Hong Kingdom naturally noticed Liu Guang's unusual movements, but over the years, Ma Jiyou had been harassing them with troops every few days, much to the annoyance and desensitization of Hong Kingdom's soldiers. Moreover, Ma Jiyou's strategies were extremely effective; Hong Kingdom's national strength had greatly diminished, and half of the national treasury's income came from Hai Ping's open gambling. Like Su Kingdom, Hong Kingdom was also plunged into a predicament of having neither money nor food.
"Slender waist, you look even more beautiful today, dressed so dazzlingly. Are you thinking of some young man?"
Putting aside these important military and national affairs for the time being, Liu Guang smiled and spoke to his beloved concubine who bowed to him. His family in Heng Kingdom had been completely wiped out long before Heng Kingdom was destroyed. After arriving in Chen Kingdom, the former king of Chen Kingdom had bestowed many beauties upon him. Although age had taken its toll and Liu Guang's hair had turned gray, his love for women was as strong as ever.
The beautiful woman, whom he affectionately called "Slender Waist," was half shy and half annoyed. After bowing, she tugged at his sleeve, rested her head on his shoulder, and said, "What are you saying, Duke? We just met this morning, and now you're spouting such nonsense. In this world, is there any young man who can compare to you, Duke?"
A beautiful woman possesses only basic natural assets; if she adds intelligence, she gains the power to make any man surrender. Even Liu Guang, the Duke of Chu, who had fought countless battles and never yielded, couldn't help but beg for forgiveness when this woman, as delicate as the moon and morning dew, leaned against him and frolicked: "Alright, alright, it was my fault. I shouldn't have said such crazy things to my slender waist."
“It’s not enough to just mistake her for someone else.” Her slender waist and delicate eyebrows furrowed, her eyes welling with tears. “I wish I could tear my heart out and show it to the Duke, but he always spouts nonsense about me. I really don’t want to live anymore…”
Liu Guang led her to a chair and sat her down, cradling her delicate body on his lap. He smiled and wiped away the tears from her eyes, saying, "I am an old man, while you are only sixteen. How can I accompany you for a lifetime? If something were to happen to me one day, my biggest worry would be..."
With her slender waist, she silenced Liu Guang's lips with a kiss using her long, delicate fingers. The two gazed at each other for a long time. Slender waist slowly stroked Liu Guang's long beard and said in a sweet voice, "The Duke is not an old man at all, he doesn't look old at all..."
The two chuckled as they recalled their passionate night. Liu Guang hugged her slender waist tighter and said, "My body is still as strong as a young man's, but even heroes have their weaknesses and are easily swayed by love. If I don't think about you, who else can I think about?"
"Why does the Duke keep saying such things today?" Qianyao sat up on Liu Guang's lap, her charming face completely gone, replaced by a solemn expression. "If it weren't for the Duke, even if I hadn't frozen or starved to death on the street, I would still be selling my smiles in the alleys. Where would I get this life of luxury? I regret that I'm not a man, unable to fight for the Duke on the battlefield or govern the court. I only hoped to be blessed by the Duke and bear him a child. Now the Duke keeps saying such ominous things. Does this mean that the Duke has grown tired of me and wants to abandon me and our child?"
At first, Liu Guang just stroked his beard and smiled, but as he listened, his expression became excited. When he heard the last sentence, his eyes widened, he grabbed the shoulders of the slender waist, and stared intently at her belly, saying, "What? My slender waist... is your slender waist pregnant?"
A blush rose on her slender waist and face, softening her solemn expression and replacing it with shyness: "I haven't been feeling well lately, and the imperial physician says I might be pregnant..."
"Oh dear, why didn't you say so last night?" Liu Guang stood up, pulled her close, and his face was filled with delight. She lowered her head, slightly uneasy, and whispered, "Last night I couldn't help myself, and besides, I remembered that in a few days I wouldn't be able to receive the Duke's favor, so... so I only asked the Duke to come and tell you today. Please don't blame me, Your Highness..."
"How could I blame you!" Liu Guang hugged her and took two steps in the hall, laughing, "You are my precious treasure. I'd be afraid you'd melt if I held you in my mouth. How could I blame you!"
Qianyao seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and pressed her face against Liu Guang's cheek: "If the Duke doesn't blame Qianyao, then Qianyao can rest assured."
Liu Guang's greatest regret was that all his children were killed. After arriving in the Chen Kingdom, he fought in wars year after year. Although he was energetic and indulged in sensual pleasures, he could not have any more children. Therefore, he adopted his nephew Liu Tai, who had been with him in the army, as his son.
Hearing that Qianyao is pregnant, the joy in my heart is indescribable.
"I have a successor!" He hugged her slender waist tightly, looked up at the roof in a daze, and then burst out laughing after a long while.
"There's something..." The slender waist was first startled by his laughter, then she smiled sweetly and said, "When will the Duke have some free time?"
Liu Guang paused slightly. It was a tense time before a major battle was about to begin; how could he possibly have any free time? After a moment, he said, "Whenever Qianyao wants me to have free time, I will have free time."
With her slender waist and clever mind, she was not so favored by Liu Guang among his many concubines. She knew that Liu Guang was not being sincere, so she gently broke free from his embrace, stared into his eyes, and said, "I made a vow at the Huguo Temple in the city that if I could bear a child for you this year, I would put a golden statue on the Buddha statue in the temple. Your Majesty, it won't take too long, just half a day will do."
Liu Guang narrowed his eyes slightly, his slender eyebrows furrowing slightly, and said, "If that's the case, how about I accompany you the day after tomorrow afternoon?"
"Thank you, Duke." Qianyao was overjoyed, her face flushing again. "Besides fulfilling my vow, I also want to make two wishes. The Buddha of Huguo Temple is so efficacious, he will surely grant my two wishes."
"Oh? You're really greedy. Buddha has already granted one of your wishes, and now you want two more. Be careful, or Buddha might find you annoying, hahahaha..."
"Your Excellency is joking. His Majesty is compassionate and all-encompassing. How could he find me troublesome?" the slender woman said softly. "I am only afraid that Your Excellency will find me annoying."
"Why would I be bothered by my slender waist?" Liu Guang stood up as well. "You still haven't told me what two wishes you're going to make this time?"
"I won't say, I just won't say." She twisted her slender waist, which could be encircled by an arm, and her face was completely flushed. Seeing her infinite shyness, Liu Guang couldn't help but feel his heart flutter. He raised his eyebrows and said, "If you don't want to say, then you won't say. Now is not the time to talk about this."
Qianyao thought he was angry, but when she looked up, she saw a half-smile on his face as he opened his arms to her. Qianyao's face was flushed with desire, and she half-pushed and half-refused, but she accepted Liu Guang's embrace.
On the afternoon of the third day, Liu Guangyi, following Qianyao's wishes, took off his military uniform and changed into ordinary people's clothes. Seeing him dressed so amiably, no longer resembling the powerful minister who commanded thousands in the court or the brave and decisive general on the battlefield, Qianyao couldn't help but giggle.
The two, traveling in separate sedan chairs with only a few personal guards, arrived at the Huguo Temple in the city. This temple had once been the most popular incense-burning temple in Luoying, the capital of the Chen Kingdom. Built as the ancestral temple of the Chen royal family, it was a vibrant and bustling place during the three annual temple fairs, when the streets in front of the temple were ablaze with lights. Since Liu Guang came to power, apart from foreign wars, the Chen Kingdom had enjoyed a period of relative stability in the past century. Many more interesting and lively places had emerged in Luoying. Furthermore, Liu Guang's intentional or unintentional restrictions on royal activities had subtly diminished the importance of the Huguo Temple to the people of Luoying.
Although the monk who was in charge of receiving guests was not a Zen master with profound Buddhist teachings, he had a keen eye for people. Seeing Liu Guang's imposing manner, although he did not know who he was, he guessed that he must be a high-ranking official who had come incognito to burn incense, so he treated him with exceptional hospitality.
Soft light streamed through the stained-glass windows, which were carved with flying apsaras and Vajra, and fell on the prayer mat in front of the Buddha.
With her slender waist clasped in prayer, she bowed several times to the Buddha statue before kneeling on the sandalwood mat. Although Liu Guang had always been skeptical of supernatural beliefs, he couldn't help but feel a mysterious pressure emanating from the sandalwood incense surrounding them. Turning his head, he saw her with her eyes closed, her cherry lips trembling slightly, seemingly chanting something, her expression utterly devout. Liu Guang couldn't help but smile slightly, but this smile seemed to be immediately sensed by her, as a glance, half-angry and half-pleading, swept over him. Liu Guang shook his head slightly. He knew she wanted him to kneel, but since leaving Heng Kingdom, he had vowed never to kneel sincerely before anyone again—not even the two kings of Chen Kingdom. He outwardly performed grand courtesies, but he had never truly bowed.
That glint of gaze was quickly withdrawn, and her slender waist and fair face seemed to be shrouded in a faint mist in the soft light. She prayed with complete concentration, and a sacred and pure light seemed to emanate from her face and body. Mixed with the sandalwood fragrance in the exhibition, Liu Guang almost thought that the person kneeling there was not his beloved concubine, but an incomparably holy celestial maiden.
"Slender waist has the bearing of an empress." His heart stirred. Since the fall of his family, he had never taken a principal wife. Slender waist was deeply in love with him, and she was carrying his child. Moreover, she was impeccable in both appearance and virtue. Although she sometimes had the impetuousness of youth, this could be completely matured with the passage of time.
After the Buddhist rituals and almsgiving were completed, Liu Guang made a major decision and felt quite relieved. Therefore, he became very interested in the architecture of the Huguo Zen Temple. Whenever the guest monk introduced a scenic spot, he could draw inferences from it and tell the historical stories.
Having received a large donation, the receptionist became even more attentive. After leading the two on a tour of the entire temple, he said, "Sir, you possess an extraordinary air and are full of wisdom. You must be a renowned figure of our time. Behind the temple, there is a forest of pagodas dedicated to eminent monks of past dynasties, including inscriptions by renowned calligraphers of bygone eras. For example, there is the 'Stele of the Monk of Leisure' by the Wang family father and son, the 'Stele and Inscription of the Pagoda of Zen Master Mingyue' by Su San, and oh, there is also the 'Praise of Zen Dharma for Stopping Warfare' written by Sun Lou, the Martial Saint, a thousand years ago. Would you be interested in taking a look?"
Liu Guang was already intrigued by the collaboration between the father and son calligraphers known as "Big King and Little King," and his desire only intensified upon hearing the name of the unparalleled scholar Su San. When he heard the name of the martial arts master Sun Lou, he felt an intense longing within him. He glanced at her slender waist and asked, "Aren't you tired?"
With such a slender waist, she said, "I'm not tired. I also enjoy looking at the calligraphy of the ancients."
Liu Guang smiled and gently patted her hand, a tenderness he had never felt before rising in his heart. If in the past his feelings for this woman were more lust than love, now his affection for her was as deep as the sea.
The pagoda forest of Huguo Temple is surrounded by ancient pines and cypresses. Winding stone paths meander through the rocks, pines, and streams, and every now and then an ancient pagoda appears before you. Most of the pagodas are undecorated; those with stone inscriptions are masterpieces by renowned calligraphers of past dynasties. Liu Guang admired them, marveling at how he had never visited this place despite living in Luoyang for several years.
The sun was still setting, and a gentle breeze carried a slight chill through the forest, creating a mystical atmosphere. Liu Guang and Qian Yao observed and commented as they went, gradually venturing deeper into the forest. Several warriors dressed as attendants, however, dared not lag behind and followed them into the woods.
Upon seeing the inscription "Ode to the Zen Method of Stopping War" written by the Martial Saint Sun Lou, Liu Guang couldn't help but stop and linger for a long time. Sun Lou, a military genius of his generation, possessed unparalleled military strategists. Countless generals throughout the millennia have pondered his methods, yet none have surpassed the scope of his battle formations and tactics. But this genius of war left behind only this enduring inscription, "Ode to the Zen Method of Stopping War." Stopping war is the essence of martial prowess; could it be that Sun Lou, in his later years, also grew weary of killing and conquest?
Just as he was frowning in thought, a cold aura wafted over from nearby.
.
Liu Guang reached out his left arm to embrace the slender waist, spun around, and pressed her to the ground. At the same time, his right hand pulled the monk in the loose robe to stand in front of them. Just then, the sound of crossbow bolts rang out, dozens of short crossbows whistling through the air. The warriors following Liu Guang rushed forward, trying to shield him with their bodies, but they were met head-on by the crossbow bolts. The sounds of crossbow bolts piercing through flesh and the warriors' screams rang out almost simultaneously.
"Damn it!" Liu Guang's heart skipped a beat. He didn't even need to look up to know that his bodyguards were all dead. He was always quite suspicious and rarely went out so lightly dressed as he was today. He originally thought that no one would know his whereabouts, but he did not expect that there were still people waiting to ambush him here.
"That stinking monk!" He felt a chill run down his spine. If the guest monk was in cahoots with the assassins, he had been lured into an ambush. He cautiously peeked out, only to see the guest monk's wide-open, dead-fish-like face pressed against him. Several crossbow bolts pierced through his head and chest, and the blood that flowed out was not red but a deep blue!
"Poisoned crossbow!" Liu Guang's mind raced. His opponent knew his martial arts were profound and had actually used a crossbow coated with potent poison. Even a mere graze would be enough to kill him. These poisoned arrows were clearly fired from a specially made crossbow. A single crossbow could hold fifteen short arrows, and that rapid burst of fire had fired at least forty, meaning there were at least three assassins present.
Liu Guang could feel the slender waist trembling as it was pressed against him. He gently patted her face to signal her not to be afraid, then pulled the corpse of the guest monk over. Suddenly, he shook his hand, and the corpse soared up like an eagle, flying straight toward an ancient pine tree.
"Thud, thud!" More crossbow bolts rang out, and the monk's corpse was pierced by more than ten more bolts, but it still collided with an assassin in brown clothes who was almost indistinguishable from the one on the ancient pine tree. The monk's bald head crashed into the assassin's chest, and the assassin felt a sharp pain in his chest and fell from the tree.