"Young Master Fu Gui, my two sisters, I didn't... I meant..." Xiao Qing blushed and stammered.
"Didn't what?" Zhou Fu Gui chuckled secretly upon seeing her reaction. He took the tray from Xiao Qing's hands, placed it on the wooden table, and asked with a smile, "Did you miss me? Or do you want to join?"
Zhou Fu Gui's words caused all three women to blush. They secretly chided Zhou Fu Gui for being shameless.
Xiao Qing, with a flushed face, pinched Zhou Fu Gui hard on the waist.
Xiao Qing had witnessed the "sleeping together under a large quilt" incident before, so she wasn't particularly surprised, only shy.
"You ate pork and want beef, then beef and want donkey meat. You're truly insatiable," Fei Yun said with a pout.
"Haha, are you pork, beef, or donkey meat?" Zhou Fu Gui pinched Fei Yun's rosy cheek and laughed. "This is called 'asking for the moon after conquering the stars.' My ladies, it's too hot. Let's go outside and watch the moon to cool off."
Playing and joking with his three concubines relaxed Zhou Fu Gui considerably, alleviating some of his sorrow.
"It's already autumn, and it's still hot? Young Master Fu Gui, be careful not to catch a cold," Xiao Qing said, draping a silk robe over Zhou Fu Gui.
The golden-bordered silk robe was light and warm. Thanks to Prince Murong Hong of the Eastern Sea, Zhou Fu Gui was experiencing such luxurious attire for the first time.
"Xiao Qing, you wouldn't understand..." Zhou Fu Gui put his arm around Xiao Qing's slender waist and walked out, explaining, "In places like Sanguan and the border regions, snow is already falling heavily by autumn. It's freezing cold, enough to frostbite your fingers. After staying in Sanguan for too long, coming to the south feels like moving from an ice cave to a furnace."
"Young Master Fu Gui, you've truly suffered," Xiao Qing said softly, gently stroking Zhou Fu Gui's temples with affection.
"What hardship has he faced? With us sisters serving him, what hardship could he have?" Fei Yun laughed. "Besides, it might be cold, but it's not like here. I always feel damp all over, and there are so many mosquitoes and flies, it's driving me crazy..."
The northern climate was dry, while the southern climate was humid. Hot and humid weather naturally bred mosquitoes and flies.
"No wonder, no wonder... 'I suspect it's the Milky Way falling from the nine heavens, a torrent plunging straight down three thousand feet,'" Zhou Fu Gui said with a sly grin.
Liu Xia and Fei Yun didn't understand Zhou Fu Gui's meaning. They looked at him in surprise, then at Xiao Qing.
"Sister, what does he mean?" Fei Yun asked Xiao Qing.
"I... he... he's just teasing you," Xiao Qing replied, blushing and stammering.
"Bang! Ouch!" Hearing this, Fei Yun punched Zhou Fu Gui's chest, which was as hard as a rock. Her hand and wrist ached from the impact. In the end, she simply jumped onto Zhou Fu Gui like an octopus, wrestling with him and chiding, "I knew you wouldn't say anything good."
"Sister Fei Yun, don't be so boisterous in front of Madam Ru," Liu Xia, who was delicate and steady, unlike the cheerful and lively Fei Yun, said, fearing she might displease Xiao Qing. She pulled Fei Yun off Zhou Fu Gui and said, "Madam Ru, please don't misunderstand. The General is kind and benevolent, so... when we were in Snow Frost City, the General actually spent very little time with us. He was mostly in the camp or fighting outside. It's only now that we... we are with him..."
"I... I... I'm not Madam Ru... What business is it of mine that you are with him... with him...?" Xiao Qing's face turned as red as a piece of red cloth.
Despite this, Xiao Qing suddenly felt an unusual sweetness. The reason was simple: Zhou Fu Gui had acknowledged her, and he had even brought her along when the army marched south.
Logically, a general should not bring concubines when leading an army, as it could affect morale. However, the situation at this time was exceptionally special.
"Master, Grand Madam, Second Madam, Third Madam." As Zhou Fu Gui, Xiao Qing, Liu Xia, and Fei Yun passed through the door and arrived at the terrace, the attending maids bowed in greeting.
The Prince of the Eastern Sea's mansion was, of course, filled with women. There were concubines, ladies-in-waiting, maids, servants, cooks, and so on, totaling seven to eight hundred people. Many of them had fled when the Eastern Sea County was conquered, leaving over two hundred. Zhou Fu Gui had kept them all and comforted them.
The former mansion of the Prince of the Eastern Sea, now the Grand Governor's mansion of the Yan Army, had only four masters: Zhou Fu Gui, Xiao Qing, Liu Xia, and Fei Yun. They hardly needed so many people to serve them. Yet, Zhou Fu Gui had kept them, and they became the servants of the Grand Governor's mansion. The reason was similar to that of Wang Jian of the Great Qin. Moreover, many of them had grown up in the mansion since childhood and wouldn't know how to survive if forced to leave.
Caution and prudence were the ways to survive in this world.
When the army stormed the mansion of the Prince of the Eastern Sea, the maids were naturally terrified. In the chaos of battle, they would be the first to suffer. However, Grand Governor Zhou Fu Gui was exceptionally kind and treated them well. This gave some of the beautiful and young women a glimmer of hope.
Young, handsome, high-ranking, and with only three concubines – who wouldn't like him? Who wouldn't wish for a chance to transform from a commoner into a phoenix?
"Prepare some fruits and tea," Zhou Fu Gui instructed, nodding.
Zhou Fu Gui and his three concubines then sat on the terrace, enjoying fine wine, fragrant tea, and fruits, while admiring the night view of Eastern Sea County.
The terrace extended towards a lake. The Grand Governor's mansion had an artificial lake, and the bright moon hung above the lake, reflecting its brilliance on the rippling water. A gentle breeze blew, bringing a sense of peace and exhilaration.
The terrace was spacious, featuring rockeries, potted plants, and nurseries, even a greenhouse and a small stage. There was also a hexagonal pavilion. It was exceptionally luxurious, astonishing even Xiao Qing, who had been a palace maid.
Zhou Fu Gui, Xiao Qing, Liu Xia, and Fei Yun knelt in the hexagonal pavilion, chatting while admiring the bright moon in the sky and the shimmering lake.
"I will never marry in this life," Zhou Fu Gui said, gazing intently at the three women.
Xiao Qing nestled closely to Zhou Fu Gui's left, her soft body comforting his wounded heart. Liu Xia did the same, leaning close to Zhou Fu Gui's right, her small hands nervously twisting her skirt hem.
Fei Yun propped her chin on her hands, her elbows resting on the low table. Her large eyes, unlike those of Han women, blinked rapidly as she watched Zhou Fu Gui, wondering about the meaning of his words and if he spoke from his heart.
They had known about Zhou Fu Gui's affair with Murong Huiying for a long time, especially Xiao Qing, who knew everything.
"However, rest assured, I am by no means heartless or unrighteous..." Zhou Fu Gui then said to the three women, "If you follow me, you are my women. Although my concubines are humble, I will not regard you as such, but as wives. And I will never allow others to bully you. But Xiao Qing, Liu Xia, Fei Yun, my life is destined to be one of constant wandering, and danger will always accompany me. Have you thought this through?"
"Husband..." Xiao Qing said tearfully, "I was a woman of the world. Without you, I would surely wither and die in the dust. I am willing to serve you my entire life; what danger should I fear?"
"Husband, can I call you Husband?" Liu Xia also said, "Fei Yun and I were sold like goods since childhood, wandering aimlessly and suffering greatly. In the imperial eunuch's palace, we were treated worse than livestock. After following Husband, we finally learned that there are good people in this world. I am willing to die for Husband; what danger should I fear?"
"That undead pervert, you don't need to be polite to him," Zhou Fu Gui said, patting Xiao Qing's and Liu Xia's cheeks. He then asked Fei Yun, "And you?"
Fei Yun rolled her eyes at Zhou Fu Gui and said, "Isn't it a bit late for you to say all this now?"
"Hehe, it is a bit late..." Fei Yun's personality was like this, and Zhou Fu Gui didn't mind. He smiled awkwardly and said, "A country has its laws, and a family has its rules. If you enter my Zhou family, you should still have some rules, shouldn't you?"
"What rules?" the three women asked in unison.
"Hehehe, that is..." Zhou Fu Gui chuckled and then revealed the rules.
"Husband..." Xiao Qing and Liu Xia, with blushing faces, pushed Zhou Fu Gui together and chided him.
"You are truly shameless!" Fei Yun, however, put her hands on her hips and glared at Zhou Fu Gui.
"What I did is much wilder than your sister, and you call me shameless?" Zhou Fu Gui laughed.
Xiao Qing stared blankly at Zhou Fu Gui and Fei Yun, utterly confused.
Zhou Fu Gui whispered something in Xiao Qing's ear.
"Ah!" Having her embarrassing moment revealed by Zhou Fu Gui in public, Fei Yun's wild nature erupted, and she pounced on Zhou Fu Gui again, wrestling with him, only to be caught by Zhou Fu Gui...
"Slap! Slap! Slap!" Zhou Fu Gui pinned Fei Yun across his knees, raised his palm, as large as a cattail fan, and spanked her repeatedly on the bottom, feigning "anger" as he said, "Disrespectful and impudent! Today, I'll teach you, little wildcat, what our Zhou family's rules are!"
"Ouch, ouch, help! Husband, spare me, spare me, sob sob..." Fei Yun knew Zhou Fu Gui wasn't truly angry, but she was spanked so hard that she begged for mercy and finally burst into tears.
"Husband, Husband, spare her." Liu Xia quickly tried to intervene but was pulled down by the strong Zhou Fu Gui. Finally, Xiao Qing was also dragged over, and they all "administered family law" together...
The four of them wrestled playfully, which significantly eased the pent-up frustration in Zhou Fu Gui's chest, making him forget many things and many people. Or rather, Zhou Fu Gui intentionally wanted to forget many things and many people.
But some things and some people in this world cannot be forgotten just because you wish to forget them.
.........
"Go, hurry! It'll be too late!"
Just as Zhou Fu Gui and Xiao Qing, Liu Xia, and Fei Yun were playfully romping, the Xianbei cavalry in Eastern Sea County rode out of the city and galloped north.
Only over ten thousand Snow Bear soldiers remained in Eastern Sea County.