"Little Princess, I have a heartfelt word to say, would you like to hear it?"
On the East Sea, a large pirate warship was cutting through the waves. Inside the ship's cabin, Zhou Fugui, the Marquis of Pingliang of Great Yan, the Grand Governor of the East Sea, and the Prefect of the East Sea, desperate to survive, was trying to trick a naive foreign girl, Rong Chenglan Min, the daughter of the pirate leader Rong Chengkui...
It's a case of changing times. No matter how many titles Zhou Fugui had, no matter how powerful he was, being captured by pirates left him with no choice but to resort to such tactics.
"Whatever you want to say, just say it. I'm not stopping you," Rong Chenglan Min said, her eyes as vast as the sea glancing at Zhou Fugui.
"The Han people have an old saying: Strike first and be strong; strike later and be weak... " Zhou Fugui looked around, then at the maid Tali, and whispered conspiratorially to Rong Chenglan Min, "Why not kill that rebel first... and then you can find a good husband for yourself? Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"
Zhou Fugui's scheme of sowing discord and then fishing in troubled waters was too obvious, and even the maid Tali curled her lips in disdain...
"Heh heh..." Rong Chenglan Min chuckled and pushed Zhou Fugui, saying, "They say the Han people are cunning, and it seems true. Stop trying to stir up trouble... Hurry up and tell me what Arabian Nights is, or I'll strip you naked, cut you, and throw you into the sea... Little thief, do you know the consequences? The sea wolves will come for the scent of blood, and you'll be eaten without a trace..."
Raised in a pirate's den, even if not worldly, a person who is simple and innocent still possesses a fierce streak.
"Uh... what are sea wolves?" Zhou Fugui's mind raced as he devised other plans. Muttering, he said, "Arabian Nights, that's One Thousand and One Nights..."
If I can tell the stories well, and tell some moving stories, maybe this demoness will let me go? Zhou Fugui mused to himself. Or should I capture her now and use her as a hostage to force the pirates to let me go?
That wouldn't work either, Zhou Fugui thought. I've sparred with her twice, and her skills are not bad, especially in the water. I'm no match for her. What if I fail... wouldn't that be a disaster?
Besides, Rong Chenglan Min dared to bring this little maid to see me, so she must be confident. Perhaps this little maid is a martial arts expert or a cultivator, a Martial Saint, Martial God, Martial Sect, or something... Zhou Fugui glanced at the maid Tali and thought.
"One Thousand and One Nights? What is it? Hurry up and tell me, why are you so long-winded? You're killing me!" Rong Chenglan Min leaned closer to Zhou Fugui upon hearing this.
"It's a thousand and one stories. One story a day, for a thousand and one nights..." Zhou Fugui said.
"A thousand and one stories? Wow, hurry up and tell them, tell them slowly or I'll throw you into the sea to feed the sea wolves..." Rong Chenglan Min exclaimed excitedly and squeezed next to Zhou Fugui.
Rong Chenglan Min and Zhou Fugui were close together, and even the maid Tali came over.
Damn it, one day I'll strip you naked and throw you into the sea. What exactly are sea wolves? Zhou Fugui cursed inwardly and then began the story: "Once upon a time, there was a foolish king who, because of his queen's misconduct, killed her. From then on, he married a new maiden every day and had her executed the next morning to vent his anger. Later, the Prime Minister's daughter, to save countless innocent women, volunteered to marry the king. Every night, the Prime Minister's daughter told the foolish king stories. Each night, she would stop at the most exciting part just as dawn broke, leaving the foolish king in suspense. How could he kill her? So he waited for her to continue the next day. The Prime Minister's daughter told stories for a thousand and one nights, and the king was finally moved. Thus, the Prime Minister's daughter and the foolish king lived happily ever after, and the realm was at peace..."
"Once upon a time, there were three princesses, all young and beautiful. Although the youngest princess was not as beautiful as her two elder sisters, she was the most beloved of the three sisters..." Zhou Fugui began the first story.
The story was captivating, and Zhou Fugui's eloquence was superb. He told it vividly. Rong Chenglan Min propped her fair chin on her hands and sat beside Zhou Fugui, her body unconsciously pressing close to him, engrossed in the tale. The maid Tali was also captivated.
"One night, the crow flew back again, and then suddenly turned into..." Zhou Fugui stopped abruptly at a thrilling part, leaving Rong Chenglan Min and the maid Tali in suspense.
"Ah? Turned into what?" Rong Chenglan Min and the maid Tali asked in unison.
"To know what happens next, please wait for the next installment!" Zhou Fugui said, crossing his legs, resting his hands on his knees, and shaking his left leg with a smile.
If they want to hear more stories, then I'm safe, at least for now, Zhou Fugui thought triumphantly.
"Slap! Bang!" Rong Chenglan Min, enraged, punched Zhou Fugui hard and then grabbed his ear, roaring, "You call him a fool, but *you're* the fool... Next installment? Next installment I'll let you decompose in the sea..."
Rong Chenglan Min, of course, didn't know what "fool" meant, but she guessed it wasn't a compliment, so she directed it at Zhou Fugui...
The maid Tali also wore an angry expression.
"Hey, gently, gently..." Zhou Fugui winced, his ears being pulled, and said repeatedly, "I'm so thirsty from talking, can't you give me some more wine?"
The small pot of wine Zhou Fugui had drunk was now empty, not a drop left.
"Pfft!" Rong Chenglan Min chuckled and let go. She then ordered Tali, "Tali, bring some more wine and food."
Tali, the "martial arts expert," unlike before, twisted her slender waist and trotted out of the cabin. She soon returned with wine and dishes.
"Here, take it. Drink and tell, or you'll strip yourself and jump into the sea to feed the sea wolves..." Rong Chenglan Min shoved the wine pot into Zhou Fugui's arms.
"The crow turned into a handsome prince who knelt and kissed her... Then they got married, had children, and lived happily ever after." Zhou Fugui glared at Rong Chenglan Min, took a large gulp of wine, and finally finished the story.
"Mmm... so good to listen to..." After Zhou Fugui finished, Rong Chenglan Min and Tali both moaned.
In the pirate den, life was either fighting or women. No one had ever told them such exciting and moving stories.
"Hey, what are you doing?" After Zhou Fugui finished, he was drinking by himself. Rong Chenglan Min nudged him with her elbow and asked.
"Huh?" Zhou Fugui was lost in the aroma of the wine when Rong Chenglan Min's sudden nudge almost made him spill the wine in his cup. He asked in surprise, "I'm drinking..."
"Heh heh..." Rong Chenglan Min let out another bell-like laugh. "Drinking your last drink with such gusto?"
Rong Chenglan Min then extended two delicate fingers, playfully bent them, and said with a smile, "The second night, otherwise..."
"Otherwise, I'll jump into the sea to feed the sea wolves, right?" Zhou Fugui glared at Rong Chenglan Min and said angrily.
"You guessed right," Rong Chenglan Min said with a smile.
Even the maid Tali couldn't help but smile.
"One thousand and one, the second night, the story of the mermaid," Zhou Fugui said, glaring at the two women again.
"Mermaid? You know about mermaids? What is a mermaid?" Rong Chenglan Min asked thoughtfully.
"I know the heavens, I know the earth, and I know everything under the sun!" Zhou Fugui bluffed and said, "From the great waters it pours forth, flowing east into the river. In it are many mermaids, shaped like fish, with four legs, their cries like infants. Eating them cures all ailments! Mermaids, also known as Jiaoren! They have fish bodies and human heads. They live in water like fish and weave. When their eyes weep, they produce pearls, known as Jiaozhu. And the oil refined from Jiaoren can be used to make everlasting lamps."
You're like a mermaid, a blonde and blue-eyed mermaid... Zhou Fugui glanced at Rong Chenglan Min and thought.
"Jiaoren are spiritual beings of the sea. Why would you dig out their eyes and refine their bodies? Aren't you afraid of angering the gods on the immortal mountains?" Rong Chenglan Min said with a roll of her eyes.
"Oh? Gods on the immortal mountains? Immortal mountains? Where are they?" Zhou Fugui asked.
"In..." Rong Chenglan Min's blue eyes rolled, and she said, "I won't tell you. You tell me your mermaid story first."
"Oh, oh, alright..." Zhou Fugui nodded and slowly said, "Legend has it, a long, long time ago, or maybe later... there was a person in the palace, originally surnamed Ma, named He. Later, the Emperor bestowed the name Zheng He. Emperor Chengzu suspected that Emperor Hui had fled overseas and wished to display his military might in foreign lands and show China's prosperity and strength, so he appointed Zheng He as the chief envoy to the Western Seas and led a fleet to sail west. Emperor Hui was the unfortunate fellow who was overthrown by Emperor Chengzu..."
"Zheng He, a person from the palace? Who is that?" Rong Chenglan Min asked.
"Someone who doesn't have that thing..." Zhou Fugui replied.
"Heh heh..." Upon hearing Zhou Fugui's explanation, Rong Chenglan Min immediately understood. Not long ago, Rong Chenglan Min had almost turned Zhou Fugui into someone from the palace...
Rong Chenglan Min's deep blue eyes kept glancing at him, making Zhou Fugui feel a tightening in his groin...
"Zheng He's voyage to the Western Seas..." Zhou Fugui continued, "On the way, he met the White Moonlight, a Jiaoren woman. White Moonlight was severely injured. Coincidentally, Zheng He knew some medicine. He took good care of her and healed the Jiaoren woman's injuries. During their time together, Zheng He discovered that this Jiaoren woman could speak human languages. Thus, the man and the fish talked happily, feeling like they had known each other for a lifetime, and fell in love over time. Later, they had to part ways. But Zheng He, though physically incomplete, his spirit was unbroken, and his affection unwaned. He never forgot White Moonlight and later made six more voyages to the Western Seas, all in search of her. Little Princess, they never reunited. It's truly pitiful! Look, I have family too... and yet I'm going to leave you like this..."
"I understand!" Rong Chenglan Min nodded. "If I were White Moonlight, I wouldn't let Zheng He leave! You come with me, I won't let you die, but not a single night of the thousand and one nights can be missed, heh heh..."
What? Zhou Fugui's clever plan backfired, and he was stunned.
"Unlucky fellow!" Tali couldn't help but laugh.