Huang Laodie, Xiao Qing, and others were not important figures, so the Yan imperial court's surveillance was not very strict. Over time, they were allowed to live freely within Youzhou City.
However, freedom came with hardship. In Youzhou City, they were utterly alone, making their days agonizingly slow. Huang Laodie fell gravely ill, and there was no money for treatment. Xiao Qing was forced to sell herself to a restaurant to perform. It was after that she encountered Zhou Fugui and the Hu people he and his men subsequently killed. The events that followed were Zhou Fugui's robbery and murder, and the rescue of a damsel in distress.
"Xiao Qing is indebted to the young master for saving her. After returning home, my father... he... has already passed away, *sob sob sob*... Xiao Qing truly has nowhere to go, so she has come to seek the young master's protection." As Xiao Qing spoke of her sorrow, she began to cry softly again.
"Alas, pitiful, so pitiful. How many pitiful souls are there in this world!" Upon hearing her story, Zhou Fugui felt an immense pity for Xiao Qing's plight. He took her ice-cold hand and sat her down on his makeshift bed, then gently asked, "I told you not to call me young master. Xiao Qing, where are you from? Are you from Jiangnan? Do you have anyone else left?"
It was highly inappropriate for Xiao Qing to remain in the army. The army was preparing to march south to wage war against the Xia Kingdom. Once the war began, Zhou Fugui would be too preoccupied to care for her. And what if Zhou Fugui were to fall in battle or perish on the field… what would become of Xiao Qing then?
Furthermore, Zhou Fugui was merely a foot soldier in the Yan army, a signed soldier of Han ethnicity, holding the lowest position. Therefore, Zhou Fugui's desire to help Xiao Qing was severely limited by his own powerlessness.
The only feasible course of action was for Zhou Fugui to secretly escort Xiao Qing back to her homeland and family after the southward march. This would be the most proper and best way to help her.
"Young mas... Brother Fugui, Xiao Qing is from Qiantang. Brother Fugui, are you trying to send Xiao Qing away?" Xiao Qing's eyes welled up with tears, and she trembled, looking utterly pitiable.
"What are you saying? No matter how heartless I may seem, I wouldn't... " Zhou Fugui feared nothing on earth, but he couldn't bear to see women cry. Xiao Qing's pathetic state left Zhou Fugui flustered. He quickly said, "Alas, fine, I'll tell you the truth. You must know my situation. We are going to war after heading south. Blades and spears are indiscriminate; war always claims lives. If I were to meet my end, what would become of you? Therefore, the military is no place for you to stay long. Do you understand? Finding your family and returning you to their care, wouldn't that be the best outcome for you?"
Zhao Kuangyin once escorted Jing Niang a thousand miles. Zhou Fugui also planned to escort Xiao Qing a thousand miles…
"No, no, Brother Fugui is a good person. Good people are rewarded, you won't... won't perish..." Xiao Qing said anxiously.
Xiao Qing had known Zhou Fugui for a short time, but she had come to believe that despite his outwardly ruthless demeanor, he was a kind-hearted person. Otherwise, why would he have risked so much to rescue her? His subordinates had even suggested silencing her, but Zhou Fugui had firmly refused. Xiao Qing was deeply grateful for this and thus sought him out.
In fact, most of the events in Youzhou were a result of Zhou Fugui's youthful impetuousness and inability to endure a moment's insult, leading him to act with fatal force…
"Good people are rewarded? Rewarded with a hundred lashes?" Zhou Fugui chuckled self-deprecatingly, then pondered, "You're from Qiantang? So, you're from Jiangnan. Do you have anyone else at home? I'll see if I can send word."
"When I was five, my father passed away. My mother remarried. Before she remarried, she sold me into the palace. I haven't left the palace since, nor have I heard any news of my mother. I vaguely recall having an uncle, but I remember nothing else," Xiao Qing said softly and sadly.
"Bastard scum..." Zhou Fugui cursed upon hearing this. He then glanced at a startled Xiao Qing and said, "I wasn't cursing your mother... I was cursing this world. How difficult it is for common people to survive in this world! Xiao Qing, if you don't know any news of your family, this... this is difficult."
For now, all Zhou Fugui could do was to cross the river by feeling the stones and take things one step at a time, he thought helplessly.
"Mm..." Xiao Qing nodded silently.
"Neigh, neigh..." At that moment, the old horse outside suddenly neighed twice with delight.
"Mancang and the others are here," Zhou Fugui said with a smile upon hearing the sound.
Although Zhou Fugui's old horse was old and stubborn, and unfit for riding, it was quite intelligent. It would only neigh joyfully when his close friends arrived. If people like Green-haired Old Turtle were to appear, the horse would let out an angry or mournful neigh…
"Alas, Brother Fugui, you..." The arrivals were indeed Xu Mancang, Suo Dacheng, Pan Jianggui, and Li Qing. As Xu Mancang entered the room, he sniffed the air and grinned, saying, "Smells so good. Brother Fugui, you have a woman serving you, living quite a good life, eh, eh, eh…"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Zhou Fugui glared fiercely at Xu Mancang and reprimanded him before saying with a troubled expression, "I'm worried sick, and you're still in the mood to tease me?"
"What are you worried about?" Suo Dacheng asked disdainfully and gruffly.
He had only suffered minor injuries, had a donkey cart to ride along the way, and a beautiful young woman to attend to him while he recuperated. What could he possibly be worried about?
Suo Dacheng and the others had never had a woman attend to them in their lives, except for their family members.
"Alas, Xiao Qing cannot stay in the army for long. This is truly worrying me," Zhou Fugui said with a sigh, nodding towards Xiao Qing, who was huddled to the side.
The four men exchanged speechless glances.
*Serves you right to be worried sick,* Pan Jianggui thought disdainfully. *If you had listened to me that day and cut Xiao Qing in half, all this trouble would have been avoided, and we wouldn't be so anxious now.*
Xiao Qing, hiding to the side, looked at the ugly-faced Pan Jianggui with great fear but cast a grateful glance at Li Qing.
"Mm, it is indeed a bit troublesome," Li Qing said, glancing at Xiao Qing, and then asked Zhou Fugui, "Fugui, do you have any ideas?"
"What ideas could I have?" Zhou Fugui continued with a troubled expression. "Xiao Qing is from Qiantang, Jiangnan. She's been separated from her family for a long time, so we can't find them. Do any of you have any ideas?"
The four men shook their heads in unison, like four rattles…
Finally, Li Qing's mind sparked. After thinking for a moment, he said, "In these chaotic times, even if we knew where her family was, how could a weak woman go looking for them? The current plan is to let her continue to blend into the army temporarily. After we reach the south, we can find a suitable place to settle down, and then look for her family."
"That would be good." It was the only option available, so Zhou Fugui could only nod in agreement.
"Blending into the army might be good, but I fear that old donkey thief, Albugu," Suo Dacheng said.
"Mm, that fellow is indeed difficult to deal with," Zhou Fugui agreed.
"Fugui is right," Li Qing also said. "He's been picking fights recently, seizing every opportunity to either beat and scold us or extort money. We brothers dare not speak out against him, which is why we've come to seek your counsel today?"
"Seek my counsel?" Zhou Fugui shook his head. "When it comes to this Green-haired Old Turtle, what method could I possibly have?"
Everyone burst into laughter, and Xiao Qing by the side couldn't help but chuckle.
"Brother Fugui..." Xu Mancang clenched his fist and waved it vigorously, saying, "Why don't we just kill that old thief, just like in Youzhou!"
"What are you thinking?" Zhou Fugui shook his head vigorously. "This is not the same as then. Back in Youzhou, we didn't know those Hu people. It wouldn't have mattered if we killed them. After killing them, we could just leave, and what could they do to us? But now it's different. This old thief is a banner leader in the army. If he were to die mysteriously, someone would surely investigate. At that time, every one of us brothers would lose our heads."
"It would also implicate our families," Li Qing added.
The other three nodded vigorously.
"Then should we let him bully us to death?" Xu Mancang mumbled.
"Heh heh, not necessarily..." Zhou Fugui said with a cunning smile. "The mountains don't turn, but the water flows. That old thief will eventually fall into my hands. As they say, a direct arrow is easy to dodge, but a hidden dart is hard to guard against. We'll settle this on the battlefield."
Zhou Fugui's intention was clear: on the battlefield, amidst the chaos, he would secretly fire a cold arrow and kill the Green-haired Bastard.
Who would know then if he died in battle or was killed by Zhou Fugui? Even if it were discovered that Zhou Fugui killed him, Zhou Fugui could claim it was accidental friendly fire.
"If you want to drag the entire banner of fellow villagers to their deaths, then kill him," Pan Jianggui said with a sarcastic cold laugh, pouring a bucket of cold water on everyone.
"Hm? What do you mean?" Zhou Fugui asked in surprise.
"According to Yan army law, in battle, if the squad leader dies, the entire squad is executed. If the banner commander dies, the entire banner is executed. If the camp commander dies, the entire camp is buried with him. Do you think he can kill him or not?" Pan Jianggui replied.
"Holy hell!" Zhou Fugui exclaimed, letting out a curse no one understood. "So, you're saying that once this battle begins, we have to protect him?"
It seemed he would have to study the Yan army laws thoroughly in the future, otherwise, he wouldn't even know how he died, Zhou Fugui lamented inwardly.
"Isn't that right?" Li Qing sighed.
"Alas, what kind of situation is this?" Zhou Fugui shook his head again and sighed deeply.
At this point, everyone was helpless. Some remained silent, others sighed heavily, all without any solution.
"Everyone has a weakness. When he reveals it, we can seize the opportunity to end him!" Xiao Qing suddenly said softly.
Zhou Fugui and the other four were greatly astonished. Xiao Qing, who looked so delicate and timid, was actually able to utter such a sensible statement?
What Zhou Fugui did not know or realize was that the power struggles within the palace were far more intense than those in the military. The dangers, cruelty, cold-bloodedness, and deceit involved were far worse than in the military.
Compared to the palace, the military was actually much simpler.