Pei Ying had experienced the true meaning of the word "deafening" twice in a single day.
Each time was more soul-shaking than the last.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, nearly leaping into her throat. Her mind was entirely consumed by Huo Tingshan’s words: "Madam is not from this world."
When a person is in a state of extreme terror or shock, they often lose the ability to speak. This was Pei Ying’s current state. She stared blankly at the man before her, his voice echoing in her ears.
Not from this world.
He was so certain.
Seeing her dazed and looking as if she had lost her soul, Huo Tingshan’s brow furrowed slightly. With a touch of helplessness, he reached out to take her hand. The moment he touched her, he found her fingertips to be icy cold.
She was indeed frightened.
The instant his hand made contact, Pei Ying pulled back as if she had been burned. The man paused for a fraction of a second before reaching out again, this time with more force, firmly enveloping her palm in his.
His hands were calloused and rough, yet they were incredibly warm. In the midst of this bitter winter wind, they felt like a stove. "It was Madam who said that husband and wife should be honest with each other."
Perhaps it was because his hands were so warm, or perhaps it was because his voice was unnervingly calm, but Pei Ying gradually began to emerge from her paralyzed shock.
From the stirrups and saddles to the soap and distilled spirits, she had come up with many excuses. Lately, her most frequent explanation was that she had discovered these miraculous things in lost ancient texts.
She knew Huo Tingshan was a shrewd man, but since he hadn't pressed her for details, she had subconsciously chosen to believe that she had successfully fooled him.
Yet now he was telling her she hadn't. Not only had she failed to fool him, but he had even deduced that she was not from this time.
"When... when did you start thinking this?" Pei Ying tried to pull her hand away, but while his expression remained calm, his grip was like an iron vice.
"Do not be afraid, Madam. Only I know of this; I have not mentioned it to anyone else." Huo Tingshan led her over to sit on the soft couch.
Only then did Pei Ying’s heart begin to steady.
Huo Tingshan continued, "Back in Jizhou, Madam came to see me one day to ask about the Hua Family. Only later did I realize it was because the little girl was experiencing her first stirrings of love."
Hearing him mention the Hua Family, Pei Ying’s thoughts drifted back to the previous year, remembering Nannan’s brief, unrequited crush.
But what did that have to do with her? She remembered she hadn't said anything else to him at the time.
Huo Tingshan saw the confusion in her eyes. "From that moment on, I felt that Madam was out of place in this era. Later, after we took Yanmen in Bingzhou, I took you and the little girl to Changling Temple. On the prayer plaque you hung, there was a misspelled character..."
He paused. "Or perhaps I shouldn't say it was misspelled. It was likely a character from your world."
Back then, she had written on the prayer plaque: I want to take my daughter home.
The character she used for "daughter" was remarkably strange. In this era, it should have been written in its traditional form, but she had used a simplified version. At first, he thought she had simply made a mistake, but then he realized that was impossible.
Leaving aside the stirrups and saddles, she understood exactly how important the transmission of information was, as evidenced by the gazette. She read travelogues often, proving she was literate.
Why, then, would she write that specific character in such a way?
He surmised it was a habit.
Decades of writing habits are not easily changed. In a moment when she thought the prayer plaque wouldn't attract attention, she had subconsciously reverted to her original way of writing.
Pei Ying’s almond-shaped eyes widened.
Yanmen had fallen last winter, a year ago. He had noticed it that early?
Huo Tingshan’s eyes held a trace of a smile. "At the time, it seemed Madam did not wish for others to know, so I pretended to be ignorant."
Pei Ying’s long lashes trembled. After she had provided the blueprints for the terraced fields, he had searched the Meng residence a second time. It was clear this man was a staunch rationalist; he only paid lip service to the idea of "immortals sending dreams."
Yet, such a man of cold logic now believed in a "fairyland," believing that there was another unreachable world in existence.
Pei Ying’s heart was a whirlpool of complex emotions. He spoke of it lightly, but she could only imagine how earth-shattering it must have been for him to break and reshape thirty years of his worldview.
Pei Ying whispered, "Huo Tingshan..."
the man responded softly, his gaze gentle.
Pei Ying lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze and looking instead at his hand holding hers. "You’re quite good at guessing. I am indeed not a person of this era."
Once she said that, the words that followed seemed easier to speak. "I simply went to sleep, and when I woke up, I was mysteriously here."
Pei Ying looked up at him quickly after saying this. His expression remained unchanged, showing no surprise at her words.
He seemed to be accepting it quite well.
How could he believe something that sounded so utterly absurd?
Pei Ying was baffled.
Of course, she didn't know that during her only time being drunk, she had already told him that she had arrived here after waking up from a sleep. Thus, he wasn't surprised.
Seeing that he could accept it, Pei Ying continued. "In my world, I also had a daughter. Her name was Qiao Ling. She was eleven when the disaster struck, and she looks exactly like my Nannan does now."
A flicker of surprise finally crossed Huo Tingshan’s eyes.
One of the knots in the tangled mess of his thoughts finally unraveled. He had never understood why a woman from another world would be so obsessed with that little girl.
It turned out the girl was a mirror image of her own daughter.
He thought back to their first meeting and their subsequent interactions. Aside from her fear of him, she was usually quite detached and indifferent. He realized she likely had this same appearance in her original world.
A curious word came to Huo Tingshan’s mind: reincarnation.
Pei Ying said, "You know the rest of what happened."
"How does Madam's world compare to this place?" Huo Tingshan asked.
Pei Ying glanced at him. "There is no comparison."
The man raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical.
Pei Ying explained, "Every household has surplus grain. Both men and women can study. Honey, which only nobles can afford here, costs about as much as a few pieces of flatbread in my world. To travel from Jiaozhou in the south to Youzhou in the north takes only two hours. People have built roads under the sea, traveling through tunnels from one shore to another. We no longer use ox carts or horse carriages to transport goods; instead, we use cars and airplanes made of iron. The former travel on land, while the latter fly through the sky like birds. Either way, they can rapidly transport millions of tons of supplies."
Huo Tingshan remained silent for a long time.
Every household having surplus grain? Even during the height of the Great Chu Dynasty’s prosperity, that could not be guaranteed, let alone honey being the price of common bread.
Everything she said after that exceeded the limits of his understanding.
From Jiaozhou to Youzhou in only two hours?
Building roads under the sea? How would such a road be built? Wouldn't the builders drown? Even if the road were built, anyone entering the water would surely perish.
Cars and planes? He could barely wrap his head around something carrying millions of tons of goods on land, but flying through the sky with such a load sounded like utter nonsense.
Although he was shocked, Huo Tingshan's age and experience allowed him to remain composed. He was merely stunned, not losing his presence of mind.
Who will be the emperor in the future? Huo Tingshan asked again.
Pei Ying shook her head. There are no more emperors. The people are the masters of their own country, and they value freedom, equality, civilization, and harmony.
Huo Tingshan knit his thick brows. Looking at his expression, Pei Ying knew he was wondering how a country could possibly be ruled without an emperor.
After thinking for a long time, Huo Tingshan finally shook his head. What you say, Madam, is something I find difficult to imagine.
Pei Ying smiled. If you could imagine it, then the gap of nearly two thousand years that lies between us would not exist.
Huo Tingshan tightened his grip on Pei Ying's hand. Two thousand years...
Pei Ying gave a soft hum of affirmation.
Perhaps he needed some time to digest this information, as neither of them spoke for a while. The room was enveloped in silence. Outside the window, the night was as thick as ink, and the moonlight fell faintly on the ground like frost.
After a long, long time, a sigh echoed in the room. Many people envy you for being able to marry into my Huo family, but only I know that by marrying me, you have married down.
Pei Ying raised her delicate brows, feeling quite surprised.
This man had always been arrogant and chauvinistic, occasionally even acting as if he were the sole ruler of the world. Now, however, he was actually saying something humble.
Since it is a step down, Huo Tingshan, you should listen to me more, Pei Ying said, striking while the iron was hot.
Huo Tingshan had not yet noticed her little scheme. When have I ever not listened to your words, Madam?
I am not pregnant. The matter of you deceiving me cannot be simply brushed aside. You are to go back to your study to sleep tonight, Pei Ying said, bringing up the old grievance.
Huo Tingshan stiffened, his long brows furrowing in obvious displeasure. Sleeping in separate rooms is fine, but there must be a time limit.
Pei Ying thought about it, but before she could come to a decision, she heard him speak again.
If you want to sleep in separate rooms because our activities in the bedroom are not in sync, we can negotiate.
This suggestion was exactly what Pei Ying wanted. It can be negotiated. As I said before, at most once a night.
Twice. Huo Tingshan argued reasonably. It does not have to be every night. How about we change it to twice?
Pei Ying replied, If it is twice, then at most once every seven days.
He suddenly looked up at her. When you say it that way, Madam, does it mean that if it is once a night, it can be every day?
Pei Ying was choked up for a moment. ...That is not what I meant either.
It is either twice every seven days, with two rounds each time; or once a night, every day. You choose for yourself, Madam, Huo Tingshan said, squeezing her fingertips.
In the end, Pei Ying chose the former.
Huo Tingshan agreed and then brought up another matter. Since you are not pregnant, accompany me on the southern expedition.
Pei Ying was not surprised. She remembered how her daughter had been left behind during the northern expedition and had complained about it for a long time after they returned. So, she asked him, Can Nannan come with the army?
If the little girl is not afraid of the long journey by carriage, she may, Huo Tingshan said.
This meant letting Meng Ling'er choose for herself.
Pei Ying nodded. Fine, I will ask her tomorrow.
They were sitting on the soft couch by the window, very close to each other. After Pei Ying finished speaking, Huo Tingshan reached out his long arm, pulled her toward him, and carried her toward the bed. It is late. Come to bed with me, Madam.
Their shadows were stretched long by the candlelight until they disappeared behind the screen in front of the bed. The silence was soon broken, and a silk bellyband slid down to the floor like flowing water.
*
The next day at noon.
The three juniors gathered in the main hall first. When Huo Zhizhang saw Meng Ling'er, he actively approached her. Sister, today is a rest day. Have you gone to see Mother yet?
Meng Ling'er replied, I went.
And? Huo Zhizhang pressed.
Huo Mingji, who was standing nearby, did not speak, but he looked over the moment his younger brother opened his mouth.
Meng Ling'er spoke truthfully. Mother had not woken up yet. I did not see her, and since it was not convenient to wait outside the courtyard indefinitely, I came back first.
Huo Zhizhang let out an oh. Then we can only wait until after the meal.
The sound of servants offering greetings reached them, and the three juniors fell silent at the same time. Shortly after, two figures emerged from the side corridor.
Father, Mother.
Huo Tingshan said, Everyone, take a seat.
The winter weather was cold, so today's lunch was once again Gudong hot pot. A batch of black pigs in the backyard had grown up, and the pork, which lacked any unpleasant smell, had been made into meatballs. They were boiled in a broth seasoned with pepper, making them savory, fragrant, and warming to the stomach.
Huo Zhizhang carefully observed his father's expression. Seeing that he was back to his usual self, he knew what was going on.
It seemed that yesterday's matter had been settled.
He began to liven up the atmosphere, and since Pei Ying also intended for this lunch to be a pleasant one, she cooperated with him. With their back-and-forth, the atmosphere at the table today was much more relaxed.
White sugar was a novelty. Aside from Pei Ying, probably no one present disliked sweets. Therefore, in addition to various seasonings on each table, there was also a small dish of white sugar.
Looking at the sugar, Pei Ying suddenly remembered something. Huo Mingji, your father and I will be going on the southern expedition in a while. We probably won't be back until next autumn or winter at the earliest. The sugarcane planted this year will ripen next April. You already know the method for making white sugar, so I will leave the sugar production to you.
Huo Mingji said solemnly, I will certainly not fail your trust, Mother.
That juicer—I thought about it later and realized it might be improved by changing the hand-cranked model to one powered by livestock, Pei Ying said.
By next April, the amount of sugarcane available would not be just fifty stalks, but a truly formidable quantity.
In ancient times, there was no electricity, and everything relied on manual labor. While there were servants here and labor was cheap, even the cheapest labor would likely struggle to keep up with such a massive juicing project. Furthermore, Huo Tingshan was going to lead the army south, so the number of military farmers would decrease significantly, and there would be far fewer available hands than before.
Therefore, after much thought, Pei Ying felt that the juicer had to be improved.
Pei Ying said, Huo Mingji, this is just my general idea. As for how to specifically improve it, you will have to figure that out yourself.
Connecting this to the southern expedition, Huo Mingji understood. I understand, Mother.
Pei Ying nodded with a smile.
Actually, the raw material for white sugar was not limited to sugarcane; sugar beets could also be used. In modern times, because sugar beets could yield quite high harvests in cold regions, they were used more for sugar production in the north.
However, sugar beets originated in Europe and did not enter China until around 1500 AD, roughly during the Ming Dynasty. Large-scale cultivation in China did not happen until the beginning of the twentieth century.
Right now, there was no sign of sugar beets, so she could only look for local crops like sugarcane.
Hearing her mother say she would accompany the army on the southern expedition, Meng Ling'er could not help but grip her jade chopsticks tightly. After finally waiting for her mother to finish talking with her brother, the young girl said impatiently, Mother, can I come with the army? I want to go on the southern expedition too.
What if you get motion sickness, Nannan? Pei Ying asked worriedly.
Hearing this, Meng Ling'er knew there was a chance. It is alright, Mother. If I get tired of the carriage, I can ride a horse. Motion sickness is a small matter.
Pei Ying nodded. Alright then.
Meng Ling'er was overjoyed. Her appetite soared, and she quickly finished the plate of pork meatballs on her table.
After dinner, Pei Ying saw her daughter looking at her expectantly and couldn't help but smile. Nannan, come walk with me to help our digestion.
Meng Ling'er immediately agreed.
That walk lasted the entire afternoon. The mother and daughter first took two laps around the back garden, and then Pei Ying took her daughter out of the manor to visit the market.
A young girl of her age had no resistance to silk shops. Even though there was no shortage of Shu brocade in the manor, Meng Ling'er still loved going to the shops to look at the latest clothing styles.
Pei Ying browsed the silk shop with her. As they passed a rack of embroidered pouches, her pace slowed down.
The pouches on the rack included styles for both men and women, each one exquisitely crafted.
Pei Ying could not help but think of the one she had embroidered.
She had originally used deep blue fabric, but because the owner wore it so frequently and it was washed so often, the deep blue had faded to almost light blue after more than a year, and the edges were somewhat frayed.
Mother? Mother?!
Pei Ying snapped back to her senses and looked at her daughter. What is it?
Meng Ling'er looked concerned. Do you feel unwell?
No. Pei Ying's gaze drifted away. I was just thinking about something else and didn't hear you.
Meng Ling'er felt relieved and began talking to Pei Ying about other things.
After returning to the Governor's Manor, Pei Ying contemplated for a moment before finally making a trip to the storehouse.
...
Time flowed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, deep winter arrived. While Youzhou was frozen over, a group of fast horses arrived from the south, carrying an imperial decree straight into the Governor's Manor of Xuantu Commandery.
Just as Huo Tingshan had expected, the young emperor had issued orders to all provinces, summoning troops to jointly attack Jingzhou. On the surface, it was the young emperor's command, but everyone knew very well that the one behind the order was Ji Xianbai.
This Ji Xianbai has so many schemes in his heart. Raising an army in the depths of winter—only he could come up with that, Xiong Mao said resentfully.
Qin Yang clicked his tongue twice. He just wants to wear down our military strength, and the court isn't providing any subsidies for this expedition.
They were given orders but no financial support; in short, they had to fend for themselves.
The generals were cursing and swearing, while the advisors were either waving their feather fans or stroking their beards, appearing far less angry than the military men.
This journey south passes through Sizhou. While we are indignant, perhaps Li Sizhou is several times more terrified than we are. Sizhou might be something we can exploit, Gongsun Liang said.
Sizhou was located below Bingzhou and Jizhou, and directly above Jingzhou. If the Youzhou army wanted to attack Jingzhou, they had to pass through Sizhou.
The matter of opening one's gates to let another province's army through was enough to give Li Sizhou many sleepless nights.
Huo Tingshan smiled. Indeed. Pass down my order: we set out in five days.
For this southern expedition, Huo Tingshan led an army of one hundred and fifty thousand. Reorganizing such a force was no easy task, but Youzhou had already made preparations before the imperial decree arrived, so five days for final preparations could be considered quite generous.
Five days passed quickly. On the day the army set out, Pei Ying rose very early.
Huo Mingji saw his parents and younger siblings off. He stood alone before the wide-open main gates of the Governor's Manor, watching their receding figures as he pursed his lips.
Eldest brother, see you next year! Meng Ling'er waved.
Huo Mingji's face brightened. Yes, see you next year.
Huo Tingshan sat atop his horse and looked back at his eldest son. That's enough, you go back now.
Huo Mingji bowed deeply. Your son wishes Father a successful campaign and a smooth journey.
Huo Tingshan gave a casual response and then urged his horse forward. Once they left the city, the one hundred and fifty thousand troops who had finished breaking camp set out with him.
Days on the march were very dull. Pei Ying sat in the carriage, nestled in a warm white fox fur cloak, her fingers moving with a needle and thread as she continued the work in her hands.
Time flowed slowly, and before she knew it, the red sun hanging high outside the window had sunk into the west.
The carriage slowly came to a halt, and the door was opened. A tall, dark shadow was cast heavily into the carriage. Pei Ying was startled and hurriedly stuffed the object in her hands into the white fox fur.
Huo Tingshan saw a small shadow flicker past, disappearing before he could see it clearly. His eyes narrowed slightly; it was truly rare to see Pei Ying so panicked. What is my lady doing?
Nothing. Pei Ying looked away and then forced a change of subject. Are we making camp?
My lady is acting quite strange. Let me see what you have hidden. Huo Tingshan did not answer her question but instead reached out toward her.
