"I previously said I would fetch you, my lady, at noon to enter the pass. It is not yet the beginning of the hour of the Goat, so I have not broken my promise." Huo Tingshan emphasized the time; he had returned just before the tail end of noon.
Pei Ying averted her eyes. "It's not about that."
Huo Tingshan took a step back and asked Xin Jin, who was guarding the tent, "Has my lady eaten?" Upon receiving a negative reply, the man understood, and the curve of his lips deepened. "Next time I go on a campaign, my lady need not wait for me to dine."
Pei Ying: "..."
Naturally, Huo Tingshan had not eaten either. After personally beheading Li Xiaotian, he had left the battlefield to his youngest son and ridden back swiftly on his dark steed, Wu Ye.
Lunch was soon served. Last night, the Youzhou army had achieved a great victory at Chenyuan Pass, greatly boosting morale throughout the camp. Huo Tingshan had ordered the cooks to prepare a feast, and the midday meal now presented was indeed sumptuous.
It contained creatures that flew in the sky, walked on the land, and swam in the water.
Huo Tingshan waved Xin Jin, who had moved forward to serve, away. He personally picked up a bowl and ladled some pigeon soup for Pei Ying. "One pigeon surpasses nine pheasants. This soup is excellent; you should have more, my lady."
The steaming pigeon soup, prepared with red dates, goji berries, and ginger, carried a hint of delicate sweetness.
Pei Ying held the bowl and took a slow sip. The soup was indeed good, a rare proper broth in recent days.
As a southerner, heaven knew how often Pei Ying used to have soup before, but since coming here, she had been forced to change many habits, such as bathing and also diet.
Had she been offered this small pot of pigeon soup a day earlier, her spirits would have surely soared. However, the fire burning in her heart now was anything but ordinary, far from what a few bowls of soup could quench.
In private, the two no longer dined at separate tables but shared one, sitting opposite each other.
Sitting across from Pei Ying, Huo Tingshan looked up to see her jade-like face still cold as ice. The man chuckled. "If my lady angers herself further, you'll end up like a pufferfish. But we have no place to keep fish at home, so I beg you to calm your anger."
Pei Ying took a deep breath, wanting to hold back, but couldn't. "Huo Tingshan, it's all your fault!"
"What?" Huo Tingshan found this rather novel. It was the first time he had been blamed without even knowing the cause.
However, by now, he faintly understood that Pei Ying's displeasure wasn't due to his late return. "Before the Great Chu executes a prisoner, they always inform him of his crime and the reason for his sentence. Isn't my lady's way of passing judgment rather unfair to the one being judged?"
Pei Ying: "I ask you, is Chen Yuan a soldier under your command?"
Huo Tingshan's brow twitched. "Yes."
Pei Ying gave a light humph and asked again, "Did you previously impart to Chen Yuan your... experience in pursuing young ladies?"
Huo Tingshan: "..."
Right, so it was Chen Yuan who had implicated him like this.
After only a moment's silence, Huo Tingshan, without hesitation, began to divert the trouble. "Did that fellow Chen Yuan do something to offend the little girl? I'll have him brought back immediately."
With that, Huo Tingshan set down his chopsticks and stood up as if to leave.
"No, sit down." Pei Ying reached out and just managed to grab the corner of his garment. "Huo Tingshan, don't you run."
"That wording is improper, my lady. I am not the chief culprit, why should I run?" He refused to admit his attempted escape.
Pei Ying withdrew her hand, casting a faint glance at him. "You're not the chief culprit? In my view, you are precisely the source of the trouble. If not for you, how would Nannan and Chen Yuan have even met?"
Huo Tingshan: "..."
This was irrefutable, and he had no desire to refute it. She was meant to meet him and become his woman.
Huo Tingshan sat back down and began to offer suggestions. "The Chen family is a vassal clan of the Huo family. Chen Yuan is somewhat obedient to me. I'll select a marriage match for him another day and have him wed quickly."
If the little girl couldn't be moved, then move the other one.
But Pei Ying's heart leapt with alarm upon hearing this. "Huo Tingshan, don't act recklessly. That method is too drastic; the chance of backfiring is far too great."
Ancient times had the story of Zhu Yingtai and Liang Shanbo, the West had Romeo and Juliet—all tragedies of arranged marriages.
Huo Tingshan thought of another plan. "What if I have Chen Yuan tell the little girl himself that he already has someone in mind?"
Pei Ying's delicate brows gradually furrowed. "Do you think Chen Yuan would actually say that?"
Although she hadn't interacted much with Chen Yuan, she felt this taciturn Commandant Chen was likely a man of his own mind, not one to easily change what he had decided to pursue.
This question gave Huo Tingshan pause; clearly, he also knew the character of this subordinate of his. Since this wouldn't work and that wouldn't work either, Huo Tingshan said helplessly, "My lady, what do you think should be done about this matter?"
Pei Ying's anger flared up a bit more. "You're the one who stirred up this trouble, and now you ask me what to do?"
Huo Tingshan's mouth twitched.
Could this really be counted as trouble he stirred up? When the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer. How utterly innocent he was.
But meeting Pei Ying's eyes, which held little sparks of fire, Huo Tingshan paused for two beats. He picked up his chopsticks and served her a pigeon leg from the soup pot. "Pigeon soup cools the fire, and pigeon legs are no different. Don't be angry, my lady. Tell me the details of the matter, and let's ponder it together."
Pei Ying's anger subsided a little; at least Huo Tingshan showed no signs of fanning the flames for now, and he also seemed to think this match unsuitable. She didn't explain in great detail, only saying that last night her daughter couldn't sleep and had left the tent, where she encountered Chen Yuan.
After hearing this, Huo Tingshan pondered for a moment. "My lady, this matter is rather difficult to handle."
These two hadn't even clarified their relationship yet, especially since the little girl seemed to be going through a rather hazy, dreamlike period.
Huo Tingshan had never had a daughter before. Even if he had, he estimated he would have been a hands-off father, letting her develop freely, and finally, when she came of age, choosing what he deemed a good marriage for her—without caring whom she liked or disliked.
Your father tells you to marry, dare you refuse?
But now that wouldn't do. She had to be held in the palm of his hand, not a single hair on her head could be disturbed, and the young girl's feelings had to be considered; otherwise, the one by his pillow would be the first to object.
Pei Ying shot him a sidelong glance and said nothing.
Of course, she also knew it was difficult to handle.
On one hand, her daughter was only seventeen; there was no need to settle her lifelong fate so early. To speak arrogantly, if Huo Tingshan ultimately succeeded in his ambitions, wouldn't all the fine young men under heaven be available for her Nannan to choose from?
But on the other hand, Pei Ying felt inherently different from parents of this feudal era. She came from a socialist country two thousand years in the future and personally detested overly authoritarian parent-child relationships. Children are not appendages of their parents; everyone has their own life.
For a fleeting moment, she had even considered simply laying it out plainly to her daughter: Chen Yuan is a full ten years older than you; the two of you are not suited.
This transient thought filled her with profound unease, fearing that after staying in this era for so long, she was being silently, imperceptibly assimilated by it, turning into an authoritarian parent herself.
Huo Tingshan picked up another piece of meat with his chopsticks and placed it in Pei Ying's bowl. "Chen Yuan's parents passed away from illness a few years ago. Before their passing, they seemed to have intentions of arranging a marriage for him, but due to the suddenness of the events, the betrothal never came to fruition. Since marriage is dictated by the orders of one's parents, why don't we simply find a young lady and have her claim to be the future daughter-in-law chosen by Father and Mother Chen for their son? This method is foolproof. What do you think, Madam?"
This matter was immoral, but he had done plenty of immoral things. He naturally knew how to weigh the importance of his daughter versus his subordinate.
Of course, the young lady chosen for Chen Yuan would naturally have to come from a good family background and possess good character. He couldn't mistreat his own subordinate too much.
Pei Ying knitted her delicate brows and remained silent. Seeing this, Huo Tingshan clicked his tongue lightly. "Alright, Madam, don't overthink it. By the time you figure it out, the pigs in the army would have birthed several litters of piglets. Leave this matter to me."
Pei Ying couldn't help but say, "Those pigs in the army have been castrated, how could they have piglets?"
Huo Tingshan remained calm and composed. "Exactly my point."
Pei Ying was speechless.
After lunch, the remaining thirty thousand infantrymen received orders to break camp and follow Huo Tingshan through the pass.
Chenyuan Pass was a treacherous stronghold situated at the upper end of a mountain gorge. As Pei Ying rode in the carriage through the pass, she couldn't help but marvel at the strategic and perilous nature of the terrain.
Behind the pass lay a small town. The horses' hooves struck the thick bluestone slabs, merging into a rumbling sound like muffled thunder. The banners fluttered in the wind, and the giant character for "You" seemed to come alive like a ferocious tiger.
Riding in her carriage, Pei Ying had originally thought that the entry of such an imposing and powerful army would make the city's commoners avoid them like the plague. To her surprise, however, the civilians did not shut their doors and windows; instead, quite a few stood by the streets to watch.
"So this is the Youzhou Army. How grand."
"I heard from my distant cousin in Jizhou that the three northern provinces have all implemented the new land policy. Now that Huo Youzhou is advancing into Jingzhou, I wonder if Jingzhou will follow in the footsteps of the northern three provinces."
"Most likely. The official gazette has already been replaced from the Jingzhou edition to the Youzhou edition. Will the rest be far behind?"
"It's hard to say. Jingzhou is so vast; our Chenyuan Pass is just the tip of the iceberg. To conquer Jingzhou, they must defeat that person..." The commoner who spoke pointed at the sky, but then curled his fingers back.
Cong Liuqi was not of orthodox lineage. As an emperor who had taken the throne halfway through his life, his foundation was shallow, and he had no prestige to speak of.
Pei Ying lowered the carriage curtain, deep in thought.
This was Jingzhou; she hadn't expected Huo Tingshan to be so popular here as well.
The carriage arrived at the Commander's Mansion and proceeded directly into the main courtyard.
Huo Tingshan had returned at noon, but Huo Zhizhang and the others were much later. It wasn't until late at night, when the moon had slanted to the side, that they entered the pass and arrived at the Commander's Mansion.
Huo Tingshan had not yet retired for the night; he was in his study.
As soon as Huo Zhizhang entered the mansion, he came to report. Without even changing his attire, he went straight to the study wearing his bloodstained armor. "Father..."
"Stand right there. Don't come any closer with that stench of blood on you," Huo Tingshan stopped his son, who was about to step forward.
Huo Zhizhang withdrew his foot aggrievedly.
How could someone returning from the battlefield not smell of blood? His father had never been such a fastidious and picky person in the past.
Huo Tingshan couldn't be bothered to coddle his son's petty emotions. "How many Sizhou soldiers were taken prisoner?"
Speaking of important matters, Huo Zhizhang's expression turned serious. "Of those fifty thousand soldiers, thirty thousand were killed, and twenty thousand surrendered."
Li Xiaotian had originally brought one hundred thousand troops on this southern expedition against Jingzhou. Later, this main force was split into two: fifty thousand trailed behind the Youzhou Army, while the other fifty thousand headed east towards the Yuzhou Army, acting stealthily. Who knew what nefarious deeds they were planning.
"Li Xiaotian is dead, and Sizhou cannot be without a master for a single day. Have you found the Sizhou official seals and documents?" Huo Tingshan asked.
Huo Zhizhang replied that he had found them.
Huo Tingshan said, "Good. In that case, you and Qin Yang..."
At this point, Huo Tingshan paused and changed his tune in the blink of an eye. "You and Chen Yuan will lead thirty thousand cavalry and thirty thousand infantry straight to Luoyang. Seize all the checkpoints along the way from south to north for me."
"Father, sending Chen Yuan on this trip might be somewhat inappropriate," Huo Zhizhang said in a low voice.
Huo Tingshan's gaze suddenly sharpened, but the next moment he heard his son say, "Chen Yuan took a blade for me and injured his left arm. The wound is not light. A long and arduous journey would likely be detrimental to his recovery."
Huo Tingshan hadn't expected this to be the reason.
For those who rolled around on the battlefield, getting injured was common; he himself was covered in scars. In truth, as long as it wasn't a fatal wound and wouldn't prevent him from wielding a blade in the future, it was no big deal.
It was just that the injury came at a bad time.
Huo Tingshan massaged the space between his eyebrows. "Let Qin Yang accompany you. Qin Yang is tactful, so it's fitting to have him deal with those powerful local tyrants in Luoyang."
Huo Zhizhang suddenly realized something else. "Father, Chen Yuan is not the least bit tactful. Were you planning to send him just now?"
Huo Tingshan chuckled lightly. "Does your old man have to explain everything he does to you?"
Huo Zhizhang replied, "...No."
Speaking of Luoyang, Huo Zhizhang had something else he wanted to say. "Father, once Luoyang is settled, your son wishes to return."
Although Luoyang was good, he much preferred charging into enemy lines on the front lines.
Huo Tingshan said calmly, "There's no rush. The white sugar will be sent south for sale in a few days. Chang'an is currently unstable, and I intend to build Luoyang into a brand-new Pei's Merchant House. This time, we will send the white sugar to Luoyang first, and then dispatch a small batch to Chang'an as bait."
Shengjing Pavilion enjoyed a great reputation and gathered the favorites of many dignitaries. Borrowing their platform back then had been a measure of last resort; who asked them not to have their own influential shop in Chang'an?
Now that the "Pei's" brand had made a name for itself, and with Sizhou's Luoyang already in their pocket, why would they need to borrow Shengjing Pavilion's platform anymore?
After all, others wouldn't promote your goods for free; their commission was quite steep.
Huo Zhizhang also thought of the gleaming silver coins. Wealth shouldn't flow into an outsider's pocket, so he willingly agreed to go to Luoyang.
The next day at breakfast, upon hearing Huo Tingshan briefly mention it, Pei Ying asked in surprise, "He injured his left arm? How is the wound? Is it serious?"
Huo Tingshan used his son's exact words. "I heard the wound is not light."
Pei Ying said with concern, "I'll go check on him later."
"Check on what?" Huo Tingshan raised an eyebrow.
Pei Ying said as a matter of course, "Naturally, to see Captain Chen. He took a blade for Zhizhang; it is only right and proper for me to visit him."
"Shedding blood and risking one's life is expected on the battlefield." Huo Tingshan had his own formula for rewards. "However, after this battle, it is indeed time to promote him."
Not just Chen Yuan, but the other military officers as well. Now that his territory was expanding, he could kick out some key officials from other provinces and replace them with his own men.
It was time for his subordinates to move up the ranks.
Although Huo Tingshan said there was no need to visit, Pei Ying still made the trip after breakfast.
Chen Yuan was dressed very neatly. Were it not for his pale complexion and the faint smell of medicine lingering in the room, Pei Ying truly wouldn't have been able to tell that he was injured.
Seemingly unaccustomed to receiving a woman's care, let alone that of his superior's wife, Chen Yuan was visibly stiff. He only answered when Pei Ying asked a question, and if she pressed further, he simply insisted he was fine.
Pei Ying sighed, a faint, almost imperceptible trace of regret in her eyes.
He was quite good in all aspects, just a bit too old.
Chen Yuan stiffened.
His promotion was already set in stone, so there was no harm in revealing it. Thus, Pei Ying said, "Rest well. Once your injury heals, you will be the General of the Central Guard."
Going from a Commandant straight to General of the Central Guard was a massive leap in rank. Originally, the Chen clan was a vassal family to the Huo family. To temper him, Huo Tingshan had deliberately held back Chen Yuan's military rank. Now that the restriction was lifted, his past military merits were more than enough to elevate him to General of the Central Guard.
Chen Yuan forced a stiff smile. "Thank you for informing me, Madam."
Pei Ying left behind a pile of health tonics and departed.
A few days passed in the blink of an eye. One day, while the couple was having lunch with their daughter, Huo Tingshan brought up a matter seemingly by chance. "I heard that before Chen Yuan's parents passed away, they arranged a marriage for him. Now, it seems that the young woman has come looking for him."
The stage was set, so Pei Ying had no choice but to play her part. "Chen Yuan is twenty-seven this year. Under normal circumstances, he would have been a father long ago."
Meng Ling'er's movements as she picked up her food gradually slowed down.
"Great General, your subordinate has an urgent matter to report," a voice called out from outside the hall at that moment.
A trace of surprise flashed through Pei Ying's eyes.
Could it be true that one shouldn't speak ill of people behind their backs? Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
Huo Tingshan said, "Enter. Coming to report at this hour, it had better be truly urgent."
Chen Yuan, his face solemn, bowed with cupped hands. "Great General, a strange woman has appeared claiming to be my betrothed, arranged by my late parents, and she produced several tokens of proof. However, one of these tokens is quite peculiar, and I can confirm it is a forgery. Given the previous incident at the Yunxiu Pavilion, Great General, I recommend a thorough investigation into this person."
Pei Ying slowly turned her head to look at Huo Tingshan, her expression complicated and hard to put into words.
This plan was foolproof?
He actually had the nerve to say that.
Huo Tingshan fell completely silent.
Huo Tingshan looked at the man standing below him. As he and Chen Yuan locked eyes, for the first time, he felt that this subordinate, who usually acted like a block of wood, might actually be completely black-hearted on the inside.
Choosing this exact moment to come, he had to be doing it on purpose.
