In the fifth year of Yan Yongping, the third year of Xia Yuanjia, in September, Pengcheng, which is also Xuzhou.
On this day, a Yan army arrived from the west of Xuzhou, numbering around two thousand men, all cavalry, their faces covered in dust, looking travel-worn, except for one person: Princess Ziyue, Murong Huiying, daughter of the Great Yan's Zuo Xian King Murong Bole.
This Yan army was none other than Zhou Fugui's White Tiger Battalion. After more than two months of campaigning, they had finally returned to Xuzhou. Their numbers had increased by over five hundred from the initial fifteen hundred plus cavalry, the reason being that during these two months of campaigning, Zhou Fugui had incorporated some scattered soldiers and stragglers from the Yan army.
"Where is the precious armor?" Princess Ziyue Murong Huiying, astride her horse, turned and asked Zhou Fugui.
"This..." Zhou Fugui feigned a look of difficulty.
During the White Tiger Battalion's two-month campaign, the two had spent their days and nights together, intimately close, only the final step remaining. How could Murong Huiying not know that Zhou Fugui was not wearing the Ao Long Tian Can Zi Jin Bao Jia underneath? Hence her question today.
"What 'this' and 'that'? Where is it?" Murong Huiying asked again upon hearing this.
"I gave it away..." Zhou Fugui replied, spreading his hands helplessly.
"What? Gave it away? To whom did you give it?" Murong Huiying's delicate eyebrows shot up, and she asked, hands on her hips.
"A woman." Zhou Fugui glanced around. Seeing that his subordinates and Murong Huiying's men were all far behind, he replied with a sly smile.
"You..." Murong Huiying was so angry she almost cried.
She herself was unwilling to wear it, nor would she give it to her father or brother. Her heartfelt sentiment, he had so casually given away to someone else? And a woman at that?
"Hey, hey, I say Yingying, why are you in such a hurry? I did give the armor away, and I gave it to a woman, but she's just a five-year-old girl..." Zhou Fugui, seeing Murong Huiying on the verge of tears, quickly said.
Zhou Fugui had been ordered to Luyi to block the enemy and could not bring Xiao Yunü with him. Therefore, before departing, he had entrusted Xiao Yunü to Murong Tengge. Prior to this, to protect Xiao Yunü, Zhou Fugui had always kept the Ao Long Tian Can Zi Jin Bao Jia on her, not only to keep her warm but also to protect her from harm.
"Slap!" Upon hearing this, Murong Huiying's anger immediately turned to joy. She felt a little embarrassed herself and playfully tapped Zhou Fugui with the hilt of her saber, then chided, "Are you doing this on purpose? A five-year-old girl? Where did you find a five-year-old girl?"
As Murong Huiying spoke, suspicion arose in her heart. Could this five-year-old girl be Zhou Fugui's... child?
Although Zhou Fugui had only recently come of age, in this world, it was not uncommon for people to marry at fourteen or fifteen, and some even married at a very young age, like child brides. It was unlikely for a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy to have a child, but what if Zhou Fugui had some special talent in this regard, some extraordinary gift? Then...
As Murong Huiying pondered, her face began to redden, two blushes rising to her cheeks.
"Oh, it's like this..." Zhou Fugui glanced at Murong Huiying's peculiar expression and then told her about Xiao Yunü, saying, "This child is truly pitiable, so I adopted her. But I have been leading troops in battle, so perhaps this child could be entrusted to the princess from now on?"
Murong Huiying was immediately relieved and also utterly speechless.
Was this fellow leading troops in battle, or was he specifically here to collect women? All sorts, big and small, Xiao Qing, Xiao Yunü, and... Murong Huiying thought with shyness and annoyance.
"Hmph, you caused this trouble, so you solve it yourself. I don't care," Murong Huiying pouted.
When Murong Huiying commanded the Fire Fierce Battalion, she was decisive and icy, her subordinates trembling in awe. Once an order was issued, it was met with solemn acceptance.
However, in front of Zhou Fugui, she would occasionally reveal a girlish demeanor, and this situation was becoming more frequent, leaving the brave warriors of the Fire Fierce Battalion like Su Heba utterly bewildered, yet too afraid to ask.
"Ay, Princess, aren't you known for your benevolent heart? Xiao Yunü is so pitiful, can you really turn a blind eye?" Zhou Fugui pressed on relentlessly, undeterred.
"When was I known for my benevolent heart? I am cold-blooded and merciless. Her name is Xiao Yunü? What is her surname?" Murong Huiying, utterly helpless against such thick skin, asked with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
"Yes, it's Xiao Yunü. As for her surname... I don't know," Zhou Fugui muttered to himself, wondering Xiao Yunü's surname. Then he said, "Yingying, it's settled then. I'll have someone send the child to your place later."
Murong Huiying pinched Zhou Fugui's arm hard.
"Ouch... Stop fooling around, someone's coming. We've reached the west gate of Xuzhou," Zhou Fugui said to Murong Huiying as they were playfully bickering and came to the west gate of Xuzhou. Seeing hundreds of riders approaching from the west gate, he said to Murong Huiying.
Murong Huiying wished she could whip Zhou Fugui off his horse.
"Big brother, why are you here?"
Hundreds of riders galloped over like the wind. The two young Yan generals at the forefront dismounted. One was Murong Huiying's elder brother, General Yan Huolie Murong Chi, and the other was General Yan Xuanwei Murong Kang.
Murong Kang was also healthy and robust, but compared to Murong Chi, he was merely a small fry. Murong Chi was tall and burly, with a full beard, looking like a middle-aged man at twenty-nine.
Murong Huiying also dismounted, shouted with surprise, and rushed into Murong Chi's arms. The siblings embraced tightly.
Murong Chi was Murong Huiying's own elder brother, and they had had a good relationship since childhood.
"Ziyue, where have you been?" After setting Murong Huiying down, Murong Chi examined her carefully to see if she was injured, then chided, "Are you trying to worry father and your elder brother to death? If anything happened to you, how could I explain it to Mother?"
Murong Huiying had been ordered to Xuzhou to mobilize troops, but instead of mobilizing troops, she had gotten herself lost... This had greatly worried Murong Bole and Murong Chi.
Murong Bole had sent Murong Chi to Xuzhou to find Murong Huiying. Upon hearing from Murong Tengge that she had gone to Luyi, Murong Chi dispatched countless scouts and outriders to search for Murong Huiying, but after two full months, there was still no news of her.
However, Murong Huiying had finally returned safely today, and Murong Chi was finally relieved.
"Big brother... I..." Murong Huiying's face reddened slightly, and she cast a glance at Zhou Fugui, who had also dismounted and was standing quietly beside his horse.
"Who is he?" Seeing this, Murong Chi's suspicion flared, and he glared at Zhou Fugui, asking,
Could it be that during these two months, my little sister had been with this man all along? And when it was just a man and a woman alone, who could guarantee that nothing would happen? Not even heaven could guarantee it, Murong Chi thought to himself. Hmm, looking at their expressions, something must have happened. Has my little sister's purity... been ruined by this man?
Therefore, Murong Chi's gaze was filled with hostility.
Murong Tengge dared not tell Murong Chi that Murong Huiying had gone to look for Zhou Fugui.
If Murong Huiying's purity had indeed been ruined by Zhou Fugui, the hot-tempered Murong Chi might have killed him on the spot...
"Brother Chi, his surname is Zhou, and his given name is Fugui," Murong Huiying replied. Before she could answer, Murong Kang spoke up, "General Zhou, the commander of the White Tiger Battalion, why don't you come and pay your respects to General Huolie, the heir apparent of the Zuo Xian King, Chi?"
After saying this, Murong Kang cast a disdainful glance at Murong Huiying.
Zhou Fugui had no particular fondness or dislike for Murong Kang; he felt indifferent. However, Murong Kang's haughty tone at this moment made Zhou Fugui a little displeased, but he did not show it. Instead, he stepped forward and respectfully clasped his hands in a salute, saying, "Your subordinate, Zhou Fugui, commander of the White Tiger Battalion, pays his respects to the two heirs apparent!"
Damn it, just because he has a good father? Zhou Fugui thought indignantly. It seems that not only in modern times, but also in ancient times, "father-based" power struggles exist, from ancient to present, it has always been so.
"What? Zhou Fugui?" Murong Chi exclaimed in surprise. While carefully examining Zhou Fugui, he asked, "The brave general Zhou Fugui who first entered Guangling Commandery? Heh heh, good, good. This general has long heard of your name and finally has the pleasure of meeting you today."
The scouts had only reported that Murong Huiying had returned, not that she had returned with Zhou Fugui.
The Xianbei people admired heroes and respected warriors. Thus, Murong Chi's impression of Zhou Fugui improved greatly, and he no longer intended to kill him... He stroked his beard with a smile and thought to himself, even if my little sister's purity was ruined by this man, marrying such a brave warrior would not be too much of a hardship for her...
However, this pretty boy, who looked physically strong, was he truly the brave warrior who took Guangling Commandery? Murong Chi still had some doubts.
"Big brother..." Murong Huiying saw Murong Chi praising her beloved and couldn't help but feel secretly pleased. Her cheeks flushed, and she cast a glance at Zhou Fugui with her big, watery eyes, saying, "During these past two months, it was he who, with fewer than two thousand men, held off tens of thousands of Xia troops. Otherwise, the Xia army would have already reached Pengcheng."
"Oh? Is that so?" Murong Chi then walked up to Zhou Fugui, patting and slapping him all over, saying, "Father was wondering why the tens of thousands of Xia troops have been lingering around Luyi, Lingbi, and Pei Commandery without advancing. So it was him? This pretty boy has this capability?"
Screw you, you're the pretty boy, your whole family are pretty boys! Zhou Fugui cursed inwardly. He glanced at Murong Huiying's "pretty boy," then slung his shoulder, evading Murong Chi's "pork chop hands," and said with a smile, "The events at Luyi were not my merit, but the princess's masterful strategy."
"Hmm..." Murong Chi patted Zhou Fugui's other shoulder and nodded, "I figured you pretty boys wouldn't have the ability. But it's a great merit that Ziyue has returned safely. Come on, bring your men, let's enter the city. I'll host a welcoming feast for you."
"Thank you, Heir Apparent!" Zhou Fugui took the opportunity of cupping his hands to again evade Murong Chi's "pork chop hands"... and took two steps back, thanking him.
This rough brute insisted on patting and touching him, making Zhou Fugui feel goosebumps all over.
If it were Murong Huiying... Zhou Fugui thought to himself.