"You have so many women, yet you claim not to be faithless? You wicked, heartless wretch, take my blade!"
Zhou Fugui, with sweet words, thought Murong Huiying had relented. But unexpectedly, as Zhou Fugui opened his arms, Murong Huiying suddenly drew her curved saber and struck down at him.
For some reason, Murong Huiying's martial arts had advanced greatly, as if she had opened the Ren and Du meridians? Light as a swallow, she leaped nearly ten feet high, her saber strike swift and relentless, a flash of steel already above Zhou Fugui's head.
"Ah!!! Yingying, it's a misunderstanding! For you, I have remained chaste!" Zhou Fugui cried out in terror, waking from his dream. He sat up on the soft couch, covered in a cold sweat.
"Heh heh!" Just then, a woman's soft laughter suddenly reached Zhou Fugui's ears.
Zhou Fugui turned his head at the sound and saw a woman in purple standing before the couch, gazing at him with deep affection.
A beauty as exquisite as jade, who else could it be but Murong Huiying?
"Yingying..." Zhou Fugui, shocked and delighted by the sight, leaped from the couch and swept Murong Huiying into a princess carry, then laid her on the bed...
Zhou Fugui rested his head on Murong Huiying's swan-like neck, inhaling her familiar scent, his face a mask of intoxication, or perhaps a lecherous grin... It all felt like a dream, yet Murong Huiying beneath him was real, yielding, and fragrant.
"Heh heh, you're tickling me! What are you doing? You're crushing me, let me go! You're so bold with me upon first meeting, humph, you faithless scoundrel." Murong Huiying struggled with all her might.
"Heh heh, Yingying, you... how did you... arrive here?" Zhou Fugui sat up at her words, but still held Murong Huiying tightly, placing her on his lap, afraid she might vanish. He fumbled and touched her all over, confirming he wasn't still dreaming.
"Heh heh, it tickles, you, you... what are you groping at?" Murong Huiying slapped away Zhou Fugui's wicked hands and then glared at him, humming, "Am I not allowed to come? Does my presence spoil your grand plans, General Wu Yong?"
"Haha!" Murong Huiying's charming pout only made Zhou Fugui love her more. He laughed heartily, "What grand plans could I possibly have? If there's any good fortune, it's you, Yingying. You are my greatest fortune."
"Humph, no more sweet talk. I ask you, who are Liuxia and Feiyun in this room?" Murong Huiying huffed coldly again, though a sweet yet sly smile played on her lips.
"So it was you?" Zhou Fugui suddenly understood. Tapping Murong Huiying's delicate nose, he said, "Didn't you already know? Why ask me..."
So close, so close... Zhou Fugui inwardly exclaimed his good fortune. No wonder Liuxia and Feiyun had set the scene as if it were a wedding night, trying to entice him. Had all this been arranged by Yingying? If he had succumbed to temptation and been with Liuxia and Feiyun... wouldn't it have been a disaster? Murong Huiying would surely have left heartbroken, and they would never see each other again.
Of course, Zhou Fugui had no idea why Murong Huiying had come to this desolate, frigid land of Xueling City, nor how she had found his residence.
"Humph, consider yourself barely passing." Murong Huiying said.
"Wait... what do you mean, 'barely passing'?" Zhou Fugui complained, "Your husband is righteous and has kept himself pure..."
"Pah! What husband?" Murong Huiying spat, then asked, "If you desired it, how do you explain that?"
"Haha, just a few playful words, why take them to heart? It's actions that matter," Zhou Fugui laughed to cover his embarrassment.
Careless talk, loose lips... this will cause problems, Zhou Fugui mused to himself.
"Such a glib tongue..." Murong Huiying looked at Zhou Fugui and said, "Fugui, actually... actually... Liuxia and Feiyun are good women. Since they followed you, shouldn't you give them a proper status? How about... how about taking them as concubines?"
"Here we go again?" Zhou Fugui put on a righteous, chaste demeanor and said indignantly, "Did I lust after them? Am I that kind of person? Besides, wasn't all this orchestrated by you, the main wife?"
"Pah! Who's the main wife?" Murong Huiying pouted, her face red, then nestled in Zhou Fugui's arms, gently rubbing his cheek with hers. Tears welled up, "Zhou Lang, Zhou Lang... you... Yingying misses you too. Day and night, without rest, I've missed you so much it pains my heart..."
"Yingying..." Zhou Fugui hugged Murong Huiying tightly, moved.
The two held each other tightly. Their love, far from diminishing after their long separation, had grown stronger each day. Now reunited, they chattered endlessly, as if wanting to meld into each other's bodies.
"Yingying, why did you suddenly appear here?" After a long while, Zhou Fugui wiped the joyous, excited tears from Murong Huiying's face and asked.
"I..." Murong Huiying had not wanted to tell Zhou Fugui. But at this moment, Zhou Fugui had become her anchor, her everything, so she told him the truth.
"Crown Princess, Crown Princess?" Zhou Fugui clenched his fist and sneered, "A power struggle, and women are disregarded? In their eyes, everything else can be discarded except for power."
"Mm..." Murong Huiying nodded, nestled in Zhou Fugui's arms.
"So you fled and came here? Yingying, your father, the Left Virtuous King, what was his attitude?" Zhou Fugui asked.
"Father, he..." Murong Huiying stammered, "Mother told me to come."
"Oh, so the Left Virtuous King also believes in discarding others?" Zhou Fugui sneered, "All crows are black in the world."
While Zhou Fugui felt indignant, he was also deeply touched. This was the difference between Linyue and Murong Huiying. For him, Murong Huiying had resolutely abandoned wealth and comfort, a peaceful life, to come to this frigid border region to find him, willing to give up everything for the one she loved.
How could Zhou Fugui not be moved by such a devoted woman? How could he not cherish her even more?
"Zhou Lang, don't say that..." Murong Huiying gently stroked Zhou Fugui's chiseled face and said softly, "Father has his difficulties. Don't resent him. Yingying forbids you to speak of him like that, to hate him."
"He is my father-in-law, how can I hate him?" Zhou Fugui laughed.
"Zhou Lang, you..." Murong Huiying sighed softly and said, "Swallows depart, wild geese fly south. Thinking of you traveling far away breaks my heart."
"Yingying, do not worry..." Zhou Fugui, of course, understood Murong Huiying's concern, and said, "I have always said, whoever dares to obstruct me will face only bloodshed!"
"Zhou Lang, what nonsense are you talking about?" Murong Huiying said, but her heart was as sweet as if she had eaten honey.
Zhou Fugui's words made Murong Huiying feel exceptionally happy and at ease.
Murong Huiying had run away from home, traveled thousands of miles to the vast snowfields to find her lover. The hardships she endured were self-evident. What Murong Huiying feared was whether Zhou Fugui was still there. Firstly, the border was a place of constant conflict, where lives were as cheap as grass; secondly, after so long, had Zhou Fugui married someone at the border or changed his heart? And so on, and so forth. Along the way, Murong Huiying's heart had been filled with a thousand worries, not a single day of peace.
At this moment, everything was developing in a positive direction. Murong Huiying could finally relax a little.
"Yingying, come with me." Zhou Fugui then swept Murong Huiying into his arms without further ado and walked out.
"What are you doing? Where are we going? Aren't you going to change?" Murong Huiying struggled and said, "They'll see us."
"Why change? I'm used to this iron shell," Zhou Fugui chuckled, "As for them... it's still early, they probably haven't woken up yet, right?"
Zhou Fugui had slept in his armor last night.
"Pfft!" Hearing Zhou Fugui mention his iron shell, Murong Huiying couldn't help but recall his disheveled state that day. She laughed heartily in his arms.
"Wife, will you help your husband remove his armor tonight?" Zhou Fugui, understanding her amusement, whispered naughtily in Murong Huiying's ear.
"Who's going to remove your armor... ah?"
Just as Zhou Fugui stepped out of the door with Murong Huiying in his arms, Bu San and Bu Si, who had appeared in the corridor at some unknown time, startled Murong Huiying. She jumped from Zhou Fugui's embrace and stood beside him, her face flushed.
"Greetings, Great General, greetings, Mistress!" Bu San and Bu Si greeted in unison.
One had to say, the First Mistress was the most beautiful, Bu San and Bu Si thought in unison. Murong Huiying wore a purple short jacket with a fur collar and floral patterns, highlighting her skin as fair as snow. Below, she wore purple silk trousers and white leather boots. Her face was flushed crimson, and she stood there, like a snow lotus on Mount Tian, breathtakingly beautiful.
In fact, Bu San and Bu Si were not deliberately waiting there. They were carrying out Zhou Fugui's orders to entertain the personal guards and retainers, and then took the opportunity to gamble and play until dawn. They happened to stumble upon the "passionate night" of General Wu Yong, Zhou Fugui, and the First Mistress, Murong Huiying, coming out together, and acting so affectionately, which greatly shocked the two brothers.
"Prepare horses!" Zhou Fugui glared at the unruly brothers, Bu San and Bu Si, and then ordered.
"Your subordinate obeys!" Bu San responded and dashed off to fetch the horses. Bu Si, however, asked in surprise, "Great General, Madam... where are you going in this freezing weather so early in the morning?"
Zhou Fugui and Murong Huiying were whispering sweet nothings. By now, the sun had risen. Several rays of golden dawn pierced through the dark clouds, illuminating Xueling City, making it resplendent like an imperial capital.
"You, the Grand Steward, are quite nosy? Do I need to tell you where the General and his wife are going?" Zhou Fugui replied irritably.
"Great General, I am the Deputy Steward. Third Brother is the Steward," Bu Si said, bowing and smiling.
Murong Huiying also chuckled at this. The positions of General's Steward and Deputy Steward for Bu San and Bu Si had been bestowed by Murong Huiying. A princess was indeed far more noble than a general.