Chapter 344: How Can I Be a Woman

If the two sides truly tore off all pretense and came to blows, the Kong family could actually field two thousand field troops, while the Xu family might not be able to match that, and even their commerce would be completely blockaded. Of course, the Kong family couldn't swallow the Xu family, who had over ten thousand able-bodied men and well-prepared arms, but blockading their trade would leave the Xu family gasping for breath, leading to all sorts of consequences.

With this explanation from Fu Chuchuan, Xu Bende finally understood. The bit of confidence that had just surged up vanished like smoke, and he sat back down in his chair, his face deathly pale.

"So the Kong family has five hundred cavalry. Why then were there only a little over two hundred at He Family Village and beneath the walls of Xuzhou city?" A voice came from behind the screen again.

This question, however, was fixated on minor details. Fu Chuchuan's side had already gained the complete upper hand. He smiled and said, "With a river blocking the way, it's naturally inconvenient. Both the Kong and Xu families are north of the Yellow River, so that's a different matter entirely."

Cavalry crossing a river is far more troublesome than infantry, and mishaps are very likely, so naturally they couldn't commit too much strength at once.

Silence fell behind the screen again. Fu Chuchuan stood up with a smile and said, "I came here simply to convey this meaning. If the Xu family finds it agreeable, the Kong family will not be lacking in the slightest courtesy and will certainly see the young lady enter our gates in grand style. If I, Fu, may be so bold as to add one more word: should the Kong and Zhao families be joined in matrimonial alliance, then the northern bank of the Yellow River, several counties and prefectures — all will be ours."

Fu Chuchuan was in quite high spirits for conversation and continued speaking there: "How could that Zhao Jin possibly be a good match for the young lady? Lowly origins, a reckless brute who makes wine, ignorant of when to advance or retreat. When those roving bandits besieged the city, he actually led a few hundred men to go relieve them. He was lucky this time — heaven knows if he'll get himself killed next time. Consider our Ninth Master's origins, and how thorough and well-rounded he is in all his dealings. This situation has been stable for decades. Young lady, you must clearly distinguish the good from the bad, the important from the trivial!"

Behind the screen, it remained quiet. Fu Chuchuan didn't mind, and merely said with a grin, "I ask the Xu family to give a reply as soon as possible. I, Fu, will be waiting right here. In a few days, perhaps I'll be addressing you as the lady of the house."

The expressions of the Xu family members were all extremely ugly, yet most of them kept their heads lowered. Anyone with a clear mind could think it through — what other way was there but to bow their heads?

Fu Chuchuan's side took their leave, and Xu Bende, with great reluctance, saw the man out. When he returned to the main hall, he found that the only attendants left were Xu Zhenzhen's personal maidservants.

"Meixiang, Zhenzhen hasn't left yet?" Xu Bende asked in surprise. Before Meixiang beside him could answer, the screen that had formed a half-circle suddenly toppled outward, crashing to the floor with a thunderous boom. Xu Bende instinctively dodged backward, and the maidservant Meixiang let out a shriek.

The commotion immediately alarmed those outside. Several sturdy, armed men rushed in at a quick pace. Only then did the slightly recovered Xu Bende and Meixiang see Xu Zhenzhen standing behind the screen. She, who was always so composed, was now flushed red all over, her chest heaving, biting her lip so tightly that blood had already been drawn.

"Tell them to get out!" Xu Zhenzhen's voice had already regained its steadiness.

Meixiang's body trembled. She hurriedly ran to the door and drove those several men away. When she returned to the hall, she saw her young mistress take out a handkerchief and wipe away the blood from the corner of her mouth. Her fair, slender fingers clutched the handkerchief tightly, as if trying to squeeze the blood back out.

Both Xu Bende and Meixiang were somewhat panicked. They had never seen Xu Zhenzhen like this, and at that moment had no idea how to console her. They remained frozen like this for a while, and then they heard Xu Zhenzhen say in a low, gritted voice: "How can I be a woman!"

The news that Kong Tiger, Kong Jiuying, had sent Fu Chuchuan to propose marriage quickly spread throughout the Xu family. The overwhelming majority were furious — an old man actually wanted to marry our family's young lady.

The Xu family's ironware was sold to all neighboring regions, and the Kong family exploited them heavily in this business. The entire Xu household, high and low, was full of resentment over this. They never imagined the Kongs would now brazenly push their luck and bully their way right to their door. Public sentiment was inflamed, and in private, the cursing was unending.

But that was as far as they could go. Fu Chuchuan was staying in the Xu family's guesthouse, and everyone, high and low, still had to treat him with smiling faces. No one could afford to offend such a ruthless local magnate who killed without blinking.

The Xu family had taken in so many able-bodied refugees, and the seventh and eighth months were the peak season for ironware sales. The entire Xu household was frantically busy beyond measure. According to the usual practice, Xu Zhenzhen would sit in the study, handling matters and giving replies from behind a curtain, making decisions on affairs both great and small. But today she was nowhere to be found. All matters were being gathered at Xu Bende's end — those that could be handled were handled, and those that couldn't were set aside for the time being. The young lady was over at the family head's place.

Even though they were anxious, even though matters were being delayed, no one urged or complained. The young lady had encountered such a thing; she could only go to the old master's side to pour out her grievances.

Everyone thought it over. Although their young lady marrying over there was mismatched in every way, as if she were being snatched away, there was no other solution. In the end, they would probably just have to resign themselves to fate.

Xu Zhenzhen remained in Xu Benrong's study the entire time. She was still sitting there quietly, as if the loss of composure in the main hall had never happened.

After Xu Benrong learned the news, he tried to say, "In that case, that Vice-Prefect in Huai'an Prefecture isn't so bad after all..."

"Father, how could Kong Jiuying possibly fear a Vice-Prefect so far away? And what if this Vice-Prefect is also scheming after the Xu family's property and enterprise? What then of little brother?" Xu Zhenzhen said calmly.

"Your father is useless!" Xu Benrong said with a long sigh.

Xu Zhenzhen was already accustomed to Xu Benrong saying this. She made no sound either, just sat there quietly.

This sitting lasted an entire day. By evening, some members of the Xu clan from the collateral branches who held managerial posts actually came to the door to persuade them, saying that the Kong family was the better match, and that if it truly came to pass, both sides would benefit.

Xu Benrong was easily swayed and actually gave it serious consideration. Xu Zhenzhen's handling of the matter was very simple: she directly stripped them of their clan duties and then had them driven out.

The couple who came were considered Xu Zhenzhen's elders. After being stripped of their duties, they wailed to high heaven, saying how could their sincere goodwill be met with such treatment. Xu Zhenzhen sent a maidservant out to deliver a single word: "Fools!"

Those who heard of this also thought the pair were fools. Colluding with the Kong family was one thing, but there was no need to jump out so early. Had they truly forgotten Xu Zhenzhen's methods?

By the next day, word spread from the Xu household: the young lady, overcome by fury during the night, had carelessly caught a chill as well and had fallen ill, bedridden. A physician was called to see her and said the illness itself was minor, but she had overworked herself too much previously. If she did not rest and recuperate properly, she might damage her vital energy. During her convalescence, she should see few outsiders, lest external pathogenic influences invade and cause a relapse of the illness.

Xu Zhenzhen appeared frail, but she rarely fell ill. When this news spread, everyone said to one another that the young lady had truly been angered to the point of sickness. Xu Zhenzhen also made a decision: during her convalescence, Xu family affairs would be overseen by Xu Bende.

As for the true family head, Xu Benrong, he remained leisurely as ever, never stepping beyond the main gate, spending his days as always discussing poetry and evaluating paintings with his cultured retainers, in an atmosphere of romantic refinement. In the past, Xu Housheng had always been watched over by Xu Zhenzhen, for fear something might happen. With Xu Zhenzhen falling ill, she issued a special order from her sickbed: Xu Housheng must also remain within the courtyard and could not go out.

With things as they were, the matchmaker sent by the Zhao family could only turn back home. The person the Zhao family had chosen was indeed Dong Bingfeng's father, Dong Jike. Company Commander Dong had been extremely excited to receive this assignment, but never expected this outcome and could only return in dejection.

As for that Fu Chuchuan, he was staying right in the Xu family's guesthouse and naturally learned of it even earlier. He merely smiled and arranged for his subordinates to return with him to Kong Family Manor. Before leaving, he also left a verbal message for Xu Bende: "You can stall for a time, but you can't stall for a lifetime."

They had already given the birth dates and eight characters to the Zhao family, and now, because the Kong family had come calling, the Xu family had shrunk back. This was no glorious matter, and no one would proactively explain it to Dong Jike. Moreover, this matchmaker had come in high spirits and left in a hurry, with no time to make inquiries, never imagining there was this layer of relations involved.

For the Zhao family's side, the young lady Xu falling ill was, in a certain sense, also a matter of "stalling for a time but not for a lifetime." In any case, things had already progressed to this stage; it was merely a matter of sooner or later, and there was no rush. He Cuihua even specially prepared some gifts and had someone deliver them, telling Xu Zhenzhen to rest well and recover.

"Perhaps something is amiss!" Ruhui made this judgment, but could not spare the hands to investigate, because the matter of gathering and settling the disaster victims was a thousand tangled threads.

The refugees all yearned for their hometowns. Once freed from that state of mad despair, they began to ponder how to return. The monks in charge of gathering them were loose-tongued, saying that the Shandong authorities had already begun relief efforts, which made people even more restless.

Fortunately, before the gathering began, Zhao Jin and Ruhui had both considered this layer. The contracts the refugees had signed and thumbprinted were all irrevocable. If they tried to leave, the authorities could arrest them at any time. Even so, there were still people inciting trouble and trying to leave. However, the refugees had been dispersed to various locations, and not everyone wanted to go back. Relying on the able-bodied men from the Cloud Mountain Temple branches everywhere, these disturbances were suppressed.

The ringleaders were immediately seized and beaten to death right in front of the refugees. This wave of unrest was instantly quelled. The Cloud Mountain Temple monks overseeing the refugees also received a warning, telling them what they could and could not say.

In addition, Zheng Quan and his wife, who had never returned to the city, were also dispatched. Once the couple saw that their own children had come to Zhao Jin's side and received Zhao Jin's promise, all their worries for the future vanished, and they were brimming with drive, ready to die for Zhao Jin.

Zheng Quan and his wife, along with the few trusted confidants they had, went to the various places where refugees were gathered to preach. What they spoke of was still the Maitreya's descent to the world and such, but the narrative had changed. For instance, they said that by coming to Xuzhou and passing this trial, blessings would follow, and from then on they could live in stability and eat their fill.

Having experienced that hellish scene beneath the walls of Xuzhou city, not many still believed in this. However, Zheng Quan's version of the story was far more acceptable to them, making more people resign themselves to their fate.

Zheng Quan and these people were not merely sent out to preach. Liu Yong's subordinates, along with trustworthy street toughs from the city's jianghu and marketplace circles, as well as clever individuals from the joint-village mutual defense groups, all disguised themselves as refugees and infiltrated the various sites, working within to calm hearts and gather intelligence.

The refugees had been dying continuously along the road, with new people constantly joining. Apart from family and fellow villagers, few knew each other. A few unfamiliar faces mixed in aroused no one's suspicion, and naturally, no one guarded their words or actions around them.