"Quick, quick, untie me!"
"White pig" Zhou Fugui was naturally clean and refreshed after his bath. But just as he was enjoying the post-bath comfort, he spotted from the third floor of the palace hall the Xiongnu rebels charging in. The leader was Hailiekou, who had always wanted to kill him. How could he still enjoy himself? Terrified, he repeatedly told the several female slaves.
The female slaves looked at each other, not knowing what to do.
They had naturally heard the commotion and seen the rebels in the hall, with flames flickering like stars in the sky. Only a blind person wouldn't see it. But without Lin Yue's command, who would dare untie Zhou Fugui? Moreover, they had no knives on hand to cut the ropes made of ox sinew.
So, one female slave nervously said to Zhou Fugui, "Slave... "
"What slave?" Zhou Fugui, having understood their predicament in an instant, interrupted before the female slave could finish, "Quick, quick, carry me to see your Princess Consort."
Thus, the female slaves carried the bound "white pig" and rushed towards Lin Yue's residence.
...
Lin Yue was too tired and had fallen asleep. She neither went to Prince Bian's room nor her own, but slept in the main hall on a hu chair by the fireplace.
The sounds of fighting outside were deafening and chaotic, yet they did not wake her, nor did anyone wake her. The reason was that there was no one by Lin Yue's side.
Lin Yue slept soundly, but her sweet dream was short-lived. Four female slaves carrying "white pig" Zhou Fugui crashed through the door and burst into the room with a bang.
Zhou Fugui saw Lin Yue, who was leaning on the hu chair. Her hairpin, which had been coiled on her head, had somehow come loose. Her smooth, silky black hair lay quietly on her chest, like a piece of fine brocade that was stirring. Golden light spots from the fire scattered on the silk, forming a noble and beautiful pattern. Her swan-like, elegant, snow-white neck was slightly twisted. Two strings of elegant, milky-white pearl necklaces hung on her chest. Her usually clear and cold jade face was flushed with a rosy glow. She tightly closed her clear phoenix eyes, her thin red lips pressed tightly together. Her white teeth bit her thin lips until they were bright red. Her high, arched eyebrows seemed furrowed, and her fan-like eyelashes seemed to tremble. Only the white jade-like slender nostrils twitched constantly.
It was a painting of a beauty sleeping in spring, relaxed, comfortable, lyrical, and beautiful. But Zhou Fugui had no mind to appreciate it. He just shouted, "Murder!"
The scene was instantly ruined, and Lin Yue was startled awake from her dream. She looked at Zhou Fugui, who had truly become a "white pig," and mumbled, "Murder... who's being murdered?"
With a bang, before Zhou Fugui could answer, a guard, covered in blood and with three arrows on his back, stumbled into the room. Looking at Lin Yue, he said with his last breath, "Mas... ter... quick... quick go, the reb... el army... has killed... their way in..."
The guard collapsed to the ground before he could finish speaking, his eyes wide open even in death, staring fixedly at Lin Yue.
Seeing this, Lin Yue and Zhou Fugui looked at each other in shock, speechless for a moment.
"Why are you looking at me? Run!" After a moment, Zhou Fugui roared at Lin Yue, "Run!"
Lin Yue also began to panic, losing her usual composure. In her haste, she turned and ran towards the door.
Lin Yue truly regretted not listening to Zhunjin's advice and keeping more guards. Currently, she only had about a hundred guards. While this might be barely enough to deal with a few petty thieves or commoners, it was insufficient to resist the rebel army.
Outside, Lin Yue's hundred-plus guards were desperately fighting back, but men were falling, screaming, and being cut down by swords. The Xiongnu rebels would soon storm Lin Yue's residence.
"Wait..." Zhou Fugui saw the situation and called out to Lin Yue, raising his hands and asking, "Even now, are you still unwilling to untie me?"
In her panic, Lin Yue still managed to glare at Zhou Fugui. Then, without a word, she drew her short sword and cut the ox sinew ropes binding Zhou Fugui.
"Finally free, hehe..." As the ropes fell away, Zhou Fugui felt incredibly relieved. He chuckled, then suddenly grabbed Lin Yue's short sword with his right hand and seized her fair jade wrist with his left.
Although Lin Yue was skilled in swordsmanship, in grappling and close combat, ten Lin Yues would not be a match for Zhou Fugui. Zhou Fugui seized her as easily as he would a chicken...
"What do you want to do?" Lin Yue, unable to break free, asked with a pale face.
"What do I want to do? Run!" Zhou Fugui glared at Lin Yue and replied. With that, he dragged Lin Yue and ran upstairs.
Zhou Fugui not only wanted to escape but also to save Lin Yue, pulling her along with him. The reason was simple: Zhou Fugui had many questions for Lin Yue. Moreover, Lin Yue had captured Zhou Fugui twice but had not killed him. For this reason alone, Zhou Fugui could not bear to see her perish.
It was clear that the rebels outside were targeting Lin Yue and Zhou Fugui.
"You..." Zhou Fugui dragged Lin Yue away without explanation. Lin Yue stumbled along, but blushing, she pointed at Zhou Fugui's body.
Zhou Fugui was naked, running bare-bottomed. In common terms, it was a "streak"...
"You're blaming me?" Zhou Fugui shot Lin Yue a glare, then casually grabbed a fur robe and wrapped it around himself. After tying the belt, he continued to pull Lin Yue upstairs.
"Where is the slut?"
"Ah!"
"The slut ran upstairs, chase her! Chase her!"
As Zhou Fugui dragged Lin Yue and just ducked into the staircase, the sound of hurried footsteps and the screams of female slaves came from behind. The rebels shouted and pursued Zhou Fugui and Lin Yue.
Lin Yue was a strong woman, unwavering in her dignity and resolute in her will, far surpassing many men. However, she was still a woman, weak and with small feet. Therefore, Zhou Fugui half-dragged, half-carried her, striding with large steps, desperately fleeing upwards.
The staircase was a fully enclosed spiral staircase, spiraling upwards. The width of each step was just enough for two people. Zhou Fugui half-dragged and half-carried Lin Yue as they fled upwards. Bright lights filtered through the gaps in the staircase. Outside, the sounds of clashing swords, flesh being cut, and furniture collapsing were mixed together.
With a creak, Zhou Fugui, half-dragging, half-carrying, half-hugging Lin Yue, fled upwards. As they ran, a side door suddenly opened, and a burly Xiongnu soldier with a fierce face, brandishing his sword, rushed in, running right into Zhou Fugui and Lin Yue.
The Xiongnu soldier looked utterly bewildered, momentarily forgetting to slash or stab.
With a "噗!" Zhou Fugui reacted much faster than the Xiongnu soldier. He swung his sword into the soldier's shoulder socket, piercing the skin and entering the abdomen. Blood gushed out, splattering all over Zhou Fugui's face.
The Xiongnu soldier let out a roar of pain and tried to counterattack, but his body was already weak and soft. He slowly slumped down, his life hanging by a thread.
Zhou Fugui withdrew his short sword, then swiftly thrust it through the wooden plank. The sharp blade pierced the wood, and thick blood dripped from the cracks. A scream was heard from outside the door.
By listening to the wind and discerning the shape, Zhou Fugui knew there was another Xiongnu soldier outside and killed him through the wooden plank.
Zhou Fugui killed two men in an instant, leaving Lin Yue stunned. She stood there blankly, staring at Zhou Fugui.
Lin Yue knew that Zhou Fugui was a fierce general on the battlefield, otherwise, he wouldn't have ventured deep alone and fought his way here. But witnessing such close-range, lightning-fast, bloody combat still left her wide-eyed and speechless.
"What are you staring at? Help me," Zhou Fugui handed the bloody short sword to Lin Yue and then began to remove the Xiongnu soldier's boots.
Barefoot would not get them far.
Lin Yue responded and, feeling deeply moved, helped Zhou Fugui take off the Xiongnu soldier's boots.
In such a perilous situation, a sword was a lifesaver. Zhou Fugui handing her the short sword showed his trust in her. Not only had Zhou Fugui saved Lin Yue, but he also trusted her so completely. How could Lin Yue not be deeply moved?
As they struggled to pull off the boots, the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard from below the stairs. The pursuers were already climbing up.
The pursuers were close. Zhou Fugui didn't care if the boots fit. He haphazardly put them on, then grabbed the Xiongnu soldier's long saber. Looking at the dead soldier, he had an idea.
Zhou Fugui was skilled with a heavy sword, not a short one. The heavy long saber in his hand felt much more comfortable than a short sword.
With a "噗!" Zhou Fugui used the long saber of another Xiongnu soldier to stab forcefully into the corpse of the first Xiongnu soldier. The sharp tip protruded half a foot from the corpse's abdomen, adorned with still warm, wriggling flesh and organs. The scene was utterly terrifying.
"What are you doing? He's already dead, and you're still killing him?" Lin Yue asked, her face pale with fright.
"He's dead, how can he be killed? Show me how to kill a dead person?" Zhou Fugui said, then kicked the Xiongnu soldier's corpse down the stairs.
The corpse, with the saber still inserted, rolled down the enclosed staircase, becoming a human-shaped rolling log or boulder. Although it wouldn't stop the pursuers completely, it might delay them for a moment. And at this moment, a moment could decide the lives of the two.
With a thud!
"Ouch!"
"What is that?"
Amidst the chaos at the bottom of the stairs, Zhou Fugui, holding a saber in one hand and dragging Lin Yue with the other, ran towards the rooftop.
Zhou Fugui had no idea what was on the rooftop, but did he have any other choice at this moment?
"Where are they!"
"Ching! Ching! Ching!"
"Be careful not to hurt the Princess Consort!"
"What Princess Consort? Just a slut who consorted with bandits! Commander Hailiekou said to bring her back, dead or alive!"
As Zhou Fugui dragged Lin Yue onto the rooftop, three or two Xiongnu archers had already climbed onto the roof. Seeing the pair, they began to shoot arrows.
Misery! Blocked in front, pursued from behind, Zhou Fugui cried out in his heart.