Chapter 63: Dag's Birth Mother

  Guliya began to tell a story from long ago.

  Everything started with Huo Bing's coup against his brother Huo Rong.

  It has been mentioned earlier that the original ruler of the Northern Rong was the leader of the Gao Di tribe. However, due to consecutive military defeats, his prestige was lost, and he was usurped by Huo Bing, the leader of the Huo tribe. After taking power, Huo Bing sought to change the situation in Northern Rong. Huo Ran suggested that although the Rong people were brave warriors, they were not skilled in warfare, so it was necessary to go to the Xuanyuan dynasty to learn from them. However, the Rong people were not good at reading books, so the best solution at the time was to recruit some strategists from the Xuanyuan dynasty to serve Northern Rong. As a result, the Rong people searched far and wide, using large sums of money to lure and hire many scholars from the Xuanyuan dynasty. However, these individuals were mostly mediocre, with little effect. At that time, there was a strategist in the Xuanyuan army named Du Zheng who was exceptional, well-versed in military classics, skilled at deploying troops, and an outstanding military talent. His ancestors had left behind a book called "Zhen Lu", which was a rare and extraordinary book on military strategy. Therefore, Huo Bing wanted Huo Ran to devise a plan to obtain Du Zheng, or if that failed, to find a way to get the book.

  After careful deployment, Huo Ran led a few people in disguise to secretly infiltrate the Xuan army camp. Entering Du Zheng's military account, they saw him sleeping with his back to the door. Several people went forward and put him into a sack and took him away. Who knew that when they returned to Bei Rong, when they opened the sack, it was actually a delicate-skinned young man who came out? Huo Ran realized he had caught the wrong person and raised his knife to kill him.

  The man was so frightened that he burst into tears and said he was Du Zheng's book boy, begging Huo Zhen to spare his life.

  Huorong didn't want to keep him, but thinking that the Xuan army had already been alarmed and it wouldn't be good to go again, leaving this book boy might still have use, so he spared his life. At the same time, Huorong sent a scout to the Xuan army camp to investigate the situation inside the camp. The scout returned and reported that the Xuan army was searching everywhere, seemingly an important person had gone missing.

  Upon hearing this, Huo Ran was somewhat perplexed. Losing a book boy shouldn't be such a big deal, unless the book boy knew something important. Based on this speculation, Huo Ran ordered someone to bring the book boy for personal interrogation. However, the book boy claimed ignorance when questioned. Eventually, Huo Ran got angry and slapped him, almost taking his life.

  Because he suspected that Shu Tong knew something, Huo Ran ultimately couldn't bear to let him die and ordered someone to treat his injuries. Who would have known that this treatment would reveal a stunning fact: Shu Tong was actually a 'girl'.

  Qing Sang listened and guessed: "Is she the birth mother of the imperial son-in-law?"

  Guliya nodded and continued talking about this past event.

  When the book boy woke up, he knew that he couldn't hide his 'daughter' identity anymore, but he still refused to say who he really was. It wasn't until Huo Ran threatened to give her to several Northern Yan generals to take turns enjoying that she turned pale with fear. However, this 'girl's' temperament was extremely strong-willed, and upon hearing Huo Ran's words, she didn't say a word before dashing herself against the wall. Fortunately, Huo Ran was quick to react and caught her in his arms.

  This move did not scare Huo Ran, but instead greatly provoked him. In his rage, Huo Ran wanted to take advantage of her. To protect herself, the 'girl' cried out that she was Du Zheng's daughter, called Xiao Wei.

  Xiao Wei? "Nian Wei Tai!" Qing Sang linked the two together, and the three words "Nian Wei Tai" came out of his mouth.

  Guliya couldn't help but laugh and say, "You really are clever, you thought of this too. Yes, this stage was indeed built by King Rong to commemorate Du Xiaowei."

  Qing Sang didn't expect that the true prince's birth mother was actually a Xuan person, no wonder Huo Rou didn't mind that this so-called son was raised by her arch-nemesis Fu Yu Yun. It turned out that the true Dage's birth mother was originally from the Xuan dynasty.

  "What's next?" Qing Sang asked.

  "Later, the king of Rong at that time, who was also the brother of Wang, wanted to use Xiao Wei as a threat to make Du Zheng surrender to him. Unexpectedly, this Du Zheng ruthlessly disregarded his own 'daughter' and said that even if this 'daughter' died, he would not let her change masters, it's absolutely impossible." Gu Li Ai said.

  "That Xiaowei's situation must be quite miserable." Qing Sang thought to himself. A hostage without any utility value would probably find it very difficult to survive here.

  "Yes. The Martial King is furious and has decided to send Xiao Wei to the House of Leisure." Guliya saw Qing Sang's puzzled expression and explained, "The House of Leisure is similar to your brothels. It's just that the ones there are official courtesans, and their situation is even more pitiful."

  Qing Sang sighed softly, feeling sorry for Xiao Wei's fate.

  "Xiao Wei, in order to protect herself, claimed that she had read the first half of 'Zhen Lu' and could recite it from memory. General Wang was delighted when he heard this and asked her to recite the opening chapters. He then had them checked by scholars who were familiar with the book, and although they couldn't verify its authenticity, they all agreed that the writing style and literary merit were indeed superb. As a result, General Wang believed Xiao Wei and used her ability to recite the book as a condition for not sending her to the wilderness. He placed her under house arrest, guarded by our current king. As time passed, King Rong gradually fell in love with Xiao Wei. The women here are mostly tall and sturdy, rarely do we see someone like Xiao Wei who is slender and elegant, refined and otherworldly. And Xiao Wei was truly beautiful, with skin as white as snow, eyebrows that were black and curved, a pair of bright eyes that shone like stars, with clear distinction between the black and white parts. No matter how she dressed, she exuded an ethereal quality. That kind of beauty made all our Northern Rong women jealous." Guli Ayi's expression revealed a hint of longing.

  Qing Sang had never seen a 'woman' praise another 'woman' so much. It seems that Xiao Wei is indeed extremely beautiful, which makes Huo Rou this man and Ai this 'woman' both unable to forget her.

  Guliya continued: "The king was very fond of Xiaowei in his heart, and he specially sent someone to the border town to buy Huanyang's clothes, Huanyang's food, and also bought some Huanyang furniture for her. Knowing that she liked playing the sheng, he searched everywhere and found a high-quality stone sheng made of black flint. Whenever he had time, the king would sit beside Xiaowei and listen to her play various tunes. In short, the king's body and mind were all focused on Xiaowei, no longer socializing with the generals, no longer indulging in wine and women, and... no longer fighting desperately!"

  Qingsang had never had a good impression of Huorong, thinking he was gloomy, violent, cruel and lecherous. So when Guliya told her such a romantic love story, she really found it hard to associate the male lead in the story with the current Huorong.

  It wasn't until she heard Huo Yan not wanting to "fight desperately" anymore that she suddenly realized Huo Yan had indeed moved his true heart for Xiao Wei. He loved this 'woman' so much, so he didn't want to fight desperately on the battlefield again, because he had too many lingering attachments and entanglements, his life had a new meaning.

  Qingsang continued to listen as Guliya told the story of Xiaowei.

  However, the good times did not last long. The war situation in front of us was getting intense, and during a negotiation, Xuan's army asked us to hand over Xiao Wei, but Wang refused, saying that Xiao Wei had already died. Xuan's army was furious, and their troops pressed our borders, although they were unable to break through our defenses, they also severely damaged us. As a result, many people in the court began to blame King Roujun. The king's brother, Bingrong Wang, was even more enraged, feeling that sacrificing a woman had ruined the negotiations and was a treasonous act. Under tremendous pressure, King Roujun finally agreed to return Xiao Wei. I still remember that evening, Xiao Wei was very happy, she changed into a pink embroidered flower blouse, with a white pearl-colored skirt, her pale face like jade, applied rouge, making her cheeks look like a newly opened peony flower, white with a hint of red. A pair of enchanting eyes, fluttering with an intoxicating charm. She could finally go home, she was very excited.

  Guliya spoke as if she were there in person, and Qing Sang seemed to see that little Wei from that evening too, beautiful enough to make one's eyes widen. The joy of being able to return home was infectious to Qing Sang.

  "Has Xiao Wei gone back?" Qing Sang asked.

  Guliya lowered her eyelids and said in a low voice: "No. That night, Wang saw the beautiful and charming Xiao Wei, his love could no longer be controlled, he... defiled her."

  Qing Sang tightly grasped the quilt covering her legs. At this moment, she deeply felt Xiao Wei's pain and helplessness, she must not be able to survive.

  Indeed, Guliya said that Xiaowei had attempted to take her own life three times. Cutting her wrists, hanging herself, starving herself... but none of them were successful. Huojing had people guarding her day and night, not giving her any chance to try again. And the plan to let Xiaowei return was also blocked by Huojing once more, for which he had to publicly promise to defeat the invading Xuan army as a condition for not letting Xiaowei go back. Huojing painstakingly studied the few battle formations that Xiaowei had silently written out, and after improving them based on the terrain of Beijun, they surprisingly brought victory in several battles, making the Huo soldiers overjoyed. The position of Huojing and the Huo army in Beijun was once again consolidated.

  At the same time, Du Zheng from Xuan Jun's side couldn't help but notice that these formations were from their family's ancestral secret book. He thought this must have something to do with "Nü" Er and took the opportunity to confront Huo Ran during a skirmish between the two armies. Huo Ran seized the chance to spread false news that Xiao Wei had married him as his wife. Du Zheng, unaware of the truth, believed his "daughter" had betrayed their family and country. In a fit of rage, he publicly announced that he was cutting ties with Xiao Wei.

  Ruò jìn zài běi jiōng de xiǎo wēi dé dào zhè ge xiāo xī, zì shì xīn huī yì lěng, bù zài hē shuǐ jìn shí, zhǐ qiú yī sǐ. Zhí dào yǒu yī tiān, dài fu gào su tā, tā yǒu le yī ge duō yuè de shēng yùn.

  Translation:

  Softly confined in Beijiang's Xiao Wei received this news, she was heartbroken and depressed, no longer drinking water or eating, only seeking death. Until one day, the doctor told her that she had a multiple-month pregnancy.

  Her maternal instincts awakened her will to survive. Although she hated the flames in her bones, her kindness couldn't bear to let innocent children be buried with her. So, she started eating and living again.

  Qing Sang unconsciously patted her own belly, yes, mothers will always be reluctant to part with their children.

  Guliya said with a sigh, "At that time, I had already married the king and was just a side concubine. Since my birth mother was also a noblewoman, when Xiaowei was first placed under house arrest in the palace, the king asked me to spend more time with her and keep her company. Every day, I saw the king's emotions fluctuate with Xiaowei's joys and sorrows, and I too felt deeply distressed, yet there was nothing I could do. I knew Xiaowei would never love the king; she had someone else in her heart. Although she refused to say who it was, I knew such a person must exist. Later, Xiaowei gave birth to Dage, and more than a year later, she passed away."