The family banquet was lively that night. King Yan was delighted with the success of gathering an army of two hundred and fifty thousand troops. In view of the victory, the children and grandchildren were naturally beaming with joy.
After the banquet concluded, except for the children, the adults were still in high spirits.
Since sleep was elusive, they decided to attend to pending tasks.
Yin Hui prepared all the necessary items for trimming the beard. When Wei Luo passed by, he half-leaned on the couch in the next room. Seeing Yin Hui approaching with a bib that Xiao Xun used when he was a child, Wei Luo raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
Yin Hui smiled and said, “Your beard has grown, so if you don’t wear this, hair will be everywhere later.”
Wei Luo pursed his lips. Since they were the only couple in the room, he followed his wife’s playful suggestion.
A few lamps were placed nearby, casting a bright light on the surroundings of the two of them. Wei Luo raised his head slightly, and Yin Hui supported his chin with one hand, using small scissors in the other to trim off his long beard from the roots.
Concentration was key to avoid any accidental injuries. It would be embarrassing for the dignified third master, who led troops to war, to be hurt during a beard trim.
Yin Hui, having frequently trimmed the nails of her two sons, displayed great skill in this task.
Wei Luo’s eyes wandered for a moment during the long-lost time, and soon returned to his former wife.
She had long eyelashes hanging down, and her white face revealed a thin red like begonia petals in the warm yellow halo. Her lips were moist and full, slightly parted.
He put his hands on her waist.
Yin Hui didn’t move. She raised her eyelashes and glared at him, “Be honest, or you’ll get hurt. Don’t blame me.”
Wei Luo naturally withdrew his hand, aiming to protect his face.
After a round of cutting, Yin Hui picked up the beard knife specially used for trimming, and meticulously shaped his beard.
That man was handsome, and Yin Hui enjoyed seeing his clean and refreshing appearance. If he really wanted to grow a beard, she couldn’t control it.
After meticulous grooming, only a few beard roots were left in the area where the beard used to grow, barely visible from a distance, and it didn’t affect his overall appearance.
After wiping him with a wet towel, Yin Hui finally took off the bib her son wore, and before handing it to the maids, she said to Wei Luo, “Go and look in the mirror; you look much better than the unshaven look before.”
When she finished, she raised the curtain and went out.
Wei Luo paused, put on his shoes, and went to the inner room.
There was her beautifully carved mirror on the dressing table. Standing behind the chair, Wei Luo looked at himself. In fact he hadn’t looked at his bearded appearance before carefully. How could there be a mirror in the camp? Just when he washed his face in the morning and evening, he could see his blurry face on the water.
The sound of her footsteps came from outside, and Wei Luo immediately walked away, sitting on the bed.
When Yin Hui put down the curtains and sat, Wei Luo hugged her into his arms.
No longer as eager as in the afternoon, Wei Luo held Yin Hui’s face and kissed her for a long time.
Without the beard getting in the way, Yin Hui was willing to give him a kiss.
At dusk, Wei Luo was tired and didn’t want to get up, but after waking up and having a meal, he felt refreshed again.
Half an hour later, the young couple finally lay down, cuddling and talking.
Wei Yang and Wei Yan must have asked Wei Luo carefully about the battle situation. Yin Hui didn’t want to bother him with the same questions, so she inquired about her grandfather, Yin Lang, Liao Shisan, Feng Teng, and other people she was close to and familiar with.
Wei Luo, as always, cherished words like gold. He would never say two sentences if he could finish it in one sentence.
The supply of food and grass on the battlefield had always been sufficient, proving that the errands entrusted by King Yan to Yin Yong and his grandson had gone smoothly.
Liao Shisan was courageous and resourceful, becoming the most important figure. His position in the army was second only to Feng Su, Gao Zhen, Yang Jingzhong, Guo Xiao, Zhang Xi, and the new Duke of Jin, Li Chao.
As for Feng Teng, he was a good fighter in charge, so he couldn’t be flattered in terms of strategy, but fortunately, he obeyed military orders carefully and would not act recklessly.
Listening to his cold and deep voice, Yin Hui felt peace in her heart. That was great—her grandfather, her brother, Feng Su, and his son were not only doing well but also making contributions to her father-in-law.
On such a cold winter day, Yin Hui was satisfied with her husband snuggling up for warmth, and receiving good news about her relatives and friends.
Early the next morning, Wei Luo left early.
King Yan was taking his sons and generals to patrol the city, to comfort the soldiers and civilians in the city who had worked together to help defend the city.
At noon that day, jars of good wine were placed in front of the city gate of Pingcheng. King Yan and others personally poured wine for the common people, each with a bowl.
To comfort the soldiers and civilians, on the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, King Yan held a lively birthday banquet for Ba Lang in the palace.
Previously when Zhang Bing and Xie Gui were about to fight, King Yan had to pretend that Ba Lang had died and that he was critically ill which led Zhang Bing and Xie into the place. The elder brothers and sisters were even more lively than before, and King Yan hoped to use that joy to dilute the previous frustration, so that his grandchild would grow up healthy.
Fortunately, Ba Lang was very strong. If he was like Si Lang and suffered from illness every three days, it would make King Yan feel more guilty.
After crawling around among the various objects, Ba Lang finally picked up a golden bowl, gnawed it back and forth, leaving a circle of saliva.
Ji Xianxian said with a smile, “The fourth sibling loves to eat. Ba Lang will have good fortune in the future!”
Fu Shan blushed from her teasing and quietly looked at her father-in-law, fearing that he would dislike her son for being considered worthless.
King Yan looked at Ba Lang and the little golden bowl in his hand, smiling.
It was a blessing to be a food enthusiast, and it was even more auspicious to eat from a golden bowl. It also indicated good fortune, suggesting that he would achieve great things, and his children and grandchildren would follow him to enjoy blessings.
After resting for a month, on the fifth day of the first lunar month, King Yan led his army to attack Weizhou and Datong in the west.