Volume 3: Southern Expedition and Territorial Expansion Chapter 130: Mutual Respect Like Honored Guests

After Wei Fufeng’s forces established their control over Qianzhou, they secured nominal allegiance from over a dozen Liao ethnic tribes, among whom was the Tian clan of Sizhou.

Though five thousand Liao tribal soldiers were requisitioned to garrison Fuzhou, a price had to be paid. They acted much like temporary mercenaries—useful to employ but impossible to command, driven purely by material interests.

At that moment, Wei Fufeng was well aware that the majority of those Liao tribes nominally swearing allegiance to Qianzhou’s administration had likely obtained permission from the Tian clan. The Tian clan had no desire to turn hostile against the Han army that had taken over Qianzhou; instead, they sought peaceful coexistence to ensure the smooth passage of the Wujiang waterway.

As the two were conversing, Tian Wen'er suddenly walked in through the doorway, followed by four Liao slave maids carrying a wooden platform. Yu'er and Wei Fufeng stood up to welcome her.

"Young Mistress," Yu'er whispered softly. Wei Fufeng looked at Tian Wen'er, smiling and nodding in greeting.

Tian Wen'er smiled faintly and nodded. "The Great Mistress gave orders for Mudan to serve as a trial bride for the Lord, so I brought her over. After you two left, the Great Mistress decided Mudan was incapable of seducing the Lord, and punished her with the whip."

Yu'er’s delicate face instantly darkened. Arching her brows in annoyance, she retorted, "She is our concubine-slave! By what right does the Great Mistress punish her?"

Wei Fufeng was slightly startled, caught off guard by Yu'er’s intense reaction. She actually dared to speak insolently and criticize the Great Mistress. In a wealthy Han family, such disrespectful language toward elders was an unpardonable felony.

Tian Wen'er maintained her faint smile. "The Great Mistress said we are far too lenient with our concubine-slaves. I also believe you failed in your discipline, otherwise how could the Lord remain indifferent?"

With a displeased expression, Yu'er walked silently toward the wooden platform. A maid standing beside it lifted the burlap covering, revealing a snow-white, jade-like body kneeling and prostrate.

Yu'er bent down to inspect her, then turned and walked back to Tian Wen'er’s side, whispering, "Young Mistress, Mudan is heavily injured. Let us use Yulan for the trial marriage instead."

"The Great Mistress intends to punish Mudan; we cannot openly defy her supreme dignity," Tian Wen'er replied.

Yu'er fell silent. Tian Wen'er looked toward Wei Fufeng and murmured, "Lord, would it be acceptable if we do not let Mudan go through with the trial marriage?"

Could Wei Fufeng say no? He nodded and said, "Whatever the Young Mistress deems trustworthy."

Tian Wen'er smiled gently. "Very well. Let us keep the Lord company and prevent the Great Mistress from making any more trouble."

Wei Fufeng nodded, only to see Tian Wen'er walk over, reach out to take his left hand, and whisper softly, "Lord, let us sit together."

Led by the hand, Wei Fufeng was brought behind the bamboo table and knelt down side by side with Tian Wen'er. Tian Wen'er gave a soft instruction: "Serve the wine."

A maid stepped out of the bamboo pavilion, and soon a line of Liao maids entered, carrying various foods and utensils, arranging them orderly upon the bamboo table.

Tian Wen'er took an exquisite porcelain bottle, poured two bowls of wine, and handed one to Wei Fufeng.

"Can the Lord hold his liquor?" Tian Wen'er asked, holding the wine bowl in her small hands and looking at Wei Fufeng with a radiant smile.

"I can drink," Wei Fufeng replied, taking the bowl. There was no way he could admit otherwise.

"Lord, let us raise our bowls in mutual respect," Tian Wen'er said solemnly. With that, she raised the bowl to her lips and drank. Wei Fufeng watched as she emptied the entire bowl to the last drop.

A bad feeling arose in Wei Fufeng’s heart, and he thought he was bound to make a fool of himself. With a helpless smile, he raised his bowl and said, "Let us raise our bowls in mutual respect."

He drained the wine in one breath. As he set the bowl down, a small pair of bamboo chopsticks was handed to him. "Lord, have some smoked meat," Tian Wen'er whispered.

Wei Fufeng accepted the chopsticks, glanced briefly across the bamboo table, and picked up a piece of meat to eat.

Tian Wen'er poured the wine full once more. Instead of continuing to toast, she simply watched Wei Fufeng with a smiling gaze.

Wei Fufeng offered a slightly awkward smile and remarked, "The wine and food are excellent."

Tian Wen'er smiled softly. "Here, only the wife and the accompanying concubine-maids may toast and serve tea to the Lord. Ordinary maids dare not presume."

Wei Fufeng nodded. Tian Wen'er continued with a gentle smile, "The three of us are of one body, and all of us are mistress-figures. Normally, Ling'er manages external affairs, overseeing serfs and expenses; Yu'er manages internal affairs and the maids. The concubine-slaves are disciplined by Yu'er. When the Great Mistress whipped Mudan, it was an insult to the masters of those concubine-slaves. Since I cannot afford to offend the Great Mistress, I can only let her trample upon our prerogatives as mistresses."

Wei Fufeng nodded silently. Suddenly, he heard Tian Wen'er turn her head and command, "Yu'er, have Mudan dance for us."

Yu'er walked silently to the wooden platform, took a bamboo rod handed to her by a maid, and lashed it across Mudan’s rounded buttocks, shouting sharply, "Dance!"

The concubine-slave Mudan let out a soft groan. Her prostrate, jade-like body dipped her waist and raised her head, resembling a snow-white cat awakening from a deep sleep.

She turned, leaned sideways to sit with folded legs, and then rose gracefully into a tall, upright posture. With a slender waist, rounded hips, a full bosom beneath her embroidered bodice, and long, jade-like limbs, she stepped forward, swaying in delicate, cat-like steps toward Wei Fufeng.

Two meters away from Wei Fufeng, the jade beauty suddenly spun, stretched her arms, and began to dance. Her fair arms extended high, her slender waist and rounded hips writhing like a snake, her delicate legs shifting rhythmically in a display of endless beauty...

Wei Fufeng stared involuntarily, his body stirred by an irrepressible desire. The snow-white beauty before his eyes exuded such sultry charm that it pierced the soul.

Yet upon that lovely face, a forced, flattering smile was clearly visible, her stiff expression suggesting she was clenching her teeth tightly.

"Lord, drink," Tian Wen'er’s soft voice interrupted Wei Fufeng’s trance.

"Ah, yes, let us drink," Wei Fufeng replied somewhat hastily. He picked up his bowl to drink with Tian Wen'er, emptying it in another single gulp.

After setting the bowl down, Yu'er came over to pour wine for Wei Fufeng and Tian Wen'er.

Tian Wen'er smiled gently and asked, "Does the Lord like it? If you do not care for soft, seductive dancing, she can also perform a wild and uninhibited exotic dance."

Regaining his composure, Wei Fufeng smiled and said, "I like it. Today's soft dance is quite enough."

Tian Wen'er extended her right hand, placing it close to Wei Fufeng, and whispered, "Lord, take a good look at my hand. Can you like it?"

Wei Fufeng was slightly taken aback. He reached out with his right hand and gently clasped Tian Wen'er’s small hand.

Upon touching it, his first impression was of roughness; the bones were quite prominent. He lowered his gaze to inspect it closely. Her hand was somewhat dark and calloused on the palm—hardly resembling the jade hand of a noblewoman.

"My hands are far less beautiful than a concubine-slave's, for I constantly hold swords and engage in combat. My skin is not as fair and tender as a concubine-slave's, and my figure is entirely ordinary. The only thing I can truly be proud of is that I can bear noble children for the Lord," Tian Wen'er said softly and tenderly.

Wei Fufeng looked down at her small hand in silence. After a moment, he gently pulled Tian Wen'er into his embrace and lowered his head to kiss her crimson lips.

Standing beside the bamboo table, Yu'er watched in a daze. What was happening before her eyes completely surpassed the boundaries of her imagination.

After a moment, Wei Fufeng parted from her lips and looked down with a smile.

Tian Wen'er’s pretty face flushed pink. Suddenly adopting a fierce tone, she whispered, "In the future, you are not allowed to look down on me! Otherwise, I will whip Mudan every single day—I know you like it."

Wei Fufeng was stunned, then burst into a bitter laugh. With no other choice, he declared, "In this life, I will never fail you."

Tian Wen'er let out a shy murmur of agreement. Suddenly, she reached out to wrap her arms around Wei Fufeng’s right arm and instructed, "Yu'er, take Mudan back to apply medicine. I shall stay a little longer. All of you, leave."

Yu'er hesitated for a moment, appearing as if she wanted to say something, but remained silent. She walked toward Mudan, who was still dancing, and struck her buttocks with the bamboo rod in her hand.

Mudan immediately stopped dancing, turned with a sway, and walked back to the wooden platform. Kneeling and prostrate upon it, she was covered with the burlap and carried away, with Yu'er following closely behind.

Wei Fufeng watched them leave with a glance. In his arms, Tian Wen'er smiled faintly and said, "Do you pity Mudan? Her injuries are not light; it wouldn't do for her to dance too long."

Slightly embarrassed, Wei Fufeng remarked casually, "She was clenching her teeth; her injuries certainly aren't light. The punishments you have here are excessive."

"Excessive?" Tian Wen'er retorted dismissively. "I have heard that in the brothels of the Han lands, disobedient women are branded with red-hot iron chopsticks. That is far more vicious than bamboo whips!"

Wei Fufeng was speechless. This betrothed young maiden used language that was far too fierce, clashing utterly with his notions of "propriety."

Tian Wen'er continued softly, "Raising concubine-slaves is very costly. They do not labor and eat the same food as we do. Punishing them mostly involves whipping, so as not to ruin their skin, hands, or feet. As for ordinary base slaves, we frequently use bamboo thorns to pierce them, brand them with fire, flog them with leather whips, and lock them in standing cages."

Hearing this, Wei Fufeng felt a slight chill run down his spine. He had long since heard tales of various brutal tortures in the frontier barbarian lands.

Then, Tian Wen'er spoke in a low, murmuring voice, "Since the Lord has promised not to fail me, as your woman, there is something I must tell you. Perhaps it will allow the Lord to achieve great feats and establish his career."

"What is it?" Wei Fufeng asked, instantly alert. The mention of torture was swept away from his mind. He was a regional warlord who had experienced bloody slaughter; as the saying went, "benevolence does not command an army," and his heart rarely harbored compassion.

Tian Wen'er said softly, "The Lord asked me to inquire about news from Shaozhou. I heard something deeply detrimental to southern Sichuan."

As Tian Wen'er narrated the details step by step, Wei Fufeng was shaken to his core, and a surging intent to kill and rage boiled up within him.

What Tian Wen'er described conformed to both fact and logic. The mention of Prefect Yang of Xingyuan Prefecture further underscored its authenticity.

"Lord, you must secretly relay this news to the trusted senior general of the Southern Sichuan Military Commissioner in Youzhou so that they can be prepared. The Southern Sichuan Military Commissioner will undoubtedly recognize your contribution," Tian Wen'er concluded.

Wei Fufeng nodded silently, a mixture of anxiety and shock churning within his heart. Li Chenggang’s plot to rebel brought immense pressure and panic upon him. Although he was the Southern Sichuan Military Commissioner, he had no confidence in his ability to control all military forces.

The reason was simple: while he had instituted a military system that separated troops from their commanders and kept allegiances fluid, people naturally tended to form cliques and grow close. High-ranking and powerful generals easily won the allegiance of the soldiers’ hearts.

As the supreme commander, Wei Fufeng could not possibly maintain personal closeness with every unit of troops.

If Li Chenggang colluded with the Bozhou Yang clan, and the Bozhou Yang clan successfully launched a surprise attack on Youzhou, shattering the military and administrative order of the Southern Sichuan Military Commissioner’s office, Li Chenggang would seize the opportunity to grasp military power, creating a warlord-dominated landscape with himself at the head.

Wei Fufeng was even more worried whether other commanders might respond to Li Chenggang’s call.

Wang Dahu, Yang Wencheng, Dong He, and Liu Yi had all previously been subordinates of the Suizhou Vice-Prefect, sharing deep comradeship ties with Li Chenggang.

If Li Chenggang was dissatisfied with Wei Fufeng’s "scant grace," other commanders might harbor similar grievances. Once someone took the lead in rebelling, it could easily trigger a chain reaction of mutinies.

Without realizing it, Wei Fufeng’s right hand caressed Tian Wen'er’s bodice. Tian Wen'er blushed and murmured shyly, "Lord."

"Good, very good," Wei Fufeng replied instinctively, his tone gentle.

"Is it truly good? Mine are smaller than Mudan's," Tian Wen'er whispered shyly, intentionally puffing out her chest slightly.

Wei Fufeng was momentarily startled, then smiled faintly at the corners of his mouth. Seizing the moment, he slipped his right hand into Tian Wen'er’s bodice, gently cupping and stroking her soft breast while lowering his head to kiss her hair.