"The tutor was a good man," Zhou Fugui slowly told Princess Murong Xiaoxiao of the Great Yan Kingdom, as they sat in the imperial garden. "The tutor saw the orphan was pitiful, so he took him in. Though the tutor was poor, he never let the orphan go hungry. Not only that, but the tutor taught him to read and brought him to school. At school, because he was an orphan, he was looked down upon and bullied. However, there was one person who cared for him – the tutor's daughter."
"The tutor's daughter? She must have been very beautiful?" Murong Xiaoxiao asked.
"Yes..." Zhou Fugui looked at Murong Xiaoxiao and said, "She was obedient and lovely from childhood, and kind-hearted. The orphan studied with her at school, they grew up together, childhood sweethearts, innocent friends. They gradually developed feelings for each other and became lovers. But... but the orphan was too disappointing and didn't get into university, while she was admitted to a prestigious one."
"University? Prestigious university? What are those?" Murong Xiaoxiao asked in surprise.
"Uh... they are higher academies compared to private tutors," Zhou Fugui explained vaguely and continued, "Although she didn't look down on the orphan, he was a person who refused to admit defeat. So he joined the army. In the army, he studied diligently and trained rigorously, all for the day when he could be worthy of her, so that she wouldn't be ridiculed by others, in front of everyone or behind their backs."
"Officer Zhou..." Murong Xiaoxiao rested her chin on her hands, looking at the starry sky, "I think, if he has the heart, he is already worthy of the tutor's daughter."
"In this materialistic world, merely having a heart is far from enough," Zhou Fugui sighed, shaking his head.
"Materialistic? Isn't that just gold and silver? What's so rare about that?" Murong Xiaoxiao chuckled.
Of course, you wouldn't find it rare. Raised in luxury and accustomed to fine food and clothes since childhood, how could you understand the hardships of the world? Zhou Fugui thought to himself, shaking his head inwardly.
"And then? What happened to the orphan and the tutor's daughter? Did they end up together?" Murong Xiaoxiao asked.
"There are rules in the army. When you reach a certain age, you retire. After retirement, the orphan returned to his hometown. The tutor's daughter, having completed her studies, also returned to her hometown to teach, inheriting her father's profession. Thus, the orphan and she reunited in their hometown," Zhou Fugui replied.
"That's wonderful! They reunited in their hometown, surely lovers will eventually marry!" Murong Xiaoxiao clapped her hands and smiled happily.
"Alas, it's much better than my situation," Murong Xiaoxiao sighed afterwards.
"Lovers will eventually marry? Lovers will eventually marry? Heh, lovers will eventually marry..." Zhou Fugui recalled that bloody night, and his face contorted in pain, his expression extremely twisted.
"Officer Zhou, what's wrong? You look..." Previously, Zhou Fugui had always been gentle. This sudden ferocity and terror startled Murong Xiaoxiao, who looked at him in surprise and asked, "Officer Zhou, what's wrong? You look..."
"It's nothing, Xiaoxiao. Let's not talk about this story. Shall we talk about some other nice stories?" Zhou Fugui exhaled a long breath, trying to calm himself.
"No! Officer Zhou, did they get married or not?" Murong Xiaoxiao was reluctant to stop the story halfway.
"If you don't want to talk about it, don't. Why are you talking so much nonsense?" Zhou Fugui roared angrily, his eyes wide open, glaring fiercely at Murong Xiaoxiao.
Zhou Fugui had intended to comfort Murong Xiaoxiao, but unexpectedly, it had stirred up...
"If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. Why are you so fierce?" Murong Xiaoxiao flinched, her lips pouting, tears welling up. She said sadly, "They treated me like that, and you're even fiercer than them..."
"I..." Zhou Fugui felt a pang of regret. What did his own experiences have to do with Murong Xiaoxiao? Moreover, although Murong Xiaoxiao was of royal birth and had lived a life of luxury and privilege, she had lost her mother at a young age, and her background was rather pitiable. So Zhou Fugui quickly said to Murong Xiaoxiao, "Your Highness, it is my fault. Alas, you are still young and do not understand some things in this world."
"I'm already fourteen, I'm grown up, and I don't understand? What don't *you* understand?" Murong Xiaoxiao said, sobbing.
At fourteen, you're barely more than a child. What do you understand? Zhou Fugui couldn't help but find it amusing inwardly.
"Yes, I don't understand. But I do understand a story about a canary," Zhou Fugui said with a smile.
"A story about a canary? What is it?" Murong Xiaoxiao's interest was immediately piqued. She turned to Zhou Fugui and asked.
"Do you want to hear it?" Zhou Fugui asked with a smile.
"Yes!" Murong Xiaoxiao replied after giving Zhou Fugui a sidelong glance.
"If you want to hear it, sit properly," Zhou Fugui said, pointing to the spot beside him with a smile.
"Oh, oh..." Murong Xiaoxiao sat down close to Zhou Fugui again, propped her chin on her hands, and assumed the pose of someone listening to a story...
"There was once a princess with long hair, hair so long, so incredibly long, beyond human imagination," Zhou Fugui began slowly. "A long, long time ago, a witch named Gothel witnessed pure sunlight dripping to the ground, creating a magical golden flower. Singing to it could restore her youth and keep her forever young. So she kept the golden flower to herself for centuries. Centuries later, the queen of a neighboring kingdom became pregnant, but she fell gravely ill. The king ordered a search for the legendary golden flower. Guards found it on a desolate cliff. The queen drank the soup brewed from the flower and was miraculously healed, and safely gave birth to a golden-haired baby girl, the long-haired princess Rapunzel. The witch Gothel, upon learning that the golden flower had been consumed by the queen, sneaked into the palace at night, found the sleeping princess, and sang a lullaby to her. The princess's hair began to glow with a dazzling golden light, and Gothel regained her youth. But she also discovered that her magic would disappear if she cut the hair, and it would turn brown. So she took the infant and shut herself away in a secluded tower deep in the forest, raising her like a mother. Every year on the princess's birthday, the kingdom would send thousands of sky lanterns into the air, hoping to one day guide the lost princess back home..."
The story of the long-haired princess was captivating, full of twists and turns, thrilling and suspenseful, making it impossible to put down. Murong Xiaoxiao was completely enthralled.
...
Yang Yiting's Mansion, Tai Fu of Jiankang, Xia Capital
"Just because her hair is long, she thinks she's so great? Just because her hair is long, she can ride all over me? Wuji, she... she... what a shameless wretch, to bully your sister like this," Madam Hong, the Tai Fu's wife, cried to her cousin, Hong Wuji, in the mansion.
Xia Tai Fu Yang Yiting had recently taken a new concubine, Madam Wang. Madam Wang was young and beautiful, and her long, flowing hair especially pleased Yang Yiting, so he doted on her. Madam Wang, spoiled by his favor, gradually began to disregard the principal wife, Madam Hong. Conflicts between Madam Hong and Madam Wang were frequent in the mansion, with Madam Hong naturally being at a disadvantage and losing face in front of the servants. Thus, Madam Hong wept to her cousin, Hong Wuji.
"Sister, do not be angry. I have a way to make her comply," Hong Wuji said with a slight smile.
Since Hong Wuji had come to the Yang mansion, Yang Yiting had treated him like a steward, a servant, which he resented. He planned to take this opportunity to humiliate Yang Yiting and vent his anger.
"Yes, Wuji, what is your plan?" Madam Hong stopped crying and asked Hong Wuji.
"Sister, just do as I say, and she will surely comply," Hong Wuji whispered.
"Haha, brother, you are truly... truly..." Madam Hong couldn't help but laugh. "Wuji, if this succeeds, I will definitely recommend you to my father."
Madam Hong's father, Hong Mingyuan, was a Tai Pu Cheng with a salary of a thousand shi, a not insignificant official. This was also why, even though Yang Yiting was tired of Madam Hong, he dared not easily divorce her.
"Thank you, sister," Hong Wuji said joyfully, cupping his hands in a salute.
Serving as an official in the Xia court was Hong Wuji's ambition and desire. To achieve his goal, Hong Wuji would stop at nothing.
...
"Cousin, why are you here?"
Madam Wang, Yang Yiting's new concubine, sat by the window, combing her long hair, and asked a man in the room.
The man was Madam Wang's cousin, named Chang Qun.
"Sister, I heard you've gained favor with Grand Tutor Yang, so I've come to congratulate you," Chang Qun said obsequiously.
In reality, Chang Qun's purpose in coming was to secure his own future.
"What's there to congratulate?" Madam Wang said proudly. "Did you come for this?"
"Sister, though I am a dull person, I know that gaining favor should be followed by securing it. This item can help you secure favor," Chang Qun said, handing over a wooden box.
"What is this?" Madam Wang asked curiously, then opened the wooden box.
Inside the wooden box were an article of clothing and a small box of perfume.
The clothing was a ruqun, made of Shu brocade, embroidered with patterns of mountains, clouds, birds, and beasts, with gold and silver threads. It was covered with a layer of light gauze dusted with gold and silver powder. The ornaments were made of gold or jade. The embroidery was exquisite and the patterns were gorgeous. This was clothing that only noble women of Xia could wear, and only noble women were worthy of owning.
After opening the wooden box, Madam Wang happily caressed the ruqun, her fondness evident.
All women love beautiful clothes, from ancient times to the present, without exception.
"Sister, this perfume is famous. It's called 'Hundred Days' Charm', and it's from Zanzibar. Sister, if you use this 'Hundred Days' Charm', do you fear Grand Tutor Yang won't be glued to you all day?" Chang Qun said triumphantly, seeing Madam Wang's delighted expression.
"Thank you, cousin!" Madam Wang was even more overjoyed. Without regard for her cousin's presence, she held up the ruqun and began to compare it against herself.
When a woman sees beautiful clothing, she is always eager to try it on, from ancient times to the present, without exception.
Madam Wang, given her status, could not wear this ruqun meant for noble ladies outside. However, she could admire it in private.
"Haha, what a pair of adulterous lovers!"
Just as Madam Wang was putting on the ruqun, the door was suddenly kicked open. Hong Wuji, leading several burly house servants, burst in and laughed loudly.