"Miss Huang, what do you wish to ask?"
They rode their horses slowly outside Houqiu County, Donghai Commandery. Zhou Fugui asked.
After dealing with the Lesser Vehicle Sect, Huang Daimei was supposed to return with her elder brother, Huang Shiba. However, she unexpectedly turned back and found Zhou Fugui.
Zhou Fugui had a private conversation with Mishi. Huang Daimei did not know the content of their discussion. Was she here about this matter? Zhou Fugui speculated to himself.
Zhou Fugui was completely mistaken!
"Is she... is she... is that Yingying?" Huang Daimei asked in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Fugui glared at Huang Daimei in anger, then sighed deeply and fell silent, looking down.
Once in his past life, and twice in this one, this woman had broken Zhou Fugui's heart. Therefore, regarding women, Zhou Fugui was now somewhat cynical, flitting among flowers, admiring them, but never focusing on a single bloom.
Qin Yulian was Zhou Fugui's fiancée. Zhou Fugui did not care that the Qin family broke the engagement. As for Murong Huiying... Murong Huiying had caused Zhou Fugui excruciating pain.
Huang Daimei's question inevitably reminded Zhou Fugui of the past, of the little moments between him and Murong Huiying – meeting, falling in love, vowing eternal fidelity – yet in the end, it was all like flowers in a mirror, moon in the water.
Murong Huiying's sudden change of heart must have had a special reason. Considering the political situation in the Great Yan Kingdom at the time, Murong Huiying must have been forced, perhaps to save her father, or for some other reason. Zhou Fugui was not a fool, how could he not have thought of this? Now that he had calmed down, he could vaguely guess Murong Huiying's predicament back then.
Therefore, Zhou Fugui did not hate Murong Huiying now. He was just heartbroken, hating the injustice of the world, and lamenting the lack of destiny between him and Murong Huiying in this life.
The reason was self-evident. Everyone knew that Zhou Fugui had killed Murong Huiying's elder brother, Murong Chi. Although this was a misunderstanding or a trap, Zhou Fugui, even with a thousand mouths, could not explain it now. Thus, how could Murong Huiying not hate Zhou Fugui to the bone?
There was no longer any possibility between them, which led Zhou Fugui to a state of near self-abandonment.
"Grand Commander..." Huang Daimei saw the changing expressions of anger and pain on Zhou Fugui's face, and then said in a low voice, "She... she willingly debased herself... the person who followed... she was blind... that person is far inferior to you... you shouldn't..."
"Silence!" Zhou Fugui roared, "What do you know? You know nothing! If you dare to insult her again, I will not let you off lightly!"
They were clearly not talking about the same person, but Zhou Fugui did not want to explain or talk about Murong Huiying with Huang Daimei.
Zhou Fugui's sudden outburst caused Huang Daimei to look up at him dazedly, tears welling in her eyes, on the verge of falling. She looked utterly pitiable.
"Alas, Miss Huang..." A moment later, Zhou Fugui felt a pang of regret and said, "Some things... some things... between you and me... there is no possibility... or rather... this commander has no intention of marrying in this life..."
"Why?" Huang Daimei asked tearfully.
"Why?" Zhou Fugui shouted back, "Who do you think I am? Do you know? I am a murderer, debauched and shameless, and a Han traitor... Would you be willing to follow such a person? You could only be a concubine, not a wife. Would your father and brother agree? Would your Huang clan agree? And besides, alas, Miss Huang, you are a good girl, and I do not wish to ruin your life!"
After saying this, Zhou Fugui spurred his horse and rode away, leaving Huang Daimei alone.
"A murderer, debauched and shameless? Who would believe it? Hmph, a Han traitor then... a Han traitor..." After a long while, Huang Daimei snorted coldly, then urged her horse to chase after Zhou Fugui.
...
Piling Commandery, also known as Piling Commandery, was established by the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period with the Piling Agricultural Commandant, stationed in Piling County. It governed seven counties: Dantu, Qu'a, Wujin, Yanling, Piling, Jiyang, and Wuxi.
Piling Commandery bordered the Yangtze River to the north, Taihu Lake to the east, Mount Mao to the west, and the foothills of Mount Tianmu to the south. Its strategic location was extremely important. It was also the demarcation line set by the Xia and Yan states, with the Yangtze River serving as the boundary, the two states facing each other across the river.
On this day, several horsemen arrived outside Piling Commandery. A handsome man wearing a Taoist cap and a wide-sleeved cloth robe, riding a snow-white steed and carrying a treasure sword at his waist, galloped to the riverbank and gazed at the rolling water, silent for a long time.
His several attendants stood on the riverbank, not daring to disturb him.
"Watching the green mountains and clear waters, I already suspect a lonely city locked in struggle. My plain clothes have bloomed with plum blossoms, the mountains and rivers present a thousand forms, the holy dynasty endures much hardship in autumn, lamenting the autumn wind and fallen leaves. A long song to the east before the battle, a strong force from the north mountain, the general's sword edge is blunt." The handsome man murmured softly, looking at the surging river.
"A strong force from the north mountain, the general's sword edge is blunt..." A tall, fair-skinned girl with a plum blossom yellow umbrella and a light yellow dress, standing by the river, heard this and couldn't help but softly echo the handsome man's words, secretly glancing at him.
For many years, Xia and Yan had been in a standoff across the river, and Xia's hope of recovering its lost territories grew increasingly slim. This caused many literati and poets to sigh and lament. The handsome man's poem expressed his yearning to restore the country and the helplessness of unfulfilled talent, thus attracting the attention of the yellow-clad maiden.
Similarly, the yellow-clad maiden's utterance also caught the attention of the handsome man.
The yellow-clad maiden had an oval face, two willow-leaf eyebrows, and a pair of eyes as clear as autumn ripples. Her nose was neither high nor low, as if carved from jade, and her cherry lips were less than an inch wide. Her skin was fair with a rosy blush, and it was incredibly smooth and delicate. A few sparse bangs on her forehead enhanced her infinite charm. Her black hair was neatly tucked behind her ears. She wore a light yellow spring silk padded jacket and a light yellow floral silk skirt. Beneath the skirt, her delicate feet, neither large nor small, were about four inches long, slender and well-formed, very cute.
The yellow-clad maiden was a woman from Jiangnan Wuzhong, a daughter of a noble family, a scion of a prominent clan. She was in her prime, only sixteen or seventeen years old, yet her skin was as white as snow, and her beauty was overwhelming and dazzling.
The beauty of the yellow-clad maiden could be described in one sentence: she seemed to be from heaven, not of this mortal world.
Even the handsome man, who was not inclined towards women, couldn't help but look at her a few more times.
"May I ask the young master's esteemed name?" the yellow-clad maiden then asked softly.
The yellow-clad maiden was a very shy person. After saying these words, she was already blushing furiously. Lowering her head, she twisted her sash with her jade-like hands, waiting for the handsome man's reply, regretting it immensely in her heart...
The maiden's accent was filled with a soft Wu dialect, which was exceptionally pleasant to hear, like drinking sweet dew.
Upon hearing this, the handsome man hurriedly dismounted, cupped his fists, and replied, "Min Wuyan of Hedong, a mere warrior. How dare I be called 'young master'?"
"Ah? Little Fengxian Min Wuyan?" The yellow-clad maiden raised her head upon hearing this and exclaimed, covering her mouth with her right hand.
The name Min Wuyan of Hedong was now known to everyone in the Great Xia Kingdom, a loyal and valiant minister with renowned military achievements, famous in the north and south.
Furthermore, the yellow-clad maiden had a connection with Min Wuyan. Someone had tried to arrange a marriage between the yellow-clad maiden and Min Wuyan, but the matter had never progressed. She never expected to encounter Min Wuyan here, hence her exclamation.
And Min Wuyan, as Zhang Huchen had predicted, was soon transferred to this post, from Grand Commander of Xiangfan to Prefect of Piling Commandery, commanding the troops of Piling Commandery and other surrounding areas.
Min Wuyan arrived in Piling Commandery almost alone.
After her surprise, the yellow-clad maiden secretly rejoiced. If she were truly matched with Min Wuyan, being the wife of a hero would naturally be very satisfying. What was regrettable was that the matter had lingered without a conclusion, and in most cases, a lack of conclusion meant it was over.
"Does the maiden know me?" Min Wuyan asked with surprise, "May I ask which family the maiden belongs to? Your father is...?"
"Huo family of Gusu, my father is Yao," replied Huo Wanrou, the legitimate daughter of the Huo family, blushing.
If only earlier... if only she had met him earlier... Huo Wanrou thought to herself, otherwise she wouldn't have had to flee to Piling Commandery like a refugee...
The Xia court's selection process was such that even Huo Yao, who held the prestigious title of Grand Master of Ceremonies, and his family could not escape it. The daughters in their family had to remain at home for consideration, so Huo Wanrou fled to Piling Commandery, hoping to escape this ordeal.
But Piling Commandery was also within Xia's territory. Where could she escape to? To escape further, she would have to cross the Yangtze River and go to the territory of the Great Yan state. Huo Wanrou had this intention.
Xia and Yan had reached a peace agreement, and the two sides had ceased hostilities for a considerable time. The Yan court and the Xia court exchanged envoys, and civilian exchanges were frequent. Generally, neither Xia nor Yan would obstruct such civilian interactions.
And in the Yan region, the Huo family also had relatives. Therefore, Huo Wanrou planned to seek refuge with her relatives in Yan.
"Oh, so the maiden is the daughter of Grand Master of Ceremonies?" Min Wuyan nodded upon hearing this.
So it was her? Min Wuyan thought to himself. Wasn't the marriage mentioned by his uncle from the Huo family of Gusu?
Huo Wanrou also nodded gently, her face blushing.
After nodding, there was no further exchange between them... one was not inclined towards women, and the other was exceptionally shy. To have spoken these few words was already a great achievement...
"Maiden... where are you going...?" After a long pause, Min Wuyan finally managed to utter a sentence...
"Across the river!" Huo Wanrou replied in a low voice.
Min Wuyan's mouth opened upon hearing this, but he said nothing, only looking at Huo Wanrou and nodding again.
Min Wuyan was not inclined towards women. If he were to discuss military strategy or military affairs, he would surely be eloquent and ceaseless. However, in the presence of women, he appeared exceptionally awkward.
If it were someone else, for example, Zhou Fugui... he would have said with great concern, "It is too dangerous on the other side of the river, maiden, do not cross. If you insist on crossing, shall I escort you across? And so on and so forth. This way, everything would have fallen into place naturally...
Thus, there would be no subsequent events!"