"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, is indeed profound and benevolent, possessing gentle and virtuous qualities!"
"The Holy Mother Empress, you reign over all lands. From east to west, north to south, all submit to your will!"
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, possesses outstanding talent and far-reaching strategy, her achievements monumental. Your might is like thunder, your grace like the sun and moon. You sprinkle sweet dew, and cover us with auspicious clouds!"
"The Empress Dowager knows the hearts of people and promotes worthy talents; she truly possesses the wisdom to discern them!"
"..."
At the victory banquet, Empress Dowager Murong Qing's impassioned speech naturally drew a torrent of flattery from the officials. Ministers of civil and military service racked their brains, searching for every word of praise, singing it aloud in the great hall.
"Today's feast is truly to reward the soldiers who quelled the rebellion and all you esteemed ministers," Murong Qing said with a smile from her imperial throne after the sycophantic voices of the officials subsided. "However, even a mother in a common household, when she has food, knows to save it for her children. I, too, am a mother. Esteemed ministers, have you noticed someone is missing?"
Who was missing? Everyone who should have been there was present, filling the grand hall in a vast throng. So who was absent? The officials, hearing this, began to whisper amongst themselves, discussing in hushed tones.
Murong Qing nodded.
"His Royal Highness the Prince of Lelang and Her Royal Highness the Princess Consort of Lelang arrive!" the herald announced loudly.
Zhou Fugui, who had been drinking with his head bowed, nearly spat out his wine at the announcement. The jade goblet in his hand almost slipped to the ground. He clutched the goblet tightly, staring intently at the entrance of the hall.
Murong Qing, Murong Qing, why did you "invite" them here? Isn't this like rubbing salt in my own wounds? Zhou Fugui thought with a pang of pain.
"Mother Empress, why have you summoned them?" Even Murong Yi couldn't stand it any longer, so he turned to Murong Qing and asked.
"He is your elder brother," Murong Qing replied coldly, then fell silent, her gaze fixed on Murong Cheng and Murong Huiying as they entered the hall.
Murong Cheng and Murong Huiying were both dressed in opulent Yan King's and Princess Consort's robes respectively. Murong Cheng's hair was somewhat disheveled, hidden beneath his royal attire. His plump body trembled slightly, appearing somewhat frightened. Murong Huiying, on the other hand, appeared refined and elegant, serene and graceful, walking slowly behind Murong Cheng, appearing remarkably calm and composed.
Murong Huiying's face was heavily made up, and beneath the thick makeup was a face as pale as white paper.
"We pay our respects to Mother Empress, and to His Majesty!"
"May our Emperor live for ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"
They bowed together.
"Please rise, Imperial Elder Brother and Imperial Sister-in-law. There is no need for such ceremony." Murong Yi, feeling a twinge of sympathy, said to them with considerable grace.
Murong Yi's dignified words and magnanimous spirit earned him the silent approval of many officials.
"Thank you, Mother Empress, thank you, Your Majesty." The two rose upon hearing this. Murong Huiying stood in the hall, neither subservient nor overbearing, while Murong Cheng hunched his shoulders. Murong Huiying faced Murong Qing and her son with a blank expression, while Murong Cheng kept his gaze fixed on the golden bricks on the floor.
Zhou Fugui stared intently at Murong Huiying, his face a canvas of sorrow, anger, regret, shame, remorse, pity, and a myriad of other complex emotions. Murong Huiying, however, did not even glance in Zhou Fugui's direction.
Seeing this, Murong Qing smiled slightly. "When my son took a wife, as a mother, I should have been present, but state affairs were too numerous, delaying the matter. I have summoned you both today to make amends."
Murong Cheng stammered, pondering Murong Qing's words. The more he thought, the more fearful he became, his body trembling slightly.
Murong Huiying smiled faintly. "State affairs are paramount. As daughter-in-law and husband, how could we not understand the importance of these matters? Mother Empress, your daughter-in-law and husband congratulate the court on quelling the rebellion and bringing peace to the realm!"
Hearing the word "husband," Zhou Fugui's heart was filled with a storm of emotions, leaving him feeling utterly miserable.
The tender moments of the past, the sweet affections, had now been transferred to another.
"I also congratulate all the generals on suppressing the rebellion and quelling the unrest, spreading your might across the land, your fame immortalized in history," Murong Huiying said with a graceful bow, her words as calm as if these events had nothing to do with her.
The officials and Yan generals present were at a loss as to whether to return the bow or not, finding themselves in an awkward position.
Finally, Murong Huiying bowed before Zhou Fugui. "Congratulations to Marquis Pingliang for your ingenious strategy, for quelling the rebellion, capturing the ringleaders, and for your excellent use of troops, comparable to Li Mu and Han Xin of old."
"Yingying, you..." Zhou Fugui could bear it no longer. His eyes, usually so steady, welled up with tears as he looked at Murong Huiying and reached out as if to grasp something, his heart feeling as though it were being sliced by a knife.
It wasn't me, Yingying, it really wasn't me, Zhou Fugui wanted to shout, but at this moment, how could he make such a sound? How could he explain?
Zhou Fugui could feel Murong Huiying's pain, which only made him feel more miserable, as if a blade were slicing his heart, piece by piece, until it was shattered.
"You may withdraw," Murong Qing said, nodding.
The events of the day had far exceeded Murong Qing's expectations. She had intended to thoroughly humiliate Murong Cheng and Murong Huiying, but she had never anticipated Murong Huiying's words and actions, which left Murong Qing greatly surprised and infuriated. Yet, she could not find any leverage against them.
The singing continued, the dancing went on, the wine was drunk, and the victory banquet proceeded. The officials' flattery flowed like a tide, showering Murong Qing with praise, which she accepted with a smile and responded with gentle encouragement.
Murong Cheng and Murong Huiying sat at the lower part of the hall. Zhou Fugui no longer looked in their direction, instead, he drank cup after cup of wine until he was completely intoxicated and passed out.
...
"Yingying..." Upon waking from his drunken stupor, Zhou Fugui sat up from his couch, shouting her name, reaching out to grasp the figure in his dream.
At that moment, Zhou Fugui suddenly felt something stir beside him. He looked around and saw two naked palace maids nestled beside him.
"Get out!" Zhou Fugui instantly roared in anger, pointing at the two young maids.
Since Zhou Fugui had been deeply intoxicated and unconscious in the hall, Empress Dowager Yan had ordered two young palace maids to attend to him and sleep in the side hall. But at this moment, Zhou Fugui was hardly in the mood for such things.
His heart was as shattered as fallen leaves in the wind.
"Marquis Pingliang, spare us!" The two young palace maids, terrified, tumbled off the couch and prostrated themselves on the floor, begging for mercy.
The Empress Dowager Murong Qing had ordered them to serve Zhou Fugui, and they were not permitted to leave without his permission, lest they face a terrible fate.
"You don't need to serve me. Go. If the Empress Dowager asks, tell her I sent you away," Zhou Fugui said with a sigh to the two young maids.
Without a doubt, Murong Qing had arranged this. Zhou Fugui thought to himself that there was no point in arguing with them or venting his anger on these two unfortunate palace maids.
However, the two young palace maids remained prostrate on the floor, merely kowtowing repeatedly.
Zhou Fugui no longer paid them any mind. He tightened his robes, cinched his belt, and prepared to leave this place as quickly as possible, to escape this sorrowful, heart-breaking palace.
Zhou Fugui had come to this cold palace most unwillingly, only to be forced here repeatedly. He felt utterly helpless.
"Marquis Pingliang, truly not an ordinary man!" At that moment, Murong Qing pushed open the door and said, looking at Zhou Fugui.
In Murong Qing's eyes, all men were lustful. These two young maids had been carefully selected by her. It wasn't just a young man like Zhou Fugui, full of vigor, but even an old man like Xieli Hu would be tempted, would be unable to resist.
Yet Zhou Fugui remained completely unmoved.
"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, what is the meaning of this?" Zhou Fugui asked with a bitter smile, pointing at the two young maids.
"I said I would find a good match for Marquis Pingliang," Murong Qing replied. "Marquis Pingliang has rendered me great service, so it is time for me to fulfill my promise. What? Does Marquis Pingliang look down upon these two? If you do not, I can find others. Just say the word, and I will grant anything."
"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, you have already given me more than enough," Zhou Fugui replied, shaking his head slightly. "Moreover, as a subject, is it not my duty to serve my sovereign? Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, need not do this."
For some reason, in Murong Qing's presence, Zhou Fugui always felt an indescribable sense of dejection, an inexplicable feeling of being enslaved and driven, a constant sense of being at a disadvantage. Zhou Fugui had always wanted to turn the tables, but he had never found a good way to do so.
"I am well aware of your loyalty to me," Murong Qing said, smiling as she patted Zhou Fugui's shoulder. "Today, I wish to ask you about the art of governing a nation."
"The art of governing a nation?" Zhou Fugui asked in surprise.
"Yes, the art of governing a nation..." Murong Qing nodded. "Our Great Yan faces incursions from Zhao in the west, Xia in the south, and the Xiongnu in the north, while pirates harass us from the east. Border incidents are frequent, and conflict is rife. With the borders unsettled and the realm not yet peaceful, bandits and thieves are rampant, and the imperial treasury is in dire straits, with expenditures exceeding income. Surely Marquis Pingliang is aware of this situation? Marquis Pingliang, I tell you the truth today: I am already utterly exhausted."
You feel tired, you feel utterly exhausted, why don't you abdicate then? No one is forcing you, Zhou Fugui sneered inwardly at this.
After going through so much trouble, stirring up a storm of bloodshed, killing countless people, and finally seizing the throne and wielding absolute power, you now feel utterly exhausted? What is that saying? What was her name again? Zhou Fugui thought to himself.
However, when one is under another's roof, one must bow their head. Although Zhou Fugui felt extreme disdain, at this moment, he had to put on a loyal facade, to appear eager to offer advice to Murong Qing. After a moment of consideration, he said, "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, for a long time, the common people have viewed the court as an enemy, and the court has viewed the common people as livestock. When we are like fire and water, how can the realm achieve lasting peace? Therefore, to pacify the realm, one must first pacify the hearts of the people. To govern the realm, one must first govern the hearts of the people. If the hearts of the people are not won over, how can we speak of governing the realm? Therefore, your humble servant hopes that Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, will practice benevolent rule, win over the hearts of the people, and allow them to cultivate and rest. When the people are allowed to recuperate, they will be able to strengthen the military. This, then, is the long-term plan."
These words from Zhou Fugui were indeed heartfelt, and could be considered speaking a few good words for the long-suffering common people.
"Marquis Pingliang, I did not expect this. You possess such insight? I have underestimated you," Murong Qing said with surprise.
In truth, Murong Qing's question today was meant to be somewhat mocking and sarcastic. However, she had never expected that Zhou Fugui, who was exceptionally brave on the battlefield, would utter such words.
According to the general disposition of Yan generals, those who were valiant on the battlefield were often muddled and chaotic in politics.