Zhou Fugui arrived in this place of unknown dynasty and was knocked unconscious by a blunt stick from the Duan family. Later, the Qin family broke off the engagement, and he was forced into the Yan army.
Zhou Fugui was naturally filled with anger and resentment. He hated the Duan family for their arrogance and bullying, resented the Qin family for their snobbery, and detested the Yan dynasty's forced conscription. However, it wasn't to the point of deep-seated hatred or sworn enmity at this moment.
What Zhou Fugui truly loathed was the Yan army's widespread slaughter and indiscriminate killing of innocents. He hated being a pawn, hated being forced to fight against the Xia army. And at this very moment, the chief culprit forcing him to attack Guangling Commandery was Murong Huaying's father, Murong Bole. Thus, Zhou Fugui hated Murong Bole, and by extension, Murong Huaying.
Yet, Murong Huaying had covered up Zhou Fugui's crime of killing Hu people and had saved Xiao Qing. Therefore, Zhou Fugui was unsure whether to hate her or be grateful to her. Faced with Murong Huaying's question, Zhou Fugui genuinely didn't know how to answer.
Moreover, Murong Huaying was a maiden as beautiful as a celestial being, and Zhou Fugui was a man with a lustful disposition. Therefore, at this moment, Zhou Fugui felt more gratitude than animosity towards Murong Huaying.
"Princess, I do not hate you," Zhou Fugui said to Murong Huaying. "I am too grateful for your great kindness to harbor any hatred. If there is hatred, I hate heaven and earth, and the injustice of fate!"
"You hate heaven and earth, you hate the injustice of fate? You dare to hate heaven and earth? How truly..." Murong Huaying looked at Zhou Fugui, trying to discern the truth in his words, and asked softly, "How is your fate unjust? Deputy General Zhou, you have risen from a mere soldier to a deputy general of our Great Yan in such a short time. Others must be filled with envy. In this world, there are far too many people whose fates are more tragic than yours. Do they not lament the injustice of fate? Deputy General Zhou, why do you always seem so insatiable?"
"Do you think I care about this damned deputy general title?" Zhou Fugui became somewhat angry upon hearing this. He pointed his horsewhip towards the distance and said, "I... I simply don't care. What I care about is that these lords, sitting high above, indulging in debauchery and exploiting the common people all day long, are forcing us to the bloody battlefield. And I am forced to endure this bloodshed and brutality!"
"Who are you referring to? How much do you understand of court affairs?" Murong Huaying gave Zhou Fugui a sidelong glance and said softly, "You can say these things to me, but you must never let anyone else hear them. Deputy General Zhou, you say our army is brutal and ruthless, don't you? But Deputy General Zhou, in warfare, both sides employ any means necessary. If our army is brutal and ruthless, are they not the same?" "Yesterday, they killed over three hundred of our Yan soldiers. Their heads are still proudly displayed on the battlements of Guangling Commandery city."
"Serves them right!" Zhou Fugui couldn't help but sneer.
The Yan generals invaded south, and the Xia people rose to resist. Any means used were understandable. However, as Murong Huaying said, in war, both sides employed any means necessary.
"Hmph, what are you smiling at?" Murong Huaying asked somewhat angrily when she saw Zhou Fugui sneer.
"I'm laughing at your ignorance of brutality and bloodshed..." Zhou Fugui continued to sneer, "You don't realize that winning every battle is not the highest form of skill; subduing the enemy without fighting is. Furthermore, the best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans; next best is to attack their alliances; next best is to attack their army; and the worst is to attack their cities."
"Hmph, the Art of War, what's so remarkable about that?" Murong Huaying also snorted coldly. "You people from the Central Plains only know about kindness and virtue, like Duke Xiang of Song, who showed benevolence and allowed his enemy to retreat, only to suffer a great defeat and become a laughingstock for eternity."
"What's wrong with benevolence?" Zhou Fugui retorted. "I only know that benevolence, virtue, righteousness, kindness, and propriety can last, while bloodshed and brutality can only be fierce for a time, not a lasting plan. This has been true since ancient times! As for Duke Xiang of Song... *Pfft*... Hahaha..."
As Zhou Fugui spoke of Duke Xiang of Song, he suddenly couldn't help but burst into laughter, spitting out some saliva, a few drops of which even landed on Murong Huaying's delicate face...
"Ah, what are you laughing at again? Laugh if you want, but why are you spitting... water? It smells so bad..." Murong Huaying hastily wiped her face with her sleeve, complaining as she did.
Men and women should not touch. In such a situation, if it were a woman from Jiangnan, she would be mortified and furious...
"Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help it for a moment..." Zhou Fugui apologized repeatedly. "Shall I wipe it for you?"
"No need to trouble yourself..." Although Murong Huaying was a daughter of the grasslands, she knew Zhou Fugui was trying to take advantage of her. She gave him a fierce glare and asked, "What couldn't you help?"
"If I were Duke Xiang of Song, I would have routed the Chu army, routed them until they fled in disarray, and shown no mercy. Only after achieving a great victory would I discuss benevolence and righteousness." Zhou Fugui chuckled again.
Seeing Zhou Fugui laughing again, Murong Huaying hastily raised her sleeve to cover her face, revealing only her eyes, and snorted, "Hmph, hypocritical benevolence!"
"Hahaha!" Zhou Fugui couldn't help but burst into laughter again at Murong Huaying's comical expression, and of course, spittle flew everywhere. Zhou Fugui laughed heartily, "Whether it's true benevolence or hypocritical benevolence, can we not discuss such heavy topics today? Princess Ziyue, what is your age?"
"I..." Murong Huaying almost fell for it. She gave Zhou Fugui another sidelong glance and said, "I won't tell you."
"Deputy General Zhou..." Murong Huaying, seeing Zhou Fugui already teasing her, was unwilling to be outdone. Her dark, lustrous eyes twinkled as she said, "However, if you do something for me, I'll tell you, how about that?"
"What is it? Just command me, Princess," Zhou Fugui asked.
"Horse racing!" Murong Huaying twitched the reins of her horse and puffed out her well-formed chest, then smiled.
Zhou Fugui's horsemanship was too mediocre, wasn't it? He had just fallen off his horse. Murong Huaying thus intended to exploit his weakness and make him look like a complete fool again.
"Horse racing?" Zhou Fugui chuckled, unafraid. His gaze swept over Murong Huaying from head to toe like a scanner, and he said with a smile, "There must be stakes in any wager. What if you win, what if you lose? You must offer some stakes, right?"
This woman is truly a heavenly beauty! Zhou Fugui sighed inwardly after his appraisal.
During their heated debate earlier, Zhou Fugui hadn't had the leisure to properly observe Murong Huaying. Now that he had the chance, how could he not feast his eyes?
Murong Huaying didn't know whether to dodge or not, to get angry or not to get angry. In short, she felt extremely uncomfortable, her face flushing and paling alternately. She glared fiercely at Zhou Fugui and asked, "As for the stakes, what do you want?"
Murong Huaying had given Zhou Fugui countless sidelong glances today, but Zhou Fugui treated them as winks...
"Two warhorses, no, five warhorses, plus five fat sheep, how about that?" Zhou Fugui thought for a moment.
"Agreed. And if you lose?" Murong Huaying nodded without hesitation.
What Zhou Fugui asked for was a large sum of wealth to him, but to Murong Huaying, it was merely a matter of a word.
"Haha, what do you think I have?" Zhou Fugui spread his hands and laughed.
"Hmph, I figured you wouldn't have anything valuable," Murong Huaying snorted. "If you lose, you are not allowed to marry Xiao Qing."
"Xiao Qing? Why?" Zhou Fugui asked, greatly surprised.
Zhou Fugui had always considered Xiao Qing as his sister and had never thought of marrying her. Zhou Fugui was perplexed as to why Murong Huaying suddenly brought her up. And why forbid him from marrying Xiao Qing?
"What business is it of yours?" Zhou Fugui chuckled inwardly.
In Zhou Fugui's current predicament, did he still have the luxury of thinking about marrying and having children? If he could survive and return to Youzhou alive, it would be like his ancestors' graves emitting blue smoke.
"If you're not allowed, then you're not allowed," Murong Huaying said, lifting her lotus-like chin.
"Okay, okay, as a princess commands, how dare I disobey?" Zhou Fugui said, resting his right hand on his chin and pondering. "However, it seems I'm at a great disadvantage here. Hmm, no, the stakes need to be adjusted."
"Zhou Fugui, you're going back on your word!" Murong Huaying said angrily.
"Did we sign a contract? How can I be going back on my word?" Zhou Fugui chuckled and shook his head.
"A gentleman's word is his bond!" Murong Huaying retorted.
"A gentleman? Heh heh, I don't consider myself a gentleman. Since I'm not a gentleman, there's no such thing as a gentleman's word," Zhou Fugui chuckled.
"You... What else do you want?" Murong Huaying was almost driven to death by Zhou Fugui. She pointed at him and asked.
What kind of person is this? Murong Huaying thought to herself. Earlier, when discussing grand principles, he appeared like a righteous gentleman, but in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a cunning villain. The change was too rapid!
"That's more like it, Princess, please listen as I explain in detail..." Zhou Fugui said.
Thus, after haggling, they increased the stakes for the wager to twenty warhorses and fifty cattle and sheep each.
"A gentleman's word?" With the stakes decided, Zhou Fugui became a gentleman again...
"Hmph, his word is his bond!" Murong Huaying snorted. "Do you see that tree ahead? I'll let you go first. Whoever arrives last loses. How about it? If you lose, don't renege!"
Murong Huaying pointed with her horsewhip to a willow tree, which was over three hundred paces away.
"Haha, renege?" Zhou Fugui laughed heartily upon hearing this. "Reneging is not my style, but..."
"What new trick are you pulling now? But what?" Murong Huaying asked.
"But... hahaha..." Zhou Fugui chuckled. "But I'm not racing anymore..."
Saying this, Zhou Fugui whipped his horse and rode back.
Knowing he couldn't win, why would he race against her? It's not he who will be embarrassed, but himself, Zhou Fugui thought to himself.
There were still over a hundred cavalry from the Huolie Camp watching them from not far away.
"Zhou Fugui, stop right there!"
After half an hour of haggling, the stakes of the wager were finally set, and Zhou Fugui was actually backing out? Wasn't this bullying?
Murong Huaying was almost crying with anger, wishing she could draw her saber and hack Zhou Fugui off his horse.
People say Han people are cunning and unpredictable. Now it seems to be true, Murong Huaying thought to herself as she chased after him.