They entered the northern territories around mid-autumn and left while it was still autumn, though by then it was already late autumn.
What is the northern territory like in late autumn?
The sparse water grasses had turned sere and yellow. Within the vast expanse of heaven and earth, that wash of withered yellow appeared especially desolate.
Compared to the northern territories, Pei Ying still preferred Youzhou. And as the weather grew colder, she particularly missed the hot spring pool within the Governor's mansion in Yuanshan County.
After many days of marching, the Youzhou army finally saw the Great Wall rising along the frontier. A scout rode out ahead to report and request the opening of the city gates.
The guards on the wall were utterly astonished.
"G-General Huo of Youzhou is back? So quickly?"
"It hasn't even been two months, has it? Our army has already returned?"
The scout below, seeing the soldiers on the wall gaping in shock and momentarily forgetting to open the gates, didn't berate them but instead chimed in, "We won the battle. Why wouldn't we return?"
Their suspicions confirmed, someone burst into wild laughter. "The last time Lord Huo achieved a great victory was seven years ago. For a long time after that, the frontier was peaceful, and those Xiongnu were as docile as grandsons. It seems that glorious time has returned. Lord Huo is a divine general reborn, peerless in the world."
"Enough talk, open the gates first."
The heavy city gates were pushed open.
Some impatient soldiers immediately spurred their horses onto the streets, riding along to widely announce the news of the Youzhou army's triumphant return.
Everyone on the streets was overjoyed upon hearing this. Peddlers hawking wares, people conducting business, idlers strolling, and commoners who heard the news from their homes all simultaneously put down their tasks and rushed towards the northern city gate.
"Hurry to welcome our royal army!"
"Don't bother packing up, just cover the goods with a piece of burlap. No one will steal anything now. Quick, go welcome our royal army!"
And so, when Huo Tingshan led the main army across the border, he saw commoners lining the streets to welcome them. Some even held wooden plaques inscribed with "Welcome the Victorious Return of the Youzhou Army."
"Welcome our royal army!"
"Welcome the victorious return of the Youzhou army."
"Great General, ever-victorious in battle, overcoming all obstacles."
The commoners were so excited their faces flushed red. Some even threw wildflowers and fruits towards the soldiers.
Huo Tingshan and the other military officers were not at all surprised by such a scene.
This was not their first victorious campaign.
They had witnessed similarly fervent welcomes after the great victories seven years ago, seventeen years ago, and even earlier ones.
Sha Ying casually caught a fruit, gave it a simple wipe on his clothes, and took a bite. He even smiled at the young woman who had thrown it, eliciting a high-pitched cheer from that direction.
Xiong Mao grumbled, "That fellow really can't change his flamboyant nature."
Qin Yang, riding beside him, chuckled. "You think everyone is like Chen Yuan, that block of wood who understands nothing of romance..."
His words trailed off mid-sentence.
Clearly, he hadn't finished. Xiong Mao turned his head in confusion and saw a strange expression on Qin Yang's face.
He seemed hesitant, torn.
Even a fool could tell he was thinking of something else. Could it be Qin Yang was hiding something?
Xiong Mao asked suspiciously, "Why are you being so coy? Does Chen Yuan have some situation?"
Back when the Great General had divided the troops into two routes—one cavalry, the other infantry—only three core officers were left in the rear: Huo Zhizhang, Chen Yuan, and the other being Qin Yang.
Xiong Mao's latter comment had been offhand, but he was shocked to see Qin Yang give an almost imperceptible nod.
Xiong Mao's interest was immediately piqued. "Tell me. I won't tell anyone else."
Qin Yang shot him a sidelong glance. "Actually, I don't know for sure if it is."
Xiong Mao's broad face scrunched up. "You don't know? Then why did you nod just now? That's nonsense."
"I'll tell you what I know, and you judge for yourself," Qin Yang said, adding, "Only you should know about this. Don't go spreading it around."
Xiong Mao agreed readily.
The two urged their horses closer, riding side by side amidst the commoners lining the streets, their legs almost touching.
Qin Yang whispered, "You know the northern territories have many wolf packs. One night, a pack of vicious wolves attacked the camp. Huo Zhizhang, Chen Yuan, and I led teams out to eliminate them. After the wolves were dealt with, guess what Chen Yuan was doing?"
Xiong Mao asked, "What? Don't keep me in suspense. You know my brain isn't that sharp. I can't figure it out."
"Chen Yuan was collecting wolf teeth," Qin Yang stroked his chin. "Later, he even strung them into a necklace."
Xiong Mao was stunned. "That's it?"
Qin Yang turned his head, meeting Xiong Mao's round eyes. The next moment, he heard him say, "What's so strange about that? It's just a necklace. I've heard wolf teeth can ward off evil. Stringing a necklace, maybe Chen Yuan wanted it for protection himself."
Qin Yang: "..."
Xiong Mao added, "Besides that, anything else?"
Qin Yang remained silent.
Xiong Mao nudged his horse to create some distance between them. "You're making a mountain out of a molehill. Don't overthink it. I say it's nothing at all."
Qin Yang: "..."
Qin Yang was at a loss for words. His intuition told him it wasn't simple. Chen Yuan wasn't the type for such leisurely pursuits. Besides, among their military ranks, they typically held half-belief, half-doubt towards superstitions about warding off evil or seeking safety.
However, the northern territories had many wolf packs, especially large ones, which weren't encountered daily. On a whim, collecting a wolf tooth necklace as a keepsake didn't seem entirely unreasonable either.
Qin Yang's eyes darted. "Xiong Mao, you and Chen Yuan are on good terms. Why don't you go ask him?"
"Cut it out. Don't think I don't know you're trying to use me as a pawn," Xiong Mao snorted coldly. "If it were about advising the Great General, fine. But I won't do it for such a trivial matter."
Just as Qin Yang was about to say more, he suddenly overheard someone on the side street saying, "The late Emperor has passed away for some time now. The one who ascended the throne is the Tenth Prince. I hear His Majesty is only eight years old this year. If an eight-year-old child cannot distinguish importance, doesn't understand how to reward merit... then what about our Great General this time..."
In that instant, Qin Yang shuddered. He quickly looked towards Huo Tingshan at the front.
Although the commoner was standing by the street amidst others cheering, he knew the Great General had keen hearing and might have caught it.
But after this thought flashed through his mind, Qin Yang belatedly realized times had changed. The Great General was now married to Lady Pei, and that person hadn't mentioned the specific date of the Zhao Emperor's passing.
Probably not a big issue.
Qin Yang's heart settled back into place. He didn't notice the man riding the tall horse at the front glance sideways at that moment.
Surrounded by commoners, many were talking. Huo Tingshan's gaze swept quickly but couldn't immediately locate the owner of those fragmentary words.
"Everyone, hear me," the man in the red cloak behind suddenly spoke. His voice was resonant, and as soon as he spoke, the commoners on both sides of the street fell silent.
Pairs of eyes filled with admiration and fervor all turned towards him.
Huo Tingshan declared loudly, "I am a border general guarding for Great Chu. Pacifying the north is my duty. There is no need for such ceremony. On this expedition to the northern territories, besides reaching a twenty-year pact with the Huchanye Chanyu of the other side, we also brought back many cattle and sheep. You are the people of my Youzhou, subjects of the victorious side. You rightly share in the fruits of this victory."
Upon hearing this, the common folk around them collectively held their breath.
A twenty-year agreement?
Did that mean they wouldn't have to worry about those Xiongnu raiding the border for the next twenty years?
And the livestock... the Grand General said they had brought back many cattle and sheep, and that everyone should share in the fruits of this victory. Did that mean...
Under the gaze of everyone's anticipation, Huo Tingshan continued, "I will allocate a portion of the cattle and sheep to the yamen. You may go and collect meat rations yourselves, for a period of one month. Furthermore, households in the county that own farmland may each receive one ox."
His words caused a stir among the people. When they heard the follow-up, "Starting from noon today, it will be first come, first served," the citizens who had been lining the streets to welcome them could no longer stay put.
Starting at noon?
There was still one shichen left until noon. First come, first served—they had to hurry and get in line.
"Thank you, Lord Huo."
"Thank you, Grand General Huo."
Amidst their thanks, the commoners on both sides swiftly began running towards the yamen.
They had to hurry and queue up. Going late would mean not only waiting longer, but the good cuts of meat might already be taken.
Huo Tingshan turned his head and gave Chen Yuan a look. The latter acknowledged the order and rode his horse away from the procession.
The decision to distribute a portion of the livestock to the people had been made before returning to the city.
Huhe County, being the most vulnerable and frequently attacked by the Xiongnu, had suffered significant losses before. Now that they had returned fully laden, it was only right to compensate the people.
However, the compensation wasn't originally planned to be so rushed. According to the original schedule, the announcement would have been made at least two days later, after everything was properly arranged.
Chen Yuan was always an absolute executor of orders. Since Huo Tingshan had given the command, he immediately went to carry it out.
There was still one shichen until noon. Time was tight, but not impossible. They could slaughter a few sheep first to manage the initial demand, and then distribute more gradually later.
Pei Ying sat inside the carriage. She had also heard Huo Tingshan's announcement. Lifting the curtain slightly, she saw that the streets, which had been lined with people moments before, were now almost completely empty.
The lanes were deserted.
"Why such a hurry?" Pei Ying murmured to herself.
She had heard Huo Tingshan mention this matter before, but it seemed...
The original plan wasn't for today.
The carriage arrived at the courier station before noon. Arrangements had been made beforehand, so now the station housed only their Youzhou troops.
Upon arriving, Pei Ying first asked Xin Jin to heat water for her bath, then enjoyed a comfortable soak.
Water resources were scarce in the northern borderlands. Specially heating water for a bath was considered too extravagant. Pei Ying usually just wiped herself down simply. She hadn't had a proper soak since the army had marched out of the northern territories.
As the warm water enveloped her skin, the fatigue accumulated from the long journey seemed to peel away from her body and dissolve into the pool of hot water. Pei Ying let out a satisfied sigh.
She soaked for a long time, only rising when the water was just beginning to cool.
She had just finished putting on her undergarments and short pants when she heard two voices outside the door, belonging to Huo Tingshan and Xin Jin respectively.
The former gave an instruction, and the latter acknowledged it before withdrawing.
"Creak." The door opened.
This was the largest room in the courier station, divided into an inner chamber and an outer chamber, connected by a small arched doorway. Pei Ying had been bathing in the inner chamber.
The man who had entered the room reached the arched doorway in a few strides. The arch was designed in a crescent shape that curved inward. Huo Tingshan stood beneath it, his head just two hand spans from touching the top panel.
"Huo Tingshan, I'm not ready yet, you'll have to wait," Pei Ying said, thinking that since it was lunchtime and she hadn't come downstairs for so long, he had come to call her for the meal.
"No rush. Take your time, my lady," the man said lazily, leaning against the crescent archway, taking in the alluring view not far away.
She stood with her back to him, bare feet on a pair of wooden clogs. Above the clogs, her long legs were straight and well-proportioned. Her skin was a snowy white that put frost to shame, yet carried a healthy pink undertone. Her frame was slender, and without an outer skirt, a slight softness of flesh was visible.
He knew this. His lady was voluptuous and graceful.
The man's Adam's apple bobbed.
The gaze from behind grew increasingly intense. Pei Ying's hand, holding her inner robe, paused slightly, and she sped up her dressing. Inner robes were always made loose and wide; the hem hung down, covering to mid-thigh.
The heat of the gaze behind her did not diminish.
Pei Ying simply tried to start a conversation. "Huo Tingshan, why was the livestock distribution so hurried? Wasn't it supposed to start the day after tomorrow?"
Her back was to Huo Tingshan, so she didn't see the momentary flicker in the man's previously relaxed expression after she spoke.
After a moment, Huo Tingshan replied, "The sugarcane has been transported back. Previously, my lady was eager to return home. I thought to finish matters here quickly so we could return to Xuantu Commandery sooner."
Pei Ying didn't suspect anything.
She did want to return early. She had been separated from her daughter for nearly two months and missed her terribly.
However, mentioning the sugarcane reminded Pei Ying of the unfinished drawings for her juice press.
Pei Ying asked, "How many more days will we stay in Huhe County?"
Huo Tingshan: "At most, three days."
Pei Ying thought for a moment. "Two days should be enough. Huo Tingshan, I need a painter and a blacksmith."
Huo Tingshan: "Alright."
So, after lunch, two men were led into the courier station by guards. The painter was an elderly man with a long beard, and the blacksmith was a burly fellow.
Pei Ying described to the blacksmith, in general terms, what she wanted. When words failed, she used gestures. After he seemed to grasp the idea somewhat, he would correct the terminology for the parts and relay it to the painter, who would then draw the diagrams.
The drawings were shown to Pei Ying, and any discrepancies were corrected bit by bit.
This era had no electricity. What Pei Ying described was a hand-cranked juice press. To improve efficiency, the machine was not small, and it involved quite a number of parts.
For two full days, Pei Ying did not leave the courier station.
Two days later, a set of drawings was born.
Pei Ying carefully examined the drawings and felt they should be fine. But whether they truly were would only be known once they returned to Xuantu Commandery and found a blacksmith to actually build the press.
They were leaving Huhe County the next day. Having been cooped up in the station for nearly two days, Pei Ying planned to go out for a stroll in the afternoon.
Previously, when she went to other places for training, she always brought back souvenirs for her daughter. This time, she should also bring some local specialties.
Pei Ying encountered Chen Shichang downstairs. He bowed with hands clasped. "Madam, are you going out?"
Pei Ying: "Yes, Mr. Chen."
She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but she felt a momentary stiffness in him after she answered.
Probably just my imagination, Pei Ying thought.
Without dwelling on it, she went out with Xin Jin, Wu Nanran, and several guards.
Huhe County was only a small commandery, not even one-seventh the size of Xuantu Commandery.
The carriage reached the bustling market area. Pei Ying alighted. Due to the presence of the Youzhou army, Huhe County had become much livelier. Patrols of guards could be seen on the streets from time to time, as well as cheerful citizens returning from the direction of the yamen, carrying meat.
Before Pei Ying could observe more, she heard the sound of hoofbeats. Immediately after, one of the guards who had accompanied her said, "Grand General."
Pei Ying looked back and saw Huo Tingshan riding Wu Ye towards her. She watched him until he arrived right in front of her, her eyes questioning.
If she remembered correctly, during the midday meal, he had said he was going to the military camp south of the city. But this road led north. What was he doing here?
Huo Tingshan dismounted. "Both you and I have been quite busy these past two days. Today, we finally have some time. I've come to accompany you on a stroll through the market."
"Didn't you say you were going to the military camp south of the city?" Pei Ying asked, puzzled.
Huo Tingshan's expression remained unchanged. "Chen Yuan has too much free time. I've left the inspection duties to him."
Pei Ying nodded and asked no more.
She never involved herself in how military camps were managed or duties assigned, so she had no reason to doubt Huo Tingshan's words.
After Huo Tingshan arrived, the guards who had been closely following, along with Wu Nanran, naturally fell back a bit, creating some distance between themselves and the couple ahead.
Having grown accustomed to the markets of the commandery, the market in Huhe County seemed much more compact and quaint by comparison. Pei Ying saw many vendors setting up stalls. They would simply spread a piece of hemp cloth on the ground and arrange their goods on top—a simple stall was ready.
There were sellers of ceramic bowls and utensils, various wooden carvings and ornaments, and even some raw jade stones.
Pei Ying walked slowly, looking around, and finally stopped in front of a stall selling wooden carvings.
The carver's skill was exquisite and masterful. While others carved single pieces, here were complete scenes.
A grassland, a caravan of horses traveling across it, and a red sun that seemed to connect the solitary wisps of smoke to the vast earth.
Pei Ying liked it at first glance and found it very meaningful.
The carvings at this stall all drew inspiration from the northern lands, yet each was distinct. They would be perfect as souvenirs.
Since Nianian had never seen the desert scenery, a wooden carving would have to do for now.
However, when making the purchase, Pei Ying initially said she wanted one, but then changed her mind. "I'll take these two next to it as well."
Now she had three children. On the surface, she had to treat them all equally.
Huo Tingshan stood beside Pei Ying, watching as she had the vendor pack the other two carvings into wooden boxes, not forgetting to instruct him to place small clasps inside to secure the carvings in place.
The man's lips curved into a smile. "My wife is a caring mother."
"And you? What gifts have you prepared for the children?" Pei Ying turned to ask him.
This question made Huo Tingshan raise a brow.
Gifts?
Naturally, he hadn't considered it.
He was going off to war, not on a pleasure trip. Besides, those three at home were either already of age or soon to be; one was even just a couple of years from adulthood. They were no longer little children needing gifts.
Yet, under the gaze of those beautiful eyes, Huo Tingshan said, "When I left the Chanyu's court, Teng Gao insisted on giving me two chests. They contain quite a few treasures. I'll pick a few items from there for them later."
Pei Ying looked away.
This man was so casual.
Just then, a few people walked by on the opposite side of the street. Judging by their attire, they were likely merchants.
One of them was saying, "Ever since the late Emperor passed away, Chang'an has been unstable. Alas, with the Ji family holding power, the times ahead will only grow more chaotic."
