"A scholar can be executed, but not humiliated!"
Zhou Fugui, the Marquis of Pingliang, Grand Governor of the East Sea, and Prefect of Donghai Commandery in the Great Yan Kingdom, was captured by pirates and thrown onto the deck of their warship. Rong Chenglan Min was playfully running her Water-Splitting Shark Bone Spur around his loincloth, intending to humiliate him publicly. This caused Zhou Fugui to cry out in fear.
"What if I humiliate you?" Rong Chenglan Min asked with a smile.
"Humiliation leads to death. Do you want me to die?" Zhou Fugui asked loudly, his mind racing.
*Little demon girl, if I miraculously survive and escape, I will repay this humiliation tenfold one day,* Zhou Fugui cursed inwardly.
"Uh..." Rong Chenglan Min looked at Zhou Fugui and said hesitantly, "You didn't kill me then, so... I certainly won't kill you today."
"If that's the case, why bother humiliating me?" Seeing that Rong Chenglan Min seemed to have fallen into his trap, Zhou Fugui was secretly pleased and continued, "My lady, there's a saying in the martial world: 'All men are brothers within the four seas!' They say acquaintance begins with a fight. How about we become friends? Becoming friends with me would bring you far greater benefits than killing or humiliating me."
Zhou Fugui's words were practically a plea for mercy...
Still, as mentioned, Zhou Fugui was not afraid of death, but he dreaded public humiliation.
"Bah, who wants to be friends with you?" Rong Chenglan Min spat after hearing this. "But my father also said it's better to keep fish alive than kill them. A live fish is better than a dead one. However, little thief, I'd like to ask you, why didn't you kill me back then?"
Zhou Fugui was much older than Rong Chenglan Min, yet she kept calling him "little thief."
Back in the woods, Rong Chenglan Min had intended to kill Zhou Fugui, but he had shown mercy after capturing her. This made Rong Chenglan Min a little puzzled.
In Zhen Ao Ren's eyes, showing mercy to an enemy on the battlefield was seeking one's own destruction and inviting retribution. Therefore, Zhen Ao Ren was exceptionally ruthless in battle, never showing any leniency, regardless of gender.
"It's called pitying the fair sex..." Zhou Fugui glanced at Rong Chenglan Min, seeing a hint of joy on her face, knowing she was gradually falling into his trap. He continued, "My lady, you are as beautiful as a celestial being, like a fairy from the sea. And your figure... is so exquisite... it's beyond words! Who could bear to harm you? As a man of integrity, seven feet tall, how could I possibly do something as cruel as crushing a delicate flower?"
Zhou Fugui knew in his heart that Zhen Ao people were not Han Chinese, and therefore Zhen Ao women were also not Han Chinese women. They should be similar to the Hu people. If she were a Han woman, Zhou Fugui's words would have been considered a flirtation, and she might have killed him in her shame and anger.
As expected, Rong Chenglan Min fell for Zhou Fugui's scheme. Hearing this, she was delighted. She tucked her Water-Splitting Shark Bone Spur back to her waist, brushed aside the stray hairs on Zhou Fugui's face with her jade-like hand, and smiled, "Hehe, you're quite handsome too... Grand Governor Zhou, are you complimenting my beauty?"
Rong Chenglan Min was the youngest daughter of Rong Chenggui, the Deep Dragon King of Zhen Ao Kingdom. She had lived a life of privilege, needless to say. However, no one had ever complimented her on her beauty, not even her fiancé, the former King of Donghai, Murong Hong. This was not because Rong Chenglan Min was not beautiful. On the contrary, as Zhou Fugui had said, Rong Chenglan Min was indeed as beautiful as a celestial being, like a little fairy from the depths of the sea, like a mermaid from the depths of the sea, and full of wild charm... The pirates were afraid of offending Rong Chenglan Min, so they respected her and dared not compliment her to her face.
"Of course!" To save his life and avoid humiliation, Zhou Fugui had no choice but to speak against his conscience, putting on a brave face and saying, "Your beauty is rarely seen in the world! To see you is like seeing a banished immortal! I believe you are the most beautiful woman in the world since the heavens and the earth were created! Looking at you is a pure pleasure! Like an ethereal fairy standing proudly above the cold, clear waters, like a fairy descended from heaven, making one dare not look directly. You wear a purple... er... a black robe fluttering in the wind, your long hair cascading down, your black shirt like a flower, indescribably beautiful, elegant, noble, and aloof..."
Zhou Fugui spoke with spittle flying, even wiping away a drop of blood from his nose that was about to flow, because Rong Chenglan Min was getting closer and closer...
Zhou Fugui was not afraid of death, but that did not mean he would resolutely give up any chance of survival. Would it not be foolish to give up a chance to live without paying any price?
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
Before Zhou Fugui's nosebleed could spurt out, the fierce pirates around him were repeatedly spitting blood... At the same time, the pirates cursed Zhou Fugui inwardly for his shamelessness, but many of them were also greatly impressed and seemed to have gained some insight...
They were certainly capable of killing and setting fires, and they had thick skins, but when it came to shamelessly and eloquently showering someone with praise like Zhou Fugui, no one could match him.
Rong Chenglan Min was also stunned by his words. Her body swayed, and she almost fell. She stared at Zhou Fugui and asked dazedly, "Am I really that beautiful?"
"Of course, my lady is like..." Zhou Fugui continued his effusive praise.
This time, the pirates' faces were blank, filled with disdain.
*Zhou Fugui, you are so shameless, even more despicable and vulgar than us who live by robbery!* the pirates roared inwardly. *Zhou Fugui, you're a Grand Governor, and in broad daylight, you're teasing and playing with our little princess like this?*
*Bullying and deceiving an innocent young girl, what kind of skill is that?*
The pirates were furious, but Rong Chenglan Min was not angry. She just felt a sweet warmth in her heart... At this moment, as Zhou Fugui spouted nonsense, Rong Chenglan Min's eyes were hazy, her cheeks slightly flushed, and she coquettishly said, "Grand Governor Zhou... if you praise me more, I won't be happy!"
"Hahaha..." Zhou Fugui burst into laughter. Seeing the blush on Rong Chenglan Min's cheeks, which made her even more charming, his heart stirred. He reached out and actually pinched Rong Chenglan Min's small face, then laughed and said, "Every word I say is true. Since you feel so indebted, how about... you sing a couple of songs for this lord?"
Rong Chenglan Min's cheeks were as delicate as tofu, as smooth as fish skin, and felt wonderful to the touch...
"Waves... waves..."
"Little Princess, I volunteer to cut him into minced meat and feed him to the fish and turtles!"
"Don't kill him, don't kill him, let me do it, let him experience all eighteen kinds of torture!"
"Hang him from the mast and let him dry in the wind!"
"Han people are indeed cunning and glib-tongued. Little Princess, do not be fooled by him!"
"......"
The pirates could no longer stand it. They drew their weapons one after another, surrounding Zhou Fugui and shouting.
"What are you doing?" Rong Chenglan Min's face darkened, and she rebuked the pirates, "Capturing him and presenting him to my father is a great merit, isn't it? Father will surely reward us handsomely!"
Hearing this, the pirates had no choice but to retreat obediently, but they still glared at Zhou Fugui with great reluctance.
"Actually... actually... my lady, you don't have to take me back. If you let me go, the reward will be even more generous than your father's! What do you call it? Ah, ransom! My lady, the ransom is substantial!" Zhou Fugui said.
"Bah, little thief, do you take me for a fool?" Rong Chenglan Min glared at Zhou Fugui and ordered her subordinates, "Escort him into the cabin, set sail, and return to the island!"
Thus, two Han pirates lifted Zhou Fugui and walked towards the cabin.
"Gently, gently, be careful not to hurt him. Ask him if he's hungry or cold..." Rong Chenglan Min said with concern.
............................
"Plop!"
Two strong pirates carried Zhou Fugui into a cabin and threw him out like garbage. Bound hands and feet, Zhou Fugui rolled out with a "rumble," hitting the ship's wall with a "bang!" The pain made him grimace.
"Bang!"
The two Han pirates glared fiercely at Zhou Fugui before closing the cabin door.
Left alone in the cabin, Zhou Fugui looked around, surveyed the interior, sat up, and moved to a small wooden window. He struggled with all his might, but the shark sinew was extremely strong and resilient, and Zhou Fugui could not break free.
With his hands and feet bound and unable to escape the shark sinew, Zhou Fugui's plan to escape through the window was foiled.
In fact, even if Zhou Fugui had broken free from the shark sinew, he would not have been able to escape. Jumping out the window into the sea would have been a death sentence, as the pirate warship had already left the shore and was sailing into the deep sea.
A large ship is a large ship. The waves that could capsize a small boat were negligible for a large ship. It sailed steadily, as if walking on flat ground.
A gust of sea breeze made Zhou Fugui shiver, and he involuntarily curled into a ball.
Zhou Fugui's eloquent and flattering words had only temporarily saved his life. He had not received any clothing and was still wearing only a loincloth to cover himself, which was wet.
This was truly dangerous. Zhou Fugui, curled into a ball, looked out the window and secretly lamented. The young lady was easy to fool, but her father... he must be an old rogue, and old rogues are not easy to fool. Even if he didn't die, he might be stuck in the pirate's lair forever, Zhou Fugui thought. At that time, he would have to find an opportunity to escape.
But even if he could steal a small boat, returning safely to Donghai Commandery in this vast ocean would be harder than climbing to heaven, especially since Zhou Fugui didn't know how to steer a boat.
"Alas..." Zhou Fugui sighed, closed his eyes, and decided that for now, he could only cross the river by feeling the stones, taking one step at a time.
"Creak!" Just as Zhou Fugui was racking his brains for a solution, the cabin door was pushed open. Rong Chenglan Min entered after opening the door, glanced at Zhou Fugui in the corner, and walked in with a maid, closing the cabin door behind her.
At this moment, Rong Chenglan Min had changed into a green fleece-lined leather robe with a stand-up collar, a green miniskirt, and sharkskin boots on her feet. She looked even more pretty and cute.
However, Zhou Fugui had no mood to admire her. He was almost frozen to death. Did he have the leisure to admire a beauty?