“Thank you for still having the heart to worry about me…”
Hu Shen tensed as if facing a formidable enemy, her entire body rigid and on guard.
Her face cold, she not only didn’t step forward but instead turned to leave quickly. Yet Yelu Jian took a step forward, grabbing her animal-skin skirt. His tall frame blocked the sunlight before her like a massive mountain, the difference in their sizes making her instinctively uneasy.
“Where do you think you’re going? I’ve been away for so long, and you haven’t missed me at all. How heartless you are.”
Hu Shen grew even more nervous, hurriedly pulling her skirt back. “I’m not close with you. Don’t speak to me like that!”
But her resistance only amused the man. He laughed heartily, his thick beard trembling with the motion. “I like this temper of yours.”
Hu Shen quickly moved toward Xie Xixiao, eager to escape Yelu Jian.
This man had been tasked with defending against Wuyi, and for some reason, he had taken a liking to her. Whenever he had free time, he would seek her out to cause trouble. It was only after her elder brother warned him several times that he somewhat restrained himself, though his words remained crude. In front of others, he always claimed she was his woman.
Once, a young man showed interest in her, but Yelu Jian’s intimidation drove him away. Perhaps out of fear of her elder brother, he never dared to go too far with her. Yet whenever he saw her, he would pursue and harass her—never crossing the line but always leaving her disgusted. If her elder brother ever confronted him, he would run to the Khan and twist the story against them.
Later, her elder brother managed to have him transferred to guard the border with Wuyi. He hadn’t returned for over half a year. How unlucky that she had run into him today.
Due to the iron chain on his foot, Xie Xixiao couldn’t go far. Hu Shen hurried toward him, but this also drew Yelu Jian’s attention to the man standing not far away. In comparison, Xie Xixiao appeared refined and scholarly, his gaze sharp yet carrying the unique, deceptively gentle quality of someone from Zhongyuan.
Yelu Jian’s thick, dark brows furrowed tightly, like a lion whose prey had been snatched away. His voice deepened. “Who is he?”
Xie Xixiao’s reputation was well-known; those who had fought against Zhongyuan had heard of him. But Yelu Jian, who had been battling Wuyi, knew nothing of him. Seeing the man’s refined appearance, he simply assumed he was a mixed-blood of the grasslands and Zhongyuan. With a dismissive wave of his large hand, he growled, “Get lost.”
Hu Shen reached Xie Xixiao’s side, but the man behind her continued to pursue relentlessly. She snapped sharply, “You’re the one who should get lost! This is my man. The Khan bestowed me upon him. Do you dare defy the Khan?”
Yelu Jian’s eyes widened. “That’s impossible. You’re mine. Your elder brother promised you to me.”
Hu Shen clenched her fists tightly. “You’re lying!”
Yelu Jian ignored her, turning his fierce glare toward the man behind her. “Hey, if you know what’s good for you, get lost. Otherwise, let’s fight. Whoever wins gets her.”
Such were the rules of the grasslands: women were possessions to men. Even if bestowed by the Khan, defeating another man meant you could take his woman.
But Xie Xixiao was different. Besides bearing his child and playing her part, she was also there to keep watch over him. How could she be casually taken by someone else?
Hu Shen gritted her teeth. “If you’re not satisfied, go to the Khan. Stop harassing me!”
Yelu Jian wasn’t one to be easily dismissed. Stubbornly, he stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. He was tall and burly, with a large build and immense strength—the kind of man Zhuo Li described as both fat and robust. Hu Shen couldn’t break free. Furious, she lifted her leg and kicked hard toward his lower body.
Facing Xie Xixiao, she couldn’t afford to kick him too hard, but against Yelu Jian, she held back none of her strength.
Yet Yelu Jian was also a trained warrior who had seen battle. He reacted swiftly, raising his arm to block. Though he deflected most of the force, he still suffered some injury. However, with the thick winter clothing, the damage seemed negligible.
Beyond that, Xie Xixiao, who was chained to her ankle, was yanked off balance by her forceful kick.
Xie Xixiao’s temple throbbed with irritation.
Yelu Jian’s expression darkened. Even if he wasn’t seriously hurt, this was still an insult to any man.
“Tuoba Hu Shen, you’ve angered me. Come with me!”
He reached out to grab her again. Hu Shen used all her strength but couldn’t shake him off in the slightest.
He had never treated her this way before. Perhaps it was because, in his eyes, she had once belonged to her elder brother, but now she belonged to this man who didn’t look particularly strong. He couldn’t defeat her brother, but he thought dealing with this man would be as easy as crushing an ant.
Hu Shen’s kicks, though not powerful, tugged at the iron chain around her ankle, irritating Xie Xixiao. His pent-up aggression had nowhere to vent, and now his sharp gaze fell on the man before him. He bent down, picked up the chain from the ground, and advanced slowly.
He methodically wrapped the chain around Yelu Jian’s wrist once, then formed a fist and smashed it hard into Yelu Jian’s face.
A cry of pain echoed as the tall, burly man fell backward onto the ground. Hu Shen, pulled by the chain, nearly stumbled, but Xie Xixiao grabbed her firmly.
He moved swiftly forward. By the time she turned to look, the chain was already wrapped around Yelu Jian’s neck, and Xie Xixiao’s fists rained down on his head, each blow heavier than the last.
Yelu Jian cursed in Xianbei, but no matter how large or strong he was, pinned down by Xie Xixiao, he became a trapped beast, utterly defenseless.
Only when she wasn’t the one being beaten did Hu Shen have the mind to observe closely. His movements were clean and precise, lacking the solid, clumsy heaviness of the grassland warriors, yet they carried the ferocious power of a tiger.
Only when she saw blood on his fists—unclear whose it was—did Hu Shen snap out of it and rush forward to grab Xie Xixiao’s arm. “You’ll kill him!”
Xie Xixiao merely glanced at her sideways, his dark, inscrutable eyes revealing no emotion. Then he swung his fist down again with even greater force, jolting Hu Shen’s body along with the impact.
Growing anxious, she quickly added, “You’ll make this a huge mess! He’s someone the Khan values. If word reaches the Khan, your brothers will be implicated!”
Xie Xixiao’s raised fist froze mid-air, his knuckles cracking audibly. He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his hand still descended—but this time as a sharp chop to the neck, knocking Yelu Jian unconscious.
He leisurely unwound the chain from Yelu Jian’s neck, stood up, and pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe the blood from his hands.
Now it was clear: the blood was Yelu Jian’s.
But Hu Shen watched with a pang of heartache. Seeing him toss the handkerchief aside in disgust, she quickly picked it up. “Do you know how precious handkerchiefs are? You could’ve just wiped the blood off on his clothes!”
Xie Xixiao raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with disgust at her words. He let out a cold laugh and continued walking toward the tent.
Hu Shen glanced at Yelu Jian, collapsed and unconscious on the ground. In such cold weather, who knew how long it would take for someone to find him.
If only I could fall seriously ill, then quickly return to garrison the border and stop bothering her.
The iron chain on her foot was tugged, and she turned to see Xie Xixiao had already walked far ahead. She hurried to catch up, following behind him, unable to resist chiding him: "You were too impulsive. I secretly took you to see them. If you had killed someone and the matter escalated, what if we were discovered?"
Xie Xixiao didn’t even glance at her, merely scoffing: "Then just lock me up again, what of it? It’s nothing more than some physical pain."
If possible, he even wished he could take the injuries for his comrades—let him alone suffer, so others wouldn’t have to.
But Hu Shen, unaware of his thoughts, was genuinely angered by his words: "If you were locked up again, wouldn’t all our efforts these days be in vain?"
Killing someone valued by the Khan, committing a mistake, being imprisoned and tortured—what relation did that have to surrendering and being trusted? If the spies in the shadows saw it, who would still believe he had truly surrendered?
Xie Xixiao glanced at her: "It wasn’t me who asked you to go through the trouble or bear children."
They walked all the way back to the tent. After entering, Xie Xixiao sat on the bed, the ferocity around him gradually dissipating, leaving him as if he had lost his soul, utterly dejected and despondent.
Hu Shen thought perhaps he had been too deeply affected by witnessing the miserable state of those people, so she spoke more bluntly.
"You’re so stubborn. If you want them to have it easier, just surrender."
She deliberately set a trap in her words: "I know you wouldn’t be willing, so why not feign surrender? Save them first, then figure out the rest."
Xie Xixiao lowered his gaze, his long lashes obscuring the light in his eyes.
After a long while, just as Hu Shen thought she wouldn’t get a response, he slowly spoke: "Once you are a surrendered general, whether it’s feigned or not, no one will delve deeper. Your reputation can never be restored; you’ll be criticized for life. So-called feigned surrender is nothing but self-deception."
Hu Shen’s heart tightened, suspecting he might have seen through the Khan’s plan.
But upon careful thought, this strategy was proposed by that surrendered general from Zhongyuan named Yuan Shigong. Both being from Zhongyuan, it wasn’t surprising he could think of it.
Moreover, this was an overt scheme—the insidious part of an overt scheme lies in making it unavoidable.
Hu Shen pursed her lips, thinking it over, and decided to strike another blow, to push him further.
"Your stubborn refusal to surrender now is the real self-deception. The Khan has rewarded you with so much, even giving me to you as part of it. In the eyes of others, you have already surrendered."
She ignored him, unfastening the iron chain herself, carefully storing the handkerchief to wash when it snowed.
In winter, the river would freeze, making water usage troublesome. How could she waste it washing a handkerchief?
And Xie Xixiao remained as he was.
She busied herself cooking; Xie Xixiao sat silently, lost in thought.
She sewed animal hides; Xie Xixiao sat silently, lost in thought.
Late into the night, she lay back in the bedding to sleep; Xie Xixiao still sat silently by the bed, lost in thought.
Perhaps it was because his injuries had healed somewhat over the past two days, or perhaps it was the warm, cozy fire in the tent, but his jade-like cheeks now carried a hint of color. Yet it did nothing to diminish the loneliness and desolation surrounding him.
It seemed that psychological tactics only worked at certain times. When he was first captured, his blood was still hot, and his heart was filled with hatred, making him feel he cared about nothing. Even if he died, his loyal bones would be buried in a foreign land—they took pride in death.
But a year of torment had scattered the fervor, leaving only resentment and an unwillingness to admit that past convictions were mere illusions.
What began as passion for homeland had turned into personal obsession. Now, seeing the misery of his comrades, what he once might have considered rightful loyalty to his country now seemed like self-deceiving stubbornness.
Hu Shen paid him no mind. Those who had suffered a blow needed time to figure things out on their own.
As long as he didn’t get up in the middle of the night to compose poetry and disturb her sleep, it was fine.
Hu Shen was still awakened in the middle of the night.
When she opened her eyes, Xie Xixiao was right beside her, staring. This truly startled her, and she hurriedly reached for the dagger under her pillow.
But Xie Xixiao spoke first: "I want to see the Khan."
Hu Shen didn’t know what madness had taken him: "It’s late. The Khan has likely already retired for the night."
Xie Xixiao’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his deep eyes filled with complex emotions: "What if I said I want to surrender?"
"Even if you surrender, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Leaving the tent this late, you’d be snatched away by wolves. The Khan also needs rest and won’t see you immediately."
Xie Xixiao lowered his eyes dejectedly, sneering: "You really do think of your Khan, obediently listening to your brother."
Hu Shen didn’t understand, blinking at him: "My brother is good to me, so I should listen to him."
Xie Xixiao’s breathing grew heavy, his resentment and frustration stirring together.
Her words had shattered all his resolve over the past year, pushing him onto the path of a traitor and surrendering general. Why could she still sleep peacefully here?
He spoke, deliberately aiming to wound her: "You value your brother, but he treats you like an object—first promised to me, then to that fool from earlier today."
Hu Shen blinked at him again: "It’s fine. I trust my brother. I don’t believe Yelu Jian’s words. Thank you for caring about me so late at night."
Xie Xixiao’s face darkened abruptly.
He felt her words were clearly meant as sarcastic mockery, yet her eyes were pure and earnest—she truly meant it from the heart.
His words had not only failed to wound her or keep her tossing and turning like him, but had instead earned her genuine gratitude, as if he were looking out for her.
Furious, he let out a cold laugh, abruptly stood up, and turned back to his own low cot.
Hu Shen glanced at him twice, puzzled, but seeing no intention of him approaching again, she relaxed her grip on the dagger, turned over, and went back to sleep.
She wouldn’t dwell on these matters. Her brother had his own difficulties and obsessions. He wanted to go to Zhongyuan, to Jiangnan, and she hoped he could achieve his wishes.
If not for her back then, her brother might have long since followed a merchant caravan to Zhongyuan. But he stayed, taking care of her, helping her survive bit by bit on the grasslands, gradually earning the Khan’s favor.
Now that he had a reputation, going to Zhongyuan would carry an entirely different meaning.
A grassland general who had defeated Zhongyuan—Zhongyuan would never accept him.
Early the next morning, Hu Shen still remembered Xie Xixiao’s request to see the Khan.
She wanted to relay this news to her brother. Rising early and stepping out of the tent, she lifted the flap and saw figures in the distance seemingly searching for something. Noticing her movement, several burly men turned their gazes toward her in unison.
A chill ran down Hu Shen’s spine. Some of them looked very familiar—likely Yelu Jian’s men.
She knew things were going badly. Watching those men approach with their scimitars, cursing under their breath, alarm bells rang in her mind. She quickly turned and rushed into the tent, but as soon as she lifted the flap, she collided squarely with the chest of the person behind her.
Xie Xixiao was caught completely off guard, letting out a muffled grunt from the impact.
Hu Shen had no time to worry about that. She grabbed his arm and ducked behind him. "Yelu Jian’s men are here for revenge!"
Xie Xixiao frowned, glancing at her and then at the arm she was holding, before forcefully pulling it free.
Then he turned to face the aggressive newcomers, narrowing his eyes slightly, not giving them a second thought. He only spoke to Hu Shen: "Aren’t you going inside?"
Author’s Note:
Xie Xixiao (evil): I’m going to say something harsh, really wound her!
Hu Shen (clueless): I didn’t realize you cared about me so much.
(PS: The grassland situation is loosely based on the Yongle era, but there are many fictional elements, mainly serving the romance plot. Please don’t overanalyze!)
PPS: Speaking of this, I personally think that in real history, gifting women to surrendered generals probably didn’t have much effect. I wanted to write this story partly because I saw a humorous edit of "The Great Ming Dynasty," joking that while Zhu Qizhen was a "student" in the Oirat, he was also a "charmer" of the Ming—even in the grasslands, people liked him and willingly had children with him. When I saw the actor looking like a little lamb being toyed with at first, then later bearded and weathered, I felt heavy-hearted too. But then, seeing him with a wife and child, I suddenly didn’t feel so heavy anymore. Is that right? In such hardship, how could he still have such thoughts? Historically, Zhu Jianchun was also born in the Oirat.
Another example is Su Wu. This guy wasn’t idle among the Xiongnu either. Seriously, buddy, I thought you were just eating wool over there, but turns out you had kids. Su Tongguo was born there, and the name "Tongguo" makes me furious too. Are you really "Tongguo"? Did sleeping with women count as revenge? More importantly, he had a wife back in Zhongyuan, and he even wrote poetry: "Bound as husband and wife, our love knows no doubt." Reading that, I got even angrier. Could he be any more hypocritical? Did he not laugh at himself while writing that?
Then there’s Yue Fei. He wasn’t exactly innocent either, but what’s slightly better is that his wife remarried as soon as she found out Yue Fei was missing. That made me feel a bit better, somewhat satisfying…
(Note: The story about Yue Fei is questionable, but it doesn’t stop me from feeling satisfied after hearing it. Let’s just treat it as a very satisfying historical fanfiction.)
Based on the above, I realized that this kind of relationship—captured, imprisoned, forced love—if not glossed over with hypocritical historical euphemisms, is actually quite compelling. Isn’t this just a tale of love and hate + the suspension bridge effect? My later fictional elements are meant to make the male lead’s actions and the female lead’s logic reasonable, avoiding the hypocrisy and discomfort of those historical figures. Finally, as always, don’t overthink it. Just follow my rhythm, woman (tyrant CEO vibes).
(By the way, when I first mentioned this to my friend who loves tragic stories, she thought I was going to focus on the wife left behind in Zhongyuan and write a tragic tale, since tragic stories are popular and easier to succeed with. I thought about it but still prefer the current setting. I hope it doesn’t disappoint me too much.)