The Slender Waist-Chapter 15 - 12 Reorganize the Old Mansion

Leaving the prison, Feng Yun casually asked Ao Qi.

"Once prisoners are escorted to the Central Capital, how are they dealt with?"

Ao Qi, who was still delighted at the image of Fang Gonggong looking like he’d swallowed a fly and couldn’t spit it out, happily responded.

"It depends on their crimes. Those deserving death are killed, those who don’t are surrendered and recruited into the army to replenish the troops, build fortifications, or given to princes and nobles as slaves..."

Feng Yun asked, "The incident today won’t cause any trouble for you, will it?"

Ao Qi didn’t detect the probing in her words and snorted lightly, "Our Emperor of Dajin is only four years old. The Empress Dowager presides over the court and she trusts the Great General completely. Had it not been for the General’s strong support, who knows who would be sitting on the Golden Throne..."

Ao Qi suddenly stopped.

He realized he’d said too much. Seeing Feng Yun as composed as if it were nothing of concern, he touched his nose and changed the subject.

"Lady can rest assured. The Empress Dowager is beautiful and kind-hearted – she wouldn’t trouble the General over such a small matter, let alone listen to slanders from that Fang fellow."

Feng Yun glanced sideways, with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Is the Empress Dowager very beautiful? How beautiful?"

Ao Qi, facing the lady’s gentle smile, felt a weight strike his heart. He snapped out of his daze after a moment and, annoyed with himself for speaking without thinking, huffed as if taking a bet, "She’s supremely beautiful, breathtakingly stunning – anyhow, more beautiful than you. No one in front of the General’s tent doesn’t admire the Empress Dowager."

Feng Yun asked, "Do you admire her?"

Ao Qi: "Of course."

Feng Yun asked, "Does the General admire her?"

At this, Ao Qi couldn’t respond and felt embarrassed and annoyed.

"What does it matter to you? Why ask so many questions?"

She’s really quite teasing! Knowing that the young General Ao Qi was thin-skinned, Feng Yun smiled and gracefully walked ahead.

Ao Qi watched her slender waist and tapered back, his throat strangely constricting, and he slapped his own face with his large palm.

"How can I compare the Empress Dowager with a concubine? I deserve to die."

—

When the servants returned to the house, Feng Yun ordered them to wash up and then come to the front hall for instructions.

Half an hour later, having changed clothes, Feng Yun went over.

The hall had already been cleaned, and the maidservants placed the tea at the seat where Feng Yun used to sit at home.

Feng Yun glanced at it, showed no change of expression, and, dragging her skirt, walked to the master’s seat at the head of the room and sat down.

"Bring it here."

The maidservants, not daring to lift their heads, replied, "Yes."

Approaching noon, the weather turned gloomy again, and the misty light fell on Feng Yun’s porcelain-white cheeks, emitting a faint, cold halo that was hard to look at directly.

Shi’er Niang’s aura was even more commanding than the head of the household.

Regardless of whether her status was as the legitimate eldest daughter of the Feng Family or Pei Jue’s favorite concubine, no one dared to treat her lightly anymore.

After a while, everyone arrived, neat and orderly, kneeling and filling the room.

"Since my father presented me as a gift and fled with burned provisions, I hold no affection with the Feng Family of Xuzhou. Our past dealings, too, are thus erased. There is no Feng Family of Xuzhou here, only Feng Yun of Andu."

Feng Yun spoke in a gentle voice, yet with firm conviction.

Everyone felt a sigh in their hearts, bowing anxiously.

"We shall obey the orders."

A beam of light penetrated through the window.

Feng Yun turned her head with a calm expression.

It was as if she saw another Feng Yun standing in the light and shadow, bowing respectfully towards her.

A fleeting sense of melancholy subtly passed through her heart.

This was the comfort brought by rebirth.

In such troubled times, men were not necessarily reliable, but having people at hand, provisions in the storehouse, money, and fist strength meant one could survive.

What Feng Yun had overlooked in her last life, she was determined to reclaim this time, slowly forging her own iron and steel backbone.

She continued, "From now onwards, keep your eyes sharp and work diligently. If we work together with one heart to create a family business, I will not treat you badly. But if anyone disobeys orders and acts recklessly, don’t blame me for being unsympathetic."

All the servants bowed in unison: "Yes."

Next, Feng Yun methodically reassigned tasks to everyone and also changed some of the names Lady Chen had chosen.

For example, she renamed "Meixiang Pavilion," where she used to live, to "Changmen Academy," and she ordered the plaques and couplets of the "Imperial Governor’s Office" to be taken down and sealed away, erasing the traces of the past with a single stroke.

The mansion bustled with activity as everyone cleaned and tidied, everything orderly and well-regulated.

But the news Feng Yun awaited never arrived, and she had no idea how Pei Jue would react upon receiving her letter...

Another issue was the many additional mouths to feed in the mansion, making food supplies a significant problem.

—

Even the cart of supplies Feng Yun brought from the Northern Yong army seemed a mere drop in the bucket for the many inhabitants of the mansion.

The mansion’s stored grain was burned by Feng Jingteng in a fire, leaving nothing but ruins and rubble. The servants spent two days cleaning but found nothing edible.

For two consecutive sunny days, Andu County was scorched and overheated.

Porridge made from millet and corn reflected human shadows; eating it every day was disgustingly monotonous.

Yet even this was not plentiful. It wouldn’t last many days, and dozens in the mansion anxiously looked to Feng Yun for sustenance.

Being the head of the household was no easy task.

Feng Yun rose early, tied her hair, and changed into men’s clothing before leaving the mansion with a few servants.

Andu County was a crucial passageway connecting north and south. It led directly to Qi Country in the south, and to the neutral state of Yunchuan in the west, a proper military fortress. That’s why Feng Jingteng’s surrendering the city severed Qi Country’s last hope and forced Xiao Jue to place the Prince of Jingling, Xiao Cheng, into service.

Before the war between the two countries, Andu County’s roads bustled with merchants from all nations, and the atmosphere was lively, with the people living in peace and contentment. But now, the situation was drastically different.

The city was locked down, with only soldiers seen on the streets, creating a desolate scene.

The countryside outside the city fared even worse. The crops lay scattered and flattened on the ground after the heavy rain, and the farmhouses showed no signs of smoke from cooking fires. All that met the eye was an empty, desolate landscape devoid even of stray cats and dogs.

"Those who could flee did so early on; those with nowhere to run are starving. It’s indeed no longer easy to get by in Andu County..."

In times of great chaos, people turn on each other. In such an era, corpses from starvation litter the ground.

Digging under the wreckage of the storeroom, Feng Yun found a significant amount of money that Feng Jingteng couldn’t take with him, piled in heaps, but it was useless. At that moment, grain was more valuable than gold, and money had lost its worth. People preferred to trade goods directly.

Feng Yun rode on the donkey cart around a wide area before returning to the mansion.

Just as she entered Changmen Academy, Granny Han came in with a steaming pot of rabbit meat soup. The rabbit meat, cut finer than fingertips, was boiled with rice until cooked and topped with a few sprinkles of green onion, exuding a tempting aroma.

Xiaoman’s stomach growled aloud in response.

Having not had a good meal in so long, she salivated with desire, craning her neck to see.

"Granny, where did the rabbit come from?"

Granny Han smiled, "My lady, the moment you stepped out, Chengzi dragged it back. The rabbit was skinny, but it made just the right soup."

She bent down to ladle the soup into a plain-glazed white porcelain bowl and placed it on the low table.

"No idea where Chengzi got it, but the old servants tested it with silver chopsticks. My lady, you can eat with peace of mind."

The soup in the white porcelain bowl looked tantalizing. Xiaoman, young and daring, stared intently, as if she about to reach out with a spoon, "Xiaoman wants to taste for the lady, to test for saltiness..."

Granny Han scolded her, "Greedy thing, you think you’re entitled to eat this?"

She affectionately urged Feng Yun, "My lady, eat while it’s hot, lest the little ones drool with envy..."

Changmen Academy had also taken in new faces; aside from Daman and Xiaoman, there were Huanhuan, Zhuizhui, Zhuzhu, and Peipei, four maidservants, each looking on eagerly and longingly.

Feng Yun picked up Chengzi who was licking its lips beside the wooden couch and stroked its head gently. She then settled it on the rush mat and calmly knelt down by the low table with dignity.

"I’ve made up my mind, not only must we gather food, but we must also swiftly restore the livelihood of Andu County."

The war between Dajin and Qi Country wouldn’t last forever. Given the advantageous geographical position of Andu County, it would eventually recover, and early plans were essential for prosperity...

She thought far ahead, and Granny Han’s face turned pale upon hearing her thoughts.

"My lady, don’t indulge in such wild fantasies. In these times, it’s not easy for a woman to survive... In my opinion, if General Pei is willing to treat you well and give you a proper status, it would be a good prospect..."

Feng Yun smiled, "Granny, I have my own plans."

What plans could she have? How could a mere girl produce food out of thin air?

Granny Han looked at her calm expression, her naive confidence causing her great worry.

"My lady has high ideals, but if the general refuses to give you a proper status, it would be unmanageable... It would be better to find an opportunity to flee back to Qi Country or reside as a guest in Yunchuan. With the lady’s talents and beauty, there’s no worry of not finding a suitable husband..."

In the end, it always comes down to relying on a man.

Feng Yun knew Granny had good intentions, but she had already suffered enough in a previous life relying on, resenting, and hating men.

In this life, she did not want to place her life in someone else’s hands again.

Feng Yun silently finished a bowl of rabbit soup and did not eat any more, leaving the rest as rewards for the servants of Changmen Academy.

"Xiaoman, fetch Alou. I have important matters to entrust to him."