"Where is my mother?"
Zhou Fugui glanced at the magnificent and beautiful Pingliang Marquis Mansion before walking in, asking as he went.
The Yan Dynasty court, which was the residence granted to Zhou Fugui by Empress Dowager Yan, was a complex of quadrangle courtyard-style buildings, including covered corridors and multi-story structures. The main house was flanked by an east hall, a west room, east and west side rooms, a west wing, an east wing, an outer courtyard, an inner courtyard, and rear ancillary rooms.
All four sides of the house opened into the courtyard, which could be planted with trees and flowers, stocked with birds and fish, and adorned with rockeries and landscapes. Carved windows, dougong brackets, qi-ti supports, upturned eaves, and roof ridges, pavilions, and green tiles, all appeared so splendid and dazzling, magnificent and opulent.
Six layers of mansion, warm furnace smoke; nine-curved corridors, cold water hues. Noble mansions remain as before, yet the fleeting years have changed the world.
Zhou Fugui's family was originally ordinary farmers from Yumao Township in Youzhou. Zhou Fugui's lifelong wish was for his mother and other relatives to live a life of comfort and wealth. However, at this moment, Zhou Fugui had been promoted to a higher rank and the court had granted him such a luxurious mansion, yet he couldn't feel happy at all.
The reason was self-evident: all these rewards from the Yan Dynasty court required Zhou Fugui to pay a price, even his life.
"The old madam is in the inner chambers," Bu San bowed respectfully, leading Zhou Fugui into the mansion, and replied as they walked.
Zhou Fugui nodded, his heart heavy, and walked into the mansion.
Passing through a courtyard wall adorned with exquisite carvings, and walking a distance, they arrived at the inner chambers.
"Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!"
"The old madam is truly remarkable!"
"Grandmother, Grandmother, it's my turn, it's my turn!"
Zhou Fugui crossed an arched gateway and heard bursts of cheers and boisterous laughter from within the courtyard.
Upon approaching, he saw Madam Liu, the old madam of the Pingliang Marquis Mansion, dressed in Hu attire, with a belt at her waist and short boots on her feet. She was leading a group of singers, dancers, and maids, all engaged in merriment.
Zhou Fugui's mother, Madam Liu, held a feather arrow, gesturing with it, not to shoot, but to throw.
The so-called arrow-throwing, also known as Touhu, was a refined form of archery. It was a banquet entertainment to amuse guests, and to practice manners and skills.
Touhu originated in the Spring and Autumn period, derived from the archery ceremony. Due to the insufficient width of the courtyard, making it unsuitable for setting up a bow and target, or due to the large number of guests, making it difficult to pair archers, or because some guests were genuinely unskilled at archery, Touhu was used as a substitute for drawing a bow to entertain guests and practice etiquette. This game was favored by royalty in the inner palace and the scions of noble families, not only to pass the time but also for intellectual stimulation. The game involved using a wine jar as the Touhu target, drawing a certain distance, and throwing arrows. The winner was determined by the number of arrows that landed in the jar. Typically, the loser would be punished with wine or other penalties, while the winner would be smug and triumphant.
They drank wine together, played, and enjoyed Touhu, which was truly joyful and worry-free.
Zhou Fugui, with his heart burdened, was in no mood for such revelry. However, to avoid dampening his mother's spirits, he silently walked to Madam Liu's side, smiling as he watched Madam Liu and Xiaoqing, his relatives, prepare to throw arrows.
Farmers, with their faces to the loess and their backs to the sky, toiled day and night for a meager livelihood. When could they ever enjoy such leisure and joy? Although his mother, Madam Liu, was from the former Wei royal family, that was a long, long time ago, and she had led a difficult life. Zhou Fugui's father had died early, leaving behind two sons and a daughter. Madam Liu had raised them through hardship. Later, many tragic and bitter events occurred, such as Zhou Fugui's elder brother, Zhou Dashan, being tortured to death, and Zhou Fugui being assigned to garrison the border. In Zhou Fugui's memory, Madam Liu had never experienced a single happy moment.
Perhaps such happy moments were also extremely brief.
Therefore, no matter how heavy his heart or how agitated he was, Zhou Fugui could not bear to spoil his mother's joy, nor would he. He intended to bear all the sorrows alone.
Xiaoqing, who had been absent-minded and gazing at the courtyard entrance, turned and spotted Zhou Fugui. Blushing and lowering her head, she walked over to Zhou Fugui and leaned against him, her face filled with happiness.
Zhou Fugui smiled and squeezed Xiaoqing's slightly warm hand, signaling her not to disturb Madam Liu.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Madam Liu, as expected of someone from the former Wei royal family, perhaps familiar with such Touhu games since childhood, threw three arrows in a row, each one landing in the jar – a hundred percent accuracy. This immediately drew the fawning cheers of the singers, dancers, and maids.
Zhou Fugui's nephew, Zhou Toutou, snatched over ten feather arrows and threw them wildly, "Whoosh, whoosh," but not a single one landed. Angrily, he picked up a bundle of arrowheads and ran forward, "Thump," and dumped them all into the arrow jar. Then, he clapped his hands with a smug look, eliciting laughter from everyone.
"Heh heh, little fellow, you're cheating!" Zhou Fugui couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
"My Lord!" Everyone turned their heads and saw Zhou Fugui. The singers, dancers, and maids hurriedly bowed. Some women secretly sized up Zhou Fugui, feeling secretly delighted, shy, and fearful.
These beautiful women rewarded to Zhou Fugui by Empress Dowager Murong Qing of Yan were naturally his to command, to scold, to beat, even to give away or sell as he pleased.
Zhou Fugui was handsome and tall. His years of military experience on the battlefield gave him an imposing demeanor. His eyes were sharp, and he exuded a faint aura of bloodlust. He possessed an intimidating presence that commanded respect even without anger, thus the singers, dancers, and maids felt secretly delighted and shy, yet also a little afraid.
"Oh my, our Marquis is back?" Madam Liu turned and saw her biological son, Zhou Fugui, and said smugly, "Great Marquis, you've scared this old woman to death!"
Madam Liu, Zhou Fugui's mother, had once wished for Zhou Fugui to become a formidable general. Now that Zhou Fugui was both a formidable general and a Marquis feared by thousands, how could she not be immensely proud?
"Mother, my dear mother, no matter how high my rank, I am still your son, am I not?" Zhou Fugui said, half-amused and half-exasperated, "If I have frightened you, is it not my fault?"
Everyone burst into laughter at his words, finding Zhou Fugui approachable and amiable. Their secret delight and shyness increased, while their fear diminished.
"Slap!" Madam Liu laughed and patted Zhou Fugui, saying, "Oh dear, you're home, why are you still wearing that iron shell? Quickly, someone help the Marquis remove his armor."
Zhou Fugui's armor had not been removed for a long time; it seemed almost glued to him...
A group of women surrounded him to help remove his armor. Zhou Toutou also ran over to help. He wasn't helping with the armor removal, but was excitedly touching and examining it.
"Screech!" With a sound, the last piece of armor came off, taking with it a dark, dirty, and foul-smelling inner garment, revealing skin reddened by the pressure of the armor.
"Fugui, you..." Madam Liu exclaimed in shock.
"It's nothing, it's nothing..." Zhou Fugui smiled and said, "I haven't changed my clothes for a long time. Did I offend your senses, Mother?"
"You are my son, how can I be afraid of your smell?" Madam Liu gently caressed Zhou Fugui's scarred shoulders and said, "Fugui, you... you must have suffered a lot these past few years, haven't you?"
Madam Liu's eyes welled up with tears. Xiaoqing was also on the verge of tears, wishing she could immediately rush into Zhou Fugui's arms and soothe her beloved man with her tenderness.
"Mother, you too... But Mother, Xiaoqing..." Zhou Fugui feigned lightness as he comforted Madam Liu and Xiaoqing, "Only by enduring hardship can one achieve greatness. Haven't I finally seen the end of my suffering?"
"You little brat!" Madam Liu playfully scolded him before taking Zhou Fugui's hand and saying, "Come, Fugui, accompany your mother inside. We need to have a good talk. The rest of you don't need to follow. Daughter-in-law, go prepare something good to eat for Fugui, and also prepare bathing supplies. Daughter-in-law, you understand what I mean, right?"
"What do you mean?" Zhou Fugui asked in surprise.
Isn't it just about eating, drinking, and bathing? What else could it mean? Zhou Fugui wondered curiously.
"It's a woman's matter, what would you understand?" Madam Liu glared at Zhou Fugui, then winked at Xiaoqing.
To keep a man's heart, to become his legitimate wife, one must first capture his stomach, and then... Madam Liu, having experienced life, knew exactly what to do.
"Mm..." Xiaoqing nodded shyly.
"Why are you following? Your mother and son need to have a private chat. You don't need to listen. Leave." Madam Liu led Zhou Fugui towards the room. Two maids, however, followed closely. Madam Liu turned and reprimanded them coldly.
The two maids could only retreat reluctantly.
"Thump! Ow!" Zhou Toutou struggled to crawl out from under the armor, crying as he crawled, "Grandmother, Mother, Aunt, Little Aunt, Second Uncle's turtle shell is so heavy!"
"..."
.......
"Mother, why did you treat them like that...?" Zhou Fugui asked after being led into the room by his mother.
"Hmph, they are all spies. Do you think I don't know?" Madam Liu snorted.
"Good, Mother is indeed wise!" Zhou Fugui praised his somewhat scatterbrained mother heartily.
The followers, household staff, servants, maids, dancers, and singers bestowed upon Zhou Fugui by Empress Dowager Murong Qing of Yan were not only meant to make him pay a price, but they also served as Murong Qing's eyes and ears, monitoring every move of Zhou Fugui and his family. Perhaps if Zhou Fugui shouted loudly within the mansion, Murong Qing would immediately know.
Zhou Fugui naturally felt disgusted and resentful towards Murong Qing's machinations, but he was helpless.
As the saying goes, one must bow their head under a tilted roof. Zhou Fugui was not so foolish as to pit one army against a nation, nor was he foolish enough to raise a rebellion at this point.
Madam Liu, Zhou Fugui's mother, having grown up in the deep palace, was all too familiar with such tactics.