Qin Yuan laughed and said, "Are you talking about the story of Emperor Xiaozong of Ming bestowing titles upon his beloved dog? That's just a rumor, only found in folk tales and unofficial histories. People also say that Duke Ling of Wei bestowed the title of scholar-official upon a crane, and Emperor Huizong of Song bestowed the title of marquis upon a stone lion, which is why the country was destroyed. But there is no such thing in the official history."

Lord Gu immediately retorted: "Mr. Songshan said that unofficial histories are not necessarily all false, and official histories are not necessarily all true. As long as the truth and falsehood can be used for my purposes, that's fine. Perhaps some things that official histories dare not record have been passed down through unofficial histories and notes. Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility of exaggeration and sensationalism."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yuan looked at Lord Gu again and again.

Lord Gu felt uneasy under his gaze and asked in a hoarse voice, "What's wrong?"

People say that a scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation, but you make me look at you with new eyes every day.

Lord Gu was somewhat smug.

"A day apart feels like three autumns. Three autumns is how many days? You do the math... I know, you feel this way because you think about me every day."

Qin Yuan was both annoyed and amused.

Lord Gu knew when to stop.

"Quickly hide behind the screen and don't make a sound, he's almost here."

Qin Yuan then sat behind the screen with the puppy in her arms.

Before long, heavy footsteps could be heard, accompanied by the clanging of shackles hitting the blue brick floor.

Qin Yuan then realized that Yelü Xianyong had been brought in.

Through the gap in the screen, one could see that the person's hair was wet and draped over their shoulders, with water droplets soaking the fabric of their shoulders, making them look somewhat disheveled.

Without the headscarf that had covered his head that day, a charred and rugged face was exposed without any cover.

It is indeed extremely ugly.

A hoarse, rough voice rang out.

"What does Lord Gu mean by this?"

Lord Gu smiled and said, "Sit down. I heard that you neither eat nor drink in the dungeon. I suppose the food in the Central Plains doesn't suit your taste. I specially invited you to the study for a drink. This is all food from the northern frontier, specially prepared by the chefs in the manor."

Yelü Xianyong gave a cold laugh.

Gu Shiliu shouted from the side, "You've arrived at the Marquis of Dingbei's residence, what are you acting like, acting like a big shot? Our Marquis is inviting you for drinks, don't be ungrateful."

Lord Gu laughed and said, "No, perhaps he's afraid."

Yelü Xianyong considered himself one of the most outstanding heroes in the world, but he had just been unlucky and had no opportunity to show his abilities. He couldn't stand being provoked by others, so he immediately raised his head and said, "I, Yelü Xianyong, am a righteous and honorable hero. Would I be afraid of you?"

Gu Shiliu sneered, "I think it's just a big bear."

Lord Gu simply looked at Yelü Xianyong with amusement.

Yelü Xianyong, his blood boiling, stepped forward and sat down opposite Lord Gu with an air of authority, saying, "Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Gu."

Gu Shiliu chuckled twice and said sarcastically, "Now we don't have to worry about the food and wine being poisoned."

"Sixteen, be careful with your words. Yelü Xianyong is a true hero," Lord Gu picked up his wine bowl again and raised it to Yelü Xianyong, saying, "I have long heard of your great name on the battlefield, but we have never had the opportunity to meet. Today, by chance, let's put everything else aside and drink to our hearts' content."

Yelü Xianyong stared at Lord Gu for a while, then finally picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

"The Marquis of Dingbei is hailed as the God of War, and I have long wanted to meet him, but I haven't found the right way."

"Haha, God of War?" Lord Gu sighed, "Now that the war is over, let's not talk about these things anymore. I should retire to the mountains and live a life of leisure and wealth."

Yelü Xianyong looked incredulous: "Lord Marquis is in the prime of his life and I've heard that he is highly valued by the Emperor. I wonder why you would say such things in front of me, a prisoner?"

"What do you mean 'captured'? You were just tricked into this by my wife." Lord Gu laughed. "We men inevitably look down on weak women. It's normal to fall into a trap. You don't need to take it to heart."

Upon hearing this, Yelü Xianyong's aloof and stubborn demeanor softened considerably.

Lord Gu filled his bowl again, without urging him to stop, and drank it all in one gulp, saying, "There won't be any more battles to fight in the future, and the court will be the domain of civil officials. As for military generals, they'll just guard the borders, so why would they need me? Even the greatest heroes need a place to use their talents, right? Take you, for example, you're one of the top heroes in the Yelü clan, but you're stuck here."

Qin Yuan nodded secretly behind the screen.

Lord Gu's words were particularly persuasive.

Yelü Xianyong did not answer, but poured himself a bowl, picked it up and drank it all in one gulp.

He wiped his lips and said, "This really proves the saying: when the rabbits are gone, the gyrfalcons should rest. When the prey is gone, the bows and arrows are left to gather dust in the storeroom. We are all eager to make a name for ourselves and risk our lives to serve our masters. The best are like the Marquis, letting his horses graze in the mountains, where they are left unused. The worst are those whose bones are never found, who die on the battlefield."

Qin Yuan couldn't see clearly through the screen, but Lord Gu could tell that Yelü Xianyong was already slightly drunk.

It seems this person doesn't eat, yet he downed two bowls of strong liquor right away. His mood fluctuated wildly, and he quickly became intoxicated.

Lord Gu laughed and said, "What can we do? There are many unpleasant things in this world, and we can only go with the flow. For example, you are clearly a brave general, but you have to take action against women and children for your master. If this were back in the northern frontier, you would look down on yourself."

Lord Gu's words stirred Yelü Xianyong's emotions once again. He poured himself another bowl, gulped it down, and slammed the bowl down heavily, saying, "Lord Dingbei, your wife is truly formidable. I still don't understand how she slipped up. In the dungeon, I thought to myself, 'I, Yelü Xianyong, am utterly useless! I lost the battle, and I accept that. You are highly skilled in martial arts, and the Gu family has been guarding the northern frontier for generations, building up the country's wealth and strength. It's only natural that I couldn't defeat you. But I never expected that even your little wife could trick me into coming to the manor and trap me like a dog."

Gu Shiliu stood to the side and couldn't help but smile.

Qin Yuan chuckled to herself.

Lord Gu laughed and said, "You can't envy that. Let me tell you, countless people envy me for having such a good wife. My wife's beauty goes without saying, but her good qualities are countless. She's so good to me, and her heart and eyes are always with me. We are husband and wife, a match made in heaven."

After saying that, he couldn't help but glance at the screen.

Qin Yuan couldn't help but mutter to herself, "That's really cheesy."

Yelü Xianyong was greatly provoked.

Speaking of this marriage, it is also a source of heartache for him.

So another bowl of wine was poured into his stomach.

He was really dizzy now, hiccuping as he drank: "Lord Gu, you'd better keep a close eye on your little wife and protect her well. If such a good wife is snatched away by someone else and cuckolds you, wouldn't you be ready to kill them? What if the person who cuckolds you is the Crown Prince or the Prince of Jin? You people in Daxing value loyalty to the emperor, are you really going to swallow this insult?"

He poured bowl after bowl of wine down his throat.

It's like pouring water.

Completely unaware that the man in front of her had a grim expression and murderous intent in his eyes.