Meng Fuyao's expression changed at such a close distance and such a ferocious strike. She subconsciously raised her arm, intending to block it with her flesh.
However, the knife suddenly slipped when it came into contact with Yuan Zhaoxu's back. With a tearing sound, it slid down Yuan Zhaoxu's clothes, as if the clothes weren't clothes, and what was underneath them wasn't flesh and blood, but slippery oil.
Yuan Zhaoxu had already turned around when Little Knife's hand slipped.
Ignoring what Little Knife was doing, he pulled Meng Fuyao away to prevent her from accidentally bumping into Little Knife's knife.
With a snap of his fingers, he snapped the dagger in half.
Finally, he lifted his leg and kicked Little Knife away.
Xiao Dao's body flew out with a bang, colliding with Tie Cheng who was rushing over. Tie Cheng held her and staggered back several steps, only stopping when he hit the stone wall. Once he stopped, he immediately threw her away and cursed, "Stabbing your companion in the back, biting the hand that feeds you. Are you even human?"
Little Knife held onto the wall and coughed slowly, coughing out some blood. She grabbed onto the vines on the wall and refused to turn around. Her fingers were pricked by the vines, but she did not make a sound.
Meng Fuyao stared at her for a long time before slowly drawing the knife from behind her waist.
She knew that Little Knife was in danger, and she also knew that Little Knife's heart was dark. But she still believed that it was because of the child's misfortune that she was filled with hatred and dissatisfaction towards the world. With time, it would slowly fade. That was why she did not hesitate to go against Zong Yue and fight for a chance for her to survive.
However, she was not afraid of Little Knife's sneak attack. She was not afraid of Little Knife hurting her, but that did not mean that she would allow Little Knife to hurt the people around her. She could accept Little Knife bringing danger to others besides herself!
Meng Fuyao stared at her as if she was staring at a young beast. Little Knife's appearance tonight was extremely strange. Could it be that the so-called panic of being chased was all an act, and that the 3,000 Rong troops were actually brought here by her?
She pulled out her knife halfway, its light flickering in the morning sun. Although her hand was still weak and limp, she could definitely chop off Little Knife's head without hesitation!
Yuan Zhaoxu suddenly laughed and stopped her.
"We don't have to hesitate when it comes to obvious hostility, but when it comes to suspicious hostility, we might as well give it some thought."
He clasped his hands behind his back and looked at the coughing Little Knife. Suddenly, he said, "Little Knife?"
Hearing this call, Little Knife suddenly trembled and looked up at Yuan Zhaoxu in disbelief.
Yuan Zhaoxu looked at her expression, his eyes suddenly welling up with memories. After a while, he said slowly, "How are you doing now?"
The knife trembled even more violently. Yuan Zhaoxu smiled and said, "Old Cha Hanerjin had eight sons, and his greatest wish in life was to have a grassland phoenix. It seems that his wish has finally come true."
Xiao Dao suddenly turned his head and said sternly, "You have the cheek to mention him! How dare you mention him! "
Yuan Zhaoxu gazed at her, his expression calm. "Looks like Old Chahan really treats you like a treasure. How old are you? He even told you about this. "
"Why didn't I know?" Little Knife looked at him, her words clear and her gaze sharp as a knife. "Ever since I could remember, my mother would hug me and tell me over and over again that we used to have rich pastures and cows and sheep everywhere. Our tents were like pure white pearls scattered all over the Northern Militant Plains. Our cows and sheep were more numerous than the stars in the sky. My father was brave and strong, and was the most honorable king of the Northern Militant Plains. All the warriors bowed their heads to him and knelt on the ground to kiss his toes. But now, we live in broken tents, guarding a few scrawny sheep and living a life of exile. My father works personally, and the hand that should be holding a cup of horse milk wine is holding a coarse whip instead. All of this was caused by you. You were the one who made the Northern Militant King believe in the Southern Militant King. You made the Northern Militant King believe that the men of the grasslands were brothers. You allowed the Southern Militant Spies to infiltrate the Northern Militant Army and finally banish their honorable king!"
Meng Fuyao stared blankly at Little Knife, whose eyes were as bright as demonic fire. 'This child is really eloquent!' 'What is he talking about?' 'A civil war between the Northern and Southern Militant Armies?' 'It sounds a little familiar …'
"Why didn't your mother tell you that as a king in charge of the fate of countless herdsmen, shouldn't your father only know how to fight, ride a horse, and raise his scimitar at the wolves? Shouldn't he only know how to drink oil tea, eat rakes, wrestle with the warriors, and practice martial arts? Why didn't your mother tell you that the first thing the Southern Militant King did after he submitted to the imperial court was to send an envoy to Zhongzhou to learn the culture and etiquette of the Central Plains? And what was your honorable Northern Militant King doing at that time? Hunting, or drinking horse milk wine? "
Yuan Zhaoxu raised his head slightly. The morning sunlight was clean and pure, bathing his brows in the golden light, as clear as a jade mountain and as profound as a god.
"We Han people have a saying, 'Wisdom is the key to victory over the enemy.' There's also another saying, 'Winner takes all'," Yuan Zhaoxu said faintly. "Why didn't your mother think about why the Southern Militant King was the one who exiled you? Why couldn't you have made the first move?"
Little Knife stared at Yuan Zhaoxu with her eyes wide open. She seemed to understand, but her mother's words kept circling in her little heart. She recalled the description of the person her mother had given her over and over again — a god-like youth with a magnificence that surpassed all others. Her mother had told her that that person was her father's true enemy. Without him, the Northern Militant King might have already defeated the Southern Militant King in the war and become the ruler of the grasslands. But because of his appearance, the Northern Militant King had been forced to kowtow to him and become a 'brother'. In the end, the brothers had betrayed him and taken away their Northern Militant King. Her mother had told her that she would recognize that person the moment she saw him, and that no one could replace him.
The first time she had seen him, she had stared at him in confusion in the brothel, but she had been unable to do anything because there were too many people around.
The second time she had seen him, the smiling man in the garden had gradually overlapped with a certain image in her heart.
She had been confused until yesterday, when she had snuck out of the city with a heart full of hatred and used a self-made fire arrow to alarm the Northern Militant King's camp. Then, she had seen this man's attack.
That corpse that was twisted like a snake … Her mother had said that many years ago, he had also killed people like that.
That casual demeanor … She knew that yes, she had recognized him.
She wanted to avenge her father who had lost his authority, her beautiful mother who had become haggard due to years of wandering and toiling, and the grasslands and cattle that her clansmen had lost. She wanted to avenge them!
She did not regret what she had done, but she did not dare to meet Meng Fuyao's gaze. In her little heart, the world was evil, but she … did not seem to be that bad.
She remembered the warmth of Meng Fuyao's palm when she held her frozen hand outside the brothel. She remembered how Meng Fuyao would cover her with a blanket at night along the way. She remembered how Meng Fuyao had carefully applied medicine to the wounds on her body caused by the brothel keeper. She remembered how Meng Fuyao had crossed her arms under the uncomfortable gaze of the man in white. She did not understand what they were doing at that time, but in her little heart, she could instinctively distinguish the murderous intent and good intentions.
And this person, was he the one that Meng Fuyao liked? She had always deliberately avoided looking at him, but occasionally, her gaze when she glanced at his back was exactly the same as how her mother had looked at her father.
Little Knife bit his lip, thinking of his mother who had been herding barefoot in the cold winter. He thought of the barren and barren land of sand and stone. That was the only place for their clansmen to live in. No one could fill their stomachs.
If not for that, why would she have been stolen by greedy clansmen, sold to human traffickers, and ended up in that filthy place?
Her heart hardened once again.
"I'll kill you." She declared calmly, each word like a nail being hammered out. She tried hard to recall the words of the warriors of the grassland after their duels. "If you're afraid, you can kill me now."
Meng Fuyao burst into laughter.
Although she was still a little angry at the child for not knowing what was good for her, she could not keep a straight face in front of her innocent and stubborn expression. Looking at such a young child making such an old-fashioned vow, she seemed to see her stubborn self running to the end of a deep valley in Taiyuan many, many years ago, shouting to the heavens, "One day, I'll go back! Try wearing me again if you can! "
Suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes for the dreams of her youth, for the changes in fate, and for the vow that she had always insisted on but did not know if it was worth it.
Yuan Zhaoxu was also smiling. He suddenly walked over, took a jade token from his waist, and handed it to Little Knife.
"I don't sympathize with what happened to your father. A king who cannot protect himself and his clansmen is not a true king. Dao Nair, do you think you can be the true king of the Nanbei Rong and help your father take back the grassland that belongs to him?"
Dao Nai 'er clenched the jade token in her palm. She looked up at him and said loudly and clearly, "I can!"
"Very well." Yuan Zhaoxu smiled. "The Nanbei Rong will eventually be unified. Perhaps having a queen is not a bad thing. But before that, you're just Dao Nair, the daughter of an exiled king. If you want to get what you want, you'll have to start all over again."
"I can wait!"
"The patient is the one who succeeds in the end." Yuan Zhaoxu's words seemed to have a deeper meaning. He smiled, his smile like the flowing clouds in the sky. "When that time comes, Dao Nair, if you still want to kill me, bring your Nanbei Rong. Before that, you're not fit to fight me."
"I'll come!"
*****
On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month of the eleventh year of Wuji Saint Virtue, the Nanbei Rong United Army that had started the mutiny suffered their first major loss since the start of the war. The main tent was burned, and the three thousand soldiers responsible for the pursuit mysteriously disappeared. The three thousand lives disappeared in the river of time like bubbles without a sound. Not even a wave was stirred. It was as if the three thousand people who could fill a large square were a flower that could be thanked at a whim, not three thousand people.
That night was the night of the Rong's' God Worshipping Festival '. The people of God did not receive the protection of God.
Later on, many historians and military scholars studied this example diligently, but they were never able to understand the mysteries behind it. If they knew that the disappearance of these three thousand people was only because they met him, perhaps they wouldn't have spent so much time thinking that it was a miracle.
For some people, miracles did not exist because they themselves were the creators of miracles.
What the world did not know was that on that day, the future ruler of the grasslands was personally crowned by a true king because of her courage and perseverance.
History was rushing forward, and those who were destined to leave traces in the annals of history were heading towards their respective paths.
*****
Recently, Meng Fuyao had been living a good life.
After the relapse of the Love Locking Poison, she was ordered to rest by Yuan Zhaoxu. During her recuperation, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the poison contained some strange components. Each time it acted up, the meridians in her body were impacted, but her endurance increased. Although the recovery of her true Qi was slow, it was stronger than before.
Every night, Yuan Zhaoxu would sneak into her room — of course, not to have sex. She did not know what he did, but she knew that no matter what she was doing, she would immediately fall asleep. There were no dreams, and when she woke up in the morning, her back would ache. If it were not for the fact that her clothes were mostly intact, she would have thought that she had fought three thousand rounds with Yuan Zhaoxu every night. Sometimes, when she saw that Yuan Zhaoxu looked haggard, she wondered if she had ravaged him for three thousand rounds.
She had also asked Yuan Zhaoxu what he had done and strictly forbade him from touching any part of her body below her nose and above her knees. Unfortunately for her, Yuan Zhaoxu only smiled and replied, "You should worry about whether you've touched any part of my body below my nose and above my knees before you ask me."
She was very confused and began to doubt her own character. She firmly believed that she could not have molested Yuan Zhaoxu below his nose and above his knees when she was awake, but when she was asleep … what if she had touched him because he was Lord Yuan Bao? Perhaps Yuan Zhaoxu had pulled her hand to touch him?
After thinking for a long time, Meng Fuyao finally figured it out. She believed that no matter who touched who, as long as she did not know, it did not exist.
Thus, the City Lord Meng, who had been eating and sleeping well without worries, became fair and plump, and showed signs of being infinitely closer to Lord Yuan Bao.
In the meantime, Yuan Zhaoxu went out and brought Little Knife away. It seemed that he had gone to look for Guo Pingrong. Meng Fuyao did not ask where Little Knife had gone. She believed that she would eventually meet him, and by then, she would have been reborn.
Yuan Zhaoxu's expression when he returned also made her realize that Guo Pingrong did not have the antidote. That night, Yuan Zhaoxu did not let her down the moment he entered the door. Instead, he gently stroked her hair and said, "Fuyao, I will find the antidote for you."
Meng Fuyao chewed on her hoof heartlessly. "I will look for Fang Yimo myself and teach him a lesson. It is the teacher's fault for not teaching his disciple well."
Yuan Zhaoxu smiled. "Then should I look for your teacher and teach him a lesson? How did he become so stubborn?"
"You're the stubborn one!" Meng Fuyao jumped up and hit him with her greasy hoof. "You're stubborn from head to toe! Black Tendon!"
Meng Fuyao laughed heartily as she jumped and smashed Yuan Zhaoxu's body, sending him flying out of the door.
Once the door was closed, Meng Fuyao leaned against it and let out a long sigh. The smile on her face was like a flower a moment ago, but the next moment, it was as if she was sad.
She tried her best to cover up the heaviness in front of the two of them with a relaxed smile, but day by day, she felt powerless.
With her back against the door, she did not know that on the other side of the door, Yuan Zhaoxu was standing tall and looking towards the north with a slightly worried expression.
*****
In the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, the Han people were preparing for the New Year, but the Rong people only treated the God Worshipping Festival as the most important day of the year. They were very indifferent to the New Year. More and more Rong people were on the streets, with idle youths wandering around. These youths were born for martial arts, full of energy, but had nowhere to vent it. They had always been a powder keg filled with explosives. Moreover, there were always conflicts and fights in crowded places.
Meng Fuyao was also a carefree youth, biting her fingers as she thought about how to get rid of the hormones of these energetic young men. Then, she saw Lord Ingot hugging a ball and playing with it. The ball was as big as Ingot's, and as it rolled around, it was hard to tell whether it was Ingot or the ball.
Meng Fuyao looked like she was in pain and wanted to add a finger, but Lord Ingot immediately hugged the ball and walked away. Recently, he looked like he was having his period twice a month and hated Meng Fuyao to the core.
Feeling bored, Meng Fuyao could only let her imagination run wild. Before she came, the World Cup was about to begin. She had bet on Argentina to win the championship, but it was only because she coveted Messi. Sigh, who knew which foot would be the one to shoot the final ball into the runner-up's goal?
'Either way, it won't be the stinky foot of the national football team …' Fuyao's thoughts ran wild. Suddenly, she jumped up and summoned Yao Xun. After a round of drawing, Yao Xun left in confusion. A few days later, he said that everything had been arranged. He marked out a space on the west side of the square and arranged it according to Fuyao's instructions. He also gathered 22 youths from the Rong Tribe and divided them into two teams. Yao Xun followed Fuyao's instructions and specially chose two of the fiercest Rong people under the command of two big heads who did not get along well with each other.
Mayor Meng rode off to give a speech. His first sentence was, "The people of the Rong Tribe, the first football team in the Five Continents, has been established!"
His second sentence was, "From now on, any team that loses will be called the 'China Men's Football Team'!"
His third sentence was, "From now on, please call me the 'President of the Five Continents Continental Football Confederation', or simply, 'President'."
It had to be said that President Meng's idea of playing football was not bad. As the most popular sport in the modern era, football had its own unique charm. At least the energetic Rong people had finally found the joy of life. The 'Iron Bull Team', led by Tie Cheng, the eldest son of Ta Er Mu Dang, and the 'Giant Wood Team', led by Mumu Ha, the eldest son of Mu Dang, the eldest son of Ta Er Mu Dang, fought to the death on the field all day long. There was also a cheerleading team of beautiful Rong girls organized by President Meng, who wore bright dresses and cheered for them all over the field. No matter where they were, the beauties would always treat a serious competition as a competition for handsome men or a discussion for gossip. Thus, the handsome and muscular Tie Cheng was in the limelight. Once, during a competition between Tie Cheng and Mumu Ha, "You Pinched My Baby, I Pulled Out Your Crotch" was discussed by the beauties for a long time, and President Meng even wrote a poem to commemorate it.
"My hand that passed through your crotch, was the most gentle pinch …"
Football was in full swing, with teams constantly expanding. The skills of the two major teams gradually became more and more skillful. Meng Fuyao sealed off the field and started selling tickets to the eager spectators, who were scratching their heads and scratching their heads. She also started gambling and sponsorships. She emptied the pockets of a few football addicts and used the money to set up a few schools. The children of the Rong people and Han people were all sent there to study. She also allocated money to build bridges and roads, and opened a few government-run pharmacies.
The days of Yao City were fresh and enthusiastic. Under the leadership of the new City Lord Meng, the people of the city lived their own rich and stable days in the depths of the mountains. It was a rare peace and harmony that belonged to them. There were no more Rong people seeking revenge, no more burning houses, and no more chaotic streets. Yao City gradually quieted down and forgot about the upheaval of the world.
But as the current founder of Yao City, Meng Fuyao did not forget to look further. The military reports in her hands became thicker and thicker as time passed. The Northern and Southern Rong army, which had suddenly lost 3,000 soldiers, could no longer hold back. On the seventh day of the first month, the Southern Rong attacked Long City in Dezhou. After three battles, they were unable to take down the city and fell into a stalemate. On the tenth day of the first month, a division of the Northern Rong army suddenly appeared near the Sui River. They were discovered when they were crossing the river, and their ambush plan failed.
The Northern Rong army suffered consecutive setbacks and was rejected by King De's army. Strangely, the two armies had yet to engage in a decisive battle. King De, who had always been brave and fierce, was extremely steady this time around.
General Meng Fuyao folded the reports into poker cards and slowly played them one by one. Her expression was deep in thought. The Northern and Southern Rong army were active nearby, so she had to be careful … Oh, the New Year had passed unknowingly. She was still recuperating during the New Year and had been knocked out by Yuan Zhaoxu and Lord Yuan Zhaoxu after a hot pot meal. No matter what, she had to find a special way to celebrate the special day of the Lantern Festival …
Just as she was deep in thought, the sound of a door opening came from behind her. Someone smiled and said, "What are you thinking about? Why are you so focused?"
Meng Fuyao put down the reports and turned to see Yuan Zhaoxu leaning against the door. It was rare that he wasn't wearing a loose shirt today. Instead, he was wearing a set of riding attire that was commonly seen in the Five Continents. It was very similar to the ones worn in the modern era, neat and capable. The setting sun shone from behind him, outlining the lines of his body. It was a stark contrast to his usual undisciplined temperament, but it was still a fatal attraction. Meng Fuyao's heart trembled at the sight of him.
Suddenly, an idea came to her. She threw the reports aside and smiled. "Hey, I've thought of a way to celebrate the Lantern Festival this year."
*****
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month was the Lantern Festival.
The festivals in the Five Continents were indeed similar to those in her original world. This often caused Meng Fuyao to break out in a cold sweat. 'Is this really a parallel universe?' But she didn't want to think about it today. She was very busy.
She wanted to hold a ball that had never been held in the Five Continents before.
Even though she was a workaholic in the modern era, she was as frivolous and excited as an ordinary student in her university days. Archaeology was a profound and abstruse subject. After rummaging through the old books for a long time, she would look forward to something bright and fresh. Thus, the ball was held frequently, and Meng Fuyao was one of the enthusiasts.
Strangely, the bold and unrestrained Meng Fuyao didn't like the more exciting Latin or Tango. Instead, she liked the steady, elegant, and light waltz. She liked the waltz so much that she could remember many of the songs clearly.
That day, when she saw Yuan Zhaoxu in his riding attire under the setting sun, she suddenly thought of the waltz. Yuan Zhaoxu's nobility, elegance, elegance, and elegance were all part of the waltz. Wasn't it the most hearty waltz? Wasn't he the most elegant gentleman in the Waltz when he was dressed in a knight's suit?
Moreover, the Lantern Festival was also Yuan Zhaoxu's birthday.
Naturally, no one told her about this day. She had sharp eyes and saw some of the words engraved on it when Yuan Zhaoxu handed the jade token to Xiao Dao. Moreover, Lord Yuan Bao had been so excited and mysterious these few days. She didn't know what he was doing all day, but she was most likely preparing a birthday gift for Yuan Zhaoxu.
For the past few days, Meng Fuyao had been busy looking for people, choosing a venue, uniforms, finding the best musicians, and teaching songs. She was so busy that when Yuan Zhaoxu asked her about it, she would smile mysteriously and keep her mouth shut. Sigh, how could it be called a surprise if the secret was revealed?
The ball was held in the county government's garden. In advance, Meng Fuyao had prepared the dishes according to the rules of a western cocktail party. The long table was filled with porcelain vases filled with blooming bougainvillea. Exquisite dishes were placed on silver plates on the white tablecloth, and the candles on the silver candle holders burned brightly, lining up like stars in the sky all the way to the garden gate. The gate was decorated with flowers, and the fragrance could be smelled even outside the triple gates. The chef, dressed in white, grilled a steak on the spot. After practicing for three days, the steak was finally cooked to perfection. Meng Fuyao supervised the grilling and secretly ate some, preparing to leave the best and most delicious steak she had ever eaten for Yuan Zhaoxu.
She had already informed Yuan Zhaoxu beforehand to wear his riding attire and come to the garden at night. Yuan Zhaoxu agreed with a smile, but the way he looked at her was rather strange.
As night fell, the aroma of barbecued meat and cosmetics spread far and wide. The carefully selected ladies of the city were received in twos and threes. They were dressed in what they considered to be "a little strange but really beautiful" trailing dance dresses. The layers of embroidery and shadow gauze that replaced lace, together with their slender waists, jade arms, and towering breasts, created the unprecedented splendor and elegance of this night.
However, all this beauty and thought was only for the sincere joy of one person.
The reason why Meng Fuyao put in so much effort to organize this ball was very simple. It was not to confess her love, nor was it to gain his favor. It was only for his care and help, for his recent haggard condition, and for the debt of gratitude that she could not repay.
Yuan Zhaoxu must not be happy to have met her, right? She wanted him to be truly happy for once. That way, if she were to leave one day, when he thought of her, he would not always be filled with gloomy images. Instead, he would have some beautiful memories to remember.
She smiled and waited for Yuan Zhaoxu's arrival. She was still dressed as a man, but she had prepared a dress and a dance in an elegant room at the side of the garden. If Yuan Zhaoxu was willing, she would teach him a dance, just like what she had said on the night of the Holy Spirit Festival. "Do you want to learn the dance that I created? It's very elegant …"
It was not a dance of her own creation. It was the only form of entertainment she enjoyed in that world. It was what she loved. It was elegant, gorgeous, and elegant. It was exactly like Yuan Zhaoxu's. It was a waltz.
The giggles and whispers of the ladies stopped abruptly. The crowd gasped in astonishment. The fiery and excited atmosphere became silent for a moment.
Meng Fuyao raised her head and saw Yuan Zhaoxu walking towards her.
*****
1. Do you still remember the war between the Northern and Southern Armies? In the second volume, chapter nine, 'Heroes of the World', a ten-year-old person had traveled thousands of miles to pacify the internal strife of the Northern and Southern Armies. What happened to Little Knife was the aftereffect of the internal strife. After peace was restored, the Northern Army King lost his throne and was exiled due to his lack of vigilance against the Southern Army.
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