spoiled brat

Chapter 55 54. Duan Ming (4)

"Grandma, you mean..."

This dynasty strictly prohibits foot binding, and men have long since lost interest in it. Nowadays, women with bound feet are as rare as three-legged toads.

Steward Sun said, "Lord You was angry with you for ruining yourself for no reason, but you've gained the upper hand. Take good care of yourself these next few days and get rid of the sickly look on your face. Lord You will send you to the Prefect at the birthday banquet in a few days."

Wang Liuer thanked her repeatedly.

Manager Sun stared at her feet, which looked like two dying birds, and hesitated for a moment: "You spent a month or two forcibly wrapping them up. Won't they look terrible when the cloth is removed?"

Wang Liuer, sitting on a stool with her legs crossed, immediately said, "Grandma, please take a look."

When the foot bindings were removed, a pair of feet with snow-white skin and broken bones were revealed. Manager Sun mustered his courage and glanced at the mutilated limbs, only to feel as if his own feet had instantly broken as well, and a sharp pain shot through him.

She quickly looked away, saying, "That's enough, that's enough," and slipped away as if avoiding bad luck.

Watching her retreating figure, Wang Liuer smiled faintly. Suddenly, a spider silk descended before her, with a tiny spider, no bigger than a grain of rice, clinging to it, desperately trying to spin its web back to the roof beam. Unfortunately, the silk was thin and weak, swaying precariously in the wind, and broke in no time.

Wang Liuer caught the falling spider in her hand and asked softly, "Are you spinning a web?"

-

The dishes on the table had already been reheated twice. They were about to get cold again when a servant came up and asked, "Master, are the dishes still warm?"

You Ming opened his eyes, fiddling with the Buddhist prayer beads he had obtained from Funing Temple. The abbot at the temple had told him that the prayer beads could eliminate karmic obstacles, and You Ming thought so too, after all, he had spent a thousand taels of silver. However, what he was eliminating was not his own karmic obstacles, but those of the bald monks at the temple.

Even so, You Ming still held onto a sliver of hope, wishing the prayer beads would have some effect. Why hadn't the little girl who played the moon lute arrived yet?
Looking at the cold plates and dishes in front of him, he ordered, "They'll lose their freshness if you heat them up any longer. Have the kitchen prepare a fresh set."

The main dishes on the table were roasted donkey and steamed perch, surrounded by eight large plates of sweet-coated fruit, as well as Xinghua's Junzi fish, Linjiang's yellow sparrow, and Jiangyin's pufferfish—all delicacies that money can hardly buy.

The servant smiled awkwardly, thinking that this might be a bit of a waste, but seeing You Ming's gloomy face, like a withered old bird waiting for its young swallows to return to the nest, he swallowed his words back.

Several servants came in and cleared the dishes from the table. One of them asked You Ming, "Are these cold dishes for the children in the backyard?"

You Ming glared at him coldly: "They think they're worthy? Even if they fall, we won't give them any. Do they even know who this is for!"

The servant was bewildered by the shouting, thinking, "How should I know? It was just a casual question; it's not like I'm going to give human food to the cats and dogs."

"Master, Master!" The servant knocked loudly on the door and called out, "The young lady is here!"

You Ming jumped up from his chair and darted out like his backside was on fire, asking, "Where is he?"

Chang Sui, panting, moved aside, revealing Zhao Zhao behind him. She was dressed in red, dazzling in the sunlight.

You Ming looked at Zhao Zhao's face covered in thick face powder, her lips lightly rouged, her red earrings, and the amulet of the Buddha of Harmony around her neck... You Ming had played with countless girls in the brothel and had stripped off countless similar outfits, but when this outfit was on Zhao Zhao, he found it extremely irritating.

Seeing that he looked unwell, the servant quickly came over and asked, "Master, does the young lady's attire suit your taste?"

"Fuck you!" You Ming raised his hand and slapped her across the face, cursing, "Take her to change into some clean clothes right now! Make sure she's clean and tidy, and take off all that filthy stuff!"

Realizing his outburst, he looked at Zhaozhao and said, "Baby, don't be afraid. I have a bad temper, but I won't take it out on you."

Zhao Zhao was as quiet as a wisp of mist, as if she might dissipate into the sunlight at any moment. She showed little emotional fluctuation, politely nodding and saying, "Thank you, Lord You."

When she was little, she always hoped to be hit by a pie falling from the sky—in the spring when willow catkins were falling, a high-ranking official would come in the bright spring sunshine, with his entourage stretching for miles behind him. But he would stop in front of the brothel, smile at Yao Niang and Zhao Zhao, and say that they had suffered all these years and that he had come to take them away.

Zhao Zhao had dreamt this dream of turning a pheasant into a phoenix countless times. It burned and went out, went out and burned again, like fluttering paper money, burning into a clump of dying embers, piled up in the empty and cold depths of her heart.

The servant led Zhao Zhao to change into a clean set of clothes, making sure she was no longer covered in dust, before taking her to see You Ming.

"Master, the young lady is here."

The door was pushed open from the inside. You Ming looked at the clean and tidy Zhao Zhao, nodded in satisfaction, and said to the servant, "Go to the kitchen and urge the preparation of the dishes." He then reached out his hand, tentatively asking if Zhao Zhao would take his hand: "Baby, come in."

"Yes."

Zhao Zhao took You Ming's hand, and You Ming felt as if he were holding a fragile piece of ice that would break at the slightest pressure.

He led Zhao Zhao to the tea table, gently and even obsequiously adding tea and water, and then piled the prepared sugar and fruit dishes onto Zhao Zhao's hands.

His usual slickness was gone, leaving only clumsiness. He tried to smile like a kind elder: "These are all good fruits, you should try them."

Just by looking at the appearance of these pastries, Zhao Zhao knew they were expensive. In the past, if she and Xiao Duo had found them, they would have divided one into seven or eight pieces and eaten them in small bites, savoring them like a precious elixir.

But now, she casually picked up the nearest piece, finding it utterly tasteless. She forced herself to swallow it down with a sip of tea, then looked at You Ming, who was filled with anticipation: "Did you summon me here to hear music, sir, or—"

Before he could finish speaking, You Ming waved his hand to interrupt him: "Let's eat first, we'll talk after we finish eating."

The door opened, and servants filed in, bringing in dishes that quickly filled the pineapple table.

You Ming led Zhao Zhao to the table, handed her ivory chopsticks, and said with a smile, "Make yourself at home, don't be shy."

Zhao Zhao had little appetite. She picked up her chopsticks, then put them down: "Why did you look at my moon lute yesterday, sir?"

"I once gave an old friend a moon lute, engraved with roses. Do you have any marks on the neck of your moon lute?"

Zhao Zhao sipped her tea lightly: "I've never seen it before."

You Ming twirled the prayer beads in his hand and asked again, "I was in such a hurry yesterday that I didn't have time to ask you what your mother's name is?"

Zhao Zhao made up a name at random.

Having held a high position for a long time, You Ming was used to people who fawned over others. In his view, Yao Niang had done him a favor, and if she were still alive, she would definitely come to demand a return; if Zhao Zhao were Yao Niang's daughter, she would not abandon her high-ranking father and willingly debase herself into prostitution.

You Ming couldn't tell if he was disappointed or relieved: "After this meal, you don't need to go back to the brothel. I'll go and say hello to Manager Sun, and from now on you won't be a prostitute."

Zhao Zhao smiled, but there was no joy in her smile: "Why?"

"If I had to give a reason," You Ming raised his hand and pointed to the Guanyin statue behind the screen, "it's because you look like her."

Zhao Zhao saw the portrait clearly and suddenly paused for a moment.

The Guanyin with a compassionate face, looking down upon all living beings, looked exactly like Yao Niang.

“Every time I go to the temple to worship Buddha and seek the Tao, I only offer incense and donate merits, and never kneel down. The novice monks and Taoist priests found this strange and said that Lord You really has ten thousand taels of gold under his knees.”

"Actually, I just don't believe in those gods and Buddhas. Countless times I was on the verge of death, but I never saw them reach out to save me. I relied entirely on my own grit to get through it... In fact, she was the only one in the world who helped me."

You Ming's eyes had reddened at some point: "This is the old friend I was talking about. I have lived for forty years, fifteen thousand days and nights, and experienced countless people and events, from a cowherd who never had enough to eat to the commander of the military... I only met one person who was truly good to me. By the time I understood, she was already dead."

died?

Zhao Zhao stared at You Ming's face, unable to tell how much of his tears were genuine and how much was feigned. Could there be more to what happened back then?
"Let's not talk about it anymore, it's all old news." You Ming downed a whole glass of wine, suppressing the turbulent thoughts in his heart, and said to himself, "You play the Yueqin very well, just as well as she does, and you look a lot like her. Based on these two points alone, I cannot allow you to stay in the music hall."

His gaze was sincere and moving, warming Zhao Zhao's heart. Judging from his expression, You Ming's guilt towards Yao Niang seemed genuine. What would he do if he were to reveal that Yao Niang was still alive?
You Ming downed another glass of wine, his heart filled with sorrow, and said, "I have no children, no wives or concubines, and I probably won't have any children in the future. If you're willing, then recognize me as your godfather."

"I am just a lowly prostitute."

You Ming waved his hand impatiently, as if he didn't want to hear this: "From now on, as long as you don't mention it, who will know that you used to roll in the mud? Anyone who dares to say a word, I'll stick their tongue out!"

He seemed genuinely remorseful.

Redeeming oneself and shedding one's social status means wealth and honor are within reach.

Zhao Zhao hesitated whether to be honest, but You Ming spoke up again: "I will pick a husband for you from among my confidants. You can live a good life with him and have a son soon. I will raise him as my own grandson."

As if she were in an ice cellar, the warmth in Zhao Zhao's heart suddenly froze. She instantly sobered up, and thought coldly: This man speaks sweetly on the surface, but while trying to make up for his guilt, he also wants to use a woman's pregnancy to win over his subordinates, and incidentally, to leave himself an heir. Such scheming shows that his heart is not sincere.

If they truly felt guilty, they should have sent someone to Qingyang County to sweep the graves over the past ten years and make some inquiries to find out that Yao Niang was still alive.

But he didn't do that, stubbornly believing that Yao Niang was dead.

Xiao Duo is right. This kind of person's guilt is like Lord Ye's love of dragons – all talk and no action. If Zhao Zhao confessed everything, You Ming would treat them well for a while. But gratitude is like an unpayable debt. Once he stops feeling guilty, they will become thorns in his side, and he will want to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Knock, knock, knock. There was a knock on the door, and the butler whispered, "Master, Deputy Commander Li is here."

Upon hearing this, You Ming instantly sobered up and hurriedly got up to open the door: "What's he doing here?"

"Does Lord You not welcome me?"

Deputy Commander Li emerged from behind the beam; he was short and fat, looking just like a toad.

This kind of person, who couldn't even serve as a foot soldier, was promoted to deputy commander in just one year because he was a relative of Prefect Xu.

His lingering gaze slipped behind You Ming: "Is it because you have a beautiful woman with you that you can't see me?"

"I'd like a woman to drink with me." You Ming was afraid he would spot Zhao Zhao. "Old Li, my room is a mess, you can wait outside for a bit."

He slammed the door shut, stuffed the extra bowls and chopsticks under the cabinet, gestured for Zhao Zhao to be quiet, and beckoned her to come with him.

He pushed open the bookshelf, revealing a hidden compartment behind it. Inside, there were Buddha statues and scriptures carved on the walls; it was a small meditation room.

"Go in and don't make a sound," You Ming whispered to him.

Deputy Commander Li was also secretly searching for women. Zhao Zhao was a pretty young girl who suited Lord Xu's taste perfectly. If Deputy Commander Li were to see her, it would inevitably cause some trouble.

As soon as Zhao Zhao sat down, the hidden door closed immediately.

The meditation room was dark, with no lights on, making it impossible to see anything. In the darkness, one's hearing becomes even more acute.

She heard Deputy Commander Li come in. The two exchanged pleasantries and used a lot of official jargon. Then, they added bowls and chopsticks and started talking about business while eating and drinking.

"Old You, I heard you ran into that guy last night?"

This naturally refers to Xiuyi.

You Ming waved his hand and said, "It's unbearable to recall, unbearable to recall."

"What's wrong?" Deputy Commander Li couldn't hold back and burst into laughter, "I heard you ran away with your tail between your legs, and even lost your shoes!"

"That's not someone you can easily serve; he's arrogant, domineering, and lawless."

You Ming suddenly changed his tone and said very respectfully, "Didn't our Lord Xu think that having two groups of men mixed in the city would affect the defense? He's so busy with important matters every day, so I had to help share the burden. So I shamelessly begged that gentleman, appealing to his emotions and reasoning with him, almost kneeling down, but I still couldn't persuade him. He just kept saying one thing: he wouldn't withdraw!"

Deputy Commander Li had clashed with He Bi many times, and scoffed, "They're so arrogant, trying to flaunt their achievements in the north here? Dream on! Don't they even look up and see what kind of weather it is?"

His voice suddenly lowered, and his toad-like eyes flashed with a cold light: "Old You, you're supposed to be a respectable official. Last night, he led his soldiers to ambush you at the brothel, making you a laughingstock... Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

You Ming immediately understood that this person wasn't there to probe for information, but to assign tasks on behalf of Lord Xu.

He carefully chose his words: "Of course I would like to. But he is, after all, a member of the imperial family, and Prince Ning is the Emperor's younger brother... I would like to ask Lord Xu for guidance on what to do and what to do."

Deputy Commander Li patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "Why drag him into such a small matter? You're in this position now, can't you figure it out yourself?"

You Ming felt a chill in his heart. These words meant that the job would be difficult, and if things went wrong, he would have to risk his life to handle it.

Seeing that You Ming's face had turned pale but he didn't say anything more, Deputy Commander Li concluded that You Ming would obediently comply, and then smiled and said, "This matter, only you can handle it, no one else can..."

He dipped his finger in the wine and wrote on the table: Wang Tian.

Yunzhou was remote and impoverished. In the fifty years since the founding of the dynasty, no member of the imperial family had been granted a fiefdom there. Most of the land was hoarded in the hands of officials and wealthy merchants, while the poor were left to divide up the meager amount of land remaining.

You Ming wasn't stupid; he could understand ordinary tasks with a little guidance. But what did the name Wang Tian mean?

He felt even colder, and the more difficult something was to understand, the more problematic it became: "Old Li, what does this mean... They've just arrived, and it's the time for them to claim land. What can I do?"

Deputy Commander Li sneered and pointed north, saying, "Those two old foxes are leading their troops to cultivate land in the desolate outskirts north of the city. The spring seedlings have already been planted. I went to see them the other day. They have large tents and camps stretching as far as the eye can see, quite impressive, as if they've built another city out of thin air. Look at them, do they have any intention of enclosing land? They're really going all out to win people's hearts!"

He leaned close to You Ming's ear and said, word by word, "We'll do what they won't do. After all, Wang Tian is bound by ancestral laws! Lord Xu means that you should handle this matter."

You Ming felt a chill run down his spine. This move seemed low-level, but in reality, it was like smearing mud on someone's backside—it was impossible to explain away.

When Prince Ning withdrew from the north, the officials all knew it was because the emperor was suspicious. The common people, however, didn't understand. They only felt that Prince Ning, with his strong army, hadn't gone to kill the barbarians; what else could he be but a coward content with merely ruling his own territory?
Their reputation was already tarnished; if You Ming continued down this path, he would be branded as oppressing the people. At that point, Yunzhou would no longer be their personal fiefdom. Forget about a powerful and influential family; even a flea would complain about it!
Seeing that he was stunned, Deputy Commander Li continued, "The land in the southern part of Yunzhou is fertile, with few poor farmers and many rich farmers. You can use their name to lead your troops to seize the land. You can take 20% of the money that is extracted."

To put it bluntly, it meant becoming a bandit. It was a dirty and immoral thing to do. You Ming didn't want to go, but he had no choice. After a long silence, he said, "Okay."

"Old You is still the most reliable." Deputy Commander Li smiled with satisfaction. "In that case, you might as well act quickly and get it done before his birthday banquet... When he's in a good mood, who knows how much he'll praise you!"

After saying that, Deputy Commander Li hummed a little tune and took his leave.

You Ming remained seated, picked up a mouthful of cold dish with his chopsticks, and forced himself to swallow it.

He poured himself a drink, one cup, two cups… until the servant outside the door said, “Master, Deputy Commander Li has left.” Only then did he suddenly raise his hand and overturn the table, shattering dishes all over the floor, gritting his teeth and saying, “Damn it, they all manipulated me… all manipulated me!”

Just now, when they got to the important parts, they all lowered their voices, so Zhao Zhao couldn't hear clearly. She only vaguely made out the name Wang Tian. As she recalled those blurry conversations, two curses suddenly rang out outside, followed by the sound of bowls and porcelain being smashed to pieces, crashing and banging like a torrential downpour.

A moment later, the hidden door was suddenly pulled open.

The once tender and affectionate You Ming now had a cold expression, staring cautiously at Zhao Zhao: "Did I scare you?"

His face was dark and inexplicably eerie.

Zhao Zhao knew that this was a test to see if she had heard anything.

The biggest fear for those who do dirty work is the leakage of secrets. These kinds of people can be genuinely good when things are going well, but once it comes down to their own interests, they're capable of anything.

"scared."

You Ming's face suddenly darkened, and Zhao Zhao continued, "It's so dark in here, there are ghosts."

"ghost?"

Zhao Zhao pointed to the Buddha statue behind her: "This painting is glowing green, it's eerie and scary."

The Buddha statue was painted in the style of the Western Regions, with human bone powder mixed into the pigment, giving it a ghostly green color in the darkness.

You Ming sized up Zhao Zhao's childish face. What could a thirteen-year-old prostitute understand? He hesitated for a moment, then stepped back: "Come out."

He slumped into his chair, his face ashen, and had no desire to talk to her anymore: "I originally wanted you to stay at my house, but I'm afraid a lot of people will be coming over, and it will be a mess, so it won't be convenient for you to see them."

To put it bluntly, they didn't want any outsiders in the house: "So you should go back to the brothel for now. I'll make arrangements with Manager Sun—just stay there for now, not go back to be a prostitute."

Suppressing her disgust, Zhao Zhao put on the ingratiating expression befitting a prostitute: "Then what you just said, sir..."

You Ming waved his hand and said, "Why are you still calling me 'sir'? Change your address."

Zhao Zhao bowed three times, pretending to acknowledge a father.

(End of this chapter)