As soon as Huo Tingshan finished speaking, Chen Yuan swiftly moved into action.
Amidst Lyu Hongying's screams and cries of pain, the hemp bandages that had just been wrapped by the old doctor were quickly undone. The wound had been medicated, but after this violent struggle, the long gash began to ooze blood again.
Lyu Hongying struggled frantically, her face twisted in agony. Yet the man restraining her had immense strength, and her arm was held completely immobile.
Chen Yuan paid no heed to her evident pain. He casually took a strip of hemp cloth and, ignoring her shrieks, wiped it across her arm.
The freshly seeping blood was smeared away, clearly revealing the wound. The parted flesh was slightly open, showing a glimpse of raw, red tissue.
A mere glance wasn't enough. Chen Yuan used his other hand to press near the wound, placing two fingers on either side to pry it open further.
After just one look, Chen Yuan's pupils contracted slightly. The hand that had been pinning Lyu Hongying's arm moved to her throat, his five fingers tightening. "Where is the young lady?"
Terrified, Lyu Hongying wept, tears and mucus streaming down her face. She tried to speak, but with her throat constricted, she couldn't utter a single word, only managing to shake her head with all her might in small, frantic movements.
Huo Tingshan's expression turned even colder. "She is most likely still nearby. Men, search this dwelling thoroughly. Do not overlook a single detail."
The guards waiting outside immediately poured in.
The search had barely begun when the guard previously sent to the food stall returned. He wasn't alone; he had hauled Meng Congnan back with him.
Seeing Meng Congnan with flushed cheeks, clearly having drunk alcohol, Chen Yuan frowned slightly. He asked the guard, "Where was he found?"
The squad leader named a food stall, then added, "When we found him, he was drinking with two other men. I questioned them. Both are surnamed Li, brothers who trade in dyes along the Shenyuan Route."
A flicker of surprise passed through Chen Yuan's eyes.
Seeing this, Lyu Hongying cried out again, "Great General, this humble woman is wronged! What I said earlier was not a lie! My husband truly went to the food stall to discuss business with the Li merchants. If I were responsible for abducting the young lady, why would we, husband and wife, remain here? Wouldn't that be walking right into a trap?"
Huo Tingshan merely swept a cool glance over her. "Do you think your lengthy speech now will make me stop searching your house?"
Lyu Hongying choked on her words.
Meanwhile, Meng Congnan had sobered up. Seeing his wife's arm and shoulder stained crimson with blood, he panicked instantly. "Great General, I do not know what crime my foolish wife has committed to warrant you harming a mere woman."
Huo Tingshan couldn't be bothered to engage with him.
They were now effectively breaking with this branch of the Meng family. Just as well—there would be no need for further empty pleasantries with this man in the future.
Chen Yuan concisely recounted the situation.
Meng Congnan hurriedly said, "Great General—"
"Great General, a secret passage has been discovered in the bedroom."
The two voices spoke simultaneously.
Huo Tingshan's gaze sharpened. He immediately strode into the adjacent bedroom. He had been in this room before; it was as small as the outer room, containing only a bed and two chests placed side-by-side for storing clothes.
Now, with the two chests moved aside, a dark, gaping hole was revealed beneath them. The opening wasn't overly large, but it was clearly passable for an adult.
Upon seeing this secret passage, a string in Huo Tingshan's mind snapped taut with a violent twang. He closed his eyes briefly.
"You ungrateful wretches!" With the strength of one arm, Chen Yuan, who had dragged Lyu Hongying over, lifted her by the throat until her feet left the ground, then flung her aside violently.
Seeing Huo Tingshan about to enter the passage, Chen Yuan said, "Great General, beware of a trap. Allow your subordinate to go first."
Huo Tingshan agreed. He turned to the squad leader. "Keep a close watch on this couple. Don't let them die."
The squad leader acknowledged the order.
By now, Chen Yuan had lit a firestarter and entered the passage. After he went in, Huo Tingshan followed.
The passage wasn't particularly long, but it wasn't short either. Wary of ambushes, they proceeded slowly. After moving cautiously for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the passage began to slope upward.
By the firelight, Chen Yuan saw a wooden plank sealing the exit. He pressed his hand against it and pushed upward with force, the tendons on his arm suddenly standing out taut.
"Creak, creak."
The plank was pushed open, accompanied by the sound of a toppling cabinet from above.
Light streamed in.
Chen Yuan nimbly emerged from the passage, with Huo Tingshan following closely behind.
This place was also a bedroom, exceedingly simple—just a bed and a cabinet. Youzhou soldiers poured out and swiftly searched the dwelling. Unsurprisingly, the room was empty.
Without needing orders from Huo Tingshan, Chen Yuan had already dispatched guards to question the neighboring households.
Information was gathered quickly.
This dwelling was occupied jointly by five nightsoil collectors. The stench and the general disdain for their profession meant the neighbors were unwilling to interact with the five men. They only knew their surnames and that they had rented the place eight months ago.
"...Because they were nightsoil collectors, even when neighbors often saw them carrying buckets in and out, no one paid much attention," the guard reported.
Now, thinking back, it was likely the buckets they carried weren't filled with nightsoil, but with earth. Transporting the excavated soil from the tunnel in this manner prevented neighbors from gossiping and asking questions.
A tunnel is not the work of a single day. Without such a method, the neighbors would certainly have wondered why a household was constantly hauling out soil—where it came from and why it was being moved.
"Go quickly and inquire at every street corner and alleyway if anyone saw those nightsoil collectors carrying buckets out today, and where they went afterward," Huo Tingshan commanded.
The guards accepted the order.
Huo Tingshan paced the room with a grim expression, his heart sinking steadily.
Although the guards hadn't returned yet, he could more or less guess the outcome. It was now the Hour of the Rooster, nearing sunset. Lyu's cries about a thief had been at the very end of the Hour of the Monkey, but the actual incident must have occurred even earlier.
Perhaps the Hour of the Goat, perhaps the Hour of the Horse, or possibly even earlier.
This border town's area couldn't compare to that of a commandery like Xuantu, and its prosperity was far inferior. This also meant entry and exit from the city were very fast.
If he were the kidnapper, he would have disguised himself and left the city swiftly once the target was secured. An hour—no, if they were more efficient, they wouldn't even need an hour.
"We won't wait any longer. Send word to Sha Ying, Lan Zimu, and the others. Order them to call off the search within the city and instead search outward from the city in all directions," Huo Tingshan ordered.
The guards accepted the command.
A quarter of an hour later, the guard who had left earlier came back, gasping for breath. After taking a deep breath, he said, "General, a young servant from a shop at the alley entrance said that he saw a dung collector surnamed Zeng carrying two large buckets out at noon. Usually, that man walked alone, but today there was a ox cart to pick him up. At that time, the servant even thought that maybe the dung collector had made a new friend, so he had a particularly deep impression. The servant also said that the dung collector surnamed Zeng and the cart driver went west."
"Please allocate a team of men to me, General," Chen Yuan said at this time.
After the enemy transported the people out, every quarter of an hour was extremely precious. It was highly unlikely that they would stay in the city any longer.
Therefore, it was very likely that they had left through the west gate.
Huo Tingshan said, "Chen Yuan, I have to remind you that I've only taken over Chenyuan Road in Jingzhou. The other areas still belong to Cong Liuqi. There might be ambushes on the way."
Chen Yuan bowed with clasped hands. "I understand, sir."
Huo Tingshan waved his hand. "It's not advisable to make a big fuss about the pursuit. Otherwise, it will inevitably attract the attention of other states, which will backfire. I'll give you five hundred black-armored cavalry. Be careful on your own."
After Chen Yuan left, Huo Tingshan remained in the room. Later, the guards came to report one after another, bringing back several pieces of news.
The guards found out that those dung collectors had left the city, and they had indeed left through the west gate.
The neighbor wasn't lying. The five dung collectors had come here eight months ago. After further investigation, it was found that these five men were not originally from Chenyuan Road. According to the household registration records, they were all from Yizhou.
Huo Tingshan looked up at the sky. Half of the sun was sinking, and the orange-yellow glow covered most of the sky. It was so bright, warm, and beautiful, like a magnificent painting.
Huo Tingshan said, "Let's go back to the mansion first. Take those two ungrateful people back. I'll interrogate them myself later."
When he stepped out of the alley, Huo Tingshan looked back.
Those five dung collectors had come here eight months ago. If you pushed the time back eight months, it was almost three seasons ago. Now it was summer, and this scheme had been set up at least last autumn.
Last autumn, he and his wife had just gotten married not long ago, and Emperor Zhao had passed away not long either. The person behind the scheme might have already known that Cong of Jingzhou would not be able to hold back from proclaiming himself emperor, and also known that there would be a joint campaign against Jingzhou by various states in the future. So, they chose Jingzhou as the place to set up the scheme.
However, there were three dangerous passes north of Jingzhou. How could the enemy have guessed that he would be at Chenyuan Road...
In a flash of thought, Huo Tingshan laughed at himself.
Why did the enemy need to guess? They just needed to set up schemes in the cities corresponding to the three dangerous passes and cast a wide net. Anyway, Meng Congnan and his wife lived in Linguang County. Starting from there, they could reach all three dangerous passes.
"Clip-clop, clip-clop." The hooves of the horses stepped on the bluestone bricks. The shiny black horses returned to the side door of the Fief-envoy's Mansion.
The mansion was getting closer, but the man on the horse pulled the reins.
The big black horse slowed down and then gave a snort, as if it didn't understand why the master didn't enter the house when it was so close.
After pausing for a while, Huo Tingshan loosened the reins.
The horse named Wuye carried him into the mansion through the side door.
"General, you're finally back. Just now, the mistress asked when you would return," the guard said.
Huo Tingshan slowly exhaled a puff of turbid air and stepped inside. As soon as he entered the main hall from the side corridor, he saw Pei Ying coming.
Now that summer had arrived, she had changed into a light gauze dress. Her graceful figure was even more exquisite. The beautiful woman, who usually let her black hair loose, had now tied it up in a high bun, revealing a section of fair and beautiful neck.
The gold and jade tassel hairpin was inserted in her black hair. The tassels wrapped with gold thread swayed slightly as she walked slowly. The last ray of sunlight in the sky fell on her face and hair, as if overflowing with a stream of light.
Huo Tingshan stopped in his tracks and didn't move forward.
Pei Ying didn't notice his strangeness. "You went to the military camp outside the city at this hour. Could something have happened?"
"Everything is fine at the military camp," Huo Tingshan only said.
Pei Ying mumbled, "That girl Ling'er hasn't come back yet. I clearly told her this morning to come back for dinner. Could she have gone wild outside and forgotten?"
Huo Tingshan paused for a moment, then reached out and put his arm around Pei Ying. "Most likely, she hasn't seen her relatives for a long time and stayed outside a bit longer. Madam, let's have dinner first. We'll ask the kitchen to reheat the dishes when she comes back."
Pei Ying was a bit hungry. This man had just come back from the military camp. He must have been tired from running around outside and was probably starving too. "Okay, let's go have dinner first."
There were many mosquitoes in summer. After dinner, Pei Ying didn't go to the back garden but returned to the main courtyard. Recently, white sugar had been in short supply, which had also driven up the sales of a number of other products. The Pei family was making a fortune every day.
"Aren't you busy?" Pei Ying looked at Huo Tingshan, who had followed her back. This man had gone to the military camp this afternoon. Logically, he should have something important to do.
Huo Tingshan said, "I'll go to the study later."
So, Pei Ying sat down to sort out the accounts. While she was reconciling the accounts, he just sat beside her and watched her, not doing anything.
At first, it was okay, but after watching for a long time, Pei Ying felt a little puzzled. Why was this man acting so strangely today...
But just as she thought this, the man beside her stood up. "Madam, you can continue with your work. I'll go to the study."
The strange feeling in Pei Ying's heart immediately disappeared.
After leaving the main courtyard, Huo Tingshan didn't go to the study as he had said. Instead, he went to a remote courtyard in the Fief-envoy's Mansion.
In this remote corner where people rarely came, there were now bright lights and heavy guards.
As soon as Huo Tingshan stepped in, he smelled a smell of blood.
Lyu Hongying's shoulder and arm had been torn and bandaged. They were just casually wrapped with a hemp cloth to prevent her from bleeding to death. The soldiers hadn't reapplied medicine to her.
Now she was tied under a pillar, with a piece of hemp cloth in her mouth. Her feet barely touched the ground, and her head was hanging down, with no expression visible.
Meng Congnan beside her was in the same situation.
"General," the guard saluted.
Huo Tingshan said expressionlessly, "Take the hemp cloth out of Lyu's mouth."
As soon as the hemp cloth was removed, Lyu Hongying hung her head and gasped for breath. Her arms were so painful that they were numb.
In contrast to her behavior in the house before, now she didn't shout that she was wronged anymore. Instead, she laughed softly. "The rope always breaks at the thinnest part, and misfortune always befalls the unlucky. When the gods fight, the little devils suffer..."
"Who instructed you to commit the crime?" Huo Tingshan ignored her mumbling.
As if she didn't hear Huo Tingshan's question, Lyu Hongying still kept repeating those words.
Huo Tingshan clicked his tongue softly and drew out the ring-headed knife from his waist.
The knife flashed, and blood spurted out. Amid the woman's screams, there was a heavy object hitting the ground.
Lyu Hongying was stunned and immediately came out of her previous state. She screamed, "Nan Lang!!"
The knife was so fast that the pain was only a moment.
Meng Congnan was stunned. It wasn't until the heavy object hit the ground and his body kept tilting to the left that he realized later that what had just fallen was his right arm.
His right arm was severed cleanly at the shoulder.
"Who instigated you to commit this crime?" Huo Tingshan asked again.
The ring - pommeled sword in his hand was stained with blood. As the blade drooped, the blood snaked like a crimson viper on the shiny blade.
The light of the candle on the ground reflected the drops of "cinnabar grains" falling from the tip of the sword, as if a venomous snake was silently sticking out its scarlet forked tongue.
This time, Lyu Hongying didn't dare not answer: "I don't know. I don't know who they are. They kidnapped my Gong'er and told us to follow their instructions. They said that if we didn't comply, not only would Gong'er's life be in danger, but also Xiao Rou and Jin'er would be at stake. They are all the flesh that fell from my body. I had no choice. I really had no choice..."
Huo Tingshan's eyebrows twitched slightly. "Is Gong'er your third son?"
Lyu Hongying nodded timidly. "He was born when my husband and I were in Jiaozhou. After Gong'er was born, our family business gradually improved. He is our lucky star."
Huo Tingshan asked, "When did those people approach you?"
Lyu Hongying said in a low voice, "A year ago. At first, of course, we refused. To avoid them, we even moved several times. But no matter where we moved, they would eventually find us..."
Tears streaming down her face, she said, "General, we didn't want to do this either. Ling'er is our close relative. If we had a choice, we wouldn't want to put her in danger."
Huo Tingshan's face turned even colder. "Absurd. How could you have no other choice? You could have agreed to them first, gone along with it, and then quietly revealed their plan to me later. The little girl would have cooperated with you to act out a play and clear your family. Could it be that besides threatening you with the life of your youngest son, they also promised you great benefits after it was all done?"
Lyu Hongying and Meng Congnan's expressions changed slightly.
...
When leaving the courtyard, Huo Tingshan pressed his temples. A faint smell of blood lingered on him. He specifically went to take a bath before returning to the main courtyard.
As soon as he sat down, Pei Ying smelled the faint fragrance of soap and couldn't help but praise, "Huo Tingshan, you've improved."
Usually, it was she who urged him to take a bath, but today he was quite self - conscious.
The man smiled faintly. "So you won't keep nagging at me all day. It's getting late, madam. Go to bed. You can look at these accounts tomorrow. It's all the same."
Pei Ying was a bit hesitant. She was almost done reading.
But Huo Tingshan had already closed the ledger for her. "Checking the accounts isn't an urgent matter. Why stay up all night? Be careful of hurting your eyes."
Since he had taken the ledger away, she couldn't say anything else. She could only wash up and go to bed. Just before falling into a dream, Pei Ying vaguely thought that it seemed that Nannan had come back quietly tonight. Could it be that she was too tired from playing?
The woman's breathing gradually became even.
In the darkness, a long, long time passed, and the man couldn't fall asleep at all. He turned over again and gently pulled the person beside him into his arms.
His long arm wrapped around the slender waist of the person in his arms, slowly tightening like a python. The woman let out a soft moan, instantly pulling his thoughts back to reality.
Huo Tingshan loosened his hand a little but still held the person and immersed himself in the darkness with her.
*
"Plop." By the side of the river with sparkling waves, a small head emerged.
Meng Ling'er grabbed the water plants by the river and climbed onto the shore with all her might. As soon as she got on the shore, she gasped for breath. But her hand instinctively felt the side of her boot, and she felt at ease only after touching a hard object.
It was the short dagger that Lord Chen had given her on her birthday.
Not long ago, she had used this dagger to slit the throats of two people.
She had killed someone.
