Changying the Lady

It was high noon around midsummer. The sun shone so brightly that the sun beam burned the eye.

In the rear house of the patrimonial Wei family in Fengzhou, around ten in the morning, the well water was poured on the ground once, and within seconds the water evaporated without a trace, not even a few water marks were left. Under the dazzling bright sunlight, the yard was full of summer dust floating in the air. As the damp south wind blew, it got thicker and stickier. The wind blew through the body, yet no soothing feeling was felt. It was like being dragged into this invisible swamp, sinking deeper and deeper in unspeakable tedium.

Nowadays in the great Vi Dynasty, family status was highly valued. The Wei family had lived in Fengzhou for generations, and the origins of its ancestors could be traced back to the Middle Ages. Talents had emerged for hundreds of years, and it was one of the top six gentlefolks within the country. Such a noble family would want to treat its members right. During this ridiculously hot time, servants who could not use ice were instructed to stay in the shades to relax and avoid heat stroke. This approach had gained a good reputation for being sympathetic to the servants within the state city.

At this moment the entire courtyard was quiet. Only occasionally there came a few chirpings of cicada, and the courtyard became deeper and quieter.

The courtyard in front of the main rear house was generously spaced. A wide Camphor tree grew in the southeast corner of the courtyard, lush and leafy, covering most of the courtyard with a shade. And it was just a shade. Since May in Fengzhou, even under the shades, it was difficult to find any soothing coolness.

And right under the shade of the Camphor tree where no blazing heat could be hidden, a boy was standing, and a girl was kneeling. They spoke softly under the cover of cicadas chirping.

The one standing was a young boy, wearing a goose-yellow Yueluo round-necked shirt, hair tied with a golden ring. He wore a jade belt around the waist, looked around 14-15 years old, and had a long thin body, a thin-waist and narrow arms. Standing upright, his good-looking features still accompanied a sense of childishness.

Right now, he couldn't even open his eyes due to the scorching sun. Wiping the sweat dripping down like rain, he looked worried and somewhat resigned. Lowering his voice, he spoke to the girl in full disclosure, "... Mother has had the meal and has called for nap time. Before that, she has also sent someone to get Lvfang to go over at grandmother's, saying that you have something to do today, and you wouldn't be able to greet her later. Grandmother has already approved. Sister, I suggest that you go and apologize to mother. Otherwise, how can you stand kneeling down until after dinner?"

"No, I won't," said the girl. The girl kneeling upright was slightly older than the boy. She had a beautiful thin waist and silky black hair, so pretty that her goose egg-shaped face seemed to be sparkling. Her eyebrows were clear, and her eyes slightly slanted up. Her straight nose and naturally red lips made her such a dazzling beauty.

Under the scorching sun she had been kneeling down for more than an hour, yet her eyes were still bright and shone with even more spirit. Her pale skin was like snow and jade. Due to the sun exposure, her skin looked tinted as if she had applied a rouge blush. Her face was glowing, glazed in the golden light. The cyan crepe tight cuff shirt she was wearing had now been soaked in sweat, blurring its color. A strand of hair from her forehead to the back of her ear adhered to her cheek, soaked in sweat. Drops of sweat dripped along the arc of her beautiful chin and down to her emerald skirt. There were now more than a dozen dark green water spots on her skirt. And those were only the ones that had not been dried yet.

Nevertheless, this young lady Miss Wei Changying still didn't care to repent. She raised her chin a little, slightly snickered, and spoke surely, "It's such a hot day and I am still kneeling down here in high noon. Don't worry. You'll see that mother won't be able to sleep, and it won't be long before she sends out someone to get me."

"But Lvfang is at grandmother's place..." Her brother, the fifth son in Wei Family, Wei Changfeng, didn't agree with her. Slightly frowning, he reminded her that their mother had already sent out her maidservant Lvfang to inform madam grandmother that before dinner she wouldn't be able to greet her, which meant it was obvious that her punishment wouldn't end until dinner.

Wei Changying didn't seem to think so at all. "Isn't it obvious that mother is only trying to scare me?"

"But big sister, you have been kneeling for more than an hour," Wei Changfeng sighed, looking resigned. "It's such a hot day today. I am almost passing out just by standing here and speaking to you. All the servants have retreated inside the house to pour the well water on the ground just to let the heat wear off a bit. Why are you persisting to stay out here?"

"Well, you can stay under the shade." Wei Changying slanted at him and used her sleeve to pat off the sweat on her face. The cyan sleeve turned into a dark green jade color instantly, and she didn't seem to care at all. "You are not like me. I've been following Uncle Jiang practicing martial arts since I was little. I can easily stand another hour out here."

Comparing to her, Wei Changfeng looked embarrassing holding up his sleeve to guard off the sun. He said patiently to her, "Listen to me, big sister. You are a lady, and our family has been studying literature for ages. Why do you have to learn martial arts? Nowadays it is indeed not safe out there, but our Wei family is one of the most famous noble families in Fengzhou, and the most important family in Zhongyuan. No warfare will be able to make us suffer. And even though our family has been studying literature for generations, we still have private army and guards to protect us. Are you seriously counting on yourself to protect us, big sister?"

He lowered his voice. "Come on, big sister. You are going to marry next year. In Western Liang, the Shen family has led its army suppressing the Di tribe for generations... You have even less to worry about now. I've heard from grandmother that Shen Cangfeng's martial art is preeminent. Last year during the martial art tryout in front of the emperor, he took on ten people just by himself and had beaten up the Liu family from Eastern Hu and the Su family from Qingzhou, becoming the top hand in the contest. The only concern is that now the Rong tribe and the Di tribe have been seeking chances, and that groups of robbers are gathering on the way from Fengzhou to the capital. But he will be coming to Fengzhou to pick you up himself. Big sister, what are you worried about?"

"Moron!" Wei Changying glared hard at him, and claimed in a low voice, "Exactly because the Shen family has been in charge of the army in Western Liang for years, their boys have learned martial art since they were children. Shen Cangfeng is especially famous for that. I have heard about how he was so preeminent since I was three years old, and nobody could defeat him. I have to work hard and dare not to relax because of them. Do you think I want to suffer from all this?"

"What?" Said Wei Changfeng, surprised.

"You moron, just think about it." Wei Changying explained solemnly, "This Shen family is the same as the Su family from Qingzhou, and the Liu Family from Western Hu. Their family is passed down by practicing martial arts, and you would expect what a fierce atmosphere it must have been growing up in such an environment. And my fiancé is supposed to be the best in the Shen family! I suppose his martial art is surely very impressive..."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Said Wei Changfeng, confused. "If he isn't that good, how come grandfather was willing to marry you to him? You're the eldest daughter in our Wei family, and we are the most well-known noble family from Fengzhou. He has to be a good match for you."

Wei Changying got a bit angry. "I mean! He most likely has a bad temper and is rude because of what he does! He could be easily irritated and violent! What if after I marry him I get angry with him over some small quarrels and we end up getting into a fight? Or what if I do something that he doesn't like? Once he gets upset, wouldn't he just give me a hard time and even get violent with me? What would I do if I am a weak girl who can't put up a fight?! Even if he apologizes afterwards, wouldn't I suffer in the first place?"

Wei Changfeng was stunned hearing what she was saying. He wiped his sweat off and replied, "How is that possible! Big sister, you are the eldest daughter in our Wei Family. You are of the same status as him. It's not like you are some maidservant he could buy with a few dimes. How would he dare to treat you bad? Does he think that none of us, none of our Wei family will do anything about it?"

"Huh! These warriors are the most irritable and temperamental. Will he care whether you are his wife or his concubine once he gets angry at you? Let alone both the capital and Western Liang will be so far away from Fengzhou. Should I expect to count on my maiden family every time?" Wei Changying said clenching her fist. A glance of perseverance shone in her eye. She sneered, "Even if he doesn't get physical with me, what happens if later he gets one concubine after another, and even more maidservants? What would I do then?!"

Wei Changfeng seemed irresolute and spoke hesitantly, "Well...Well...You know, all these maidservants and concubines... If big sister you don't like them, you can just shush them off once he gets them, right? What does it have to do with practicing martial art?"

"Well, if that's the case, wouldn't people say that I am easily jealous?" Wei Changying sneered, curling her lips. "Let alone that this buying and selling thing would make me lose money that should be in my own pocket. I'm not like Cousin Song. I can't learn the way she maneuvers everything smoothly, edifyingly. I think back and forth about it, and there is only one way to deal with a husband like this and all those foxy bitches crawling up his bed!"

She glanced at her brother, softly opened her red lips and claimed, horrifyingly, "Beat him up!"

Wei Changfeng was dumbfounded!

"If Shen Cangfeng dares to have concubines in the future, every time he mentions it, I would beat him up so that he wouldn't even be able to get off the bed for three days!" Wei Changying said while slowly cracking her thin, delicate hands. Her beautiful glowing face was then covered in a murderous haze. She claimed viciously, "If he truly dares to bring someone in, I would close the door and break his legs! If he dares to go out to the brothel and spend the night with prostitutes, I will have him never be able to leave the medicine jar for his life!"

"Not just that. I don't like rude warriors at all! No matter what he likes before, how he lives in the future has to be determined by me!" Wei Changying stated proudly, "He has to drop every habit I don't like! If he doesn't obey, I will beat him up to death! Everything I like, he has to follow them as well! If not, I will also beat him up to death!"

Wei Changfeng looked at his murderous sister, horrified. He reminded her, speechless. "Big sister, nowadays it is important in a society that a lady should follow the three obedience and four virtues. You...if you are like this..."

"I know!" Claimed Wei Changying, scorning. "Am I that stupid? I have my plans!"

Just when Wei Changfeng finally felt relieved, he heard her continued. "Before I beat him up, I will close the door!"

"!!!!!" Wei Changfeng almost puked blood. "What kind of idea is that?!"

Wei Changying smiled scornfully. "As long as nobody from the outside knows about this, who would know that I am pretending to be a virtuous lady?"

"...Big sister, are you so sure that you can definitely defeat Shen Cangfeng?" Wei Changfeng groaned, "How can you have such a ridiculous thought? Shen Cangfeng is a guy, and he is two years older than you. If he can't even handle you, isn't all his martial art learned in vain?"

Wei Changying snorted, "Fifth brother, now you don't understand. The Shen family has been in charge of the army for decades, and they often fight with the western Di tribe. Their passed-down martial art refers to one of the art of war, and another of fighting and killing on horses in the front-line. Why do you think among all our guards I didn't pick anyone else but Uncle Jiang to be my teacher? It is because Uncle Jiang is best skilled at close combat!"

She proudly said, "Since Shen Cangfeng is the best among his family, he is sure to have a great strategy and frontal battle skills. But I have worked diligently for twelve years ever since I was five years old. I got up in the morning as the rooster crowed and didn't rest until the sun set. I didn't even pay much attention to studying literature and women's work. I spent all my effort in close combat. I don't have to fight Shen Cangfeng on horses, only in close combat. He has to learn at least two things, art of war and frontal battle, but I only need to learn one. I've worked so hard in practicing close combat, I don't believe I can't handle him!"

Thinking of these twelve years of hard work, Wei Changying signed and murmured, "Has it been easy for me these years? Let alone other things, simply working hard in martial mart gave me callus on my hands. In order to get rid of the callus, I had to take medicated bath after an exhausting day, and have my maidservant bring me nourishing ointment to apply to my skin, rub it in and do a careful massage... I had to do all this work so I can keep practicing hard while also maintaining a soft, glowing skin... Isn't my perseverance for the past twelve years all for the sake of my future?"

Wei Changfeng was speechless for a long while, then he said, "Big sister, all these things mother asks you to learn now. Aren't they for the good of your marriage? Next year you are going to marry..."

Wei Changying replied angrily, "Yes! I am going to marry next year. Now is the most crucial time, yet mother is still thinking of having me learn women's work like sewing and cooking. These can be fixed easily by bringing a cook and a dressmaker with me as part of my dowry. It's more important for me to master the set of close combat skills from Uncle Jiang as soon as possible, and make Shen Cangfeng obedient to me once the day comes!"

"But big sister, even if you beat up Shen Cangfeng and frighten him, you can't count on him to take care of the household." Wei Changfeng took a deep breath, and said, "And if there are no concubines in the rear house, you have to manage the account statements of the servants by yourself. Shen Cangfeng has been appointed as the Private Guard in Three Guards, replacing his father several years ago, and you can't expect him to stay at home all the time. Big sister, you don't learn anything else but martial art. What happens if in the future you can't even manage the rear house? Do you want people to call you all brawn but no brain?"

Wei Changying replied scornfully, "Managing the household and the rear house can be learned easily in the future, or else I could borrow Granny Shi from mother for a couple of years when I marry. Wouldn't that be enough for me to learn eventually? But making a husband listen is the first priority. A temporary 'all brawn and no brain' isn't bad compared to not focusing on the big picture!"

Wei Changfeng groaned again, and said, "Big sister, you say you want him to listen to you, but that's straight up using violence to control him. Even if you beat him up so he obeys you, wouldn't he hate you for that? After all, isn't mutual love the true path for marriage?"

"Grandfather has decided to marry me to this warrior after only seeing him once!" Wei Changying glanced at his brother fiercely, and claimed in a low voice, "It's good enough that I am not crying my eyes out, now you speak of mutual love? It is because of grandfather's order that I have to agree to this arranged marriage. Since I was young, the only sweet days I can imagine for the future is that I beat him up so that he has to listen to me for the rest of his life, and never make me upset! Mutual love... How could I possibly like a warrior! Since I don't even like him, does it matter if he likes me? What's important is that he has to be obedient to me!"

Wei Changying solemnly told his brother, "Therefore, even if mother continues to make me kneel down for another ten hours, I wouldn't learn those women's work and chores. Kneeling down here is exercising my body and bones! I don't believe that mother will be able to see me suffer for long. Once she feels bad for me, she would surely listen to me, and there won't be any of those things to bother me anymore! If you can't stand the heat, you should go away quickly. Otherwise, if mother sends someone out and sees that you are here, she will hesitate to call me in!"