Chapter Twenty-Three: A Secret Affair (Part 1)
"Taking a concubine? You want me to take a concubine at this time? Uncle Wu, you must be joking."
“Young Master, your uncle is not joking. We family retainers have been part of the family since we followed our patriarch to Dayuan. Our lives and fortunes depend on you. Other nobles have started taking concubines in the past two years, and you can’t be an exception.” In order to get Qin Mo to accept his opinion, Wu Shengze even used the somewhat presumptuous self-reference of “uncle”.
"Forget it, Uncle. Taking wives and concubines is not a game. The most important thing for two people to be together is mutual affection. How can we let worldly customs sway us?" Qin Mo was very dismissive. Although having three wives and four concubines and flirting with virtuous women was one of his wishes, he had to be selective. If he just grabbed whatever ugly or ugly women into his arms, he wouldn't be a romantic scholar, he would be a scoundrel.
"This... alright... sigh!" Wu Shengze suddenly recalled the past and let out a long sigh. He should have realized long ago that the minds of this father and son could not be judged by common sense, even a woman from the Wang family...
Kaihime looked at the white, fine rice in front of her, then at the rich bone and meat broth, and then touched her bulging belly. With great willpower, she put down the bowl and gave up the idea of continuing to eat, suppressing her drool.
On their journey from Fusang to Daxia, they were quite satisfied with their two meals a day on the ship: white rice and pickled fish. Although they would vomit up most of it soon after eating, the taste and the mental satisfaction filled them with hope for the future. It's worth noting that even Kaihime, the daughter of a Fusang noble, didn't eat white rice and pickled fish every single day.
However, upon arriving in Tongxian County of Daxia, Qin Mo's personal guards came to deliver orders that they needed to rest for a few days before heading to the capital. A large number of tents were pitched in a simple, wild field, which made the Japanese women, who were fond of cleanliness, feel somewhat uncomfortable. Kaihime warned them that since they were here to fight, they should not concern themselves with those ridiculous fastidious notions of cleanliness.
However, the food that followed completely captivated the hearts of these young girls, who were all around fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen years old and quite greedy.
Three meals a day: pickled vegetables in the morning, soup at noon and in the evening. As the chief officer, Kaihime has meat broth and bone broth with every meal. When traveling, she always takes good care of her own people. Kaihime shares the meat broth with the oldest female warriors, while she only eats the bone broth.
As it turned out, things didn't go as planned. That night, more than a dozen girls suffered from severe abdominal pain and made a ruckus for most of the night. In a panic, she finally went to Qin Mo, blushing, and said that she needed a doctor.
The doctor arrived quickly, a kind-looking man who cheerfully prescribed a lot of digestive "medicine," then told them that they should eat gradually, as their stomachs couldn't handle overeating when they were starving. This made Kaihime and the female warriors so ashamed they couldn't lift their heads.
But when they arrived at the second neighboring restaurant, the scene at mealtime was even more awkward. They were drooling over the large chunks of meat, but dared not eat them, only daring to drink thin porridge. Several girls cried while drinking the porridge, which saddened the cooks. They added half a bucket of braised pork for them, and the scene completely spiraled out of control. Everyone cried, whether because they were moved by the bright future or because they were ashamed and resentful of their unruly stomachs.
Fengtai is located southwest of the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty. As it is the vital passage from the south to the capital, the Great Xia established the Fengtai Camp here, where tens of thousands of imperial guards were stationed. Every year, the private armies of nobles conscripted by the court would also assemble here, awaiting deployment and arrangements before setting off north. Every August and September, the vast plains would be filled with family banners and badges of all shapes and colors.
Half of the main force had already arrived in Fengtai and set up a temporary camp. When Qin Mo arrived, the camp was bustling with activity, filled with the neighing of horses and shouts of men. Veteran soldiers, new recruits, and Japanese soldiers were training with great enthusiasm. It seemed that Qin Mo's troops and retainers were very experienced in leading troops and were using their spare time to train the team and improve its combat effectiveness.
Qin Mo led the last batch of soldiers to fill every corner of the camp, and the official's private army finally reached the planned ten thousand men. With ten thousand men, there was no limit to the size of the army. Looking at this war machine that was completely under his command, Qin Mo couldn't help but feel proud. He, a nobody, was now a figure of some importance.
That evening, Qin Mo gathered all the officers of rank 6 and above for a banquet to strengthen their bonds. This moved the Japanese soldiers even more. Their food and lodging had already exceeded their expectations, and now, enjoying a feast prepared by a chef personally trained by Qin Mo, they felt it would be best to encounter the enemy the next day, demonstrate their bravery to their employer, and prove that they were worth the price.
Kaihime was the only woman present. She was used to the strange looks she received, especially from the older men of the Great Xia Dynasty. Their gazes made her feel uneasy, a mixture of well-intentioned teasing and the look of elders towards their nieces. If she knew they all saw her as Qin Mo's concubine, she would definitely draw her sword and challenge these old killers to a duel.
Qin Mo treated Kaihime with great respect. Although she only had a few dozen men, she was treated equally to the brigade commander. She was not treated harshly because she was a woman, and there was no humiliating behavior towards her. This moved Kaihime and her female warriors to tears. After all, in Fusang, even the most outstanding female warriors would eventually become playthings of men.
Secondly, Kaihime and the others finally learned what Qin Mo wanted them to do after bringing them to Daxia.
Qin Mo led them to a corner of the camp, which was exceptionally clean, almost unlike a military camp. Although Qin Mo's camp was already exceptionally clean compared to other military camps, this corner was even more so.
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