Chapter Forty-One: Third Young Master’s Tears Behind Bars

“Mother... hey... Mother... psst, psst...”
From his wheelchair, Feng Jingzhe kept shooting frantic glances at Old Madam Jiang, who sat at the head of the table.

“Ahem... ahem, ahem... Well... Xiaoman, look how lovely the weather is outside—why not let Changsheng take Jingzhe out for some sun? It’ll help him recover from his injuries too, wouldn’t it...?”

“Go out? For what? Just to cause more trouble...”

Knock... knock knock... knock knock knock...

The rolling pin, nearly a foot and a half long, tapped rhythmically against the edge of the table, sending Li Changsheng into a shiver as he hastily released the wheelchair’s handles.

“I swear... I promise we won’t go anywhere—just to the riverbank behind the house for some fresh air.

Sis, if you don’t show up soon, those children will all end up depressed...

I’ve promised to tell them the story of ‘The Three Battles with the White Bone Demon’ for over two months now—if you don’t believe it, go check the mud splattered on our outer wall and see how much resentment is festering...”

“Go on, keep making things up! You, Feng Jingzhe, telling stories to children—why don’t you just say you could fly to the heavens...”

Smack—

Feng Xiaoman slammed her palm down on the armrest, sending the cowardly Li Changsheng scrambling even farther away.

There was nothing he could do—it was a precarious time now. Life was precious; one must avoid misfortune at all costs.

“Mother, I *really* can tell stories... Maybe, in a while, I could even earn some money from them...

Please, could you talk to my sister... In my condition, what trouble could I possibly cause...?”

“Xiaoman, just let Changsheng take him out. Staying cooped up at home all the time would stifle anyone. What trouble could he get into with a bunch of children? Besides, it’s just behind the wall, not far at all...”

Old Madam Jiang spoke gently and kindly, tirelessly pleading for someone’s case.

“Mother, you always spoil him! Those mosquito bites on his face only just faded a few days ago, didn’t they...?”

At this retort, Old Madam Jiang fell silent, her gaze toward her son a clear message: “You’re on your own now.”

“Chang’an is not Pingyang—here, anyone you bump into on the street might be someone of status.

Times have changed, but there are still those who’d love to find fault with the Feng family. You know your son’s nature better than anyone—if things get out of hand, even a minor scuffle that costs us a bit of silver... we simply can’t afford it now.”

Feng Xiaoman took a sip of tea to compose herself, but concern lingered between her brows.

“Mother, it’s not that I’m cruel—there’s just no room for carelessness! The Emperor’s marriage decree brought us all to Chang’an; we can never return to Pingyang. All our fields and estates are sold; now the whole family, over twenty mouths, only spends but earns nothing. Even a mountain of gold and silver can be exhausted.

So until we find some income, we must spend every coin sparingly. That boy is nothing but trouble—you never know when he’ll stir up a mess...”

“So that’s your reason for breaking your brother’s legs...?”

Old Madam Jiang, too, felt a surge of anger at this. This was her only son left—everyone knew how precious he was to her.

“Mother, aren’t you clear on why I had to be so harsh?”

Seeing her mother’s mood sour, Feng Xiaoman quickly got up and circled around to knead her shoulders.

“The Feng family’s line rests solely on him now. Chang’an is a dangerous city; we can’t let him run wild. Who knows what kind of person our new daughter-in-law will be? The Feng family only has this bit of legacy left—if we offend her, she could sever us completely...”

“We’re short on money? That’s easy! Making money is my specialty! A thousand or eight hundred taels is nothing to me...”

The moment Feng Jingzhe heard his elder sister was short of money, his spirits revived.

Lack of investment projects? For a time-traveler like him, that was an easy fix.

He’d already decided to lie flat and live off others anyway—so why not live off his own family? If he could find a stable source of income for the household, then his sister could earn and he could spend—a perfect arrangement!

“Shut up! Don’t think I don’t know how you really made that money! It was pure luck—otherwise, when the peasant uprising broke out, the entire Feng family would have been implicated...”

Mentioning this riled Feng Xiaoman. If her mother hadn’t clung tightly to her arm, someone would surely have earned a few more slaps.

“Uh... Sis, how did you find out about that?”

Feng Jingzhe’s first reaction was to look at Li Changsheng in the corner, who alternated between looking at the ground and the sky, refusing to meet his gaze. That was enough to know who the traitor was!

“So it was you who snitched! To think you look so upright, yet you’d betray the cause...”

If he weren’t stuck in a wheelchair, he’d have kicked him to death on the spot.

“If you don’t want anyone to know, you shouldn’t have done it!

As for restoring the Feng family’s honor, leave that to me, Feng Xiaoman. All you need to do is stay at home, behave, marry, and carry on the family line.

Once you’ve married Beiming Xuanyue and perform well, I’ll even help you take a few concubines. Best if you can give birth to seventeen or eighteen children in a year—that would do justice to our ancestors...”

So, after all this, the tyrant before him just saw him as a breeding tool!

Seventeen or eighteen children in a year? Even a breeding boar in the production brigade wouldn’t make such boasts!

Apparently, this decision had Old Madam Jiang’s approval as well—she’d already switched to daydream mode, her smile harder to suppress than the recoil of an AK.

“I protest! You are imprisoning me, violating my human rights—this is a crime!”

“Objection overruled—your sister is right! Jingzhe, from now on just stay at home and wait for Xuanyue to marry in! Once you’ve given your mother a big, healthy grandson, you can go wherever you like, and nobody will stop you...”

Her teacup thudded decisively on the table, the clear sound more final than the gavel of any UN chairman, allowing no argument or dissent.

Li Changsheng, ever the lackey, promptly jogged over and, ignoring Feng Jingzhe’s curses, wheeled him off toward his room...

Bang—

The wooden door slammed shut, and by the clanking noise, it seemed even an iron chain had been fastened.

“Young Master, the future Young Mistress is a general. If you read more, at least you’ll have more topics to talk about together later. Miss said, once you’ve memorized all the military books on the table, she’ll let you stroll in the garden...”

“Li Changsheng, you bastard! Have you no conscience? After all the times I’ve taken you to feasts, this is how you repay me...?”

“Young Master, we must endure humiliation and bear the burden, bide our time! I’m already doubling down on my training—once I break through to the Stone-Splitting Realm and can defeat Feng Xiaoman, I’ll rescue you from your misery at once...”

Hearing Li Changsheng’s solemn vows from outside the door, Feng Jingzhe’s anger eased considerably. After all, the advantage now lay with the enemy, not with himself—it seemed he’d almost wrongly blamed his own man.

“Go on! Work hard, and strive to overthrow the mountain of tyranny above me as soon as possible, so that the light of freedom may shine upon your Young Master...”

“Yes! Rest assured, Young Master, that day won’t be long coming...”

With a look of grim determination, Li Changsheng turned and left.

“Five years, five years at most, and I’ll break through to the Stone-Splitting Realm...”

Little did he know—if someone were to hear this inner monologue, who knows what they might think...