"Second Sister, don't be angry. Eldest Sister plays the zither very well. That's a good thing. This way, we can ask Eldest Sister to guide us in playing the zither in the future," Xiao Ting said innocently.
Xiao Xiang glared at Xiao Ting. Who wanted Xiao Man to teach her? She wanted to crush Xiao Man under her feet!
To see her in such a pathetic state, begging for mercy while weeping!
If it weren't for Xiao Man, how could Father have overlooked their existence? It was all because of Xiao Man. She had stolen Father's favor, and now she was going to steal her pride too!
"Eldest Miss's zither skills are indeed surprising. May I know who your teacher is?"
"My foundation was taught by a tutor hired by Grandmother. I only learned for a few days."
Nanny Sheng was also somewhat surprised. Could it be that she was truly gifted, learning something instantly?
Zither playing was different from learning etiquette; it required a solid foundation.
"There is no problem with Eldest Miss's zither skills. You can observe today. I will first teach Second Miss and Fourth Miss," Nanny Sheng said gently. She then asked Xiao Ting to play a piece and have Xiao Xiang identify the problems. Xiao Xiang was so consumed by the fact that Xiao Man's zither skills had surpassed hers that she had no intention of listening to Xiao Ting play, and could only remain silent.
Seeing this, Nanny Sheng shook her head. A concubine's daughter was still a concubine's daughter. It was normal for a legitimate daughter to be more outstanding than a concubine's daughter. In noble families, who would abandon their legitimate daughters to specifically groom their concubine's daughters? Concubine's daughters were merely meant to support the legitimate daughters. Yet, this Second Miss was unable to see this clearly. It was also because this Eldest Miss was not overly concerned; in another family, a concubine's daughter might not even have the right to be taught by a nurturing nanny!
Throughout the day, Nanny Sheng tested them on many things and also asked the three young ladies to compose their own pieces. Xiao Man remained silent for a long time before writing a musical score.
Xiao Xiang managed to finish a piece before the time was up, while Xiao Ting only managed to write a segment. However, Nanny Sheng did not blame her.
Fourth Miss was still young, and it was normal for her to be unable to write a musical score within the limited time.
Although Xiao Xiang had written a piece, some parts were not smooth and required revision.
Nanny Sheng looked at the musical score written by Xiao Man, a hint of an unreadable expression flickering in her eyes. This piece, though not long, flowed beautifully from beginning to end without any flaws. Without at least ten years of practice, it was impossible to achieve this.
Her gaze couldn't help but fall on Xiao Man. As the eldest legitimate daughter, why was she hiding her talent?
If a concubine's daughter hid her talent, it could be for survival. But she, as a legitimate daughter, cherished and doted upon by the Great General, why would she hide her talent?
Nanny Sheng became increasingly curious about Xiao Man. She even suspected that in the upcoming lessons, Xiao Man would continue to perform excellently.
The stepmother had invited her, originally intending to add another heavy stroke to Xiao Man's already terrible reputation. Little did she know that inviting her would be a form of fulfillment for Xiao Man!
A thought flashed through Nanny Sheng's mind: Was it possible that having her invited as a nurturing nanny had been part of Xiao Man's calculations all along? Whether it was the stepmother, Old Madam Xiao, or herself, they were all pawns in Xiao Man's hands!
When Xiao Xiang returned to her courtyard and entered her room, she proceeded to smash everything inside. The burning rage in her chest could not be vented!
It was stuck in her chest, burning hotter and hotter! She wished she could tear Xiao Man to shreds!
Her talents were her most treasured possessions, the proof of her superiority over Xiao Man. But now, her etiquette had been surpassed by Xiao Man, and even her most proficient skill, zither playing, had been outdone by Xiao Man. This was a direct slap in her face!
"I really underestimated her. She seemed so arrogant and overbearing usually, I thought she was just a simpleton. I didn't expect her to learn the zither behind our backs!" The Third Concubine knew why her daughter was angry. "Don't be upset. With her talent, she couldn't possibly be good at everything. Next time, surpass her and show your grandmother that Xiao Man is just a simpleton with the title of legitimate daughter!"
Xiao Xiang's face twisted with hatred. "Concubine, I'm afraid we've been deceived by Xiao Man all these years!"
The Third Concubine's eyelids twitched. "No, this must all be a coincidence. You know she never learned painting or chess. Usually, she only practices martial arts or reads military books. She definitely can't compare to my daughter!"
If it were before today, Xiao Xiang would have been very confident. But after today's events, she seriously suspected that Xiao Man had been hiding her talent all along, and then, when everyone looked down on her, she would make a stunning debut and capture everyone's attention.
If Father returned and found her to be knowledgeable, refined, and talented, then her position in the manor would become even more precarious!
"Concubine, we cannot let her continue like this. Otherwise, where will we have a place in this manor!" Xiao Xiang bit her lip. "This time, Grandmother invited a nurturing nanny for Xiao Man. I'm afraid she intended to help Xiao Man!"
"That can't be right. Your grandmother has always disliked her."
The Third Concubine understood Old Madam quite well. If one were to ask who Old Madam disliked the most in this manor, it would undoubtedly be Xiao Man.
Not only because Xiao Man was arrogant, overbearing, and uneducated, but also because the General doted on Xiao Man even more than Old Madam. And the General's most cherished legitimate grandson only had Xiao Man in his heart.
How could Old Madam possibly like Xiao Man!
"Concubine, do you have a way to prevent Nanny Sheng from continuing to be Xiao Man's nurturing nanny?" Xiao Xiang asked anxiously.
Now, to prevent Xiao Man from rising, she was willing to give up the opportunity to learn from Nanny Sheng. If Xiao Man were to soar to new heights, she would rather learn nothing!
"I'm afraid that's not possible. Nanny Sheng was personally invited by your grandmother. Your grandmother certainly won't ask Nanny Sheng to leave voluntarily, and Nanny Sheng cannot leave the General's manor without reason. If we make a move against Nanny Sheng, and Prince Qin finds out, our lives will be in danger!"
Xiao Xiang gritted her teeth. "Then find a way to make Xiao Man drive Nanny Sheng away!"
The Third Concubine remained silent. Xiao Man wasn't stupid. She was overbearing and arrogant, but that didn't mean she lacked intelligence!
Over the years, all the people she had offended were those with a lower rank than the General. Those people, having suffered losses, did not dare to pursue the matter out of respect for the Huguo General's manor. But Prince Qin was different!
If Xiao Man dared to offend Prince Qin, Prince Qin would storm into the General's manor in an instant, and might even vent his anger on the General, thus implicating the General's manor. This was something they could not do. They prospered and suffered together with the General's manor. Once the General's manor no longer existed, their mother and daughter's situation would only be more tragic! Su Dan Novel Network
"Let's just wait and see. We still have time before the General returns. There's no need to rush," the Third Concubine said slowly. "It's a pity that we missed such a good opportunity last time."
A sharp glint flashed in the Second Miss's eyes.
Currently, Nanny Sheng's lessons were held at Xiao Man's Shuiyue Xiaozhu. The number of people at Shuiyue Xiaozhu was small, but adding even one more person would be conspicuous. It was not easy to make a move against Shuiyue Xiaozhu, and acting rashly might even implicate themselves.
Xiao Xiang could only suppress the hatred in her heart and wait for an opportunity.