Volume Three: Southern Expedition and Expansion - Chapter 128: Trial Marriage

Wei Fufeng turned his head slightly and whispered, "Yuer, if you didn't see clearly, why not step into the water and check for yourself?"

Yuer blushed and whispered, "Please do not blame me, my lord. Since this concerns our lineage and the continuation of our bloodline, we must have descendants of our own; we cannot simply rush into a marriage blindly."

"If you do not wish to marry blindly, why did you agree to betroth yourself to me so hastily today? Marriage is a matter that demands the utmost caution and deliberation, yet this is merely our first meeting," Wei Fufeng murmured.

"My lady holds a deep admiration for the men of the Han lands and looks down upon the various chieftains of the mountain valleys, refusing to lower herself to marry any of them. You, my lord, possess a noble birth and extraordinary martial prowess; a desirable match like you is a rarity we can scarcely hope to find," Yuer replied in explanation.

Hearing this, Wei Fufeng could understand her reasoning. After all, the Liao people were a mountain-dwelling barbarian tribe, and the Tian clan of Sizhou acted virtually as the sovereign rulers of the region; Tian Wen'er naturally held high standards when choosing a husband.

Wei Fufeng nodded to show his understanding, and Yuer smiled faintly, whispering, "My lord, the concubine-in-waiting is even more beautiful than I am. Once you grow fond of her, will you perhaps hold her in higher regard than us in the days to come?"

Wei Fufeng answered, "A country has its laws, and a household has its rules. Your dowry shall naturally remain yours forever and be disposed of according to your customs."

Amidst their quiet murmurs, the maidservant gently struck the concubine-in-waiting's left thigh with the tip of her bamboo rod.

The concubine-in-waiting let out a soft moan, her kneeling, snow-white body twisting into a sideways, half-reclining posture. She turned to face Wei Fufeng's bathing barrel, then bent her fair left leg and gracefully extended it upward.

Hearing the sound, Wei Fufeng instinctively turned his head, his eyes falling upon a vivid and alluring picture of a beauty. His gaze was drawn to the upright, slender, and straight jade-like leg, whose delicate foot was slightly arched like a crescent moon, as white and flawless as if carved from jade.

Wei Fufeng's eyes also took in the concubine's appearance: an oval face, curved eyebrows, a small mouth, beautiful eyes, and a straight nose, with an expression of tender and languid laziness, resembling a branch of spring-sleeping begonia—strikingly vibrant yet retaining a delicate purity. She appeared to be around sixteen years of age.

Their eyes met, and they saw each other clearly. The concubine's delicate face froze slightly, and her lovely eyes widened perceptibly, instantly replacing her languid expression with a refined and graceful demeanor.

Her momentary lapse lasted only two or three seconds before she shyly turned her head away, drew back and closed her upright leg, a flush of rosy red blooming across her pale cheeks like a sensitive plant, radiantly charming.

*Snap!* The tip of the maidservant's bamboo rod struck the concubine's rounded buttocks lightly, accompanied by a shout in the local dialect.

The concubine let out a soft groan, once again raising her leg, and looked at Wei Fufeng with a faint smile at the corner of her lips, casting a passionate and affectionate glance his way.

*Snap!* The maidservant's bamboo rod struck her rounded buttocks again, followed by another shout in the local dialect.

The concubine rolled over onto her back, drawing her two jade-like legs inward and spreading them apart while hooking her delicate hands around the curves of her knees.

"Yuer, have her leave," Wei Fufeng said, suppressing his rising desire as he turned his head away with a calm expression.

"My lord, this concubine-in-waiting has come to test the marriage," Yuer whispered with a troubled tone.

"Test the marriage?" Wei Fufeng asked in surprise.

"Yes. According to the marriage customs and rules of the valley nobility, when a betrothal is made, the bride's family sends a companion concubine to the groom's family to test and verify the man's reproductive capability. If the concubine returns and reports that the man is inadequate, the marriage is called off," Yuer explained softly.

Wei Fufeng thought for a moment and murmured, "It is not that I lack interest, but I do not wish to engage in casual couplings. You already know that I am a normal man."

"I know that you are a normal man, my lord, but without this marriage test, I cannot give an account to my lady," Yuer insisted.

"If you feel you cannot report back without it, you are free to leave," Wei Fufeng said coldly.

Yuer fell silent. After a moment, she instructed, "Take her back."

The maidservant bowed in compliance, waved her bamboo rod to tap the concubine lightly, and shouted in the local dialect.

The concubine let out a soft cry, stopped rolling over, and looked at Wei Fufeng, calling out with tender sweetness, "Please take me, honored guest."

Wei Fufeng's heart skipped a beat, but he ignored her as if he hadn't heard.

Yuer walked over, took the bamboo rod handed to her by the maidservant, and scolded in the local dialect while swinging the rod to whip the concubine's rounded buttocks.

*Crack!* A crisp sound rang out, noticeably harder than the maidservant's strikes.

The concubine let out a painful moan, rolled over, and dropped back onto her knees into the posture she had arrived in. Yuer handed the bamboo rod back and turned to walk away.

Outside, a maidservant entered, covered the wooden platform with coarse cloth, and carried it away.

Yuer once again washed and combed Wei Fufeng's hair, speaking softly, "My lord, Mudan has never been touched by a man. The two concubines-in-waiting we keep are, like us, maidens of pure virtue."

Wei Fufeng paused slightly and murmured, "Then it is all the more reason not to let her serve me."

Yuer asked in surprise, "Why? I thought my lord was merely practicing self-discipline and felt some aversion."

"It is very simple. She is part of your dowry. If I let her serve me now, I would be indebted to her, and in the future, I would at least have to give her a proper title," Wei Fufeng explained gently.

"My lord, Mudan is our concubine-in-waiting; letting her serve you is our offering. You should be indebted to us instead," Yuer argued.

"Before you officially cross my threshold, that Mudan is, in my eyes, a woman just like the two of you. What is a dowry? It only becomes a dowry once it is brought into the husband's household. Before crossing the threshold, it is merely a preparatory offering," Wei Fufeng said mildly.

Yuer uttered an understanding "Oh," and Wei Fufeng asked again, "Why do you keep concubines-in-waiting?"

"To vie for favor. The chieftains of the mountain valleys all have multiple wives from political alliances. Keeping concubines allows them to visit more frequently, as the concubines' seductive dances can easily stir the chieftains' interests. Do not the Han nobility also keep singing and dancing girls?" Yuer replied.

Wei Fufeng was left speechless. It was true that the Han elite had a custom of keeping singing girls, though their status was mostly that of maidservants.

However, Han maidservants differed from the female slaves of the Liao people. Slaves among the Liao were treated essentially as livestock, subjected to arbitrary punishment with shackles and even executed without consequence.

Wei Fufeng naturally would not argue the point. As a regional lord, he had to embrace all advantageous practices with an open mind. If he wished to establish a foothold in the Southwest and achieve hegemony, he had to respect the customs of the Liao people and avoid harming the fundamental interests of their ruling class.

Once his bath was finished, Wei Fufeng put on a set of male attire belonging to the Liao people, and Yuer departed.

A moment later, a maidservant reported at the entrance of the bamboo building that Wei Fufeng's subordinates had arrived.

Wei Fufeng stepped out of the building and saw ten of his guards. Their leader, a junior military officer named Li Peng, saluted him in a military manner and said, "My lord, my subordinates and I wished to see you, but we were obstructed for quite some time."

Wei Fufeng nodded and said, "It is of no consequence. I have betrothed myself to Lady Tian. Wait here patiently, and go about your business."

His subordinates acknowledged the order and departed. Being within the private quarters of Tian Wen'er, it was inappropriate for Wei Fufeng to keep ten guards stationed there, and he also intentionally wished to project an attitude of relaxed trust toward the Tian clan.

If the Tian clan truly intended to make a move, two hundred guards would not be enough to stop them anyway.

Returning to the bamboo building, Wei Fufeng sat down with a calm mind, patiently bidding his time. After a little over an hour, Yuer suddenly entered the building, anxiety clearly written across her delicate face.

"My lord, the First Madam has arrived and wishes to see you," Yuer whispered anxiously.

Wei Fufeng paused, stood up, and asked, "Is that so? Is something amiss?"

"My lord, since my lady's biological mother has passed away, the First Madam holds the authority to intervene in her marriage. She has arrived abruptly and demands to see you," Yuer explained.

Wei Fufeng nodded and said calmly, "The First Madam is an elder; I should go pay my respects."

Leaving the bamboo building under Yuer's guidance, they arrived at a complex of well-arranged bamboo structures.

The layout of these buildings resembled Han architecture, featuring square bamboo walls and a gate tower, inside which lay a hallway and a courtyard of flowers and trees. At the front stood the tallest bamboo building, flanked by structures resembling side rooms.

At the end of the hallway, right in front of the tallest building, more than ten Liao maidservants stood in orderly attendance.

Following Yuer, Wei Fufeng climbed the stone steps in front of the building and entered the spacious upper hall. Upon looking inside, he saw a considerable number of women.

The center of the hall's floor was covered with a square animal hide measuring about ten square meters.

Upon the hide, a beauty as fair as jade, clad only in a chest binder, was performing a light dance. Her body possessed captivating curves; she stepped gracefully while extending her arms and bending her legs, swaying her hips in an alluring and enchanting manner.

Looking past the dancing beauty, Wei Fufeng spotted a middle-aged matron dressed in Liao attire sitting squarely in the center.

Seated kneeling to the matron's lower left was Tian Wen'er, while directly before the matron, another beauty dressed in a red chest binder—apparently the concubine Mudan—lay prostrate horizontally.

Following Yuer past the dancing beauty, Wei Fufeng stopped about a meter away from Tian Wen'er, bowed respectfully to the middle-aged matron, and said, "Chuyu has come to pay his respects to the First Madam."

"You are too polite, Envoy Chu. Please be seated," the matron replied calmly.

Tian Wen'er gestured with her hand, and Wei Fufeng silently knelt down to sit beside her lower left.

The matron looked at him and said, "Wen'er fancies you, and I will not stand in her way. However, Wen'er is young, and there are matters in which I, as her mother figure, must step in on her behalf."

"Chuyu respectfully listens to your teachings," Wei Fufeng replied deferentially, lowering his posture. Finding himself in hostile territory, it was unwise to offend the First Madam.

The matron raised her right hand, stroked the concubine's rounded buttocks, and murmured, "This concubine's skin is as smooth as grease and jade, her breasts are full, and her waist is slender and legs long. Men naturally find such a woman immensely appealing."

Looking at Wei Fufeng, the matron continued, "Envoy Chu is in the prime of his youth, yet you were unwilling to test the marriage with this concubine, nor did you cast a greedy glance at the dancing concubine upon entering."

Hearing this, Wei Fufeng felt a headache coming on. This was a blatant and unvarnished questioning of his manhood. His refusal of the concubine's service stemmed primarily from being in enemy territory and not wishing to let sensual indulgence dull his vigilance, and secondarily from a sense of proud defiance.

"Madam, I am thoroughly a normal man," faced with such a brazen insinuation, Wei Fufeng had no choice but to defend himself shamelessly.

The matron maintained a stern expression as she said, "Envoy Chu, the women of our valleys admire brave men above all, but we value a man's reproductive capability the most. The continuation of the bloodline is paramount; the nobility of the Han lands are well-read and polite, yet many are dissipated wastrels whose bodies have been hollowed out by wine and lust."

Wei Fufeng frowned in silence, and the matron added, "Since Wen'er is willing to marry a Han man, I cannot help but worry for her future. She must bear your son to spread your branches and leaves."

Inwardly, Wei Fufeng sighed, realizing what mistake he had made: he had neglected the golden rule of doing as the locals do.

The matron's "shameless" questioning was, in fact, standard behavior and speech among the Liao people. His refusal had been interpreted as an unwillingness to expose physical flaws.

"Madam, I am willing to accept her service," Wei Fufeng compromised, unwilling to let extraneous complications hinder his escape.

"Yuer, escort Envoy Chu back," the matron smiled and said.

Wei Fufeng stood up, bowed in farewell, and walked out alongside Yuer. This time, he cast an appreciative glance at the dancing concubine.

The concubine was only fifteen or sixteen years old, with lotus-root arms and jade-like legs. Her pale-white chest binder was embroidered with magnolia flowers, and her fair face featured delicate, picturesque features of pure and refined beauty.

Faced with Wei Fufeng's gaze, the dancing concubine did not exchange amorous glances; instead, she acted as though he did not exist, continuing her alluring dance with effortless grace.

Finding the sight pleasing to the eye, Wei Fufeng smiled and walked on.