Xianmiao Mountain, North of the Xiongnu Royal Court
The handsome and ethereal Xianmiao Mountain, where ice does not melt even in June. Xianmiao Mountain’s ice peaks stand tall, with snow that never thaws.
Now that winter has arrived, it is even more so. Goose-feather-like snow falls from the sky, crystal clear, instantly shrouding mountains, roads, trees, and everything else in a hazy white expanse.
The towering snow mountains are magnificent and spectacular. As far as the eye can see, snow-capped mountains and icy peaks stand between heaven and earth, dazzling in the sunlight. The glaciers are varied and charming, and the crystalline ice peaks shimmer with a faint golden hue under the sun, exuding a sense of grandeur, majesty, and cold, sacred beauty.
Below the snow mountains lies the grassland. The boundless grassland is a verdant green. The sacred ice peaks and the emerald grassland form a beautiful and unique landscape.
In the second year of Yuanshou during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the Great Han's General of Cavalry, Huo Qubing, was ordered to lead ten thousand cavalry troops deep into the Hexi Corridor. They crossed Yanzhi Mountain and emerged from Biandukou, defeating the Xiongnu soundly. Not only did the Xiongnu lose the grassland they depended on for survival, but they also lost Yanzhi Mountain, which symbolized their maternal lineage. It was as if they had lost heaven and earth, lost everything.
"Having lost my Qilian Mountains, our livestock cannot thrive; having lost my Yanzhi Mountain, our women have lost their color." The might of the Great Han is evident.
More than five hundred years later, a disciple of Huo Qubing, the Great Yan’s General of Infantry, Zhou Fugui, also led his troops to the remote Xianmiao Mountain. Although his achievements were far inferior to his master's, he had still troubled the Xiongnu greatly. The Great Chieftain of the Xiongnu, Duo Yongjian, and others harbored such hatred for Zhou Fugui that they wished to tear him to shreds.
"Princess Consort, they have arrived."
Princess Consort Lin Yue of the Xiongnu, leading over ten thousand cavalry under her command, "welcomed" Zhou Fugui and his men at the foot of Xianmiao Mountain. Over ten thousand cavalry formed a neat formation, banners fluttering, exuding an imposing aura. Lin Yue, clad in armor, stood at the front of the large formation, surrounded by guards, on horseback.
Everyone saw a force suddenly appear at the foot of the majestic Xianmiao Mountain. The number was not large, around a thousand men. They also formed a neat formation, holding high the White Tiger banner, and slowly approached Lin Yue’s army. A Xiongnu general reported to Lin Yue.
Lin Yue nodded and, without speaking, urged her horse forward, riding to meet Zhou Fugui and his men.
The two armies stopped about an arrow's length apart. Lin Yue and Zhou Fugui both reined in their respective troops, and then the two of them rode forward alone to meet.
They urged their horses forward and stopped about five paces apart, looking at each other in silence for a moment.
Zhou Fugui looked at Lin Yue and smiled awkwardly. Lin Yue remained silent, her veil covering her face, but her beautiful eyes revealed extremely complex emotions: anger, shame, but also the joy and surprise of reunion after a long separation, and many other tangled feelings.
"Princess... Consort, are you well these days?" After a moment, Zhou Fugui stammered, asking awkwardly.
"You are Yan, and I am Xiongnu. Is 'Princess Consort' a title you should use?" Lin Yue replied coldly.
*Nearly died of anger*, Lin Yue thought, *I already have the answer in my heart.*
"Uh... In that case, how about addressing me as Lin Yue?" Zhou Fugui asked again.
"Who are you to me? Is 'Lin Yue' a name you should address?" Lin Yue retorted coldly.
"This won't do, and that won't do either..." Zhou Fugui seemed somewhat angered by embarrassment and said, "Let's just use the Han people's way of addressing. I say, young lady, it was my fault. You have been immensely kind to me, yet I left without a word. Please forgive me, forgive me. But young lady, I also had unspeakable reasons."
"What unspeakable reasons do you have?" Lin Yue looked at Zhou Fugui and said, "Follow me."
With that, Lin Yue urged her horse towards a tent that had already been set up. Zhou Fugui hesitated for a moment and then followed her.
Zhun Jin waved his hand, and his subordinate army tightly surrounded the officers and soldiers of the White Tiger Camp.
Zhun Jin then rode forward, stopped in front of Zhou Fugui, and extended his right hand.
Zhou Fugui glared at Zhun Jin and handed over the Sky-Shaking Dragon Halberd, the Moon-Chasing Bow, the greatsword, and the dagger. At this moment, Zhou Fugui was disarmed, and his officers and soldiers were similarly disarmed, with nothing but their armor. They were completely without weapons.
"Man is the knife, I am the fish; if not the fish, then the knife. This is Zhou Fugui's lifelong goal. But at this moment, Zhou Fugui has become the fish, a fish to be slaughtered at will."
At this moment, resistance meant death. The reason was self-evident: the enemy outnumbered us, and Zhou Fugui and his White Tiger Camp soldiers were weak and listless from salt deficiency, barely able to lift their weapons. How could they resist? This was the main reason Zhou Fugui was willing to surrender to Lin Yue.
At this moment, all he could rely on was Zhou Fugui's eloquent tongue. He could only leave the rest to fate.
"Wait!" Just then, a troop of horsemen galloped over, and a Xiongnu general on horseback shouted.
"Chiliarch Heilaku, what is it?" Lin Yue turned to Heilaku, a chiliarch under Duo Yongjian's command who was monitoring her.
"This thief has been captured. Princess Consort has rendered great service. Hand this thief over to me to report back. Rest assured, Heilaku will commend Princess Consort to the Great Chieftain." Heilaku replied.
Zhou Fugui was secretly shocked upon hearing this. He felt his body and found he had no weapons, unable to resist.
"Do I need you to dictate my actions?" Lin Yue said calmly. "I have something to ask him. You may withdraw."
"What do you need to ask him?" With such a great achievement within reach, how could Heilaku withdraw? He glared at Lin Yue and said, "Princess Consort, don't forget what the Great Chieftain said before we left..."
"I know. Withdraw." Lin Yue interrupted Heilaku impatiently.
With that, Lin Yue beckoned Zhou Fugui and walked towards the tent.
"Withdraw!" Zhun Jin half-unsheathed his saber, blocked Heilaku, and glared at him, shouting coldly.
"Withdraw!" Hundreds of Lin Yue's personal guards also half-unsheathed their sabers. The clashing of blades and scabbards produced a series of sharp sounds.
"You..." Heilaku's beard quivered with anger, but he was helpless. He was outnumbered and could not defeat Lin Yue's army.
*Could the Princess Consort and this pretty boy be having an affair?* Heilaku cursed inwardly. This matter must be reported to the Great Chieftain Duo Yongjian immediately. Otherwise, if this pair of dogs collude and are in the heat of their affair, things could become disastrous.
But how did the two get together? Heilaku couldn't figure it out.
...
"Zhou Fugui, why do you insult me so deeply?" In the luxurious tent, Lin Yue asked coldly, her exposed beautiful eyes shooting piercing gazes like sharp knives, slicing across Zhou Fugui's body.
He had grown thinner but was more robust. His hair was disheveled, his beard unshaven, and he wore animal skins, looking like a savage who ate raw food and drank blood, but more like a man of the grasslands. If placed on the plains, no one would have guessed he was Han. Tall, fair-skinned, with a high nose bridge. Lin Yue had noticed Zhou Fugui's difference from other Han people before, and now he resembled them even more.
"Insult you so deeply? What insult?" Zhou Fugui mumbled evasively, looking around. "Lin Yue, do you have anything to eat or drink? I have nothing to eat or drink, so I don't have the strength to speak."
*Serves you right!* Lin Yue heard this and, though her expression remained indifferent, she couldn't help but inwardly chuckle. If you hadn't run away back then and stayed with me, would you have been short of food and drink? Now look at you, not only a prisoner but also like a beggar on the grasslands...
Lin Yue clapped her hands, and servants brought some food and drink into the tent.
"Why did you escape?" Lin Yue asked again.
"For my family. Don't you already know?" Zhou Fugui replied while biting into a piece of fatty mutton.
"You value your family so much?" Lin Yue asked with disdain.
"What's with that expression?" Zhou Fugui looked at Lin Yue and said, "There's a saying in the world: those who want to achieve great things can disregard their kin. For power, father and son can kill each other, brothers can fight within their walls, and so on. But I cannot! A person who disregards his kin is not even qualified to be human."
"I didn't expect you to be a person who values loyalty and righteousness," Lin Yue said with a cold laugh. "If your relatives used you, or even harmed you, would you still be like this?"
Talking with Zhou Fugui, Lin Yue couldn't help but recall unpleasant memories.
"I am not a pedantic person..." Zhou Fugui shook his head. "If such a thing were to happen, I would try to be patient. But if they pushed their luck, then tolerance would be exhausted, and there would be no need to tolerate further."
*The Heavenly Khan, a generation of heroes, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, in that life-or-death crisis, killing his brother to seize the throne was likely out of desperation. However, killing his brother and usurping his sister-in-law, cutting the roots, was rather unsportsmanlike.*
"Very good!" Lin Yue said with a light laugh. "In that case, should I tolerate it now, or not?"
"What do you mean? What about tolerating or not tolerating?" Zhou Fugui asked in surprise.
"I treated you as a worthy subordinate, yet you discarded me like worn-out shoes. Should I tolerate it now, or not?" Lin Yue asked with a cold smile.
"Are we going to get tangled up again?" Zhou Fugui asked impatiently. "I've already said it was for my family. What's this about worthy subordinates and worn-out shoes? Ah, Lin Yue, I truly had unspeakable reasons, which is why I left reluctantly. I hope you can forgive me! Am I not back under your command now? I will certainly assist you with all my heart. Why bring up the past again?"
"Oh, really? I hope you speak your mind," Lin Yue said, glancing coldly at Zhou Fugui.
Once a person loses trust, it is not easy to regain it. Lin Yue felt the same. She would never believe this unreliable fellow...
Lin Yue then clapped her hands, and Zhun Jin, leading ten strong warriors, entered the tent.
"Princess, we cannot stay here long," Zhun Jin said to Lin Yue, looking at Zhou Fugui with a complex expression.
Lin Yue nodded and glanced at Zhun Jin.
"Tie him up!" Zhun Jin said, looking at Zhou Fugui again before ordering his men.
Ten strong warriors swarmed forward and tied Zhou Fugui up securely.