"Boom!" Zhou Fugui pulled the Moon-Chasing Bow taut, a dull thud echoing from the string.
Zhou Fugui had been imprisoned in the Pijin City Court Jail for months, and it had been a long time since he had touched the Moon-Chasing Bow, drawn a bow, or loosed an arrow. Now, as he restrung the Moon-Chasing Bow and gently caressed it, he felt a surge of familiarity and a torrent of emotions.
The Moon-Chasing Bow seemed to possess a life of its own, its string humming in response to its master.
The Moon-Chasing Bow was Zhou Fugui's life, his means of survival and establishment in this world. With it, he had avenged his brother's murder and his sister's humiliation, and it was destined to be inseparable from him henceforth.
"Swish!"
Zhou Fugui then took an arrow, nocked it on the Moon-Chasing Bow, drew the bow as if embracing a full moon, and with a release of his right hand, the arrow flew like a meteor chasing the moon. At a hundred paces, a leaf from a weeping willow tree fell with a thud.
With his previous archery skills and two years of military service, Zhou Fugui could already hit a willow leaf at a hundred paces, and even push his skills further.
Bathed in the setting sun and the twilight glow, Xiao Qing leaned gracefully against a tree, quietly watching Zhou Fugui with a hint of sorrow in her heart.
Xiao Qing understood Zhou Fugui's inner turmoil, his burning injustice, his hatred for the world's unfairness, his desperate struggles, and his helplessness within those struggles.
Ever since Xiao Qing had known Zhou Fugui, her heart had ebbed and flowed with his emotions. When he was happy, she was happy; when he was joyful, she was joyful; when he was in pain, she suffered with him.
"Brother Fugui..." Zhou Fugui had loosed over ten arrows, causing a fine sheen of sweat to appear on his forehead. As soon as he stopped drawing the bow, Xiao Qing stepped forward and took out a silk scarf to wipe the sweat from his brow.
"Qing'er..." After the furious volley of arrows, Zhou Fugui's vexation had somewhat subsided. With a apologetic smile, he gently embraced Xiao Qing's slender waist.
Zhou Fugui always felt that Xiao Qing before him was the most real, while Murong Huiying seemed so ethereal and distant. Just the other day, Zhou Fugui had intended to end this ethereal entanglement, but he had only become more deeply ensnared, and at this very moment, he found himself utterly unable to extricate himself.
Entanglement, contradiction, regret, joy – all these emotions intertwined, like a tangled mess, leaving Zhou Fugui in a constant state of melancholy.
It was too difficult to untangle, too bothersome to sort out. So, why not just leave it be? Let it unfold as it would.
With a long sigh, Zhou Fugui felt a sense of relief wash over him. He then gently embraced Xiao Qing's waist and chuckled, "Why do you still use the same old address?"
"I... I..." Xiao Qing lowered her head, her face flushed.
"What 'I'?" Zhou Fugui chuckled. "After tonight's wedding night, you'll have a new title."
"Mmm..." Xiao Qing nodded shyly.
"Qing'er..." Zhou Fugui continued, addressing Xiao Qing, "I am truly grateful to you. Thank you for your understanding. I am not a devoted person, yet you still treat me so. I don't know what to say..."
Zhou Fugui sometimes hated himself for his indecisiveness in such matters. He couldn't bear to let go of one, nor could he bear to hurt the other. As the saying goes, one cannot have both the bear's paw and the fish. Yet Zhou Fugui was unwilling to give up either, and feared that in the end, both the bear's paw and the fish would be lost, leaving him with deep regret.
"Brother Fugui..." Xiao Qing looked up at Zhou Fugui, her voice gentle. "Please don't say any more. I understand. I understand everything."
Xiao Qing gazed at Zhou Fugui with adoration, her face alight with love.
"Mmm, let's go back." At this moment, words were futile. Zhou Fugui scooped Xiao Qing into his arms and walked towards their warhorse.
Even if Zhou Fugui could not formally marry Xiao Qing, he would give her the most beautiful wedding night today.
Xiao Qing shyly buried her face in Zhou Fugui's embrace.
Alas, fate intervened. Just as Zhou Fugui, holding Xiao Qing, was about to head home, Hu Tou came running, panting for breath.
"Uncle Two, Uncle Two... did you bully Little Qing Aunt again?" Hu Tou rushed up to Zhou Fugui and Xiao Qing, looking at them with surprise.
Zhou Fugui quickly placed Xiao Qing on the horse's saddle, then turned and playfully tapped Hu Tou on the head. "Little rascal, what bullying? It's... oh, right, you shouldn't call Xiao Qing Aunt anymore. You should call her your aunt."
"Ouch, Uncle Two, you always hit me! If you keep hitting me, I'll get stupid!" Hu Tou clutched his head and exclaimed. "Aunt? I won't call her Aunt. Little Qing Aunt has to ride in a bridal sedan chair, and we need to have a wedding banquet at home. Only after I eat the wedding candy can she become my Aunt."
"Little rascal, what is it?" Zhou Fugui asked, casting an apologetic glance at Xiao Qing.
Xiao Qing shook her head slightly and smiled, indicating she didn't mind.
"There are people at home," Hu Tou replied.
"Who?" Zhou Fugui asked as he mounted the horse.
"Hu Tou doesn't know who, but Mother said they are people from the palace and told you to hurry back," Hu Tou answered.
"The palace?" Zhou Fugui pondered the question with surprise for a moment, then flicked the reins, preparing to leave.
"Hey, hey, Uncle Two, what about me?" Hu Tou pointed at himself anxiously.
"You? Do you want to ride the horse?" Zhou Fugui asked with a smile, intentionally teasing him.
"Yes, why don't you two walk back, and Hu Tou will ride back alone," Hu Tou, though small, had a big heart and wanted to ride the horse alone, even though he was not yet as tall as the horse.
"Little rascal, be careful not to split your backside into two halves..." Zhou Fugui laughed, then extended his right leg and said, "Climb up."
Hu Tou clambered onto the horse's saddle by way of Zhou Fugui's right leg, wrapping his arms around the horse's thick neck and cheering, "Riding the big horse! Riding the big horse!"
"Little rascal, behave yourself!" Zhou Fugui said with a laugh, then gripped the reins, lightly squeezed the horse's flanks with his legs, and the warhorse let out a long whinny, its hooves flying as it galloped away.
Xiao Qing held tightly onto Zhou Fugui's waist, her face pressed against his chest, her beautiful eyes closed, savoring the scent of him.
...
"You are Zhou Fugui?"
A middle-aged eunuch named Zong Jiuling, accompanied by two junior eunuchs, arrived at Zhou Fugui's home. Zong Jiuling, with his nostrils flared and a disdainful look, sneered at Zhou Fugui and asked.
Eunuchs, men who had been castrated, served the emperor and his family within the palace. Therefore, eunuchs held two positions: they were household slaves of the emperor and also officials of the court, receiving salaries like other ministers.
The eunuch's autocratic power in the late Han Dynasty had thrown the empire into chaos and contributed to the collapse of the Han Dynasty. However, the eunuch's power in the Yan Dynasty was even more pronounced.
There were three main sources of eunuchs in Yan: first, captured eunuchs from enemy states, such as those captured from Xia. Xiao Qing's sworn brother was a eunuch captured and brought to Youzhou. Since he was old, he was not employed by the Yan court; second, some prisoners of war were castrated and assigned to the inner court; and the third group were those who voluntarily underwent castration to serve in the Yan inner court. In this world, there were many who "wielded the knife to their own harm" in pursuit of wealth and status, including Han people and people of Xianbei and other tribes. Zong Jiuling was a Xianbei who willingly underwent the procedure to enter the palace and secure a chance for himself and his family to rise.
The positions held by Yan eunuchs were also very extensive. In addition to traditional palace roles, they could also serve as chief officials of the ministries, ministers of various departments, generals, and provincial governors, with a far wider range of official positions than in the Han Dynasty.
Yan eunuchs possessed wealth and power, could marry and have children, and were educated. Many eunuchs had a basic understanding of classics and history, were familiar with official matters, and could decipher scholarly texts.
When people lose interest in one aspect, they invariably turn their interests to others, such as reading, painting, music, antiques, calligraphy, and paintings.
Therefore, Zong Jiuling was acting under orders and was quite puzzled. He naturally looked down upon Zhou Fugui, a man who had once been a mere minor general and was now a convict. At the same time, Zong Jiuling harbored a subtle intention to gain an advantage over Zhou Fugui.
Eunuchs, with their physical mutilation, also suffered from psychological incompleteness. They were afraid of being looked down upon by others, and their self-esteem was far greater than that of ordinary people.
"I am Zhou Fugui..." Zong Jiuling, with his nostrils flared and an arrogant demeanor, spoke. Zhou Fugui, however, was unperturbed. He bowed respectfully and said, "Your honorable presence graces my humble dwelling, and I am truly honored! May I ask the reason for your visit?"
As he spoke, Zhou Fugui discreetly placed a small packet of gold and silver into Zong Jiuling's hand.
Zhou Fugui had achieved numerous merits during his southern campaign against Xia and had received many rewards. The wealth he possessed at this time was not only enough to support his family but also to live a comfortable life.
Even if Zhou Fugui were short of funds, he could not afford to slight Zong Jiuling and the others. To put it bluntly, he had to curry favor with them.
Those from the inner court were close attendants to the emperor. A casual remark from them could elevate Zhou Fugui to high office or send him to the depths of hell.
Zhou Fugui lacked people, or rather, he lacked connections. And now, someone had come knocking at his door.
Having endured hardships, especially after the ordeal in Pijin City, Zhou Fugui had gradually transformed from naive and impulsive to steady and mature, like a young sapling, growing day by day.
Zhou Fugui's understanding of the world surprised Zong Jiuling and the others, and they were quite pleased.
Zong Jiuling's attitude underwent a 180-degree turn. He lifted a corner of the cloth packet, glanced at it briefly, and discreetly tucked it into his robe. Finally, his nostrils lowered, and he spoke in a gentle voice to Zhou Fugui, "A distinguished person wishes to see you. Come with us."
At such a young age, he was so understanding and worldly-wise. Zong Jiuling marveled inwardly. The small courtyard of his home looked dilapidated; could it be hiding immense wealth? Humph, it must be what he plundered during his southern campaign...
"Yes, please lead the way, esteemed sir," Zhou Fugui replied respectfully again.