Volume Three: Southern Expedition and Expansion of Territories - Chapter 149: Pillow Talk

On the couch, amidst heavy panting, sweeping vigor, and fierce momentum, soft and melodious moans accompanied the rhythmic intertwining of passion.

Beside the couch, Mudan and Taoji twisted their waists and swayed their hips, performing a seductive dance.

Yu'er held a bamboo pole, occasionally tapping the rounded buttocks of the concubine-slaves with it while blushing and casting stolen glances toward the couch.

In the wooden washing tub, Li Xuerou helped Tian Wen'er comb and wash her glossy hair, with Ling'er assisting close by.

No one spoke. The main melody of the room was the union of the man and women upon the couch.

Every single woman filling the room was wholeheartedly devoting herself to their 'King'.

Every melody has its ending. After the climax came a comfortable exhaustion. Wei Fufeng sat on the edge of the couch, his legs dangling and sweat streaming down his body, while the two concubines lay flat on their backs, equally drenched in sweat, their faces flushed like peach blossoms and their charming eyes as hazy as silk threads.

Li Xuerou walked silently to Wei Fufeng's side, holding a sweat towel in her delicate hand to wipe away his perspiration.

Wei Fufeng reached out and caught the beauty's delicate hand, speaking with affectionate softness, "Xuerou."

A faint blush stained Li Xuerou's delicate cheeks as she whispered, "Little Sister Wen'er said that's enough for today. Overindulgence is unwise."

Wei Fufeng nodded with a warm heart, then suddenly saw two robust Liao ethnic maidservants walk over. They bent down, lifted two of the concubine-slaves, and carried them away. He instinctively watched them go, only to see Tian Wen'er, Ling'er, and Yu'er also leaving the living quarters without casting a single glance back at him.

With practiced restraint, Wei Fufeng pulled back his gaze, looked at Li Xuerou, and said gently, "Xuerou, we shall consummate our marriage tonight."

Li Xuerou shook her head and whispered shyly, "Little Sister Wen'er thinks of our household; it is not fitting for us to monopolize the master for too long. Rest for a moment, my lord, and go to Little Sister Wen'er. After all, she has just returned from a distant campaign, and you should spend more time talking with her."

Wei Fufeng thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Send someone to let her know."

Li Xuerou nodded and turned to leave. Wei Fufeng turned, sat sideways on the couch, stretched out his right hand to stroke the rounded hip of the nearest beauty, and smiled softly, "You are Wan'er, and she is Qin'er."

The beauty nodded silently, her expression somewhat vacant.

Wei Fufeng asked gently, "Do you dislike marrying me?"

The beauty gazed into Wei Fufeng's eyes and murmured, "If this concubine were to say she likes it, I fear the lord's heart would only breed aversion."

Wei Fufeng was left speechless. The beauty continued softly, "Though this concubine was born of a Han family, I have long since been 'barbarized' by following local customs. The barbarian tribes believe the victor possesses everything of the defeated. I am merely a spoil of war. If the lord dislikes me, you may reduce me to a female slave at any time."

Wei Fufeng nodded and said, "Here, I am the Lord of the Yelang Prefecture and the supreme chieftain of the barbarian tribes."

He lowered his head to kiss the beauty's fair forehead and commanded, "Hold me, kiss me."

Linghu Wan'er raised her delicate arms to wrap them around Wei Fufeng's neck, lifted her chin, and pressed her lips to his.

......

An hour later, a freshly bathed Wei Fufeng made his way to Tian Wen'er's residence. Upon entering the courtyard gate, instead of heading straight into the main bamboo building, he turned into the garden on the left side of the hallway and sat down in a small pavilion.

Soon, Tian Wen'er, Yu'er, and Ling'er arrived at the pavilion.

Tian Wen'er reproached him playfully, "My lord, why didn't you come inside the house?"

Wei Fufeng smiled faintly and replied, "I was afraid that the moment I stepped inside, I would be met by a whole crowd of soul-snatching beauties."

Tian Wen'er sat down with a pout, fixing her bright eyes on Wei Fufeng as she asked, "Does the lord not like them?"

"I like them," Wei Fufeng answered with a smile.

Tian Wen'er gave a light hum, shooting him a coquettish and reproachful glance.

With a chuckle, Wei Fufeng turned his head and said gently, "I need to discuss military matters with Wen'er. You two go wait in the bamboo building."

Surprise flickered across the pretty faces of Yu'er and Ling'er, but they nodded immediately and departed.

Wei Fufeng looked at Tian Wen'er and smiled, "Wen'er, those dowry concubine-slaves of yours can be trained in various types of clothing and dances; they don't have to be restricted to dancing naked and seductively."

Tian Wen'er looked at Wei Fufeng with her bright eyes, smiled faintly, and asked, "My lord, how do you understand the phrase 'excessive and inappropriate desires'?"

Wei Fufeng paused slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "It can be understood as insatiability, foolishly trying to obtain things one ought not to have."

Tian Wen'er murmured, "My father said that only a slave under the lash is a true slave. A slave who is whipped desires above all else not to be whipped by their master, and firmly bears in mind that they are the master's property."

Wei Fufeng fell silent. Tian Wen'er continued, "A slave who is treated kindly, however, desires above all else to gain freedom, hoping to turn the tables and become the master."

Pausing briefly, Tian Wen'er added, "When my mother was alive, she said: never let concubine-slaves wear clothes to cover their bodies. Firstly, to prevent them from escaping; secondly, to make it clear that their sole purpose is their appearance, so that the male master can only love the flesh of the concubine-slaves, rather than falling in love with their temperament or talent."

Wei Fufeng smiled wryly and said gently, "I said I wouldn't interfere with your dowry. Pretend I never said anything."

Tian Wen'er's eyes softened. "I know the lord pities them. How about this? I will give them a chance at marriage. For each of them, I will have them dress in new Han-style garments, enter the bridal chamber, light the wedding candles, and spend a night of nuptials alone with the lord."

Wei Fufeng was slightly startled, then nodded. "That is fine."

Tian Wen'er smiled slyly and whispered, "After the bridal night, I will enter the room and ask the lord a question: How well did the seductive slave serve? If the lord answers 'tolerably well', and I am not satisfied, I will have her dragged out and punished, and the lord must not plead for her."

Wei Fufeng's expression stiffened. He glanced at Tian Wen'er without speaking. Tian Wen'er smiled faintly again and said, "Is the lord angry?"

"No," Wei Fufeng said helplessly.

Tian Wen'er blinked and smiled lightly, "My lord, if I do not use means and prestige to awe the crowd, a disaster will sooner or later erupt within the inner chambers. If a concubine-slave fancies herself favored and rebels against order, what should I do then? Kill her, and I am bound to anger the lord. Spare her, and the consequences will be dire."

Wei Fufeng nodded. "I said before, I am unwilling to be responsible for too many women. With you managing things, I will have peace of mind and fewer troubles."

Tian Wen'er burst into a bright smile and whispered, "My lord, there is another major taboo in not letting concubine-slaves wear clothes: concubine-slaves are like queen bees; they can conceal bamboo blades hidden beneath their bellies or inside their garments. A short piece of bamboo blade is enough to assassinate a master."

Wei Fufeng remained silent, unwilling to continue the topic of female slaves. After a brief pause, he shifted the conversation: "Wen'er, this alliance with the Tian clan and your triumphant return have brought stability and allegiance to the Yelang Prefecture, allowing me to set off for the southern campaign in Tanzhou with peace of mind."

Tian Wen'er nodded and said, "While the lord goes on the southern campaign, I will continue marching south to conquer the tribes along the Yachi River valley."

Wei Fufeng shook his head. "The Yelang Prefecture must not expand any further. We must focus on consolidating our foundation, strengthening governance, and bolstering our defensive power. If we continue to expand southward by force, we will easily leave ourselves vulnerable to opportunistic enemies."

Southern Sichuan is under the lord's control, and the Tian clan of Sizhou to the east will not attack the Yelang Prefecture. The lord only needs to station troops in Gulin County of Luzhou to the west to ensure Yelang is free from worry," Tian Wen'er stated, offering her perspective.

Wei Fufeng replied, "The Yelang Prefecture has only recently been acquired, and the hearts of the people are still unsettled. Furthermore, Nanzhao is eyeing us like a tiger eyeing its prey and is very likely to launch an offensive against Yelang. At present, the defensive focus in southern Sichuan lies with the Fengxiang army and the Dongchuan army, making it impossible to station elite forces in Gulin County."

Tian Wen'er listened, deep in thought. Wei Fufeng continued, "Do not assume the Yelang Prefecture possesses the capability to successfully repel all enemies without fail. Our external foes are not limited to Nanzhao; there is also Wang Jian's army, which occupies the Yazhou region."

"Yazhou? Wang Jian's army? Yazhou is vast and sparsely populated, and it's quite a distance from here," Tian Wen'er said in surprise.

Wei Fufeng said, "Far it may be, yet close it is. Wang Jian was defeated in Chengdu and fled to Yazhou. I originally thought he was thoroughly crushed, but unexpectedly, Wang Jian campaigned westward from Yazhou, swallowed up numerous Tibetan tribes, and has once again amassed a formidable force of tens of thousands of fighting men."

Tian Wen'er nodded. "That Wang Jian is truly formidable; I've heard he was invincible throughout Xichuan."

Wei Fufeng said, "Although Wang Jian has risen once more, he lacks the strength to retake Xichuan and can only bide his time, waiting for an opportunity. Should the Fengxiang army attack southern Sichuan, if I were Wang Jian, I would choose to lead my forces across the Dadu River, skirt south of the Yangtze River past Rongzhou and Luzhou, and launch a surprise raid on the Yelang Prefecture."

Tian Wen'er thought for a moment and said, "That is merely the lord's hypothesis. Wang Jian might not dare to risk an isolated deep raid into Yelang."

Wei Fufeng shook his head. "You are mistaken. Having suffered a crushing defeat in Xichuan, Wang Jian is desperate to wash away his humiliation at the earliest opportunity. In doing so, he is bound to take desperate risks. Once the Fengxiang army attacks southern Sichuan, Wang Jian may well launch a surprise strike south of the Yangtze to seize the opportunity. His normal objective should be Bashu in Yuzhou, but by comparison, he would much rather capture and hold the Yelang Prefecture."

Tian Wen'er hesitated for a moment before nodding. Knowing she remained unconvinced, Wei Fufeng added, "Wang Jian is a man who stops at nothing to achieve his goals. He might even collude with Nanzhao to advance together—Nanzhao attacking Yelang from the west, and Wang Jian striking Heishenya from the north."

A look of alarm crossed Tian Wen'er's pretty face as her brows furrowed. Wei Fufeng went on, "Therefore, when the Fengxiang army attacks southern Sichuan, I will intentionally suffer a defeat and retreat to defend the territory south of the Yangtze."

"Why intentionally suffer a defeat? Are you worried you cannot defeat Wang Jian?" Tian Wen'er blurted out.

Wei Fufeng replied calmly, "Firstly, to preserve our strength and avoid a direct, devastating clash with the Fengxiang army. Secondly, to contract our forces and focus on defending the territory south of the Yangtze. And the third point is perhaps the most crucial: to let the Fengxiang army grow increasingly arrogant and pose an even greater threat to the Tang imperial court. However, you must not tell Xuerou about this; I don't want to cause her sorrow."

Tian Wen'er nodded. Wei Fufeng then laughed self-deprecatingly, "Calling it an intentional defeat—the truth is, I lack the confidence to contend with the Fengxiang and Dongchuan armies. Back then, I had the opportunity to press forward and take Chengdu in Xichuan, but I was held back by the instability of the southern Sichuan forces and feared that if I occupied Xichuan, the imperial court would not tolerate it and would rally a coalition to suppress me. At that time, I was terrified the court would strip me of my title as Military Commissioner of Southern Sichuan."

Tian Wen'er nodded and smiled faintly. "Are you no longer afraid now?"

Wei Fufeng smiled with quiet confidence. "Now my foundation is secure, the hearts of the army belong to us, and I have obtained the righteous mandate of a Protectorate conferred by the court. I am fully capable of establishing a feudal domain of my own in the southwest."

Tian Wen'er said, "Does the lord mean to establish a state and proclaim himself king in the southwest?"

Wei Fufeng paused slightly, then shook his head. "It is not yet enough to proclaim myself king. The grand trend of the empire remains unclear, and Li Tang is still recognized by the people as the legitimate authority. Therefore, I need the Fengxiang army to enter Chang'an, giving all the warlords across the realm a pretext to carve out their own kingdoms."

Tian Wen'er nodded, her voice filled with emotion. "Compared to the lord's royal ambitions, I am perhaps merely a cunning fox. Let it be as the lord says: for now, we shall hold our ground in the Yelang Prefecture and not leave."

Wei Fufeng nodded and said gently, "The territory of Yelang is far too important. In the future, we must establish fixed strategic passes and fortifications based on the surrounding geography to guard it."

"Mn, I will survey and build them myself," Tian Wen'er replied.