"Comfortable... so damn comfortable..."
Within Lin Yue's grand tent, a large wooden tub was placed. Two smoke-purple gauze curtains hung down, swaying gently before the tub, creating a dreamlike and illusory atmosphere. The water in the tub was filled with vibrant and alluring unknown flower petals. Steam rose from the bath, creating a pervasive mist that resembled light gauze, setting a hazy mood. Beside the tub, delicious wine and various unknown delicacies were laid out.
Lin Yue, the Xiongnu prince's consort, invited Zhou Fugui for a chat. Before their conversation, Lin Yue offered Zhou Fugui fine wine and food, and then, to top it all off, invited him for a fragrant bath.
Zhou Fugui did not object.
Zhou Fugui was a clean person. He hadn't bathed or tidied himself since leaving Xue Lin City. After all, when campaigning abroad, one was grateful to survive; who had the leisure for such things?
Now that he had the opportunity to bathe and clean himself, Zhou Fugui was naturally willing. So, after entering the tent, Zhou Fugui stripped himself clean and plunged almost headfirst into the wooden tub. The hot water enveloped his body, eliciting comfortable groans.
Simultaneously, a visible layer of grease floated on the water's surface...
Having not bathed for many days, Zhou Fugui's body was covered in a thin layer of grime, like wearing a light, gray-black armor...
Of course, there were no other people present at this moment, otherwise, Zhou Fugui wouldn't have been scrubbing himself so uninhibitedly in the tub.
Unexpectedly, just as Zhou Fugui was making a spectacle of himself in the tub, the tent curtain was lifted, and two young female slaves clad in light gauze entered. They walked directly to Zhou Fugui, who was vigorously scrubbing himself in the tub.
"You... what are you... doing here?" Zhou Fugui was stunned at the sight. His scrubbing hand froze, and time seemed to stand still as he stared at the two young female slaves and asked in bewilderment.
"The master sent us to serve the general's bath."
The two young female slaves, with graceful movements, slightly bent at the waist and squatted down before speaking.
One of the young female slaves was slender, with a complexion as clear as jade. Her delicate and elegant face bore a slight frown, as if she was troubled by something, evoking a sense of pity.
The other was quite plump, with a round oval face and dark, lustrous eyes. Her cheeks were flushed red, and she looked at Zhou Fugui with curiosity, exuding an aura of youth.
Beneath the white gauze of the two young female slaves, there was almost nothing else; they were practically revealing every detail, causing Zhou Fugui to blush profusely, his blood pumping.
"No, no need..." Zhou Fugui waved his hands repeatedly in fright.
As if summoned, just as ripples of thought began to stir in Zhou Fugui's heart, thinking of his Murong Huiying and Xiao Qing, two young maidservants arrived. Moreover, Zhou Fugui had already stripped himself completely naked and was vigorously scrubbing away dirt in the water while humming a tune, a rather embarrassing sight. How could Zhou Fugui not feel awkward?
So, Zhou Fugui hastily covered his most private parts with a piece of cloth and then fully submerged himself in the water, leaving only his disheveled head exposed, looking at the two women awkwardly.
Zhou Fugui's comical appearance made the two young maidservants cover their mouths and chuckle.
"You may leave. There's truly no need. Please thank the prince's consort for me," Zhou Fugui then said to the two women.
"General..." The two young maidservants were immediately filled with apprehension upon hearing this, tears almost falling from their eyes.
Failure to complete their master's assigned task might result in punishment.
"Alas, you don't need to worry. I'll speak to the prince's consort myself..." Seeing their distress, Zhou Fugui sighed and said, "You may go, you don't need to serve me."
Since Zhou Fugui insisted, the two young maidservants could only retreat outside the tent with tears in their eyes.
"Really... what kind of habit is this? Self-reliance leads to prosperity," Zhou Fugui muttered after watching their retreating figures, then propped himself up and happily continued his bath.
In fact, on the grassland, sleeping with a few female slaves was not a big deal; it was quite normal. Although Zhou Fugui was not a saint, nor was he a man like Liu Xiahui, he was unwilling to engage in such matters with two strangers without understanding them.
Since he could not promise them anything, nor could he be responsible for them, he would not treat them so carelessly. Even with Liu Xia and Fei Yun, whom he knew better, Zhou Fugui had not touched them, let alone these two young maidservants?
"Remember from top to bottom, I love to bathe. Rinse, scrub my head, the whole body needs to be wet. The back of the neck, armpits, and bottom also need to be clean." Zhou Fugui then happily bathed himself, singing to himself as he scrubbed.
"Chief Zhou seems to be in good spirits?" A moment later, the tent curtain was lifted, and Lin Yue herself walked in.
What was she here for again? Zhou Fugui was speechless. Couldn't a person just have a proper bath?
So, Zhou Fugui once again submerged himself in the water.
"Chief Zhou..." Lin Yue then reached out and tested the water temperature, smiling, "It seems you didn't fancy these two little slaves? Or... are you unfamiliar with the delights of the world?"
"Neither," Zhou Fugui replied, shaking his head.
"Oh? In that case... Chief Zhou has experienced such matters before? Pray tell, what kind of beauty was she?" Lin Yue asked, glancing at Zhou Fugui in the water.
"Beauty? Of course, a beauty, and not just one." Since Lin Yue and her companions were persistent, Zhou Fugui was too lazy to conceal anything anymore. He placed his hands on the edge of the wooden tub and smiled at Lin Yue.
As long as he was not embarrassed, then others would be embarrassed.
Indeed, Lin Yue's pretty face turned slightly red. She turned her gaze elsewhere, no longer looking at Zhou Fugui, and then asked, "So, Chief Zhou is quite the charmer? How many beauties do you have?"
Having sent the two young maidservants out of the tent, it seemed he was not a lustful person. So young, yet unmoved by feminine charm, was a rare quality, Lin Yue thought to herself. Yet, his current demeanor made him seem like a frivolous man. So, what kind of person was he?
"Uh... one, no, two," Zhou Fugui stammered.
"Pfft!" Lin Yue couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing this, "I thought you were capable of much more."
Lin Yue had imagined Zhou Fugui having a large group of women, but only two? In this world, anyone with even a little power had more than one or two women, and the wealthy nobility had thousands upon thousands.
"Splash!" Zhou Fugui suddenly stood up from the wooden tub and looked at Lin Yue, asking, "As if you know me so well. My capabilities, Chief Zhou..."
Before Zhou Fugui could finish his sentence, Lin Yue threw a fur robe at him, covering him from head to toe.
"Do you think you look good? You're hideous."
...
"Years ago, a young girl came to this boundless grassland with her elder brother. At that time, this girl was less than twenty years old. Upon arriving on the grassland, her brother forced her to marry the King of the Steppe, Duo Yongjian, who was more than thirty years her senior. After the Great Chieftain killed her brother, loneliness, fear, and helplessness became her eternal companions. She suffered all sorts of abuse but had nowhere to turn..."
In the grand tent, by the fire, Lin Yue recounted her story in a calm and gentle voice, as if she were telling someone else's tale.
Zhou Fugui also put away his playful expression and listened quietly to Lin Yue's narration. His expression was placid, but his heart was in turmoil.
Zhou Fugui had originally thought Lin Yue must be from some great tribe on the grassland, or at least the daughter of a tribal leader. But he never expected her life story to be so tragic. Forced to marry a tyrannical grassland ruler, her own damn brother was killed by Duo Yongjian, leaving her alone, helpless, and subjected to constant abuse. And in the end, Duo Yongjian actually gave her to his own son, Prince Bian? It was utterly perverse and absurd!
A young girl, with no relatives, surrounded by wolves, surviving in such a harsh environment was extremely difficult and arduous.
She must have endured hardships unimaginable to ordinary people, Zhou Fugui thought to himself, glancing at Lin Yue.
Zhou Fugui had always considered his own background and experiences to be tragic, but compared to Lin Yue, it was a mere trifle. At least Zhou Fugui had his family with him; Lin Yue was alone, with no kin, and her situation at the time must have been one where she could cry to the heavens but find no solace.
At this moment, Zhou Fugui couldn't help but feel a sense of shared suffering.
"Lin Yue..." After Lin Yue finished speaking, Zhou Fugui finally said, "I will no longer address you as Prince's Consort. I hope you will forgive me, but calling you Prince's Consort is like a knife, constantly stabbing at your heart."
"I told you long ago to just call me Lin Yue. You insisted on calling me Prince's Consort, and Xiongnu Great... You are right, Lin Yue hates that title," Lin Yue replied with a light laugh.
"Zhou originally thought he was the most unfortunate person in the world, but I never expected..." Zhou Fugui nodded and then asked, "However, I have three questions..."
"What are your questions?" Lin Yue asked.
Zhou Fugui held up one finger and asked, "Your damn elder brother, alas, the dead should be respected, so I won't dwell on him. Why did your brother marry you off to such a harsh and cold land?"
Who was Lin Yue really? Her damn brother would never marry such a beautiful and lovely sister to the fat and old Great Chieftain Duo Yongjian for no reason, Zhou Fugui mused.
Zhou Fugui had met Duo Yongjian once. They were completely mismatched, like a fresh flower stuck in cow dung.
"For troops, for wealth, for power," Lin Yue replied softly.
"Heh heh, power? I see. So that's it," Zhou Fugui nodded, "How many people in this world are so eager for power that they would sacrifice everything for it!"