Pei Ying felt as if she was wrapped in a heavy blanket on this early spring night, stifled to the point of blushing. She turned her head, trying to avoid the fiery heat, and protested, "Huo Tingshan, how have I harmed you?"
"You had me eat venison," he stated with reason.
Pei Ying was stunned.
Venison? What about venison?
In modern times, one wouldn't typically encounter venison unless specifically seeking it out. Since coming to this ancient era, she had spent far more time on military campaigns than settled in one place. In the past year and a half, she had only eaten venison once or twice.
So, when she saw the venison, rather than thinking about its aphrodisiac properties, Pei Ying was more concerned with whether it tasted good.
But now she remembered...
A blush crept from the beautiful woman's fair earlobes to her hibiscus-like face, turning it a rosy hue. Pei Ying whispered, "We've already had a minor clash with Sizhou forces. How dare you still... now? If overheard, they would know you've broken your own rule. How can you lead the army if you can't uphold the military discipline you set yourself?"
The man covering her paused. Just as Pei Ying thought he would get off, he said, "I'll leave you a way out, my lady. You'll just have to keep your voice down later."
Infuriated by his words, Pei Ying kicked at his calf. "Can't you just restrain yourself?"
"To kill the desire but not bury it—that's rather immoral of you, my lady," Huo Tingshan said.
Pei Ying was shocked. "...You're talking to me about morality?"
The things this man had done—if not all, then at least thirty or forty percent—were far from moral.
"Then let's not talk." Huo Tingshan chuckled lowly and bent down to kiss her.
The moment he leaned in, Pei Ying was pricked. "You didn't shave your beard."
Her voice initially rose but then quickly fell, remembering they mustn't be overheard, becoming overly soft and tinged with a hint of grievance.
The fire in Huo Tingshan's heart blazed even higher instantly. He quickly pushed himself up, reached for the short blade on the small cabinet.
Pei Ying let out a heavy breath, turned over, and just as she wanted to catch her breath, he was back.
Like a mountain toppling over, or perhaps a vast net cast from the sky, he firmly enveloped her beneath him.
Pei Ying's cheek pressed against the brocade pillow. She couldn't believe he had shaved so quickly. The tent was dim, and there was no bronze mirror by the soft bed. He hadn't even been gone for half the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
"Done?" Pei Ying reached out to feel.
Her fingers touched smooth skin; it really seemed done.
"My lady can test it for herself to be sure," he said, his voice slightly hoarse. Then he took her hand and guided it down from his cheek.
Pei Ying only later understood what this "testing for herself" entailed. The brocade quilt seemed to become a fluffy cotton mass; she sank into it as clusters of sparks fell upon her body, spreading downward from her cheek, leaving a trail of distinct marks.
"My lady, bring your legs together a bit."
The hidden fire burned for nearly half an hour, leaving patches of bright pink on that expanse of snow-white skin.
Pei Ying now had a personal understanding of the phrase "a guilty conscience."
The next day, the moment she stepped out of the command tent, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. When the guards nearby glanced over—though their salutes were no different from usual—her heart involuntarily skipped a beat.
"Mother." Meng Ling'er came to find Pei Ying for breakfast. She mentioned what she had just seen: "Father and Second Brother led a group of guards, taking the prisoners out. They're probably going for talks with Sizhou."
Pei Ying had heard Huo Tingshan mention this yesterday. In truth, it was less of a negotiation and more of a show of force.
As for the method of demonstration, Huo Tingshan hadn't elaborated, but she could guess. Given his style, he wouldn't bother with too much subtlety. He'd likely execute those "Jingzhou captives" in front of Li Xiaotian, or perhaps with him.
Perhaps due to last night's bonfire feast, Meng Ling'er told her mother she had developed internal heat, even growing two blisters on her lip.
"In the middle of the night, my throat felt like it was on fire, so dry it parched my throat," Meng Ling'er said with a pained expression.
Pei Ying saw the two large blisters and said, distressed, "Later, go see Physician Feng and get some herbs to reduce internal heat. Boil them in water and drink the decoction once or twice; you'll feel much better."
Meng Ling'er nodded.
After the meal, with nothing else to do, Pei Ying decided to accompany her daughter to find Feng Yuzhu.
Feng Yuzhu was busy in his tent with the other army physicians.
Whenever there was friction with other forces, there would be wounded soldiers. After Sizhou's night raid two nights ago, though Youzhou had achieved a great victory, they hadn't emerged completely unscathed.
As they approached the tent, Meng Ling'er caught a whiff of blood. Seeming to remember something, she turned to Pei Ying and said, "Mother, please wait here for a moment. I'll go in by myself and be right back."
Just then, voices came from inside.
"If this knife wound had been half an inch off, your tendon would have been done for. Hold still, I'm changing the dressing."
"Ouch, Physician Zhou, let me tell you, when you stitched me up, it really hurt. In all my life, I've been cut by knives, shot by arrows, but never pricked by a needle."
"Endure it. Stitching it up heals much faster than before."
"I heard this method was suggested by the Lady Commander. She's truly remarkable... Hey, hey, easy, easy, you're pulling it."
Images of severed limbs flashed through Pei Ying's mind, and she immediately agreed with her daughter. "Alright, I'll wait outside."
Meng Ling'er went in. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she came out.
Empty-handed.
The young girl wore a worried expression. "Mother, there are no herbs to clear internal heat left in the camp."
When marching with an army, the herbs carried are prioritized.
For instance, massive quantities of herbs like Bletilla striata, Sanguisorba officinalis, and cattail pollen for stopping bleeding and reducing swelling are brought, along with plenty of Saposhnikovia divaricata and Schizonepeta tenuifolia for treating colds. However, herbs for minor ailments are not stocked in large amounts.
But after saying there were no heat-clearing herbs, Meng Ling'er continued, "It doesn't matter. Heat-clearing herbs are easy to find. I'll just go look for some myself outside."
Wild chrysanthemums, isatis root, and Viola philippica—all these clear heat and detoxify. She had studied with Physician Feng and could recognize these herbs.
Hearing her daughter wanted to search for herbs, Pei Ying thought for a moment. "I'll go with you."
Huo Tingshan had taken men out, accompanied by generals like Huo Zhizhang and Qin Yang.
Upon hearing that Pei Ying and Meng Ling'er wished to leave the camp, Chen Yuan and Sha Ying, who had been left behind, promptly dispatched a group of Black Cavalry.
Although the Lady Commander and the young lady were heading towards the hills inside the camp perimeter—the edge of the supply troops' area, which was also very far from the Sizhou forces, almost diagonally opposite—with various provinces' armies about to arrive, it was better to be cautious.
They wouldn't take a carriage. Pei Ying changed into riding attire, and mother and daughter rode out on horseback.
Mounting her horse, Pei Ying inhaled slightly and, while no one was looking, reached down to touch the inside of her thigh.
Sha Ying and Chen Yuan led fifty Black Cavalry riders as escort.
Wild chrysanthemums often grow on grassy slopes and riverbank wetlands, so Meng Ling'er simply followed the river upstream.
"Found them!" Meng Ling'er spotted the wild chrysanthemums.
Little chrysanthemums dotted the grass by the riverbank, swaying gently in the breeze.
Meng Ling'er dismounted, pulled a hemp sack from her horse, and went to gather the small wild chrysanthemums.
Seeing this, Chen Yuan also got off his horse.
Pei Ying sat atop her horse, scanning the surroundings. The only patch of wild chrysanthemums nearby was the small cluster her daughter had just found. Since they were already here, it made sense to gather more in one trip. So, she said to her daughter, "Nannan, I'll ride a bit further ahead."
Meng Ling'er acknowledged her.
Chen Yuan and a portion of the Black Armored Cavalry remained where they were, while Sha Ying accompanied Pei Ying forward.
After proceeding another stretch, Pei Ying suddenly heard Sha Ying let out a soft, surprised sound. She turned to him, "Battalion Commander Sha, what is it?"
Sha Ying was staring straight ahead, then narrowed his eyes slightly. "My Lady, please wait here for a moment."
After speaking to Pei Ying, Sha Ying addressed the nearby Black Armored Cavalry. "All except Kuang Fei, follow me."
Sha Ying had risen from among the ranks of officers to become a battalion commander not only because he was more astute than others, but also due to his exceptional archery skills, capable of hitting a willow leaf from a hundred paces away. His eyes were naturally keener, able to see farther than most.
Now, at his command, the Black Armored Cavalry moved with him. Pei Ying stayed behind, and soon heard sharp shouts from the distance.
"Who are you people?"
"Spare us, officers! We are merely hunters from these parts..."
The commotion in the distance caught the attention of Chen Yuan and the others. Chen Yuan's gaze sharpened, and he immediately led his Black Armored Cavalry over as well.
Meng Ling'er hurriedly secured the bag holding the small wild chrysanthemums. "Mother, what's happening over there?"
The disturbance not far away quickly subsided.
Pei Ying's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Let's go see."
When mother and daughter arrived, Pei Ying saw four men dressed as hunters surrounded by the Black Armored Cavalry. Nearby were several small donkey carts. Before she even got close, a complex, foul odor assailed her senses.
A stench of rot mixed with other foul smells, causing anyone who caught a whiff to instinctively wrinkle their nose.
"Mother, maybe we shouldn't go any closer..." the young girl was already covering her nose.
But Pei Ying, unusually, did not glance at her daughter or respond to her words. Her gaze remained fixed on the scene ahead.
Four donkey carts, four hunters. Now, only empty wooden barrels, occupying about half the space on the carts, remained.
The four hunters, dressed in coarse linen clothes, were encircled, each wearing an expression of anxiety. The tall one spoke up: "Officers, a batch of the fowl I raised at home died for some unknown reason earlier. Later, a boar I hunted in the mountains also fell sick and died. We were just out here to dispose of those dead fowl. We truly mean no harm. We beg you, officers, to be merciful and let us go."
One of the hunters even knelt down. "Officer, I have elders above and children below at home. My wife is lame in the leg. If something happens to me, the pillar of the household, my whole family will lose their livelihood."
By the end, the hunter was shedding clear tears, looking utterly wretched and terrified.
Pei Ying turned to look at the river. The water gurgled, sunlight dancing on the surface, creating shimmering ripples. Amidst those ripples, she saw many floating objects—just as the hunter had said, the corpses of fowl and wild boars.
Besides the corpses, that section of the river was also turbid and filthy, looking very much like excrement floating in the water.
Pei Ying slowly frowned. "We must retrieve all the corpses of the fowl and boars from the river."
Her words caused everyone to freeze.
Both Sha Ying and Chen Yuan looked startled, not understanding the reason.
But as the Lady of Youzhou, Pei Ying's command needed no further confirmation from Sha Ying or Chen Yuan. The Black Armored Cavalry nearest the riverbank immediately leaped into action. With a splash, several of them jumped into the river.
Pei Ying hadn't expected the Black Armored Cavalry to be so straightforward, carrying out the order immediately without even a question. They didn't even use tools, but dove straight in. Remembering the filth floating in the river, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
"Oh dear, officers, wh-why are you doing this?" a hunter asked nervously.
Why? Sha Ying and Chen Yuan didn't know why either, but whatever the Lady did, she surely had her reasons.
After the Black Armored Cavalry soldiers entered the water, Pei Ying shifted her gaze to the donkey carts, or more precisely, to the wooden barrels on them. Pei Ying asked, "What was originally in those barrels?"
The hunter hesitated. "It's filthy stuff. Speaking of it might offend your noble presence."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan strode over to the donkey carts. As if immune to the nauseating stench, he picked up an empty barrel to inspect.
"My Lady, it's excrement," Chen Yuan reported.
Pei Ying asked the hunters, "There are four of you, representing at most four households. Where did so many nightsoil buckets come from?"
The hunter sighed. "Noble Lady, you wouldn't know. When our neighbors heard we were coming to dispose of the sick fowl, they asked us to clear out their nightsoil buckets as well. So these buckets aren't just from our few households."
Pei Ying pressed further, "Where is your village?"
The hunter pointed deep into the woods. "From here, cross over that mountain ridge, then walk a few more li, and you'll reach it."
"That doesn't sound very close. Why make a special trip around the mountain to come here?" Pei Ying asked again.
In Sha Ying and Chen Yuan's experience, Pei Ying was usually gentle and mild-mannered. It was rare to see her with such a grave expression. Immediately, their gazes upon the four hunters grew more scrutinizing.
The tall hunter explained helplessly, "You see, the village sits right by the forest. Large beasts often emerge from the woods. We were truly worried that dumping the fowl too close might attract the beasts. That's why we came all the way here. We just had the misfortune of disturbing you noble folk..."
A subtle shift crossed Pei Ying's brow.
Was that truly the case?
Splash!
Just then, the Black Armored Cavalry who had jumped into the river surfaced.
The beautiful lady turned to look. The fowl and pigs that had been thrown into the river were now being dragged ashore. The pigs were sizable; presumably, the empty space on the carts had been used to carry these sickly dead pigs.
An intense stench exploded across the area. Meng Ling'er gagged reflexively from the smell, though she didn't vomit.
Pei Ying also felt her stomach churn, but she suppressed the nausea, staring intently at the dead pigs, now bloated and oozing pus from being soaked in the river.
These didn't look like they had just died...
"Tie these four men up," Pei Ying said, averting her eyes, then added, "Gag them with cloth, lest they bite their tongues to commit suicide."
The hunters' faces changed dramatically. "Noble Lady, why is this?"
"You are not hunters," Pei Ying stated solemnly. "Which province are you from? Sizhou or Jingzhou?"
If their expressions had merely changed before, now they were struck dumb, momentarily speechless.
Chen Yuan moved swiftly. He stepped forward first, seizing the arms of the tallest and strongest man and twisting them behind his back. Sha Ying and the other Black Armored Cavalry swarmed in, subduing the other three.
After shouting a few pleas of innocence and seeing that Chen Yuan and the others showed no sign of releasing them, one of them suddenly let out a sharp, piercing whistle.
From deep within the woods, movement erupted immediately. It sounded like people, or perhaps something else.
Chen Yuan's pupils contracted. He quickly led men to pursue the source.
Once the four were securely bound, Sha Ying asked, "My Lady, what is the issue with these four?"
Pei Ying said, "I suspect they intended to poison the water."
Though she said "suspect," her expression was deeply grave, suggesting not mere suspicion but near certainty.
Sha Ying was greatly alarmed. "Poison the water?"
But how could it be poisoning? The other side merely threw some dead pigs and chickens into the river, along with some excrement. How is that poisoning?
Sha Ying was shocked by this, but Pei Ying was not surprised.
Earlier, she had learned that this unfamiliar dynasty she now found herself in was not far removed from the late Eastern Han period. The history preceding the Great Chu dynasty closely resembled the early Spring and Autumn period, with various fragmented, independent states all intricately connected by kinship.
Your king's queen is our ruler's own younger sister; your ruler's grandmother is our ruler's aunt. The relationships are tangled and complex. Therefore, even when conflicts arose between states and they went to war, the fighting was conducted with utmost courtesy.
Battles were fought honorably and openly. A formal declaration of war was issued, a time was agreed upon, and they would absolutely not attack before the opposing side had finished deploying their troops.
Things like ambushes or poisoning were simply unheard of.
As the long river of time meandered to the present day, having undergone many evolutions, the concept of ambushes had long since emerged. However, in this current era, poisoning an army was something that simply did not happen.
After all, an army is not a mere few dozen or a few hundred men, but tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands. Where could one find enough poison to incapacitate an entire army?
Yet Pei Ying knew that what could fell an army was not just poison, but also... pestilence.
If just a small group fell ill, the disease could explode within the densely populated army, spreading from one to ten, from ten to a hundred. Once everyone was afflicted, there would be no fighting strength left.
Pei Ying gave Sha Ying a rough explanation. The latter's face turned pale then flushed red, and her gaze at the four bound men was almost venomous. "Damn them! How utterly vicious!"
At that moment, one of the black-armored cavalrymen who had earlier followed Chen Yuan returned to deliver a message.
"My lady, Commandant Chen and the others followed the villains' trail into a large cavern. They fear they may not emerge for some time and request that you and the young mistress return first."
Pei Ying was taken aback. "A large cavern? How large?"
The black-armored rider said, "It is like a new world."
"Could it be a limestone cave?" Suddenly, Pei Ying's spirits lifted. "There's no need to return just yet. Where is this large cavern? Lead me there."
