Volume III: The Southern Expedition and Territorial Expansion Chapter 141: Tian Wen'er Has Arrived

The Boshou army halted its attack on the strategic pass, and the two forces fell into a stalemate. Because Wei Fufeng had slaughtered the entire clans of the Yang and Luo families, Yang Duan had lost any possibility of surrender.

Wei Fufeng waited patiently, admiring Yang Duan for his immense prestige; his scheme of alienation had unexpectedly failed to cause any internal strife within the Boshou army.

In truth, however, the Liao people maintained a strict hierarchy. Without their leader's explicit permission, the Liao warriors dared not make a move against Yang Duan outside.

After five days of stalemate, Wei Fufeng began to feel anxious. After all, he had left a force of ten thousand in Boshou; if the Boshou Liao tribes were to gather and launch a counterattack, it would result in heavy losses for him.

Suddenly, a reinforcement of five thousand troops from Qianzhou arrived at Tongzi County, bringing with them a most unexpected person—Tian Wen'er, along with her six slave girls and four martial artists.

Upon meeting in the military command tent, Wei Fufeng stepped forward to greet her with a smile, saying, "Wen'er, why have you come?"

"I was worried, so I rushed here to ask you in person whether you intend to abandon me," Tian Wen'er replied bluntly.

Wei Fufeng smiled bitterly and said, "How could I abandon you? We agreed that once this matter is settled, I would send betrothal gifts and marry you."

"Well, I came here myself, so you can forget the betrothal gifts. Do you acknowledge me as your wife?" Tian Wen'er asked, looking slightly shy.

Wei Fufeng replied solemnly, "I do. I recognize you as the wife of the Military Governor of Qianzhong, who will govern Qianzhou in the future."

"Good, now I am at ease," Tian Wen'er whispered happily.

Wei Fufeng smiled, a wave of warmth rising in his heart. He felt no aversion to Tian Wen'er's impetuous dash to become his wife; in fact, he had always felt grateful for her past betrayal of intelligence.

"How is the situation here? When will it end?" Tian Wen'er asked.

Without concealing anything, Wei Fufeng explained the current situation and even shared his concerns.

Tian Wen'er said, "My lord, do you mean that Yang Duan is waiting for reinforcements from Boshou?"

Wei Fufeng nodded and said, "I cannot wait any longer. Even if it costs me dearly in troops and generals, I must launch an attack."

"Do not rush to attack just yet. Let me send someone to meet with the Feizhou troops within the Boshou army," Tian Wen'er said without hesitation.

"Can you persuade the Feizhou troops to surrender?" Wei Fufeng asked in surprise.

"I do not know, but I will have someone tell the Feizhou troops that the Tian clan is now allied by marriage with my lord, that the Yang clan has already been wiped out, and that the Tian clan is about to take over Boshou," Tian Wen'er said casually.

Surprised by this, Wei Fufeng smiled and said, "Give it a try."

Tian Wen'er nodded, turned, and walked out of the tent to instruct one of the martial artists, who promptly left to carry out the order.

Returning to the tent, Tian Wen'er walked up to Wei Fufeng and whispered with a faint smile, "My lord, send your men outside."

Wei Fufeng had no choice but to wave his hand. The five guards inside the tent silently filed out, leaving Wei Fufeng to ask with a smile, "What is it?"

Tian Wen'er grabbed Wei Fufeng's left hand and pulled him toward one of the slave girls.

The six slave girls who had accompanied Tian Wen'er were all dressed in blue embroidered garments, standing respectfully with lowered heads. Among them, four had sturdy builds while two possessed slender, graceful figures.

Releasing Wei Fufeng, Tian Wen'er reached out and pulled aside the bodice of one of the slave girls. Instantly, a glimpse of spring was revealed as a snow-white, plump breast popped out from the clothing.

The slave girl raised her head, revealing an oval face as pretty as a flower and as smooth as the moon. Her red lips curled into a smile, and her pair of beautiful, affectionate eyes gazed deeply at Wei Fufeng.

In an instant, Wei Fufeng's body surged with heat, and a blazing fire of desire ignited within him. His expression changed, and he blurted out, "Wen'er, this is the military camp; you cannot behave so recklessly."

Tian Wen'er looked at him in surprise, and Wei Fufeng said solemnly, "In the army, I never dally with women. Do not let her ruin my rules."

Tian Wen'er blinked and smiled, asking, "Really?"

Wei Fufeng felt helpless and smiled bitterly, "I am your husband; I would not lie to you."

With a radiant smile, Tian Wen'er turned her head and said, "Cover up."

Lowering her head, the slave girl named Tao Ji raised her delicate jade hands to adjust her bodice.

Unable to resist, Wei Fufeng glanced down. Her hands were slender and white as snow, and her figure boasted a slender waist and rounded hips. At a single glance, the wicked fire within his body stirred restlessly.

Suddenly, seeing Tian Wen'er pull over another slave girl, he said gently, "Wen'er, this really is not the place."

Tian Wen'er smiled and said, "This one is your woman. I just brought her along the way."

Surprised, Wei Fufeng looked toward the slave girl. She raised her head, revealing a melon-shaped face with delicate eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, snowy cheeks, and a nervous, melancholic expression.

Stunned, Wei Fufeng opened his mouth and whispered, "Xuerou?"

Li Xuerou glanced at Wei Fufeng and murmured, "Lord Wei."

Wei Fufeng nodded and immediately looked at Tian Wen'er, who straightforwardly explained the whole story.

Hearing this, Wei Fufeng said angrily, "What is the commander's name? How can he be so incompetent?"

"Please, my lord, do not blame him. Perhaps the villain's methods were beyond reason," Li Xuerou whispered.

With a gloomy expression, Wei Fufeng suddenly said to Tian Wen'er, "Wen'er, I have a few words to speak with Xuerou."

"Go ahead," Tian Wen'er smiled.

Wei Fufeng turned to signal Li Xuerou, and walked out of the tent with her following closely behind with lowered head. Once outside, the two headed toward a nearby tent.

Upon entering, the four soldiers inside departed.

Turning to face Li Xuerou, who kept her head down in silence for a moment, Wei Fufeng whispered, "You have tasted the terror of the border barbarians now, haven't you?"

Li Xuerou nodded silently. Wei Fufeng continued softly, "You are clever and know how to ride the momentum of power, but you underestimated the malice of the world. You only saw me climbing to power by seizing opportunities, but you did not see the price I paid—fighting for my life through nine deaths."

A tear slipped down Li Xuerou's face as she sobbed softly, "I know your nobility was won by risking your life. I am only a woman; I simply wanted to marry a man I could love and rely upon."

Extending both hands, Wei Fufeng cupped Li Xuerou's tear-stained face and said gently, "Since you are here, do not regret it. You are a princess, yet I did not bow to you. Do you know why?"

Lowering her eyelashes shyly, Li Xuerou whispered, "I am willing to serve you wholeheartedly and bear your children."

Slightly startled, Wei Fufeng felt these words sounded very much like Tian Wen'er's style, yet Li Xuerou's gentle and melodious tone plucked at his heartstrings. Unable to resist, he lowered his head and kissed her red lips.

Li Xuerou let out a soft sigh, a blush spreading across her cheeks as her small hands grabbed the armor of Wei Fufeng.

A moment later, Wei Fufeng raised his head, looked down at her, and smiled softly, "Wife, call me husband."

"Husband," Li Xuerou called out shyly and delightfully. Her bashful demeanor was full of infinite charm. Gazing at her in a daze, Wei Fufeng suddenly pulled the beauty into his embrace.

...

Inside the main tent, Tian Wen'er was plagued by anxious doubts, worrying whether Li Xuerou might have spoken ill of her.

After wondering for a moment, she pulled Tao Ji aside and whispered, "Tao Ji, what do you think the lord and she are talking about?"

Tao Ji murmured, "Mistress, they are embracing and acting affectionately."

"How do you know they are embracing and acting affectionately?" Tian Wen'er asked, somewhat exasperated.

Tao Ji smiled faintly and whispered, "Affection grows deeper after a long parting. My body is naturally seductive to the bone, but that woman surpasses me by three parts. She must be seducing the man with her charms."

Tian Wen'er poked Tao Ji's bodice and smiled, "You seductive slave, do you like my lord now that you've seen him?"

Tao Ji whispered softly, "I am my mistress's dowry maid, a chamber maid brought along by a Han lady. We share the same heart as our mistress."

Satisfied, Tian Wen'er smiled and said, "Seduce the lord well, and I will have him plant his seed in you."

With lowered eyes and a submissive look, Tao Ji remained silent. Turning aside, Tian Wen'er played with her fingers in deep thought. After another moment, Wei Fufeng suddenly returned, followed by Li Xuerou with her head lowered.

Tian Wen'er walked over, and Wei Fufeng stopped to smile and say, "Wen'er, from now on you will call Xuerou your elder sister. She is also my wife."

Stepping forward to support Li Xuerou's left arm, Tian Wen'er smiled and said, "We have been sisters for a long time, Sister."

Li Xuerou nodded with a soft hum and murmured, "Sister Wen'er."

Observing out of the corner of her eye, Tian Wen'er noticed Li Xuerou's shy expression and the faint blush on her cheeks. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief while thinking with a trace of sourness, "It seems she didn't speak ill of me; she must have seduced the lord with her charms."

Standing nearby, Wei Fufeng smiled with high spirits. His satisfaction regarding Li Xuerou's marriage to him was driven more by wounded vanity than reluctance; back then, he had greater matters at hand and had chosen to ignore her so as not to hurt Sister Lin.

The ordeal Li Xuerou had suffered filled Wei Fufeng with guilt, making him feel he had failed in his duty of protection.

Fortunately, Li Xuerou had been rescued by Tian Wen'er; otherwise, Wei Fufeng would have been burdened with guilt and shame, seeing as Li Xuerou was his rightful wife.

At that moment, a guard outside announced the return of the martial artist and two Boshou soldiers. Thinking that their trip back and forth was prompt and that they must have returned as soon as they arrived, Wei Fufeng ordered them to enter.

The five guards walked in first, followed by the martial artist and the two Boshou soldiers.

"This is the Fifth Young Mistress," the martial artist introduced straight away as they entered, and Tian Wen'er stepped forward a couple of paces.

The two Boshou soldiers looked Tian Wen'er up and down. Glaring at them, Tian Wen'er demanded, "Have you never seen me before?"

One of the Boshou soldiers hurriedly and respectfully replied, "We have never been to Sizhou. Please do not blame us, Young Mistress."

"Then what use is it for you to come here? If you don't recognize me, how can you trust me?" Tian Wen'er arched her eyebrows and asked.

The Boshou soldier respectfully answered, "We heard that the Yang clan of Boshou and the Tian clan of Sizhou were to be joined in marriage. Why is it that you are now allied by marriage with the Southern Sichuan army?"

"The Tian clan's legitimate daughter you speak of, who was betrothed to the Yang clan, is none other than me. However, before the head of the clan betrothed me to the Yang clan, I met the Military Governor of Southern Sichuan in Sizhou, and my father arranged a marriage contract for us. Later, when the head of the clan sent word for me to set out and marry into the Yang clan, I preferred Chuyu, so my father told me to marry into Qianzhou instead. Do you understand this?" Tian Wen'er explained bluntly.

After pondering for a moment, the Boshou soldier said, "Understood. That is to say, the Young Mistress married the Military Governor of Southern Sichuan, and the alliance between the Sizhou Tian clan and the Boshou Yang clan no longer exists."

"As long as you understand. My lord conquered Zunyi County in Boshou; the entire Yang and Luo families were wiped out. The marriage arranged by the clan head can only be with the Military Governor of Southern Sichuan. You are to go and kill Yang Duan, after which you may return to Feizhou," Tian Wen'er commanded with the air of a superior.

The Boshou soldier respectfully replied, "I will report this truthfully upon my return."

"My lord has said that if this drags on any longer, he fears the ten thousand troops left guarding Zunyi County will face a counterattack. You have only one hour to make your choice. An hour from now, the battle begins. Go," Tian Wen'er threatened.

The two Boshou soldiers bowed and left. Tian Wen'er turned and walked up to Wei Fufeng.

Looking at him, she whispered, "The clan head betrothed me to the young master of the Yang clan, but I fell in place with you and fled to Qianzhou after leaving home. Will you be angry with me? Will you despise me?"

Smiling as he looked at her, Wei Fufeng opened his arms and pulled Tian Wen'er into his embrace, saying gently, "You are my wife. We shall spend our lives together, never to part or abandon one another."

Pressing her face against Wei Fufeng's chest, Tian Wen'er murmured softly, "Consider yourself a man of conscience, then. It was worth it for me to bring along eight dowry maids for you."

Slightly startled, Wei Fufeng gave her a silent, tight embrace to express his affection for his beloved.