in the teacup, and that was what saved her from being splashed with hot tea.
Liu Tián Qǔ inwardly smirked as she leisurely sipped her tea while the mother and daughters practically choked on air in their shock. They all sat looking at her with eyes as big as basketballs. Their eyes looked as though they were going to burst out of their skull. Their mouths were open so wide in shock Liu Tián Qǔ could practically see their tonsils at the back of their throats wiggling around.
Several of the maids who were standing outside waiting in attendance heard the sound of the teacup break. With Liu Tián Qu permission to enter, they rushed in to see if anyone was injured or burned. The mother and daughters were too busy gawking at Liu Tián Qǔ to notice the maids that quickly and efficiently cleaned up the broken teacup and spilled tea. One of the maids poured a fresh cup of tea for the eldest miss. Just as quickly as they came, the maids departed in the same manner, to once again wait outside in attendance.
Liu Tián Qǔ didn't dare belittle the dreams of the eldest daughter. In the memories of her predecessors' past life. Lady Wu Yǐn Rán's eldest daughter Wu Dòu Zhì would, later on, become a great general following in the footsteps of her ancestor. However, she didn't stop there. She would later go on to become the Imperial Commander of the East. Making her the first woman in the history of the Tolling Land to become an Imperial Commander. This would inspire many women to begin joining the military once again and ascend the ladder of rank.
Women didn't join the armies of the Tolling Lands. Although women were suppressed from joining the military, and it was frowned upon. It was not illegal for women to join the military. Centuries ago, many women were very active in the armies of the Tolling Lands.
However, the Tolling Lands had become very prosperous over the past few centuries enabling the Tolling Lands to increase its armies and to secure the country better. Being a warrior became more lucrative than being a farmer or a craftsman.
The Tolling Lands paid it's warriors very well. The land of the Tolling Lands was massive, so warriors were always in demand. The women were free to stay home and live well on their husband's pay which had increased substantially.
As the centuries passed, warrior women became fewer and fewer and so scarce until finally they no longer joined.
In the memories of Liu Tián Qǔ predecessors' past life, Lady Wu Yǐn Rán's Eldest daughter joining the military triggered her mother's maternal protective instinct to the extreme. Lady Wu Yǐn Rán worried night and day for her daughter.
Finally, instead of uselessly worrying, Lady Wu Yǐn Rán began to see if there was something she could do to help keep her daughter safe. Lady Wu Yǐn Rán started to researching materials and techniques. Along with an armorsmith, shamen, an old retired farmer, a traveling monk, and a blacksmith, Lady Wu Yǐn Rán finally successfully created what became known as an Iron shirt or Iron tunic.
It was a tunic that looked and felt like cotton, but in fact, repelled attacks as good as a suit of armor. It was extremely light to wear and looked exactly like a tunic made of cotton. Yet this tunic was able to repel attacks from swords, the arrows of bows, and the bolts of crossbows. It even, later on, helped to save the life of the emperor after the emperor personally led his Imperial armies in a battle of the war that the late prime minister peng had triggered.
Due to Lady Wu Yǐn Rán's contribution to the Tolling Lands, Lady Wu Yǐn Rán was summoned to the Imperial court to be rewarded. It was only then that the Emperor learned that Lady Wu Yǐn Rán and her daughter Imperial Commander Wu Dòu Zhì were descendants of General Wu Jiàng Xióng. This had caused an uproar at court that day. For some odd reason, it was believed that Lord Wu had left no descendants behind.
In the memories of Liu Tián Qǔ predecessors, according to the gossiping General Lu. Years later, Lady Wu Yǐn Rán's husband took sick and died. Lady Wu Yǐn Rán and her eldest daughter were chased from her husbands' manor when her husband died. They were kicked out with only the clothes on their back.
Lady Wu Yǐn Rán's second brother and nephew had been numbered among those that had fallen during the war. After the death of her second brother, her husband swallowed down the wealth of the Wu Family behind Lady Wu Yǐn Rán's back. He had sold off all the Wu Family property as well. By the time Lady Wu Yǐn Rán had found out about it, it was already too late. Therefore there was nothing left for her to return to.
While Lady Wu Yǐn Rán's husband was sick, her husbands' other wives and children took that opportunity to severely bully and mistreat Lady Wu Yǐn Rán and her children. Sadly her second daughter, and later on, her son was were found dead under suspicious circumstances. By the time Lady Wu Yǐn Rán was kicked out of her husbands' manor she was extremely ill not only was Lady Wu Yǐn Rán ill but her eldest daughter Wu Dòu Zhì was not well either.
Revenge drove the mother and eldest daughter. The mother and daughter made it to the Imperial City on a wing and a prayer, and there they climbed their way up tooth and nail. Lady Wu Yǐn Rán had become a famous clothes maker for the Noblewomen of High Society. The eldest daughter had become a general, and later on, she became the Imperial Commander of the east. The mother and eldest daughter had also avenged the second daughter and third son. The mother and eldest daughter had claimed many of the lives of Lady Wu Yǐn Rán's husband's other wives and children.
This was also partially why Liu Tián Qǔ wanted to see the fire ignite and burn in Lady Wu Yǐn Rán. When Liu Tián Qǔ had seen the memories of her predecessor concerning Lady Wu Yīng Rán she had inwardly thought, 'Ah, the flames hidden in Lady Wu Yǐn Rán must have burned so brightly.'
Liu Tián Qǔ was always worried about the things that would change because of the butterfly effect. However, this was one change she was happy to see. Things may be currently hard for the family, but with the talent of Lady Wu Yǐn Rán and the ambition of the Eldest daughter. Liu Tián Qǔ was sure that their hard times wouldn't linger too long.
What was most important was that the second daughter and third son of Lady Wu Yǐn Rán was able to escape their father's manor with their life.
Nevertheless, the one thing that worried Liu Tián Qǔ the most was that the butterfly effect would cancel out the events surrounding the creation of the Iron tunic. She was afraid that the only reason Lady Wu Yǐn Rán's maternal protective instinct were so heavily triggered last time was because she had lost her second daughter and son.
Liu Tián Qu was not willing to accept the disappearance of the Iron tunic. With the death of Prince Jing, Liu Tián Qǔ was sure that Josper would come calling sooner or later. Liu Tián Qǔ also noticed a pattern with Leandore and Josper. Every time the Tolling Lands got into conflict of hostilities with one of the countries. The other country would use that opportunity to attack. She also felt a bit concerned that a General from the Sunken Land was caught trying to smuggle out the resources of the Tolling Lands.
If the Tolling Land went to war with Josper and/or Leandore, then Wang Fèn Yǒng, who was an infamous but superbly capable general, would be leading at the forefront. She wanted Wang Fèn Yǒng to be as protected as possible. Liu Tián Qǔ decided not only to see if she could manipulate events that would trigger Lady Wu Yǐn Rán's maternal protective instinct. She also wanted to see if she could push the creation of the iron tunic forward.
Since the eldest miss wanted to still become a General, Liu Tián Qǔ decided to give the eldest miss her full complete support. She decided to talk with Commander Jiang as soon as possible concerning the training of the eldest miss.
"You... you, you will allow me to train to be a warrior in your residence?"The eldest miss had lost her composure. She was flushed red from joy, shock, and excitement. Her eyes were wide, and she was breathing very heavy as though she ran a mile.
Pretending to misunderstand, a heavy frown covered Liu Tián Qǔ face as she asked with false confusion, "Why wouldn't I? There is no law saying that you are not allowed to become a warrior."
"But... but women...women just don't become warriors!" the eldest daughter finally managed to stutter out.
Liu Tián Qǔ allowed the false frown on her face to deepen and the false confusion to visually grow, "That is because they choose not to. Not because they are prohibited. Centuries ago, there were tons of women in the military. Now times have changed, and women choose to stay home. However, if you don't wish to stay home and wish to become a warrior, then go become a warrior," Liu Tián Qǔ said with a flick of her hand.
The mother and daughters once more gaped at the Young Lord. Their mouths flapped open and close as though trying to explain something. However, they looked as if they couldn't quite find the words to explain the thoughts running rampant in their brains. As they tried to find the words to explain their thoughts, they all inwardly wondered if this Young Lord was mentally deficient.
How could the young lord not know that although it wasn't illegal for women to become warriors, and although the officials in power pretended not to frown upon women becoming warriors? Behind closed doors, women were heavily suppressed and discouraged from becoming warriors. However, this young lord was acting as though women joining the military was a simple as growing cabbage.
There was a faint knock, then Butler Zhou entered. Butler Zhou bowed before saying, "Young Master Liu, several Imperial guests have arrived. Earlier with they visited with the martial families. They are now awaiting your presence in your lounge."