"Yingying..."
"Little sister..."
The wooden door downstairs creaked open, and a large group of people rushed in with a "whoosh." Three figures led the way, two men and one woman.
The woman was a middle-aged beauty of moderate build, the mother of Murong Huiying, the mistress of the Left Virtuous King's mansion, Princess Helou. Helou was a prominent Xianbei clan name, which became He or Lou after Sinicization.
The two men were Murong Huiying's second brother, Murong Ya, and her third brother, Murong Rui. The Left Virtuous King Murong Bole and the heir apparent of the mansion, Murong Chi, were leading troops away and were not present.
Murong Ya was clad in a helmet and armor, with a saber at his waist and a bow and arrows on his back. Murong Rui, however, was not armored, dressed in a luxurious fur robe. Upon entering the room, his gaze darted around.
"Yingying, my daughter, are you alright?" Seeing Murong Huiying safe and sound, Helou's heart was greatly relieved. She rushed to embrace her daughter, her voice filled with lingering apprehension.
Thieves had entered the mansion, heading straight for Murong Huiying's residence. How could Helou not worry? In her panic, she had rushed over with her two sons.
"Eji, your daughter is unharmed." Murong Huiying buried her small face in her mother's embrace, secretly glancing at her brothers. She asked in a low voice, "What happened?"
"The old night watchman said thieves broke into the mansion. Hmm? Yingying, why is your face so red?" Helou noticed Murong Huiying's abnormality and asked with surprise.
"The weather is a bit hot..." Murong Huiying hastily covered up. Then, she suddenly saw her second brother, Murong Ya, walking upstairs and quickly asked him, "Second brother, what are you going upstairs for?"
"I'm going to check if there are any flying thieves upstairs. Ziyue, you... why are you panicking?" Murong Ya heard her and stopped on the stairs, turning to look at Murong Huiying with surprise.
"What flying thieves? I was resting, and you barged in. Where are any flying thieves? Besides, can you just barge into a young lady's boudoir?" Murong Huiying said indignantly.
"Ya'er, come down quickly. Can you just storm into your sister's room? If there were a thief inside, would she still be unharmed? Go out, all of you, get out! What are you all crowding here for?" Helou called out to Murong Ya, then ushered out the accompanying guards, escorts, and household servants.
"Oh, oh, yes, Eji." Murong Ya heard her and could only reluctantly sheath his saber and descend the stairs.
In the past, in the nomadic tents, there were never so many rules. Murong Ya muttered to himself as he walked. After settling in the Central Plains, the rules seemed to multiply.
"Heh heh, sister Ziyue, there's an old Han saying, 'a guilty conscience makes one nervous.'" Murong Rui, Murong Huiying's third brother, produced a folding fan from somewhere, opened it with a "swish," walked up to Murong Huiying, and chuckled softly.
"Get out~~~" Murong Huiying said, pushing Murong Rui and Murong Ya out together. With a "bang," she shut the wooden door. Only Murong Huiying and her mother, Eji, remained in the room. Of course, there was still a flower thief upstairs...
"Yingying, come upstairs with me." Helou said to Murong Huiying with a blank expression.
"Yes, Eji." Murong Huiying replied and followed Helou upstairs. She secretly wiped her blushing face, trying to erase the redness, but how could natural blushes be wiped away?
Murong Huiying, who had commanded the Fierce Flame Battalion and experienced countless battles, able to charge into battle with thousands of troops with composure and equanimity, felt inexplicably flustered by this situation. She couldn't fathom why.
"What is that smell?" Helou was the first to reach the second floor. Although Murong Huiying's boudoir was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood and smoke, Helou still detected a strange scent in the air.
If Helou's sense of smell were as keen as a god, allowing her to discern the scent of a maiden becoming a woman, she would have been furious or deeply saddened, then captured Zhou Fugui and ripped him to pieces...
In truth, the Xianbei people did not pay much heed to female chastity, at least not to the extent that Han people did, where losing one's virginity before marriage was almost equivalent to death. However, for Murong Huiying, who was doted on by Helou and her husband like a precious jewel, to be... violated, would surely elicit extreme anger and grief from any tribesperson.
"What smell?" Murong Huiying mumbled softly. "Ah, it's a fishy smell. Eji, I ate fish for dinner tonight, so I lit some sandalwood to drive away the fishy odor."
"Fishy smell? Did you eat raw fish today?" Helou asked doubtfully. "No, it's a man's scent."
"Eji, are you insulting me?" Murong Huiying's heart pounded like a startled deer. However, she feigned calmness and said, "Look, besides Eji and me, who else is in the room?"
"Hmm, sit down. Eji has something to tell you." Helou carefully surveyed the room, confirming no one else was present. Even the rectangular, low-legged wardrobes couldn't conceal anyone. She then sat on the bed and spoke to Murong Huiying.
"Eji, what is it?" Murong Huiying asked, sitting beside Helou with her head bowed.
"Daughter, I feel like you are... different today?" Helou asked, looking at Murong Huiying.
"What's different? Eji, why are you acting so strange today?" Murong Huiying tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her expression seemingly normal.
"You're the strange one..." Helou glared at Murong Huiying and said, "I don't care how wild you were before, but from today onwards, you must stay within the mansion and are not allowed to go anywhere."
"Eji..." Murong Huiying said anxiously, "What do you mean by that?"
"What do I mean?" Helou scoffed, "Do you think my eyes are blind and my ears are deaf? Don't you know what you've done? Do you like a Han man?"
"Eji..." Murong Huiying became visibly uneasy upon hearing this.
"Hmph, the incidents in Luyi and Xuzhou, and your forcing your way into Bijin City, have already caused quite a stir. Where will you make Eji's face go?" Helou snorted coldly.
Nobles have their circles, and within those circles, there is always comparison.
Murong Huiying lowered her head, remaining silent.
"Daughter, this person is called Zhou Fugui, isn't he? He's a general under your father's command?" Helou continued. "The 'Yang Youji' of Great Yan – this man has quite a reputation. But daughter, how can our Guan Ning King's mansion take a Han man as a son-in-law?"
Murong Huiying's elder brother, Murong Chi, and second brother, Murong Ya, had already informed Helou of her affairs. Knowing this, how could Helou not be angry?
"What's wrong with being Han? Are Han people inferior?" Murong Huiying said somewhat angrily, "Does Yan's law forbid our people from marrying Han men?"
It was too late now. Murong Huiying thought to herself. What was done was done. For this life and this world, she already belonged to someone.
At this moment, Murong Huiying's heart was filled with joy, sweetness, and a touch of anxious unease. Among these complex emotions, there was no regret.
In Guangling Commandery, in Xuzhou, in Luyi, by the clear spring in the mountains of Luyi, Murong Huiying's heart and body had long belonged to that person. She had no regrets in this life.
"You..." Helou was momentarily speechless.
There were no laws in Yan forbidding Xianbei women from marrying Han men. However, generally speaking, Xianbei women did not marry Han men. Han women could only be concubines, maids, or servants to Xianbei men, but not wives, as it would be a cause for mockery, especially for families of high-ranking Xianbei officials.
"No means no. You don't need to say any more," Helou then said to Murong Huiying. "Actually, Eji doesn't dislike Han people. Your father has many Han officials under him. If that person were the son of a court minister, perhaps Eji might agree. But what is he now? He's a prisoner to be exiled to Xue Lin City. How can he be worthy of you? How can he be worthy of my Guan Ning King's mansion? There is absolutely no possibility for you and him. No matter how you struggle, your father and I will never agree. You will stay in the mansion obediently and are not allowed to go anywhere. Eji will find you a good husband and arrange your marriage, so you don't have to keep overthinking things."
Ultimately, Helou still harbored the mindset of a powerful noble family. Marriage required a match in social standing and should bring benefits or expand the family's influence.
While the Xianbei were somewhat more unrestrained on the grasslands, after entering the Central Plains, they adopted the custom of "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
Sinicization was not just about written language, but also about ideological transformation.
"Eji, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to marry me to someone I don't like?" Murong Huiying asked mournfully.
"You haven't even met them, how can you not like them? The second son of the Weiwei family is young and handsome, skilled in archery and horsemanship, and would be a good match for you. There's also the son of the Wuwuan family, the son of the Tuoxi family..." Helou said.
"I don't want to listen, I don't want to listen! Whoever wants to marry them can go ahead. Yingying just won't marry!" Murong Huiying shook her head desperately.
"You..." Helou, angered, pointed at Murong Huiying and said, "Whether you marry or not is not up to you."
"Eji..." Murong Huiying's eyes welled up with tears, pleading.
...
"Fugui?" After Helou left, Murong Huiying, feeling extremely distressed, walked to the bathing room and softly called out Zhou Fugui's name.
After calling out several times, there was no response. She noticed water stains on the windowsill and roof. Zhou Fugui had left some time ago.
There was a note on the table. Murong Huiying quickly picked it up.
"Wishing to accompany news, floral shadow veiled. Who is my husband, soaring high? Broken arrows shed tears in sorrow, but a heart holds a hundred thousand soldiers. Cannot see the five-colored clouds above. Better to bury the snow beyond the frontier, emerging from the dust to pursue. Joyfully drifting away, old friends are not here, touching the flying ninth heaven, feeding on the coming rain's richness."
A poem was written on the paper. Murong Huiying was mesmerized upon reading it.
Zhou Fugui had left in anger.