Volume Three: Southern Expedition and Territorial Expansion Chapter 152: Boundless Love for Eternity

The next morning, Tian Wen'er accompanied Wei Fufeng as he inspected the military and political affairs of the Yelang Prefecture.

They returned at dusk. After taking a bath, Wei Fufeng joined the household for dinner in the spacious bamboo house, casting an occasional, casual glance at the eight concubine-maids.

Seeing this, Yu'er smiled and said, "My lord, I have been having the maid-servants practice dancing."

Wei Fufeng smiled and nodded. Yu'er paid little attention to external affairs, while Ling'er rarely concerned herself with the maid-servants, assisting Tian Wen'er with administrative duties instead.

After the meal, as they enjoyed tea and lanterns were hung, the eight maid-servants, dressed in the traditional attire of the Liao people, performed a Liao dance. Though the steps were simple, the performance by the eight beauties was deeply pleasing to the eye.

Wei Fufeng watched with great relish, feeling the relaxed state of mind of a powerful and wealthy lord.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Tian Wen'er suddenly called out, "Cha Xian, come here."

A maid-servant with delicate, flower-like features left her dancing partners and approached Tian Wen'er. She knelt on the animal pelt and whispered softly, "Mistress."

Tian Wen'er reached out, pulled her close, gave her rounded hips a gentle slap, and glanced over to give Yu'er an instruction.

Yu'er stood up and beckoned. Four Liao maid-servants walked over, lifted the maid-servant Cha Xian, and followed Yu'er behind a giant folding screen.

Tian Wen'er looked at Wei Fufeng and smiled, "My lord should not indulge in excess without restraint, but time is pressing, and the First Elder Sister's request must be fulfilled. Go ahead, my lord."

Understanding her meaning, Wei Fufeng stood up and walked behind the screen. He saw Cha Xian lying on her back on the animal pelt, her mouth tied with a cord and her graceful arms bound behind her.

The four Liao maid-servants departed, and Yu'er smiled as she helped Wei Fufeng undress.

Naked, Wei Fufeng approached the beauty, leaning down to gaze at her from above. The beauty shyly turned her head away, offering a charming and exquisite profile.

Wei Fufeng smiled, pounced upon her, and kissed her, thoroughly enjoying her exquisite beauty. This beauty named Cha Xian bore a slight resemblance to Sister Lin.

......

In Li Xuerou's inner chamber, two red wedding candles flickered. The clothes of Wei Fufeng and Xuerou remained as they usually were.

Li Xuerou poured two cups of wine and with a faint smile handed one to Wei Fufeng. He accepted it, and the husband and wife locked eyes, raising their cups before drinking.

Li Xuerou took the cups back and placed them together on the table. Wei Fufeng stepped forward, pulled her into a tight embrace, and whispered softly, "I should have married you in grand style; you should not have been wronged."

"For a husband and wife, mutual understanding is what matters most. If there is love in the heart, even a thatched cottage can shine brilliantly and become a lifetime worth remembering," Li Xuerou whispered gently.

Warmth filled Wei Fufeng's heart, and he murmured tenderly, "We shall grow old together, our hearts united forever."

Li Xuerou nodded and whispered softly, "Does my lord know which of Wen'er's maid-servants is the most precious?"

Taken aback, Wei Fufeng was momentarily at a loss for words.

Li Xuerou murmured, "The maidservant is the most precious one. When my lord enjoys her, do not just swallow her whole."

Waves of emotion rippled through Wei Fufeng's heart. He leaned close to her ear and whispered with a smile, "Is she truly the most precious? I don't believe it."

......

Wei Fufeng left the Yelang Prefecture, taking Li Xuerou and Linghu Wan'er back with him to Chongqing.

Upon returning to Chongqing, Li Xuerou and Linghu Wan'er returned to their residence, this time guarded by five hundred soldiers.

The original one hundred soldiers remained in service without being punished; after all, the incident of Li Xuerou being carried off easily invited speculation and criticism.

Wei Fufeng returned to the Governor's Mansion to meet with Lin Qingshue, Xiaoxue, Mingyu, Amber, and the Fourteenth Lady.

As soon as they met, the Fourteenth Lady rushed to Wei Fufeng's side first. With doting affection, Wei Fufeng reached out to stroke her cheek.

Shyly, the Fourteenth Lady turned and stood to the side, allowing Wei Fufeng to face Lin Qingshue.

"My lord, was this trip smooth?" Lin Qingshue asked with dignified gentleness.

"Fairly well. Wen'er returned victorious, and the Yelang Prefecture is largely stable. I told Wen'er not to venture too far from the Yelang prefectural city. I also inspected the military and administrative affairs of the Yelang Prefecture, established a defense strategy involving beacon towers and fortified outposts, and ordered the construction of garrisons in outposts between Yelang and Chongqing to promote trade," Wei Fufeng replied.

Lin Qingshue nodded and said, "That is for the best. A secret letter has arrived from Jinzhou. I shall go retrieve it while my lord bathes."

Wei Fufeng nodded. Amber and Mingyu came over, joining the Fourteenth Lady to help him remove his armor and outer garments. Lin Qingshue turned and left, while Xiaoxue also went outside to prepare the bathing tub.

Having shed his armor, Wei Fufeng casually gave Amber's rounded hip a fond pat.

Amber's body shivered as if struck by lightning, and the armor she held slipped from her hands. Startled, she hurried to catch it, but Wei Fufeng reached out and caught it first. Blushing, Amber took the armor from his hands and stood quietly with her head lowered.

Wei Fufeng reached out an arm to embrace Amber, lowered his head, and whispered affectionately, "Next year, we shall consummate our marriage."

Amber uttered a soft assent, then suddenly broke free from his embrace, turned, and trotted off to the side to tidy the armor.

With a pleased smile, Wei Fufeng extended his left arm to gather Mingyu into his embrace, lowering his head to kiss his concubine's rosy cheek.

Slightly flushed with shyness, Mingyu lifted her face and kissed Wei Fufeng on the cheek in return.

Stirred by emotion, Wei Fufeng slid his embracing left hand downward and playfully patted his concubine's rounded hip.

Mingyu let out a soft murmur, then abruptly broke away from Wei Fufeng's embrace, worried about displeasing Lin Qingshue and Xiaoxue.

Wei Fufeng smiled and subconsciously turned his gaze toward the Fourteenth Lady.

The Fourteenth Lady was watching him. Their eyes met, and she shyly lowered her head, twisting her hands in embarrassment.

Hesitating for a moment, Wei Fufeng took a step forward and gently stroked the Fourteenth Lady's left shoulder.

"Fourteenth Lady, do you like it here in Chongqing?" Wei Fufeng asked gently.

The Fourteenth Lady looked up at Wei Fufeng and whispered timidly, "Does my lord not like me?"

Wei Fufeng paused slightly and said, "Of course I like you."

"Then why? Why are you different with me?" the Fourteenth Lady asked in a nervous, frightened whisper.

Looking at the Fourteenth Lady, Wei Fufeng murmured softly, "You are different from Mingyu and Amber. I must show you respect."

"As long as my lord likes me, you don't need to be so respectful. I, I hope to be just like Amber," the Fourteenth Lady whispered longingly, her beautiful eyes fixed upon Wei Fufeng.

Wei Fufeng returned her gentle gaze, then suddenly turned his head and said mildly, "Amber, Mingyu, you two go outside."

Silently, Mingyu and Amber walked out. Wei Fufeng smiled at the Fourteenth Lady, pulled her into an embrace, gave her rounded hips a pat with his right hand, and lowered his head to kiss her hair and cheek.

The Fourteenth Lady's face flushed deeply. Suddenly stretching out her neck, she kissed Wei Fufeng's left cheek and whispered hurriedly, "My lord, please call Amber and Mingyu back in."

With a faint smile, Wei Fufeng replied, "Fourteenth Lady, it should be you who calls them in."

The Fourteenth Lady froze slightly. Hesitating for a moment, she took a step back from Wei Fufeng, turned toward the door, and called out softly, "Amber, Mingyu, come on back in."

Amber and Mingyu walked in. The Fourteenth Lady waved a hand and whispered, "Come and serve my lord together."

Nodding in unison, Amber and Mingyu approached, resuming their service to Wei Fufeng with natural grace.

As they helped him shed his ordinary clothes, Mingyu murmured, "Young master, Amber and I have always held the Fourteenth Mistress in high respect."

"I know. Don't let your mind wander," Wei Fufeng replied gently.

"Young master, to which wife's household do I belong?" Mingyu asked in a low voice.

Initially, Mingyu had been sent by decree to the Li estate to serve the Fourteenth Lady. Later, the Ninth Lady became the official fiancée, and the Fourteenth Lady was demoted to the status of a dowry consort.

After the betrothal with the Li estate was annulled, Mingyu mentally ceased to recognize either the Ninth Lady or the Fourteenth Lady as legitimate primary wives.

In her heart, there could only be one primary wife. Though Mingyu came from a servant background, she had once won the approval of Wei Fufeng's biological mother, with whom she had kowtowed alongside Wei Fufeng to consummate their union.

Mingyu's pride had grown; she considered herself a legitimate and proper concubine, and was unwilling to be relegated to the status of a maid-servant who doubled as a bedmate.

Mingyu had been brought to Chongqing from Fuzhou by Lin Qingshue to serve Wei Fufeng, and had accompanied them both to the Yelang Prefecture.

In the Yelang Prefecture, she had also been recognized as a lady of Lin Qingshue's household, while Lin Qingshue was addressed by Wei Fufeng as the First Mistress. Mingyu had once assumed Lin Qingshue was the primary wife.

Yet Wei Fufeng's actions today left Mingyu feeling bewildered. She refused to let her status remain ambiguous; she needed to ask clearly to attain peace of mind and ensure she committed no unwitting errors.

Understanding Mingyu's intent, Wei Fufeng smiled gently and said, "In status, you and Amber are equal to the ladies of the Yelang Prefecture and are not subordinate to any single mistress. In the future, I will petition for noble titles of official rank for you, Xiaoxue, Amber, and Wanyu."

Mingyu and Amber stared at him in astonishment. Puzzled, Mingyu asked, "Petition for noble titles for us maid-servants? What about the First Mistress?"

Wei Fufeng answered mildly, "Sister Qingshue is the First Mistress of the Yelang Prefecture, and her status is above yours. Even when you receive your noble titles, you must still honor all the mistresses. However, you do not belong to the Yelang Prefecture; you are the ladies of the Military Governor of Southern Sichuan. If you insist on a definite classification, it can only be that of a primary wife—though which lady will ultimately hold that position, I do not yet know."

Mingyu and Amber exchanged glances. Suddenly, Lin Qingshue and Xiaoxue walked into the room.

Lin Qingshue said softly, "Do not make things difficult for my lord. My lord acknowledges me as the First Mistress, but the Wei clan of Jinzhou will not recognize it. Therefore, my chief title is the First Mistress of the Yelang Prefecture, which nominally places me on equal footing with the primary wife of the Military Governor of Southern Sichuan. You belong to the Military Governor's household ladies, and need only respect all the mistresses without needing to be attached to any particular household."

Mingyu and Amber nodded in silence. Suddenly, the Fourteenth Lady asked, "What about me?"

Turning their gazes toward her, Lin Qingshue smiled faintly, "Young sister will certainly hold the status of a mistress, though her final title is hard to say—perhaps she will become one of the ladies of the Yelang Prefecture."

The Fourteenth Lady nodded, looked at Wei Fufeng, and asked, "My lord, can I become a lady of the Yelang Prefecture? Even as a lady of the Military Governor, it doesn't matter. I just wish to have a recognized standing."

Wei Fufeng said gently, "Fourteenth Lady, your standing is already that of a mistress. As for which household's mistress you will be, I cannot yet decide. Grant me some time."

The Fourteenth Lady nodded. With a smile, Wei Fufeng turned to Lin Qingshue and said mildly, "Sister, do not let the Fourteenth Lady go to the Yelang Prefecture. I do not wish for her to witness the rule of the Liao people."

Lin Qingshue nodded. Suddenly, Xiaoxue spoke up in a low voice, "Young master, this maid is unwilling to leave the mistress; I am content to remain a lady of the Yelang Prefecture."

Looking at Xiaoxue, Wei Fufeng said mildly, "That won't do. I made a promise to you—to petition for a noble title for you. Now my domains are vast, and perhaps I will have you govern Tanzhou to oversee military and political affairs."

"Young master, even if you have me oversee Tanzhou, I still need not part from the mistress," Xiaoxue argued.

Gazing at Xiaoxue, Wei Fufeng replied gently, "I have promised that the Yelang Prefecture will be inherited by Tian Wen'er's son, while my other sons registered under the Yelang Prefecture may not be permitted to leave the prefecture to hold official posts or inherit the position of Military Governor."

Xiaoxue looked startled. Lin Qingshue said softly, "Xiaoxue, do not give your future children cause to resent you. You are not a lady of the Yelang Prefecture, but our family will still remain together."

"Mistress," Xiaoxue called out with worry.

Lin Qingshue smiled faintly, "I am different from you. By becoming the First Mistress of the Yelang Prefecture, my children will hold legitimate primary status; even if they lose the right of succession, they can still live as wealthy and idle royalty."

Understanding dawned on Xiaoxue, and she nodded. The Wei clan of Jinzhou did not recognize Lin Qingshue as the primary wife, rendering the title of First Mistress rather awkward indeed.