Hu Shen looked up, staring blankly at the person beside her. Being too close, she could only see his sharply defined jawline.
Since she hadn’t moved, the person beside her lowered his gaze, his handsome brows furrowing as he clicked his tongue at her: “Get inside the tent.”
Hu Shen’s long lashes fluttered. Peeking out from beside his broad back, she glanced at the several men glaring menacingly not far away. At this moment, she couldn’t worry about whether he could handle it or not. Quickly turning around, she ducked into the tent, hastily reaching for the dagger at her waist.
But outside, after curses in Xianbei language came cries of pain.
Even through the thick tent flap, she could hear the dull thuds of fists striking flesh.
It truly sounded alarming—those men were still carrying knives…
Yet, in just a few moments, the tent flap was lifted from outside. Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked over, only then realizing it was Xie Xixiao who had entered.
He seemed irritated from dealing with the men outside. As he entered, his sword-like brows were furrowed. Flexing his wrist, he scanned the tent before turning back and noticing her hiding beside the flap.
“What are you hiding there for?”
Hu Shen clutched the dagger: “I was afraid you couldn’t win and wanted to help you.”
Xie Xixiao clearly had little regard for her or her dagger: “Even at my worst, I haven’t fallen so low as to need your help with this.”
He raised a hand to press his forehead: “Last night, I told you I want to meet your Khan.”
Hu Shen quickly responded: “I remember.”
She turned and lifted the tent flap, looking around to confirm that the troublemakers from earlier had left. Only then did she step out, heading straight to find her elder brother.
She relayed Xie Xixiao’s message. Her brother was visibly delighted, instinctively raising his hands as if to lift her up like he did when she was little. But remembering she was grown now, his raised hands turned to patting her head.
“Good little sister, it’s fortunate we have you.”
Not long after she returned to the tent, the Khan sent someone to invite Xie Xixiao over.
Hu Shen had been staying by his side these past few days to keep an eye on him. Now, she could finally walk around and visit Zhuo Li.
In winter, Zhuo Li had even more to do. She had to prepare winter supplies for her husband and two children. Hu Shen gave her some of the sheepskins she had sewn herself. Zhuo Li happily opened her arms to hug her, pressing her cheek against Hu Shen’s.
“Hu Shen, you’re so kind.”
Hu Shen was indeed very happy today because she had made two people she cared about very happy.
Holding Zhuo Li’s youngest son, she played with him to keep him from bothering others. Remembering what Zhuo Li had said before—that her husband wanted to have a child of their own—she grew curious: “Zhuo Li, what does it feel like to be with child?”
Zhuo Li was measuring her eldest son. Ten-year-olds grew fast, so she had to take measurements from time to time—a real hassle.
She pursed her lips: “At first, you feel feverish, then you can’t eat and feel like vomiting. Later, your belly grows big. Some people swell up frighteningly and can barely move, while others feel just fine.”
Hu Shen looked at her, then at the two children: “What about you? What were you like when you were carrying them?”
“I don’t remember clearly.” Zhuo Li’s expression dimmed slightly. “That was back when he was still around.”
This “he” likely referred to her current husband’s elder brother—her previous husband.
Hu Shen realized she had asked the wrong question: “I’m sorry.”
Zhuo Li smiled and shook her head, not taking it to heart.
Before long, her husband returned. The man was not old, with an honest and simple appearance, plump as Zhuo Li liked—though if he gained any more weight, he might struggle to bend down and put on his shoes.
The man spotted Hu Shen and gave her a smile, then walked over to Zhuo Li, cupped her face, and planted a kiss on her lips. Zhuo Li pretended to wipe it off with her sleeve in disgust, but her face had already flushed a deep, dark red.
Hu Shen watched without blinking. She had often seen such scenes before, but now, a vague, indescribable ripple stirred in her heart.
Previously, she hadn’t thought much of it. Perhaps this was just how people expressed closeness—like puppies licking each other’s tongues or sniffing each other’s rear ends.
But she thought of Xie Xixiao.
For instance, once when she was truly exhausted, she asked if she could lean on his chest for support, but he sternly refused. She could only bend over, hands braced on either side of him.
Closer to him, she could see him more clearly, including his lips, pressed tightly together in restraint, turning an even deeper crimson.
She thought, his lips certainly wouldn’t be like Zhuo Li’s husband’s—dry and peeling, with a scratchy beard.
Xie Xixiao did not return until the afternoon, but the Khan’s rewards arrived first.
As Hu Shen was now his woman, it was only natural for her to receive the rewards on his behalf.
But by evening, hearing that the Khan had set up a Zama feast—which originally had nothing to do with her—someone arrived under orders, summoning her to serve.
When she arrived, women were already dancing inside the tent. She looked toward the head of the tent: the old Khan sat at the highest seat, flanked by the eldest and second princes, along with several ministers the Khan valued. Further back were her elder brother and Xie Xixiao. Among the generals guarding Wuyi, including Yelu Jian, there were three in total.
She entered from behind the tent. Her elder brother spotted her first and gave her a reassuring smile. Instinctively, she started to walk toward him, but then she heard a dull thud. Glancing sideways, she saw Xie Xixiao set his wine cup heavily on the table, his gaze drifting toward her with indifference.
Hu Shen realized and couldn’t help feeling disheartened.
She had been bestowed upon him now; things were different from before. In such a place, she was dependent on Xie Xixiao, not her own blood brother.
Hu Shen sat down beside him, noticing the array of food on the table, none of which he had touched—likely because, unaccustomed to eating with his hands, he missed having chopsticks.
This reminded her of when he was still chained in irons, and she fed him by hand. It seemed she hadn’t just touched his lips but even brushed against the tip of his tongue.
At the time, she only found it strange. Now, belatedly, she realized that strangeness stemmed from its intimacy—an intimacy perhaps only shared between spouses like Zhuo Li and her husband.
Perhaps because she had been sitting lost in thought for too long, Xie Xixiao tapped his cup against the table again. Hu Shen looked at him and whispered, “Shall I pour you some wine?”
Xie Xixiao gave her a strange look. “You should be pouring me wine. How could you forget? You are the woman your Khan bestowed upon me.”
Hu Shen watched him sitting upright, then glanced at the serving women standing not far away, finally understanding his meaning.
It seemed he had taken her words to heart.
Enduring anyone being close to him, or enduring only her being close to him—he had chosen the latter.
She poured the wine but still reminded him, "Your injuries haven't healed yet; you should drink less."
Xie Xixiao looked at her with an even stranger expression. "You don't need to act like my woman and try to control me."
Hu Shen was momentarily speechless and didn’t argue with him, simply saving herself the unnecessary kindness.
The men’s banquet was indeed quite dull—nothing more than watching women dance, boasting about when they had hunted tigers or wolves, and then receiving praise from the old Khan as true warriors. If they were to discuss military strategies or warfare, they certainly wouldn’t have women serving them.
Her gaze drifted toward her elder brother. After exchanging glances with him a few times, she accidentally caught sight of Guzi as she looked away.
Guzi was sitting beside the second prince, her face still bearing injuries. When she noticed Hu Shen, she glared fiercely at her.
It seemed Naye truly had more strength. The punch Guzi had given her a few days ago had long since faded, but the blows Naye had dealt Guzi still showed their effects.
The old Khan seemed quite pleased today, drinking several extra cups of wine and coughing more frequently. The first and second princes vied to show their concern, but the old Khan merely waved them off, gesturing for the dancers to pour more wine.
The woman dancing in the center spun several times, her neck and waist moving with remarkable flexibility. The tassels on her forehead ornament swayed, producing a pleasant rustling sound.
As she danced, she began moving among the guests, offering wine or engaging in more intimate gestures. When she reached Xie Xixiao, she pretended to lean against him, but he raised a hand to stop her.
Seeing this, the old Khan lifted his hand, and the minister beside him spoke on his behalf. "General Xie has few attendants. Why not take her into your tent to warm your bed?"
Xie Xixiao didn’t answer immediately, only clenching his hand tightly on his knee.
Hu Shen was sitting close to him and could almost feel his struggle and hesitation. It was at that moment that the woman spun around and leaned toward him again.
Xie Xixiao finally spoke. "Thank you, but that won’t be necessary."
He took a deep breath, as if finally making a decision, and reached out to grasp Hu Shen’s wrist firmly.
Hu Shen was still bewildered, but in the next moment, he pulled her over and seated her on his lap.
"This one suits me well."
With her back to the old Khan, Hu Shen couldn’t see the expression on his face. Startled by the sudden closeness, she instinctively clutched Xie Xixiao’s sleeve. When she looked toward her elder brother, she met his approving gaze.
She swallowed hard and remained still, sitting obediently in Xie Xixiao’s embrace.
The old Khan chuckled twice. "As you wish."
Later, the woman moved to the second prince’s side. With a tug from him, she was taken into his tent.
This was the first time Hu Shen had ever sat in someone’s lap, and she found it very uncomfortable. She couldn’t quite figure out how Guzi managed to lean so comfortably against the second prince. She simply felt stiff in her current position, with no support for her waist to rest against.
After a few moments, she decided to stop overthinking it and simply leaned against Xie Xixiao’s chest. The sudden closeness caused his momentarily flustered breath to brush against the tip of her ear, making her instinctively shrink her left shoulder.
"Don’t move."
Xie Xixiao’s hand, resting at his side, tightened. His cool, distant voice reached her ears, warning her.
Hu Shen nodded. She had originally planned to lean against him for a moment to rest before getting up, but now she remained completely still, staying as she was.
After two more rounds of toasts, political matters were unexpectedly brought up during the banquet.
First, they spoke of Wuyi, where unrest was brewing as winter approached, requiring someone to be sent to curb their momentum. From the tone of the conversation, it seemed Xie Xixiao had already been chosen.
Now, the matter was brought up again, with the eldest prince suggesting that since he was unfamiliar with the region, Yelu Jian should serve as deputy commander.
Hu Shen listened with alarm. Wuyi was no easy place to deal with.
In earlier years, the grasslands were divided into three parts, with Wuyi holding the strongest position. The Southern Liang had intended to support the Tatars as a counterbalance, but later, the old Khan unified the grasslands and established Beiwei in the north, gradually annexing the Tatars and preparing to teach the Southern Liang a lesson.
It was last winter that her elder brother, coordinating with Southern Liang insiders, dealt a major defeat to the Southern Liang, capturing Xie Xixiao and others. However, they did not continue to annex Southern Liang’s Pingzhou, fearing a pincer attack from Wuyi behind them. They settled for some gains from the Southern Liang and ceased hostilities.
This winter, the Southern Liang sought peace, sending many gifts to ensure a comfortable winter. The old Khan also intended to recuperate for the time being, halting further campaigns. But Wuyi, lacking such gifts from the Southern Liang, could only resort to plunder. With Beiwei situated between them, the most convenient target for Wuyi was Beiwei’s resources.
With survival at stake, Wuyi would undoubtedly exert its utmost effort to raid. Sending Xie Xixiao at such a time was perilous. Although it might have been the old Khan’s way of testing his loyalty and capability, the eldest prince’s proposal to have him accompanied by Yelu Jian seemed deliberate.
Even without prior grievances, placing military authority in another’s hands would inevitably stir unrest in the competitive Yelu Jian, let alone with the recent conflict between them.
She wanted to offer a warning, but Xie Xixiao had already spoken: "I will not fail in my duty."
The old Khan was pleased, and Hu Shen lost her chance to speak, forced to swallow her words.
After three rounds of drinks, the banquet gradually dispersed. Hu Shen left first to find her elder brother, while Xie Xixiao walked slowly toward his tent.
"General Xie."
It was spoken in the language of Zhongyuan.
Xie Xixiao paused and turned to see Yuan Shigong, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, as he approached and clasped his hands in greeting.
His gaze fell on the hair cord tied around Xie Xixiao’s chest. "So, marriage has truly settled your heart, General Xie. From now on, we are colleagues once more. If you succeed in this campaign, do not forget to support me upon your return."
Xie Xixiao regarded him coldly. "I dare not presume."
A cold wind blew, dispersing some of his drunkenness, but the deep-seated hatred surged anew. He sneered softly, "It has been a long time, Deputy General Yuan. You seem more well-rounded than before. The wine of the grasslands must be truly exquisite, making you forget your homeland. I wonder if you can still wield a spear. And do you still remember your wife back home?"
He paused briefly, then continued with a smile, "I recall that before you left home, your wife was with child. By now, she must have given birth. I wonder if the news of your betrayal, colluding with the enemy, has reached Zhongyuan, bringing shame upon your parents, wife, and child?"
Yuan Shigong’s expression darkened, his gaze turning venomous, but he quickly retorted, "General Xie should worry about yourself first. I heard that before your departure, you were betrothed to a young lady from the Ban family. By the New Year, the wedding should have taken place."
He hissed softly, his smile brightening as he added, "What a pity, truly a pity."
Author’s Note:
(PS: If you like it, please add it to your collection—consider it feeding the chickens, cluck-cluck cluck-cluck.)
(PPS: Some might ask, why does the author keep mentioning how something was in history while also saying not to scrutinize it too closely? Well, on one hand, I'm not a history expert, so the details might not hold up under close examination, and what I write is a blended, alternate history—but not entirely made up. On the other hand, I'm a bit of a show-off. If I don't mention it, who would know I did my research? Who would notice my clever little touches? Who!
Ideally, I'd hope for this kind of reaction—
Reader: The author really put thought into this.
Me (modestly): Oh, not at all, not at all. I'm just glad you enjoyed it, dear readers.)