He only vaguely remembered that the tower stood in the center of Haohui City, some distance from the Haohui City Palace. But no one knew which underground palace in Haohui City the legendary treasure was hidden in. At least he didn't have such an impression at the time. Perhaps he was too young to know these secrets of the royal family.
The site had been buried for less than fifty years, and it was covered with weeds and large rocks. They had to find an opening to dig it down first, and there was nothing wrong with them doing it this way.
As he was pondering this, he suddenly heard a burst of joyful shouts from the other side, causing a stir among the crowd, with occasional exclamations of "We've dug it up!"
Fu Jiuxin and Dou Akou exchanged a glance: "Let's go take a look."
Bathing Festival
Dou Akou immediately thought of countless possibilities: medical books, a precious sword, or the buried petroleum deposits. She had it all planned out. If they unearthed the Chu Shi sword, she would risk making enemies of the entire martial arts world to snatch it for Fu Jiuxin.
In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the crowded place, where people were packed in layers, all eager to see what had been dug up. Dou Akou jumped around outside for a long time, only to see a dense sea of heads.
She pouted, "Sir, I can't see."
Before she could finish being coquettish, she felt an invitation from her body. With a shout, she was picked up by Fu Jiuxin and straddled his shoulders, hunching over his neck like a child.
People around them turned to look at them when they heard her shout.
Dou Akou was both shy and embarrassed. Although the social atmosphere of the Huang Dynasty was open, and women could enter and leave taverns and even go to school like men, men were still considered noble. Even though they were martial arts practitioners, known for their boldness, straightforwardness, and lack of concern for formalities, it was still quite shocking for Fu Jiuxin to lift her up on his shoulders so intimately.
Fu Jiuxin didn't care about the stares from others at all, and simply said, "Akou, did you see that?"
Reminded by him, Dou Akou quickly craned her neck to look. She saw that the person in the middle was holding a perfectly intact jade pot. Although it was covered in dust, it was still clear that it was a precious royal artifact.
Dou Akou murmured in disappointment, "So it was a jade pot."
She felt both relieved that it wasn't Chu Shijian and somewhat disappointed, wondering where Chu Shijian might be in this vast Gobi Desert.
Although it was just a jade pot that wasn't particularly valuable, it still stirred up everyone's excitement. In the following days, they unearthed some scattered pieces of gold and silver jewelry, which further fueled their enthusiasm. Everyone thought they had found the place and dug even deeper.
But apart from what had been dug out earlier, there was only gravel and rubble further down. After digging for more than two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters), all that could be seen was damp soil, and there was no trace of any buildings.
The excavated sand and gravel were used by Lord Gu to hire some young and strong townspeople from Longfeng Town to build a sand and earth wall on the edge of Haohui City, which surprisingly served to block the wind and sand.
After a while, even Dou Akou realized that they were digging aimlessly. It seemed that the third young master of the Gongsun Mo family was nothing special.
Fu Jiuxin, as the young master of this city, did not say anything, but just watched them dig in the wasteland every day. He did say one thing: "This can be considered as benefiting the people."
The sand and earth wall blocked the wind and sand, and there was moist, fertile soil more than two zhang underground. In this sense, it did indeed do a good thing for the residents in the surrounding area.
With no progress in the excavation, the third young master of the Gongsun Mo family grew a few more gray hairs from worry, muttering, "That's right. According to feng shui, this land should indeed lead to the Haohui City Imperial Palace."
This delay lasted until the end of May and the beginning of June. Because of the large-scale gathering, the surrounding people saw a business opportunity and brought fruits, vegetables, cloth, rouge and other daily necessities to sell, which actually formed a lively and prosperous small market.
Ding Zisu was the biggest spender. She had long been disgusted by the desolate environment, but she was at a loss as to how to excavate and couldn't find the medical book. She was very frustrated and irritable, so she could only go to the market every day and buy a bunch of useful and useless things.
With the arrival of June, the unique Bathing Festival of the Huang Dynasty begins. Long ago, this festival was specifically for people to fast and bathe. Later, somehow, it evolved into a passionate festival for lovers to express their affections. The act of bathing remains the same, but the meaning has changed. On this day, if someone has taken a liking to someone they secretly admire, they can steal their clothes while they are bathing, leaving the person in the water unable to move. That person is then considered the one who stole the clothes.
However, since it was considered too impolite for men to steal women's clothes while they were bathing, the practice was changed so that men would bathe in the water and girls who fancied them would steal their clothes from the shore.
This is truly a passionate festival for courtship. The nobles of the imperial court despise it for its crudeness and have ordered that their daughters not participate in such a festival. Only the common people enjoy themselves on this day. Women from the Jianghu, who are not bound by etiquette, also participate in this festival.
The Dou family used to be imperial merchants and were considered a prominent family in Ziwei Qingdu. Dou Akou had never participated in such a rough and interesting activity before. Now that Dou Jincai was no longer in charge, she couldn't help but feel a little restless.
Tomorrow is the Bathing Festival. Everyone was getting a little annoyed after digging for almost half a month, covered in dust and dirt. Lord Gu, being a man of great principle, took advantage of the fact that tomorrow was the Bathing Festival to announce that the treasure hunt would be temporarily suspended, and everyone would rest for the next two days. He instructed the sect leaders to simply manage their own disciples.
The news spread like wildfire, and everyone cheered. This gathering was a grand assembly of various martial arts sects, attracting many young men and women, both senior and junior. Over the past month, some had been exchanging flirtatious glances and secret flirting, planning to have some fun tomorrow. They immediately put aside their work and began discussing their plans for the next day.
They reached an agreement, and the third young lady of the twelfth row volunteered to inform all the sects and factions of the agreed-upon result.
Right now, Dou Akou is snuggling up to Fu Jiuxin. She's really looking forward to tomorrow's Bathing Festival and is eager to show off her skills.
Fu Jiuxin glanced at her: "Akou, so happy? Which young master's clothes are you planning to steal tomorrow? Or are you planning to steal from several?"
Dou Akou was taken aback. The gentleman's tone was rather cold. She chuckled and shamelessly clung to Fu Jiuxin: "Sir, Akou definitely stole you."
She writhed and twisted in Fu Jiuxin's arms like a child, or a pretzel. At first, Fu Jiuxin let her be, but later his breathing became unsteady. Dou Akou, whether intentionally or unintentionally, kept rubbing against his lower abdomen. Sometimes it was a feather-light brush, sometimes a heavy rub. Unaware of this, she chattered to him with her big eyes, and this unwitting, innocent allure was all the more captivating.
Fu Jiuxin couldn't resist and kissed him. The two gradually became passionate, and their clothes became somewhat disheveled.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Dou Akou struggled to extend an arm from under Fu Jiuxin: "S-Sir..."
Fu Jiuxin took a deep breath, suppressing the burning desire in his lower abdomen, and stood up with a stern face. He slowly straightened Dou Akou's clothes before opening the door.
The third young lady knocked on the door for a long time, almost thinking that no one was inside and gave up, but the door suddenly opened.
A man with a rather unpleasant expression stood inside, staring coldly at her: "What is it?"
The third young lady was speechless for a moment. What came into her view was Fu Jiuxin, whose spring colors had not yet faded. His clothes were open, revealing a muscular chest, and two bright red nipples were faintly visible, which were very alluring under the cover of his clothes.
Fu Jiuxin noticed her stunned gaze, casually straightened his clothes, his movements relaxed, but in the eyes of the Third Miss, it was a different kind of charm.
Fu Jiuxin, growing impatient, repeated, "What is it?"
The third young lady exclaimed "Oh!" and immediately woke up, replying hastily, "We've all decided to go to the river not far from here tomorrow for the Bathing Festival. Everyone's going, are Young Master Fu and Miss Dou going?"
They were unaware that Fu Jiuxin and Dou Akou were already married, and still referred to Dou Akou as Miss Dou.
Fu Jiuxin didn't answer. His personality didn't favor such lively gatherings. He frowned slightly, pondering how to refuse. Dou Akou, who was already dressed, quietly slipped over from behind him, hiding behind the half-open door. She took Fu Jiuxin's hand, gently scratching his outstretched palm, writing the words "Go, go."
His palms were itching unbearably, and the anger he had just managed to suppress flared up again. He couldn't help but grab Dou Akou's mischievous hand and hurriedly said to the Third Miss, "I know, Akou and I will go."
He then immediately closed the door, turned around and pinned Dou Akou down, and naturally, another passionate encounter ensued.
The prosperity of the Siyou Kingdom, deep in the desert, was entirely due to a fertile oasis near Haohui City. The meeting place was a river within this oasis. When Dou Akou and Fu Jiuxin arrived, the riverbank was already crowded with people eager to join the fun. Some of the older generation wouldn't go into the water themselves, but watching the young people having a blast was quite amusing.
"Akou! Akou!" Tang Xunzhen waved her arms, pushed through the crowd, and struggled to get to this side.
She blushed with excitement, rolled up her sleeves, as if she were ready to fight.
Dou Akou looked at her in surprise: "Senior sister, what's wrong with you?"
Tang Xunzhen gritted his teeth and pointed with his hand: "Look at this, look at this!"
Dou Akou looked in the direction Tang Xunzhen was pointing and saw a field of excited young women.
"I need to find Gu Huaibi first and steal all his clothes! Nobody else can take them from me!" Tang Xunzhen said with great enthusiasm, then pushed Dou Akou, "You better watch out, or other girls might steal your master's clothes!"
Dou Akou exclaimed "Ah!" and suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of crisis. She glanced at the blushing girls around her, and several of them were already staring intently at Fu Jiuxin.
She glared fiercely at the girls who were spying on Fu Jiuxin, then tugged at his sleeve: "Sir, could you please hide your clothes properly later so that no one else can see them? Take them out when I come back."
Fu Jiuxin was speechless for a while before smiling slightly: "My clothes are, of course, for you."
The sun was high in the sky. After stretching out for a while, the men on the shore decided to find a quiet place to take a relaxing bath.
According to the rules, the men were not to let the girls know when they went into the water. They were to wait fifteen minutes before the girls could go looking for them. At the sound of the command, the girls covered their eyes and turned away, not daring to peek. The men scattered like birds and beasts. Some lazy ones, not bothering to find a hiding place, simply took off their shirts and jumped into the river with a splash, causing the girls to scream.
Stealing clothes
Dou Akou, along with the other girls, covered her eyes and waited for the men to leave.
After some time, someone laughed and said, "Girls, you can go find your sweethearts now."
The girls giggled and dispersed.
Dou Akou didn't know where Fu Jiuxin was hiding, so she could only slowly walk upstream along the riverbank.
Along the way, there were men bathing shirtless, and amidst the swirling steam, their hearty laughter could be heard from time to time. The glimpses of male beauty were indeed tempting.
No wonder the girls on the shore were laughing so excitedly, and they kept whispering to each other. Their shameless expressions were too obvious.
Dou Akou glanced at them and continued walking upstream in search of Fu Jiuxin.
She found Fu Jiuxin near the bushes upstream on the river. He was with Gu Huaibi, and he was rubbing Gu Huaibi's back.
Dou Akou peeked around, squinting as she tried to get a good look at her husband, but she couldn't make out anything. Disappointed, she called out to Fu Jiuxin, "Sir, where are your clothes?"
She had just searched the riverbank, but Fu Jiuxin's clothes were not among those that had been taken off.
Before Fu Jiuxin could answer, Gu Huaibi cried out in a panic, "Akou, what are you doing here!"
Like a young girl, she plunged herself into the water with a whoosh, leaving only her nose and eyes exposed, and hid behind Fu Jiuxin.
Dou Akou adjusted her gaze to a higher position, feeling regretful that she could no longer see her master's figure, and answered Gu Huaibi in a serious tone: "Senior brother, I didn't come here to see you—"
"Little Gu, your grandma's here!" Suddenly, someone rushed over from a distance, yelling, shoving Dou Akou aside and rummaging through the pile of clothes: "This isn't it! Hmm, this isn't it either! Ah! That one, that one!"
Tang Xunzhen buried her head in grabbing Gu Huaibi's clothes, scattering the neatly folded garments everywhere. Dou Akou tore off a piece of undergarment that was covering her head, and seeing Tang Xunzhen's eagerness, she became anxious as well. She then gestured to Fu Jiuxin, "Sir! Clothes!"
Fu Jiuxin calmly took off his coat from the branches of a clump of trees growing in the water behind him, intending to throw it to Dou Akou on the shore, when suddenly his eyes blurred and he only had time to see a white figure before he heard a splash in the water, and someone jumped in.
He didn't see it clearly, but Dou Akou on the shore saw it clearly: the person who jumped down just now was none other than the third young lady of the twelfth row.
Dou Akou was shocked. Tang Xunzhen exclaimed and shoved her, "Akou! Quick! That person is definitely trying to steal the master's clothes!"
Before Dou Akou could even process what was happening, her body had already moved on its own. She didn't see Fu Jiuxin about to throw her the clothes, and with a splash, she plunged into the water, swimming after the third young lady.
The twelve-row waterway was staffed by disciples who were skilled surfers from a young age, moving much faster in the water than on land. Dou Akou was no match for the Third Miss; the girl in front of her was like a slippery fish, swaying her tail and cutting through the waves before disappearing in an instant.
Upon hearing the Third Miss's excursion, Gu Huaibi cried out in alarm. He grabbed Fu Jiuxin, pointed at the figure in the water, and stammered, "She...she..."
As they were talking, the Third Miss had already swum over to them, splashing water as she swam out. Her eyes were fixed intently on Fu Jiuxin as she cheerfully and enthusiastically said, "Young Master Fu, I'm here to steal your clothes."
Following proper etiquette, Fu Jiuxin shifted his gaze from the Third Miss's soaked chest and said calmly, "I'm sorry. I am already married, and these clothes are for my wife."
The third young lady laughed heartily: "Young Master Fu, there are no rules at this Bathing Festival that say you can't steal the clothes of a married man. Anyway, I arrived before your wife, so according to the rules, your clothes are mine. If you don't agree to be with me after I take your clothes, I'll make you walk back naked!"
Gu Huaibi timidly hid behind Fu Jiuxin and clicked his tongue, saying, "Brother Fu, this girl is too fierce, what should we do?"
The thought of his bare thighs still underwater, and how much the third young lady had seen as she swam by, made him feel extremely uncomfortable.
Fu Jiuxin frowned. Although he couldn't insult her with vulgar language, he did feel that this third young lady had lost some of her ladylike decorum.
Seeing that Fu Jiuxin refused to make a move, the Third Miss suddenly attacked, lunging forward and stretching out her arm to grab the clothes in Fu Jiuxin's hand. After all, she was a girl, and she was soaking wet, so Fu Jiuxin couldn't fight her off. He had to be careful not to touch her body while dodging, and Gu Huaibi was hiding behind him, yelling like a girl who had been harassed. The situation was very unfavorable for him.
The third young lady pressed on, tiptoeing in the water and stretching out her arms. In this way, her raised chest was just about to touch Fu Jiuxin. In the process of dodging, Fu Jiuxin's clothes suddenly became light and were pulled off by the third young lady.
The third young lady waved Fu Jiuxin's clothes triumphantly, like a flag: "Young Master Fu, I'll take your clothes—ah!"
She screamed in terror. Gu Huaibi and Fu Jiuxin only saw her body suddenly sink a bit into the water, as if something in the water was pulling her down. That thing was probably pulling very hard, and the Third Miss lost her balance and fell into the water.
As she fell in, a person emerged from the water behind her, hastily wiping the water off his face, and roughly pulled the young lady out of the water, trying to snatch the clothes from her hands: "The gentleman is mine!"
Gu Huaibi stared in disbelief at the angry Dou Akou in front of him.
"Akou!" Fu Jiuxin tried to rush forward to hug Dou Akou, who was struggling in the water, but she splashed water all over his face. "Sir, I will take her back!"