The next day, Ruo Wen sat on the Huoyan throne, flanked by Manhu, Langtou, Chengxiang, Luoying, and others. They all gazed at the woman kneeling in the center of the great hall, who had boldly offered herself to the leader under the moonlight last night.
Ge Xinwei knelt on the ground, dressed in yellow brocade, her demeanor solitary. Soon, her jade-like voice rose and fell:
“Chaos is imminent, and warlords will carve up territories. But I, Ge Xinwei, know that the throne belongs to Kuangxue. Therefore, to swiftly elevate Your Majesty to the pinnacle of the vast desert, I, your humble servant, dare to propose: that Fengtian cannot long endure without governance, without records, and without order. Otherwise, it will struggle against Beilingtiandu in the north and Yunpei in the south. Thus, I suggest establishing Three Armies and Two Ministries before the war.
The Three Armies are the Zhenyuan Army, 50,000 strong, to guard Fengtian; the Southern Expedition Army, 130,000 strong, to subdue Yunpei; and the Sustaining Army, the Yellow Sky Wild Troops, to serve as the King’s guard, advancing and retreating at his command. These three armies will each fulfill their duties: the nation-stabilizing army to quell internal unrest, ensuring national security and military strength; the southern expedition army to defeat enemies fiercely, bringing victory and national power. This forms the military branch.
A nation stands on two pillars: military and foundation. Therefore, establish Two Ministries: the Treasury, managing finances and provisions; and the Military Personnel Ministry, allocating troops. These Three Armies and Two Ministries will surely secure the nation, control the military, and assist Your Majesty in seizing control of the world!”
As Ge Xinwei spoke, her voice grew even more resonant. Kneeling on the ground, her body still remembered the wild pain of last night, Ruo Wen’s ruthless possession, and the humiliation of sharing a bed with two other women.
However, to her, Ruo Wen reflected in her ice-blue eyes, was a god—a god capable of destroying all injustice.
Ruo Wen looked at the woman kneeling below. To save her life, she had never dared to disobey him in the slightest, not uttering a single word for over a month. Now, she dared to seduce him with that inexperienced body in front of everyone, and she had succeeded. Since last night, he couldn’t stop thinking about her, reminded of the moment he captured Huang Beishuang.
Yet, she wasn’t Huang Beishuang. Her eyes held a gleam of wild ambition.
Hmph! Women, truly like flower snakes, come in all varieties.
“Oh! Worthy of royal lineage!” Ruo Wen said coldly. “Silent until now, but what a revelation!” His voice sounded somewhat mocking, though it wasn’t clear who he was deriding.
“Damn! This girl is something!” Langtou couldn’t help but exclaim, “Even more interesting than that Huang Beishuang!”
Beside him, Manhu, who always seemed to echo him, continued, “That’s right! Huang Beishuang came from a slave nation, but this one’s from a ruling nation. Although we crushed her instantly, she’s still a princess after all!”
Chengxiang also chimed in, “I’ve never heard of a princess who dares to strip naked for others to see!”
“How did she taste, Chief?” The youngest, Luoying, leered at Ge Xinwei, sneering, “Don’t get addicted now.”
This group of crude men, true to their bandit nature, stood in the great hall, shamelessly mocking her in front of Ruo Wen. Yet Ge Xinwei remained unshaken. She looked at Ruo Wen and asked coldly, “What is Your Majesty’s opinion of the former Masui royal family?”
Seeing her suddenly ask such a question, everyone fell silent. Ruo Wen smiled and said, “Garbage!”
Hearing his answer, Ge Xinwei smirked, “Ge Xinwei was born among this pile of garbage. For nineteen years, I endured humiliation and abuse. Though nominally the Ninth Princess, I was treated worse than a slave. At least slaves aren’t bullied; I, Ge Xinwei, could be used to vent anger and beaten at will. The greatest injustice in the world is when the strong are ruled by the weak when the incompetent oppress the talented.” At this, she looked up at Ruo Wen, “However, Your Majesty, you can restore the truth that the strong should rule. Ge Xinwei firmly believes in this.”
As she finished speaking, no one responded for a long time. Those standing on both sides looked at her in disbelief, almost overwhelmed by such passionate emotions. Ruo Wen sat on the throne, looking down at Ge Xinwei when suddenly a thought flashed through his mind… When he captures Huang Beishuang, he must compare the two thoroughly—how interesting that would be!
After a while, Ruo Wen spoke, “Chengxiang, handle the establishment of the Three Armies and Two Ministries as she suggested. Luoying, keep your spies ready. From now on, I want to know the movements of all countries at all times! As for Ge Xinwei…” He looked at her, “You’ll stay with me! I want to see what game you’re playing!”
In the year 332, Guanchou, the Ninth Princess Ge Xinwei of Yu became Fengtian’s first strategist, solely managing Ruo Wen’s harem, without official title or status. Within ten days, she established the Three Armies and Two Ministries, restructuring the nation’s pillars. From this point, Fengtian gradually transitioned from banditry to legitimacy, forming a true ruling circle. Seven days later, the Southern Expedition Army advanced eastward, occupying the two major strongholds of Zhuncheng and Yuguo between Fengtian and Yunpei. They formed a pincer attack on Yunpei with the Tiandu army defending Huhe.
“Sandstorm! Run!”
On a small oasis at the southern edge of the desert, chaos erupted. A thousand heads bobbed in panic, seemingly encountering a rare storm. People scrambled in disorder, all surging westward. This was no ordinary storm, and this small, barren oasis could not withstand it. If they couldn’t escape in time, there was only one outcome—to be buried by the raging sand along with the oasis, becoming yellow earth trampled underfoot shortly.
“Grandma, Grandma, hurry!” A thin boy dragged a semi-conscious old woman. The old woman had already been trampled, her ankles shattered. She forcefully removed the boy’s small hands from her shoulders. “Good child, you go on! Grandma will wait here!”
The boy’s face was covered in tears, still clinging tightly to the old woman’s tattered clothes. “Grandma, I’ll take you with me!”
But the old woman closed her eyes, her lips blackened, speaking intermittently, “I’ll wait here… my son will come for me. My son… will come back. This place is closest to Huhe, he… will surely come looking for me!”
The boy dragged the old woman through the crowd with difficulty. The fleeing refugees around them didn’t stop to help; such scenes had become all too common, and who had any sympathy left to spare?
The old woman’s face scraped against the ground as she was dragged, her skin torn open. “Good child, Grandma is tired of waiting. Can you help Grandma find him and bring him to me?”
Hearing this, the boy looked down at her, his hand touching her face, feeling blood. “Grandma?”
The old woman lay on the ground, repeatedly trampled. The boy’s thin body couldn’t shield her from the stampeding feet of those running for their lives. “Stop stepping on her! Stop it!” His shrill, childish cries echoed helplessly through the crowd.
“Child, what’s your name?” the old woman asked with closed eyes.
“I’m called Saman!”
“Saman, Grandma’s son went on a mission to Yunpei. He’s a great hero. His name is Zhan Bie. Will you help Grandma bring him back?” After saying this, the old woman fell silent, only her withered gray hair dancing in the flying sand.
Saman froze, gently placing his hand near her nostrils. After a long moment, the boy’s eyes filled with tears. He suddenly stood up and ran. He ran fast, instantly disappearing into the fleeing crowd, leaving behind only the old woman, trampled again and again, yet seeming as if she were just asleep.
On that day, the roaring sand engulfed this lonely, desolate little oasis, carrying away countless souls filled with endless longing. That mound of yellow earth, like a mountain-sized grave, rose silently on the vast desert.
What is calamity? Reincarnation is calamity.