"Fugui, we're almost there." Li Qing said excitedly to Zhou Fugui as they neared Xue Lin City and the other two passes.
"Mmm..." Zhou Fugui nodded, carrying the Heaven-Shaking Dragon Halberd diagonally, with a heavy sword at his waist and the Moon-Chasing Bow on his back. He rode his horse up a slope, followed closely by nearly a thousand soldiers of the White Tiger Battalion.
The journey out was perilous, and the journey back was fraught with danger. The way out was shrouded in mist, the future uncertain, and the return was a time of unpredictable fortunes. Zhou Fugui and his men dared not be careless. On their journey south, Zhou Fugui and his White Tiger Battalion had hardly disarmed or unsaddled their horses. Their nerves were stretched to the breaking point.
Fortunately, the journey had been eventful but safe. Aside from dealing with scattered stragglers and bandits, nothing major had occurred, and they were now about to reach Xue Lin City and the other two passes.
"Majestic passes remain, but how many iron-clad warriors return."
As Zhou Fugui ascended the slope, a long, gentle incline, he gazed upon the majestic Xue Lin City of the Great Yan Kingdom and couldn't help but sigh.
A hundred-zhang grand pass, with its tower corners reaching for the stars. The majestic Xue Lin City was still Xue Lin City, lying across the rugged mountains and standing on steep ice peaks, like a giant dragon. Yet, as Zhou Fugui saw it, it felt like a different era.
A year ago, Zhou Fugui had been ordered to breach the pass and harass the Xiongnu's rear. This harassment had lasted for over a year, leading them directly to the Xiongnu royal court, and even further north. Now, Zhou Fugui had finally returned to Xue Lin City, finally having the chance to reunite with his loved ones. How could he not be filled with emotion?
Of course, Zhou Fugui and his men only had the *chance* to reunite with their loved ones. Their current status was still that of convicts, banished to Xue Lin City for border defense due to their crimes. Without a decree from the Yan court, they could not return to You Prefecture to reunite with their families.
Of the two hundred Yan cavalry who followed Zhou Fugui, Li Qing, Xu Mancang, Suo Dacheng, Pan Jiugui, and others to harass the Xiongnu's rear, not all had their good fortune. Of the two hundred Yan cavalry, only a little over fifty returned. The rest were buried beyond the frontier, becoming wandering souls.
The nearly one thousand soldiers of the White Tiger Battalion under Zhou Fugui's command were mostly beast tamers and willing slaves, such as Pi E and An Minghai.
Zhou Fugui and his men had fought for over a year. Could the pain, sorrow, anger, regret, joy, heartache, and other emotions they experienced be summarized in a single sentence?
"Two hundred cavalry went, and nearly a thousand returned," Li Qing said with a smile. "Fugui, you've achieved great merit this time. The court will surely reward you handsomely."
As for that person's betrayal, Li Qing was rather pleased.
"A handsome reward?" Zhou Fugui shook his head. "The court is full of intrigue and deception. Who knows whether those lords will deem us meritorious or culpable?"
If not for his family, and for the one he loved most, Zhou Fugui would not have wanted to return to the Great Yan Kingdom at all. He would have preferred to remain on the grasslands, associating with those fierce but straightforward grassland warriors.
Zhou Fugui's insistence on leaving the grasslands and leaving Linyue now brought a hint of regret.
"They'll have to let us go home, won't they?" Xu Mancang said. "If I can go home, my parents will surely find me a wife. Otherwise, it will be too late."
"Brother Mancang, what will be too late?" Yang Xinhong asked.
"Well, following him means having your head tied to your belt," Xu Mancang said, nodding towards Zhou Fugui. "I'm not afraid of dying, but I'm afraid of dying without descendants."
"Hahahaha!" They were close to home, and everyone was in high spirits, so they all burst into laughter.
"Mancang, you've corrupted so many female slaves, and the่ญ่ of that fat pig's women, surely you can still leave offspring?" Pan Jiugui said with a sarcastic tone.
"Haha, old ghost is right," Wei Xiazi said with a laugh. "Is it that you, Mancang, are impotent? Or should old Wei give you a treatment?"
Pan Jiugui and Wei Xiazi had been "dragged down" by Xu Mancang and still held grudges, often resorting to sarcasm whenever they had the chance.
"Hahahaha!" The brothers burst into laughter again at this.
"Old ghost, blind man, you two are always picking on me, aren't you?" Xu Mancang's face flushed red with anger. "I'm a Han man, how can I have descendants with barbarians?"
"Oh, so you, Xu Mancang, can control yourself at will?" Pan Jiugui said with a smile.
"Yes, yes, Brother Mancang is shooting arrows with a purpose," Wei Xiazi nodded repeatedly.
Everyone present secretly found this amusing and displayed lewd smiles.
"Uncle Pan, Uncle Wei, Brother Xu, what do they taste like?" Yeli Hu, who had just turned eighteen and had never experienced the scent of women, asked, licking his lips.
The foreign monk Hu Jue and the Central Plains monk Xue Wentai were much the same as Yeli Hu, wanting to ask but feeling a bit too ashamed.
"What taste? Fragrant..." Xu Mancang said, smiling as he put an arm around Yeli Hu. "Greasy and plump, quite potent! I say, young brother Yeli, when we get back to You Prefecture, I'll find you two young ladies from You Prefecture, and you'll know. I tell you, you'll need to consult your brother here then. I'll teach you a couple of secret techniques, and you'll be utterly blissful..."
"Hahahaha!" The brothers burst into laughter again.
Men in the army were almost all rough folk, with few scholars and gentlemen. Thus, coarse language and discussions of women, wealth, and the like were common occurrences.
"Slap!" Zhou Fugui could no longer contain himself. He reversed the Heaven-Shaking Dragon Halberd and tapped Xu Mancang on the back. "You oaf, what nonsense are you spouting? What barbarians? What young ladies? What blissful ecstasy? You're corrupting the child! See if I don't deal with you!"
I am of Han and Di descent, so I could be considered a barbarian... Zhou Fugui thought to himself, feeling depressed.
"General Zhou, I'm not a child anymore," Yeli Hu said, puffing out his sturdy chest.
"Haha, young brother Yeli is not a child anymore, he can get married," Xu Mancang said with a loud laugh.
"You oaf, you can't go three sentences without mentioning your business, can you?" Zhou Fugui reprimanded Xu Mancang.
"You're a full man who doesn't know the hunger of an empty man..." Xu Mancang muttered under his breath.
"Slap!"
"Ouch!"
"Hahahaha!"
Zhou Fugui moved the Heaven-Shaking Dragon Halberd again. This time, instead of hitting Xu Mancang's back, he hooked it around his leg. Xu Mancang cried out in surprise and fell off his horse. Everyone present burst into laughter.
"Fugui, someone's coming!" As the brothers were playfully bantering, Suo Dacheng said to Zhou Fugui, looking towards Xue Lin City.
"Wuwuwu..."
"Tongtongtong..."
On the majestic city walls of Xue Lin City, countless large drums were beaten simultaneously, and countless horns were blown. Amidst the sounds of drums and horns, the gates of Xue Lin City were opened wide, and countless soldiers and horses poured out.
Two cavalry units emerged in succession, arrayed on either side. These two units were the most elite cavalry under the command of Yan Border Generalissimo Hu Yan Sheng. One was named "Eagle Soaring," and the other was "Tiger Leap." Their leader was Hu Yan Sheng's personal guard commander, Zhonglang General Tu Tis.
Tu Tis had already spotted Zhou Fugui and his men from afar. He smiled, waved, and then rode his horse, drawing his saber, to the side. A path opened up. After the two banner poles, dozens of Yan generals escorted a white-bearded old general out of Xue Lin City.
Yan Ning Shuo San Bo, General of the Left, Governor of Gui Gu Pass, Qi Lin Pass, and Xue Lin City, Hu Yan Sheng, personally came out of the pass to welcome Zhou Fugui.
"Solitary and Brave Zhou Fugui!"
"Might! Might! Might!"
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
The three armies of the Yan Border Pass opened their gates wide, welcoming Zhou Fugui and his warriors. On and below the pass, countless Yan soldiers brandished their weapons and shouted loudly, their voices shaking Xue Lin City and the surrounding wilderness. The citizens of the city also rushed out of their homes, lining both sides of the street, wanting to see what this brave general who had turned the Xiongnu upside down looked like, whether he had three heads and six arms, or a green face and fangs...
However, the only less impressive aspect was Zhou Fugui's name. It was full of festivity but lacked martial grandeur... If it were Zhou Yide, Zhou Yunchang, or Zhou Zilong, perhaps just stating their names would have frightened people out of their wits and made them lose all composure...
"Giddy up..." Seeing Hu Yan Sheng, Hou Zhongluo, and other officials and generals standing outside the pass gate, Zhou Fugui hastily whipped his steed twice and rode at a gallop towards the gate.
"Great Governor, Marquis Protector, esteemed sirs, greetings!" Zhou Fugui dismounted, knelt on one knee, performed a military salute, and said, "By what virtue or merit do I, this junior general, deserve such an honorable reception from the Great Governor, the Marquis Protector, and all of you esteemed lords and soldiers? I am filled with trepidation!"
The Yan officials and generals present nodded secretly in approval.
Zhou Fugui had rendered great service to the Great Yan Kingdom, yet he did not boast of his achievements or act arrogantly. Such humility and politeness were truly rare.
"Fugui, rise quickly. You have worked hard," Hu Yan Sheng said, walking up to Zhou Fugui and helping him up with a smile.
Hu Yan Sheng's words were few, but the concern in them was evident.
"Great Governor, to be loyal to the nation and serve one's superiors is the duty of a general. There is no hardship to speak of," Zhou Fugui said, adopting a look of unwavering loyalty.
"Good, General Zhou possesses a loyal heart and is devoted to his sovereign. Truly a loyal subject!" Hou Zhongluo exclaimed in praise and then said to Hu Yan Sheng with a smile, "Governor, it seems we need to change how we address General Zhou."
"Official Hou speaks wisely," Hu Yan Sheng nodded with a smile.
Hearing this, Zhou Fugui was utterly bewildered and looked at the two of them with surprise.
"Zhou Fugui, Xu Mancang, Suo Dacheng, Pan Jiugui, Li Qing, Yi Jisheng, Yang Xinhong, Wu Tianqi, Hu Yuan, Wei Xiazi, Chen Kunkun, Hong Wei, Baimawu, and other generals, receive this decree." Hou Zhongluo said to Zhou Fugui and the others with a smile.
"Your humble subject receives the decree!" Zhou Fugui and the others dismounted and knelt on one knee on the ground before the pass.
"Cough... Hmph... Cough..." Hou Zhongluo then took out an imperial edict, coughed twice, and read aloud: "By the mandate of Heaven and the harmony of time, we receive this enlightened command. Zhou Fugui of Luming Township, You Prefecture, Suo Dacheng, Li Qing, Xu Mancang; Baimawu of Bai Ma, Xihe Prefecture; Xue Wentai and others from Guanzhong; and especially Brigadier General Zhou Fugui, who, with few men and no loose talk, dared to take on great responsibility. He led his troops to attack the Xiongnu in the northern desert, his bravery like a whirlwind, advancing with great strides, striking like lightning and thundering like thunder, watering his horse in the great desert, upholding the nation's righteousness, fulfilling his duty with loyalty, and establishing his name abroad..."
The imperial edict was rambling and verbose, saying a lot of words. In short, it was about promotion and advancement.