The guard froze in horror. Before he could figure out why the Grand General's mood had suddenly soured, he heard the second sentence, following closely.
"Have you completely disregarded my previous orders?"
The voice was cold, more chilling than the biting wind whipping against his face.
Another guard hurriedly replied, "Reporting to the Grand General, the Lady of the house has not left the estate. Today, Squad Leader Guo came by, seemingly to report on some matters. Afterwards, the Lady went with him."
Several days ago, to be precise, on the day the Grand General returned from the northern campaign with his wife, all guards in the estate had received this order:
It is forbidden to mention the late Emperor's passing or the young Emperor; if the Lady shows any intention of leaving the estate, report it immediately, even if I am in the middle of discussions in the study.
The guards were puzzled, but since their superior had given the order, they could only follow it with trepidation.
It was then that Huo Tingshan remembered what Pei Ying had told him last night: a part of the juice extractor wasn't fitting right and needed to be reforged. Today was likely when the new part was delivered.
The man pressed his fingers to his temples, his expression quickly smoothing out. "Very well, I understand."
Only after Huo Tingshan's figure had completely disappeared from view did the courtyard guard whisper, "Has the Grand General had a disagreement with the Lady?"
"Impossible. We've been stationed at the main residence for so long. When have we ever seen them exchange a cross word?"
"That's true."
The small kitchen in the southern compound.
The firewood crackled and popped, filling the entire little kitchen with a sweet aroma. It was sugary sweet, as if honey had soaked into the very air, causing the guards to take deep, appreciative sniffs every now and then.
So sweet.
Though they had never tasted honey before, the rich sweetness they smelled now made them think that honey, sold for ten taels a small jar, must be something like this.
"My Lady, how much longer does this need to boil?" Guo Dajiang couldn't help but ask.
Pei Ying watched the pot. Inside, a pot of water was boiling, using a double-boiler method to heat the earthenware basin within. "Until the water in the earthenware basin has evaporated."
There was still a small amount of water left in the basin. The original sugarcane juice had been a pale color, but after continuous simmering, the liquid had darkened and the sweetness had intensified.
"Grand General," Chen Yuan suddenly said.
Pei Ying turned at the sound and saw a tall figure appear at the kitchen doorway. It was Huo Tingshan.
"General, what brings you here?" Pei Ying asked in surprise.
Earlier, at the Qinshui courtyard, she had anticipated that the sugar-making might last until the end of the You hour (7 PM), so she had sent a guard to relay the message that she wouldn't be joining them for the evening meal.
Had the messenger guard taken a different path and missed Huo Tingshan?
The next moment, her guess was confirmed.
"The dinner hour has arrived. I came to find my wife for the meal," Huo Tingshan said as he entered the kitchen, only to be enveloped by the warm, sweet fragrance hanging in the air.
"The sugar isn't ready yet. I won't be going to the main hall for dinner today. You and the children should eat first," Pei Ying said. This was also a kitchen, and she had already sent a guard to fetch a cook from another kitchen. They would start the fire here directly later.
"Since I'm already here, no need to run back and forth for a meal. I'll stay here with my wife," Huo Tingshan said leisurely.
Since he didn't want to leave, Pei Ying let him be, turning her attention back to the pot.
"Wife, is this the juice from the sugarcane? Can sugar be made simply by boiling it down?" Huo Tingshan also looked into the pot.
Pei Ying nodded and said, "It's freshly pressed. After filtering to obtain a purer sugarcane juice, we then begin the boiling process. Once all the liquid has been boiled away, what remains is brown sugar."
"Why place an earthenware basin inside the wok?" asked Huo Tingshan.
Since it's boiling, wouldn't it be simpler to boil it directly in the wok?
Pei Ying explained to him, "Actually, direct boiling is possible too. However, sugar is prone to caramelization—that is, it easily scorches—at the temperature when the water boils. So, we use this gentler heating method. I also plan to make white sugar later, to avoid difficulties in removing impurities later on."
There were only fifty stalks of sugarcane in this pre-stored batch. From these fifty stalks, they only managed to extract two basins of juice. Once used up, they would have to wait for next year's sugarcane harvest, so it had to be used sparingly.
The sugar yield from sugarcane is around 12%. Estimating each stalk at four jin, her pile of sugarcane totaled two hundred jin, or one hundred kilograms.
Barring any issues, she could expect to get about twenty-four jin of brown sugar.
The cook summoned earlier by the guard arrived and started a fire to cook in the opposite corner of the kitchen.
Just as Pei Ying and Huo Tingshan were both in the small kitchen boiling sugar, the three younger generation members had already gathered in the main hall of the residence.
Only they and the attending maids were in the main hall; the two elders had not yet arrived.
As if remembering something, Huo Zhizhang first had the surrounding maids withdraw, then said in a low voice to his elder brother and younger sister, "Did you both receive that order Father passed down?"
As for what it specifically was, he remembered the instruction and did not state it plainly.
Huo Mingji nodded. "Yes."
Meng Ling'er, however, looked completely confused. "What order?"
Her two brothers both paused.
That Huo Zhizhang would actively bring up this topic was also because he truly couldn't understand it.
The late emperor had passed away several months ago, and now the new emperor was already enthroned. What was there that couldn't be said? They all understood their father's ambitions; he was certainly no pure, unquestioning loyalist.
Taking a step back, even if he were a pure loyalist, there would be no need for such avoidance.
He just hadn't expected his sister to still be unaware.
"Second Brother, what riddle are you speaking in?" Meng Ling'er asked curiously.
Huo Zhizhang suddenly stammered, "I, I just now…"
Huo Mingji rotated the thumb ring on his hand.
During the days when their father was away on the campaign, he had taken his sister to several banquets. The guests were all prominent families from the commandery, and their conversations ranged far and wide, having also touched upon Chang'an.
His sister was aware of the passing of the Zhao Emperor.
But why hadn't Father specifically instructed her? Was it unnecessary, had he forgotten, or was it that he couldn't?
That order was issued only after Father's return. Also, on the day of his return, he and their mother had deliberately taken a different route back to the residence…
Perhaps the key point wasn't about his sister, but about their mother! Father did not wish for Mother to know that the late emperor had passed away.
"Second Brother?" Meng Ling'er was puzzled.
The more Huo Zhizhang acted like this, the more curious she became, her curiosity mixed with a touch of hurt. "Is it something you can't tell me?"
Huo Zhizhang immediately felt his head spinning, even somewhat alarmed. "No, it's not…"
"It concerns political affairs," Huo Mingji suddenly stated.
Huo Zhizhang hurriedly agreed, "Yes, yes, exactly. Political affairs."
Huo Mingji said gravely, "Ling'er, the situation has grown increasingly tense lately. Walls have ears, and trouble comes from a loose tongue. Therefore, recently, matters related to politics or affairs of state must not be discussed with anyone."
Meng Ling'er understood.
So it's about official matters. I hear the situation is getting more chaotic these days, with fighting having already broken out in the south.
Huo Mingji continued, "Not even between family members. That's why Zhizhang was stammering earlier."
Huo Zhizhang nodded vigorously, "That's right, sister, I really wasn't targeting you earlier."
Meng Ling'er said earnestly, "I understand. I won't speak of it to others."
At that moment, a guard hurried in, bringing news that the two elders would not be dining in the main hall that evening.
"Where are father and mother?" Huo Zhizhang asked.
The guard replied, "In the small southern kitchen."
After answering, the guard couldn't help adding, "The mistress is making sugar. It's incredible. I've never smelled such a rich, sweet fragrance before."
The three of them looked at each other.
Making sugar?
"Elder brother, let's go take a look." Huo Zhizhang adored sweet flavors. Unfortunately, honey was expensive and scarce, while ordinary malt sugar was rather bland.
He recalled the wine his mother had made before. Originally light and plain, after being processed through the distilling apparatus, it was as if an invisible hand had compressed the liquor, making its aroma intense, mellow, and silky smooth.
Would the sugar be like that too?
The sugar his mother made would surely be much sweeter than malt sugar.
Huo Zhizhang couldn't wait to have a taste.
"The meal is already served. Go after we've eaten," Huo Mingji stopped his younger brother.
With their parents absent, they had to listen to the eldest brother.
So the three of them dined in the main hall, and after the meal, they headed together to the small southern kitchen.
When they arrived, people there were still eating.
The facilities were simple, far from comparable to the main hall, so they had opened a round table for a communal meal.
Pei Ying, Huo Tingshan, Chen Yuan, and Guo Dajiang sat at one table, while several other guards sat at another.
"Father, Mother." Huo Mingji bowed with his hands clasped.
Seeing all three had come, Huo Tingshan raised a long eyebrow, "Here to see your mother make sugar?"
The three nodded in unison.
Pei Ying noticed her daughter and Huo Zhizhang's eyes drifting towards the pot and couldn't help but laugh, "The sugar is still boiling in the pot. You can go take a look."
Huo Tingshan picked up a piece of stir-fried meat for Pei Ying, "Eat slowly. No need to mind them."
Meng Ling'er and Huo Zhizhang had already gone to stand before the pot.
A large pot was simmering, its mouth open without a lid. Inside, a large earthenware basin was placed, so big it practically covered the water's surface. From the outside, one could hardly see the water in the pot, only hear the constant gurgling of boiling water.
Now, the liquid inside the earthenware basin had thickened to the point of being a syrup. With the gurgling of the boiling water beneath, the syrup also bubbled up as if boiling, one bubble after another.
An intensely rich fragrance assailed their nostrils, as if forming an invisible net that firmly ensnared one's senses.
Huo Zhizhang was mesmerized, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the earthenware basin in the pot.
Before the court cut off the military funds for Youzhou, the Huo family had been prosperous.
Honey, though expensive, wasn't something they couldn't afford at all. The honey in his memory was indeed sweet, but when had it ever possessed such an overwhelming, immersive sweetness?
Incredible!
Huo Zhizhang was beside himself with excitement. He couldn't help asking, "Mother, you're amazing! How is this sugar made? When will it be ready? Can I try some?"
Huo Tingshan glanced at his second son, "With all that preamble, I think that last sentence is what you really wanted to say."
"No, I truly believe Mother is a divine being, a celestial fairy descended to earth to bestow blessings upon all." Huo Zhizhang's face flushed red.
Pei Ying smiled, "There are small bowls over there. The three of you can go and ladle some for yourselves. But this syrup is very sweet, so after taking a little, you must dilute it with water, otherwise it will be cloyingly sweet."
Having received permission, Huo Zhizhang immediately took a soup spoon, scooped up a ladle of syrup, and portioned it into small bowls.
One bowl for himself, another for his younger sister. As he was about to prepare the third bowl, he suddenly stopped, turned to look at Huo Mingji, and asked deliberately, "Elder Brother, would you like to try some now?"
His elder brother had become increasingly inscrutable over the years. In Huo Zhizhang's opinion, why be so restrained? Their father was in his prime and could easily hold up the sky above them for several more decades.
Moreover, with Mother and younger sister now added to the family, it was wonderful for everyone to talk and laugh together. What was the point of being so stern?
Huo Mingji gave a light cough, "I'll try it now."
Huo Zhizhang smiled and filled the third bowl with syrup. He remembered Pei Ying's words well, adding only a little syrup to each bowl before topping them up with water.
Wanting his own stronger, he added slightly less water to his bowl compared to the other two. After dividing it up, Huo Zhizhang quickly took his bowl and drank a big mouthful.
An intense sweetness he had never experienced before flooded his taste buds. The young man's pupils contracted slightly, and for a moment he felt a kind of intoxication, as if from wine.
So sweet.
A rich sweetness completely different from honey.
Meng Ling'er and Huo Mingji also took a sip. The former exclaimed in amazement, "So sweet, even sweeter than fried cakes." The latter paused slightly. He didn't say anything, but instinctively raised his bowl and took another sip.
Huo Tingshan had already tasted it earlier and naturally knew how sweet the syrup was.
For those who had never experienced such concentrated sweetness, that sip of syrup could be described as nothing less than nectar and ambrosia.
After reaching adulthood, he had once gone to Chang'an to receive his official title. The Zhao Emperor had held a grand feast at that time to celebrate meritorious officials like himself.
The banquet was laden with delicacies and all kinds of fruits and vegetables said to be tributes, laid out on the tables. But those rare items, which even many nobles and royals were often reluctant to part with, would now all be utterly surpassed by this syrup.
Huo Tingshan turned to look beside him. The beautiful woman at his side was holding chopsticks in one hand and a bowl in the other, still eating her meal.
She always ate slowly, chewing meticulously bite by bite, clearly someone who had never known shortage of food or clothing. She paid no mind to the exclamations of her son and daughter, nor did she seem to care about this syrup that was destined to astonish the world.
Why didn't she care?
Perhaps because she had seen it all before.
Whether it was sugar, or wine as fragrant as immortal brew, to her they all seemed insignificant. Right now, they couldn't hold her attention like the rice in her bowl.
A gaze from beside her had been fixed on her for a while. Pei Ying hadn't wanted to acknowledge it, but the stare lingered a bit too long.
"What is it?" Pei Ying turned her head.
Huo Tingshan simply said, "It's nothing. Please continue your meal, Madam."
Pei Ying looked at him for a moment, then shifted her gaze away.
She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but in that brief moment their eyes met, his gaze had seemed particularly profound, as if he had something on his mind.
After the meal, they continued waiting for the brown sugar to finish processing.
The double-boiling method provided even heating. Although it took longer, it was more reliable than using a pot directly. Once the first batch of brown sugar was cooked, they began pouring it into molds and then waited for it to cool.
"It's getting late, Madam should return and rest first. Leave the rest to the guards." Huo Tingshan noted it was already her usual bedtime.
Pei Ying covered a small yawn with her hand. "No one should stay up late. We can prepare the second batch tomorrow. There's no rush."
Main Courtyard.
Having been busy with the first attempt at sugar-making all day, she was quite weary. After washing up and lying down on the bed, Pei Ying grew drowsy.
Footsteps approached, and soon someone lay down beside her.
As usual, an iron-like arm pulled her over. But unlike yesterday, this time after being pulled over, the man rolled on top of her.
Pei Ying was instantly wide awake. Glancing at the small cabinet beside the bed, she saw a small earthenware bowl placed there.
"Huo Tingshan, I'm tired."
"Just once."
"No. You get carried away and never stop." Pei Ying pushed against him.
To her surprise, she clearly heard his heavy breathing and felt his pent-up readiness, but after a few ragged breaths, he actually obeyed and moved off her.
Pei Ying turned onto her side to face him.
Inside the dim bed curtains, she couldn't see his expression, but the sound of his panting was distinct in her ears. One breath after another, like the claws of some large beast opening and closing against the ground, leaving deep marks of restraint.
"Huo Tingshan, recently..."
Before she could finish, a rough finger touched her chin and gently lifted it.
A scorching kiss descended.
It was still overwhelming, domineering and fierce, as if wanting to devour her whole. The sparks of a wildfire began to spread. The winter wind howled, yet it fanned the flames of summer.
The temperature inside the curtains seemed to be rising, the air growing thick. Just as Pei Ying thought she might drown, she was released.
The man holding her simply breathed heavily, doing nothing more.
A large hand on her back stroked her gently, as if soothing a rabbit, smoothing down the sparks that had just been stirred. Pei Ying's breathing gradually steadied.
"What are your preferences, Madam?" In the darkness, she heard him ask suddenly.
His voice was low and hoarse, still carrying traces of unquelled desire.
Pei Ying was slightly taken aback.
Preferences?
Why was he suddenly asking about her preferences?
It wasn't entirely out of the blue. He had asked her before, back when he had conquered other provinces and opened the private treasuries of their governors.
But why bring it up again now?
Not hearing Pei Ying's reply, Huo Tingshan continued on his own, "Gold jewelry, exotic flowers and plants, or fine silks and satins..."
Pei Ying asked softly, "Why are you suddenly mentioning these things?"
There was a moment of silence in the dark. "We are husband and wife. It is normal for me to know my wife's preferences. What are your preferences, Madam?"
Hearing him ask a second time, as if determined to get an answer, Pei Ying thought seriously and finally said, "Traveling."
She did have preferences. Traveling was one, and watching dramas in her leisure time was another—though the latter was out of the question now.
He gave an acknowledging hum. "I will take you to see all the lands north and south of the great river in the future."
