novelSusiti Chapter 68: Madam Feng's Life in Bianjing
Chapter 68: Madam Feng's Life in Bianjing
Li Xuan's intuition was correct; Feng Niaoniao had indeed made a name for herself.
After Guo Rong led the main force of the Imperial Guards on an expedition, Empress Fu ruled from behind the throne in Bianjing, with Wang Qian, the Privy Councilor, assisting her (in times of chaos, the Privy Councilor, who was in charge of military affairs, had more power than the Chancellor of the Secretariat). (After Li Gu was recalled to the Imperial Guard, Guo Rong sent Wang Qian back to the court to take charge of the Privy Council.)
As the men gradually set off south, Bianjing City seemed to become the domain of women and children.
Li Xuan's eldest son, Li Yuan, and second son, Li Ke, had finally become familiar with each other in Sweetwater Lane and had even learned a little about Bianjing Mandarin. They cautiously and curiously stepped out of Sweetwater Lane and began to explore other parts of Bianliang.
At first, only the children from Li Xuan and Li Ji's troupe followed him. A group of children with southern accents stood out among the children in Bianliang City and rose to prominence unexpectedly.
Feng Niaoniao could tell whether Li Yuan and Li Ke had been fighting outside and whether they had won or lost simply by looking at how dirty and torn their clothes were each day.
Boys fighting is normal. Young Feng Niaoniao, who used to hang out with young Li Xuan in Guangling City, clearly remembered that Li Xuan was constantly fighting with other children. They simply tucked Feng Niaoniao and some other girls together to hide, and then the boys, with great fanfare, occupied an entire street and laid down three rules:
Using only fists and feet
Not going home to complain
Not involving the girl
What the girls couldn't understand was that the more they fought, the purer and closer the boys' feelings became. After a while, a hierarchy even emerged within them, forming a brotherhood based on prestige and loyalty. Then they swore brotherhood, formed gangs, and ventured out of their own neighborhoods to challenge others, growing stronger and achieving even greater glory.
Ying'er, now a nanny, said with concern, "Oh dear, my little darling, you've been fighting outside again. What if you get hurt?"
Li Yuan and Li Ke just chuckled. Li Ke said, "Granny, you have no idea how infuriating and arrogant those little rascals in Yongfu Lane are. Today, my brother led us to their doorstep, and we quickly subdued them with our five-flower formation. From now on, Yongfu Lane is under our protection."
Ying'er said irritably, "You're always trying to be a hero. Fists and kicks have no eyes! What if you get hurt? What about other people's children? Did they get hurt?"
The eldest son, Li Yuan, said with a smile, "How could that be? We know how to beat people properly. We only make them feel pain, not injury. To be honest, our Guangling ancestral Five Flower Formation is the most effective. The kids in Bianjing only know the large formations in the military camp. They can play with them quite well on flat ground, but once they start fighting in the alley, they become flustered and get pinned to the ground and beaten by us."
Feng Niaoniao gently patted the table.
The young heroes Li Yuan and Li Ke, who commanded the four streets, immediately shrank back and obediently came to their mother, extending their hands.
Feng Niaoniao took out a bamboo stick and struck each of them ten times, making Li Yuan and Li Ke look at their mother with tears in their eyes. A true man can bend and stretch, and now is the time to use tears as an offensive.
Unfortunately, the tricks Li Yuan and Li Ke used were all things that young Li Xuan had already learned. Every time young Li Xuan was beaten badly, he would take the girl Feng Niaoniao home. On the way, he would proudly recount his experience of how to play the victim in front of his mother when he got home.
The actions of the eldest son, Li Yuan, and the second son, Li Ke, could not deceive Feng Niaoniao. They could only make her sigh that the three of them were indeed father and son, and their inheritance was too strong.
Even though Li Xuan hadn't taught his sons these tricks, they had still mastered them on their own and then used them on Feng Niaoniao. So Feng Niaoniao smiled and gave each of her sons two more lashes.
After administering the beating, Feng Niaoniao said calmly, "Fists and feet have no eyes. Your father is away fighting, and he's worried about you brothers terribly. But you two, taking advantage of my absence, act like monkeys ruling the world, going out to cause trouble all day long."
"You went out to fight before finishing your homework today, that's an even bigger offense. Copy the Classic of Filial Piety for me within five days to clear your heads. Ying'er."
When the young lady was disciplining her sons, even though Ying'er felt sorry for them, she dared not say anything. In Ying'er's view, it was reasonable for her eldest and second young masters to go out and beat others. It was a hardship for them to suffer, as their clothes were dirty and torn. She felt very sorry for them and wanted to hug and comfort them. How could she bear to discipline them? She decided to leave it to the young lady to discipline.
Hearing her mistress call her, Ying'er immediately replied, "I'm here."
Feng Niaoniao instructed, "After they finish their homework today, don't rush to copy the Classic of Filial Piety. Teach them how to wash clothes and how to thread a needle and sew mended clothes."
Ying'er exclaimed in surprise, "Why is that? Both young masters are outstanding individuals. Time is so precious, how can they do such trivial things?"
Feng Niaoniao said resentfully, "They only know how fun fighting is. They don't know how troublesome it is for others to clean up their messes. A gentleman cultivates martial arts to prepare for battle and not to use his strength lightly. It's not about mastering a skill and then going around bullying others and calling them 'master.' Let them experience the trouble that fighting brings and learn some sense of propriety, so they don't really become wild brats."
Li Yuan and Li Ke were shocked and finally broke down. Their little faces panicked as they rushed to their mother's side and knelt down quickly, saying, "Mother, if others knew that we were doing these things at home, I don't know how much they would laugh at us! Northerners always say that we southerners are weak. If we hadn't been bullied outside, we wouldn't have been fighting and causing trouble everywhere. Mother, we know we were wrong. From now on, we'll only play in a few alleys and won't go looking for trouble elsewhere."
Feng Niaoniao, of course, wouldn't change her mind. Children at this age are in the formative years of their life principles. The two brothers carry all of Li Xuan and Feng Niaoniao's hopes for the prosperity of the family, and they absolutely cannot be allowed to become truly immersed in the ways of the world. They should be more mature and rational than ordinary children. Only in this way can they support the Li family's reputation as soon as possible.
Feng Niaoniao said to them, "A real man should be able to clean up his messes after he does them. Don't implicate or implicate others. You are still young, and your clothes are just a little dirty and torn. I will teach you how to wash and mend clothes. The day you burn down someone's house or shop, I will order you to work for them to rebuild their house or shop."
If you were to kill someone out of spite, I would hand you over, one life for another. Every punch you throw now, every knife you wield in the future, will have consequences. You only know how to be heroic and feel good, but do you realize that no one is obligated to clean up your messes?
Li Yuan and Li Ke followed Ying'er downstairs, dejected.
Ying'er generally agreed with Feng Niaoniao's methods of discipline. Only by knowing what's important and how to weigh things can one avoid causing trouble. Ying'er led the brothers to the bedroom to bathe and change into new clothes. She watched them do their homework for the day.
After they finished their homework, Ying'er didn't rush to tidy up their desks. Instead, she took out needles and thread and began to teach them how to thread a needle and how to sew with a thimble.
With no other option, the two brothers reluctantly began to follow along. Their mother's authority in the family was immense; the little devils, who held sway over several streets, had no inclination to resist and obediently did as their mother said.
Li Yuan and Li Ke were probably good at training; they were very agile and quick-witted. After learning from Ying'er for a while, they quickly mastered some basic sewing techniques. They awkwardly patched their worn-out clothes.
Just then, news came from her adopted son that guests had arrived. Besides Ying'er, only two female relatives from the servants' households were temporarily helping out. So, when guests came to visit, Ying'er told her two brothers to stay quietly in their room, and she went out to greet them in Feng Niaoniao's place.
As soon as I stepped out of the room, I saw several adopted sons and daughters peering through the window.
Ying'er said irritably, "You guys just spoil them. They've taken over four streets. Are those kids really that loyal? Doesn't everyone have older brothers and sisters? Did you pull something behind the scenes?"
The adopted sons and daughters showed simple smiles, without saying a word.
Ying'er scolded, "Later, after the guests leave, go to Madam's side to receive your punishment. Madam just said that someone was cleaning up the mess behind the two young masters. You guys can't even fool me with your little tricks, and you think you can fool Madam?"
The adopted sons and daughters finally panicked and said one after another:
"Please put in a good word for me, Granny."
"We can't let the young master be bullied by others."
"Yes, they have older brothers and sisters, and we are also the young master's older brothers and sisters. There is no reason for us to let them bully us."
"It's all because those northerners have been saying those useless southern things to the children, which has influenced their character. The young master is just giving them a lesson."
"That's right, that's right. Young Master always knows his limits and has never caused any trouble."
"The young master even played the hero and saved the damsel in distress today."
"Hehe, that scene was hilarious."
Ying'er was slowly walking towards the courtyard gate when she heard that the young master had heroically saved the beauty. Her ears immediately twitched and her eyes shot out gossipy glances. But the guests were still waiting outside the gate, so she just said in an annoyed tone, "Go and serve the eldest mistress. I don't know where these guests are from. I don't want them to see how well-mannered my family is."
The adopted sons and daughters readily agreed, saying, "Yes, thank you for your guidance, Granny."
Ying'er opened the gate, and there was a donkey cart in Sweetwater Lane, loaded with some common gifts. A woman in her twenties stood at the gate with a little girl, surrounded by three servants and a maid.
Ying'er inquired in broken Bianjing Mandarin, "May I ask what brings you here, esteemed guest? Only the mistress of the house is home. If it concerns official business, I'm afraid we cannot receive you."
The woman introduced herself in a broken accent, mixed with Bianjing Mandarin, which Ying'er had never heard before: "My family is from Xiangyang, surnamed Yuan. My husband's surname is Gu, and he also serves in the Imperial Guard. We are not here on official business, but only to thank your son for seeking justice for my daughter."
The woman spoke with difficulty, and Ying'er listened with difficulty as well, but fortunately, both of them tried hard and eventually understood. Ying'er quickly smiled and invited them in. After settling the servants and donkey cart that had come with them, she led the mother and daughter to Feng Niaoniao's main house. Feng Niaoniao had already come to the second gate with her adopted children to greet them.
After exchanging greetings, Feng Niaoniao, as the hostess, invited Madam Yuan, the wife of the Gu family, to enter. Madam Yuan appeared to be quite educated. She was very courteous, and only after being invited and declined three times did she gracefully follow Feng Niaoniao inside.
Through polite conversation, the two women learned something about each other. At the very least, they were both daughters from well-educated families.
After they were both seated, Madam Yuan explained her purpose:
"My youngest daughter is mischievous and often plays with girls she knows in the street. Today, she was mocked by some bad boys nearby for being a southern barbarian. My daughter has a temper and couldn't hold back her anger, so she went to fight them. Unfortunately, she didn't think things through and was outnumbered. Fortunately, your esteemed young master happened to pass by and brought some men to teach those bad boys a lesson. As the ancients said, a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude. My Gu family has just arrived in Bianliang, how could we not know the proper etiquette? Today, I have specially brought my daughter to your door to express my gratitude for your help."
Feng Niaoniao looked at the little girl in surprise. The little girl had red lips and white teeth, and a quiet and gentle appearance, showing no signs of the fierce and daring woman who dared to fight a group of boys.
Looking at Feng Niaoniao, the little girl gave a shy curtsy and said in a clear, melodious voice like a lark, "It was originally my business, but it has caused my aunt's son to be resented. I feel very uneasy and have come to apologize to my aunt and thank my aunt's son."
Feng Niaoniao was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this. She covered her mouth and laughed, saying to the little girl, "Is your name Qingqing? Qingqing, don't worry. Those two mischievous monkeys are always causing trouble outside, looking for a beating everywhere. I'm having a terrible headache. But as they say, the more debts you have, the less you worry. Your little troubles really don't seem to bother them at all. It's alright, they're tough and can take it."
The little girl named Qingqing said, "Perhaps the two gentlemen saving me was just a coincidence, but I can't help but take it to heart. What you did and why you did it are one thing. I also have my own reasons, and I won't feel at ease if I can't apologize."
Feng Niaoniao opened her mouth slightly in surprise and said to Madam Yuan, "Oh my, how sensible she is! Madam Yuan, your family has such a fine tradition."
Madam Yuan was secretly pleased, but feigned modesty, saying, "Oh, it's all just for show. If I could stay at home and do what girls do, and not go out and cause trouble, I would be truly at ease."
Qingqing probably disliked the things that girls should do, and couldn't tell that her mother was just being polite. Her face fell, and she pouted, daring not to speak her anger.
Feng Niaoniao found it amusing and comforted Yuan Shi, saying, "Who says girls have to stay at home? I think Qingqing is lively and energetic, which is great. Little girls should be energetic; only with energy can they be spirited. Qingqing is clearly a spirited child; she's sure to have many blessings in the future."
Qingqing was overjoyed by Feng Niaoniao's flattery, and her good manners immediately disappeared as she grinned from ear to ear.
Seeing that her daughter had quickly lost her composure as a well-bred young lady, Madam Yuan covered her head and said to Feng Niaoniao, "Madam Feng, please stop praising her. This child can't take praise. If you say a few more words, she'll dare to stay at your house and never leave."
Feng Niaoniao laughed loudly, "That's great, I'll just consider it raising another daughter."
Madam Yuan laughed and said, "I can't agree to that. If Qingqing stays at your house and enjoys a life of luxury, who will I vent my frustrations on when I'm feeling stifled at home?"
The two women burst into laughter at the same time.
They started talking about the amusing squabbles between the children. The two women then began to share their family histories with each other.
The Gu family of Xiangyang was a prominent clan in Xiangyang. One of their ancestors served as an official in Xiangyang, and after completing his term, he did not leave but settled in a town near Xiangyang. Several generations have passed, and now they are just local tycoons. Their advantage lies in the large number of clan members and the flourishing of branches, but they no longer have any prominent officials among their descendants.
Yuan's husband, Gu Qiushui, was a man of considerable strength and renowned in his hometown. He belonged to a branch of the Gu family of Xiangyang, closer to the main lineage. Having heard of the late Emperor Guo Wei's charisma, he traveled a great distance from Xiangyang to Bianliang to seek refuge with him. Unfortunately, when they arrived in Bianliang, Guo Wei was already seriously ill. Having run out of money, Gu Qiushui had no choice but to start as a regular member of the Imperial Guard.
Fortunately, luck always favors the capable. Just a few months after joining the Imperial Guard, he encountered his first major battle. In the Battle of Gaoping, the Zhou army suffered an initial defeat, and more than half of Gu Qiushui's unit deserted.
Gu Qiushui shouted loudly, "It is an honor for the country to punish traitors. The enemy has many cavalry, and we are infantry. We can't outrun them. Why don't we gather together, scatter them, and earn the reward?"
The soldiers in the midst of the chaos were already in a daze, but when Gu Qiushui stepped forward and shouted loudly, many soldiers and officers actually surrounded him, an ordinary soldier, and reorganized the battle formation.
Gu Qiushui's choice was correct. Guo Rong, enraged by the cowardice of some of the Imperial Guards, personally led the charge, brandishing his banner and shouting encouragement. The morale of the Imperial Guards soared, and everyone fought with utmost ferocity, decisively defeating the combined forces of the Northern Han and Khitan.
After the war, Guo Rong ordered Zhao Quanzhong to reorganize the Imperial Guards. Gu Qiushui, due to her outstanding performance, was promoted to commander of 500 men. Later, when the Imperial Guards were established, because she came from the south, Guo Rong transferred her from the Palace Guards to the Imperial Guards, appointing her as commander of 2,000 men, now at the same rank as Li Xuan. It was a prime example of a gamble that led to a meteoric rise in rank.
Looking at Feng Niaoniao's large belly, Madam Yuan couldn't help but steer the conversation towards parenting experiences. Feng Niaoniao, as a mother who gave birth to two sons in quick succession, was a model woman of her time. Madam Yuan, having only her eldest daughter Qingqing and her even younger eldest son after entering the household, had an instinctive desire to have more sons.
The two women started discussing various remedies for having a son right in front of Qingqing, which made Qingqing sit aside and sulk, feeling unconvinced.
Ying'er winked at her, and Feng Niaoniao glanced at Qingqing before suggesting to Madam Yuan, "My two rascals came back looking disheveled; they must have been fighting outside. They're reflecting on their actions inside. Since Madam Yuan has brought Qingqing, let's ask them to come out and greet us."
Madam Yuan said happily, "Such a good child, what is there to reflect on? Quickly bring him out so I can see him."
Feng Niaoniao nodded to Ying'er, and Ying'er quietly went out to call Li Yuan and Li Ke over.
Not long after, Li Yuan and Li Ke brought the newly mended clothes to their mother. They didn't know why their mother had called them there, so they bowed to her and said, "Greetings, Mother. The clothes have been mended. We'll go wash them right away."
Yuan and Qingqing stared in astonishment at the clothes in the brothers' hands, feeling deeply shocked.