"Welcome back, warriors, you have endured hardship. Please have a cup of victory wine! Wash away the dust of your journey, for the grasslands are your home; honored warriors, your merits are outstanding, please have a cup of victory wine, to wash away the enemy's blood from your bodies..."
The White Tiger Battalion had plundered Xia Sui Ning county. As they departed, the common people of Sui Ning county silently saw them off. Upon arriving in Xuzhou, Murong Tengge, a commander or general of the Han army, led a large group of people to welcome Zhou Fugui and his men outside the city gates of Xuzhou, bestowing upon them the highest Xianbei welcoming ceremony.
There were also some female slaves who performed songs and dances, which greatly puzzled and astonished Zhou Fugui and the three thousand soldiers of the White Tiger Battalion.
That the Xianbei would greet the Han people with such a grand ceremony was in itself a jaw-dropping affair.
Zhou Fugui was equally astonished. Without time to ponder, he hastily dismounted, signaled his subordinates to look after the young slave girl, and then quickly walked up to Murong Tengge, cupped his hands, and asked, "Bu Da, what is the meaning of this?"
Murong Tengge, holding a bowl of mare's milk wine, smiled and said to Zhou Fugui, "Drink this bowl of mare's milk wine first."
Mare's milk wine originated in the Spring and Autumn period, and records from the Han Dynasty already mentioned "horses chasing water and grass, people relying on milk curd." It is the highest form of hospitality among the nomadic peoples of the north.
"Oh, oh..." Zhou Fugui felt parched, so he drained the bowl of mare's milk wine in one gulp.
"The taste is quite good..." Zhou Fugui said after drinking, licking his lips.
"Slap!" Murong Tengge chuckled and patted Zhou Fugui as he heard this, saying, "Let's go, I have orders to welcome you into the city."
"By order? Whose order?" Zhou Fugui walked alongside Murong Tengge into the city, asking as they went.
"Naturally, it is the order of the Grand Commander," Murong Tengge replied.
"Why?" Zhou Fugui asked in surprise.
"The Grand Commander said that the White Tiger Battalion, led by Battalion Commander and Camp General Zhou Fugui, was the first to counterattack the Xia army after the great defeat at Niuzhu. Therefore, he ordered me to treat you and your White Tiger Battalion well," Murong Tengge replied with a smile. "It seems to be true now. After they fled back, almost all of them were in disarray, with lost helmets and discarded armor. But your Zhou camp general and your White Tiger Battalion are intact, with barely a man lost, and your armor is bright and your spirits high. Fugui, I am curious, bringing the White Tiger Battalion back intact would have been quite an accomplishment. Why are you still so spirited and rosy-cheeked?"
This is how the Xianbei are. If they lose, they lose. They generally do not hide it. They will fight back next time. There is no need to hide.
Moreover, the news of the Yan army's great defeat had already spread throughout the land, making concealment impossible.
Murong Tengge's Yan Yun Han army had also been routed, in a sorry state, suffering heavy losses. Out of over thirty thousand Yan Yun Han troops, only about thirteen thousand returned to Xuzhou, and many of them were wounded.
Zhou Fugui had indeed brought honor to Murong Tengge this time, and Murong Tengge was thus exceptionally pleased.
"Uh..." Zhou Fugui did not want to mention the matter of Sui Ning county, so he made up a casual excuse.
"Heh heh, Fugui, why the need to conceal the matter of capturing Sui Ning county?" Murong Tengge said with a smile. "Although I am in Xuzhou, I have heard a little about it."
"Oh, the army had just suffered a defeat, so I, your subordinate, felt this matter was not worth boasting about," Zhou Fugui had no choice but to answer truthfully. "My White Tiger Battalion went to Sui Ning county merely to beg for food."
"Begging for food? You have indeed worked hard," Murong Tengge nodded and said. "After capturing Sui Ning county, what did you do?"
Zhou Fugui had no choice but to tell Murong Tengge honestly what had happened after capturing Sui Ning county.
"Hearing cases and bringing justice, cleansing grievances and suppressing violence? Haha..." Murong Tengge listened, stunned for a moment, then pointed at Zhou Fugui and burst into laughter. "It seems I have underestimated you, Zhou Fugui, the Pavilion Head. It appears you, Zhou Fugui, are a talent who can both lead troops on horseback and govern the country off horseback?"
"Bu Da, you jest," Zhou Fugui said with a slight blush. "I, your humble subordinate, was merely fooling around."
"Fooling around? I don't think so," Murong Tengge shook his head. "In our Great Yan Kingdom, there are plenty of people skilled at leading troops and fighting, but those skilled at governing are like phoenix feathers and unicorn horns."
Leading troops and fighting are also not that great, Zhou Fugui grumbled inwardly. Didn't they just suffer a crushing defeat, a humiliating and disgraceful loss, a rout that scattered them for a thousand miles, abandoning countless troops and territory?
Of course, these words could only remain buried in Zhou Fugui's heart.
When one is under another's roof, one must bow one's head!
"Bu Da, what are the next arrangements for my White Tiger Battalion? Should I lead the troops back to Youzhou?" Zhou Fugui asked subsequently.
"You've just been praised, and now you're getting dizzy?" Murong Tengge shook his head. "Our army has just suffered a defeat, and various forces are restless. For example, the state of Zhao to the west has even invaded, plundering people and property. Alas, Fugui, the Xia army is also relentlessly pursuing us. Do you think you can return to Youzhou safely? Isn't that a pipe dream?"
Serves you right to suffer this calamity! Zhou Fugui felt a bit gleeful in his heart. As the saying goes, those who gain the Way have much help; those who lose the Way have little. When you were powerful, others had to submit to the might of your Great Yan Kingdom. But now that the Yan army has suffered a great defeat, lost troops and generals, and abandoned cities and territory, it is not difficult to predict that others would seize the opportunity to strike while you are weak.
The state of Zhao? What kind of entity is the state of Zhao? The more Zhou Fugui heard, the more confused he became, not knowing where he had stumbled into.
"Oh, so where does that leave us?" Zhou Fugui then asked.
Zhou Fugui truly wished to lead his troops directly back to Youzhou and reunite with his family.
"Rest for a few days first. I have prepared a banquet for you, to welcome you, Pavilion Head Zhou," Murong Tengge said.
"How could I, your humble subordinate, dare to accept such a great honor?" Zhou Fugui politely declined, then asked, "I have another request, Bu Da. Do you agree?"
"Hmm? Fugui, what other request do you have? As long as it is reasonable, how can I not agree?" Murong Tengge intended to agree readily, but considering Zhou Fugui's cunning nature, he added a condition.
"It's really nothing much..." Zhou Fugui said with an awkward smile. "It's just that my brothers have been so suppressed under strict military orders all along this journey. So... Bu Da, you understand..."
Zhou Fugui knew that in the Yan army there were camp officials or battalion commanders, so he intended to help the officers and soldiers of the White Tiger Battalion vent their frustrations.
"Understand what?" Murong Tengge really wanted to give Zhou Fugui's lewd face a good slap. He shook his head and said with a smile, "I have already made arrangements. You can choose from the female slaves. Two flag commanders and one officer below the rank of flag commander. This is considered a reward for your officers and soldiers. Alas, commanding an army is truly not easy."
"Isn't it?" Zhou Fugui immediately felt a sense of kinship upon hearing this and repeatedly complained, "Ordinary people think that military commanders only lead troops in battle. In fact, they have to worry about everything from eating, drinking, urinating, and sleeping. They are like both fathers and mothers."
"Heh heh..." Murong Tengge nodded in agreement. "What you said, Fugui, deeply aligns with the principles of military command!"
"Wait!" Zhou Fugui suddenly interrupted Murong Tengge and said, "What about me? Why isn't there anything for me? Am I not human? Do I not need it? There should be ten or eight, right?"
"Hahahahaha..." Murong Tengge burst into laughter again, almost to the point of tears. He pointed at Zhou Fugui and said, "If you want them, I dare not give them. If I anger that person, I will suffer the consequences."
"......"
Damn it, I tried to catch a fox but ended up covered in its fur, Zhou Fugui lamented inwardly.
......
"Young Master, is the Prince... how is he?"
After Murong Tengge set up a welcome banquet and he and Zhou Fugui had a few casual drinks, he came to the residence of Murong Wang, the Right Virtuous King of Yan, with a worried expression.
Murong Kang, the son of Murong Wang, shook his head sorrowfully.
Murong Wang lay on the couch, his right shoulder wrapped in white bandages, his face pale as he slept.
In the Battle of Niuzhu, the Yan army suffered a great defeat. If the Yan court were to assign blame, the first person to be held accountable would be the Right Virtuous King Murong Wang. This was because Murong Wang's left flank collapsed first, which then disrupted Murong Bolie's right flank. Thus, Murong Wang was both anxious and angry, leading to a surge of internal heat. Furthermore, he was shot in the right shoulder by Min Wu Yan. The journey of escape was extremely arduous, and he also delayed his treatment. All these factors combined, and after Murong Wang fled to Xuzhou, he fell seriously ill and his injuries worsened with each passing day.
"Young Master, please step aside and speak," Murong Tengge said to Murong Kang with a sigh.
Murong Kang nodded, cast a deeply worried glance at Murong Wang, and then pushed the door open with Murong Tengge. The female slaves serving in the room quietly closed the door.
If his father were to have any accident, the consequences... Murong Kang dared not even think about it.
The Yan court currently had four main factions. Emperor Murong Xi was, of course, the most powerful. Then there was the faction of the Left Virtuous King Murong Bolie, and the faction of the Right Virtuous King Murong Wang, which was also the empress's faction. Empress Murong Qing was Murong Wang's biological daughter and Murong Kang's elder sister.
Yan Emperor Murong Xi married his kinswoman Murong Qing as his wife and established her as the empress. In the eyes of the Han people, this was a perverted and absurd act, animalistic behavior. But in the eyes of the Xianbei, it was a perfectly normal matter.
"Only beasts are without propriety, thus father and son hunt together, and therefore the sage arose, creating rites to teach people, so that people may have propriety and distinguish themselves from beasts." This is the Rites of Zhou. The Xianbei, however, knew nothing of the Rites of Zhou. The Xianbei practiced exogamy within the clan but allowed marriage within the same clan and same surname. Marriage between people of the same surname was quite prevalent among the Xianbei.
The current situation in the Yan court was that Yan Emperor Murong Xi relied on the Left Virtuous King Murong Bolie to oppose the forces of Murong Wang and Empress Murong Qing.
If Murong Wang were to meet with misfortune at this time, and Murong Kang had not yet grown his wings, this faction would inevitably suffer a severe blow, and perhaps even Murong Qing's position as empress would be precarious.
The last faction was that of the State Chancellor Murong Fu.
These four factions were intertwined, complex, and vying for power.