Puppet shows, also known as marionette shows, involve manipulating puppets to perform songs, dances, and plays, with puppeteers backstage controlling them and providing dialogue and singing, accompanied by music. Some performances also feature puppeteers themselves, who dress up, wear masks or fake heads, and dance, also referred to as puppet shows.
At this moment, within the golden tent of the Great Yan court, a puppet show was underway. The puppets were portrayed by dozens of dwarves, both male and female, all wearing masks. They were clad in minimal cloth, leaving large portions of their bodies exposed.
This particular puppet show was titled "Shiva the Lustful," introduced from Shen Du, and was a lewd performance.
The dwarves thrust their hips, swayed their pelvises, touched each other's chests, and fumbled between their legs, performing with all their might. The scene was utterly vulgar, yet it drew hearty laughter from Emperor Murong Xi and a host of high officials and powerful nobles.
A group of Yan generals, who had returned from the south and were summoned to an audience, stood in the military tent, exchanging glances. They didn't know whether to watch or not. However, some Yan generals were thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, carefully observing for future application with their wives and concubines...
Zhou Fugui leaned against a wooden pillar in the tent, his hand on his saber, watching it all with a cold smile.
For the ruler of a nation to engage in such a filthy act in the imperial court, to force these pitiable dwarves to perform obscene deeds in public, under everyone's gaze – was this not a perversion of the natural order? It was utterly disgraceful.
Propriety, righteousness, integrity, shame, filial piety, fraternity, loyalty, and trustworthiness – in their hearts, these were perhaps considered nonexistent, or perhaps they simply knew nothing of them, Zhou Fugui mused with a cold internal laugh.
Standing behind Murong Bole, Murong Huiying's gaze was almost entirely fixed on Zhou Fugui. Seeing his look of disdain, she cast apologetic and helpless glances at him.
Murong Bole sat to Murong Xi's left, while Murong Kang, representing his father, sat to Murong Xi's right.
Murong Kang's father, the Great Yan's Right Wise King, was gravely ill and could no longer attend court.
Zhou Fugui glanced at Murong Huiying, shook his head slightly, and a cold smile touched his lips.
Zhou Fugui's look conveyed two meanings: first, he was asking Murong Huiying, "Is this your Emperor?"; second, "Such decadence and unruliness are truly shameful."
Murong Huiying glared fiercely at Zhou Fugui, her look also conveying two meanings: first, how could she herself choose the Emperor of the Great Yan? Second, Zhou Fugui was being somewhat overly shocked.
Zhou Fugui raised an eyebrow at Murong Huiying, his look implying, "Such a ruler is not worth serving, nor is he worth serving the Great Yan."
Murong Huiying's eyes flickered. She looked at Zhou Fugui, a smile playing on her lips, her look implying, "But what about for me?"
"Imperial Father, make him dance!"
Just as Zhou Fugui and Murong Huiying were exchanging silent glances, the Yan Crown Prince Murong Cheng suddenly pointed at Zhou Fugui and said, "Make him dance!"
All eyes in the golden tent then focused on Zhou Fugui, who was hiding in a corner. This startled him.
The fifteen-year-old Crown Prince Cheng was born to Murong Xi's late Empress. After his mother's death, the orphaned Crown Prince Cheng was pitifully treated by Murong Xi, who still established him as Crown Prince and doted on him. In reality, the main reason was that among all of Murong Xi's sons, Crown Prince Cheng most resembled him, being exceedingly fat.
Emperor Murong Xi's gaze also fell upon Zhou Fugui. Empress Murong Qing also looked at Zhou Fugui.
At the same time, Zhou Fugui's tall stature and handsome features also attracted the attention of a group of consorts, princesses, and other female attendees, who began to whisper amongst themselves, occasionally letting out laughter.
Murong Huiying's eyebrows knitted, and she was already extremely angry.
Crown Prince Cheng actually wanted her lover to perform such a vulgar dance?
A scholar could be killed, but not humiliated! Murong Huiying could feel that Zhou Fugui must be incandescent with rage.
"Great Chieftain..." Murong Bole spoke to Murong Xi, "This man's surname is Zhou, his given name is Fugui. He is from Luoyan Village in Yan Yun and serves as a commander in the White Tiger Battalion. In the battle of Guangling Prefecture, this man led his troops into a bloody fight, being the first to breach the city, achieving first merit. In the battle of Niuzhu, this man led his troops to fiercely fight the Xia army, beheading over five thousand. In the battle of Luyi, it was again this man who, with fewer than three thousand soldiers under his command, fought valiantly and held off tens of thousands of Xia troops for months, preventing their advance. Great Chieftain, although he is Han, he has loyally and bravely served our Great Yan, achieving multiple great merits. His loyalty and courage are truly rare and praiseworthy!"
Murong Bole was, in fact, extricating Zhou Fugui from a difficult situation.
Could a dignified Great Yan general, a brave warrior of the army, be compared to these lowly dwarf entertainers?
Murong Kang turned to look at Zhou Fugui, his eyes flickering, deep in thought.
"Oh? Bole, you think highly of this person?" Murong Xi said with a smile, holding his wine cup. "It is indeed not easy for a Han to be loyal and brave to the nation."
"Commander Zhou, why do you not come forward to offer thanks?" Murong Bole said, nodding, to Zhou Fugui, who was still lurking in the distance.
Hearing this, Zhou Fugui strode forward to Murong Xi, flung his saber behind him, knelt on one knee, bowed, and said loudly, "Your subject, Zhou Fugui, thanks the Great Chieftain for his praise!"
Zhou Fugui was indeed filled with immense anger.
That Yan noble youth, who resembled a pig, actually wanted him to perform such a filthy dance in public, under everyone's gaze? He would rather die, or strike this pig-head dead with a single blow.
Although Zhou Fugui did not know that this person was the Crown Prince of the Great Yan, he understood that the status of this fat pig was definitely not ordinary. He was practically clinging to Murong Xi's knees, so he must be at least a prince.
Therefore, Zhou Fugui suppressed his inner resentment and paid his respects to Murong Xi in the Xianbei manner.
When Zhou Fugui performed the礼 (bow), his movements were grand. The clash of his saber against his armor and the impact of his knees on the ground produced a considerable noise. This was done intentionally by Zhou Fugui.
As expected, Crown Prince Cheng of Yan was startled by Zhou Fugui's imposing presence. His fat body shrunk back, and he looked up with wide, frightened eyes at his father, Murong Xi.
"Zhou Fugui?" Murong Xi leaned back on his cushion, lifting his eyelids slightly, and shaking his wine cup, he mockingly looked at Zhou Fugui and said, "A good name you have, Fugui – Wealth and honor. Everyone in the world desires them. Zhou Fugui, to obtain wealth and honor is not difficult. If you dance for the Crown Prince today and bring him some joy, I, the Great Chieftain, will bestow upon you wealth and honor, how about it?"
"Great Chieftain!" Zhou Fugui's sword-like eyebrows drew together, and he puffed out his chest, replying loudly, "Your subject only knows archery, not song and dance!"
After all this talk, they still wanted him to perform this filthy dance. Zhou Fugui would rather break than bend.
"Fugui..." Murong Tengge exclaimed from within the crowd upon seeing this.
The Emperor asked you to dance, so just dance. You don't need to take off your clothes. Just wear this armor and twist a bit, just to go through the motions. Afterward, Emperor Murong Xi will definitely not treat you poorly. Just as Murong Xi personally promised, he would grant Zhou Fugui a significant official position and bestow upon him wealth and honor. Why must you defy the Emperor so stubbornly? The consequences of such defiance are truly unpredictable. Murong Tengge couldn't help but worry for Zhou Fugui.
At this moment, Murong Huiying felt both pride and worry. Her lover was so unafraid of power and death, so upright and incorruptible – how could she not be proud? But, just as Murong Tengge feared, Zhou Fugui's refusal caused the lively atmosphere in the tent to plummet. The temperature seemed to drop drastically, and the air itself seemed to freeze. Everyone held their breath, afraid to even exhale.
"Hahaha..." Murong Xi was stunned for a moment, and then burst into laughter.
Murong Xi felt both exasperated and amused.
If it were anyone else, trading a mere song and dance for wealth and honor, they would have long since complied and danced. Such an opportunity is not given to everyone. Therefore, let alone this meager song and dance, they would have willingly performed a grotesque act in this tent if asked, naked and all. Such things were not unheard of.
But Zhou Fugui actually refused outright. Did he not fear death? Murong Xi mused inwardly.
"Great Chieftain..." Finally, Murong Bole resolved the awkward and tense atmosphere, and said to Murong Xi, "This man is a stubborn donkey. Your Great Chieftain need not bother with such a stubborn donkey."
"Haha, a stubborn donkey?" Murong Xi heard this and couldn't help but laugh again.
Murong Xi had the intention of letting Zhou Fugui off the hook.
Who was Murong Bole? He was a founding pillar of the Great Yan, Murong Xi's right-hand man. Murong Xi still relied on him to conquer the world and to oppose the empress dowager's faction and other powers. Therefore, Murong Xi would listen to some extent to Murong Bole's counsel.
"A stubborn donkey?" The Grand Chancellor of Yan, the Emperor's maternal uncle Murong Fu, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke. "What kind of stubborn donkey dares to defy the words of the Great Chieftain and the Crown Prince? The words of the Great Chieftain and the Crown Prince are imperial decrees. Disobeying an imperial decree – what crime is it?"
"Hmph, Uncle Fu, what is the meaning of this?" Murong Bole retorted upon hearing this.
"Left Wise King..." Murong Fu replied with a smile. "This stubborn donkey claims to be skilled in mounted archery, does he dare to compete with the Left Guard General?"
"What?"
The crowd immediately erupted in an uproar.
Who was the Left Guard General Pu Yijian? He was a seasoned veteran general, exceptionally skilled in martial arts, especially archery. He was known as the "Number One Arrow of the Xianbei." He could shoot eagles and shoot the Great Yan. Pu Yijian was renowned and universally known. In terms of archery, there were few in the world who could match him.
Pu Yijian was the commander of the Yan Imperial Guard and the Loyal Army.
Thus, pitting Pu Yijian against Zhou Fugui was tantamount to sending Zhou Fugui to his death.
"Good, good!" The stout Crown Prince Murong Cheng clapped his hands and laughed joyfully. "Hey, Zhou Fugui, shoot Pu Yijian dead, and I will surely reward you!"
Crown Prince Cheng of Yan loved liveliness, and the more lively, the better.
The crowd was immediately speechless.
Uncle Murong Fu had brought out Pu Yijian to avenge the Crown Prince. Yet, the Crown Prince was clamoring for Zhou Fugui to shoot Pu Yijian dead?
Was this not foolish or idiotic?
"Heh heh, since Cheng'er likes it, so be it," Murong Xi said after patting Murong Cheng's head, and then coldly asked Zhou Fugui, "Minister Zhou, what do you think?"
"Your subject obeys the decree!" Zhou Fugui replied loudly.
A competition is a competition. Zhou Fugui thought to himself that no matter what, it was much better than dancing an "erotic dance" in public. At worst, he would lose his life here in the golden hall today.