Fish Meat – Chapter 133
by Little PandaThe First Year of Zhao Wu
The Path of Ten Thousand Directions (12)
Mengda Khan did not leave, standing on the city wall cheering and encouraging Zhen Wenjun. The usually timid king this time, facing the powerful and cruel Kelayi, did not hide, but instead stepped forward, which deeply moved the soldiers. Although they did not know that their king was not cheering for them, but for their future queen, the soldiers still felt greatly emboldened. Under the command of Zhen Wenjun and the cooperation of the Da Yu soldiers, they were able to fend off the waves of attacks from Kelayi.
The State Preceptor stood on high, shouting and yelling, both worried and delighted, almost falling down, but was luckily pulled back by Xiaohua.
Xiaohua effortlessly pulled the State Preceptor back with one hand, and when the State Preceptor looked back, she realized Xiaohua did not care about her life at all – she only saved her out of convenience.
The State Preceptor had not seen such a strong, cold, and handsome woman in a long time. Xiaohua’s robust figure was unparalleled, even by the mightiest warriors of Liuhuo. As a fellow woman, the State Preceptor blushed.
“May I ask the warrior’s name?”
It has been about 25 years since the State Preceptor last saw a woman as beautiful as the one from Da Yu 25 years ago, who called herself “Ruan family’s Ah Qun”. She was like a goddess, and her long sword could pierce through anything… The State Preceptor admired Ruan family’s Ah Qun greatly, but found the name of this warrior rather strange.
“As far as I know, the people of Da Yu often have surnames, names, and even courtesy names. Why is the warrior’s name so strange?” The State Preceptor was a curious person and asked when she did not understand.
“That is a man’s name in Da Yu. In Da Yu, only men have names and surnames, as well as courtesy names. For women… it depends on whether their parents have the intention to name them.” Ruan family’s Ah Qun sat on a black steed, the spirited horse with a dragon’s mane, and Ah Qun herself was graceful, with elegant brows, jade-like face, and eyes like stars. But there was a deep sorrow in her eyes, gazing into the distance, seemingly waiting for someone or something.
“My name is Xiaohua,” Xiaohua replied calmly.
An even more puzzling name for the State Preceptor.
Such an extraordinary beauty, yet her name is Xiaohua? A name so common and even somewhat lowly… What kind of a country is Da Yu? Growing up in the isolated and closed-off country, the State Preceptor’s heart was shaken, and she also wanted to see what the outside world was like.
Zhen Wenjun knew that simply driving away Kelayi would never bring true peace to Liuhuo, just like the constant harassment of the northern border of Da Yu by Chongjin. If they could not completely destroy and crush them into the mud, they would return in a few years, and Liuhuo would never have peace!
She planned to root out the problem at its source.
Capture the leader to catch the thief. Zhen Wenjun observed the chaotic army for a long time and identified the leader. She charged straight towards the leader of Kelayi and engaged in a fierce battle. From horseback to on foot, they fought amidst the piles of corpses, exhausting all their strength, their attacks becoming erratic and directionless, with no clear victor. The leader of Kelayi was after all over ten years older than Zhen Wenjun and had more battlefield experience. Taking advantage of Zhen Wenjun’s moment of confusion, he swung an axe towards her shoulder. If Zhen Wenjun had not dodged in time, it might have split her in two.
Ah Zheng had carved a path of blood to go assist Zhen Wenjun, but when Zhen Wenjun noticed her approaching, she pushed her away and shouted, “Don’t come!”
Ah Zheng stopped in her tracks.
Flames flickered in Zhen Wenjun’s eyes.
“This is my duel, and no one is permitted to interfere.”
Wei Tingxu, standing on the city wall, did not take her eyes off Zhen Wenjun, observing her every move.
The last time she observed from above was when Zhen Wenjun led the troops to launch a surprise attack and crush Xie Fuchen’s conspiracy in Runing. If one could say that Zhen Wenjun was a bit naive back then, after the journey through the Path of Ten Thousand Directions and the trials of the various barbarian tribes, she had become more mature, exuding an alluring aura of reliability.
This is mine.
Wei Tingxu thought to herself, this is the person I have cultivated, the delicacy that belongs to me alone.
The fierce battle with Kelayi lasted until the second dawn, the cold desert once again enveloped by the scorching sun, and Zhen Wenjun finally severed the head of Kelayi’s leader. With the leader dead, the Kelayi troops lost the will to fight, and the herd of horses began to retreat rapidly. Ignoring her wounds and fatigue, Zhen Wenjun led her troops in a fierce pursuit. If this were a battle in the Central Plains, Zhen Wenjun might have hesitated to pursue, fearing an ambush, but Kelayi, like Liuhuo, only valued brute force and reckless attacks, and now that the leader was dead, their retreat was genuine.
Zhen Wenjun seized the opportunity and pursued, annihilating Kelayi’s main force, and Zuo Kunda led the troops to continue wiping out the remnants.
Mengda Khan was awakened from his dream, wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth, and saw Zhen Wenjun sitting on a white horse, her armor stained with blood but still looking heroic. Behind her were soldiers from the Central Plains as well as Liuhuo, all walking side by side, their languages different but having formed a bond of life and death.
My lady is truly formidable! My lady’s wisdom and valor are unparalleled!
The enemy has been driven away, can we finally have the wedding now?
After Zhen Wenjun’s guidance, Mengda Khan finally resolved his inner turmoil, no longer hesitating or wandering, but certain of who he was and what kind of person he wanted to become. He wanted to marry Zhen Wenjun and become her man!
As soon as Zhen Wenjun returned to the city, Mengda Khan hugged her and wouldn’t let go no matter how she tried to pry him off.
Zhen Wenjun knocked on his head: “Yi Kun, are you there?”
Mengda Khan: “Who is Yi Kun?”
Zhen Wenjun was truly exasperated. How did it come back to this? This matter was originally taken on by Wei Tingxu, who even “sold” her own bedmate in order to gain entry into Liuhuo. Now that Kelayi has been driven away, Mengda Khan seems even more determined to marry. What should she do now? Zhen Wenjun looked worriedly at Wei Tingxu.
Wei Tingxu was not at all flustered, and whispered to her, “Before the wedding, Mengda Khan will surely develop an infatuation elsewhere.”
“Really?”
“When have I ever lied to you?”
“Although I know you are full of tricks, he is a person, not an object. Can he really be made to develop an infatuation elsewhere?”
Wei Tingxu: “…What do you mean by ‘full of tricks’? You can just say I’m sagacious (quick and wise in understanding and judgment). Although he is a person, not an object, the human heart is not uncontrollable either. You just wait and see.”
The State Preceptor took Mengda Khan away, and Wei Tingxu’s words had piqued Zhen Wenjun’s curiosity. She asked what traps she had set and what preparations she had made, but Wei Tingxu didn’t say anything, leaving Zhen Wenjun extremely anxious.
“I feel like you’re just making things up.” Zhen Wenjun pouted and shook her head, “In fact, you haven’t even figured it out yourself.”
“No need to use reverse psychology, you’ll know in two days.”
“You definitely haven’t figured it out.” Zhen Wenjun continued her line, “Otherwise, why would you even need to hide it from me? Aren’t we the closest people in the world?”
Wei Tingxu had enjoyed watching Zhen Wenjun’s cute attempts to coax the information out of her, and seeing her bring up this kind of talk, she couldn’t help but smile: “Do you want to know who Mengda Khan will develop an infatuation for?”
Zhen Wenjun, who had previously been acting lofty, was immediately drawn back in by her words: “Who?”
“Didn’t you think I hadn’t figured it out? Why the sudden interest again?”
As they walked and talked, they had already returned to the room. Zhen Wenjun could tell Wei Tingxu was toying with her, and with a quick move, she pinned her down.
“Don’t be so reckless.” Wei Tingxu said it was not allowed, but her expression was one of intoxication.
Zhen Wenjun didn’t have the heart to truly bully her, only lightly touching her delicate lips, leaving a bit of peach-colored rouge.
Wei Tingxu chuckled: “The color suits you well, Wenjun. Tomorrow, I’ll apply rouge and powder for you.”
“Never mind the other things, just finish what you were saying earlier.”
“Who will Mengda Khan develop an infatuation for? Who do you hope it will be?”
“Can I even decide that?” Zhen Wenjun was puzzled, “Developing an infatuation for anyone doesn’t seem good…”
“Since that’s the case, I’ll decide for you then.”
The more Wei Tingxu said this, the more curious Zhen Wenjun became. The wedding date was just around the corner, and Mengda Khan had already sent over the wedding attire and the books to be read during the ceremony. At this point, could it really be turned around? Would Wei Tingxu use some kind of magic?
The miraculous did indeed happen.
“What? Having Ah Zheng marry Mengda Khan to be the king of Liuhuo?” Ah Liao thought she had heard wrong, slammed the table, and said to the State Preceptor who had come to deliver the message, “As the State Preceptor, how can you say such nonsense! Ah Zheng is my wife, how can she marry someone else! This is truly absurd! Don’t say any more! I cannot agree to this!”
The State Preceptor, who had clearly had enough of this matter, frowned and said, “I’m just here to deliver a message, this is the will of the monarch. Furthermore, if Ah Zheng had no intention of marrying the monarch, why did she sneak into the pool while the monarch was bathing? I originally had difficulty bringing this up, but if Ah Zheng has a sense of propriety, she should come out and directly face the monarch.”
Ah Liao still wanted to say something more, but Ah Zheng pulled open the curtain and came out from the inner room.
“Young Master need not say more to her, since this is my doing, I will not hide and cower. But there is one thing I must make clear – I did not know that Mengda Khan was going to bathe in that pool, nor did I sneak into the pool. I, I am not that kind of person!” Ah Zheng thought it over, and perhaps she had fallen for someone’s scheme to extricate themselves, and that person was Ah Liao’s close friend… She did not want to say more, but she also absolutely refused to admit having any improper intentions towards anyone other than Ah Liao – she was a woman, this was an insult to her chastity!
The State Preceptor said, “No matter whether the lady is that kind of person or not, you have now had intimate contact with the monarch, so you must marry the monarch. If you do not agree…”
“If I do not agree.” Ah Liao, who had been hanging her head in anguish, heard the State Preceptor threatening Ah Zheng, and supporting herself on the table, she stood up, brushing off her past dissolute and disorderly ways, drawing the knife from her sleeve, holding it between her and the State Preceptor, “What can you do to me?”
The State Preceptor was intimidated by her terrifying gaze, if the argument continued, this Zhangsun Ran might truly use the dagger to slice off her nose.
“Righteousness and justice reside in the heart of the people.” The State Preceptor no longer said more, and retreated.
As soon as the State Preceptor left, Ah Liao couldn’t stay put, and ran to find Wei Tingxu.
Originally, Mengda Khan had always been clinging to Zhen Wenjun, but before the wedding, this kind of incident happened. Based on Ah Liao’s understanding of Wei Tingxu, this matter must have been orchestrated by her.
Since she was able to set up this trap, she must also be able to untangle it.
“Nonsense! This is truly nonsense!” Ah Liao lamented as she walked, each step able to leave a hole in the ground.
On Mengda Khan’s side, the marriage engagement was canceled, and her bride-to-be became Ah Zheng, which left Zhen Wenjun greatly puzzled. After learning the ins and outs, Zhen Wenjun asked Wei Tingxu:
“How did you know Mengda Khan would definitely change his mind and want to marry Ah Zheng?”
“Mengda Khan’s love comes quickly, and it will also leave quickly. He does not truly like you, he is just being faithful to the customs of Liuhuo. If he would not marry anyone other than this stranger who has seen his face, then if he has more intimate contact with someone else, as long as the wedding has not happened, he will definitely change his mind.”
Zhen Wenjun nodded and said, “But why choose Ah Zheng?”
“Think carefully, why Ah Zheng, don’t you have a clue in your heart?”
Zhen Wenjun had a bit of a clue before, but being questioned by Wei Tingxu made her feel like it was somehow related to her, and she became confused again.
“How so, why should I have a clue?”
“This Ah Zheng has been staring at you every time, are you blind and deaf, or are you purposely playing dumb?”
Zhen Wenjun’s expression tightened slightly, then she broke into a giggle.
Wei Tingxu: “You’re still laughing so cheerfully.”
“So Zizhuo is jealous.”
“So are you admitting that she has designs on you?”
“I can’t admit to that, I don’t know, she knows her own heart.” Zhen Wenjun kept giggling and chuckling, clearly overjoyed and unable to contain herself.
“…Zhen Wenjun, you must have gone mad.”
“So Zizhuo, your helping me escape was a ruse, and scheming against Ah Zheng was the real thing. From the beginning, you had already decided to ultimately sacrifice Ah Zheng, to take revenge for that overturned jar of vinegar, is that right? Haha, no matter, let me enjoy this feeling a bit more, enjoy the wonder of Zizhuo’s ingenious calculations being used for this kind of thing.”
Wei Tingxu: “…”
Ah Liao rushed to find Wei Tingxu, and Wei Tingxu had already prepared the wine and meat that Ah Liao loved the most, planning to be coaxed by her the entire day.
Seeing her like this, it was clear that this matter indeed originated from her hand. Ah Liao sighed and said, “It’s true that Ah Zheng has a bit of a soft spot for Miss Wenjun, but this affection is all for my sake! Tingxu, can you please, for my sake, not be angry with her? Let her off the hook?”
“For your sake? What do you mean by that?” Wei Tingxu calmly drank her wine.
Ah Liao knew that this close friend of hers always had deep thoughts, and even the smallest things could not escape her eyes, she just never stated them directly. Ah Liao was well aware of her temperament, and at this time, soft-spoken admissions of fault would make her not dwell on it anymore, definitely not a hard-nosed approach.
Ah Liao immediately reddened her eyes and cooed, “You know how my sister Ah Zheng is, eight years ago during the plague in Quzhou, she almost lost her life, and I was just in Quzhou at the time, risking my own life to dig her out from the pile of the dead. Since then, Ah Zheng has always been quite caring towards me, whatever I want, she would heap it in front of me, even if I wanted the stars in the sky, she would be eager to get a ladder to help me pluck them down. And it’s my fault that I always like to tease Miss Wenjun, seeing how beautiful she is, I just can’t help but poke fun at her a bit. Ah, that’s just how I am, as long as it’s a beautiful woman, I would spare no effort to have her. Perhaps Sister Ah Zheng took pity on my unrequited love, and always wanted to send her to me… Tingxu, don’t look at me like that, I’m scared. Didn’t you know before that Miss Wenjun and you have a deep affection? Now that I know, I’ve only said a few words, not really having those kinds of intentions. In any case, it’s all my fault, and after Sister Ah Zheng learned of your formidability, she wouldn’t dare look at Miss Wenjun again. Tingxu, please forgive her this time.”
Wei Tingxu said, “Originally, it was Mengda Khan who wanted to take her as his wife, what does it have to do with me? This Mengda Khan only follows the so-called rituals, not truly knowing what he wants. When Ah Zheng firmly refuses this time, even threatening to die, he should be able to come to his senses.”
Since Wei Tingxu said this, it meant she would no longer pursue the matter, fortunately, fortunately.
One should not provoke Wei Tingxu. Ah Liao knew all too well how bloody and ruthless her schemes against political rivals could be, turning Ah Zheng into a pawn in some scheme would be child’s play for her.
The two of them drank wine, ate meat, and chatted casually, when Wei Tingxu asked:
“Actually, I’m curious about one thing.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Originally, I was unwilling for you to come to Liuhuo. It was only later that the empress strongly recommended you, saying that you and your womenfolk must be useful, no matter what you said, I would never agree.” Wei Tingxu leaned slightly forward, “What exactly did the empress send you to Liuhuo for?”
“This matter… The empress originally wanted me to keep it a secret. It’s not really some scandalous secret, the empress sent me to seek a divine elixir. As for what exactly it is like, I haven’t seen it, so I can’t say for sure.”
“What is it exactly.”
Even without anyone else around, Ah Liao still felt embarrassed to say it directly, whispering four words into Wei Tingxu’s ear, causing Wei Tingxu’s eyes to momentarily freeze, and she withdrew a bit:
“How is that possible, how could that be possible.”
Ah Liao slyly smiled: “Tingxu is intrigued as well.”
Wei Tingxu paused for a moment before speaking bluntly: “If such an item truly exists, who would not be intrigued.”
“Isn’t it! Isn’t that right! The empress secretly summoned me, asking if I was willing to go with you to retrace the Path of Ten Thousand Directions to seek this treasure. I’m so afraid of hardship, of course I didn’t want to come, nor did I want my delicate little womenfolk to suffer. But this matter is truly so rare, if I don’t come, I might regret it for the rest of my life.”
“So what exactly did Ah Liao say?”
Ah Liao had left, and Zhen Wenjun had just returned after obtaining a commercial pass from the State Preceptor. Wei Tingxu then told her about this matter. At first, Zhen Wenjun was also very curious about the treasure that Li Yanyi had secretly told Ah Liao but did not let her and Wei Tingxu know, and when Wei Tingxu told her, Zhen Wenjun’s jaw almost dropped to the ground.
“What? How is that possible!”
“Your reaction is the same as mine when I first heard it.”
“This… Neither in ancient texts nor in folklore have I ever heard of such a thing.”
“That’s because you’ve never heard of it in Da Yu, but the mysterious foreign lands may not find it so extraordinary. Presumably, Li Yanyi also heard about it somewhere, and knowing it’s near Liuhuo, just sent Ah Liao to seek it.”
“But… That thing, it’s just not feasible.” No matter how Zhen Wenjun thought about it, she felt it was rather impossible, and Wei Tingxu was also not entirely convinced, but she had already decided to go explore it with Ah Liao.
“So that method of bearing children between women is in Liuhuo?” Zhen Wenjun asked.
“No, it seems to be in the depths of the Gonglun Grasslands, a country called Changge, where we came from. Ah Liao has already decided to set out tomorrow to seek it.”
Zhen Wenjun “thud” down in front of Wei Tingxu, gripping her hands with shining eyes: “I’m going too!”
“You’re going too? It’s understandable that the monarch is eager to find this method for the sake of the Li family’s lineage and Da Yu’s inheritance, but what are you going for?” Wei Tingxu asked knowingly.
Zhen Wenjun brazenly declared, “To give you a little porcelain doll!”
“You?” Wei Tingxu couldn’t help but chuckle, “I can’t imagine it.”
“That’s right, then you can be the one to bear it!”
Wei Tingxu’s expression changed: “I’m not going then.”
Zhen Wenjun only made that playful remark, and it took her a while to coax Wei Tingxu back into a good mood. She knew Wei Tingxu wasn’t truly angry, and the two enjoyed the indulgent atmosphere between them.
Before going to sleep, they lay together pondering why Li Yanyi didn’t ask them to seek the method of bearing children between women, but instead involved Ah Liao?
“Probably the empress also feels this matter is too absurd, and unlikely to exist. Even she herself has this intention, so she can imagine that if she told us, we would share the same view and not be as invested in seeking the method. But Ah Liao is different, she has so many delicate womenfolk by her side, the empress has long seen her deep desire. If there is one person in this world who would desire the method of bearing children between women as much as the empress, that person would definitely be Ah Liao. No matter how the empress instructs her, Ah Liao will exhaust all means to find this method. See, she has already inquired about the specific whereabouts of this method.”
Zhen Wenjun was a bit unhappy: “How does the empress know we don’t care? If it’s possible… to have a child that’s ours, it would be truly wondrous.”
“Do you like children?”
“I don’t like children, I like you. If there was a child that resembles you, I would certainly like them dearly.”
They had agreed with Ah Liao to set out early the next morning, and Zhen Wenjun enthusiastically ran to re-equip the already prepared carriage and horses. Zuo Kunda saw this and asked if she needed to go elsewhere, to which Zhen Wenjun replied, and Zuo Kunda, accustomed to following her, naturally wanted to go along.
“No no no, don’t go, this matter you definitely won’t be interested in.”
Zuo Kunda didn’t expect the mobilization order to have preferences.
“My lady, where are you going?” Zuo Kunda just asked out of concern, but Zhen Wenjun evaded the question and fidgeted.
Zuo Kunda had never seen her like this, not realizing if he had asked something inappropriate, and instead continued to inquire, “My lady, what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”
Zhen Wenjun helplessly brushed him off, finally understanding why Miss Ah Xi could reject him so decisively.
The fewer people who know about this, the better. Ah Liao only brought two of her womenfolk with her. Ah Zheng was still negotiating with Mengda Khan and couldn’t come, so Ah Liao brought two other relatively younger faces.
Wei Tingxu and Zhen Wenjun went together, not even taking Xiaohua.
Ah Liao, Wei Tingxu, and Zhen Wenjun faced each other, exchanging a mysterious and slightly nervous smile.
Although this matter is truly too outrageous, rationally they all felt they wouldn’t really find it. On the surface, they kept saying it’s impossible, impossible, but deep down, they had already thought of the children’s names.
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