"This old goblin certainly knows how to live well."
Xiao Ningshan's inner residence was built against the mountain, resembling a fortress, yet also a city, perched on a cliff and hidden amidst clouds and mist. A winding path, with hundreds of stone steps, snaked upwards, disappearing into the fog, leading to Xiao Ningshan's inner sanctum.
The estate comprised over ten courtyards, large and small, with more than a hundred rooms. The main courtyards, Lin Xian Tai and Shen Si Ju, were both three-courtyard mansions. Each courtyard, in addition to the revered ancestral hall and the embroidery towers on either side, had its own kitchen courtyard and school courtyard, as well as shared study courtyards, flower courtyards, servant courtyards, enclosed courtyards, and so on. A solid perimeter wall enclosed the estate, with four gates strategically placed. The numerous courtyards were interconnected, with dozens of passages linking them above, below, left, and right.
Xiao Ningshan's residence also bore another name, "Wang Xian Palace," which blended the rustic architectural characteristics of the north with the refined elegance of the south. Its interior decoration and furnishings were exceptionally luxurious, yet maintained a sense of grace.
After the young Taoist Ge Rufeng slew Xiao Ningshan and Zhou Fugui annihilated over a hundred of his cronies, Wang Xian Palace naturally fell into Zhou Fugui's hands.
Wang Xian Palace occupied an extremely strategic location. A frontal assault by the Snow Bear Army would undoubtedly result in significant casualties. However, fortunately, Xiao Ningshan, perhaps due to underestimation, was inadvertently killed by Ge Rufeng. Under the formidable might of the Snow Bear Army, his subordinates crumbled, allowing Zhou Fugui to capture Wang Xian Palace without shedding a drop of blood.
Zhou Fugui planned to make camp at Xiao Family Village, stay for one night, and then set off the following day for the capital of the Great Yan Kingdom. During their encampment, the sustenance for over ten thousand soldiers of the Snow Bear Army naturally fell upon Xiao Family Village. Despite its size, feeding and supplying over ten thousand men proved to be an exceptionally difficult task for Xiao Family Village. However, Zhou Fugui's troops plundered Xiao Ningshan's inner residence, seizing vast quantities of treasure, grain, and provisions. Most of this was allocated for military use, but a portion was also distributed to Xiao Family Village, under the guise of "striking the rich to aid the poor and relieve the populace." This maneuver earned Zhou Fugui a good reputation and significantly eased the burden on Xiao Family Village. Consequently, when Zhou Fugui led his army away from Xiao Family Village, the villagers bid them a reluctant farewell, old and young alike seeing them off. Of course, this is a matter for tomorrow, and not to be discussed now.
Xiao Ningshan, who had ruled a region like a local emperor for many years, amassing considerable wealth from the toil of his people, and possessing riches comparable to a nation's treasury, was ultimately annihilated by Zhou Fugui and his ten thousand strong Snow Bear Army.
"He wishes to achieve immortality," Murong Huiying, also awestruck by Wang Xian Palace, said with a slight smile.
Even though Murong Huiying was worldly, she was still astonished to find such a "mansion" in the harsh, cold north.
"Immortality?" Zhou Fugui chuckled. "I wish I could achieve immortality too... Immortality would be wonderful. To have food served, clothes ready, live in luxury, soar through the clouds, travel wherever one pleased. Who would dare provoke me? A single spell would turn them to dust. Earthly treasures, beautiful women, and all else imaginable, summoned and dismissed at will..."
"Bah, you're a local tyrant, not an immortal!" Murong Huiying lightly chided him.
"Haha!" Zhou Fugui leaned back on the soft couch and laughed heartily. "Being a local tyrant here is quite enjoyable. Come, my lady wife, come and attend to your master."
"You, a local tyrant, want this empress to attend to you?" Murong Huiying glared at Zhou Fugui and gave him a firm pat before nestling beside him and murmuring, "Fugui, Ziyue actually finds this place quite pleasant. The environment is serene and undisturbed."
As Murong Huiying accompanied Zhou Fugui back to the capital, the closer they got, the more she felt a sense of fear and apprehension.
"You want to retreat from the world again?" Zhou Fugui gently stroked Murong Huiying's hair. "Yingying, I know you're worried. Are you worried about your family?"
"Mm..." Murong Huiying nodded, burying her pretty face deep into Zhou Fugui's chest, wishing she could spend her life with him in Wang Xian Palace, never to bother with the troubles of the world again.
At this moment, Murong Huiying's greatest fear and concern was that Murong Bole might also come to the capital. If Murong Bole were to arrive, it would signal great upheaval for the Great Yan Kingdom.
..............................
Youzhou, Xuanwu Gate
"Giddy up... giddy up... giddy up..."
A group of over a hundred horsemen thundered into Youzhou's Xuanwu Gate. As a strategically important area, the capital was heavily guarded, and the gate commander, along with his soldiers, blocked their path. The commander stepped forward and shouted, "Who dares to force their way through? Do you not know the order to dismount before entering the city?"
"Slap!" A ruffian lashed out with a whip, striking the gate commander across the face, cursing as he did, "Are you blind? Don't you know who you're blocking?"
The intruders were aggressive, and the gate commander dared not resist. He merely dodged the whip while glancing behind the ruffians at the person they served. Upon recognizing them, he said, "So it's the stewards from the river... why are you... why are you forcing your way through?"
The stewards of the river were officials within the Right Virtuous King's estate, servants of Murong Qing and Murong Kang.
The Right Virtuous King of the Great Yan Kingdom, Murong Wang, had long since passed away. However, the imperial court had neither appointed Murong Kang as the new Right Virtuous King nor enfeoffed any other Right Virtuous King. Thus, inexplicably, the Right Virtuous King's estate persisted, and its members remained, albeit with new masters. Their true master, of course, was the Empress of Great Yan, Murong Qing.
Currently, the Emperor of Great Yan, Murong Xi, was utterly dissolute, indulging in pleasure day and night and neglecting state affairs. This degeneracy grew worse with each passing day, and all matters of court fell into the hands of Empress Murong Qing, whose influence consequently expanded. The servants of the Right Virtuous King's estate, relying on her power, acted arrogantly and imperiously.
"Do you see clearly?" The river steward urged his horse forward, stroking his beard. "Never mind your humble Xuanwu Gate, even the imperial palace. My lord can enter and exit as he pleases. How dare you question? How dare you block? Move aside quickly. If you delay something important, how many heads do you think you have?"
The gate commander, intimidated, waved his hand, signaling his soldiers to clear a path for these ruffians to enter the city.
Not to mention Empress Murong Qing, their powerful backer, these gate commanders and soldiers were themselves under Murong Kang's jurisdiction, hence they truly dared not provoke them.
At present, Murong Kang served as the General of Fan Wei of the Great Yan Kingdom, Deputy Commander of the Emperor's Personal Guard, and Commander of the Inner Guard, jointly leading the Emperor's Personal Guard and Imperial Bodyguards with the Commander of the Emperor's Personal Guard, Xie Li Hu.
"Hmph, let's go!" The river steward cast a contemptuous glance at the gate commander and then, with a group of ruffians, galloped into Youzhou city.
*Pah! You dog servant. What great matter? They are clearly returning from wanton plundering, yet they claim it's a great affair!* the gate commander grumbled in his heart, watching the backs of the river steward and his retinue.
Behind the river steward and his group were two carriages, laden with treasures, and even some wretched and pitiable women.
"Chief River Steward..." After the river steward and his group entered the city, a servant named Tu Luo suddenly felt an urgent need to urinate. The bouncing of the horse had almost made him burst, so he clutched his lower abdomen, his face contorted in pain, and said, "Little one is in urgent need... I must relieve myself..."
"Relieve yourself? You little donkey, you have a lot of excrement and urine! Go quickly, don't soil yourself." The river steward paused for a moment before laughing and cursing.
Throughout the land of Shenzhou, latrines had existed since ancient times, referred to as "hun" and "qing," with "hun" meaning pigsty. Youzhou, built by Han people, naturally had various "hun" and "qing." However, they were usually built on or below the city walls. Fifty paces from the wall was the latrine, and the privy was on the city wall. "Hun" referred to the accumulated unclean areas below the city. There were also latrines in the central areas of the city.
At this moment, Tu Luo's lower abdomen felt like it was about to burst. He had no time to search for a "hun" or "qing." Furthermore, the Xianbei nomads were not so particular. He dismounted, ran into a small alley, found the base of a house's wall, unbuckled his belt, pulled out his belongings, hummed a tune, and relieved himself with gusto.
"Which damned beast is defecating and urinating at my house? The stench is unbearable!"
Tu Luo, mid-release, was startled by the cursing and recoiled halfway. As the river steward had said, he ended up wetting his pants. Enraged, he picked up a piece of tile, scooped up his remaining urine, and hurled it directly into the house, shouting, "You bird-eating monkey, not only will I make you smell it, I'll make you eat it..."
"Ah?!!!" Several screams, both male and female, echoed from inside. There were also female attendants within.
"Which fence is so poorly made that such a dog-like creature has burrowed through!"
"Bang!"
A moment later, a large man rushed out of the house. Seeing Tu Luo proudly fastening his belt, he cursed angrily and, with a fist aimed directly at Tu Luo's face, struck him.
The man's punch was swift and fierce, making Tu Luo's eyes spin. He staggered and fell onto his own urine, a stream of blood flowing from his nose, mixing with the urine on his body.
"Good, good, well hit! You damnable beggar, today I'll make you kneel and drink my urine, and eat my feces." Tu Luo then jumped up, cursing and grappling with the man.
Tu Luo, accustomed to arrogance and tyranny, could not tolerate such humiliation!
However, Tu Luo was thin and small, no match for the burly man. He was repeatedly knocked down, finally falling headfirst into his own urine and swallowing a mouthful.
"Help! Someone! The Han are rebelling, quickly, someone!" Tu Luo, bruised and battered from fighting the man, had to call for reinforcements. Holding up his pants, he ran out of the alley, shouting as he went. Inadvertently, he tripped again and fell to the ground, revealing his pale, tender backside.
This was a Han family, surnamed Zhang. An old man rushed out of the house and cried out in alarm to the burly man, "Tu'er, you've brought great trouble upon us! They are Xianbei, run! You must run!"
"Father, I won't run. If I run, what will happen to you?" The burly man, named Zhang Tu, shook his head.
"At worst, we'll sell everything we have to compensate them. It's no matter, don't worry about us, just run!" the old man said anxiously to Zhang Tu.