Time Travel: The Noble Family-Chapter 175 - 72: The Initiative_2

Chapter 175 -72: The Initiative_2

Yueyao hesitated whether she should tell Ma Chengteng or not. If she told her uncle, then her eldest cousin would surely pass the imperial civil service exam this time. Becoming a Palace Graduate as opposed to a Juren was an entirely different class of accomplishment. If her eldest cousin became a Palace Graduate, his future prospects would certainly be bright. Him becoming a high official in the future was naturally a good thing for her; the stronger her backer, the more her uncle and Lady Mo would have to think twice before scheming against her or even selling her off. Yet, having received so much proper education over the years, Yueyao felt that a good result obtained through cheating was unacceptable, not something a gentleman would do, and it left her truly torn between the two options.

Yueyao tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Hua Lei, who was on night duty, kept listening to Yueyao turning over and said, “Miss, what on earth is wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?”

Yueyao shook her head, “It’s nothing, you go to sleep!” Yueyao was still undecided whether she should tell her uncle about the matter. Not telling him could mean that her eldest cousin might never pass as a Palace Graduate in his lifetime, with his career stopping below the third rank. Without her eldest cousins’ strong support, she would also lack sufficient security in the future. But if she did tell, it would be equivalent to cheating, and Yueyao couldn’t accept that.

Yueyao thought so hard that her head was about to explode, and she didn’t sleep well all night. When she got up in the morning, she still felt groggy, and even during her classes, her spirit was not up to par.

During class, Yueyao made a mistake for the first time ever. Yuebing watched as Nanny Wang called out Yueyao’s mistake, and although she hid it well, internally she was overjoyed. Over the past six months, each of them had made mistakes here and there, but Yueyao had never made a single error before, which made this a rare opportunity.

However, Nanny Wang did not scold Yueyao, “If the young miss is feeling unwell, you should rest properly, and must not overexert yourself.” Ever since she arrived at Lian Mansion, although there were occasional instances where Yueyao was one or two minutes late, she had never asked for a day off. The other three young misses had taken leaves for various reasons such as poor health, yet Yueyao never had. Faced with such a diligent student, even the strict Nanny Wang couldn’t bear to punish her.

Yueyao herself understood that her condition was not right, and that forcing herself would only be counterproductive. Taking Nanny Wang’s words to heart, she simply requested a day off.

The Old Madam, learning that Yueyao was not feeling well, quickly sent for Doctor Tang. After taking her pulse, Doctor Tang concluded that Yueyao was suffering from overexertion and needed to rest properly.

Doctor Tang wasn’t just talking nonsense; Yueyao was truly overworked. Spinning like a top from morning until night without a moment’s rest, on top of the myriad of concerns weighing on her mind, had stretched her nerves taut. If it hadn’t been for a stroke of fate, she would have collapsed from overexertion sooner or later.

The Old Madam ordered Nanny Deng and Nanny Hao to watch over Yueyao, forbidding her from going to her classes. Qiao Hui came over with the Old Madam’s message, “Miss, the Old Madam said you need to rest well. Now is not the time for bravado. Your health is the most important thing.”

Yueyao nodded and said, “Please reassure grandmother that I will rest at ease.” Taking a few days off to rest properly might be good for her, she thought.

But having grown accustomed to her busy life, and used to practicing her calligraphy and painting every day, she felt uncomfortable all over when she did not do them: “You can rest assured, I will only practice my calligraphy for half a Shichen, and will obediently rest when the time is up.” In the end, no one could persuade Yueyao otherwise, and she returned to the study.

When night came, Yueyao tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Nanny Deng was on duty that night, and Yueyao tentatively spoke to her, “Nanny, there’s something I feel conflicted about, and I don’t know whether I should speak of it or not.” She believed that one should rely on their own abilities to pass the imperial examinations, yet she was certain her eldest cousin would not be able to pass on his own merits. In the future, she would need to rely on her uncle and her eldest cousin, but her uncle would pass away when she was just ten years old, leaving her only with her fate-altered eldest cousin to depend on. Therefore, if she didn’t speak up, Yueyao would be uneasy.

To tell or not to tell? One side was her direct interest, the other her moral integrity. Yueyao wanted both and was unwilling to give up either. Yet choosing one meant having to forsake the other. It was truly a torturous process.

Nanny Deng was surprised by the seriousness of Yueyao’s words, “Miss, speak your mind.”

Yueyao sighed softly, “Nanny, when my mother appeared to me in a dream, she didn’t just speak of Nanny Gu’s unfaithfulness and Lady Mo’s hidden schemes; there was another matter I did not pay attention to at the time. But I discovered something odd yesterday, which seems so incredible that I don’t know whether to believe it or not.”

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Nanny Deng said seriously, “Miss, speak.”

Yueyao spoke pensively, “When my mother visited my dream, she didn’t only mention the infidelity of Nanny Gu and Lady Mo hiding her schemes. She also told me that the Ma Family was destined to fall at the hands of Lady Cheng. In the dream, my mother asked me to do my best to support the Ma Family, to help my eldest cousin. That’s why I intervened in the affairs of Ma’s Mansion that day.”