Volume Three: Southern Expedition and Frontier Expansion Chapter 127: Concubine-Slave

However, compared to the mindset of the Han civilians, the hearts of the common Liao people were simpler, and their ideology held their noble leaders in high esteem.

This was especially true for slaves raised in households since childhood, whose loyalty to their masters far exceeded that of domestic servants in Han families.

"What is the background of those slave soldiers?" Wei Fufeng asked, not wanting to harbor any potential assassins around him.

"They were all gifted to the young mistress by the Chief Administrator. Twelve of them are Tian family slave soldiers, while the others were offered by submissive tribes, mostly captives," Yu'er replied.

"Captives? That carries the risk of them rebelling against their masters," Wei Fufeng remarked.

"Rebellion is possible, so we only trust the twelve leaders of the Tian family slave soldiers. The others are kept outside to work the fields, overseen by the leaders. There are only female slaves in this residence, no men," Yu'er explained.

Wei Fufeng gave a soft acknowledgment. Yu'er continued, "Once we are married off to Qianzhou, we will buy some land for the slave soldiers to cultivate. We won't keep them in the household; the house will be served by female slaves."

Wei Fufeng nodded silently. He knew the situation in Qianzhou well; many landlords and wealthy families essentially owned slaves. Although Qianzhou was under his jurisdiction, he had to adopt a policy of conciliation to maintain his rule—or, as they put it politely, "adapting to local conditions" to minimize hostility.

He heard Yu'er whisper again, "My lord, we have raised two attendant slaves in our quarters. They are even more beautiful than us, and you will surely like them. They are our finest dowry."

Wei Fufeng was slightly taken aback and smiled faintly. "More beautiful than you? In my eyes, each of you is already a beautiful, graceful woman."

Yu'er’s pretty face flushed with pleasure. She whispered, "Our skin is not as fair as the attendant slaves. They are raised indoors; their bodies are pale, soft, and tender, and they are skilled in song and dance. We, however, are often outdoors and must train in martial arts and engage in combat, which is why our skin is tanned."

"You are also skilled in swordsmanship?" Wei Fufeng asked with a gentle smile.

Yu'er hesitated for a moment before whispering, "My lord, do not underestimate us. We often go hunting and have participated in suppressing rebellious tribes. Our arrows have slain enemies, and the young mistress has even engaged in close-quarters combat, though she has not yet achieved a kill."

Wei Fufeng nodded. He believed her; among the Liao people, almost everyone could be a soldier. Women could be fierce warriors, too. If Tian Wen'er were merely a delicate lady of the boudoir, she would not have accompanied the Sizhou Chief Administrator to receive guests.

"Does my lord dislike women practicing martial arts and fighting?" Yu'er looked at Wei Fufeng and asked softly.

Wei Fufeng shook his head. "No, my wife is a martial artist herself."

"Really? If the young mistress knew, she would surely want to spar with her," Yu'er said, her voice filled with delight.

Wei Fufeng smiled without answering. Given Tian Wen'er's abilities, she would be defeated by Lin Qingxue in a single exchange. Tian Wen'er’s swordplay was only suitable for the battlefield, relying on ferocity and spirit; against a true martial artist, she had too many openings.

...

While chatting with Yu'er, Tian Wen'er returned. She walked over to Wei Fufeng, knelt on the other side of the bamboo table, and said with a bright, crisp laugh, "I have asked around: the Chuan-Nan Army has captured Shaoyang County in Shaozhou."

Wei Fufeng felt a weight lift from his heart. The capture of Shaoyang County was within his expectations. He smiled and asked, "Anything else?"

"It is said that ten thousand troops from the Chuan-Nan Army took the city. Three thousand remained to garrison it, while seven thousand returned to Tanzhou with over a thousand surrendered troops. They say the Prefect of Shaozhou launched a surprise attack on the Zishui River but missed, and upon returning to launch a fierce assault on Shaoyang County, failed to retake it. It is also said that the Chuan-Nan Army has captured Changsha Prefecture in Tanzhou, and the Wuan Jiedushi, Zhou Yue, has fled to the territory of the E-Yue Army," Tian Wen'er reported clearly.

Wei Fufeng nodded in satisfaction. Taking Changsha Prefecture was a good outcome.

He heard Tian Wen'er continue, "They say the Prefect of Shaozhou is still attacking Shaoyang County, constantly gathering forces from across the region. The Chuan-Nan Army is an isolated force holding the city, and the Chuan-Nan troops in Tanzhou are insufficient, so they can only hold on to Changsha Prefecture."

Wei Fufeng remained calm. Keeping the main force of the Chuan-Nan Army in Changsha was a strategy he had long decided upon; it was necessary to defend against the Zhennan Army from Hongzhou, the E-Yue Army, and the forces of Hengzhou to the south of Tanzhou.

Advancing into Shaozhou was a strategic variable. Initially, he had not intended to take it—first, because there were too many Liao people in Shaozhou who were difficult to govern, and second, because of his limited manpower. But having swallowed the prize, he could not simply spit it out.

Wei Fufeng had already arranged reinforcements. Tian Wen, the Prefect of Guizhou, had been ordered to lead fifteen thousand troops garrisoned in Badong across the Yangtze River to Shizhou to await orders. Once Gan Fengchi captured Changsha, the six thousand troops guarding Langzhou and Yanzhou would depart in three waves to reinforce Tanzhou, with Tian Wen leading the reserve force from Shizhou to take over the defense of Langzhou and Yanzhou.

The fifteen thousand troops led by Tian Wen were poorly equipped, a result of the differing focuses of their respective military duties. The Chuan-Nan forces guarding the Badong region were the least well-equipped, as the elite weaponry was concentrated in Yuzhou, Rongzhou, Luzhou, and Fuzhou. Fuzhou’s elite forces were the most critical, bearing the responsibility of supporting all directions: moving west against the river to support Yuzhou, guarding the north against invaders, supporting Qianzhou to the south via the Wujiang River, and striking east to Jiangling in a single day to support the defense of Badong.

Wei Fufeng’s deployment of fifteen thousand troops from Badong would not leave the region defenseless, as Fuzhou would dispatch troops to fill the gap. Tian Wen’s fifteen thousand troops were only fit for garrisoning Langzhou and Yanzhou and supporting the defense of Tanzhou; they were not suitable for offensive sieges. However, having fifteen thousand troops supporting the Dongting Lake theater would, at the very least, boost morale, making the Chuan-Nan troops in Changsha high-spirited and causing the E-Yue and Zhennan armies to hesitate, preventing them from launching an assault on Tanzhou.

Wei Fufeng felt at ease. Although he had not given Gan Fengchi specific instructions on what to do after taking Changsha, he had instructed Li Zhang to travel to Hongzhou once Tanzhou was occupied to reach a non-aggression agreement with Zhong Chuan of the Zhennan Army. With reinforcements supporting Changsha, Gan Fengchi could split his forces to support Shaozhou—at least three thousand troops could be sent to hold the city. Once the non-aggression pact with the Zhennan Army was secured, the main force could then march on Shaozhou and extinguish the rule of the Prefect, Deng Chune.

"Is my lord happy?" Tian Wen'er looked at Wei Fufeng with her bright eyes and asked.

Wei Fufeng nodded with a faint smile. "I am happy."

"Hmm, the territory of the Chuan-Nan Army has grown much larger. Will you attack Sizhou in the future?" Tian Wen'er watched him and whispered.

Wei Fufeng smiled. "The Jiedushi has no interest in Sizhou, nor did he intend to seize Shaozhou. The Jiedushi values the Dongting Lake plains, which is why he marched into Langzhou and Tanzhou."

"Even if you didn't intend to take Shaozhou, you occupied it anyway," Tian Wen'er countered softly.

Wei Fufeng smiled. "The Prefect of Shaozhou feigned surrender and attempted to ambush the Jiedushi. Should the Jiedushi have been magnanimous and let Shaozhou go?"

Tian Wen'er nodded. "Feigning surrender and launching an ambush—he deserved to die."

Wei Fufeng smiled, but Tian Wen'er asked again, "Why does the Chuan-Nan Jiedushi value the Dongting Lake plains? What is a plain?"

Wei Fufeng replied gently, "A plain, compared to mountainous terrain, is land that is flat as a washboard, suitable for large-scale grain cultivation. Since ancient times, the land of Shu has been called the 'Land of Abundance' because of the Chengdu Plain, a vast stretch of fertile soil that provides a stable and massive harvest of grain."

"Beyond the Chengdu Plain in West Sichuan, there is the Jianghan Plain in Jingnan, the Wei River Basin near Chang'an, the Huainan region, and the areas of East and West Zhejiang—all are treasure lands suitable for massive grain production. Only with grain can one stabilize the hearts of the people and possess true strength."

"The territory of Chuan-Nan lacks such fertile plains. To be strong, one must acquire a stable, large-scale granary. Chuan-Nan lacks the power to seize the Chengdu Plain, and cannot quickly conquer Jingnan, so it must advance into the Dongting Lake plains."

Tian Wen'er nodded. "There are no plains suitable for large-scale farming in or near Sizhou."

Wei Fufeng smiled. "Mountains have their own advantages; various mountain products and medicinal herbs can be traded for goods from outside. The Tian family of Sizhou can dominate the region by relying on the commodity trade along the Wujiang River."

Tian Wen'er beamed and said, "My lord, please rest. I am going to speak with my father."

"Yu'er, bring water for my lord to wash away the dust of travel. And, bring one of the attendant slaves here," Tian Wen'er said as she stood up, turned her head to give instructions, nodded toward Wei Fufeng with a faint smile, and walked away.

Watching Tian Wen'er’s graceful silhouette disappear, Wei Fufeng felt a secret sense of helplessness. This pretty girl was headstrong, impulsive, and wild; he feared she would not be easy to get along with in the future.

"My lord, please wait a moment," Yu'er whispered, then followed her out.

A moment later, two maidservants carried in a large wooden tub, followed by others bringing small buckets of water to fill it. Wei Fufeng watched calmly; in truth, he preferred bathing in the natural waters of the mountains and rivers.

Yu'er returned and walked to his side. "I will help you remove your armor, my lord."

Wei Fufeng stood up, and Yu'er helped him unfasten the fine-scaled armor, revealing the cloth undergarments beneath. Wei Fufeng removed them naturally, revealing a well-proportioned physique. He took off his boots and stepped into the tub.

As his body submerged, the coolness was incredibly refreshing. Yu'er came over to undo his hair knot, her skillful hands beginning to wash his hair. As he enjoyed the ministrations, Wei Fufeng rubbed his body in the water to wash away the sweat and grime of the journey.

A moment later, four maidservants entered carrying a square wooden platform. On it lay an object covered in linen, vaguely resembling a kneeling human figure. Wei Fufeng listened and watched as the platform was placed two meters away. One maidservant lifted the linen cloth, then she and the others retreated with lowered heads, leaving only one maidservant standing respectfully, holding a bamboo rod the thickness of a finger.

As the cloth was removed, a woman as white as jade appeared before Wei Fufeng's eyes. She knelt on the platform, clad only in a red bodice, her smooth, jade-like back exposed, her waist slender, her hips rounded, her hair elegantly coiled.

"Master Yu, the maidservants have brought the attendant slave, Peony," the remaining maidservant reported respectfully.

"Hmm. Since our honored guest is here, have her show off her charms," Yu'er whispered instructions.

The maidservant responded respectfully, turned, and waved the bamboo rod, its tip lightly tapping the bare hip of the woman. The woman let out a soft moan, her kneeling body shifting forward, sinking her waist and raising her rounded hips. A slender hand reached down to touch the edge of her bodice...

"Mmm... ah... mmm..." The woman emitted a languid, seductive moan, her body swaying, releasing a charm that could enchant any man.

Wei Fufeng felt his body and mind surge with excitement, his male instincts stirring. He reluctantly turned his head and lowered his eyes, saying calmly, "Yu'er, send her away."

"Does my lord not like her?" Yu'er leaned in, her head close to his left ear, whispering gently.