Zhao Jiaqi smiled at the shy woman, "Now you can put your heart at ease. No more talk of taking concubines from now on!"
Pingtang nodded eagerly as she ate her meal.
She wasn't foolish; if her husband didn't want a concubine, she wouldn't push for one. She had completely forgotten about her initial intention to find a concubine for him when she arrived.
When her elder brother gave the word, Fan Xudong listened. After dinner, the two of them went to the training grounds for a spar, leaving the two women to chat about children.
The next day, Zhao Jiaqi, on a whim, paid a surprise visit to Yu Meng's courtyard to see how the girl was learning.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the room, she saw the supervising governess standing by the lectern, lost in thought, sighing helplessly as she watched the women flitting around the room.
"Fan Yu Meng!" Zhao Jiaqi bellowed with all her might, her voice like a lion's roar, loud enough for Fan Zehao, who was entertaining guests in the front yard, to hear clearly.
All the playful activities in the room ceased. Books rustled to the floor, and a brush dipped in ink even landed on Zhao Jiaqi's head, drawing a long black streak across her face before falling to the ground with a thud. Instantly, half her face was blackened.
Yu Meng's legs began to tremble, her little heart quivering. She was on the verge of tears as she stammered, "Mother, I... I was just resting... it's break time!"
"You've barely started class and you're already taking a break? You don't learn from your mistakes, and you dare to lie. If I don't punish you, you won't remember!"
Enraged, Zhao Jiaqi began searching for a stick. While the house might lack many things, it certainly didn't lack training equipment, especially the wooden swords, sabers, spears, and clubs that Fan Zehao had personally made for her!
Now, her weapons had come to her. It would be even easier to spank Yu Meng.
Holding a wooden stick, she pointed at Yu Meng, who was dodging and weaving, her eyes glaring. "Stand still! If you dare to dodge again, I'll tie you up and beat you until you're crippled, then I'll let you go!"
Yu Meng burst into tears. This was the first time she had seen her mother so angry. Hearing that her mother intended to cripple her, she cried, "You... you're going to cripple me, and you won't let me dodge? If I'm disabled, Father won't forgive you either!"
"Your father won't forgive me? I won't forgive him either! After I beat you, I'll beat your father. Neither of you will escape. You don't need to find a backer. Who in this entire manor dares to defy me!"
This brat dared to bring her father into it. The more she spoke of him, the more her anger flared. She had raised a perfectly good young girl into such a spoiled child.
Yu Meng snorted through her nostrils. If only her grandmother lived at her elder uncle's house, she would have run to her by now.
Stubborn Yu Meng, in her heart, was throwing a tantrum, but she dared not speak it aloud, fearing the stick would strike her when she wasn't paying attention!
Even with the best defenses, she couldn't withstand Zhao Jiaqi's capable assistants.
Qiufen and Xiazhi, along with several maids and servants attending to Yu Meng, all joined in, finally managing to tie up the impish Fan Yu Meng.
She didn't dare to use the stick, fearing she might not gauge her strength and genuinely injure the child.
So, she placed the girl across her lap and spanked her tender backside with great force, each slap resounding loudly. Even Fan Zehao and Murong Sheng, who were hiding outside, could hear it clearly.
The two grown men shivered with each slap.
Murong Sheng wiped his forehead and patted Fan Zehao's shoulder, "Brother, you truly have it tough!"
Looking at the seemingly frail woman, he never imagined she could be fiercer than a tiger when angered. Yet, after so many spanks, why wasn't the child crying out?
Fan Zehao craned his neck to peek inside. Yu Meng bit her lips, her rosy lips red from biting, tears welling up in her eyes but refusing to fall. Her father's heart ached to see it.
He immediately stepped forward, "Wife... you're pregnant, why are you making such a fuss? Be careful of your belly. Put her down, I'll spank her for you!"
"From now on, leave all the physical discipline to me. You just go have some tea and watch me scold Mengmeng!"
Without further ado, he snatched Yu Meng from Zhao Jiaqi's hands. Although he said he would spank her, his open palm never fell. He even comforted the child in front of her.
Zhao Jiaqi was too angry to stand it, but she couldn't lose her temper in front of outsiders and him. She finally turned and left.
She would deal with this father and daughter pair after the guests left. She refused to believe that, despite being a first-time mother, she couldn't handle a naughty child after all the knowledge she had acquired!
At noon, Murong Sheng hadn't left. Not only him, but also his mother-in-law, who rarely returned home, had made a rare appearance.
Following behind his mother-in-law was Wangcai. Seeing this, Zhao Jiaqi knew Fan Zehao had sent Wangcai to fetch reinforcements.
If she couldn't handle Yu Meng, she still had Xueyao and Ren Yingjun.
The two younger ones were likely terrified today. They had been diligently studying with the governess all afternoon, yet Zhao Jiaqi still scolded them.
In the afternoon, Murong Sheng, who had been playing the role of a third wheel all morning, didn't want to stay any longer. He saw the glint of ferocity in the Princess Consort's eyes when she glared at him. If he didn't leave, who knew if he would get beaten!
As soon as the person left, Yu Meng, with great discernment, hid behind Fan Zehao, not daring to show half her head.
"Fan Yu Meng, come out! Let's you and I have a chat alone. I know you can hear me!"
Hearing Zhao Jiaqi's words, Yu Meng not only didn't come out but also hid further behind Fan Zehao's back.
She suppressed her anger and said again, "Mother is trying to reason with you. If you continue to be unreasonable, I'll drag you out. Even if your grandmother were here today, she couldn't protect you. Weigh the pros and cons and choose for yourself!"
The room fell silent. Zhang Cuihua wanted to plead for the child, but Zhao Jiaqi shook her head and refused. Zhang Cuihua could only lower her head helplessly.
She had raised Yu Meng since she was little, and she felt that every slap on the child's body hurt her more than it hurt the child.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Yu Meng emerged from behind her father, tears welling in her eyes. She looked at her father and then at her grandmother, and finally chose to go to Zhao Jiaqi.
The mother and daughter returned to the bedroom. Outside the door, Fan Zehao and Zhang Cuihua, a mother and son, stretched their ears and necks, straining to hear what was being said inside.
However, it gave them some peace of mind. As long as there was no beating, a few scoldings wouldn't hurt.
Inside, Zhao Jiaqi sat on a chair, looking at her daughter who barely reached her knees. She kept reminding herself, *She's my own flesh and blood!*
"Mengmeng, tell Mother, is a child who lies a good child?"
To this question, Yu Meng answered decisively, shaking her head.
"Since you know you're not a good child, why did you lie?"
"I... I was afraid Mother would scold me!" she said tearfully, revealing her inner thoughts.