Huo Tingshan hurried back to the main courtyard. Before he could even round the screen upon entering the room, he heard low voices speaking inside.
It was her and her personal maid.
"My lady, this matter is no small affair. We must not be careless."
"It's nothing serious. It has happened before."
"How can it be nothing serious? The circumstances are different now..."
Huo Tingshan strode quickly around the carved wooden screen and saw Pei Ying lying on the daybed, her face pale.
Usually, her cheeks were rosy, her skin fair with a hint of pink, but now she lacked her usual vitality. She resembled a peony that had been uprooted for too long, looking as if she might wither.
"How are you feeling, my lady? Why didn't you send someone to tell me?" Huo Tingshan grasped her delicate hand resting outside the quilt. The touch startled him—her hand was terribly cold. He immediately said to Xin Jin, "Quickly, summon Physician Feng."
"There's no need. Physician Feng has already been here," Pei Ying stopped him.
Huo Tingshan hurriedly asked, "What did Feng Wencheng say? What precautions should be taken from now on? And what about your usual diet..."
He asked urgently, as if he had many more questions but feared overwhelming her if he asked them all at once.
Pei Ying pressed her lips together, feeling an indescribable strangeness, but answered truthfully, "Physician Feng prescribed a few doses of medicine. I just need to be more careful from now on."
"All medicine has some toxicity. How long must you take it? Will it affect you in the future?" A furrow appeared between Huo Tingshan's brows.
Pei Ying looked at him, feeling increasingly that he was acting peculiar today.
Physician Feng was one of his own men. He should have confidence in his skills, so why this strange tone? Besides, it was just a few doses of medicine; what lasting effect could it possibly have on her?
Could the incident from the day before yesterday have changed him so much? The impact seemed far greater than she had imagined.
Her silence made Huo Tingshan's heart sink. Looking at her pale face and lips slightly drier than usual, a shadow fell over his normally unrestrained eyes. "Pei Ying, I have wronged you."
He held her hand tightly. Whether it was her imagination or not, Pei Ying felt his hand trembling slightly.
Pei Ying was momentarily taken aback. "It's not that serious... It's not your fault..."
"Not my fault? Then whose fault does my lady wish it to be?" Huo Tingshan's gaze suddenly turned dark.
Pei Ying was confused by his changeable mood.
She had kicked off her quilt last night, caught a chill, and felt dizzy this morning, even vomiting twice. Catching a chill was her own carelessness; it truly wasn't his fault. Could he be blaming himself because he slept in the study and wasn't there to tuck her in?
But the Huo Tingshan she knew wouldn't be like this.
A trace of vexation showed on Pei Ying's face, and she pursed her lips.
Huo Tingshan let out a long breath, softening his expression. "I didn't mean to scold you just now. But what you said was truly inappropriate. We are husband and wife, inseparable. How could it not be my concern?"
Although Pei Ying inwardly thought he was exaggerating, his tone was gentle now and rather pleasant to hear, so she didn't argue further.
Feeling the delicate hand in his palm finally warming up, Huo Tingshan lifted the brocade quilt and tucked it inside. "Rest for a while, my lady. I'll wake you when the medicine is ready."
"I don't want to sleep, and I can't." Pei Ying licked her dry lips. "I want some water."
Xin Jin had gone to prepare the medicine, leaving only Huo Tingshan in the room.
Upon hearing this, Huo Tingshan said "Wait a moment" and hurried to pour water. Returning with the cup, he saw Pei Ying, who had been lying down, now sitting up. His brow furrowed again. "Why did you get up by yourself, my lady?"
Pei Ying paused. If she didn't get up herself, did she need someone to help her?
Could he have misunderstood something?
But the next moment, he said, "What if you catch a draft and feel even worse?"
Pei Ying automatically interpreted this as worrying about worsening her chill, so her suspicion faded. "It's fine. I'll be careful."
Huo Tingshan first handed her the teacup, then went to the clothing chest to fetch a white fox-fur cloak. He shook it out and draped it over Pei Ying's shoulders before sitting down beside the daybed. "Since you don't wish to rest further, shall I tell you about some other matters?"
"Aren't you busy?" Pei Ying sat wrapped in the fox fur. He had tucked it tightly around her, leaving only her pale face visible.
She was quite puzzled. It was the hour of Si (around 9-11 AM). At this time, he would usually be in his study.
"Not busy." Huo Tingshan then began, "The other southern inspection team has just returned. They succeeded in bringing back cotton seeds."
Pei Ying couldn't help showing a hint of joy. "They brought them back? That's wonderful news. The growth cycle of cotton isn't far from sugarcane, both around seven months. They can be sown in spring, and by the eleventh month next year, they should begin to boll."
Huo Tingshan's gaze softened. "I will find suitable people to manage the cotton matter properly. There's no need for you to worry about this. During this time, you should focus on taking good care of your health."
Pei Ying felt little about this remark.
It was just a chill. A couple of doses of medicine would fix it. No need for such a fuss.
With the death of Emperor Zhao now exposed, Huo Tingshan simply discussed court affairs with Pei Ying. "Emperor Zhao has three surviving male heirs: the Crown Prince born to the successor Empress, the Fifth Prince who has already come of age, and the Tenth Prince, born to Concubine Li, who is only eight years old now. Which one do you think will become the new emperor, my lady?"
Pei Ying: "It could be the Fifth Prince or the Tenth Prince. It definitely won't be the Crown Prince."
The man raised his long eyebrows. "Why not the Crown Prince?"
"I've heard the name 'Concubine Li' mentioned several times. Since she enjoyed unparalleled favor in the harem, her son must be deeply doted upon. I don't know the situation with the Fifth Prince, so I'll withhold comment for now. As for the Crown Prince, as the heir apparent, he holds the power of regency when the emperor is traveling, seriously ill, or occupied with important matters." Pei Ying spoke slowly.
She took a sip of tea. The tea was warm, and the comfortable warmth spread through her as she drank.
"It's said that Emperor Zhao was obsessed with Taoist practices. Logically, the Crown Prince should have been regent then. I don't know if he acted as regent or not, but the fact is the chaos in Great Chu worsened day by day. This shows the Crown Prince isn't particularly capable either." Pei Ying said.
If a Crown Prince's regency resulted in such a state, his qualifications as heir were questionable. If he didn't have regency powers, it was even more impossible for him to ascend the throne.
Huo Tingshan's eyes showed appreciation. "You are astute, my lady. The new emperor is indeed not the Crown Prince, but the Tenth Prince."
"The eight-year-old Tenth Prince," Pei Ying murmured. "In a way, this is good news for you."
To believe that Huo Tingshan would content himself as a purely loyal minister, she might as well believe the eight-year-old Tenth Prince was also a time-traveler who ascended the throne through his own extraordinary abilities.
"You understand me well, my lady." Huo Tingshan smiled.
After that, he spoke of other matters. "Wheat was sown on a large scale last autumn and again this spring. It has matured twice this year. As you said, madam, wheat yields much more than millet. Back then, we used the method of selling wheat seeds at a low price to induce the common people to plant wheat. I imagine they have now tasted the sweetness of success."
Once they tasted the sweetness and understood the high yield of wheat, the subsequent tasks would be much easier. To consolidate the harvest, Huo Tingshan continued to sell wheat seeds to the people at a low price this year, though the price had slightly increased compared to before.
Previously, it was less than half the market price; now it is exactly half.
Huo Tingshan continued, "With surplus grain in hand, raising pigs can also be arranged. If the weather is favorable, in another year or two, Youzhou will truly have no worries about food and clothing."
"That's wonderful," Pei Ying nodded.
It was the best outcome for the common people to have surplus grain and live in plenty.
"All this is your achievement, madam. The commoners should know of it," Huo Tingshan said.
Hearing his words, Pei Ying's heart skipped a beat. "Huo Tingshan, don't go making a grand public affair of it."
The man merely smiled, not responding to that comment, and shifted the topic instead. "How much do you know, madam, about the matter of the Governor of Jingzhou declaring himself emperor?"
Pei Ying answered truthfully, "That day, Zhizhang only told me that Governor Cong Liuqi of Jingzhou had proclaimed himself emperor, nothing more."
Huo Tingshan hummed in acknowledgment. He used to be quite averse to women involving themselves in political affairs, but somehow, he had come to enjoy discussing politics with her. This change surprised even him, yet he did not reject it.
Just like moments ago, listening to her speak in her gentle, unhurried manner only brought him a sense of ease.
"Jingzhou borders Yizhou. The Governor of Yizhou is named Wei Cong. Early last year, two strange incidents occurred within Yizhou. First, several fishermen in Yizhou found a silk document inside a fish's belly, inscribed with the words 'Great Han shall rise, Wei Cong shall be King.' Second, also last year and again within Yizhou, many commoners claimed to have seen a fox spirit appear in temples, and they said the fox spirit loudly proclaimed 'Great Han shall rise, Wei Cong shall be King,'" Huo Tingshan explained.
Pei Ying raised her delicate eyebrows.
She was surprised not only by the "fish-belly document" and "fox cries by the bonfire" incidents but also by the ambition of this Governor Wei of Yizhou.
He was building momentum for himself, laying the groundwork to proclaim himself emperor. However, it seemed someone else had "beaten him to the punch," as his neighbor, Governor Cong of Jingzhou, had taken the step first.
"Madam, if Ji Xianbai in Chang'an has any sense, his next move should be to 'hold the emperor hostage to command the nobles,' summoning all provinces to jointly crusade against Jingzhou," Huo Tingshan said, a dark glint in his eyes. "I estimate I will have to go on campaign again soon. Madam, wait for my return in Youzhou."
"I stay in Youzhou?" Pei Ying was taken aback.
During the northern expedition, she had told him she wanted to stay in Youzhou, and he had flatly refused. Now, for this southern expedition, he was willing to leave her behind?
Pei Ying felt something was slightly off; this really didn't seem like Huo Tingshan's usual style. But thinking about being able to stay with her daughter, that slight unease became insignificant.
Huo Tingshan's gaze slid down to Pei Ying's lower abdomen, a barely perceptible unease stirring in the depths of his eyes. "This southern campaign will take at least a year or more. While I am away, madam, you must take good care of your health."
Pei Ying replied, "Naturally."
Speaking of Chang'an, Pei Ying remembered the young women like Xue Cha who had abducted her before. "Huo Tingshan, who is this Ji Xianbai you just mentioned?"
Huo Tingshan answered, "He was originally the younger brother of the late Emperor's first empress. He now holds the position of Grand Marshal in the court and is the current young emperor's maternal uncle."
At the end, Huo Tingshan gave a slight laugh. "Perhaps not an uncle, but a father."
Pei Ying, who had just inadvertently stumbled upon a juicy piece of gossip, sighed, "That saying really holds true."
"What saying?" Huo Tingshan asked.
Pei Ying smiled. "The mother is always the mother, but the father is not necessarily the father."
Huo Tingshan, recalling her earlier "none of your business" remark, felt his eyebrow twitch. "The father is also always the father."
Pei Ying, thinking he hadn't understood due to his firm tone, was about to explain further when Xin Jin entered with a bowl. "Madam, the medicine is ready."
The conversation between the two in the room ceased.
Xin Jin was meticulous. After the bowl was ready, she had soaked it in warm water. The medicine was slightly hot but not too hot to drink.
Pei Ying slowly drank the medicine from the bowl. Just as she finished and was about to hand the bowl back to Xin Jin, she turned and saw Huo Tingshan frowning at her medicine bowl, his expression troubled.
Even back in the northern campaign, when the rear infantry severely slowed the cavalry, preventing the army from swiftly penetrating deep into the heart of the grasslands to reach the royal court, he had remained calm and composed.
This was the first time Pei Ying had seen such a worried look on his face.
Pausing her movement of handing over the bowl, Pei Ying said with a laugh, "Huo Tingshan, that expression of yours makes me feel like I'm at death's door."
"Don't talk nonsense!" he rebuked sharply.
Pei Ying hadn't expected such a strong reaction and was startled by him. The jade bowl she was handing to Xin Jin slipped from her grasp, falling to the floor with a sharp "crack" and shattering into pieces.
Seeing her frozen in place, Huo Tingshan immediately felt regret. "I didn't mean to shout at you, madam."
Pei Ying patted her chest, her heart still racing from the fright. "I'll sleep for an hour later. You go attend to your matters."
He was acting very strangely today. Was he secretly throwing a tantrum just because she'd made him sleep in the study for two nights?
Huo Tingshan ignored this "dismissal." "If madam wishes to sleep, then sleep. I will leave after you fall asleep. Since you are unwell today, we won't go to the main hall for lunch. We'll have it here in the room."
Pei Ying lay back down on the couch, and Huo Tingshan covered her with the brocade quilt.
Having just taken the medicine, its effects began to rise, and Pei Ying soon grew drowsy, falling asleep not long after.
Huo Tingshan sat by the couch, gazing at Pei Ying's sleeping face for a long while before shifting his gaze to the floor beside the couch.
The fragments of the jade bowl lay scattered, impossible to piece back together.
Huo Tingshan stared at the broken pieces, the unease in his heart inexplicably growing stronger. He had never believed in ghosts or gods, considering them merely tools to manipulate the ignorant masses. Yet, the sight of the shattered bowl on the ground painfully stabbed at his eyes.
He sat by the couch for over two quarters of an hour before rising and leaving the main courtyard. On the way, he instructed a guard to summon his second son to the study.
Huo Tingshan went to Feng Wencheng's courtyard. When he arrived, Feng Wencheng was drying medicinal herbs.
Seeing him stride in and observing his expression, Feng Wencheng had an inkling of the reason for his visit and thus spoke first, "Has my lord come seeking me because of the matter concerning the lady?"
Huo Tingshan nodded. "In the past, I always thought madam was robust in health. Now it seems I was overly confident. Wencheng, I will soon lead the army south. You need not accompany the troops this time. Stay in the residence to care for madam. Ensure her safety at all costs."
Feng Wencheng was startled. "My lord, how can that be? If I do not accompany the army..."
He had been by his lord's side for fifteen years, always the one to treat his wounds. To speak with a bit of pride, no other physician in all of Youzhou possessed medical skills comparable to his.
"Nonsense!" Huo Tingshan rebuked. "Feng Wencheng, you must remain at the estate. If Madam's..." The words "difficult labor" stuck like thorns in his throat, lacerating him even at the mere thought of uttering them.
Huo Tingshan steadied his resolve. "If the situation becomes critical, you must exhaust all means to ensure her safety. As for other matters—whether medicine or anything else—use whatever is necessary, abandon whatever must be abandoned..."
Having served for a year, Feng Wencheng was well aware of how highly the mistress was regarded, so he was not surprised by such instructions.
However, one thing did give him pause: the gravity in his lord's tone seemed excessive, as if he were entrusting him with a matter of utmost importance.
To be frank, in the eyes of a physician like himself, a common cold without high fever was a minor ailment, easily cured with a few doses of medicine. Why such profound concern?
Feng Wencheng's thoughts drifted—to the newly renovated western suburban villa, to the garden full of rare and exotic flowers at the estate, and to that deep blue pouch perpetually hanging from Huo Tingshan's belt. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"Wencheng, starting tomorrow, you will visit the main courtyard every three days to check Madam's pulse," Huo Tingshan instructed. "Her complexion seems poor to me; perhaps this ordeal has drained her vitality."
"My lord, please do not worry. That is quite normal initially. Moreover, Madam has only just taken one dose of medicine for the chill; the effects cannot be expected so swiftly," Feng Wencheng couldn't help but remark.
Huo Tingshan's brows knitted tightly.
What? She's caught a chill as well? With both pregnancy and a cold to bear, how could her body withstand it?
Huo Tingshan's voice deepened. "In any case, do not be negligent. Take whatever medicinal ingredients you need from the storeroom. If the estate's supply is insufficient or the quality is lacking, instruct the steward to procure them from outside immediately. Do not make do with substitutes."
After giving his orders, Huo Tingshan went to his study, where Huo Mingji and Huo Zhizhang were already waiting.
"Father," said Huo Mingji.
"Father," said Huo Zhizhang.
Both sons bowed respectfully.
Huo Tingshan acknowledged them with a sound. "I summoned you both today to discuss a matter of great importance. Your mother is with child."
The two brothers looked up in simultaneous shock.
