"Fugui, you're talking about that person...?"
In the Liang Marquisate of Yan, the old madam Liu clasped her son's hand, asking about the events of the past few years. Zhou Fugui recounted them carefully to his mother, naturally focusing on the lighter aspects. The harrowing, near-death experiences were omitted to spare his mother worry.
When Zhou Fugui mentioned Lin Yue, Madam Liu was instantly lost in memories of the past.
"She said she was the daughter of the King of Xiliang," Zhou Fugui nodded.
"The King of Xiliang? The King of Xiliang has two sons and three daughters. Could she be... the youngest daughter of the King of Xiliang, Princess Lin Yue? Haha..." Madam Liu pondered for a moment, then looked at Zhou Fugui and couldn't help but laugh, "You child... you child... you actually... with her? You're truly shameless, you've really brought honor to your father..."
"Mother, oh my mother..." Zhou Fugui said with a darkened face, "In that situation... moreover, I was unconscious at the time, completely losing control... Even now, thinking about it, I'm still ashamed, and you scold me like this..."
"Ashamed of what? You brat, taking advantage and then acting virtuous?" Madam Liu gently patted Zhou Fugui's cheek and said, "Just like your deceased father... Fugui, Han people care about these things, but we of the Tu Ge tribe simply don't."
"You think it's quite glorious... right?" Zhou Fugui muttered softly.
"What did you say?" Zhou Fugui's voice was as faint as a mosquito's fart... so Madam Liu asked.
"Nothing, Mother, please continue," Zhou Fugui smiled.
"You brat, there must be mischief in your belly..." Madam Liu poked Zhou Fugui's forehead with her finger and continued, "If she weren't the daughter of a rebel, what would it matter even if you married her?"
"Rebel? What rebel?" Zhou Fugui asked in surprise.
"After the Emperor passed away... Hmph! How could it be the turn of the King of Xiliang to inherit the throne? Yet, with the support of a bunch of treacherous officials, the King of Xiliang declared himself Emperor. If he's not a rebel, then what is he?" Madam Liu huffed.
"Oh, so that's how it is!" Zhou Fugui responded noncommittally.
The Wei was conquered by the Yan. The dragon sons and grandsons of the last emperor of Wei naturally all wished to be emperor. Thus, it was not difficult to imagine the dragon sons and grandsons of the last emperor of Wei accusing each other, hating each other, even attacking and killing each other. Their mutual hatred was even greater than that towards the Yan.
"Fugui..." Madam Liu then looked at Zhou Fugui and asked, "What are your plans for the future? Or... or do you have any ambition to restore the Wei dynasty?"
"Ah?" Zhou Fugui stared blankly at his somewhat heedless mother, unsure how to answer...
Zhou Fugui never expected his mother to harbor such "ambitious aspirations"...
Restoring the Great Wei, how easy could that be? Generally speaking, in most circumstances, those with ambitions to restore a dynasty either died tragically or went insane... Almost no one had a good ending.
"Mother, oh my mother..." After a long pause, Zhou Fugui finally spoke, "Your son's surname is Zhou..."
"Nonsense, you are my son, how could I not know your surname? Your father's surname is Zhou, yours is Zhou, but your mother's surname is Hu Yan, and you are also a descendant of Great Wei... Fugui, will you always be content to be subservient?" Madam Liu glared at Zhou Fugui and asked.
"Your child is definitely not one to be subservient, but..." Zhou Fugui glanced around and said in a low voice, "Walls have ears."
"Don't I know that walls have ears?" Madam Liu also said in a low voice, "Do you think your mother really likes that darned Pitch-Pot game? I was just doing it to cover my tracks, just like you..."
"Good, Mother, you truly understand!" Zhou Fugui was overjoyed and gave a thumbs-up in praise.
"Don't praise me yet..." Madam Liu pinched Zhou Fugui's thumb and asked, "Mother just wants to know, what are your thoughts?"
"What thoughts? Alas..." Zhou Fugui sighed, "Fumbling stones to cross the river, taking one step at a time... Mother, the reason your son cannot act freely is because I am worried about you all!"
"Fugui, my child..." Madam Liu hugged Zhou Fugui, "Mother knows you are a filial child... but... those who achieve great things are all ruthless and heartless."
"What ruthlessness? What heartlessness? What great things?" Zhou Fugui shook his head, "If great things come at the cost of loved ones, your son would rather not have them, your son would rather forever be subservient."
"Husband..." Just as mother and son were whispering, a sigh suddenly came from behind the screen, startling both of them.
However, mother and son were soon no longer worried, because the sigh came from Xiao Qing.
In the vast Marquisate of Pingliang, only a few people were trusted by Madam Liu and Zhou Fugui, such as Zhou Fugui's elder sister-in-law Gu, little sister Zhou, and Xiao Qing.
"Mother-in-law, Husband, the food and bath are ready," after a moment, Xiao Qing gracefully appeared from behind the screen, pressing her right hand over her left, placing her left hand on her left hip bone, and bowing with her legs together and knees bent.
"Good, daughter-in-law, come here," Madam Liu nodded.
Xiao Qing tiptoed to Madam Liu's side and stood beside her.
"Fugui, Xiao Qing is a good girl. She took care of the household while you were away..." Madam Liu took Xiao Qing's small hand and said to Zhou Fugui, "You must treat her well. Fugui, why don't you marry her formally?"
"Mother-in-law..." Xiao Qing looked at Zhou Fugui with both joy and apprehension.
Zhou Fugui nodded, stood up, bowed deeply to Xiao Qing, and said, "Xiao Qing, my wife, thank you. Your kindness to me, I will never forget. However... Mother, Xiao Qing, I have already made a vow of three lifetimes with her, never to betray each other for three lifetimes! Therefore... Xiao Qing, it is Zhou who has failed you... However, in Zhou's eyes, there is no distinction between the primary wife and a concubine, so you can rest assured... You are my woman, and she is also my woman, but the wedding day must be left to her."
"I... slave... slave... Husband..." Xiao Qing said, moved yet somewhat disappointed, "Xiao Qing only wishes to accompany Husband forever, as for the primary wife and concubine, Xiao Qing doesn't mind..."
"You..." Madam Liu was so angry that she grabbed Zhou Fugui's ear and said furiously, "Where can you find such a good woman? How can you seek what is far away when it is near? Wanting to latch onto her, our kind of family cannot possibly reach that high."
"Ouch, Mother, oh my mother, please let go first, alright?" Zhou Fugui's ear hurt terribly, and he dared not struggle for fear of hurting his mother, so he could only repeatedly beg for mercy.
"Mother-in-law..." Xiao Qing stifled a laugh and took Zhou Fugui's ear back from Madam Liu's hand.
"Mother... she... her family... has been destroyed." Zhou Fugui rubbed his ear and said to Madam Liu.
"Hmph, if that's the case, then even more reason not to marry her," Madam Liu snorted.
"Mother, no matter what happened to her, your son is willing to wait for her forever. If I cannot wait for her, I would rather not get married," Zhou Fugui said.
In this world, only by marrying a wife could one be considered to have established a family.
"You..." Madam Liu pointed at Zhou Fugui in anger, "Do you know what she... she is doing now? You wait for her, does she wait for you?"
"Hmm? Mother, what do you mean by that?" Zhou Fugui's suspicion immediately surged, and he asked in surprise.
Zhou Fugui had long ordered people to inquire about Murong Huiying's whereabouts, but there had been no news. Hearing his mother's implication, did she know Murong Huiying's whereabouts or news?
In fact, Zhou Fugui had already guessed that Murong Huiying had fallen into Murong Qing's hands, but he still held a sliver of hope, a faint glimmer of luck, hoping to reunite with Murong Huiying.
"What do I mean? She... she... Daughter-in-law, you tell him," Madam Liu seemed somewhat reluctant, so she said to Xiao Qing.
"Slave... slave..." Xiao Qing also stammered.
A hint of displeasure appeared on Zhou Fugui's face, and he turned to look at Xiao Qing.
"Why are you so fierce? Daughter-in-law, you first serve Fugui his meal and bath," Madam Liu glared at Zhou Fugui and instructed Xiao Qing.
Zhou Fugui nodded.
Firstly, his stomach was truly empty. Secondly, as long as Xiao Qing knew Murong Huiying's whereabouts, he was not afraid of not being able to pry it out.
......
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Ride... ride... ride..."
"Bang!"
"Crash!"
"Ouch!"
"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."
"......"
In a side room of the Yan Pingliang Marquisate, where the Marquis and his concubine resided, sounds of clashing swords and horses could faintly be heard, or the sounds of battlefield combat. Through the window lattice, it seemed as if there were flashes of swords and shadows...
Is this Marquis having intercourse or killing someone? The singing girls, dancing girls, maids, and others were filled with confusion and astonishment, and their envy towards Xiao Qing turned into sympathy...
After such torment, would Xiao Qing still be alive?
......
"Hoo... hoo... hoo..." Zhou Fugui lay on Xiao Qing's embroidered couch, gasping for breath, and asked, "I say, Xiao Qing, you should tell me now, right?"
"Husband..." Xiao Qing, enduring the soreness all over her body, struggled to sit up, holding a silk scarf, and while wiping the sweat from Zhou Fugui's body, she said, "Slave knows, slave knows your suffering, knows your frustration. You... want to do anything, Xiao Qing will let you."
A ruler governs his subjects, a father governs his son, a husband governs his wife. These are the three cardinal guides. Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness are the five constant virtues. Xiao Qing had known this since childhood.
Therefore, even though Zhou Fugui acted like a madman, Xiao Qing could only endure with her delicate and tender body.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Zhou Fugui looked at Xiao Qing apologetically and then asked, "Xiao Qing, actually, in Zhou's heart, you are the same as her, both of them I cannot let go of."
"Husband!" Xiao Qing was moved to tears and leaned against Zhou Fugui's strong chest.