"Big Brother... You..."
Zhou Fugui, exhausted from continuous marching and fighting, had captured the camp of Ao Deng, the Right Valley Leader of the Xiongnu. A thousand and one matters awaited him, leaving him utterly fatigued. He could barely stay awake on foot or horseback. Finally, with a lull in activities, he returned to his tent, intending to sleep soundly for several hours. To his surprise, upon entering, he found someone in his bedding: Abiyas, the sister of Agudamu.
The so-called bedding was actually a quilt made of cashmere. Abiyas was entirely wrapped in it, only her shoulders, neck, and the delicate head above her neck exposed.
Abiyas's voice was soft and shy, incredibly pleasant. Though young, she already possessed a nascent beauty, her demeanor still tinged with innocence and playful coquetry as she blushed and looked at Zhou Fugui.
Her smooth shoulders were as if carved, her neck long and fair, her skin like condensed fat. Beneath her shoulders, hidden by the quilt, one could imagine a naked, heart-stirring body.
"What are you doing?" Zhou Fugui asked, startled, his sleepiness vanishing for the most part.
"Brother said you are a great hero, so... so..." Abiyas emerged from the quilt, stammering shyly.
"Nonsense, utter nonsense! Hurry and leave..." Zhou Fugui's head swam from the shock, his eyes unable to tear away from her, yet he admonished Abiyas verbally.
Abiyas was only fifteen. No matter how desperate Zhou Fugui was, he would never engage in such depraved acts.
"Big Brother, you... *sob sob sob*... Do you despise me?" Abiyas, after grabbing her worn clothes to cover herself, burst into tears.
"Why would I... despise... you?" Seeing this, Zhou Fugui quickly wrapped Abiyas in the quilt and spoke softly, "You are still young, you cannot do this... Abiyas, right? I'll call you Abi. Little Abi, you are meant to get married someday. If you act like this today... how can you marry later? And if I... were to do this with you today, I might find pleasure, but it would ruin your life. Therefore, refusing you today is not because I despise you, but because I don't want to harm you."
Abiyas's beautiful eyes widened upon hearing this. She stared blankly at Zhou Fugui, not understanding his meaning.
That one instance would ruin her life? Abiyas found it utterly incomprehensible.
Zhou Fugui was of mixed Han and Hu heritage, but it was only his bloodline. He had been raised primarily in the Han tradition. While not a pedantic scholar spouting classics, he still found such matters unacceptable.
Zhou Fugui prided himself on understanding the Hu people, or rather, the northern nomadic tribes, but this was not entirely true.
The marriage customs and premarital attitudes of the Xiongnu differed from those of the Han. The Xiongnu practiced levirate marriage and the custom of inheriting widows of deceased brothers. This meant that after a father's death, his son would marry his stepmother, and after a brother's death, his wife would be married by his surviving brothers. While the Han viewed this as incestuous and against all moral principles, the Xiongnu considered it perfectly normal. It had nothing to do with morality. In this world, especially among the nomadic peoples of the steppes, life was harsh. They lacked the abundant resources of the Central Plains, and the continuation of their race was a significant issue. Therefore, to adapt to the harsh environment and to increase their population, they had to ensure that women capable of bearing children were not wasted.
Historically, there was a Xiongnu widow who was not inherited, and this incident even sparked a war.
As for premarital relationships, women were relatively open. Most women engaged in private affairs before marriage. On the eve of their wedding, they would bid farewell to their former lovers, sharing intimate conversations. The future husband's family not only did not mind or blame them but even considered it a mark of honor. The more partners a woman had, the more it proved her excellence.
An awkward situation could arise if a woman became pregnant before marriage. To the Han, this was a catastrophe, leading to shame and scorn, and could even drive a woman to suicide. However, on the steppes, it was not a major issue. It was quite normal. Pregnancy proved that the woman was a proper, fertile female.
Thus, a pregnant woman before marriage would either happily marry her paramour or be happily accepted by her husband's family.
The Xiongnu Right Valley Leader Ao Deng was old, ugly, and exceptionally cruel. Naturally, Agudamu and his sister did not wish for this. Abiyas was also extremely fearful, not of... but of her life being in danger. Ao Deng had killed no small number of women and female slaves.
Zhou Fugui, a divine general descending from the heavens, a peerless hero from You Xiong Valley... He was young, heroic, and had rescued Agudamu and his sister, freeing them from servitude. Agudamu and his sister were naturally filled with immense gratitude towards Zhou Fugui.
Abiyas was still young, her understanding of male-female relations vague. She had no concept of romantic love, but she was willing to offer her body to repay Zhou Fugui's great kindness, believing this would not affect her future marriage.
Moreover, Agudamu and his sister were originally servants, and it was considered natural for servants to accompany their masters, at least in their minds.
Therefore, Zhou Fugui's understanding and that of Agudamu and his sister were vastly different.
"Abi is not small anymore, she's fifteen. If you don't mind, sleep. Abi will sleep with Big Brother." Abiyas, wrapped in the cashmere quilt, lay down again and smiled at Zhou Fugui. "It's so cold. Big Brother, come in quickly. It won't be cold once you're inside."
"I... you..." Zhou Fugui was speechless. He could only say awkwardly, "Since it's cold, sleep with your clothes on."
"Hehe, Big Brother, do you think Abi knows nothing? It will be colder if we sleep with clothes on. Hurry and take them off, come into the quilt." Abiyas chuckled again.
"I won't take them off. I'd rather die than take them off..." Zhou Fugui declared, "unyielding."
"If you won't sleep without clothes, then tell Abi a story. Brother often tells Abi stories." Abiyas did not press him.
Zhou Fugui was utterly exasperated.
With war looming, how could he possibly have time to tell her stories? Zhou Fugui grumbled inwardly, besides, he was so tired his eyes could barely stay open.
So, Zhou Fugui had a sudden idea. He pointed outside the tent and said to Abiyas, "Abi, your clothes are too worn. Outside, there are many beautiful clothes made of silk and satin. Why don't you go change into something pretty, and then... change into something pretty for Big Brother to admire?"
"Ah? Okay!" Women loved beautiful clothes, regardless of age, whether they were Han or from the steppes, or of any ethnicity. Abiyas's eyes lit up with excitement, but then her expression drooped, and she said pitifully, "Those beautiful dresses belong to the Chieftain. Abi dare not wear them."
"Who said that?" Zhou Fugui said with a smile. "If I say you can, then you can. Go find some beautiful clothes and change. Hurry. Just say I told you to."
"Alright, Big Brother, wait for me. Abi will go right away." Despite her youth, Abiyas knew that Zhou Fugui was now the head of this camp, a chieftain in his own right. So, she excitedly emerged from the quilt and put on her worn clothes in front of Zhou Fugui.
By this time, Zhou Fugui was overwhelmingly tired. Everything before his eyes was a blur.
"When you return, call Agudamu to me," Zhou Fugui shouted after Abiyas, who was about to leave the tent.
By the time Agudamu and his sister returned, Zhou Fugui had already used his greatsword to secure the tent flap, fast asleep inside. As for what happened after he fell asleep, it was no longer his concern.
...
"Huff! Huff! Huff!"
"Hahaha, charge in, leave no one alive!"
"Giddy-up... giddy-up... giddy-up..."
"Kill! Charge in!"
The mighty army of the Great Chieftain of the Xiongnu, Duoyongjian, after two months of hard, bloody fighting, had finally broken through one of the three passes of Yan, Qilin Pass.
The defenders of Yan's Qilin Pass were routed. General Changsun Qi, the commander of the pass, led his troops to break through and retreated towards Xuelin City. After fighting their way out of the encirclement of Qilin Pass, Changsun Qi led the defenders back to Xuelin City, thankfully with most of his men and horses intact.
Qilin Pass was already in ruins. Through the archway of the city gate, teams of fierce Xiongnu cavalry, wielding sabers and shouting wildly, galloped through the dilapidated gate and into the city. Xiongnu soldiers who had scaled the city walls were clearing out the remnants of the Yan army while rushing down the walls into the city. In moments, Qilin Pass was engulfed in flames, with cries of pain, women's screams, roars of anger, and dying moans echoing incessantly.
Duoyongjian, the Great Chieftain of the Xiongnu, astride an incredibly robust horse, was extremely excited and triumphant. He raised his saber high and shouted orders.
"Leave no one alive" might not mean outright slaughter, but rather killing some and abducting others. All things, whether people, livestock, gold, silver, or treasures, would be plundered, leaving Qilin Pass with nothing.
Where the Xiongnu army passed, it was like locusts devouring the land, leaving nothing behind.
After more than two months of hard, bloody fighting, they had finally captured Qilin Pass, one of the three vital passes. Duoyongjian considered it a great victory and was naturally elated.
"Great Chieftain..." Lin Yue, who rode into the city with Duoyongjian, poured cold water on his excitement. "The crucial point of the three passes lies in Xuelin City. The main force of the Yan border army is also in Xuelin City. Capturing Qilin Pass is not a significant achievement. Moreover, I suspect this might be a tactic by the old Yan general Hu Yansheng to lure us in."
"A tactic to lure us in? What tactic?" Duoyongjian asked irritably.