Chapter 397 : Inspired (2)

Zijin bought the pork knuckle in five-spice sauce back as quickly as she could, only to be told by Mama Qu that Yuxi had gone to bed as soon as she entered the inner courtyard.

Looking at the pork knuckle in five-spice sauce in her hand, Zijin asked Mama Qu, “Mama, is a pregnant woman really this fickle?” It was the first time she had seen Madam flustered since being with her for so many years.

Mama Qu smiled towards Mama Xi on one side and said, “You’ll have to ask her about this kind of thing.” Mama Qu had never given birth to a child and had been taught everything she knew by Mama Xi.

Mama Xi answered with a smile, “Madam can be considered very easy to serve. Some women change to different persons when they are pregnant. They will become short-tempered, have a huge change in their tastes, and some even believe it will rain after hearing the wind, turning the whole house upside down.”

Zijin thought seriously about this and said, “It can’t be, right? Er Nainai was fine even when she was pregnant! And she didn’t turn the house upside down either.” As for Concubine Jia’s pregnancy, it was even more peaceful and quiet.

When Mama Qu heard this, she corrected Zijin, “Now it’s time to change how you address her. You should call her Second Lady. The titles in the State Residence have all changed.”

Mama Xi smilingly responded, “Not all pregnant women are like this. It depends on the person. In fact, the type of people I just spoke about is just a small percentage.” Mama Xi was referring to those who used their pregnancy to act out. If they did it too much, not only would they suffer, but so would their children.

Since Zijin didn’t understand the meaning of Mama Xi’s words, she just shook her head. “Having a baby is horrible.”

Mama Qu smiled and asked, “Are you saying that you don’t want to have children?” It was natural for married people to want to have children.

Zijin didn’t say she wouldn’t have children. She only stated, “I’ll give birth to one only, no matter the child’s gender. Just one, no more.”

Mama Qu didn’t argue with Zijin since there was no point in arguing about this. Instead, Mama Xi pursed her lips before ending up chuckling. “When you become a mother, you won’t say that.”

After sleeping for a shichen, Yuxi woke up. When she got up, she remarked to Mama Qu, who was serving her, “It’s not like it used to be.” She used to stay in her study for three days, thinking about things and looking for information, and after she took a nap, she would be fine again! Unlike now, she would feel so tired just after thinking deeply about something. If she didn’t go to sleep, her head would hurt.

Mama Qu said smilingly, “That’s why pregnant people can’t worry too much about things.” If a pregnant woman were too distressed, her body wouldn’t be able to take it.

Yuxi shook her head. “There are so many things to do. How can I just put them down? By the way, has the General returned?” It was almost time for dinner.

Mama Qu shook her head. “No. Madam, let’s have dinner first!” Yun Qing’s daily return time was unpredictable, and sometimes he didn’t even come back home. The couple would eat together if they had agreed beforehand. Otherwise, Yuxi would not wait for Yun Qing to dine with her.

Zijin came in from outside and said, “Madam, the pork knuckle in five-spice sauce has been bought and is warming up in the pot! You should hurry up and eat it.” In fact, it was Zijin who wanted to eat it. The pork knuckle in five-spice sauce was full of colour and flavour, and it already made her hungry just from looking at it!

Now that Yuxi had eaten and drunk enough, she felt refreshed. Only then did she tell Zijin, “I want you to go to the girls’ school and teach them martial arts. What do you think?”

Zijin froze for a moment. “Madam, didn’t you say I wasn’t fit to teach those children?” Before, Yuxi had said she was grumpy and couldn’t teach those children well, but why did her mind suddenly change? The speed of the change was so fast that Zijin couldn’t keep up with it!

Yuxi smiled. “Before was before, now is now.” After saying that, she said what she thought so as not to make Zijin guess. Yuxi’s reason for letting Zijin teach these children was simple, to let Zijin influence them so that they would be loyal to her in the future. As for Yu Zhi, it would be better for him to come back and guard her in the courtyard.

Remembering Mama Qu’s words earlier, Zijin said, “Madam, didn’t Mama Qu say earlier that it was inappropriate to select children from the school? To cultivate trusted subordinates, won’t it be best to have their servants’ contracts?” With servants’ contracts, these people’s lives and deaths could be controlled in the palm of their hands without fear of any betrayal!

Yuxi said, “Mama Qu is right to be concerned, but it will be difficult to implement. How can it be so easy to choose so many girls who are just right for martial arts training?” It would definitely not be possible to find them with great fanfare. She would not do something that would make people turn it into gossip until Yun Qing had become the Commander-in-chief of the Northwest. Thus, it would be difficult to find a suitable one if done privately.

Zijin thought for a moment and said, “Madam, I know all the 20 young girls in the academy. Only six or seven have the talent and the perseverance to go through the hardship.” Talent is not the most essential thing in martial arts training, but the ability to persevere day after day without fear of hardship. They could not fish for three days and then dried their nets for two days. Most of the children at school took martial arts as a task to be completed.

Yuxi responded, “Having six or seven of them is already good enough. The school will not be closed until the second lunar month, so after the Lantern Festival, you can go there to teach them and observe their character. If they have good characters, you can teach them martial arts in private.”

Zijin had no problem with this, but she felt six or seven children were far from what Yuxi wanted.

Yuxi said, “You have to eat your meal one bite at a time. Take your time; there is no hurry. At the end of the year, I will have three hundred girls in the school. By then, we should be able to find some more good candidates.” She had already decided to enrol three hundred boys and three hundred girls.

Zijin frowned. “Teacher He is already struggling to manage these twenty or so children. She can’t manage three hundred or so. Besides, a female teacher is not that easy to find.” The male teachers were unwilling to teach the girls at all. But not many men in the border towns could read and write, and even fewer women. Those who had studied properly were a rare breed.

Yuxi said with a smile, “Don’t worry about that. I have already written to my Dage and asked him to select some people whom I can use.” In her letter to Han Jianming, Yuxi wrote that there was no limit to the number of men and women she could use.

Zijin glanced at Yuxi and commented, “You’re not even afraid that the Duke of the State will be too annoyed with you.” First, Yuxi asked the Lord Duke of the State to find her cooks; now, she even requested him to look for a couple of female teachers. Those who didn’t know would think that the Duke of State was her Madam’s steward!

Yuxi chuckled. “Don’t worry, Dage won’t be too annoyed with me.” As long as it could benefit the family, he would not refuse whatever she asked her Dage to do.

Zijin didn’t dwell on the issue anymore but reminded Yuxi, “Madam, when I start to teach at the school, you’ll have no one around to protect you.”

Yuxi comforted her, “I won’t be going out for the next month or so either, so you don’t have to worry about my safety.” Even if there were assassins, it would still be tough for them to get into the residence and assassinate her.

Seeing this reaction, Zijin smiled. “Madam is not worried now that I won’t teach those children well with how violent my temper is?”

Yuxi smiled a little. “You should just go to the school and focus on teaching those few children who have talent and are hardworking. The others will just get by, so no need to be too harsh on them.” Originally, the purpose of letting those young girls learn martial arts was to strengthen their bodies. Since they couldn’t bear the hardship, they couldn’t be forced.

Zijin nodded. “That’s fine then.”

Yun Qing didn’t return until late in the evening, and as soon as he arrived, he told Yuxi, “What you told me before, the military physicians have just done it. We’ll know in a couple of days whether it will work.” After a pause, he added, “They used the strong liquor from our brewery.”

Yuxi nodded. “Then let’s wait and see the effect!” The strength of the strong wine was twice or more than the usual wine; of course, it was also more expensive.

After talking about the wine, Yuxi asked, “What do the military physicians say about training nursing staff?” The war was about to start again in spring, so they had to take advantage of this time to train a group of people.

Yun Qing shook his head. “Military Physician Hou didn’t think the idea was right and refused it.”

Hearing this, Yuxi frowned. “It’s just teaching these people how to care for the wounded. It’s not like they’re being allowed to treat them. What’s so inappropriate about that?” After a pause, she asked, “Is it because he is unwilling to teach?” Some people were like that, who wouldn’t teach a thing to those who weren’t their disciples, even if it was the simplest thing.

Yun Qing didn’t speak ill about the military physician but said, “It doesn’t matter. If Military Physician Hou doesn’t teach, we can find someone else to teach them. I will take care of this matter.”

Seeing that Yun Qing had decided on this matter, Yuxi did not say anything anymore.

At this time, Mama Bai brought in the food. Yuxi pointed to the pork knuckle in five-spice sauce and said, “This is what I have specially saved for you, so you have to finish it later. It won’t taste good if you leave it until tomorrow.” Yun Qing had a good appetite, and finishing half of the pork knuckle in five-spice sauce was not a problem for him.

At night when they went to bed, Yun Qing suddenly said to Yuxi, “When the second lunar month comes, you should take Zijin and the others to Xinping City.”

Hearing this, Yuxi asked, “What’s wrong? Is something bad going to happen?” If she was asked to go to Xinping City, it must be because something not good was going to occur.

Seeing that Yun Qing did not reply, Yuxi sat up and stated, “If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t speak only half a sentence and then leave out another half. This will only make me feel even more anxious.” If she didn’t know what would happen, she would keep thinking about it.

Yun Qing replied with a heavy voice, “It snowed so much at the end of last year that many cattle, sheep and horses froze to death outside of the Great Wall because of the cold weather. And because of that, a fierce battle will happen after the spring comes.”

Yuxi laughed bitterly. She had only muttered that the snow was so cold that people could die, but she had never thought about the effects of the cold weather on other things. She was still inexperienced enough. “Fierce battle? What kind of battle?”

Yun Qing knew Yuxi’s nature and didn’t hide it from her, saying, “The northern barbarians have been hit by such a catastrophe, and the only way for them to get through is by seizing food from inside the pass……” He didn’t need to say the following words because he believed Yuxi would understand.

Yuxi naturally understood that only by breaking into Yu City would they be able to get into the pass and grab enough food so that their families’ wives and children would not have to starve to death. This was understandable. Not to mention northern captives, even ordinary people who had difficulty making a living, would have rebelled. Therefore, these people would desperately attack Yu City to be in a powerful position to pull their people through this difficult times. “I am not leaving. I trust you to defend Yu City.”

Yun Qing tried to reason out, “Once the war starts, I won’t be able to take care of you. Xinping City is peaceful and will not be affected by the war. If you go there, I will have no worries.” He wanted Yuxi to go not because they couldn’t defend Yu City but because he was worried that these northern barbarians would wish to retake Yuxi to be their hostage and use her to threaten him. What had happened before had cast a shadow on Yun Qing.

Yuxi smiled and consoled him, “Don’t worry, I will take care of myself and not become a burden to you.” Seeing that Yun Qing still wanted her to go, Yuxi asked, “What would people think and say about me if I ran away before the battle even started?”

Yun Qing answered, “What they will think and say is their business. The safety of you and our child is the most important thing to me.”

Seeing this, Yuxi thought for a moment and stated, “Let’s do it this way; if all the officers’ wives head for Xinping City, I will follow suit.” As the saying went, when a law was violated by many people, it would be left unenforced instead. If all high-ranking military officers’ families escaped from Yu City, no one would say anything if she, a pregnant woman, tagged from behind. But to leave now would not only be ugly for her reputation, but it would also be bad for Yun Qing.

The couple argued for a while but ended up with Yun Qing, who had to compromise. “Fine. Once the situation is not right, you will have to leave Yu City.”

Yuxi smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to me. I want to grow old with you!”

Yun Qing gently touched Yuxi’s forehead and urged softly, “Go to sleep!” To ensure the safety of his wife and child, he would never let the barbarians take even half a step into Yu City.