"Only moved to Linjiang County four months ago?" Pei Ying was taken aback. "Huo Tingshan, you investigated them?"
The man lazily lifted his eyelids. "Times change. After all, a decade has passed. An innocent person may lose their original heart due to various external circumstances. They are our daughter's kinfolk; how could I treat them like ordinary strangers?"
Pei Ying asked, "So what did you find out?"
"They moved from Jincheng in the south to Linjiang County four months ago. Currently, they are in the dye business. A family of four: a couple with a son and a daughter, plus three house guards and hired local escorts for protection," Huo Tingshan replied.
A very basic merchant setup, with family members, guards, and escorts.
Pei Ying: "So there's no problem."
"Moving from Jincheng to Linjiang County is just their stated reason. But whether there's truly no problem will only be known when the scouts sent to Jincheng return." Huo Tingshan did not jump to conclusions immediately.
Pei Ying asked, puzzled, "Where is Jincheng?"
Huo Tingshan: "At the junction of Yi, Jing, and Jiao provinces."
Pei Ying: "..."
Pei Ying's expression turned complex. "Jing Province's territory is vast, larger than three Si Provinces combined. To go from here to Jiao Province and back, plus the time for investigation, even with fast horses and boats, I'm afraid we won't hear anything for less than two months."
Huo Tingshan gave an acknowledging hum, admitting the timeline. "If there's a chance, Madam, you could subtly ask the couple why they chose to leave Jiao Province, where they were settled, and go through the trouble of moving north to Linjiang County."
Pei Ying: "Alright."
What Meng Congnan said yesterday wasn't a lie. The next day, they visited again. As agreed before, Meng Congnan only brought his wife over; he himself was busy with business and did not enter the residence.
"Gurgle, gurgle."
The teapot boiled, steam constantly rising from its spout. Pei Ying took the carved jade pot off the small stove and began brewing tea.
Today was less formal than during yesterday's meal. Only a small table was set. Pei Ying sat on one side, with the young girl and Lyu Hongying sitting opposite.
While Pei Ying brewed the tea, the aunt and niece across from her chatted, their topic shifting from Meng Ling'er's past years to the history of Meng Congnan and his wife.
Lyu Hongying sighed softly. "In the early years, right after we moved south, business was easier. Later, as the world grew more chaotic, it became difficult, and many ventures were no longer feasible. Actually, we weren't in the dye business at first. In Jiao Province, we ran a silk and cloth business. It wasn't large, but it was quite successful. However, later, the collusion between local officials and merchants became severe. A merchant family named Hu used some method to make the local governor determined to suppress other cloth merchants. As a result, apart from that Hu family, all others found it hard to sustain their livelihoods there. Helpless, my husband and I had to leave."
Pei Ying wanted to ask if they left Jincheng, but it would be inappropriate to mention "Jincheng" first. The other party hadn't revealed it yet; if she brought it up, it would clearly show she had investigated their background.
Just as Pei Ying was pondering how to ask indirectly, her daughter helped her out. "Auntie Ying, did you go directly to Linjiang County after leaving?"
Pei Ying poured hot tea into cups and placed them before the two.
Lyu Hongying shook her head. "No, we lingered in Jiao Province for a while. Since the cloth business was no longer viable, my husband thought of changing course, abandoning the cloth trade for the dye business. But later we realized the dye business isn't as prosperous in the south as it is in the north."
Pei Ying understood inwardly. "It's likely because winters are bitterly cold in the north, while the south is warmer. Fewer people eat hotpot in the south during winter than in the north."
In ancient times, seasonings were also called "dyes." When the autumn wind rises, it's time to put on weight for winter. But differences in climate and dietary habits between the two regions led to variations in the seasoning business.
Lyu Hongying said gently, "After many twists and turns, we couldn't stay in the south any longer, so we headed north again."
They chatted about other things later.
Lyu Hongying arrived in the late morning. Pei Ying kept her for the midday meal. After the meal, she stayed at the residence until the late afternoon, when Meng Congnan, finished with his work, came to pick her up.
For several days following, it was the same.
It wasn't all just chatting. Sometimes Lyu Hongying would bring some embroidery. Her needlework was exceptionally skilled; she could finish a handkerchief embroidered with intricate flowers and plants in less than an hour, leaving Pei Ying exclaiming in admiration.
Although Meng Ling'er studied books, riding, and archery, she was also quite interested in needlework. Coincidentally, her tutors were busy recently, so her lessons were paused. Thus, when Lyu Hongying visited, the aunt and niece would gather to discuss embroidery.
Pei Ying considered herself not dexterous and kept a respectful distance from needlework.
One day, after her afternoon nap, Pei Ying went to her daughter's courtyard as usual. The aunt and niece were embroidering.
Noticing Pei Ying's arrival, Lyu Hongying put down her needle. "General's Lady."
Compared to previous days, Pei Ying noticed a faint trace of worry between Lyu Hongying's brows today. "Hongying, what is troubling you?"
Lyu Hongying seemed hesitant to speak.
Pei Ying glanced at her daughter. The young girl looked up, puzzled by the question.
"Is this Nannan's achievement for today? Such progress in one day is truly remarkable." Pei Ying casually changed the topic.
Meng Ling'er mumbled, "Seems Mother didn't look carefully yesterday. Your praise then wasn't sincere either. I was clearly embroidering this same piece yesterday."
The topic change wasn't well-chosen. Pei Ying felt a moment of awkwardness.
However, Meng Ling'er was just murmuring casually, not meaning to make a fuss, and the matter was lightly passed over.
In the afternoon, when Lyu Hongying was about to leave, Pei Ying went to see her off and found an excuse to send her daughter away.
Pei Ying said kindly, "Hongying, if you have something on your mind, you might as well tell me. Although we are not sisters-in-law now, our past affection remains. You are also Nannan's closest kin. If I can be of help, I certainly won't refuse."
Meeting close relatives in a foreign land, especially the only remaining kin from her biological father's line, had made her daughter particularly happy these past few days. Moreover, Lyu Hongying had been teaching her daughter needlework without asking for anything in return these days. Both emotionally and reasonably, if the other party was in difficulty, she would not stand by idly.
Lyu Hongying couldn't help but show shame and embarrassment. "General's Lady, you are truly benevolent and generous. I do have a matter I wish to ask for your help with. To be frank, our family is new to Linjiang County. My husband intended to put down roots here again, but this year our daughter got married, and we added a considerable dowry for her. The journey to Linjiang involved many setbacks and significant losses; our family is not as well-off as before. We could have managed, but unexpectedly, starting the business here has been very difficult. There are many places requiring connections and substantial initial investment. Therefore, we are truly short of funds and have no choice but to thicken our skin and ask to borrow some silver from you..."
Her voice grew softer as she spoke, and by the end, she had lowered her head.
Pei Ying couldn't see Lyu Hongying's expression clearly, but seeing her ears flushed red, she imagined she was very embarrassed.
"That's no trouble at all, Hongying. How much do you need?" Pei Ying asked.
Lyu Hongying softly stated a figure.
This sum was substantial for the average merchant, enough to halve their family fortune, let alone for common folk. However, for Pei Ying, this amount of silver was nothing.
The monthly income of the Pei family, just from a minor category like scented soap, was more than enough to cover Lyu Hongying's loan entirely.
"Hongying can come collect the funds tomorrow," Pei Ying said with a smile.
Lyu Hongying's face instantly filled with gratitude, and she bowed deeply to Pei Ying. "Thank you, General's Lady. My husband and I will forever remember your great kindness."
Pei Ying helped her up.
That evening, Pei Ying mentioned to Huo Tingshan that Lyu Hongying wanted to borrow money. It wasn't to seek his permission, just a topic of casual conversation.
"Even the Emperor has a few poor relatives. Since it's just a loan, simply give her the money to settle the matter," Huo Tingshan said dismissively.
"'Settle the matter'? Listen to how you put it," Pei Ying was slightly exasperated. Remembering her daughter's still-suspended classes, she asked curiously, "Huo Tingshan, have the other two strategic passes seen battle?"
The man replied, "Dongmen Pass has seen fighting. Huaigu Pass has not yet."
Dongmen Pass, located on the easternmost side of the three passes, had the gentlest terrain and had been assigned to the Yuzhou army to capture.
Compared to the allied forces of Yizhou and Yongzhou responsible for Huaigu Pass, Yuzhou operated alone, following the command of Lei Chengshuang. Being able to act decisively, their efficiency was much higher.
"The situation at Huaigu Pass is somewhat complicated. The conflicts between the Jingzhou army and the Yongzhou army representing the court are difficult to reconcile, and Yizhou just wants to muddle through. In a while, when the situation stabilizes, I'll take you, my lady, to climb the mountains." Huo Tingshan sat beside Pei Ying, idly winding the ribbon from her hair around his finger.
Pei Ying was taken aback for a moment, searching her memory for his previous words. He had said back then that after he captured Chenyuan Dao, he would take her for a spring outing.
The timing was off. By the time he breached the pass, it was already summer.
"Let's not. Whether it's a spring outing or mountain climbing, I'm not really interested." In the sweltering summer heat, Pei Ying only wanted to stay by the ice basins and go nowhere.
"Lazybones," Huo Tingshan teased with a laugh.
Pei Ying ignored him. Let him say it; she admitted she indeed didn't have his boundless energy.
Nowadays, banking institutions had not yet emerged, and there was no such thing as banknotes. Using money meant dealing with heavy, physical cash.
If she had encountered Meng Congnan and his wife on the march and they had come to borrow money, even if she agreed, she couldn't have produced a large sum immediately. But now they happened to be at the Jiejie Residence. Whether the former owner of the residence was greedy or intended to use wealth to build connections, the residence contained a considerable amount of gold and silver.
After the Jiejie Residence changed hands, this fortune fell to Youzhou, and it happened to be available to lend to Lyu Hongying.
Lyu Hongying arrived as promised the next day.
Pei Ying had already ordered the silver to be packed in boxes—three large ones in total. She asked Lyu Hongying, "Where are you staying now, Hongying? At the courier station? These boxes are heavy; I'll have someone deliver them for you."
Lyu Hongying thanked her again before saying, "We're not at the courier station. Although the conditions there are good, it's crowded and noisy, and the daily rate is expensive. Staying for many days in a row isn't cost-effective, so my husband went and found a small house to rent for a month."
Pei Ying understood and changed her offer. "Then I'll have someone deliver the boxes to the house."
The other woman expressed her profuse thanks once more, then took out newly embroidered pieces to gift to Pei Ying. Her embroidery was truly exceptional, and Pei Ying accepted them with a smile.
As Lyu Hongying left that day with the gold and silver and the accompanying guards, she asked Meng Ling'er, "Ling'er, would you like to come to my place tomorrow morning? I'll make you some pork skin cakes."
Hearing "pork skin cakes," Meng Ling'er recalled the past and her mouth instantly watered. Back then, her auntie also loved making pork skin cakes, finishing them with a ladle of meat gravy—it was simply too delicious.
The little girl nodded in agreement. "Alright."
Lyu Hongying smiled. "The guards know where I live. Ling'er can come directly tomorrow morning."
Meng Ling'er's eyes curved into crescents. "See you tomorrow, Auntie Ying."
After bidding farewell to Lyu Hongying, the little girl walked back into the residence holding her mother's hand, chatting about old times along the way.
Now that their family's circumstances were better, they had tasted many delicacies, even venison and beef which they hadn't dared dream of before. Yet, hearing about her auntie's pork skin cakes still filled her with deep nostalgia.
"Will you come with me tomorrow, Mother?" Meng Ling'er asked.
Pei Ying still didn't feel like moving. "No, Nannan can go by yourself. If you go in the morning, your auntie will likely keep you for lunch. It's fine to impose for the midday meal, but you must return for dinner."
Meng Ling'er agreed.
The night passed in a blink, and the next day the little girl got up early and happily set out with her guards.
After seeing her daughter off, Pei Ying returned to her room to continue reviewing the account books.
The first batch of white sugar had been sent to Luoyang, where it sold out immediately upon arrival—it was no exaggeration to say demand far outstripped supply.
The second batch of white sugar arrived later in Chang'an. Although the situation of warlord rule was now established and the Son of Heaven existed in name only, Chang'an remained an undeniable den of extravagance, teeming with nobles as numerous as grains of sand, with no shortage of gold and silver.
White sugar was snapped up in Chang'an. It was said the frenzy reached such a point that after servants left the Shengjing Pavilion, people would secretly try to rob them of the sugar.
Pei Ying's eyes were on the account book as she reached for her teacup, but she accidentally knocked it over.
The water in the cup instantly soaked a section of the desk. The toppled cup rolled to the edge and finally fell off the table, shattering into pieces on the floor.
Pei Ying paused briefly, then reacted with regret and began wiping with a handkerchief.
A corner of the account book was damp.
"My lady?" Xin Jin outside heard the noise and came in. Seeing the fragments on the floor, she hurriedly said, "Please don't move, my lady. Let this servant clean it up."
Since Lyu Hongying didn't visit that day, the couple no longer dined separately. In private, they didn't use individual servings but ate together at a small round table.
Huo Tingshan picked up a shrimp ball and placed it in Pei Ying's bowl. "Try this shrimp ball. The river shrimp were freshly caught today."
Pei Ying was suffering from the summer heat lately and couldn't eat much stir-fried meat, but shrimp balls suited her just fine. She picked one up with her jade chopsticks, but halfway, the shrimp ball suddenly slipped. It first fell onto the bowl, bounced slightly due to the wheat rice inside, and finally landed on the table.
"Is my lady a three-year-old child, unable to even handle chopsticks properly?" Huo Tingshan was about to pick up a new shrimp ball for her.
"Huo Tingshan, I... I feel a bit unwell."
The man opposite sharply looked up, only to see the beautiful lady who had been rosy-cheeked a moment ago now pale-faced, her fair hand holding the jade chopsticks trembling slightly.
"Where do you feel unwell, my lady?" Huo Tingshan's expression changed. After asking, he raised his voice and told a servant to summon Feng Yuzhu.
Pei Ying opened her mouth to answer, but her heart was spasming violently, as if an invisible large hand was gripping it, tightening, then suddenly releasing, over and over.
Seeing she couldn't speak, Huo Tingshan immediately abandoned his bowl and chopsticks. He went over, scooped Pei Ying up in his arms, took two or three strides to the soft couch in the side hall, and laid her down. He grasped her hand, finding it icy cold.
The Jiejie Residence wasn't large, and Feng Yuzhu soon arrived with his medicine chest. Huo Tingshan stopped him as he was about to bow. "No need for formalities, Secretary. Please check on my lady immediately."
Pei Ying had by now recovered somewhat. She straightened up from Huo Tingshan's embrace. "I don't feel as unwell as I did a moment ago," she said.
But no one was paying attention to the words of the person involved.
Feng Yuzhu took Pei Ying's pulse. After a moment, he said, "The mistress's pulse is neither floating nor deep, its rhythm is even and regular. There is nothing seriously amiss."
As soon as these words were spoken, Feng Yuzhu could see the lord's expression grow doubtful.
"She was deathly pale just now, her hands and feet were ice-cold, and she was trembling worse than a leaf in a storm. How can you say there's nothing seriously amiss?" Huo Tingshan questioned doubtfully.
Feng Yuzhu was in a difficult position. The pulse truly indicated no major issue.
Seeing that Huo Tingshan showed signs of becoming a difficult patient, Pei Ying hurriedly interjected, "It's most likely just summer malaise. Physician Feng can simply prescribe some dietary remedies."
Huo Tingshan glanced down at the woman in his arms. By now, color was slowly returning to her cheeks, and she looked no different from usual.
"Take her pulse again," Huo Tingshan ordered.
Feng Yuzhu dared not disobey and took Pei Ying's pulse once more, but he was certain the result was not mistaken. "Entering summer, one is three parts weak even without illness. I shall write two dietary prescriptions for the mistress. You may brew more soups and teas for daily consumption."
Pei Ying said, "Thank you for your trouble, Physician Feng."
After this commotion, the midday meal was not as warm as before, but in summer, one wasn't so particular, and it was still acceptable. After the meal, Xin Jin brought a heat-relieving soup. It contained tangerine peel and didn't taste bad.
Once the soup was finished, Pei Ying took a stroll in the garden to aid digestion, then returned to the main courtyard for her afternoon rest.
Time flowed slowly by.
A fast horse clattered over the city's stone-paved streets, weaving through the bustling market, repeatedly startling commoners emerging from street corners and alleyways, forcing them to hastily make way.
"Galloping a horse in the marketplace? Is he in a hurry to be reborn?"
"Shh, keep your voice down. Can you say such things? Be careful of bringing trouble upon yourself."
"What's there to fear? He's already long gone."
...
The guard rode at full speed all the way to the Residence of the Commander-in-Chief, dismounted, and hurried inside, going straight to the study.
If this had been two years ago, he would have first reported and waited for permission to enter. But today, the guard pushed the door open and strode right in, kneeling down immediately. "General, somehow bandits have broken into the Meng residence. Lady Lü has been injured by the bandits, and the young lady is missing. Our men have already sealed the four city gates as a first measure..."
